Nanners

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

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

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

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

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

Cookie Capers

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

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

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.

Temple Time

It was that time of the month again. Time to pack the kids up and drive to the temple. Our temple is so far away that we have to make a day of it so it's always kind a production when we go. We pack snacks, rent new movies for the ride, go out to lunch while we're there, walk around the temple and take pictures, etc... Luckily, the kids haven't gotten bored or worn out with the trips yet. Just another thing that we're excited about when it comes to moving to AZ: a closer temple. But we'll take what we can get now. We should consider ourselves lucky I guess because not too long ago, there was no temple in Lubbock. The people of Midland had to drive to Dallas to go to the temple which is a 5 hour drive. I'll take my 2 hour drive over that any day! And when you get to the temple, it's always well worth the drive.

Oh and Whilst taking pictures around the temple grounds, Brighton was extra careful to be reverent. She made sure to keep her arms crossed (As shown above) the entire time, all the while running and 'quietly' yelling to Porter. It was very sweet although I'm not sure she completely got the point. Also, once Porter heard a train in the distance, he was on a mission to find 'Thomas'. Note the concerned look on his face as he searches through the gate for his long lost friend.

All is Well

All is right in the world again. It's 80 degrees outside. Our winter lasted about a week. What happened to my Alaskan blood? I guess I'm just a summer snob now.

Happy Heart Day

This year Porter was my valentine and Brighton was Kyle's so when they woke up to find little monkeys and valentine candy, they were ecstatic. It took them about 2 seconds to name them (Brighton's is Hannah and Porter's is Mike) and about 5 seconds to eat all the candy. They love their little monkeys and we love our little monkeys!

And what could make Valentine's day even better? Pink heart pancakes for dinner! Gotta love the day for love!

Pre-Valentines Day

So Kyle had to work on Valentine's Day and it was a Monday, so we decided to spend our Valentine's Day on the Saturday before. It was the first time we ever got a young woman to babysit and it was a little nerve-racking but well-needed. Kyle and I haven't gone on a date in a REALLY long time and it was so good go out to eat and get to know each other again. It's easy to forget how lucky I am sometimes when I'm just rushing through life so it was nice to unwind and enjoy our relaxing evening. I've got the greatest valentine a girl could wish for! I love this guy!

Chicken-Leg Chico

My kids have wanted to make serious fashion statements lately. First, Brighton with her coordinating ensembles and now Porter with his daring pants-free look. He is successfully conquering the potty but due to his burdensome pants being in the way, the first time he's on the thrown in the morning is the last time you see him with any pants on. He takes them right off and waits until bedtime to put anything on his lower half. It definitely makes for funny times to see a little chicken-legged boy insisting on putting his shoes to go outside, yet could care less if he's got any pants. Hopefully he'll grow out of this phase before kindergarten otherwise it's homeschool for the pantless wonder.

Miss Match

This is what happens when Brighton decides to dress herself. She finds everything in her closet that has coordinating colors and puts them all on at once. I guess I'll let her wear the rain boots since they do match the dress. It would look a lot worse if she wasn't as cute. Good thing she is!

Bowled Over

Kyle was really excited to watch the Super Bowl with the kids today. We're not really that excited because the Patriots aren't in it but it's just fun to spend time together and watch a little football. The only thing that was missing was Uncle Ty. Ever since Brighton was little, she and her Uncle Ty loved watching football together. She didn't really ever know what was going on but she thought it was so cool that she got to hang out with Ty. Anyway, we were happy to watch the game, but sad we missed the company from our favorite football fan! You were missed Uncle Ty!

A Little Hairy Carry

What happens when Porter is too tired and sick to defend himself from the evils of girliness? This is the result. Brighton couldn't keep her hands off of him. If you can't tell, he's got at least 7 hair clips in there. She loves doing hair and thought that using a live subject versus her many dolls, would be a perfect fit. Sadly, Porter wasn't too upset about it and wore them around for the rest of the evening. I guess this is just the early onset of blackmail pictures that will inevitably forge their way into his wedding video someday.

Cold Colds

So I know I shouldn't complain because most of the people reading this blog live in colder climates than us, but we are still cold! And we HAVE colds! Which make us double cold! We have been stuck in our ice box we call a home (It won't heat up. The hottest it will get in our house is like 45 degrees.) and we are all still sick to boot. We have gotten creative in our ways to keep warm and feel better though. As you can see, Porter's personal preference is the Veggie Tales cocoon (which he is wrapped up in as he is watching Veggie Tales). Brighton's favorite thing to do is heat up her hands with her breath and my weapon of choice is to wear 3 sweatshirts and my winter jacket all together while drinking 2 cups of apple cider a day. I look like a walking marshmallow, but anything to stay warm right? I can't wait to move to a place that doesn't have heating and insulation that was built in the 1970s. And I can't wait for us to feel better again!

50 can Make a Difference

In the course of the hour it took us to run in and out of Target, the weather went from beautiful skies and shorts weather to dismal, dreary and cold. So it was no surprise to us when that night it started snowing! That's right! It went from 70 degrees to 20 degrees all in less than a few hours. It only snows here like once a year and yesterday was our day. The kids woke up and begged to play outside so I suited them up and we were out the door. About 10 minutes later they were cold, wet, and ready to go back in. I guess they didn't inherit my thick Alaskan skin!

(And I just wanted to share the picture below to show the difference. This was taken less than 8 hours before the above pics were shot. Crazy how fast the weather changes!)

Ring of Fire

Ever since the movie Walk the Line came out, Kyle has been in love with Johnny Cash. I don't get the hype. He was a strung out musician who cheated on his wife, but that's besides the point. Anyway, Kyle loves his music and he has passed that affection for the deep-voiced artist on to our kids. The other day I said the word 'love' (which is the first word to the song Ring of Fire) and Brighton spat out the rest of the entire song. Where does she get this from? So we went out to play with chalk and she drew the above circles. When I asked her what they were she responded, "Mom, it's a ring of fire. Like the song". Who is she?

Oh and the picture on the right is Porter's. When I asked what the drawing was he told me it was corn muffins. It made me laugh.

Blast from the Not-so-Distant Past

So my middle name is 'back tracking' because I found these pictures from Christmas time and realized I hadn't posted any of them. SO here I am back tracking like normal, but I guess it's better than not posting about things at all. I wanted to take some pics of them in their Christmas attire. Porter was so proud that he got to wear a suit jacket to church but by the time I wanted to take pictures, he's wasn't having it, so the tongue shot is the best I got of them together which also shows his personality so I was okay with it. Anyway, they are great kids and I can't get enough of them even if they are a little crazy at times. Merry super-belated Christmas from Brighton and Porter!

Sick Day

About a day after B suffered the head injury, she came down with a wicked cough/cold. It's in her chest and it just sounds awful, so we decided that we'd all have a sick day. Don't feel too sorry for us yet because the same day we had to hunker down inside, I slipped away for a second to check the mail. Lo and behold, the thoughtfulness fairy struck again! We received a box from my mom filled with anything and everything to 'make crafts' as Brighton likes to call it. She was able to color, cut, glue, and sequin to her heart's content all while nursing her illness. My mom seriously is guided when she sends thing to us because it's always what we were needing or talking about that day. Thanks so much Nana for the you and your grandmotherly instincts!

The Eye of the Tiger

The theme song in our family as of lately is Eye of the Tiger. The reasons are two-fold: 1. It is one of my all time favorite songs basically because I was obsessed with the Rocky movies in high school. No joke. I even drank a raw egg one time after I watched it. This song always pumps me up and I knew the kids would love it the minute they heard it. 2. Porter is potty training right now and is doing pretty well. When the kids first heard the song they thought it was saying 'I am a tiger' and after I corrected them and explained what having the 'Eye of the Tiger' meant, we've had to sing it to him when he goes potty so he can 'rise up to the challenge of his rival' (diapers) and win the race (being fully trained). It's been a fierce competition but I think Porter Balboa is gonna make it through all 15 rounds.

Walking on Sunshine

How does one spend her afternoon when it's 70 degrees outside in the middle of winter?

Well, first these little feet decide to go on a walk to...

stop and smell the flowers (that are still blooming in January I might add).

Then head home for a fun afternoon of

chalk and...

bubbles with little bro. Oh how I love Texas winters.

Jake & Janalyn Hope to Adopt

For some time I have had this button on my sidebar but never really explained myself for doing so. When Kyle and I were first married, we went to a married student ward at BYU-Idaho. I have to say it was the closest to Zion I've ever been. We made amazing friends there, we felt the spirit in all that we did there, and we were privileged enough to rub shoulders with some awe-inspiring church leaders. One of the amazing friends we met which I guess could be considered an awe-inspiring leader as well was Janalyn. Janalyn and Jake Owens. Janalyn was my relief society president and we were good friends. She would come to my pilates class with a smile on her face and make anyone around her feel like a million bucks. She was always looking for ways to serve others and when she bore her testimony it always brought tears to my eyes. She is so in love with her amazing husband as well, who is the nicest and sweetest cowboy you'll ever meet. Why am I ranting and raving about this ridiculously cool couple? Because they have had infertility struggles in the past and were finally blessed with a daughter but now want to expand their little trio and adopt. I seriously can't even begin to express how amazing they are and how deserving they are of receiving a beautiful little bundle of joy. Anyway, I just wanted to get the word out for their sake and tell everyone I know to look on their adoption blog and spread the word. Go meet them here! They're great!

Nurse Daddy to the Rescue

First off, I am not lying when I say that this is blood. It really is. And there was much more where it came from. Can you believe that this much blood...

came out of this little wound?

Today when Kyle was working out he put our removable pull-up bar on the door jam. While he was working on a different exercise, Brighton tried to shut the door that the pull-up bar was in. She didn't realize but that is a serious no-no because it makes the bar fall. Well, all Kyle and I heard was a loud bang and a painful scream. You know, the scream that makes your skin crawl and your heart jump into your throat and sends you into a whirlwind of panic. Kyle and I ran over to see what had happened and Brighton was crying. We started trying to calm her down when I noticed the giant blood stains on her shirt (from above). I started freaking out inside my head thinking she got stabbed in the back with the bar or something but I couldn't find any wounds. Soon we found little pools of blood in her hair. That's when we knew it was a head wound. She turned her head in one direction and the blood started to spray. It came in buckets at that point. Her shirt took a minor beating compared to our floor, clothes, the toilet, etc... I honestly have not seen that much blood since I pushed my sister off the bed in 9th grade and you could see her skull through that wound (okay, okay it's getting graphic. Sorry). So Kyle being the nurse that he is, brought her upstairs, calmed her down, gave her a shower, washed her wound, put medication on it, and checked for a concussion. All right before heading out the door for work! While Kyle was getting ready to leave for work Brighton says to me "Does Daddy have to go to work?" I replied "Yes he does." Then she says "I guess you can take care of me when he leaves." Lovely. I'm an afterthought. I guess we all need our Daddys to look like heroes in our own eyes and tonight B's Daddy really was hers. We are so proud of our medical professional and seriously don't know what we would do without him!

Oh and P.S. Daddy's patient is resting comfortably and is already back to her sprightly self.

Dapper Dude

For Christmas my sweet Grandparents actually went online and searched out a pair of little boy suspenders because my mom mentioned to her that Porter was so tiny in the waist that his pants constantly fall down. It's true. He's got no little bum and that's with a diaper on. I can't imagine what it will be like when he's potty trained! I'm continuously chasing after him trying to pull his pants up while they're around his ankles. It makes for a hilarious game. Anyway, when Porter opened them for Christmas he wasn't sure what they were but know every time I pull them out of the closet he squeals with excitement. I think it's because all the ladies at church oogle over him when he's got them on and he loves the attention. Anyhow, we love our little accountant. Or maybe he's a business tycoon in the 1950's. Either way he's our dapper little dude.

B's New Trick

Brighton has been so proud that she learned how to cross her eyes. Every morning during breakfast she'll say "Hey Mom!", I'll look up and she will be staring straight back at me all googly-eyed. Every time I turn a corner she's there crossing those eyes trying to get me to laugh. Every time I call for her she comes running in, stops promptly , closes her eyes, then opens them big and crossed. I do have to admit it is pretty hilarious when I see that head whip around and find a crazy pair of eyes looking back at me. The dinner table is her favorite place for her newfound comedic skill. It definitely makes for more laughing at the table. Porter was the comedian of the family but I think with B's new hilarity, she'll be giving him a run for his money.

So She Thinks She Can Dance

Brighton has taken ballet classes and now wants to take tap dancing lessons but when her parents are on a tight budget, that makes it difficult to continue her classes. So instead of enrolling her in another class, we decided to get her Just Dance for Kids on the Wii. It helps her get her groove on and we can all participate as a fam. I do have to admit, she is getting pretty good. She's got great rhythm and has already beat some of my scores. I guess the cheerleader genes in her are coming out early!

Big Spring Venture

Today we went to Big Srings. I've got a photo shoot for a client out there and we wanted to scope out the area in order to be a little more comfortable when I actually do the shoot. It was our first venture out there and we were not disappointed. I guess I should rephrase that. We were not disappointed with the amount of places to shoot pictures. While the town was pretty run down (cute, but run down) the rustic backdrops and scenery were perfect for what I was looking for. Brighton, Porter, and Kyle were my little guinea pigs and they were great subjects. We found Commanche Trail Park which was a great place for walking and running around with the kids. It was also one of the only places we have found with a lake! West Texas is lacking in the water sports and recreation department so that was an exciting thing for us to find. It was nice because we were able to make it a fun family day, all the while finding great locations to take pics. Two birds, one stone.

I'm Going There Someday

Today was the first time we were able to go to the Lubbock Temple. It's a 2 hour drive and with 2 kids it's tough to get out there but we finally made a day of it and it was so great to be there. We brought the kids and Kyle and I took turns going through. It was amazing. I learn something new every time I go. The architecture and decorum were gorgeous. I just had to throw in a picture of the windows. These sun rise-looking windows were throughout the temple. I loved them. The kids loved being able to spot Angel Moroni on the top. It was just a great day and I can't wait to go back.

Push it Real Good

Kyle was on the ground doing some push-ups the other day and usually Porter rides on his back like Kyle's his horse but Kyle thought it was time for Porter to get buff so he taught the kids the proper way to do a push-up. Brighton and Porter tried to keep up with him and actually did a good little job with their tiny bodies. It made me laugh every time their little booties stuck up in the air. Gotta love the little kids!

Go Fly a Kite!

When I was young, my parents had these 2 really nice kites that they would take with us wherever we went just in case there was a breeze. When I was 4 and we lived in the windy country of England we had a big field just beyond our backyard. We would take those kites out, get them up in the air, put an anchor in the ground with the string and sit in our lawn chairs watching them for hours. I have lots of good memories of those kites. A few years back my dad sent me a nice kite that looks just like our old box kites and I love it. Porter actually got one for Christmas from them too so now we have one for each of the kids and they love them. There was no question that we had to go take the kites out for a spin while Nana and G'Pops were here. We packed the lunches and the kites and the kids had so much fun. Brighton actually flew hers on her own and the second Porter tried to fly his by himself (per his request), he dropped it and Kyle had to go chase it down in a neighborhood close by. Once he finally got it back and it was up in the air again, the string broke and Kyle had to once more chase it down in the neighborhood. Now we call that one Lucky because we're lucky we still even have it. Flying the kites brought back some good memories and helped me create a new one. I think I've turned into my parents because now "Boxy" and "Lucky" come with us wherever we go in case there's a sharp Texas wind that we happen upon from time to time.

Our 2nd Christmas

New Year's Eve was like a 2nd Christmas for us because we received the greatest gift. My parents came to visit for 10 whole days! Whenever they come we have a lot of things we want to do while they are here. My mom is a major list maker which she passed on down to me and oddly enough I've already passed it on to Brighton. B made a to-do list months before Nana and G'Pops arrived so we could be ready when they got here. They included going to a special frozen yogurt shop, going to the new cupcake shop, baking chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with Nana, and going to see Yogi Bear at the Drive-in while eating candy (Don't you love how everything on the list had to do with sweets?). The crazy pic above is of all of us cramming in the car for the drive-in. We had to document it no matter how goofy the shot was. Well, we did all of the things on Brighton's list. In fact, we did all those things and more. We went to the duck pond and fed the ducks (top right shot), we went out to eat a ton, we flew kites, and we even had an after Christmas special dinner using our winter plates (top left pic). My dad shot a caribou and a moose a few months back and brought us a freezer full of meat so we feasted on yummy Alaskan animals while they were here. We had a great time. The second we dropped them off at the airport, Brighton lost it and couldn't stop crying the whole way home. She really loves her Nana and G'Pops and can't wait to see them again (and neither can we!).

New Year... New Me

So every year I make a few New Year's Resolutions but I never write them down so they get tossed to the way side. This year I thought I'd post them for all to see so I would be held a little more accountable. Here is what I came up with:

1. Post more on my blog (2-3 times a week)!

2. Bake Homemade bread every week

3. Run 2 half marathons

4. Study the scriptures (not read them...study them)

5. Play more with my kids

6. Be a more loving wife

7. Keep a cleaner house

8. Back off the sweets

9. Attend the temple monthly

10. Simplify my life

Now I know that sounds kind of ironic having all these other goals to keep me busy and make my life a little more chaotic than it needs to be when the last goal cancels everything else out but this past year has made me realize that I can fill my life up with crazy meaningless things to do or I can find the priorities and important things in my life and work on perfecting those. One of the talks at the October General Conference given by President Uchtdorf entitled Of Things That Matter Most changed me and made me become fully aware that if we work on the things that matter to us, we'll become happier in our lives. Read it. It's an amazing talk. Who knows how long I'll be able to keep up with these goals because one way or another, I tend to fall short of things, but I do know that as long as I've set these priorities in place, my life will be guided in the direction I want it to go. I hope you all have your resolutions ready and are pumped to take on a new year because I know I am!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

We had a great Christmas and we hope you all have a Happy New Year!

Porter wanted anything Toy Story so Santa gave him a Woody doll. Yes, it is a doll but it's a manly one, otherwise Kyle would have thrown it out.

Brighton has been talking about American Girl dolls for seriously months now and Santa must have gotten her letter because she got not one, but 2! Actually a young woman in the ward was kind enough to give Brighton her old doll that was barely touched. Add that to the one from Santa and she got hooked up! Anyway, we had a great Christmas and after all the presents were opened we were able to focus on Christ and have a peaceful day.