GRATITUDE

I love November!!! I love fall and I love thanksgiving! Many of you are doing the daily gratitude challenge on facebook and since I don't do facebook, here is my list of things I am grateful for in no particular order:)

1. My wonderful Husband! (of almost 26 years) - I could make a long list of all the things I appreciate about him but suffice it to say I am so grateful for him, his love and caring, his hard work and diligence, his sense of humor and adventure. He is a good man and a blessing in my life! My life is full of excitement, fun and joy because of him:)
2. My 6 Incredible Children and 1 son-in-law - they constantly amaze me with their unique qualities and each of them bring me great joy!
3. My Parents - their love, teachings and example
4. My husbands parents - their love, teachings and example
5. My 2 sisters, my 4 sister-in-laws and their families
6. the love and support of family
7. The atonement of Jesus Christ - His gospel and teachings
8. The love I feel from my Father in Heaven
9. The Peace I have in my life
10. Repentance and forgiveness
11. General Conference - so we can listen to the prophet and hear the word of God
12. My home
13. Our business
14. My health
15. My step-Mom, Rose - she is a sweet companion for my Dad
16. Modern communication devices so I can keep in touch with friends and family
17. Nature - Beauty in the creations of God which reminds me of His love!
18. the opportunity to learn and grow
19. My dogs, Jet & Rodeo - I've gotten attached to them and they make me laugh! BUT if he ever brings home another animal, Kendon will be looking for a new home:)
20. The talents of others
21. My own talents
22. The service and kindness of others
23. The opportunity to serve
24. When someone you care about is excited to see you!!!
25. Friends!
26. Good kind people
27. The temple, where families are sealed for time and eternity and where saving ordinances are performed, where learning is expounded and peace is felt.
28. good food - Yum!
29. laughter!!! :)
30. PEACE!!! Yes, I know I put that twice! It has been my quest for years and now I have it and I treasure it! It comes thru loving and appreciating the things you have in life, thru recognizing the blessings and minimizing the negativity. Gratitude:)

We did NOT fall off the face of the earth!

I have taken many pics over the past several months but have been too lazy to edit and post them. I think I will just post them unedited and list some of the highlights for our family over the past few months.

The amazing sunset over our White Tanks Mountains just outside our back door.
Beautiful!!! Kendon is becoming quite the photographer.

Ramsay practicing her shooting for the big upcoming javelina hunt.

Claudia got a new little gun for Christmas... little but extremely powerful.

Claudia and Josh at the cabin...in the snow.

Bly and Lou on their 25th wedding anniversary.

OUR FAMILY

enjoying movies...

...and playing in the snow

Went the day after Christmas and spent 5 days at a cabin in Williams. Just relaxed, played games, watched movies, played in the snow... It was our celebration for our 25th anniversary! All our kids were there and we just spent time, enjoyed one another's company. The best 5 days I've had in a long time.
A real nice break for our family!!!

Went to Larson's on Christmas Day and enjoyed a wonderful meal and games and being with family!

Here's all the girls in their new pj's

Read Christmas stories to the family on Christmas Eve after our traditional Christmas Eve dinner and everyone opened their new p.j.'s

Ramsay enjoyed playing on her school soccer team.

My kids at the beach in SanDiego.

The girls and I enjoyed a day at Mission Park in SanDiego while Bly took his Dad and Kendon on a 2 day/2night fishing trip.

This is my wonderful family, whom I love very much! At the Woodside family reunion! The girls and I

It was cute and fun to have my sisters, my daughters and my niece all wearing scarfs or hats so that I wouldn't be the only bald woman at the reunion. I wasn't feeling insecure about it but I did so appreciate their love and support... and Rob, (wearing his hat in the background)... he always looks that way...LOL

It's not too often our kids let us hold them any more but it's great that Nati will still let us hold her once in a while!

Em swam the 500meter on her school swim team. Speed is not her strength but diligence is. Her teammates and coaches were impressed with her ability to "just keep swimming, just keep swimming"! A wonderful quality that will help her with many aspects of life... never give up, never surrender, no matter how tough it gets, just keep going! What a great kid!!!

We spent the 4th of July with Claudia in Tucson...

We enjoyed a bbq with our friends, the Shipley's. The girls swam in their pool and we watched a spectacular fireworks display from a golf course.

Pioneer Trek

4 members of our family were privileged to go on the pioneer trek with our stake last summer. (June 2009)_ Kendon went as a big brother, Bly in back-up camp, Emily and Ramsay got to experience it as youth assigned to different families. They all had a wonderful experience. I was supposed to go but because of the cancer treatments was not able.
This was Kendon's 3rd Trek... this time he went as a big brother. He said it was the best Trek yet, very spiritual. I'm sure he was a great big brother... Ma Bingham said so... and I know what a great big brother he is in our family! love ya, Son!

Bly played many roles. His main role was in back up camp, setting up and taking care of the needs of all of the trekkers. He is an extremely hardworking individual and put as much effort into the success of this event as did anyone. He also got to dress up and play many other roles as well. Here he is dressed as an Indian. He also dressed as a soldier recruiting for the Mormon Battalion and as a mail carrier for the pony express. He rode a horse for both of those roles.

Here is Ramsay pulling with her family.Bly and Brother Bradford, (now our bishop) did pretty well with the handsaw competition.

Kendon, Emily and Ramsay, getting ready to leave for the Trek early in the morning... see the lovely sunrise behind them.

Bly and the other "natives" reek havoc with the pioneers

Emily pulls with her family.

Kendon and Alex doing what they both love! Wrestling!!

Emily and Danny at the stop in Heber before they got to the trek site.

Ramsay and Emily in their costumes and a couple of the handcarts that Bly refurbished, in the backyard before they left.