Welcome Back

Same story...Minor changes...I was going to start completely fresh but I just couldn't separate myself from those first 100 posts. Thanks for visiting.

How many people does it take?

...To take out Sport's first tooth? Four..a mom a dad a dental assistant and a dentist. This little boy is strong and it took four of us to hold him down. I'm sure the screaming could be heard down the hall and around the corner, but Dr. Schweppe was fast and we walked out with a tooth and a toy. Bring on the tooth fairy!

Simple Things I love (for last week)

Last week was kind of a bummer. I realize the injury could have been way worse and I've got it sooooo good, but still talk about a major cramp in my style. I don't love asking for help. I don't love 'resting' when there is stuff I should be 'doing' and in general the ache of the injury not to mention if a small child happens to crash into it, in their effort to love you - PAIN! On top of all that, the guilt of realizing I'm a whiner and I have SOOO much to be grateful for... So many things I take for granted. A body I am constantly critical of but is actually quite amazing. In all of my bummed out mood I realized today as I was downloading pictures off my camera I LOVE digital cameras. How great it is that without my knowledge Princess Pie took about 20 pictures of nothing last week and I don't have to pay to develop them to find that out. Here is a fine example....

Gotta love the Delete button!

Out with the old...In with the new...

Musical Beds

Why is Mom and Dad's bed the best?

Gettin' the BOOT!

Oh how I wish I had a super cool story to go with this. nope.... I was loading stuff into the truck and slipped on some ice. As I gracefully tried to catch myself (my arms were full) all of my weight came straight down on an already off balance twisted ankle. I've rolled my ankle before, but in very slow motion I knew this was different, I could feel the tearing as I went down. Any of you girls remember those contractions that you have right before you get an epidural, that hurt so bad you want to throw-up? This pain was about level with that, but it was a constant throbbing. We drove all the way home (this happened in Bear Lake) Brian totally believed I just rolled it and I was being a wimp. Brian watched me painfully hop into the house (it wouldn't tolerate any weight) ....he finally offered to take me to the insta-care. Good news, no break. Bad news I tore 2 if not 3 of the tendons in my ankle. The doc happened to be a sports medicine specialist and said if I rehab it with physical therapy I should be able to avoid surgery. So here I am on bed rest going a little crazy. With the boot and crutches I can make it to the kitchen etc. Stairs are out of the question at the moment. Being immobile was NOT on my things to do list this week!

Happy Sad Hooray for Cass

Change is interesting. Sometimes I welcome it and other times I'm not sure I'm ready for it. This is our Cass and she has been accepted to WSU School of Nursing. WAHOO! She has worked so hard for this and she will be an outstanding, amazing nurse. We have loved everyone we have entrusted with the care of our children. We have had Jess and Cass the longest. They have been with us for the last 6 years. Jess moved on last fall as she welcomed her own baby into this world. (We miss her!) This fall Cass will move on to full time Nursing School. Seriously they forgot to ask me if they could go and get their own lives. AGGHH! I love these girls and I love the way they have loved my children. One day we were in the car and out of the blue PrincessPie asked where Cass was. I answered she was at school. Pie's reply was, "Mom Cass loves me" It doesn't get better than that.

Blog Stalker Contest!!!!

How it works: The FIRST THREE people to leave a comment on this post will receive at some point during this year a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive will be a total surprise--to both of us.The CATCH is that YOU MUST PLAY TOO! Before you leave your comment here, write the same (pay it forward) post on your blog to keep the fun going (you can cut and paste these instructions). Then come back and let me know that you are going to play, and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift. It's THAT easy!Remember, only the FIRST THREE comments will qualify. Good luck!

If I were to die tomorrow...and simple things #11

I run around and live my life with the basic assumption I have loads of time. I think I'll live to be a hundred and three. But what if I were to die tomorrow? I take for granted the fact that I get to start over the next day, that I get another shot, another opportunity to do it "right". What if you didn't get any more do-overs? My Vegas BFF and I were discussing this and she asked, "What would your little children remember about you?" Think about it. How many memories do you have of your mother before you were five? I often wondered why leaders of the church counseled us to keep journals. I think it was President Kimball that was big into "Do it right now" and journals. I have a smattering of journals from Jr high on, but there are huge gaps in them where I start out really well but never finish. (I don't think there is even a middle) I am guilty of doing the same thing for my kid's journals. Thus simple things I love #11......BLOGGING! I passed 100 posts a week ago and as for 'journal entries' this is record number for me. Big SHOUT-OUT to Vegas BFF for getting me started! Thank you! I am also committing to do a better job of putting myself with my kids in the photos or in front of the video camera. I've got lots of pictures of my kids, just not lots of me with my kids or my husband. To the rest of you bloggers out there; keep those posts coming! They inspire me to keep this up! If nothing else this, and face-book are great distractors when I really should be folding laundry and doing dishes!!!!

Simple Things I love - The Sun and clear skies!

Oh happy day Spring is on the way!

Lost...and found

Part of me doesn't even want to write this.... Wednesday Cass put Sport on the bus like always at 12:25 for afternoon kindergarten. At 2:00 his teacher called to ask if Sport was home sick today. NO he's at school! Wide spread panic broke out and they called back a few minutes later to let us know they had found him. For an hour and a half he wandered out on the kindergarten playground by himself. This playground has two gates but the gates are always propped open. There is street danger, a pond across the street, not to mention stranger danger. I've been sick for two days thinking what could have been. How many times do we pray for protection in a day. Sport was truly protected and I am so grateful!!!! By the time I got the full story (after getting home from work) I was livid, a mess, angry, frustrated etc etc. Brian and I met with his teacher first thing Thursday morning and she was very apologetic. Sport had gone to the top of the slide to play with friends and was not waiting in the usual place she always finds him. She assumed he was home sick. Some child apparently cofirmed to her as well, that Sport had not come that day. The other kids went into their regular classes. At 2 the speech therapist came looking for Sport and mentioned that the reg-ed teacher had found a spider man back-pack on the play ground. They opened the back-pack and sure enough it was Sport's but no Sport to be found; that's when she called the house. The principal was busy Thursday morning and I asked her to please call me. After no return phone call I once again trooped over to the school today to meet with her in person. I had to say some serious prayers to keep my mama bear in control. I wanted to rip someones head off. I told them to assume Sport will be there every day unless I call. I also insisted someone be out there with all the kindergarten students before school starts. There are 50 kids playing completely un-attended with two separate gates propped open. The question is why do we have to wait for something bad to happen to make changes? The school does not enforce it's visitor or locked door policy. They just assume we live in safe area. I told the Principal I did not want to create an adversarial or contentious relationship with her, however I was firm in my resolve to see changes happen. I want not only my special needs child be safe, but Cambridge and other the other kids at the school. She says she wants that as well. We'll see what happens.

To Be or Not to Be....private?

I'm going semi private...I need to change my blog address and re-name my kids. If I am linked on your blog that is great (just use first names please) and if you happen to read this silly thing and would like to continue reading....leave a comment with your email or email me direct at m_bingham@msn.com and I will send you the new address starting March 31st.

Thanks!

Who needs the letter 'R'

Pie is a bit of a night owl and Brian was just in her room trying to get her to go to sleep. Exact quote, "Dad, I want to wear my hot shit tomorrow." He started busting a gut and she quickly realized her error and said "shirt, my hot shirt". Neither one of us know which shirt this is, I'll take a picture tomorrow and post it.

Simple Things I Love #9 - LOL & Meatballs

Laughing Out Loud! The latter half of this week I was in somewhat of a downer mood...ok Thursday evening I was pretty grumpy. Laughter usually gets me out of those moods. BIG THANKS to my hubby, my kids, and my friends that have a healthy sense of humor to keep me smiling. These pics are about a year old but they made me laugh. I realize the funny things my kids say are mostly funny to me but here are some from this week.
Pie: "Mommy I just love black sprite!"(as she reached for my Diet Coke)
Pie: (As she is walking from her room into the kitchen) "Mom Dad needs some meatballs."
Me, "Meatballs?"
"Ya meatballs for my closet"
" Why does Dad need meatballs in your closet"
"Just get him some meatballs"
It finally dawned on me she was talking about light bulbs

"On it like Blue Bonnet"

I've completely stolen this expression from my friend Katie. When she first said it, I laughed and thought, I am going to have to borrow that. I grew up with a lot of Blue Bonnet at my house so somehow it fits in my life. Tuesday I was completely 'on it like blue bonnet' or in other words I sooo had my 'game on'. From the 4:59 alarm to the gym to the crock pot dinner and kids breakfast made by 7:00 am, email checked, scriptures read, etc. etc. etc. etc. I got to the end of the day feeling proud I had checked off all the to-do boxes. It was good to get all that stuff done, but it made me realize, I couldn't live everyday like that, because I really didn't enjoy it.
Enjoy the journey and live the dream!

Lonely

When I was called to be Primary President almost 2 1/2 years ago I have to admit I was more overwhelmed than excited. And the more I learned about my calling the more the weight of the 'mantle' humbled me. I've had 175 to 183 kids in our primary and that's a lot of kidos, teachers, and leaders to think about. When I found out I was going to be released I felt that 'mantle' leave my shoulders. I should be excited or relieved but instead the only way I can describe it is 'lonely'

What do you do Sunday afternoons?

Today necessity became the mother of invention. Cambridge was extremely frustrated trying to tape chopsticks to his hands to create Wolverine hands. With even my futile attempt to help him with the tape it just wasn't working. With some old knit gloves, thread and chopsticks courtesy of Tempanyaki....voila we have Wolverine hands! Next time we will try something more spiritual.

Simple Things I Love #8 Lazy Weekends

The View


We played outside

We colored Nightcrawler by CambridgeWe checked out the bugs
Read Stories

Ended with a little Twister

Actually the 'relaxing weekend' ended with 2 hours of getting the Van unstuck. You can't tell from the photo but on the way down the driveway I buried the van in a big hole of snow. oops

My very good man stayed behind and plowed out the driveway while I raced down the canyon to do sharing time for primary. The second 'simple thing' I love this week is feeling the spirit. Due to my crazy morning I didn't exactly come to church the with the best spirit. As this sweetest girl said the closing prayer the spirit slammed into my heart that I was in the right place doing the right thing. I am so grateful for my calling!

Would it be weird if.......?

I'm going out on a limb here; this is the Internet and I don't know who is reading this, and it could become way embarrassing but here goes.....
To quote John Bytheway, " It can take the wrong one to be the right one that leads you to the eternal one." I totally believe this. To all the men I've loved before.....thank you, because I definitely landed with the 'right' eternal one. That being said, this coming weekend I have one of my clients using my cabin for his family retreat. I could start singing, "it's a small world after all"; I compete in business with his one son, his son-in-law I know from WSU, and his other son I dated. All in all......very cool family. But, when you know someone that you once dated, is coming with his wife and kids to your cabin; is it weird? I wanted to run around the cabin and hide any pictures of me that weren't my 'best' and as I made all the beds with fresh sheets, wondering where they were all going to sleep, I wanted to hang a sign on the door that said, "PLEASE NO HANKY PANKY!!!" It's just toooo much to think about.