Sit back, relax, and decide to read this book!

I thought I had waited a long time when I posted in June, but that seems like a minor time between posts compared to this one.

I guess I should start back with our trip to N.D. It was so great to see the Chase group. I miss them more than they may ever know. I look forward to next year when it is time for Macie to be baptized so we can go back and play for a few days. They live in a beautiful area and are doing great. Kendi on the other hand may have a different opinion on some days. When we went to Fort Lincoln we were driving there all I could think was "wow, this is what the pioneers had to pull handcarts through". The grass is tall and there is a lot of it. The hills are rolling and go on forever. The humidity was a little high for me, but who cares when you are with family.

There has been so many good things happen to us that I can't remember all of them. We love serving in the Single Adult Branch. I do feel old, but those kids will never know how much we have grown to love them. Every 3rd Sunday we have the opportunity to have the Florence group eat with us as they wait for meetings. And the 3rd Monday each month is our turn for Home Evening. Thank goodness the Lord still blesses me with a few ideas for this activity. If you look at my Facebook page you will see all the wonderful kids that I have an association with. And just to let you know - I didn't get out of a calling in the singles - I play the organ in sacrament meeting for them. I laugh about my Sundays because I go to 2nd ward to play the organ in sacrament meeting there, then come home to put in a roast and then off to the singles branch. Of course right now I got to 2nd ward then singles and then back to 2nd ward for choir practice for Christmas.

Oh My! Long time no write.

The last couple of months have been very busy and I have put off blogging.

Let's see. In April I was able to go and help Rachel when Grant had his tonsils out. He was such tough little guy. Now he is a couple of month's down the road he is doing great and hardly remembers the surgery. I have a lot of fun with Grant and Cami when I get the opportunity to go down and see them.

May? Bryce decided he was tired of staying in his cramped quarters and made his appearance on May 31st. I went up to help Megan clean her house over Memorial weekend. Saturday night she was exhausted and needed to get some good rest. On Sunday she felt sick so Crispin and I tried to finish up what we could for her. Monday she had a backache up just below her shoulderblades and we all thought it was just from over doing it on Saturday. Yeah right! Tuesday the pain was also in her lower back. Thank goodnes she had a good friend tell her to go to the hospital. Sure enough, it was time. On the Friday before Bryce was born I felt it would just benefit Megan if I just came and stayed with them until Bryce was born. I can't tell you why I was prompted to do this, but I sure felt I needed to. Thank goodness. Marcus and I became the dynamic duo while Crispin and Megan were in the hospital. Every night we would go see mom, have dinner and then when it was bed time we read Harry Potter. Then I was able to take time off so that I could watch Marcus. I was really worried that things would not work in my favor, but I just did it. Loved having that time with the kids and being able to help and Bryce is a cutey.

After coming home I twisted my back just right and bam - backache big time. This getting old business is not fun some times. But it did go away and I'm back as normal as I can be.

Our 7th ward was disovled on June 5th. It has been kinda weird being the group in the new organized ward and then still there when it was dissolved. As you all remember I cried for a month when we were moved out of 2nd ward. But we learned to loved 7th ward and I cried when we were dissolved. I was asked to play in the meeting to re-align the Casa Grande wards to envelop the the 7th ward. I asked President Walton if this was my big hurrah! I worried about Alan being without a call. He spent so much time working with the youth and the bishopric that I worried that he would feel useless. I even worried about me and what I'd be doing. I loved working with the young women playing the organ. Little did I know what was in the Lord's plan. Before we even got to the 1st meeting with 2nd ward again we were called to work with the Young Single Adult Branch. Dad is the new 1st counselor in the branch presidency. Evidently this branch calling is a couple calling so I will do what needs to be done.

I did worry about 2nd ward though.....they lost their only organist the week we were called to the singles. It has been a part of what I did for so long and worried about because we were limited to who could substitute for me. So - I called Bishop Cluff and told him I would be happy to come to 2nd ward sacrament meeting and play as long as they need me. He was so happy to hear that I would do this. Their only other option was using an IPod. I am so thankful that I can play. I'm so thankful that Grandma and Grandpa Summers had the means to send me to piano lessons all those years and had a piano in our home. I learned to love music there and that is a gift I treasure. So, now it will be me going most of the day on Sunday. I'll play in 2nd ward and then I'll go to the 3 hour block with the singles. I hope 2nd ward has young men and/or women so that I can help them become comfortable with playing the organ.

Only 3 more days and we get to see the Chase clan. We have missed them a lot and are really anxious to spend a couple of days with them. Everyone is so worried about me and the weather......shoot, I can handle anything for a couple of days. Right? But it will be a lot of fun to spend time with the grandkids and see how much they have grown. I love to see the boys on Facebook and see what they are up to. Kendi & Chris, keep the water moving out of there. Flooding can be a frightening experience.

I love you all and an thankful to be a part of our family.

The end of the world has come!

Ok family - sit down before you go any further. The world has come to an end I acutally baked today. I got up went to the store, cleaned my kitchen and then began the baking. Oh no - I couldn't find my bread mixer so I had to make a run to Kohl's first. Yes I bought a KitchenAid 600. It's the big one that will hold 14 cups of flour. It works like a charm. I was a little worried after having a Bosch, but it is great.

I bought stuff to make mother's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I love them and we used to make them all the time when we were kids. So I got out the wheat grinder, ground the wheat and began my bread. I'm a little out of practice and was worried about remembering what to do, but I moved right along.



While the bread dough was rising, I started the cookies. Yummy! I know my kids didn't like them growing up, but I still love them. I figure at least they are a little healthy due to the oatmeal and raisins. I forgot the batch makes 4 dozen cookies. They smelled so good while they were cooking. Of course, I had to eat a couple hot, actually 4 cookies so far.

Once the cookies were done the bread was ready to go into the oven. I forgot how good bread smells. I haven't cut it yet, but the little bit that stuck to the pan tasted like it could have used more honey. Next batch I'll add more. I also want to try using olive oil instead of lard. It would be a lot healthier.

Here are the pics of the KitchenAid and baked goods.

This getting old business!

Ok, children time to remind you to take care of your health. I let the doc vampire me last week and this week I got the results. Oh Easter candy go away! My cholesterol was pretty high and so was my blood sugar. My sugars were high enough to classify me as pre-diabetic and so now I really have got to eat better and get some exercise. Whenever your doctor is doing any blood work, which should be every year, be sure and have them check your blood sugar and keep an eye on it. The doc told me to get the book "The Full Plate Diet" and do what it says. That's all I need - another book, but I will start working on my weight and geting more exercise.

Tomorrow I will be playing the organ at my first funeral. Carrie Strickland's father passed away and asked that I play. Then they asked dad to speak, so I'm happy I get to play. Problem? I have no idea what they want to sing. Say a prayer for us.

I'm still working with the young women in the ward on playing the organ. I have got to get them up and going soon as my only available substitute will be moving to Colorado in May. She has been a real blessing for me. Her name is Erin Neville and her husband has been doing his internship at Southwest Eye Care here in CG. They are one of the nicest couples. They are very young and expecting their second child, so they will be here at least until after that.

Well I guess I'll go book hunting. Know that I love you and we miss those that aren't here close by.

Happy New Year

I can't believe we have finished another year. It has been a year of change for all of us and growth comes with change.

It has been great to have Lorna and Tim here. I can't believe how much Dean and Noah have grown since we saw them in May. Dean is quite the talker now and he is definitely trying to figure out how he fits into life and getting his own personality. He loves to do his Wii driving game and Tim is so good about playing with him. Noah reminds me of Tim when he was the same age. Chunky hunk and cute as a button. Tim was the same way and we always called him our devil in angels disguise. Get ready Lorna.

We got to see all the kids and grandkids except the Chases over the holidays. It was a busy time for everyone and thank goodness for Tim and Lorna who have kept my house up with everyone coming and going. Santa found his way here and there was again so much stuff in the living room under the tree, there was hardly anywhere to sit and open presents. Dad and I actually stuck to our agreement pretty closely of not getting each other gifts.

We got a set of pans, a set of storage dishes (glass) with snap on lids and just odds and ends. Marcus gave us a plate he had made with his hand print on it. I got a new Wii fit disc, all of our home movies have been moved to DVD and put into a storage binder. I laughed when Dad got chocolate covered cherries, since he really doesn't care of the sugar junk food, but it did remind us of Christmases past.

I'm anxious for the Chases to get their webcam up and going so we can visit on it. I like to get on with Grant and Marcus and just let them chatter away. I miss the visit of Kendi's kids so hopefully this will help us stay in closer contact - because I'm terrible about the phone.

The new year brings a time to set new goals and work towards bettering ourselves both spiritually and temporally. Be sure and set goals that impact both aspects of life as these are the things that help us grow and get closer to returning to our Father in Heaven. I have set a couple and will need the Lord's help to achieve them. I always think of "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" because that is the way I feel everyday as I work towards doing the things I should.

I love all my kids and grandkids, they are wonderful examples to me. I watch as each family grows and am amazed at the things that are just natural for them as families. They have succeeded in spite of my errors and that is a wonderful blessing. I love you all

Life never stops, but I sure do let it get in the way :-(

I've been on the blog site a few times, but I have not had enough umph to get it updated. We are having fun getting everything into order for Thanksgiving. Thank goodness for holidays since it puts a fire under us to get things done around the house. We have repainted in the kitchen, bathroom and living room. We got new furniture for the living room, I painted by worn kitchen table, repainted my living room lamps. Now if I could get myself into that kind of order it would be great.

I'm really excited for Jeff and his family to get here for the weekend. Jeff says that Ty is so excited he can hardly stand it. Believe me I feel the same way. I know it's harder for Ashlyn since she doesn't have anyone to hang out with when she is here. And her being a teenager only adds to the boredom of grandma's. Just hang in there Ashlyn I love having you around even if you get bored. Of course - Annie has requested a trip to see Harry Potter - and she knows that is a top priority for me. Who else can be as big a Harry fan as me - well I think Crispin is getting close, but Annie loves the story almost as much as me.

We are missing having the Chase's here this year. This is a first year in a long time that Kendi, Chris and their family will not be here. Kendi will be heading to Utah for Katie's funeral, but will be spending a special Thanksgiving day on Saturday with her family. It will be wonderful for them. I'm very glad that she has the opportunity to go to the funeral and spend a little time up there with Grandma Bingham. We would all be there in a heartbeat and would be if we could be there.

My thoughts are getting to be more and more jumbled every week. I can't hardly get the thoughts from my brain to my hands correctly. Playing the piano is getting to be a bit of a challenge because of the same thing. Signal to hands must have a short.

Well I'm whined enough so i figured I give you a view of the changes we have mad in the house before I leave. Have a thankful holiday season. Remember you are loved my us as well as by your Heavenly Father. Life is eternal and those who leave us behind will be there to greet us when we return home. What greater joy could we have.

Here is what our work is looking like:

We had a great Thanksgiving, and had most of the kids here. We missed the Chases and their happy family and Tim and his crew (they are coming for Christmas). But we did have fun with those that were here. We are definitely getting big enough to start feeling the differences in families. I sure miss mom and dad - they could have given me advice on how to proceed at this stage. I did finally through out all the leftovers. I'll remember next time that we can't eat as much as I think we will.

I figure that my old adage of "Life sucks and then you die" is really true. I have tried so hard to keep the kids getting along and be as stable as I can without getting out of sorts. I lost it this last week though. I had been out of meds for over a week and I definitely fell apart and did not cope well after a couple of days. I sure hope that doesn't happen again. I love being with the kids and sharing our lives, but I'm sure I didn't do a very good job this last holiday. I know that I hurt feelings and made some of the kids feel unloved and for that I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional and I would never want them to feel that way. I love each one and love my grand kids more than I can explain. I wish my girls could see into my heart and see and fell what I feel for and about each of them. If they can remember that how they feel about their kids is how I feel about them only more because I have had many years to learn to love them and help them grow.

I know this is a long post and you have probably given up by now, but I do still have a little more to say. Kendi you are a blessed mother. I am so proud of you and your family and how you have grown and taken care of the things you have faced. You are a good example to your sisters and those around you. Know that I love you. Jeff you crack me up. You make us laugh when no one else can, except maybe Rusty. You have always brought happiness and joy to our family. I love you and your family and wish you were closer so that we could spend more time together, but life does go on and we have to do what we must to take care of our families. Tim, I want you to know that you have grown more than I would have imagined. I never thought that your moving to NY would change you so much, but you have grown so much and you are such a good man. Keep it up, Dean and Noah are watching Rusty is the one I'm worrying about the most now. I hate to see him struggling to get things back into order. I pray for your continuing happiness and growth. Remember that I love you and nothing will change that, but I also have a desire to see you return to what you have been taught about the gospel and eternal life. I know it's hard to get back when you have been away for awhile, but don't let it get in the way. Rachel please remember that I love you and your kids. Yes I may complain about the mess they make, but I love them more than anything and want them around more than I care about the mess. I would never want you to stay away or feel that I don't love you as much as I do the other kids because I do. I have watched you grow and become the person you are today. You are a tough girl and I know you can get through anything because you are like me when it comes to survival and I'm proud of you. Megan my baby. Sadly once a baby always a baby. Ask Joe he knows. You are a good mom and keep me moving and involved in life which I really need. I'd be sitting at home without leaving except for work and church if you and Crispin didn't insist that I do things with you.

I know I rattle on and you are totally bored, but I love each of you and I love your dad for who he is and how much he supports and puts up with me. I love the gospel and the Lord and pray for His guiding hand in all that we do indivually and as families. Families are forever and I want ours to have that in the eternities. Remember that there are a lot of family already on the other side preparing for us to come and join them.

Oh the extended family :)

We got Mike buried yesterday. The service was so nice. I was surprised how much touched me. It was a whole lot harder than I had ever anticipated, I cried a lot....I think more than Dad. Mike looked more peaceful and and healthy than I had seen him. He was really thin, but not to thin - looked like he did in highschool, just grayer and a few lines on his face. Carl had the hardest job by doing his life history, but did a wonderful job. Paul did the family prayer, Terry did the opening prayer and Kenny did the closing prayers. I was so proud of them. Paul has truely taken over being the leader of those boys. He has taken care of his dad and of business for Mike and the boys through this whole situation. Olivia could call on Paul for help any time and he would be off to help.

We were able to spend time with cousins and aunts and uncles that a lot older than us. It is amazing how age just disappears after you all grow up. Aunt Thelma's age is showing and you can't help but wonder how long she will be with us. We saw cousins we had never met that were there to support us and cousins who didn't recognize me that made me laugh. I heard stories about us kids of when we were little. Friends we grew up with that I had to ask who they were because I wasn't sure who they were. I guess that's what happens when you don't come home more often than 6 years in between.

We drove around the old haunts and checked them out. Mom & Dad's house looked really good and pretty much the same. Ririe hasn't changed much except Brown's grocery is closed and that left no where to go in and check out for Mallownut bars. Marverick stores are still the same with the pink frosted cookies, and doughnuts that are almost as good as Krispy Kreme's.

Joe, Janet, Carl and I, along with our spouses and Barry, Kendi, Renee, Neal and the other kids could sit forever and talk and laugh about everything under the sun. Carl still needs to be right and be the loudest. We all complain that we don't get together enough, but we don't do anything about it. Joe and Janet were sure to get into a tiff to keep things normal and I can roll my eyes with the best of them when Carl is positive he is right.

Kendi and Sharon bonded really fast. They are both Relief Society president's in their wards and could talk about all of that. Joe's kids and Kendi's kids, and Irene all had a ball and found that the new cousins were really fun to be with.

I'll post more once we are finished visiting and I can put thoughts together better. I love my family and and so thankful for our heritage and our posterity.