He is Home!

On Monday, December 22 our brother came home from his mission. He served in Oaxaca Mexico for 2 years! He loved it there and the people there had a big impact on him! He had some fun and interesting stories to tell and you could tell that he loved what he was doing!

It was so fun waiting and watching for him walk down the hall! The antciaptaion was felt by all! My mom had the best reaction! After we saw her, me and my sisters couldn't help but cry! He had a pretty big group waiting for him there and it was good to have them there and to see all who supported him! We sure are glad to have him back!

Driving to the airport!

Here he is walking from the checkpoint with my mom!

Giving hugs to everyone!

Everyone that came and the big sign we made!

The Bingham Family all together again :]

Wedding

This past weekend Bear's youngest brother got married! It was a long day but it was also an exciting day! This is the first temple wedding I have been to and it was really neat! We were gone from 8 am-10:30 pm! The wedding was at 9:15 and we left the Temple at 11:30 and then the luncheon was at noon and we left there at 3 pm and the reception was not until 7 pm so we had to do something to pass the time since we had 4 hours of nothing to do! So we went to the movies with Bears aunt and their 3 kids. We went and saw 4 Christmases and it was a pretty good movie!

And then it was off to the reception! It was fun seeing people that we haven't seen in a few years as well! Bears oldest brother and his family came and we haven't seen them since last Christmas so it was exciting seeing them and finally getting to see our neice and nephews! I really like our new sister-in-law and I am excited to get to know her better! Congrats Chris and Lisa!!

All the brothers together! Nick, Bear, Chris(Groom), Lisa(Bride), and Chris

Me and Bear with the newlyweds :]

Graduation

Last night was Bear's graduation from the fire academy. It was a nice ceremony and Iam so proud of him! They gave out a couple of awards and I am proud to say that Bear received one of them! He received the Top Rung award for academic and skills achievement. I know I have I said this before but he worked so hard and he gave all he got to the academy and I am glad it payed off and that he was recognized for it.

Today was his first Saturday since January 2008 that he didn't have class and it was very nice to have him here.....to celebrate we slept in and took about 3 naps during the day! We don't have kids yet so we have to enjoy while we have the time right :]

Here we are waiting for the graduation to start! I am so greatful that he had a lot of people there from my family and his to support him!

Here is Bear getting his plaque for his award....He had to give a little speech afterwards!

With his plaque and his helmet he used during the academy....

I didnt get a chance to get a picture of us after his graduation so this is as good as it got...

Here is his brother and fiance and his other "brother and sister"....when Bear was little his mom and dad did foster care and they fostered the boy in the black shirt and his twin brother until they were about 1 years old and then they got adopted. When they got adopted they kept in touch with the family and have been part of the family ever since! We go to their family events and they also come to ours! I think its such a neat story and fun how they have been in touch throughout the years.

Congrats Bear!

All Done!

This past Saturday was Bears last day at the Fire Academy! For me it was bittersweet! I am glad he is done because now I will be able to see him more and spend more time with him and Iam sad at the same time because I looked forward to going out to Buckeye every Saturday and watching him! And it was fun hanging out with the mom's and GF's of the other guys! I don't know what Iam going to do with my Saturdays...Most likely it will be cleaning :] I am so proud of Bear and all the hard work he put into it! He was working his usual 50 hours a week plus the 30 hours for the academy a week! I don't know how he did it but I sure am a proud wife! Tonight is his last test and then graduation on Friday!

Dreams

Psychological Meaning:

Baby Dream Meaning The baby may represent something new in your life. Does it cry for attention or do you feel content with this new situation? A baby can also symbolise your own inner nature that is pure and uncorrupted. It may even say that you are innocent of an accusation. Also it could show the vulnerable part of yourself that has to be protected or perhaps you are nurturing some new ideas or feelings. New Age gurus speak of 'loving the magical child within' they advise us to express the innocent care-free side of ourselves. Your dream may be telling you to follow this advice. On a superficial level, to dream of a baby may show that your maternal instincts are seeking expression- you may simple wish for a child.


I have been having dreams the past week with anything pertaining to babies! One dream I had sever morning sickness and then another dream was that I actually gave birth to a baby! And it all seemed so real to me! You know when a dream seems so real you wake up and start to look around your surroundings to find what you were dreaming of to see if it is actually real? Well thats what I was doing; I was looking for the baby and the nurses and my family! So I looked up what dreams about babies meant and this is what found! I wish dreams would come true :] Lets see what I dream of next!

Thanksgiving

We had a good thanksgiving this year.....Bear went and played Turkey Bowl in the morning and I went a long and took some pictures.

I took Toby with me and the kids loved him and I got this cute picture of one of the kids running with him! I had to hide from Toby because he would not leave my side and play with the kids, so after he couldn't find me for a few minutes he went off and forgot about me!

Then we went to my side of the family for the annual Thanksgiving get together! This is my dad's side of the family. The only thing I was in charge of was rolls and soda...they know I don't cook so I get the easy stuff, which is fine by me :]

Me and Bear

Elaine, Becca, Me, and Joey!!

I love my family!

I vote for....

I really hope that Lance and Lacy win the trophy tomorrow! They have been my favorite all season and Iam glad they made it to the finale! She was also on So You Think you can Dance and she was one my favorites on there! We will see what happens tomorrow! By the way...I have not been watching Prison Break for the last 3 weeks becuase of this! After tomorrow I will have to catch up with Prison Break and focus on that :]

Thankful #18

Today I am thankful for clearance items! Today I went to Kohl's to go and look for something and then as I started wondering around, I saw that all the Christmas decorations were 55 % off and that all the Halloween/thanksgiving stuff was 75% off! I don't feel as bad as buying something if I pay less than half of what it is originally....

And Iam also thankful that gas is $1.99!!! This morning I drove by QT and it was $2.17 and on my way home it was $1.99!

Thankful #12-17

I am not that great at posting but here are my thankfuls for Nov 12-17:

#12
Iam thankful for the ward I am in and the great friendships that have come out of it!!!

#13
Iam thankful for the gospel and that I can go to it when I need comforting in hard times.

#14
Iam thankful for my friends! They are always there for me when I need them and invite me out to fun stuff and make me feel loved and wanted!

#15
Iam thankful that Bear holds the Preisthood! I am greatful to know that he is able to bless me and people when they are in need!

#16
Iam thankful that Bear has been busy with work in this bad economy and that we always seem to have enough to pay the bills! (Tithing!Tithing!Tithing!)

#17
Iam thankful for health insurance! If I didnt have it I would be paying out the wazoo(sp?) for all the doctors visits and tests I have been having to do!

First of all, I am not a big fan of going to the dentist! To me the scraping of cleaning the teeth, the drilling, and the shots is like nails on a chalkboard! Dont get me wrong I like dentists because they make my teeth better and healthier its just how its done that I don't really enjoy.

Yesterday I had a root canal and crown done on one of my teeth! I have had one done before and don't remember it being this painful! It even hurts to yawn, talk, and eat! I guess thats what I get....Yes I brush twice a day; its the flossing that I sometimes forget but I won't be forgetting that step anymore! And it also put a big whole in my pocket.

Thankful #10 & 11

Iam thankful for:

my camera so I can capture moments

A company car: they pay for the gas, insurance, and maintenance and it saves me a lot of money which Iam so greatful for!

Thankful #1-9

I am thankful for:

Bear and all that he does for me and for being the best husband!

Wonderful Parents

brothers and sisters

Toby

my brother who is on a mission (He is coming home Dec 22!)

scriptures

Mother-In-Law & Brother-In-Law

Our home

my calling in the primary!

Boring

I know I haven't blogged in a while but there is just nothing too exciting to report :[ With Bear being in the Academy we don't have time to do anything so it makes life a little low key which Iam ok with. 5 Weeks left and then I will have lots of good stuff to write about! But to make my blog a little less boring I think Iam going to do a post a day of what Iam thankful for since its the month of November!

Family Outing

We went out to Red Robin last night with my family to celebrate my brothers birthday! We rarely get to go out as a family so it was nice to go out and be together. I can't believe my little brother is already 20! Happy Birthday Joey! We love you!

Dad, joeys friend Moroni, Joey,Mom,Elaine,Shane,Bear,Me, and Becca

we are missing my older brother who is on a mission

me and joey

me and bear...

sisters

27

Bear turned the big 27 on Monday! We celebrated really big that day! Lets see I stayed home watched some Prison Break, cleaned the house and Bear was at class working hard! We sure do know how to party :] Since this post is dedicated to him I will post 27 facts/things I love about him:

1] Fact: His "real" name is Nathan
2] Love: His Smile
3] Fact: He has a sensitive side to him :]
4] Love: His hard work and determination to get what he wants
5] Love: He will go to the "girl" doctor with me because I hate going by myself
6] Fact: He is a good cook
7] Love: The way he laughs when he finds something really funny
8] Fact: When he says he will do something he does it
9] Love: His back rubs
10] Fact: He is REALLY good with kids and that will come in handy when we have our own because I will have no idea what to do!
11] Love: He wants to become a firefighter and working hard at the academy
12] Love: He loves my family
13] Fact: He is very smart and it comes in handy when Iam clueless about something :D
14] Love: His random text messages during the day telling me he loves me
15] Love: His Eyes
16] Love: He wants the best for us and is doing everything he can to get us there
17] Love: He holds the Priesthood

18] Fact: He is good at building and remodeling things hence his line of work
19] Love: The way he can make me laugh when Iam having a bad day
20] Fact: He knows sign language
21] Love: His knowledge about the Gospel and how he teaches it to me so I can understand it
22] Love: He lets Toby sleep in our bed with us even though he doesn't like that
23] Love: He will text/call me when he gets somewhere to let me know he is okay because I ask him to...Iam a bit of a worrier :D
24] Fact: He puts up with me and the things I do
25] Love: He remembers things I say and surprises me with them
26] Love: The way he hugs me when Iam having a bad day
27] Love: He goes to concerts with me

Here are just some of my favorite pics of him and us:

Mosiac

I saw this on someone's blog and thought it was cute and since Iam just home waiting for Bear I thought I would do something to keep me a little busy.....

To make your own:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The questions:
1. What is your first name? Melody
2. What is your favorite food? Iam picky
3. What high school did you go to? Apollo Hawks
4. What is your favorite color? Pink
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Wentworth Miller *Iam on a Prison Break Marathon
6. Favorite drink? Dr Pepper
7. Dream vacation? Hawaii
8. Favorite dessert? Ice Cream
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Mom
10. What do you love most in life? Bear
11. One Word to describe you. Shy
12. Your flickr name (or your blog name or handle or whatever) Odie
Now it's your turn!!

Super Saturday

Today our ward had a Super Saturday with a lot of fun crafts and I was glad I was able to go!! I am not crafty by any means but I had some people there to help and it was a lot of fun! Now I have cute decorations for the house and I got a couple of Christmas gifts for the family done while I was there :]

This was my Favorite one! Isn't it cute!

I thought this was cute! Since I have started cooking I thought I could up my recipes for the week on here.

Self explanatory :]

I love this saying and have always wanted this so I was glad to see they had it as one of the crafts

Now I just need to figure out where to put them.....

Shopping

Did you know there is a group out there called Debtors Anonymous!! Well I don't think I have that bad of a problem but more and more I realize that when I say I need to go to the store and just get ONE thing I come back with about 10 things and I don't really use the other misc items I purchased! And I usually I hide what I buy because I don't want it to be seen, so I will be going through drawers and closets and will find something that I bought a LONG time a go and find it to have never been used and then I feel retarded for even buying it! I found this little excerp in an article:

How can you tell if you are a compulsive shopper?

Shopoholics, when they are feeling "out of sorts, shop for a " pick-me-up." They go out and buy, to get a high, or get a "rush" just like a drug or alcohol addict. Shopping addiction tends to affect more women than men. They often buy things they do not need. Many shopping addicts go on binges all year long and may be compulisve about buying certain items, such as shoes, kitchen items or clothing; some will buy anything.

Women with this compulsive disorder often have racks of clothes and possessions with the price tags still attached which have never been used. They will go to a shopping mall with the intention of buying one or two items and come home with bags and bags of purchases. In some cases shopololics have an emotional "black out" and do not remember even buying the articles. If their family or friends begin to complain about their purchases, they will often hide the things they buy.

Interesting isn't it! But I do have to say that Iam doing way better with my shopping habit :)

Prison Break

So I just finished the first season of Prison Break today! That is what my life has been consisting of this past week. One of Bears friends was telling us how great the show is and that we have to watch it so he provided us with Season 1 and Season 2! At first I was kind of bored with it but once I got more into the shows I was realizing that I was on the edge of the couch bitting my fingernails, and yelling at the TV telling the guys to look out behind them! I will begin Season 2 probably on Monday and finish it by the end of the week....what else am I suppose to do when Bear is gone :)

And Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) is very nice to look at :)

Academy

Yesterday I went up to Buckeye for a few hours to watch Bear and to see what he does while he is attending the academy. I feel bad for those guys having to wear the whole turnouts and all in the heat! I was wearing jeans and tshirt and I was sweating, I can't even imagine how hot they were :[

Orientation

Today Bear started the academy and they also had an orientation for the family members so they could explain what they will be going through and what is expected of us and of them. We took a tour of the academy and all the drills that they will be required to do! I know Bear is going to do great and I think this will help him in so many ways, I can't wait to see the outcome! Iam also excited that every Saturday the families are aloud to come out and watch them do there drills and just observe! They call it family day and we can bring the cameras and video camers and they have picnics so it will be fun to meet new people!
This is the time where I am going to have to step up a lot as a wife and stop being lazy... He will be gone 3 nights a week and all day Saturdays and on top of that working to support us! I can't expect him to come home and cook me dinner, go grocery shopping, and clean anymore! And Iam fine with that! He took care of me for 3 years :] and now its my turn! So I might be going to some of you for some recipes and tips!

Red

Bear starts the Fire Academy tomorrow and he will be SUPER busy and we won't be able to go do anything until the beginning of next year, so today we spent the day at Lake Pleasent! We rented jet skis and went riding for about 5 hours! It was a lot of fun jumping waves and "flying" in the air, the weather was perfect and the water wasn't cold at all so it was easy for me to jump in to cool off :] But one little thing went wrong.... I put on the sunscrean a little too late becuase Iam BURNT!! My legs are burning, I have a flip flop tan on my feet, and my face is as red as a tomato! So Iam going to spare the pictures and not put them up becuase they are kind of scary!!