The Comin Family

Shot through the heart

2012-01-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Little Buddy got his shots today and always makes me sad to see his face when they poke him. This time I had all three kids with me and Brighton insisted on holding Graham's hand to make him feel better. She got a little teary-eyed when he started crying but gave him kisses to make him happy. Her tender heart can only handle so much. Well, gratefully they both feel better and we are all happy and immunized.

Steppin' It Up

2012-01-11T09:46:00.001-08:00

I know I wouldn't have been able to manage having 3 children at this point in my life if it weren't for Brighton. She has been so helpful and responsible these past several weeks that I was sad to see her go back to school. She's the first to make sure Graham's diaper is changed, that he's happy, and that the house chores are taken care of. If things get a little hectic, she is there to pick up the slack. I've stopped having to ask her to do things more than once before the task is done. Things have just been running smoother in our household and I know it's because of little B. Now I know this sounds a little exaggerated because I'm only talking about a 5-year-old, but she really has stepped it up when it comes to being thoughtful and dependable and I am so grateful for her. Thanks Sweets!

Week 9

2012-01-09T16:42:00.001-08:00

We've made it past the 2 month mark! Graham is 9 weeks old and getting chunkier and happier by the day. I feel like that's all I keep saying about the kid but it's true. Something new is that he's started to smile a little more on demand. You can even see a little smirk on his face in this pic. We love our little guy and can't wait for more new things that come our way!

What's In a Name?

2012-01-06T19:01:00.000-08:00

I figured now would be as good a time as any to share how we came up with Graham's name. His full name is Graham Edward Comin. He is a really special spirit and very deserving of the name that he has to honor. First off, Graham is a name Kyle and I both really liked but it's even more important to us because Kyle's best friend in college, Sterling Graham, set us up. If it weren't for Sterling's push, we might not be where we are today. If fact, if it weren't for Sterling's entire family, Kyle might not be the person he is today. In college, Kyle went up to live with Ster's family during the summertime and they were the best 'second family' anyone could ask for. He grew to love them dearly and for that reason, Graham was a perfect name for us.

Now as for Graham's middle name- Edward. This is a very special name to us for two reasons (and it has NOTHING to do with vampires!) 1. My grandpa passed away while I was pregnant with Graham and the last conversation I had with him was to tell him that we were having a baby. He was a great man and will forever be missed. This might sound looney but I felt there was some sort of connection between this new little life on earth and my grandpa making it beyond this life that linked the two of these people together. Maybe they knew each other for a brief period up there. Thus, I felt it appropriate to name our little guy after my grandpa whose name was Carl Edward Hotchkiss. I hope his legacy of love can live on through his great-grandchildren.

2. If that's not enough, Kyle's grandfather is named William Edward Comin. Kyle's grandparents are converts to the church and because of it, hundreds of lives have been affected. He sealed us in the temple and means a great deal to us. He continues to be a great man. With 2 grandparents both named Edward, we felt it was meant to be.

And with a sweet, lovable face like his, he's got to have a meaningful name to go with it. Anyway, now you know how Graham Edward Comin came to be!

A Sad Day

2012-01-03T11:44:00.001-08:00

I know this is a little late, but my mom left right before the new year and it was a sad day for all of us. She has been missed immensely! She was such a help with the baby and the kids. I honestly don't know what I would have done on my own. Everyone needs their mom every now and again and my mom came to the rescue at the exact moment I needed her. So, thanks mom. We love and miss you!

Week 8

2012-01-02T08:37:00.001-08:00

Everybody says that chunky babies are sleepier and happier. Well, Graham seems to be living proof of that. He has gained quite a few pounds and the chunkier he gets, the less I see a crying, mad baby and the more I see my sweet little sleepy head.

The other night we were gathered in the living room for family prayer and scripture study. The kids were going crazy, running around, and being loud. Finally we got everyone quiet and reverent and the second I said "Dear Heavenly Father..." Graham lets out the biggest belly laugh we had ever heard. We all looked at him and couldn't help but bust up laughing. All that work trying to get everyone quiet and the baby brought us back to square one! But I will never forget that family moment. It was priceless. Hopefully that's a foreshadow of things to come. He truly has been a blessing in our lives and bring us all together.

*And anyone who knows us, knows we are huge Red Sox fans so I made Graham his very own Red Sox blanket for Christmas. We gotta start them young in this fam!

P if for Primary

2012-01-01T15:07:00.000-08:00

January is always the start of something new. New goals, new beginnings, and for some of us new stepping stones. Porter made it through one of his stepping stones today by going to primary in church for the first time! It was a monumental day. I don't think I've mentioned this before, but when we moved here, Porter regressed in Nursery and became super clingy. Normally in every other situation he is an outgoing kid, but for some reason, nursery was not doing it for him. He would not go without many tears shed and it's only been very recently that he's been doing better. With that being said, I was nervous for him and this new step. I thought we would see his weekly nursery melt-downs all over again, but that was not the case. He was a little cautious but when he saw that Brighton was in there too, he did much better. He sat down with his class and tried to put on a brave little face. I'm sure there were just a few tears during that first class, but at least he knows what to expect now. I'm still proud of the milestones that he's gone through and the many I know him and all of us as a family will go through for the 2012 year!

Christmas Eve... T-Bird Style

2011-12-28T18:56:00.001-08:00

I know I'm doing a little catch up here, but I wanted to get in everything that we did while my mom was here before the new year, so bear with me. On Christmas Eve, we went hiking up Thunderbird Mountain which was actually our first time going out there. It's a great park with a ton of hiking trails for miles and miles. It's about 5 minutes away and this was the first time! It's crazy to me how little time you feel you have to do the things you want to when you have a husband in school and 3 little kids. Anyway, we were grateful to finally make it out there and it was a gorgeous day out (On Christmas Eve?! I love AZ) so we were able to each lunch and spend the day outdoors. Porter definitely found his calling in life when we were there. He was the leader and hiked up all the treacherous terrain on his own (Kyle was close behind in case anything happened). The two boys even went off the path to climb up the steep portion of the mountain as you can see below:

Even though Porter loves the outdoors, I don't think he will grow up to be much of an environmentalist because when they got back down from the cliff, we found this sign where they had just traveled:

Anyway, it was a great Christmas Eve and I can honestly say I've never experienced such a beautiful day in the middle of winter!

Week 7

2011-12-27T11:11:00.001-08:00

This kid is getting cuter and chunkier by the minute. He is finally staying awake and not crying all the time. He eats like a champ and we can't get enough of him. We love our little Graham Cracker!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T17:39:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas (a day late)! I always put up my Christmas card and this year I combined it with the birth announcement so here is a smathering of good tidings and news for you to enjoy! Hope your day was great!

I love to See the Temple... Lights

2011-12-23T21:31:00.001-08:00

Since we've lived in Arizona, all the members of our ward have raved about the lights at the temple. The Mesa Temple goes all out and decorates the palm trees, has musical programs every night, and sparkles the entire temple grounds with Christmas lights. We knew we had to make the trip out there when my mom was here, so we bundled up and headed to Mesa. Unfortunately, we decided to go on the worst night for weather. It was windy, stormy, and super cold. The kids even had to wear their winter coats! We only stayed about 5 minutes because we were so freezing but it was fun and the lights were beautiful so the trip was worth the little jaunt.

Week 6

2011-12-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

He is 6-weeks-old and the time cruises! His eyes seem to be getting wider and his cheeks are getting chunkier by the day. It's just too bad his scrawny legs haven't caught up with the rest of his body yet! He's a little bit of a fussy baby and the evening times are the worst (we think he's a little bit colicky), but he's sleeping well during the night with only 1-2 wake ups so I can't complain. More wonderful quilts were sent to us by my mom. Growing up, whenever my mom would sit down, she always had a quilt on her lap. She was always hand stitching quilts for family members or friends so each time we have a new baby, we know a quilt is not far behind. That being said, my mom made this super cute dino quilt for Graham and I couldn't resist using it as a background. She has a real talent and it's such a special heirloom for each of my kids to have from their Nana. Anyway, the little gus is 6-weeks-old which means I can officially start working out again! The only struggle will be finding time to do it now with 3 kids in tow! Wish me luck!

A Day of Performances

2011-12-15T08:24:00.001-08:00

Today Brighton had her very first tap dance recital and my parents were lucky enough to be here for it. She has been loving taking classes and finally got to show off her stuff. To be honest, I was terrified for her. Brighton can tend to be introverted when it comes to the spotlight being on her so I was super worried that she'd get out there on that big stage with all the lights and start crying or something, but that was not the case. She remembered her routine (which was All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth by Alvin and the Chipmunks and it was the cutest routine ever) little and smiled the whole time. The day before they had a dress rehearsal and we talked about stage fright and how it's normal to be a little nervous so I think that helped her panic to be subsided. Maybe it was me remembering all the times I performed when I was little that made me freak out a bit, but it all turned out great and I couldn't have been prouder. It was the first time I really felt like my little girl was not so little anymore and it made me cry. But they were happy tears. Anyway, Kyle brought her a rose at the end of the performance and she was ecstatic. We are so proud of our tiny dancer.

Then later on that night we had our ward Christmas Party and the primary was supposed to get on the stage and sing. Brighton was dressed as an angel using one of Kyle's dress shirts and it was cute. Right before she had to go up on the stage she turned to me and said, "Mom, this one is a piece of cake." so after a long day of performing, I guess the stage and her are friends.

And to top it off, Santa was there. This was the first year Brighton actually just climbed up on his lap by herself and told him what she wanted. She was such a good example that Porter wasn't scared of Santa and he followed right after her with a big smile on his face. It was the perfect end to a great day. The only bummer was that my dad left today, but I still have my mom around for a while so we are in good hands.

Week 5

2011-12-12T16:57:00.001-08:00

Graham is officially 5-weeks-old and his photo shoot can be described with one word: squirmy. He has been kicking and squirming like crazy since he's been awake a lot more now. I just had to put him on his new and super cute blanket my sister just sent him. My sister is ridiculously creative and crafty and this is her first attempt at quilting so I had to document how amazing she is. Anyway, 5 weeks down, 47 more to go until little chicken legs becomes a full year!

The Not-So-Great Architects

2011-12-09T14:57:00.001-08:00

The other night we made our annual gingerbread house. I'm a fan of the boxed gingerbread houses you buy at Wal Mart so that's what we went with. It's just too bad that the frosting was too soft and the roof fell off about 2 minutes after we were done. Let's just say no one in this family will go into the field of architecture anytime soon. Oh well. It's the memory that's shared while you're doing the project, right?! Anyway, it was fun and there was only a minuscule amount of candy eaten during the creation process.

And why is it that I can't get a decent picture of both of these ones smiling? I dread the day when I'll have to make all 3 smile for the cam at the same time!

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-07T21:10:00.001-08:00

Since my parents came in right after Thanksgiving, we decided to wait for them to decorate the tree all together. The kids loved looking at all the ornaments we've collected over the years and my parents enjoyed remembering when my sister and I were that young and excited about our Christmas tree too. When I was little my dad made our Christmas star out of cardboard and tinfoil and I always loved it so when Kyle and I first got married I made one and it's been ours ever since. Kyle, Brighton, Porter, and my dad all joined forces in putting it on top of the tree and the whole thing made for a great night.

Week 4

2011-12-05T18:42:00.001-08:00

Graham is now 4-weeks-old. The time is cruisin' and I'm really liking the newborn phase. He is a lot different than my other 2 so it's kinda fun to see the independent personalitiies. He is a scratcher so his face is always cut up from his long nails. He is getting big eyes and wants to look around everywhere. He also is a big time cuddler and CANNOT be set down. That's probably the toughest part right now. Trying to get things done with a tiny baby in your arms 24/7 is a little difficult but then you look down at him and his cute dimple and it's all worth it.

Phoenix Zoo

2011-12-04T11:42:00.001-08:00

We've had some very special visitors in our house as of lately. My parents came to stay with us for a little while! We've been able to do some fun things in spite of the fact that we have a 3-week-old. One of the things we've done is go to the Phoenix Zoo. It is a pretty nice zoo and the kids loved running around to see the animals. Porter was so crazy we were thinking about leaving him there! Anyway, it's been fun having them here and I'll be sad to see my dad go in a week. Luckily we have my mom here for a whole month! I am one lucky mama who gets to keep her mama around for a bit!

Baby Button

2011-11-30T13:55:00.001-08:00

When I was pregnant with Graham, the kids thought the way to talk to the baby was through my belly button. They called it my baby button and it was their best form of communication to the womb. Now that he's out, they are fascinated with his own little 'baby button' which is probably the biggest one I've seen. If you can believe it, it was almost twice this size before it started going down to average/larger than average size. Now it just looks like we left a cheerio on his tummy. Maybe it's just me, but I was not used to having such an outtie of a kid. This little baby has quite the button.

Week 3

2011-11-28T09:09:00.001-08:00

Well, Graham is officially 3 weeks old. The time seriously flies (or gets smooched into one big haze) when you have a newborn. He is growing bigger than ever, loves to scratch his face with his super long nails, and is a champ of an eater. What more can we say than we love our little Graham Cracker!

Before and After

2011-11-27T11:54:00.001-08:00

Isn't it crazy the difference a week makes in your life?

*The first picture was actually taken moments before we went to the hospital to have Graham. The second one was taken a week after he was born, but I'm still falling behind on my posts so I'm sharing it a little late.

Thanksgiving Visitors

2011-11-26T08:59:00.000-08:00

We had such a great Thanksgiving break and had much to be grateful for. First off, Graham was already almost 3 weeks during Thanksgiving as opposed to being born on that day (His due date was the 25th of Nov.) so we were grateful for the time spent with him thus far. Also, some of our favorite people came to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. Casey and Ty and Kohen came to play for the weekend. We had so much fun! Some highlights of the weekend were eating yummy food (prepared by Kyle and Ty), watching Kyle catch a turtle and the kids feed the ducks right from their hands at the duck pond, eating at the Yumberi frozen yogurt shop, watching Brighton school Uncle Ty at Just Dance on the Wii, and sitting around and talking for hours. We love it when they come to visit and we are so grateful they made the extra long trip! Thanks so much guys for a great weekend!

Week 2

2011-11-21T21:46:00.001-08:00

This is Graham at 2 weeks. It might not look like a lot has changed, but it has. He's starting to wake up more, he wants to be held all the time, and his dimple will pop out and make you melt just when you thought you couldn't handle his crying anymore. It's always so amazing to me how your world is so new a different with a new baby around, but you can't remember what the world was like before he was in it. Life is funny like that.

Rolling Like a Ball Baby

2011-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of the pilates move called 'Rolling Like a Ball'? Well, the instructor in me decided to show Graham what that's all about. I love when babies are super bendy and sleepy all at the same time. It'll only be days before he's more alert and awake and will not have it when I'm moving him in every direction so I guess I better take advantage of the time.

Week 1

2011-11-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

So I 've seen all over the blog world the fun idea to take a picture every week of the first year that my little babe is in this world. Well this is week 1 and hopefully every Monday (This week I'm late) will be weekly updates on the growth of little dude. Hope you enjoy the changes and documentation as I think I will!

The Arrival

2011-11-09T19:53:00.001-08:00

So I figured I better get on here and record what happened the day we became parents of 3 before it becomes a hazy mess in my head and I think I can go through having a baby again sometime soon. Kyle and I have been praying that the baby would come anytime after the 10th of November since that was the day of his last final, but with our bad luck, Graham entered the world on the day Kyle took his first exam, thus making the rest of the week a chaotic one. On Monday (about an hour after Kyle took his test) I had a doctor's appointment. My doc was just going to check to see how dilated I was. If I was past a 4, then he was going to send me over to the hospital because he did not want my water breaking somewhere else and me having the baby in my bathtub or something (as that almost happened with Porter). So when he checked me, he noticed some fluid trickling out. Well, to make a long story even longer, I was dilated to a 5 and I was leaking amniotic fluid, which meant my water hadn't officially broken but it must have gotten snagged and there was a little hole in it. There was no way I could walk around with something like that. It was go time. Luckily we have great friends and family close by and they were ready for the calls to take our kids. Kyle was done with school for the day as well, which was such a blessing because I was a basket case of worry all morning when he was taking his test, for fear that my water would break and he'd miss the birth. Anyway, he was there, and we were ready. We went over to the hospital and at about 7:00 the doctor broke the rest of my water, and at about 8:30, Graham Edward Comin was in our arms. It was definitely a different experience compared to my other 2 births but I guess that's what each child brings to the table...different experiences and different personalities. The contractions were a beast and I don't remember pushing to be that ridiculously intense with my other births, but the finished product is always worth it in the end. We love our little Graham cracker and are so excited he finally joined our family.

He already smiles and has the cutest little dimple. One

of these days I'm actually going to get a shot of it. You can see a little bit of a smirk in this one:

Love the tiny, scaly feet.

The last picture (hopefully) for a while of the fat-faced Danie that always looks terrible before the baby. This was in between contractions. I won't let you see the one that Kyle snapped during a contraction. Not a pretty sight.

The new Big Brother. He's pretty happy.

The super proud big sister 2 times over. She just wanted to sit on the bed and hold the baby forever. Do you love the graham cracker packet she had to put in the picture? They get the biggest kick out of the fact that we can call him that.

I know this pic is kind of cheesy but our nurse was tickled that we named him Graham. She wouldn't stop giving me graham crackers because she thought it was so cute. I ate half of them before this picture so that tells you how many were given to us. I think we're stocked up for a week more.

Me and my kids. Yes I'm still swollen and not the cutest, but when I've got such cute little ones around me, who cares?

Super proud papa here. Something really cool that I forgot to mention was that since our doctor is in our ward and he knows Kyle is in medical school (well, CRNA school to be exact), he let Kyle deliver Graham. I think he thought Kyle would be doing OB rotations and stuff like that, but that's not the case. That's alright though because Kyle got to have an awesome experience and deliver the babe. Dr. Erickson gave him a little tutorial about 5 minutes before I pushed little Graham out and Kyle was able to do all the work and catch the little guy. I think it meant a lot to Kyle and I was happy he was able to do it.

And Then There Were 3

2011-11-07T07:22:00.001-08:00

Introducing...

Graham Edward Comin

Born Nov. 7th, 2011 @ 8:30 pm

6 Lbs. 12 oz.

18 inches

*More info will be forthcoming*

The Vamp and the Witch

2011-11-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind on the blogging front but isn't that the way life is? Always catching up on life? Anyway, here is the last of our Halloween fun so enjoy it until next year. We found these wooden masks at Joann fabrics for seriously pennies and since my kids are craftaholics (I wonder where they get that from?), they just had to snag them. We sat down one night for family night and 2 hours later they came up with these little numbers. They were so proud of them, that they wanted to bring them to church the next Sunday. Although I vetoed that idea, I was able to get a few pics before church of their masterpieces. Here's to a crazy little vamp and a cute little witch wishing you a Happy Halloween and an even Happier Holiday season to come!

Photo Booth Fun

2011-11-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

So a while ago our friends had a cute little birthday party for their 2-year-old. Brooke is the type of person that goes all out and has an amazing theme and makes everything look super cute and awesome (She did my baby shower and it was so nice and sophisticated. I loved it, unfortunately I didn't get any pics of it.). Well, it was her little boy's party and she didn't disappoint. The theme was a hot-air balloon/circus type of party and it was at the park. She had scrumptious food and little hot-air balloons floating around and even a photo booth. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of this event either, but luckily Brooke's husband just sent us the photos from their photo booth and I just had to share one because they were too fun. Thanks for the fun time guys!

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize how crazy Halloween can be when your kids are in school. Brighton had a Halloween party which basically lasted the entire school day and parents and siblings were invited so I took Porter and helped out in the classroom. It was fun but a little chaotic so when we were supposed to go to Kyle's school @ 3:30 right after that, we were already dragging a little. Midwestern always has a big carnival and trick-or treating in all the buildings so we wanted to check it out and say hi to Kyle. It was packed and pretty fun (they even had a few bounce houses which are every kid's dream right?) and we initially enjoyed ourselves, but with every long day for nap-taking kids comes a ridiculous evening. Maybe it was the lack of naps, the surge of sugar in their systems or the fact that I'm down to zero percent energy at any given time, but we had quite a few meltdowns (basically coming from Porter) and we were not about to go door-to-door to make the neighborhood rounds after that, so although it was an eventful day, the 2 munchkins were able to be to bed by 7:00 and snoozing by 7:05. Halloween is always fun and crazy and I know I'll look back on these times with fondness, but let's just say that now that I'm sitting comfortably in my jammies having a peacefully quiet night, I'm a little grateful that Halloween is behind us.

P.S. And if you didn't get what our costumes were: Brighton was a cupcake, Porter was a cookie, Kyle was a baker, the baby belly was a bun, and I was the oven. Get it? I'm always all about the theme, especially while the kids are little and I can still sway their opinions about what they want to be. And homemade always comes from the heart so let's just say we were definitely a 'heartfelt' crew this year.

Candy Corn Corner

2011-10-28T21:03:00.001-07:00

I know I've probably said it before, but we love Halloween. We love finding kid crafts to do, we love all the fall activities going on, and we love all the sweet treats to make and deliver to friends. So when I found these fun cookies on Pinterest, I couldn't resist making them. They were fun and tiny (almost the size of actual candy corn) and perfect to give to the ladies I visit teach. Also, when discussing our latest happenings, we had our annual ward trunk or treat party which was super fun but unfortunately I didn't take any pictures so you'll just have to wait until Halloween to see our costumes. This time of year is always so busy and exciting and in a few short weeks we'll have the most exciting thing happening to us... a new little baby!

P's First Visit to the Dentist

2011-10-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today was Porter's first day at the dentist. I am probably a bad mom for waiting this long to take him but life just gets in the way you know? Anyway, I remember Brighton's first appointment and what a big deal it was and how I documented it and everything, and felt terrible when I didn't even bring the camera for Porter. Luckily, this was an amazing children's dentistry and they took your picture if it was your first time seeing the dentist and printed it out for you during your visit. They had all sorts of toys and games and a giant TV for the kids to watch while they get their teeth cleaned. I have to admit I was a little nervous for Porter because I remember B's first visit wasn't the greatest. She was so scared she barely let them open her mouth. I think they were able to use a toothbrush on her 2 front teeth before she started crying. Although Porter is a little timid at times, he's our wild card because you never know what personality you're going to get in these situations. Thankfully, he was fantastic! He stayed still while they flossed, scrubbed, and examined his teeth. He didn't even think twice. And when they were done, he was ready to stay there and play with all the toys. I was pretty proud of him and his bravery. He definitely isn't in his turtle shell as much as Brighton was at this age which makes things run a little smoother. Maybe it's the example Brighton sets for him. Either way, I was grateful we had such a great first dental appointment... and no cavities!

Pinterest Play Dough

2011-10-20T17:42:00.001-07:00

I don't like to make a habit of finding online networking sites that will suck me in for hours. People may hate me for saying this but I am not a fan of Facebook and I do not Twitter. So I was really hoping to stay away from Pinterest as I have heard it was an amazing social site to find everything your little crafty/photography/home decorating heart desires. Well, I decided to finally see what the buzz was all about and now sadly I am addicted. I found so many things that I wanted to do, that I just had to turn the computer off and walk away. The next day, I came back with a new purpose: to actually do some of the things that I pinned. So now that you've heard the longest, most boring story, the point is that we made play dough using a great recipe from Pinterest. It was fun and the kids loved being involved. We even put lotion in it to make it smell good. I was feeling very ambitious, but being almost 9 months pregnant it wore me out for the next few hours so the kids played with their new creations while I sat back down on the computer and pinned even more stuff on my Pinterest boards. This could be the start of something very bad.

Take Me Out to Porter's Party

2011-10-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Today was Porter birthday party. We decided to have it a week after his actual birthday so Kyle could be there instead of being stuck cramming for his midterms which is what he did last weekend(oh the life of a grad student!). So anyway, when we asked Porter what kind of party he wanted it always lead back to either a Red Sox or baseball party (it's engrained in our family early on to be Boston fans thanks to their Gpops). So after trying to find just the right Bosox decorum and realizing it was too difficult, I opted for a simpler baseball theme which the P man was just as happy with. We grilled hot dogs, had a baseball cake, hit a balloon-shaped baseball piñata(remember what we've been working on this week? Well there you have it!), we even had the guests autograph a baseball for Porter to keep as a souvenir. It was a lot of fun and although I didn't get any pictures of the friends and fam who came, we appreciated all the people who made Porter's big event so special. Thanks to all!

Party Planning Committee

2011-10-13T13:18:00.001-07:00

Porter's birthday party is coming up this friday and my favorite thing to do for my kids' birthdays is make piñatas. This year they were both old enough to help so the second I got out the starch, they were hot on my tails to do it along with me. Like I've said in previous posts, I'm not a big fan of mess and kids just exude disasters, but I decided to keep my cool and enjoy the mess together. It was fun and they were pretty good at tearing, dipping, and placing newspaper everywhere. Now you'll just have to figure what we plan on turning this balloon-shaped blob into before Friday!

Our Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

Meet our pumpkin family.

We tend to love Halloween in this house quite a bit. Maybe it's the excuse to eat a lot of candy or the super fun decorations. I'm not sure. That's why we've had our halloween stuff up since labor day. So we finally found a monday that kyle could come home a little early and we could do our pumpkins. This year instead of carving (which always leads to Kyle scooping out the gross stuff and me and the kids watching and eventually the kids aren't even interested in doing anything with the pumpkin.) we decided we to each get a little pumpkin and paint it. It was actually one of our favorite family nights ever! We just sat around and talked while we all exercised our artistic abilities. The only downside: I bought washable paint thinking that would be smarter for the kids but by the morning time most of our designs had flaked off of our pumpkins. Oh well. This was definitely a tradition that we're starting so there will be many more painted pumpkins to come.

*The kids insisted on including the little babe that's coming so that's the littlest pumpkin. They were the most devastated that his little face peeled off through the night so I think that was the third face I painted on him. Don't get washable paint to paint a pumpkin! Lesson learned!

Happy Fall

2011-10-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

It is finally fall time and for Arizonians, that means it's down in the 70 degree weather. We have finally been able to walk to school without sweltering and it has been a delight. If the next 6 months are like this, AZ could really start to grow on me.

The Big 3

2011-10-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

This little guy turned 3 today and I seriously don't know where the time went. He is such a blessing in our lives and we don't know where we'd be without him. There would definitely be a lot less laughter in our lives. That's for sure. He is our funny man. The dinner table is his stage and he's ready to perform at any moment. Not only is he hilarious, but his smile is infectious. He makes everyone around him happy (That's what makes it so hard for me to stay mad at him). He loves fire trucks and trains (like every other boy). His favorite song is still Eye of the Tiger which he enjoys punch dancing to. He is our superhero who's favorite outfit is nothing but underroos which he claims 'make him faster'. His best friend is a close tie between Dad and Brighton and he still likes to snuggle with mom. He is excited to be a big brother although I'm not sure it has hit him yet that he won't be the baby of the family anymore. We have loved every minute of him being the youngest and I know he's up for the challenge of being the big man in the Comin fam. Happy Birthday mister! We love you!

Porter's 3-year-old stats:

Weight: 26.6 lbs (5th percentile)

Height: 35.25 inches (7th percentile)

Porter the Pirate

2011-10-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has spent any amount of time with Porter knows that he has the best pirate impression (because he does it ALL the time). When we received a birthday card in the mail from Nana and G'Pops containing this lovely eye patch, his alter ego's ensemble was complete. He has not stopped wearing it since the moment he opened up the card (which was a week ago). It definitely makes us laugh to see him running around with slightly off depth perception yelling ARGGHH! We love our little pirate and can't believe he's already going to be 3!

Conference Friends

2011-10-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

Conference weekend was great for us, as most conference weekends are. We were able to make yummy monkey bread for breakfast, build a fort to watch conference in, and spend an entire weekend nestled in our house. It was the usual traditions we like to do. I came out of the kitchen after making breakfast to find some friends had joined us to hear the conference speakers. Brighton said "They want to hear conference too mom because it's really important." After that she promptly went back to coloring and bugging her brother. At least someone knows the magnitude of what we hear during these weekends.

Also, after the last session we decided to walk down the road to the duck pond in our neighborhood. We were feeding the ducks and Porter had a big piece of bread in his hand when this duck caught him off guard and snatched it right out of his hand! Porter was a little frightened at the ordeal so Kyle picked him up to console him when this same duck walked up behind Kyle and pecked at his leg! I almost got the actual peck on camera, but it didn't happen. You can just imagine the duck's bill landing on Kyle's leg and me almost falling over with laughter. It was comical. The kids had a good time but I'm not sure when they'll be up for going to see the aggressive ducks again.

Hello Charlie

2011-10-01T15:03:00.001-07:00

During the priesthood session of General Conference we went with Kyle's cousin and aunt and all our kids to a really fun park close to their house. I forget how much I enjoy hanging out with family until I get the opportunity to do so. This was one of those times. It has been so nice having them close by. So anyway, we went to the park together and they got a brand new puppy a week or so ago and the kids were in l-o-v-e. Porter was grinning from ear to ear when he got to hold little Charlie. Now if only we could get Kyle on board with having a little Chihuahua like this one instead of a gigantic Great Dane which is what his heart has been set on for years.

Swimming in September

2011-09-29T21:17:00.001-07:00

This entire summer we've been living at our pool. Brighton has blossomed in the pool and is a real fish. Porter is a lover of the water now. Things have been good in the pool. I've been too paranoid to take the camera anywhere near water but I finally decided to do it in order to document our summer. I know it's September and in most other parts of the country the leaves are turning red and people are pulling out their sweaters, but here in AZ, we're still in the 100 degree weather. Anyway, we're hoping to have some cooler days ahead of us, but until then we're enjoying the last few remnants of heat our state has to offer.

Princess Party

2011-09-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

Today Brighton had the opportunity to go to a friend's princess birthday party. It was an awesome party and her mom did an amazing job with the decorations, games, and cake so I just had to show off her creative work. She had stations where the girls could make princess bracelets, pin the frying pan on Flynn Rider, make magic fairy wands (out of pretzel rods and dipped chocolate), and take their pictures at a castle photo booth. She also made a Rapunzel cake and my personal favorite thing was all the frying pans she hung up for decorations. There were about 20 little princesses running all over the house so I was pretty impressed with everything she did for the party. Porter was invited as well and couldn't let Brighton be the only one dressed up so I had to rustle up a quick Flynn Rider-ish costume that he loved. It was a great party and I think they were both ecstatic to be invited to such an amazing celebration.

Toe Tapping Goodness

2011-09-22T12:46:00.001-07:00

Since B's birthday, she has been begging for tap dancing lessons. We didn't want to start her out until we moved to AZ... which was almost 6 months ago, so we finally signed her up and today was the first day of class. I don't think I've ever seen her more excited. When she got there she scrambled to get her new shoes on and was in the dance room before I could blink. Unfortunately, parents weren't allowed in the room so this was the only shot I got of her as I was peeking through the door. There will be more to come I'm sure because she looks super cute in those toe tapping shoes. Especially considering the fact that in December she'll have her very first dance recital. Wish her luck!

Goodbye toes

2011-09-11T09:20:00.001-07:00

This is me at 31 weeks. As requested by my friend Clarissa, I finally had to put up a picture of me with the babe in the belly. It's not a pretty sight at any angle. With my first 2, I guess I didn't really have the generic pregnancy woes because this little guy is like night and day compared to the others. I can't do basic household chores for fear of cramps. I can barely walk up stairs without being completely exhausted. I can't wear anything but flip flops because of my swollen feet. And I clearly can't see my toes due to the enormity of my belly. It's been a painful and difficult ride this time around so let's just say for us, the 3rd time is not a charm. It's a joke in our household that the wrath of the vampire fetus is upon me because everything hurts and aches and it's like he's eating me from the inside out (gross visual I know.). Don't get me wrong, it's a blessing to have a new baby and I'm so happy we are able to bring this new life to the earth. I'll just be over the (new) moon....Get it? Yes I'm lame.... when we see this precious little vamp baby come out into the world as opposed to squeezing my guts on the inside.

The Craft Corner

2011-09-10T13:30:00.001-07:00

The kids' favorite thing in the world to do is craft it up. Anytime they can, they jump at the chance to paint, glitter, glue, and cut to their heart's content. So you'd think I would be a good mom and let them, but that is not the case. Maybe this is just the selfish behavior in me, but I absolutely hate the mess it makes and I am not willing to spend my afternoons wiping up red globs of gooey crafts. But thankfully when we moved here, the great compromise was born. We have a deck with all of our outdoor equipment and food storage and all that stuff that would be perfect for a garage. But it also has just enough space for a craft table. The kids can go out there with their paper and markers and spend hours doodling and drawing and gluing with pleasure at their 'craft corner'. And mom doesn't have to beg them to clean up their mess because they know they are stuck out there until everything is cleaned up (Call me a bad mom but it's effective.). It's a win-win solution for us all and it has definitely scratched their itch for the arts.

*This particular afternoon Brighton brought her latest creation to me and said, "Mom you just have to blog about this one. It's too pretty for just our family to see." So it is shown above. When your 5-year-old demands that her masterpiece be blogworthy, you know you blog too much.

Pyper

2011-09-06T15:22:00.001-07:00

About a month ago, on August 8th, Brighton and Porter received a new cousin and couldn't be more thrilled about it. Her name is Pyper Janene Hatch and is the cutest little ball of goodness. We already love her to pieces! It has been such a tender experience having her come into our family and we can't wait to meet her. We already love her to pieces! Congratulations Annie and Joe and Landon!

Anniversary #7

2011-08-18T20:24:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been a whole 7 years since Kyle and I woke up early one Wednesday morning and drove to the temple to be sealed forever. It was an amazing day and I have loved him more and more with each new day. We've had our fair share of ups and downs, but I think that's what has made us stronger than ever. I'm so grateful for him and all he does and is. He's such a great husband and wonderful dad. I love him so much and wouldn't be the same person I am without him in my life. It's been 7 awesome years and I'm sure there'll be many more to come! I love you babe!

What Happened?

2011-08-17T16:32:00.001-07:00

Wasn't it just yesterday that I was bringing my little pink bundle of joy home to our basement apt. in Rexburg? Didn't I just see her smile for the first time like a minute ago? Hasn't it been a day since she took her first steps? Wasn't I changing her diapers yesterday? Where did the time go? Where did my life go? Where did my baby go? I guess the real answer is Kindergarten. I can not believe that the day came where I'd be saying goodbye to her every weekday until she graduates from high school. Life is crazy and emotional. Today is one of those days where the latter is more prevalent. I'm so proud of my little sweets for being a great girl and I know she'll do well in school. Here's to the next 13 years of educational endeavors!

*And Porter clearly couldn't be happier for her!

Rehashing the Reunion

2011-08-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I've posted basically because we've been out of town. We had the privilege of going to Kyle's family reunion. Some people may think that this is kind of a crazy thing to do because Kyle wasn't going with me and the kids, but I feel so close to his family that it wasn't an issue. We just had a blast. First we traveled to Cedar City, UT to stay with Casey and Ty (Kyle's sister and bro-in-law) for a few days. We always love playing with them. Then Casey and I went with our kids up to Kyle's parents' house up in Pleasant Grove before we made the long journey to Casper, WY for the reunion. While we were in Pleasant Grove, Porter was obsessed with grandpa. He couldn't get enough of him and I don't think Kyle's dad could get enough of little Porter. They were buddies and I loved seeing them interact. Also, while we were at their house, the kids got to pick fresh fruits and veggies with grandma because they have a great garden in their backyard. It was a great visit and we loved seeing them after so long.

Anyway, after our UT trip, we made our way to the reunion in Casper. This is where Kyle was born and I've never been there before so it was kind of neat to see where the Comin siblings grew up. The reunion was amazing. I am so glad I went. There were so many things to do and people to see. Here's are some of the highlights of what we did there:

There was a zipline that both my kids loved going down. People thought I was a little nuts for going down it being 6 months prego, but it was fun nonetheless. Porter just had to go down with Uncle Will a bunch of times who he thought was the coolest guy ever.
Brighton got to hang out with her 2 favorite cousins in the world. All three of them were born within 6 months of each other and they are inseparable the second they get around each other. Landon (in the top right corner) and Olivia (top left corner) are the funnest cousins to be around.
Kyle's cousin Bernie came up with a skit for all the kids to be in and Brighton and Olivia got to be fairies which they were thrilled about.
They had all the little ones make costumes and had a parade around the campground. Porter loved it. Brighton was not a fan.
There was a sandbox near the lodge for kids to play in. At any given time there were at least 9 kids digging around in it. It was the best entertainment and kept the little ones occupied while the adults sat around and talked.
Speaking of talking, there was so much time to just sit and catch up on everyone's lives. Some people I had never met or the last time I saw them was at my wedding, so it was nice to finally see the people Kyle has told me all about these past years.
Brighton and Porter got to see their great-grandparents and that's always a special thing. Kyle has many fond memories of his grandparents and wants his kids to know who they are. I get a little emotional every time I see a big family picture of the Comins. His grandparents are converts and every time I see the whole family together I think of all the lives they have impacted. It's phenomenal really.
For every Comin reunion on the last night we are all there, there is a testimony meeting. If there's nothing else I go for, it is this. I love hearing the testimonies of my family members. It was uplifting and made me feel extremely close to those who I know I'll see in the life to come. Some of those testimonies are still very close to my heart and I won't soon forget them.

Traveling with 2 kids (while pregnant I might add) in a car for about 36 hours total is never a fun thing to do, but I am so grateful that I was able to go and I know it was worth it for me and my kids. Kyle was grateful that we got to know his family and who he is a little more as well. Thanks for all the great memories Comin Family! They will be cherished!

Eavesdropping

2011-07-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Do you ever just eavesdrop on your kids? Maybe I'm a bad mom for doing it and I'm sure my kids will HATE it when I do it in their adolescent years, but I love listening to their little conversations. For example, the other day I could hear them in Brighton's room when she said, "It goes like this Porter.... I'd like to bear my testimony"

Then you could hear Porter's little voice say "Testimony."

Brighton starts again, "I know the church is true."

Porter says, "Church is true."

Brighton goes on, "I know that we can live with Heavenly Father again if we make good choices."

P says, "Good choices."

B says, "I know we can be sealed to our families and live with them forever in the temple."
P says, "Ever in the temple."
B says, "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
P says, "Amen."
Then Brighton goes on to tell Porter that he can go sit down now. After this interaction, I looked in her room and saw all of her stuffed animals sitting lined up on her bed next to an observant-looking Porter while she was standing up in front of them about to give them her testimony. She had recreated a testimony meeting. I honestly almost burst into tears, it was such a sweet little moment. I guess she does pay attention at church sometimes.

Mr. Safety

2011-07-18T15:18:00.001-07:00

My parents got Porter this tool set a while back and he liked playing with the drill and saw for a while, but got bored and hasn't really played with them for some time. Well, he found the safety goggles that came with the set about a month ago and love, love, loves them. He can't go anywhere without wearing his "safety gogs" we like to call them. He has to wear them to the grocery store, story time, even to the doctor. And I don't just mean he has to take them with him everywhere. I mean they are on his face from the minute we get into the car, to the minute we get home, at which point he still keeps them on. It's the end of the world if he forgets them so it's like putting on your shoes in a regular household. 'Left shoe, check. Right shoe, check. Safety gogs, check.' People laugh at him wherever we go. I laugh at him wherever we go. And this little quirk really epitomizes his personality. He always has to be the funny man, making everybody around him giggle. How could you not smile at a face like that?

Sacred Sundays

2011-07-11T07:32:00.001-07:00

Sundays are a special day for us. Not only because we get to go to church, but also because it's the only day Kyle sets aside the books and spends time with the family. The kids eat it up. They ask me every morning throughout the week, "Is it Sunday yet mom? Do we get to hang out with dad yet?" we normally do our Family Home Evenings on Sundays so we can have the whole fam together while we're doing it so this last Sunday we decided to check out a place called Sahuaro Ranch Park. The place is this historic ranch that normally has tours and what-not during the day, but we just walked around and found some cool places to take pictures (You know I can't go anywhere without lugging my giant camera around in case there is a photo op.). We even found the wildlife on the ranch that still comes around... Peacocks. The ranch isn't functioning anymore but for some reason there are peacocks all over the grounds that the parks department feed. Anyway, we relish in the time we get to spend with dad and were glad he spent the evening with us at Sahuaro. We just love Sundays!

Happy 4th on the 6th

2011-07-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

On the 4th of July, the husbands had the day off of school, so naturally we had to celebrate. Our friends who are also in the CRNA program came over and we had a little bbq. After that we headed to the Peoria Sports Complex, which is where the Mariners and Padres have their spring training, and we played/danced to the music until the fireworks show started. It was a great show, and a great day to celebrate and it helped me remember how grateful I am for my freedoms. Happy 4th!

Fashion Savvy Saturday

2011-06-26T09:01:00.001-07:00

Lately Brighton has had to change her outfit at least 5-6 times a day. I'm not sure if it's just a phase all girls go through or something, but it's pretty comical when she comes out of her room wearing these crazy concoctions. This was my favorite one today. And I love that when she came out to show me she said, "I'm ready for the pool!". What a girl!

2 Men and a Little Lady

2011-06-23T12:06:00.001-07:00

In all the rush and hullabaloo of moving and starting this new school life, I forgot to mention one small other change in our life. I'm pregnant and we're having another little boy! We figured medical school wouldn't be hard enough so we wanted to add another little challenge into the mix...but a good challenge. We'll be due in November so the updates will be forthcoming on baby #3. Brighton is so excited about a baby but a little sad that she will now be outnumbered by the boys. Porter is just happy he'll have someone smaller than him around the house. We couldn't be happier that our crazy family will be getting a little crazier!

*Sorry for the terrible ultrasound shot, but that's all we've got of the bugger so far!

The Special Sleepover

2011-06-20T20:32:00.001-07:00

Our new friends have been great to be around. Brighton LOVES hanging out with Madilyn. So much so that they've been begging to have a sleepover since the first day they played. We've never really let Brighton have sleepovers so this was a new and exciting thing for her. When we finally let them, they were on cloud nine. They ate pizza, ice cream and watched movies until it was late. They're great buddies and we love having them so close. It was a special treat for them and I'm sure there will be many more to come!

The Final Visitor

2011-06-10T17:26:00.001-07:00

We can't get enough visitors lately. It's so great to see our family after such a long time of being stuck in Texas. So my mom came to visit us for a week on her way home from Florida. I don't know if it was much of a vacation for her because the kids wanted to hang out with her and make her read books and do puzzles and play games constantly. They would even wake her up @ 4:00 in the morning to start the day (That habit was quickly vanquished, sadly after my mom left)! We were so grateful to have her around for a little while and can't wait to see her again in December. Thanks Mom for coming and spending time with us! We loved it and we love you!

KY's Birthday

2011-06-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

This is how Kyle spent his birthday. And this is how he has been spending every waking minute. That's right. He started Nurse Anesthetist school the day before his birthday in Glendale, AZ so that's why and where we are now for the next 2 years. We are so proud of him for getting this far and we know he'll do great in this next endeavor. The next couple of years will be tough (his teachers told all the students to say goodbye to their families until their diploma is in their hands) but I know we're solid enough to make it through anything... including grad school at Midwestern University. Wish us luck on this new and crazy experience!

Krispy Kreme and New Friends

2011-06-07T06:28:00.001-07:00

Since our ward here is like 50 percent students, they have all sorts of activities and play groups for the wives (mainly because all the husbands are off at grad school all the time) and this week they did a tour of the local Krispy Kreme (yes, we live close to a Krispy Kreme and it will be the death of me). It was a really fun time and we were able to hang out with our new friends, Madilyn and Jackson. The first day of Kyle's orientation he met another guy starting the program who was from Utah and had a little girl Brighton's age, Madilyn, who will be in the same kindergarten class as her, a little boy who's Porter's age, Jackson, and a 4 week old little baby girl. Our kids have completely hit it off, his wife Krystin and I have hit it off, and it's been such a relief to feel like we have built-in friends already. It makes this transition so much nicer and easier on our kids. We are grateful for our new friends the Manns!

Cedar Visitors

2011-06-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

The day my dad left, we had some very special visitors that we haven't seen in almost a year. Casey and Tyler (Kyle's sister and brother-in-law) came with their little boy Kohen. We've lived so far away for so long that when we got as close as 8 hours away, they jumped at the chance to see us, which we were so grateful for. We had so much fun with them. It brought us back to the days when we lived in Cedar City together. We really miss living close to them. Tyler is a big food network fan so wherever they travel to, they like to find restaurants that have been featured on the Guy Fieri show Diner, Dives, and Drive-ins. Well he found this authentic italian restaurant that has the BEST pizza ever. It was so delish! Everyone is clearly loving the pizza from the picture because their mouths are all full. Then we decided to find a little ice cream shop that turned out to be in the ghetto, and not even an ice cream shop, so our plans changed and we went to Wal- Mart for a gallon. Whenever we're all together, there's always an adventure to be had and a ton of jokes along the way. I love it. Anyway, it was so much fun and we can't wait until Thanksgiving when hopefully they'll come down again. We love you guys! Thanks for making the effort and coming to see us!

G'Pop's Co-Pilot

2011-05-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

Well, we are here in Arizona now and the move went as smooth as any move could go. The kids were good sports through all of the driving and the unpacking and we feel somewhat settled. The nice thing about my dad coming to help us move the day before we left, was that by the time we got to AZ and got unpacked, he still had 5 more days to hang out with us. Brighton and Porter can't get enough of him. Brighton drove with him in the u-haul truck so she was his little co-pilot and loved every minute of it. G'Pops also taught her how to shave his head which she has become a pro at and tried to do to Porter's hair but we stopped her before any damage was done. They've been reading books, going to the pool, and just having a lot of fun together. He'll be back in December with my mom so until then we'll just have to remember the fun time we had moving with G'Pops. Thanks so much dad for all you're help! We honestly couldn't have done it without you!

Final Endings

2011-05-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Not only was it our last full day to be in Midland, but it was also Brighton's graduation from preschool. I can't believe she'll be starting public school next year! They had a little ceremony and she actually got to wear a robe and gown so she was pretty excited. She was the first one to walk down the aisle to the stage so at first she was a little apprehensive, but she sucked it up and didn't cry (a big accomplishment for a timid girl). We were very proud. We were especially lucky because my dad flew in to help us move and he arrived about 5 minutes before the ceremony so Brighton was super happy to see him. Afterwards they had a little circus in the parking lot with a train ride and they loved it. Porter thought he was super cool riding around with his shades on. We got to say goodbye to a few friends there and it was a good way to end our chapter in Texas and Brighton's chapter in preschool. After that, we headed home for last minute packing and we're off to our new home in AZ tomorrow. Wish us luck on the trip!

The Miss and the Not so Much

2011-05-17T20:39:00.001-07:00

As we were visiting our favorite park for one of the last times, the reality of moving hit me so I started thinking a lot about what I will miss and what I'm okay with saying goodbye to when we're gone. I've come up with an even 5 on both sides. So here it goes:

Things I Will Miss About Midland

1. Good friends- we've made a few great friends here that I feel like I could truly rely on in times of need. They have been our family while we've been away from family and they will be truly missed.

2. Having a garage- I know it sounds lame but we've never had a garage before and now that we are going back to being garageless, I don't know what I'll do. It's my storage unit and my extra room. It will definitely stink without one.

3. My young women- I've posted about this before, but I will miss the sweet, quirky girls that I teach. They're great and it was one of my favorite callings ever.

4. Running- this might sound like a weird thing to miss, but I will miss running in Midland because thanks to the flatlands, there are absolutely no hills to run on. It makes races quite fun and makes me feel faster than I probably actually am.

5. The sunsets- The one perk about no mountains as far as the eye can see, is that when the sun sets, it goes on for miles and the sky is painted with pinks and oranges. It's gorgeous.

Things I Will Not Miss About Midland

1. The scenery- I know I just got done saying I will miss the gorgeous sunsets, but the truth is, the other 12 hours out of the day that I'm awake, there is nothing but oilfields and tumbleweed to look at. Coming from Alaska with the mountains and Utah with the red rock, that's just not the prettiest picture to me.

2. The water- the water here is so terrible, they advise you not to drink from the tap. We would have to go out and buy gallons upon gallons of water all the time and it drove me nuts! Goodbye to nasty agua!

3. The Air Conditioning- This was a constant argument in our house. Since the place we rented was so old, the AC (and heating for that matter) were awful. Kyle would sleep during the day upstairs where it's stifling hot and I would be stuck downstairs with 2 freezing kids and some very cold tootsies. I will definitely not miss living in 2 stories and will not miss being frozen out of my own house.

4. Kyle working nights- We've made it through 2 years with Kyle working nights, but seriously enough is enough. We never really get to see him and he's always recovering from work. Don't get me wrong, we understand that he needs to and he's working hard for our family and we appreciate him, but we hate it. And he hates it. It will be a nice feeling to go to bed knowing that Kyle is next to me (Even if he's studying into all hours of the night).

5. Being Texan- This might sound really rude, but I just don't like saying I'm from Texas. I feel like it was a great place for our family to live these past 2 years, but it never really felt like home. I really feel like we were transplanted there for a little while but it's definitely time for us to leave and sadly I will still say I'm from Alaska (or maybe even Utah) but we just lived in Texas for a bit.

Overall, Texas will be missed but the journey ahead seems too exciting to look back. Arizona here we come!

Grandpa Carl

2011-05-16T23:30:00.001-07:00

My grandpa passed away today. It was a little bit sudden but it was for the best because he was in a lot of pain in the end. I have been so lucky to have my grandpa be a part of my life and to have had a good relationship for as long as I've lived. I was so blessed to have 2 kids who have met him and loved him. I've been reminiscing a lot about the memories I have of my grandpa and I just wanted to write them down for personal history. Excuse the scattered writing, but I'm just writing as I remember so it's a smathering of mems.

*My grandpa and my grandma would travel all

over the country in their RV to visit us and they would stay for months and plan outings and do all sorts of fun things with us. He would drive us hours away to go camping in the RV and go to amusement parks. He would always be the one to take Sarah (my sister) on all the little kiddie rides while my mom was stuck on the big roller coasters with me. Then we'd all go back to the RV and Grandma would have dinner ready for us.

*My grandpa was a Navy Seal (before they were even called Seals) and he was the one who taught me how to swim. I remember the anchor tattoo on his forearm from his Navy days. It was faded and old, but I loved it because it reminded me of him.

*I'll never forget his sneeze. It was the loudest, scariest sneeze you'd ever heard. Anyone would jump in their seat when they heard it. It always made me laugh.

*They owned a summer house in Florida and the home my mom grew up in in Michigan and we would normally visit Michigan in the summer. I have such great memories of their home in Michigan. During those summers we would go to the Bing Cherry Festival in Traverse City. We would pick apples, blueberries, and raspberries at the local patches. We would go to the Cider Mill to drink fresh cider. He would take us to our very favorite place in the world: Cook's Dairy Farm. They had the best ice cream of all time and we would get to see all the cows that produced the goods. My grandpa was the biggest ice cream fan and I'm sure that's where I got my love for the treat.

*He worked for Ford as a test driver for 30 years and would take me practicing before I got my license. He was a lot more patient than my dad and wouldn't freak out like my mom. I enjoyed our lessons.

*My sophomore year in high school our cheerleading squad was going to Hawaii and my family couldn't afford for me to go. I was the only cheerleader on the squad not going and I was heartbroken but I understood. The last day our money was due for the trip my mom called me into her room and said that my Grandpa wanted to pay for me to go. He knew how important it was for me and just couldn't stand the thought of me not being able to experience that. I will never forget his ridiculous generosity. He was the best Grandpa a girl could ask for.

*When I was getting married in Salt Lake, he drove his little Ford Tempo from Florida to Utah just to see me walk out of the temple. He wasn't able to go in but he knew how important it was for me to be married there and wouldn't miss it. On that same trip he even hiked up the Timpanogos Caves at age 76. That's an impressive feat to me.

Even though we never lived close and didn't talk a whole lot, I knew his character and that made me proud to be his granddaughter and made me want to emulate that character. Growing up I only had one Grandpa but I was lucky enough to have such a great one who was well worth more than 2. I loved him so much. I'm just so glad we were able to cultivate a lasting bond that I know didn't end when his life did. I love you so much Grandpa.

Pictureless Moments

2011-05-16T17:07:00.001-07:00

This weekend we had quite a few events and sadly my scattered-brained head didn't think to bring the camera to any of them. So for one of the few times, I am posting pictureless. First off, Kyle has had a friend at work who has been engaged most of the time that he's worked there. I was able to do her engagement photos and they are a great couple. This weekend they finally got married invited us to the wedding and it worked out great because he was able to say goodbye to quite a few friends before we head off to AZ. The wedding was beautiful, the bride was gorgeous, and our kids were great. The whole evening was really fun. I have never been to a cowboy wedding and here in West Texas, that's how they're done. Don't get me wrong, it was still super classy and nice, but I loved the fact that all the groomsmen wore cowboy boots and the second the ceremony was over, their 10-gallon hats were right back on. We had a blast. I do have to say my favorite part was seeing Brighton and Porter shake their booties on the dance floor. They went crazy! No one else was out there but B & P didn't care. They were loving their lives dancing the night away. Brighton even begged me to take her out in the crowd with the single ladies to catch the bouquet but luckily a single friend of Kyle's took her out there for me. It was a great family night for us.

The night after that, Brighton had her little preschool ceremony to wrap up the end of the year. Her actual graduation will be this week but they had a ceremony and gave her a bible that night. It was a good chance to see her little friends and wrap up some more goodbyes and friendships before leaving. It was a great weekend that brought our little family a little closer and I love those moments. I just wish I had a pic to remember a little better!

My Girls

2011-05-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

One of the things I will probably miss the most when leaving Texas is my young women. I have grown to love these girls so much! I teach all of the young women (seeing as there's only 2 official girls in our ward) so I've gotten to know a lot about them. We would always talk about the boys they like, the frustrating things in their life like siblings and school, and of course the gospel. I really have felt like I can relate to them and I am someone they can turn to for anything. For their activity tonight they threw me a little going away party and we all went out to Rosa's for dinner. It was fun to see them one last time and so sweet of them to think of me. I love them and will truly miss them!

Sprinkler surprise

2011-05-11T06:47:00.001-07:00

It's been getting hotter here in Texas so we thought it might be a good idea to take the kids to our pool. We psyched them up for it all day, got our suits and sunscreen on, went out with our pool toys.... and it was closed. We were so bummed and felt bad that the kids had gotten so excited about it, that we decided to turn our sprinkler on in the backyard and that was about as good as the pool to them. They loved it and after about 10 minutes (which is probably the same amount of time they would have been in the pool) they were cold and done with the water. It worked out perfect but I can't take much credit for it because it was Kyle's idea. Way to be an inventive daddy Kyle!

Let's Rock it one last time

2011-05-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

I did a photo shoot for a friend the other day and in return she gave us tickets to see the Rockhounds baseball game this weekend. It really made our day because we were sad that we weren't going to get to see them before we moved and it's one of our favorite family activities. This time around Porter was a little bigger so he was in love with the game and made us all "keep our eyes on the ball" whenever someone was batting. The other thing Porter was in love with was the soda. He must have had a full 8 oz. of Sprite (clearly we don't drink much soda in our house) and he had to go pee after every inning. That's 9 times in about 3.5 hours. It must have been a record. Anyway, the kids really had a great time and it was great to be able to see the good ole' Rockhounds one last time.

B's B-Day

2011-04-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

I've been sick this past week and unfortunately, Brighton's birthday suffered the consequences. Normally I love making a homemade cake and decorating and making birthdays a super special event, but this year it just didn't happen. I went out and bought an ice cream cake (which ended up being a bigger treat for B because her friend Gracie had one for her birthday and that's all she has talked about since.) and we just gave her her present. Luckily, she's still young enough to be super excited by the little things because that seemed to be a big enough event for her. All she has asked for for months is a Rapunzel doll and when she opened it up she started hyperventilating. She was so happy and it was worth it just to see the look on her face.

Oh, and we were able to make it to the drive-in one last time which she will always be over the moon about, so I guess the day turned out to be a good one. We really just got to spend a lot of family time together which is good enough for us. I just love our little girl and can't believe she's actually 5!

Do you love the slightly crossed-eyes? I can't take a picture without her being goofy lately!

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T06:48:00.001-07:00

Sadly, this is the only Easter picture I have because life has been out of control busy with packing and moving and school ending, etc... It didn't help that Kyle had to give a talk on Easter either, but he did a great job and at least it's over with. Porter was in the car asleep and we weren't about to wake him up from his Sunday nap. They are vital in our household. Anyway, it's a day late, but we hope everyone had a nice and peaceful Easter.

An Easter Visitor

2011-04-19T19:09:00.001-07:00

Today Brighton had her Easter party at her school and it was a ton of fun for her. They had an easter egg hunt and a special visitor even came to each classroom for a photo op. She's really been trying to break out of her comfort zone lately and although she was a little apprehensive, she snuggled next to the Easter Bunny just so mom could snap a shot. She knows how important pictures are for blogging purposes when it comes to mom and her camera!

P.S. Do you love her her pumpkin easter basket? Her actual easter basket doesn't have a handle and that was the closest thing we could find in the garage.

All Work and No Play

2011-04-17T20:44:00.001-07:00

For Brighton's Easter party she had to fill a dozen eggs. Porter and Dad just had to help and they had a good little time working hard (and eating quite a few jellybeans in the process). Now let's see if she can find as many as she can fill on the day of the hunt!

The Pip

2011-04-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends in the entire world just had her 4th baby today! Clarissa is the best mom ever so I know this little guy is lucky to be put into the greatest family ever! They named him Scott Brendan Meegan and Kyle can't stop thinking of Scottie Pippen so he decided his nickname would be Pip. I only wish we lived close enough to squeeze little Pip's cheeks! We miss you guys! Congrats to the Meegans!

Bums Up

2011-04-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I come into the living room to find this image. It makes me giggle every time because- 1. I can't get enough of little underoo bum. 2. I love to see them creating together. Brighton is a patient sister who loves teaching Porter how to draw and craft. These little moments happen fewer than I'd like them to so I had to snap a shot before they started pulling each others' hair!

Sad day in Midland

2011-03-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that the Cummings left for OK. They will be greatly missed. Luckily, we'll be leaving soon as well so the saddest day is behind us. I honestly don't think I'll be nearly as sad the day we pull out of here than when we saw them drive away. I guess only time will tell. Only 6 more weeks to go!

Alli Lookalike

2011-03-28T13:34:00.001-07:00

Brighton just loves putting sponge rollers in her hair and wearing them overnight. She hasn't done it in a while so this morning when we took them out of her hair, she was in shock. She gasped as she looked in the mirror and said "I look just like Alli!" She was so excited! Our close friends have a little girl with the best curly hair and Brighton was so happy to look like her that she kept saying "Mom, we have to do this to my hair every night. Now that I look like Alli we have to live next to them." I don't know if that will happen (I can only hope it will!) but I do know she loves her friend Alli and misses them greatly.

P.S. To give you an idea of what Brighton is even talking about I thought I'd put a pic up of little Al too. We miss you guys!

A Colorful Birthday Celebration

2011-03-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

When does an ordinary cupcake go from this:

To this rainbow surprise?

When you have an early birthday celebration with friends! Before the Cummings left, since Brighton and Kirsten's birthday is about 2 weeks apart, we decided to have a little joint birthday event which gave me an excuse to make these fun treats. We hung out, played Just Dance on the wii, and just enjoyed some of the last moments we all had together. Brighton is seriously going to miss her best buddy Kirsten. Happy Early Birthday to the both of you!

The Cummings are Going

2011-03-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

Today a few friends and I put together a farewell party for our friends the Cummings. They're moving in a week and will be greatly missed. I particularly will miss Jenny. She has made living in Midland tolerable these past 2 years.

Anyway, the party was a success and everyone had a ton of fun. We love you guys and will miss you big time!

Springtime 'See-food'

2011-03-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

It's really been heating up here. I'm really embarrassed I ever complained about the cold to be honest. We've got it pretty nice here. So nice, that when our kids go outside for an hour in the spring time, they come inside with burnt little cheeks. That face just makes me want to pinch them.

P.S. Please excuse the nasty chewed up cracker in his mouth. He loves 'see-food' if you know what I mean. He's already a yucky little boy with gross jokes. What's he going to be like when he's 10?! Yikes!

Mo' Doh for the Fam

2011-03-21T13:52:00.001-07:00

We were contemplating what to do for family night tonight when what should magically appear in our mailbox? Only a perfect package from a perfect Nana! She sent us a brand new play-doh machine so our family night worries were over. We made spaghetti, snakes, cookies, and all sorts of creatures with our newfound toy. Thanks Nana for a delightful night!

Rainboots in the Sun

2011-03-18T17:32:00.001-07:00

The weather has been so nice here and our car has been in dire need of a wash that the second Kyle mentioned getting the hose out, the kids already had their rainboots on and were out the door. I hung back in the house for fear that I would get ambushed and it's a good thing I had my camera in my hands, otherwise I probably would have.

A Day O' Fun

2011-03-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

So we decided to celebrate St. Patrick's Day by going to Lubbock. That's a pretty far drive just to celebrate a day set aside for the color green, but it was worth it for the Krispy Kremes! That's right! They've got a Krispy Kreme Donut Shop in Lubbock and anyone who knows me knows I LOVE LOVE LOVE the double K. I even wanted to make a Krispy Kreme donut cake for my wedding. So anyhow, I'm obsessed and just found out they had a shop in Lubbock, and so our St. Patrick's Day was born. The kids loved watching the donuts go through the glaze wall and pop out on the other side. And they were big fans of the green donuts! They gave them a big thumbs up (although Porter has yet to manage a thumbs up with his fingers.).

Also, while Kyle and I took turns going through the temple, the kids had fun walking around the temple grounds with their leprechaun hats (courtesy of library story time) and wishing anyone they saw a Happy St. Patrick's Day. And to top it all off, when we got home Brighton drew a rainbow, pot of gold, and 2 leprechauns which really culminated our day. It was definitely a St. Patrick's Day full O' fun.

I'm Going There Tomorrow

2011-03-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

Brighton was so excited to go visit the temple tomorrow that today she crafted one of her own. Can't help but love her sweet little spirit.

A Party to Jump About

2011-03-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

Brighton was invited to a birthday party from one of her preschool friends today and it was one she won't soon forget. They held it at a bounce house party place and it was a ton of fun. Porter got to tag along which made him ecstatic. It was hard to keep up with them because they were so excited about it that they would run as fast as they could from one bounce house to another. They could not get enough of it. Anyway, it was fun and I was glad to see the kids having such a great time.

The Green Machine

2011-03-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of a 4-year-old who is in love with avocado? Well this little girl is! Surprisingly enough she can't get enough of them! Every time we go to the grocery store, she ropes me into getting her more avocados and if 4 are bought, they will be gone in 4 days max. She asks for them in her lunch, for snacks, and even for breakfast if you can imagine! If only I could get Porter to eat anything green the way Brighton eats her avocados, we'd be set!

Fort Night

2011-03-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

Brighton and Porter have been begging me to make them a fort for about a month now and honestly the reason I've been dragging my feet is because I hate the way it makes any room look completely trashed. But today I sucked it up and even said they could have a sleepover in it. Well they couldn't get enough of that and initially it was a ton of fun in the fort, but about 15 minutes after they were snuggled into their fort bed, they were screaming and arguing at each other so the sleepover was quickly revised to going back to their beds. Maybe in a few years they'll be old enough to realize they have to be quiet in order to stay in the fort for bed. Then again, it'll probably be more than a few years before they can even be in the same room without arguing.

Porter the Monster

2011-03-09T19:27:00.001-08:00

Porter loves to hide and scare everyone in the house. It's his favorite thing to do. We will find him in random places like behind the toilet or in a closet and he'll give his loudest monster scream ever. The only problem is half the time we don't even know he's hiding and all of a sudden we'll hear this loud roar in the distance somewhere. What a little monster. He makes us laugh. I don't think that will ever stop.

From the Heart

2011-03-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

Today Brighton brought this family portrait home from preschool and I loved it so I thought I would share it. The funny thing is that I'm the biggest person, then comes Brighton, then Kyle (the small one with the crazy hair), then Porter. Let's hope she doesn't really think of me as this giant compared to everyone else in the fam. Maybe it's my overbearing personality that tipped the scale in her heart.

The Golden 10 Minutes

2011-03-06T13:24:00.001-08:00

I love the ten minutes before we go to church. It's the only time the kids' hair is in place, there's no food on their face or clothes, and they are actually ready to get out the door. It makes me feel like my family is somewhat put together... for 10 minutes at least.

The Distant Future

2011-03-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

For years Kyle has said that he wants a Great Dane. As of right now, that is completely out of the question but he's already buttering the kids up. He will constantly go online and look at pictures of them and research them out. Today was the first time he had them studying up with him. They were in love and now won't stop begging for a pet. Sadly for them, that might happen in the distant distant distant future. Thanks for the kids' new infatuation Kyle.

Happy 107th to The Doc!

2011-03-02T21:35:00.000-08:00

Today our local library had a birthday party for Dr. Suess. He would have been 107 years old this year! They always have the cat in the hat visit and read a few of the Doc's books. This year they also had a 'pin the heart on the Grinch' game and Brighton got it in the right spot! I was shocked she even let the lady put on her blindfold, but she did really well. Anyway, it was fun and the kids enjoyed partaking in the silly festivities.

Nanners

2011-03-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

So the other day I wrote about one of my closest friends Evelyn. I mentioned our 3rd musketeer named Vanessa. Vanessa got married today. Maybe that's why I've been nostalgic lately. Life changes. People change. It makes me sad and happy at the same time. Sad for the past and all the good memories but happy for the future and the mems that could be created. Well, the beginning of the mems for Vanessa and I was at an EFY in 9th grade. We were in the same group and hit it off instantly. Then came stake girls' camp and I met Evelyn. After that, there was no stopping the 3 of us. Anyway, after they graduated from high school (they were a grade behind me in school), Vanessa joined me at BYU-Idaho and we became roommates. We had so many crazy good times. We joined the cross country team together (neither of us had ever run before), we made music videos together, we studied for hours at the library together, and I even came home from my first date with Kyle and told her that I thought he might be the one. She has been there for a lot of big moments in my life and I was sad that I couldn't make it to her wedding (does this post sound familiar? I felt the same with Evelyn.). I wanted to say congratulations to her and hope her day was amazing.

Anyway, the nostalgia was in high gear when I was looking through all my pictures and honestly, it was harder to find pics of just Vanessa and I or Evelyn and I because we never did anything without all 3 of us. So I had to post some pictures of us that I found and loved. It brought back SO many mems. Music videos (tons and tons), youth conferences, school dances, hiking, spring break trips, and professional pictures (embarrassingly enough, my idea) just to name a few of those mems. I really miss and love these girls!

A Day To Be Missed

2011-02-28T22:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a very special friend's birthday. Brighton was able to call our dear friend Gracie on the phone and wish her a happy birthday. For those of you who know us, you already know our closest friends are the Meegans. When we get together our girls are the closest of friends as well. Well their little girl Gracie had her special day yesterday and Brighton has been talking all week about calling her up and saying Happy B-day. So she did. And they talked for a few minutes. And she was able to talk to their little girl Alli too. And then Clarissa and I spoke for a few minutes. And then I got off the phone. And this is what I found after the conversation ended. A super sad girl! I was surprised to see her so upset so I asked her what was wrong and she said, "I'm worried about Gracie and Alli." I prodded some more, asking why. Her response: "I'm worried we won't ever live close to them and I love them so much I want to see them all the time." At this point I about wanted to cry because I feel the same way. It's been years since we've lived close to them but whenever we're together it's just like old times. Our goal has always been to live close and one day in the future, we will be neighbors! Just know little G, that some tears were shed for you because you were missed on your special day! Happy Birthday!

Girls (and Boys) Just Want to Have Fun

2011-02-25T19:46:00.000-08:00

Both of our husbands were gone tonight so my friend Jenny and I decided to have a girls night. We all got into our jammies and originally planned on watching a chick flick while the kids played, but ended up talking all night (which is what normally happens anyway). We vegged on junk food and just enjoyed each other's company. It was a ton of fun and I got a few highlights of the night on my camera. One of them being that Porter wanted to dress up as Rapunzel (More blackmail photos for the future). Another one being the girls snuggling up together. Also, Porter wanted to hold Jenny's little boy Max, who is about as big as Porter and is only 4 months old. Kind of comical to see. And I couldn't resist how cute little Max was with his new helmet to help his torticollis. Gotta love his sweet expression. It was a fun night and I really will miss them when we both move.

Evie

2011-02-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

This is ridiculously overdue, but I realized that after I came home from AK in the summer, I hadn't posted anything about Evelyn. Evelyn is one of my best friends from high school and will probably stay at that status forever. We were inseparable and even though we lived like 30 miles away from each other, we somehow managed to spend every weekend together either making music videos or ding dong ditching every guy we knew. I would be remiss if I didn't include Vanessa in the mix. The 3 of us were always always always together. We were seriously the 3 musketeers. But Vanessa's post will come soon enough. Anyway, this summer Evelyn got married and I was heartbroken that I wasn't able to make it to the temple to see her. Her and Vanessa were both waiting outside the temple on my special day so it was really hard to miss Evelyn's big day. Anyway, she now lives in a small town about 5 hours away from our hometowns so it was difficult to try and see her but she made every effort and we were able to hang out 2 times when we were in AK. We were able to meet her new hubby and catch up on life. It was so nice. I was actually able to go to her little sister's wedding and be in the temple with her which made up a little for missing her own wedding. Well, I was just thinking of her quite a bit lately and really missed her. We have seen a lot of different chapters in each others lives. There have been bad haircuts, silly boys, missions, weddings, tears, laughs, and through it all we have remained the closest of friends. I can only hope to be half a friend to her that she has been to me all these years. I love you Evie! And Happy Belated Birthday!

Spring Time She Comes

2011-02-22T15:15:00.001-08:00

Otter Pop weather is closely approaching. We thought we'd celebrate by eating one now.

Cookie Capers

2011-02-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

Ever since she was little, Brighton has always been in love with cooking. Anytime she can, she jumps at the chance to help me out in the kitchen. And cookies are her specialty. She's actually pretty helpful too. We normally try to squeeze in the bake time during Porter's nap but today he woke up before we were done and definitely wanted in on the action. The first time I put a glop of cookie dough on his spoon it went right into his mouth! Brighton thought it was the craziest thing (apparently) and Porter didn't know why we were laughing at him. The funny thing is, once he got the hang of what we were supposed to be doing, he was on top of things. We got him a clean spoon and not once did he lick it. He made sure the balls were all the same size and even pushed the dough off with his finger without freaking out about getting messy or putting anything in his mouth. Initially I thought that having them both help would be a headache but it ended up being a lot more fun than I thought. I guess we have one more baker in the family!

The Adventures of Supercrank

2011-02-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

When Porter goes without a nap he becomes this evil villain we like to call 'Supercrank'. When Supercrank is roaming the Comin house, you want to duck and cover. Anyway, today Supercrank made an appearance so like always he ended up being stuck in his evil liar -a.k.a. the corner, for doing something villainous. Normally there is wailing and gnashing of teeth in the liar, but today he was quiet. We continued with our dinner for a few minutes and when it was time for him to come out of the corner, we found this tired little wrongdoer passed out on the floor (Yes our timeout corner is in the bathroom. Don't judge.). We couldn't help but laugh at the sweetness that was our nefarious half-pint. Apparently Supercrank's cryptonite is sleep.

What was even sweeter? When we tried to wake the P man up and he wouldn't be stirred, Brighton wanted to hold him on her lap and rub his head to make him 'feel happy' as she put it. Can't get enough of that sweet sibling love.

When I Count My Blessings

2011-02-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

We went to the park today. That's becoming a regular occurrence as everyone here believes that winter is over. I'm starting to believe it too. That week was a doozy (I write mockingly). So back to the park. It's funny that the little day-to-day things like frequenting a park or making a lunch or wiping a tear or tucking someone in to bed can remind me of the blessings in my life. I'm so lucky to be blessed with these little spirits. I'm not saying it's easy. In fact, it's always a challenge, but there are rays of sunlight through the rough patches which make it all worth it. I just had a few extra rays shining down on me today.