Dear Santa...

Brighton has been dying to write to Santa so when I had a minute to help her with the spelling, this is what she came up with:

"Dear Santa

I want American Girl Doll Jenny.

Love, Brighton"

We'll see if Santa gets the memo.

Tangled up in Reading

So last Christmas Brighton received these set of books called BOB books. They are early readers to help you get started with the whole reading on your own process. We hadn't been too diligent at reading them until Brighton started preschool this year (It doesn't help that B gets frustrated VERY easily so sitting down and having her struggle through words was the last thing I ever wanted to do.). When we finally decided to buckled down and get to it, the frustration set in and it was not an enjoyable thing. So we decided to give her an incentive. We told her that if she finished all 12 of her BOB books (and could read them well) by the time the new movie Tangled came out, we'd all go to the drive in. This girl thrives on incentives so after the deal was on the table it took her less than a month to get through them. She was focused and motivated. And I am happy to say we had one of the best family nights watching Brighton's new favorite movie. I'm so proud of my little girl!

Big Boy Bed

So the day has finally come when my baby is too big for a baby bed. Last night was the first night Porter got to sleep in his "big boy bed". When I say "bed" I'm using the term loosely because really it's just a toddler blow-up mattress but when they're that little what do they care? We'll wait until Arizona before he gets the real thing because we don't want to move an extra bed when we don't have to. Anyway, he thinks it's awesome because it's so lightweight that he can move it around and even place it close enough to B's bed that he does cannonballs onto it (thus documented below). What kind of a bed would it be if you couldn't jump on it? Now I wake up to hear one little monkey jumping on the bed (seriously, they sing it). Luckily, when he falls off and bumps his head, the ground isn't too far down. What would I do without this crazy little monkey to sing, dance,jump, and entertain me?

Happy Turkey Day

Sadly, this was one of the only pictures I took on Thanksgiving and to be honest, the reason that there are no others is that I was having too much fun hanging out with good friends. We went over to the house of another family in our ward (the Bowcutts) who didn't have any family close by either, along with a few other families without extended relatives living near them. It was nice to chat, eat, play games, and enjoy each other's company. I am grateful we have the friends we do here. They have helped me along the way in this chapter of my life. There is so much to be grateful for. I can't even fathom the amount of blessings I have in my life. Lately, I've been able to reflect upon all the things that I truly am blessed with and came up with the conclusion that I really don't deserve it all, but for some reason or another I receive a ton and for that, I am grateful. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving as I know I did.

This just in...

This has been in the works for months now but I figured now is a good time to finally come out with my big news. I've started my very own photography business! I've been taking photography classes at the local college for almost a year now and I feel confident enough to take other people's pictures. I have been taking friends and family pictures and have created a portfolio. If you want to check out my stuff and find out more info, go to my photo blog. The button is on the side! So if you like what you see and you live in the Midland, TX (soon to be Pheonix, AZ) area, I'd love to take your picture!

Passed Out Porter

Porter was feeling under the weather today so Kyle stayed home from church with him. When Brighton and I got home the doors were locked so we banged and banged on the doors and windows. I started panicking a little but Kyle finally came to the door all disheveled. He started saying "Where's Porter?" and I started freaking out. Kyle must have fallen asleep while Porter was playing and now he was no where in sight. We began running all over the house frantically looking for him. The first thing I thought was that he was hurt somewhere or something. Finally after about the longest 2 minutes of my life, we looked behind the couch and found this little guy completely passed out! We were so relieved we couldn't bare to move him from his peaceful slumber. Poor little sicky!

Thanksgiving Feast

Before Brighton's preschool let out for the Thanksgiving break they had a Thanksgiving feast where families were invited to eat and enjoy a little presentation by the children. They sang a song about thankfulness and came up to the microphone to tell what they were grateful for. Brighton was brave enough to step up to the plate and say she was thankful for her family. I was a pretty proud mama.

The singing sweetie and her classmates belted it out.

We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

Jumping the Christmas Gun

The day after Halloween when all the Christmas stuff goes up in stores, my kids go crazy. They continue to beg me for days to put up our tree and decorations. So this year was no different. I tried to hold them off for a week or so but we finally put all the stuff up on Monday. The kids were loving their lives. They had to hold and play with every ornament and ask where each came from. It was a fun walk down memory lane. I love the holidays.

This was my favorite pic of the night. They were so proud of their work!

Face The Race

Last Saturday we did our first family run in a while. After the marathon I was a little burnt out of running and my knee hasn't been the same since, so this was a nice little comeback. The kids were great in the jogger and it was the perfect weather (it was actually one of the coldest days of the year so far but that equals perfect running weather.). The race was called Face the Race which is actually a program at a local school here that took 28 middle-school girls and trained them to do like 10 different 5ks around the area and the 5ks are open to families. I know I haven't run in a while so I wasn't expecting much, but I was surprised/happy when we beat a good amount of those girls that trained. Obviously their training wasn't that strenuous if I could beat them.

Sibling Sweetness

Brighton and Porter have become the best of friends. When Brighton goes off to preschool Porter gets sad and asks "Where's sissy?". When Porter needs something or is trying to talk to us, Brighton is his translator and can always tell us what he's saying. Porter is the best at listening to what Brighton has to say and following her every command and she loves to be the boss so they make the perfect pair. I just love seeing them grow up together and love each other so much. I know it's wishful thinking but I hope they always have the close bond that they've created in their early years.

The Sharpest Crayons in the Box

I know this is long overdue but I could not resist showing the world the largest/cutest box of crayons known to man! The costumes were a hit and the easiest and cheapest I've ever made! We had a ton of fun this year. I feel like every year I love Halloween more and more, not that I didn't love it before, but it just gets to be so much fun with kids! We had preschool halloween parties, story time trick-or-treating, ward trunk-or-treating and the list goes on. I think I just love the fall in general and Halloween is the signifier that it has officially come.

The day before Halloween we finally carved our pumpkins. In theory, I love doing this, but when asked to stick my hand in the gooey beast, I'd rather pass. So that's why I enlisted Brighton to do my dirty work. And she obviously took after her mom because that is just a fake smile on her face for the camera. Porter just had a fun time using the permanent marker on his before the incisions. He'd be happy doing anything as long as he got to graffiti it. Anyway, we are having a very busy but very fun fall season and we hope you are too!

Baby Shower to the Max

One of my closest friends, Jenny (Marathon buddy Jenny) is having a baby soon so another friend and I decided to throw her a shower. She already has two kids, but this is probably their last baby, so we wanted to make it special. We just thought it was a great excuse to have a party!

That bouquet was made of baby clothes and burp cloths. We know a lot of talented people here in Midland!

I made the diaper cake and the other host made the "M" sign. His name will be Max so that's where the "M" comes in. We had a great time! I couldn't ask for better friends here!

Rexburg Reunion

A few weekends ago was quite possibly the best weekend we've had ever! We were able to drive to Dallas to see our best friends ever! The Meegans! And what could be better than having the Meegans to hang with? Our other close friends, the Bradys too! To give you a little background, we've known these families since Kyle and I were first married. That's over 6 years ago. That's before we had kids. That's the classic BYU-Idaho days. They were our first friends and we love love love them all! We haven't all gotten together in over 4 years. We've all had to go our separate ways with school and work and for about 1 month, we've all been within driving distance of each other so we knew we had to have a reunion. It was just like old times, sitting around and laughing like crazy. I seriously don't remember the last time I laughed that much (It was probably the last time we all hung out together!). It's been weeks now and Kyle and I still can't get over how much fun we had. When we all settle down and stay in one place for good, hopefully it will be close because I don't think I could bare to have such awesome friends live so far away forever! Thanks you guys for such a fun weekend! It won't soon be forgotten!

I was super nostalgic after our trip so I dug up some old photos of "the gang" years ago and just had to share them.

4.5 years ago:


5.5 more kids (between us) later:

Turning Towards the Prophet

I know it's somewhat of a back track, but I just had to share what we did for General Conference that helped our family understand the importance of the weekend. In The Friend, they had helpful ideas that other families around the world did to focus on what is being said during conference and one of those things was to build a tent. For family scripture study, we had just read about King Benjamin preaching on the tower near the temple and people had set their tents up to face the temple so they could hear the prophet. Well, when I said we could build a tent/fort toward the prophet like in King Benjamin's time, the kids were up in arms. They were giddy with excitement for the weekend and when we made it, they actually listened and understood that we pay attention to the words that the church leaders speak. It was a great teaching moment and I just had to write it down. I am grateful for all the words that were spoken and I know that what the prophet and apostles speak are true. They seem to always know what I need to hear and I'm glad I could have a rejuvenated sense of the gospel to apply in my life. Yay for General Conference!

He's 2 Fast

I can't believe this little baby became...



This little boy



Where did the time go? I can't believe that on October 8th, Porter turned 2-years-old! Can they just slow down for me? For posterity sake, I thought I'd write down some of Porter's favorite things at age 2:

Favorite person: BRIGHTON! He loves his big sis so much and follows and copies her constantly, although mom is a very close 2nd.

Favorite phrase: "Hey you GUUYYYYYS!" It's from The Goonies and Kyle thought he'd teach him young to love the movie.

Favorite food: Spaghetti. You can tell for days that he's had the stuff because he's got an orange ring around his face.

Favorite toy: Anything that goes vroom. He loves cars, especially firetrucks.

Favorite thing to do: Make us laugh! He always has a smile on his face and his goal during every meal is to get someone to laugh at his crazy antics. Lately, it's been knock knock jokes. His favorite one: "Knock knock....who's there? ....puppy....puppy who?... puppy house!" That joke is always followed by an uproar of laughter on his part which in turn makes us crack up. He's quite our little comedian.

Weight: 22 lbs.

Height: 32.5 inches long

Anyway, this little boy is growing to be such a sweet little man and I love him so much! Happy Birthday little buddy!

Faux Hawk Follies

Ever since we came back from our summer trips, everyone has been making comments on how Porter got hair over the summer and how he looks like a little boy instead of a baby now and at first I loved it. It was actually fun to do his hair and make him look all grown up. But pretty quickly after this started to happen, his hair became unruly and way too long. Everytime I did it, it looked like he stuck his finger into a light socket. So it was time for a cut, but I am horrible with boy hair (Kyle will attest to that on several different accounts) so Kyle had to take the shears to it. I was lucky enough to sit back and document the event.
BEFORE: The crazy kid with his wild hair

The procedure.

AFTER: I think the end result turned out well. Although he wasn't a happy boy then, we are all more content with a manageable 'do.

AZ is the place to be

So we have big news in our family... Kyle got into Nurse anesthetist school and after a few offers, we've decided to go to Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona! We couldn't be happier about the decision and we are excited to live by some of Kyle's family that we've never gotten to see much of. We don't leave until May but we are counting down the days. Kyle has been working towards this since before we were even married so it has been a long time coming and we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Wish us luck over the next 2 years because, even though we see the light, it will be really tough to make it through that tunnel (aka: school will be rough!). But in all honesty, we're just so happy to be moving on to the next (and final) step of our career path. Here we come Glendale!

The 80s Rock

I'm in the Young Women's group for my church and the same weekend we went to the football game, the girls were in charge of their first dance. They were in charge, and it was their first dance, so it was an exciting time in the 3rd Ward. So the theme was 'The 80s rock' and we decorated the gym with old cassette tapes and neon colors. It was a lot of fun and the girls loved it. I was able to run in really quick before the dance started and snap a few shots of the leaders and the girls decked out in their 80s apparel. Unfortunately, they were the only ones that dressed up, but they looked great so it was okay.

The 3 girls in the center make up our entire young women. They're a small group, but big in heart! I love them!


Here's Tali (Brighton's biggest fan!) and the kids. They got a kick out of going to a dance. Brighton was sad to leave, but I told her she could come back when she turned 14, so she was okay with that.

Go Greenwood Rangers Go

Now that I'm all caught up from our vacation, I can move on to more present activities. We live right next to a high school and for the past month we have been able to hear the marching band practice and on our walks we can see the cheerleaders doing their stunts. Brighton has been so curious about them so I told her they've been preparing for homecoming. Well, of course after I explained to her what homecoming was, she was dying to go to one. So this past weekend we were lucky enough to go with our friends, the Ashbakers, to our first west Texas football homecoming game for the Greenwood Rangers which was a sight to see. They had skydivers with rocket shoes bring down the game ball. There was not a kid in sight who didn't have a big gaudy mum on their shirts. The thing to do was paint your jeans with Ranger colors and the unwritten rule was: the tackier, the better, so there were some ridiculous looking people. I'm not kidding. It's crazy out here. This is Tali Ashbaker with Brighton. She's Brighton's favorite pal at church and Tali just loves her. They hung out for most of the game and Brighton thought she was the coolest.

Don't let his face fool you. Porter was seriously loving his life. He would clap and cheer when everyone else did. He loved trying to find the ball on the field. He was a hoot.

Here is the first rocket skydiver flying into the field.

The last skydiver had the ball to give to the officials. Only in Texas would they make such a crazy entrance for a football game.

Brighton's favorite part of the event was the marching band. They are a nationally ranked team so it was cool to see how awesome they were. I grew up in a place where marching bands were non-existent so it's cool to see them in real life (I'm lame, I know).

I just had to take one more shot of Tali with her huge mum in all its glory. I'd say her's was average size. There were plenty that hung to the ground and it looked like girls were about to fall forward due to the meaty ribbon arrangements.

Last, but not least, we couldn't leave the game without seeing a "royal homecoming princess" (Brighton was loving it) with her 10-gallon hat dad and cowgirl boots. It was a classic Texas night and we really enjoyed it!

Comin Reunion

Our last stop on the longest trip ever was to Utah for Kyle's family reunion. It was so much fun because we haven't seen any of his fam for at least a year (For some of them it's been 3 years!) so this was an overdue trip. There were so many things to do and so many people to hang with, that I thought I'd just post the highlights like previous posts. Here it goes!

1. We all hiked up to Timpanogos Caves in American Fork Canyon. The hike was brutal with a 20 lb. baby on my shoulders, but Porter kept cheering "Go Mommy! Go Mommy!" So how could I stop? And I couldn't complain seeing how Kyle was carrying the 30 lb. Brighton. The caves were worth it though and it was fun to go as a big family.

2. By the time we got down, Brighton and Porter's little cousin Kohen was out cold. He was so super cute in his carrier, I couldn't resist snapping a shot.

3. The same day we did the caves, we had a picnic lunch at Sliver Lake in American Fork Canyon. Thanks again Ty for taking your Malibu 4 wheeling through the rough terrain to make it to the Lake. Kyle's brother Will brought his new dirt bike and showed us a few tricks. Tyler (Casey's husband) also showed us a few tricks, but those ones left some battered elbows, beat-up legs, and a scuffed up bike. I'm just sorry I didn't get a picture of him popping the wheelie and then flying off the bike into the gravel. Classic Ty.

4. We also had smores on Grandma and Grandpa's outdoor firepit one night and the kids weren't the only one that knew how to make a mess. Clearly Casey was having a love affair with her dessert and Grandma Wendy was enjoying hers as well.

5. Everyone was gathered here during lunch at the park, waiting for Will to come around with the bike.

6. Since Kyle's dad's birthday was the day after the reunion ended, we decided to celebrate it on the last day with cake, ice cream, a present from the siblings, and a talent show!

7. Like I said before, we had a talent show where each family did anything as a talent. And when I say anything, I mean anything. Some of the featured talents included telling knock knock jokes, crawling, dancing, raising the eyebrows, (and my personal favorite) lip-syncing chin-heads. That's right. Casey, Annie, Val and I all sang the Little Mermaid classic Kiss the Girl. We each had our own parts and I think we had more fun practicing and doing it than anyone else did watching it. There will definitely have to be more talent shows in the Comin Reunion future.

8. Kyle and Annie at Silver Lake.

9. This was Will's talent show act. He threw out some hilarious jokes. He was great throughout the whole reunion and we really miss him.

10. Violet is Keri and Dan's (Kyle's sister and bro.-in-law) little girl and she is the sweetest baby. Her smile is infectious.

11. On the first day of the reunion, we all met at the Salt Lake Temple. It was great to walk around Temple Square, talk with family, hang out, and feel the spirit.

12. This is my favorite photo of the reunion. These two were inseparable. Brighton really misses her cousin Landon. They had such a good time playing together and they played so well. She still talks about the time she got to hang out with Landon and can't wait for the day when we live close.

13. Sadly, this is one of the only pictures of me during the reunion and it's a weird one at that. Sarah and Mike (Kyle's sister and brother-in-law) organized a minute-to-win-it tournament (Thanks again guys!) and this was me trying to get a slinky on my head. It was a ton of fun and all the adults loved playing it. I think an adult tournament of sorts has become another tradition for the Comin reunion.

14. Mike and Sarah graciously brought their big water bounce castle, so that was a hit with all the little cousins. Here is Alexandria, Brighton, and Livie playing in it. Alexandria stood by the water hose and let it squirt her backside all day due to a severely burned bottom so the girls all migrated to her. Can you believe Brighton is the oldest out of that gang?

The reunion was the start of a great Comin tradition and I'm so glad we didn't miss out on it. There were a lot of memories made and now I look forward to every other year when we can get together and meet as a family.

It's a Zoo Out There

One last thing we did in Alaska (before I move on to the next phase of our voyage) was go to the Alaska Zoo. It's been like 10 years since I've been there so it was nice to go back. Also, the animals were all out playing due to rainy, cold weather, which was nice for us. It's not everyday that you go to a zoo that has grizzly, black, and polar bears, musk ox, and moose so the kids were loving the array of animals. There were too many pictures that I liked so here's a sampling of the event. Enjoy!

we're bAcK

So, since it's been such a long time since I posted, I thought I'd just fill you in on the highlights of our long and fun trip. First, like I said before, we went to Washington where my friend and I did a marathon. Next we were off to Alaska for a whole month to visit my parents. We had so much fun that all the things we did turned into one giant awesome blur of a month so here's a recap in no specific order:

1. A mother black bear and her 3 cubs found a garbage sack across the street from my parents' house and tore it to shreds. It all afternoon and we were watching in the safety of our home so it felt like a homemade zoo.

2. My sister and her fiancee came up for 2 weeks we went hiking, played games, and talked all the time. I forgot how much I miss her. She's the best.

3. We went hiking at Winner Creek. This might not be that cool to anyone else but it was super special for me because on the hand tram where we're standing (which is like 200 feet above a rushing river by the way) was where Kyle proposed to me 6 years ago! We hadn't been back since so it was really great to be there and remember that special day.

4. It's amazing how much you take for granted the beauty if the earth until you don't live in a place that is abundant with rich scenery. That is our case in Texas. It is a desert wasteland so it was nice to be able to walk out the front door and see the mountains and rivers in your front yard. Just one more thing to miss while living in TX.

5. Brighton missed her G' Pops so much. She loved snuggling up to him and reading a book or watching a movie together. She's definitely a Grandpa's little girl.

6. We got a special treat when my Grandpa said he was coming to visit for a little while during our time in AK. My grandparents live in Michigan/Florida so it was a long trip for him to come see us and we really appreciated it. He got to meet Porter for the first time and see Brighton again. We loved having him there. He will go with the flow and participate in anything we're doing. We love, love, love him. Our only regret is that my Grandma couldn't come with him. We missed you Grandma, so hopefully we'll be able to come out and see you soon!

7. We were so close to the temple and since my parents were able to watch the kids, we were finally able to go. The Anchorage temple is close to my heart too because that's where I received my own endowments. It was great to go back.

8. More Hiking pics. This was at Winner Creek again with Sarah and my dad. We made a day of it.

9. Porter loved hanging with G' Pops as well and was sad to see him go back to the slope. They can't wait to see him again.

10. My mom is a walkaholic so it was almost everyday that we were out with her going for walks. The kids loved it and they still talk about all the walks we went on in AK. If I ever say we can't go on a walk to Brighton, her retort is "But Nana always went on walks with us."

11. This is a pic of Grant (My sister's fiancee), Sarah, Kyle, and my dad. We decided to take a break from hiking and I couldn't resist the cute shot.

12. We went four-wheeling quite a bit and even took it out on a 28 mile excursion out to Eklutna glacier which was fun. Sadly, the kids weren't invited to that trip, but they loved driving it in the backyard.

13. This is just another shot of how beautiful it is up there. Everywhere you turn there's a mountain, a river, a moose, or a patch of wild flowers. It's gorgeous and it's nice to have been raised in such a picturesque place and to have that appreciation for the natural gifts Heavenly Father gives us.

The Big Step

There is much to update on, which I will get to, but before I start rewinding and reflecting upon our summer excursions, I had to post about the present. Brighton has been excited for this day for quite a while now. She knew the day was here when she woke up at 6:30 in the morning, made her bed, got dressed on her own, and finally came to wake us up to go to her first day of preschool at Step-By-Step. She did go to preschool last year with some other mothers from our ward but this was the real deal. Long days, snack time, recess, certified teachers. She was ready. I had to document the elation she felt as we walked out the door for the first time. From the moment I dropped her off, to the moment I picked her up she had a perma-grin on her face. As for mom and dad, we're hanging in there. We were both able to see her off which was nice, but it's hard to see our little girl grow up so fast. She just needs to slow down!

Where have these shoes been?

It's been a long time but these shoes have been busy running a MARATHON! That's right! On June 26th, I did it! And it's over! Thank goodness!

My friend Jenny and I went with our families to Washington to run the Rock and Roll Seattle marathon. It was challenging, exhausting, and worth it. It's something I've always wanted to do and now I can say that I've done it with a great friend. The overall experience was amazing with the bands along the way, the energy from everyone, and the beautiful trail. I loved it!

Our girls were there with matching shirts and signs to cheer us on.

We were 2 happy finishers!

And after the race we stayed in Washington for a few days to see the sights of the surrounding area. It had been a while since we had seen anything resembling mountains or forests so we just took it all in and loved it.


Brighton has been into sign language lately so it was only appropriate to say 'I love you' to the greenery. She was in love with it. We definitely have to get out of the Texas desert!
We even walked the beaches of Washington. We definitely weren't ready to take a dip in the water, but they were pretty and Kyle and Brighton got to explore the sea life there. It's just too bad she had to go to the bathroom so bad, we couldn't get a shot without her in discomfort.


And lastly, while we were in Washington, The Twilight saga: New Moon came out and Jenny and I always go out to watch those movies together (cheesy I know but we love it), so it was a perfect end to a fantastic week. And the best part is that our vacation isn't over yet! More details to follow.