Exactly Nine Months Later.......

I know what you're thinking but it's just a blog post.

It's been a while since I've had the time to update this blog. I'm sure you've all been sitting on pins and needles wondering what we're up too. (ha) This is probably going to be a very obnoxious post but for journaling purposes here's a month by month run down of the past nine months:

Last April Natalie turned 5. She had a fun birthday with her favorite friend Carly. We went to Dairy Queen for some lunch and then to Jumpin Jacks for some fun.



May was a busy, busy month. My brother Greg graduated from UVU- yaaay Greg! My good friend Karen got married and I was able to attend her bridal shower. It had been about ten or eleven years since we'd seen one another so that was really wonderful. Then, of course, there were the Preschool and 1st Grade graduations and programs. My kids had great teachers and great classes. I was able to go on a field trip with Abby to BYU.

For Abby's birthday (which was last November) I had promised her a new bedroom. We did paint it but it just wasn't ABBY. So Dave and I spent the last couple of weeks that month, painting and Abbyfieing her bedroom. I think we finally got it! We still need to get some things on the walls but the paint job is decoration enough for now. I can't find any before pictures of Abby's room, but it went from blue, to pink to green to blue, pink, green and purple! Here's the current version.

In June we took a camping trip with some of my family. Actually I think everyone was there except Jessica and Tyler. We had a fun time despite the frigid weather. It was so so cold! I've never been so cold! Cold. Cold. Cold. We had a great time anyway. Flint entertained us with tales of Vampire Cows and Kaylee kept us on our toes. We took Taffy and she was in heaven. (I wish she really was- in Heaven. More on that later.) It was the only camping trip or vacation we took all summer. We need to do things like that more often. Our summers just seem to slip away from us.

The end of June and most of July is Fireworks Season for the Bingham's. This year was probably the most overwhelming season we've had so far. I can't remember anything crazy about June but I do remember that by the time Fireworks started we were already exhausted and from day one it seemed that Mother Nature was determined to tear down our tent. The first day- moments after we had the last table set up and ready to go- the first storm hit. It flooded the tent, soaking boxes, and the wind blew over tables and sent product up and down Main Street. We lost about $300 worth of product before we had even opened. It rained nearly every day and we had a few moments that were pretty frightening. Lightning, water, wind, a metal framed tent, fireworks, and electric cords just didn't seem to be a combination I was very comfortable with. Dave slept in the tent every night and then worked all day. He spent every day fighting the storms and keeping the tent tied down. Luckily we had some great employees and lots of help from family and friends. We couldn't have done it without any of them. We count so much on this money each year and know that it would be impossible without so many people pitching in to help us out! Thank you to every one who makes it work for us each summer. Especially to Grandparents and aunts and uncles who watch our kids. This year the girls spent about 10 days with Grandma and Grandpa Bingham in Wyoming. I didn't think I could go that long without my kids but with the storms it was a blessing that they weren't with us.

In between selling fireworks over the 4th and the 24th we had a family reunion for my mom's side of the family. My Grandma Cox turned 100 years old this past February and my mom and I wanted to put together her life history in honor of this. My mom spent years gathering and typing all of Grandma's journals and other writings and I thought I'd spend a weekend getting it together. Well, it took about seven months of full time work every week. I spent day and night- literally trying to get it all put together. Most of you already know the story so I won't bore you with any more of it other than to say that in July we submitted the book to a publisher and finally called it "done". I was completely devastated when we got it back though, when I saw all the typos and major mistakes I had made throughout the book. I've spent some time since then going back over the book and making corrections. We had more orders come in and just this week my Dad picked up the improved version. I haven't seen it yet and I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't see it. Then I can just pretend that it's perfect and move on with my life!

One sleepy morning, still recovering from Fireworks, the phone rang. I answered and had a conversation with a woman I had never met and fell back asleep. Days later I vaguely remembered committing to some PTA thing but had no idea who had called me or what I'd said I'd do. I found out I'd said yes to being on the PTA Board. No big deal I thought. Then I had a choice between being over Vision Screenings or Fundraisers. I thought Vision Screenings sounded dull and I've helped out with the cookie dough fundraiser before and thought it wouldn't be that bad. I shouldn't have answered the phone. Turns out it's our school's 50th anniversary and so we're doing a cookbook as our fundraiser. Just the thought of another book project made me sick but I went ahead with it. Luckily, LUCKILY, I have some terrific women on my committee. This cookbook, which I've decided to start calling "That Dam Book" is making me crazy but I'm so grateful that I was given the opportunity. I've made some really great friends and feel so blessed to be a part of all that is happening this year. We have a wonderful PTA president- presidency as well. Everyone is working so hard and is putting all they have into making this year successful. It's been exhausting and rewarding.

August was also, of course, back to school. Abby started second grade and has two teachers. They each teach part time. I was wary of the whole idea at first but they are both wonderful teachers and Abby loves them. It's been a great experience for her. Natalie started Kindergarten! Dropping her off on the first day was so hard. I cried and cried and cried some more. Of course Natalie was totally ready for it. I don't think any kid has ever been as ready as Natalie to start school. After the first day though she had a few rough weeks. A couple of the girls were really picking on her and that was tough- for me. Natalie would tell me but when I said I thought we should try changing her class she was adamant that she stay and work it out. Natalie's not one to back down or to get angry. She stood up for herself a few times and now she says the bully knows that she's not interested in being picked on. They aren't best friends but Nat's happy and that's all I care about.

You should come with me one day to drop Natalie off. It's the cutest, funniest thing you'll see ever. Before she can get out of the car she has to give me a million smoochies then she passes them out to everyone else in the car and makes sure each of us know just exactly how much she loves us. Then she hops out and no matter what I do her pants are always sagging just enough to show her crack. I know. I'm working on it. But that's what is so dang cute. She knows her pants are falling down, so she grabs the back of them, hikes them up so far she has to be giving herself a wedgie and takes off for the door. Once she gets there she turns and shoots kisses out machine gun style. Here's how it works: she bends at the waist throws a few kisses and then blows them with her head waving back and forth so that they strike everyone in the van. Then she waves and waves until I roll down the window and tell her she's going to be late. I'll have to video the whole thing sometime so you can really appreciate the cuteness of the whole thing.

In August I also started babysitting kids again. Every morning one boy Abby's age- the one she was going to mary but now isn't so sure she's ready for all that- comes over for breakfast and then walks with Abby to school. It's been a good thing for our family and his. This way Abby can walk and Toffer can be here between his mom leaving for work and the school opening. He's a fun kid and we love having him every morning. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I watch his two younger brothers during the school day. They are three and five and are the cutest little boys ever. Those two could live here if their mom ever wanted to get rid of them. I've never been so attatched to kids I've tended (besides the Joseph's, of course). It's really worked out well for both families.

September was a busy month but nothing really notable happened. But that leaves room for October. What a crazy month! Halloween was a lot of fun for us this year with the school's Fall Carnival- which was amazing this year- and going to Idaho Falls for Katie's baptism. Katie was baptized on Halloween and so we were able to go trick-or-treating with the cousins. It was so nice to see so many family members we haven't seen in months and years. Dave had to work so it was just me and the girls. I was worried about traveling alone - worried they'd be nuts in the car but it was a great trip. We missed Dave though. We feel like all he does is work, work, work. BUT October also marked the end of his commitment to the National Guard. He still has a year or a year and a half of inactive duty- they could deploy him but he doesn't have to do the weekends. The unit he's in won't deploy so we're basically done! It was a little sad for Dave to leave the Guard and leave behind some great friends but he's not missing the weekends and we're loving having him at church twice a month now. We don't see him anymore often- he just works more overtime but we're glad it's over.

Abby was a very convincing Bride of Frankenstein. Natalie was supposed to be a Go-Go Girl but there were moments that it looked a little more like a Homeless Retired Floridian. It went back and forth from cute to... well we'll do better next year.

This November marks 3 years since Dave came home from Iraq. Every year we are so grateful to have him safely home!We've had some other excitement in the extended family. Last April Rosie had a baby boy that we still haven't met. Jessica and Zack had a cute little baby boy, Carson, in August and just a few weeks later little Tatum, Greg and Dani's baby girl, joined the family. Paul and Amanda moved to Ohio for school and Mike was deployed to Iraq. His tour should be ending soon but we're thankful to him and his family for their service and keep them in our prayers. Tyler is has about 8 months left on his mission. Emily started a new job at the power plant. I don't understand what she does there. It's to confusing for me. I'm glad she gets it. That's what I can think of as far as the extended family update- I'm sure I've missed a few things though.

That pretty much brings us to today. It's Sunday morning - by two minutes- and I've got to get my Young Women lesson prepared.

If you've read this to the end you deserve a medal. I don't have one but I'd give it to you if I did! Thanks for visiting and reading and hopefully it won't be another nine months!

Life on the Inside

About a week and a half ago we took the Young Men and Young Women in our ward on a tour of the jail. All of them have been crazy excited for a couple of months. I was excited too, to see exactly where my hubby spends more than half his time.

We started with a talk about the choices we make and the consequences that follow for our decisons. Srgt. Wall gave the kids a really great presentation. He showed them pictures of people on their first booking and then other pictures of them just a month or two or sometimes years down the road. One lady looked pretty good, considering the day she was having, in her first photo. Just thirty days later she looked like she'd aged fifty years. They were really sad and made the kids think.

After that we were able to go inside and see their cells and walk through the units and actually see the inmates. We were kind of like a parade for them and it was kind of an uncomfortable walk.

Dave has described where he sits to me before but I had pictured him having a desk, shared with another deputy surrounded by plexy glass. I'm quite sure this is what he told me. That's not how it is at all. The pods are large, two story rooms that have a common area and then cells which act as their bedrooms. Dave's desk is right in the middle of the room. No plexy glass, no gun, no protection. No partner. He's locked in, alone, with about 60 inmates. The walls to the entire pod are a plexy like material so they can't break but Dave can see into the other pods and they can see him. This way the deputy's can sort of keep an eye on one another. Dave can lock the inmates down at anytime in their rooms but usually they are out and he sits in there with them all day long.

Dave has been working security a lot lately so he's in charge of moving the inmates around and walking the halls and things. On the desks there are survelaince cameras so he can see in the rooms. The inmates are free to walk up to and behind the desk. Kind of crazy.

We got to walk into one of the pods and rooms. Now I know exactly where the smell comes from that Dave brings home. Sadly, it reminds me of girls camp. Charlotte, the YW Prez. and I pointed that out and the girls looked completly offended. True though, true......

The last thing we did was to go into a very small room where two female inmates joined us. They talked about their experiences and what led them to where they are now.

The first girl, who took up most of the time, had a really sad story.

When she was 13 she said she had no friends and so to get attention she started to dress immodestly and she died her hair. These were her words. She made a point that it all started with her appearance. Her apperance led her to certain friends, who led her to drugs. She had a couple of kids really young and was in an abusive relationship. She didn't graduate from high school and was in and out of jail.

Then she finally decided she needed to change. She started going back to church. Became a Scout leader. Got married in the temple to a succesful businessman. She had a nice home, good kids, a wonderful husband. I think she said that lasted for five years or so. Then she fell and hurt her back. She became hooked on perscription pain killers and when she couldn't get them anymore she looked up her old friends and started getting illegal drugs.

Her husband left her, she has lost her kids and everything she worked so hard for. When this lady walked in the room I thought she didn't look like she belonged there. She looked like she could have been sitting on our side of the room, minus the orange jump suit. Sad, sad story. \

One of the kids asked her what the kids in her high school could have done to make her feel more included. She said absolutley nothing. She said none of them meant her harm, she just wasn't secure with herself. But she saw the good example of some and that was always a kind of guiding light for her.

She said that it all starts with modesty in dress and speach and that those are the first signs.

The second lady's story was similar except that she isn't a member of the church and has never had a peaceful time in her life. They are both addicts, and for both of them it started at 13. They all made a big deal of the age of 13- that's when things start to happen and the choices seem to be so much more critical.

It was very interesting and heart breaking. There were a lot of people in tears. It was hard to listen too.

The first lady kept looking at Dave and I could tell that they had spoken and he knew her story. It's so strange that Dave goes out every day and has such an influence on so many people and there's no way for me to be a part of it, or to even know what he's doing, or who he's dealing with.

Sometimes he'll come home and tell me about someone who has been in the news and talk about taking them to court or about talking with them that day. Once he came home and I could tell he was unsettled. I'm not sure that's the word but I could tell something had happened that was bothering him.

He said a man had come in who had been a professor at BYU. He had some really tragic things happen in his life and had started drinking. He was in on a DUI. Dave had spent a lot of time that night talking to this man. It's hard, I think, to watch so many really, truly, good people struggle with addiction. Especially with the eternal perspective we're blessed to have.

Anyway, I have gone on longer than I planned. We had a great night. It was amazingly spiritual in the most unlikely of places and, I think, a very special night for everybody.

Stay Back! You're Not My Mom or Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When Dave came home from Iraq he became involved in a program the county offers called RAD. It teaches safety and self defense. There is a women's and kid's program and Dave is certified through the RAD Kids program and RAD women's program to teach. He has to practice at home sometimes and he tries to teach our girls as much as he can. He wants Abby, and eventually Natalie, to learn enough that they can be his assistant. Abby is just about there and really knows her stuff. At first Dave was a little rough but they've been able to take it down a notch, and now it's something they really enjoy doing together.

Last January Dave did a self defense course with our Young Women for one of our Wednesday night activities. The girls had lots of fun and were excited to do the follow up course. Dave has been so busy though that we never really did anything more. So it's been a year and we have lots of new Beehives and thought it was time for a refresher class. This time Abby got to be his assistant. They both did such a great job and the Young Women had a blast! They really get into this stuff. This month our value is Knowledge and so we're learning about law enforcement, safety, and defense. The first week Dave came and last week we had a Parole Officer come and talk to both the Young Women and Young Men. He is the son of our Young Women's President and works with juveniles. I missed it but heard he did a really great job.


Here's a few pictures of the moves he was teaching the girls. I don't know what any of them are called.

I wish I had some better pictures to show but my camera died right after we got there.

Dave was excited to teach the class even though he wasn't able to get a hold of the matts, pads, suits and other equipment he was needing. With all the budget cuts this year RAD is no more. We're really sad that such an important program had to go. It is so valuable and we hope that soon they'll reconsider and it will be available again. We're grateful, though, that the budget cuts aren't effecting Dave's job. Other's in law enforcement are though and we're praying for things to work out for each of them.

Next Wednesday we're taking both the Young Men and Young Women to the Utah County Jail for a tour. I'm excited to go and see where Dave works! He's been there for five years and I've been in the front and in the back but never "on the inside". He's always coming home and telling me about things and wanting me to understand exactly where it was and how it happened. He's drawn maps, driven me around the outside and tried to explain. So now I can understand!

So it's been a fun month with the Young Women. Sometimes I wish that they didn't have to listen to me teach so much. I get old fast, but I love working with them and getting to know them.

I miss being that age and having such fun all the time. I'm glad they let me join in on theirs every once in a while!

Baptism Preview

Yesterday Abby came home from church with an invitation to her Baptism Preview. I thought it was just a quick parents meeting to let us know how our stake handled things. I've never been through this before with a kid and so I had no idea what to expect.

I was shocked to see that it was a whole night of speakers and activities. Thank heavens I brought her with me!

The night turned out to be really special. Abby thought she was going to a quick twenty minute meeting too, so she was thrown a little off gaurd. She got into it pretty quickly though and really listened to all the speakers. I was impressed at all she already knows.

We went to four different rooms and learned about the Holy Ghost, the Baptismal Covenants, the Bishop's interview and learned what the Baptism day will be like. Four years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!) we attended my neice, Joscelyn's, baptism. Abby claims she remembers it, and that is the only time she's ever seen a font. So last night she was almost giggling when she saw the baptismal font that she'll be using. Abby is so excited to take this step.

I think Abby was born with a testimony. I remember when she was just barely three and we were moving into our Spanish Fork apartment. I had put a huge box in the middle of her room and later found her sitting on top of it with a Book of Mormon. She was crying and bearing her testimony. For a long time Abby's imaginary friend was actually a group of about twenty invisible Sunbeams. She was in nursery and wanting to be in Sunbeams so badly. She was telling them how she loved Nephi and knew that the evil King Noah was sorry now that he's spending forever in timeout.

We're so proud of her and hope we can help make this year a special one for her. I'm still getting used to the idea that she's actually old enough for all of this! Of course, she doesn't turn eight until November so we do have a while, but I'm sure the months will fly by.

Over Christmas Abby got her hair cut short. I thought it would make her look younger, but it actually makes her look older. Then, this last week Abby lost one of her top teeth and the other one is loose. She looks so much older all of the sudden and last night made me realize that I'm loosing my baby.