The Binghams

A trip to the dentist

2012-02-23T20:32:00.004-05:00

Monday was President's Day which is a day off for some, but not others here in the US. Sam and Ella had the day off school, but the Dental School was open and so Chris had to go to work. Fortunately, Chris had some free time in the morning. Perfect opportunity for the kids to get their teeth checked by their Dad and have lunch with him. Getting their teeth checked only took 15 minutes, we were then able to go to the Pediatric area to play the video games and still had plenty of time for lunch. Here are some pictures of our day out.

Looks whose walking!

Bye-bye Birdie

2012-02-21T19:51:00.006-05:00

Ok - so before you read, this entry revolves around a dead bird. We did not kill it, we found it lying peacefully under the swing in the park around the corner. I pointed it out to Owen, who was soon looking at it, then picking it up, then stretching it's wings out. I have to say I agree with Owen, it was so interesting. I have no idea how the bird died. A neighbor suggested that it may have been hit by a car. It looked like it's neck was broken.

After Owen had examined it for a while he wanted to bring it home to show Sam and Ella who were at school. After school, they too carried it around and examined it. I then explained that it would have to be buried. Before we buried it Ella drew a picture. Our kids have found that a great way to remember something or someone who they won't see again for a long time. I was impressed by the detail in Ella's picture. Sam also took some photos. Ella then placed the bird in a small box with some straw ready for it's burial. The next morning (Saturday), Chris took the kids into the woods behind the house and buried the bird.

A couple of years ago I would probably not have let the kids even touch the bird. But, I've come to realize that for many children, their lives are very detached from nature. Over the past year I've let the kids spend more time outside and expanded their physical boundaries. They learn so much! Nature is endlessly different, far more interesting than any toy, and so much more interesting than a text book! Anyway, I think they learned a great deal from the dead bird. Not only did they get to examine it up close, but it also gave us a chance to talk about what happens to us when we die.

And just in case your wondering, yes they did have to wash their hands really, really well after touching it!

Valentine's Day

2012-02-17T13:46:00.004-05:00

We had a fun Valentine's Day this year. Sam and Ella both scored at school with a shoebox full of cards and treats from their classmates and then after school we headed over to a friend's house for afternoon tea. Just the girls were invited, the boys happily headed upstairs to play the Wii. Here are Ella with her friends. My friend Nicole planned all this and Jessica kindly acted as the hostess. Nicole is a great photographer and you can see some very glamorous pictures of the event on her photo blog .

Here is Will with his Valentine Haisley. They are the same age and love to see each other.

Fringe-a-licious

2012-02-12T13:32:00.003-05:00

I have a good friend at church who cuts my hair. She suggested a couple of months ago that I get "bangs". I haven't had those in years and it took me a couple of months to think about it before I consented. So here I am with my new bangs!

After 11 years in North America there are lots of American words that I have adobted and don't think anything of it. Words like diapers, cookies and candy. But there are some that still sounds sooo.. American to me and almost hurt my ears. Bangs is one of them! I still want to call it a fringe. After my hair cut Chris started teasing me calling me fringe-a-licious, because he thinks the word fringe sounds so funny! Anyway, we got a good laugh out of it. And I'm happy with my new fringe - I thought I'd always be trying to push it away off my face, but it hasn't bothered me at all.

Junuary and getting ready for Valentine's Day

2012-02-07T19:48:00.005-05:00

We are having a very mild winter. This time last year we'd already had a few days of snow. It's been so nice that it reminds me of the nice summer days we had when we lived in Calgary. The boys have been wearing shorts and t-shirt. And Owen runs around most of the time in boxer shorts or swimmers and no t-shirt at all! The great thing is that with all this nice weather the kids have been playing outside alot. Below are a few pics from an afternoon in the backyard last week.

Tonight Sam and Ella made boxes to take to school for Valentine's Day. Every child prepares a "letter box" for their class mates to drop Valentine's in. The Valentines are mostly cards, but sometimes come with a piece of candy or a cookie (that's a lolly and a biscuit if you're speaking Australian!). They are very excited to share their Valentine's next week

Please remeber Lisa in your prayers

2012-01-27T21:35:00.006-05:00

Last October you may remember me writing about my amazing cousin Lisa King loosing her son Noah. Yesterday her husband Aaron died suddenly from a massive heart attack at the age of 39. This is so shocking, tragic and hard to comprehend. Please remember Lisa and her three boys in your prayers. To read her story you can visit her blog and you can also make a donation to help them through the coming weeks.

Australia Day

2012-01-25T20:30:00.003-05:00

I like to celebrate Australia Day in our home. I love sharing a bit about Australia with the kids and this year I also went into Sam and Ella's classrooms to talk about Australia and share a couple of stories. It was so much fun! Owen came with me on the school visits, it was fun for him to be my helper and see a bit of what goes on at school.

For family home evening on Monday night we made chocolate and strawberry Lamingtons to share with Sam and Ella's class mates. There are no bakeries here to buy them from and so the only way we get them is if we make them. They are fun to make but very messy! Especially with 4 kids helping out. I'm still sweeping up bits of coconut.

All in a Weekend

2012-01-22T20:11:00.003-05:00

The weekend always flies by so fast! This weekend Sam played his first game of basketball for the season and got four goals! Go Sam! Here is a picture of him with his good buddy Harper. They got to be on the same team which they were both very excited about!

Ella went to a her friend Caroline's pony birthday party. Unfortunately a big storm came through and so they did not get to ride the ponies as planned, just got to look at them longingly outside in the rain. Oh well..

And Will got to wear some new birthday clothes from Grandma Bingham to church today. Thanks Grandma!

And this afternoon, Sam and Owen helped make homemade tortillas to go with the tacos we had for dinner. They all declared that they taste better than the store bought ones!

And now we're ready to start another week!

How to turn a fussy eater around

2012-01-09T20:03:00.002-05:00

Sam is not the only fussy eater in our home. Owen (4.5) has proven to be quite stubborn about trying anything new. Owen doesn't have any trouble chewing his food like Sam did, but just likes to stick with a few favorites. Saturday night we had Thai green curry for dinner. Ella and Sam tucked in, but Owen chose to go to his bedroom, with the light out instead of touching his food. About half an hour later, he finally came out, willing to try some food, if he could play Uno at the same time. Owen LOVES Uno and is pretty good at it. Every time he plays a card he has to take a bite, a game we played last week with when he was struggling with potatoe and leek soup. We've now discovered that Owen will eat just about anything, and finish his plate, if he can just play Uno at the some time!

Here's Owen enjoying his Thai green curry...

They should have these at Burger King!

2012-01-04T20:23:00.004-05:00

We're on a vegie kick at our house at the moment and are trying out two new vegetarian cookbooks we received at Christmas time. Tonight for dinner we had Black Bean-Chipotle Burgers. Half way through his burger Sam declared enthusiastically "They should have these at Burger King!" The funny thing is we've only ever taken the kids to Burger King once and they hated the chicken nuggets we got them. Also, Sam, until the last year was a very fussy eater, after some help from a speach thearapist who specialized in helping kids with eating disorders, Sam is gaining ground fast and now will try most things, a huge improvement on 18 months ago. So for Sam to declare that he loved his burger and that they should make them at Burger King sure made his Dad and me smile!

Happy First Birthday Will!

2012-01-02T20:00:00.004-05:00

Our little baby Will turned one today and is not so little anymore! Sam, Ella, Owen and Elliott were excited to help their little brother open his presents. He received three new baby toys from Oma which he loved. He also got a stuffed monkey which the kids all help make at Build-A-Bear last week. In our family everyone has a special blanket and stuffed animal to take to bed and Will has been trying to snuggle up to his sibblings stuffies and needed one of his very own.

For dinner Ella decided we needed to have pizza (the family birthday dinner of choice) and a pavlova for the cake. Will loved it all!

My beautiful clean home!

2011-11-24T16:04:00.007-05:00

I love having a clean house. My Mum always kept our home spotless and so that is what I like to see too, but it's a high bar to reach in a home with 5 young kids, but I'm always trying! Anyway, after several months of prompting from Chris I finally conceeded to having a cleaning service once a month. I LOVE IT! The "ladies" came for the second time this week and after we got home I quickly ran around and took photos so I could remember that nice calm feeling when I walked in. It's as good as a trip to the spa, even if it truely only latest 10 minutes!

Disney on Ice

2011-11-22T17:57:00.003-05:00

On Saturday night I took Sam, Ella and Owen out for ice-cream and then to Disney on Ice. It was so fun to be out with the "big kids" for a while. Chris stayed home with Elliott and Will. I kept the evening a suprise and they did not know where they were going until we were almost at the venue. Ella was a lucky girl, she got to go to the show twice, once with all the kindergarten kids on Friday and then again with me on Saturday night. I loved the show, but loved even more watching their expressions of amazement.

Happy 6th Birthday Ella!

2011-11-15T20:28:00.004-05:00

Our little Ella Bean turned 6 today! She has been so excited about her birthday counting down the sleeps. I decided earlier this year that we were only going to have birthday parties with friends every second year and so this year Ella just had a family dinner (pizza, fizz and cupcakes) and presents at home. Chris also arrived home today from a trip to Florida and so Ella had to wait until after school to open her presents. All Ella wanted for her birthday was a hulu hoop - she got a nice hot pink! She also received a pair of very cool African dwarf frogs from Sam and Owen.

One of her favorite presents were raspberries, blueberries and strawberries from Grandpa Bingham. Ella and Grandpa share a special dislike of chocolate and an extra special love for all berries. Ella has already consumed one container of raspberries!

The present opening ceremony..... Ella invited her friends Holland and Harper to to watch her open her presents.

And Ella's frogs...

A trip to Greenville, SC

2011-11-11T20:23:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we headed up to Greenville, SC just over 2 hours drive directly north from where we live to see Chris's cousin Christopher Galbraith and his family. The first thing I have to say is that I think it is so funny that Chris has a first cousin named Christopher. My Chris always goes by Chris and not his legal name Christopher, and well his cousin always uses Christopher, so there was no confusion all weekend.

With five young kids we normally opt for a hotel these days (with at least a separate bedroom and a kitchen is possible!) lest we cause havoc on someone elses home. But Christopher and his wife Alicia reassured us that we were welcome. Christopher is the youngest of 10 children and Alicia is the oldest of 6 and so they are used to alot of bodies being around. And they were fabulous hosts.

We had an awesome time! I had not meet Christopher or Alicia before but immediately found lots of common ground and things to chat about. We also have 3 boys the same ages and so the kids got along great too. We checked out downtown Greenville - definitely worth a visit and alot better than Augusta. The kids burned off some energy at Giggle Bugs, an inflatable jump house. And we were able to leave the kids with a baby sitter (all 8!) and go out for dinner on Saturday night.

Some pics from the weekend....

Happy Haloween!

2011-11-01T14:06:00.003-04:00

One of the things I LOVE about living in the US are the holidays - Haloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everything is in the right season and done with great enthusiasm. It also makes the end of the year seem to tick along faster, with another holiday to celebrate just around the corner.

In Australia, we love our holidays too and are always planning the next one, but a "holiday" in Australia means a "vacation" in America. And I have to say I love the Australian version of a holiday too! Personally, I think Americans just don't seem to take enough holidays / vacations and could learn a little bit about how to kick back and relax from the Aussies!

Anyway, we've had a great deal of fun over the last few weeks attending a Halloween storytime at the library, a trunk or treat at church and of course Halloween last night! We now have a reusuable grocery bag full of candy that should last us until Valentine's Day!

Lisa and Noah

2011-10-16T20:25:00.004-04:00

One of the hardest things about being away from friends and family is missing out on funerals. That may be an odd thing to say, but going through hard / sad things together (funerals being one of those) brings us closer together.

This week my cousin Lisa King and her family said good bye to their ten year old son Noah. And I would like to encourage those friends and family members outside of Tasmania to read their story - it is truely inspirational. Noah was born with hydranencephaly, you can read about his story here http://www.hydranencephaly.com/stories/noah.htm. Lisa has also kept an amazing blog that has touched many people, you can read that here http://lisajking.blogspot.com/. I have been greatly touched as I have read Lisa's blog over the past couple of weeks, first hoping that Noah would come home from a trip to intensive care and then reading as Lisa and her family said good bye to Noah and now try to move on.

I was able to attend Noah's funeral this week via a webcam, I wish I could have been there in person, but I'm very grateful for technology that makes this world a smaller place.

Back to school!

2011-08-13T20:18:00.003-04:00

It's been a very long time and one busy summer since my last blog. This week school started again! Sam will be in first grade this year and Ella in kindergarten. I think they were more excited than me about school starting. A couple of pictures of them ready to walk to school on Monday morning. Summer is not at all over here in Georgia though. The walk to school has been very nice, but picking them up at the end of the day in 95-100oF (35 - 37oC) is a very sweaty exerice! I'm looking forward to fall.

My turn to be in the paper!

2011-05-15T20:23:00.007-04:00

Yesterday some friends and I did the Marine Mud Challenge at the Fort Gordon Army Base here in Augusta. The course was 5 miles long with 19 obstacles - think mud pits, tyre walls, balance beams. We had fun, but I managed to sprain not one, but both ankles! The first couple of pictures below of me made it onto the local paper's website!

That's me right up front in the red t-shirt and several of my team mates behind..

Me & my team mates...

5 miles, 19 obstacles I was happy to be done! no wonder I have a sprained ankle today!

In the news and on the news

2011-05-05T20:58:00.007-04:00

In the past month our family has been showing up in the local papers and on the local TV stations!

On April 12 we went to a local preschool meeting to present letters and a petition requesting that the school board reverse their decision to cancel the preschool that Owen and Ella attended this past year. The preschool is at a highschool were the "teachers" are actually highschool students taking early childhood education. The preschool has been a highlight of our time in Augusta and it's very sad for us to think that Ella and Owen may be the last class of a preschool that has been running for 20+ years. After the meeting was over a reporter from one of the local preschool stations was outside and we were on the news later that evening! The kids were very excited.
Click on this link to check out the story online. If you look very, very carefully you can see Sam, Ella and Owen in the backrgound. Here is another picture of that night.

The next week, the picture Ella drew below was feature on the morning weather report. She got to go with Chris to the TV station to pick up a prize. She drew this picture preschool and her teacher sent it in. It's a picture of her and her preschool teacher Mrs McGough (the real teacher in the classrom). What is sad is that MrsMcGough won't have a job next school year because they are cancelling her class.

The really big news for our family though is that Chris won a fellowship in advanced implant surgery. I'm really proud of Chris. This is the biggest award his professional organization gives out each year. It means that we will be staying in Georgia for one more year. Below is a copy of an article about it in his school newspaper. His name also appeared in he local Augusta newspaper as well.

Mud Fight

2011-05-02T14:10:00.003-04:00

Chris took the kids outside one evening a week or so ago. When I went to check on them, the boys and Chris had headed to the end of our street. Ella and I waited for them to come back. We waited. We aited some more. Then this is what came home! Chris had supervised a mud fight. Of course Owen was the one to start things off. They had a great time!

Goodbye Nan Ella

2011-04-25T20:51:00.005-04:00

On April 4th my Nan van Hoorn passed away (my mother's mother). She was born on April 25th, 1917 and so today would have been her 94th birthday. I was not able to go home to the funeral this time, but attended virtually. My brother-in-law, Jason Rowlings carted his laptop around so that I could participate in almost everything while sitting at home in Georgia in the comfort of my rocking chair. How amzing technology is! To see some pictures of the funeral and me on the laptop, check out my sister's blog.

My Nan lived a very full life. She was born in Holland and migrated to Tasmania with my Pop when my Mum (who was the oldest of 4 girls) was 5 years old. I always loved my Nan's maiden name - Elsienna Pieternella Lindenberg, it sounds almost royal! When they moved to Australia, everyone called her Ella. And this is who our Ella is named after and over the past few years we've refered to Nan in our home, as "Nan Ella". I'm glad she passed away peacefully but will miss her and miss being able to visit her next time we go home.

Here is a picture from Christmas day 2009, with my Mum, Nan, Elliott and Ella.

As a young girl I always felt comfortable and at home at Nan and Pop's house. It was really the only place away from home that I could go and without getting homesick. Tammy and I would usually go to stay with Nan and Pop at the same time and I remember once catching the train with Tammy out to Kimberly. Nan would take us down to the hot springs or for swims in the river. I remember having fun with the old typewritter or trying to use the magnifying glass to burn holes in paper. Other things I loved at their home were how neat and tidy everything was and the food. REAL chocolate sprinkles on rusks, speculaas, Nan's biscuit tin filled with Arnotts biscuits. And as a teenager I even started to enjoy pumpernickel bread. I liked how Nan and Pop would eat their sandwiches open faced with a knife and fork at a table with a crisp table cloth. It all seemed so civilised, from a different time and place. Nan had a way of making me feel loved and special.

After Pop passed away in 1991 I started spending one night a week with Nan to keep her company. I was in grade 12 at Don College and would walk down the hill to her house after school. I loved this time with her, just the two of us. While I worked on my homework, Nan would make me dinner, which was always meat and potatoes. I loved the way she cooked the meat and created a simple gravy afterwards that tasted so delicious on the potatoes. After dinner Nan started teaching me Dutch. Nan was a patient and good teacher. After a few months I could read passages fairly well but didn't always understand what I was reading. Nan would take time to explain what we were reading. She would also share photos and stories about her familly, friends and life in Holland. I looked forward to these weekly visits with Nan. Sometimes I would help her with things around the house, or drive her to the supermarket. I looked forward to sleeping in the firm bed with the crisp sheets and heavy wool blankets. She always seemed happy and grateful, even that first year being on her own.

I also had itchy feet that year and could not stop thinking about leaving Tasmania and going off to see the world. In 1992 I went away to university in Sydney and the following year I spent a year in England on an exchange. This gave me a chance to go to Holland. Nan made arrangements for me to stay with several family and friends. My first Christmas away from Tasmania was spent in Holland. I'm so grateful I had a chance to see Holland. I discovered a whole country of people who loved their meat and potatoes, who also ate their sandwhiches open faced with a knife and fork and who had firm mattresses and crisp sheets. I got to see homes designed by Pop's father in Loppersum and a town in the south full of people with Nan's maiden name, Lindenbergh. I started to gain an appreciation for the country Nan had left behind and the rich heritage from which I come.

As an adult I often think of Nan and some of the parrellels my life has had to hers, even though we are generations apart. Nan worked in England for a time as a young adult, just like I had spent time away from my family when I went to university. Pop and Nan were married at 29 and 30 just like Chris and me. I now find myself living far away from family with young children, just like Nan did. Nan took all these things in stride and she has inspired me to do the same.

A few months before I met Chris I decided that I wanted to name my first daughter Ella Jayne. Ella after Nan and Jayne is my second name. To me this was a special combination and it daily reminds me of the special bond I've always felt with Nan. She was the grandparent I felt closest to because of all the time we had spent together. I'm sad that because I've lived in North America for the past ten years I haven't been able to keep up that relationship as closely as I would have liked. On our last visit home in Dec 2009 Nan could nolonger remember who I was, but she was tickled when we introduced little Ella to her and could remember her name.

I will miss Nan, but she will continue to inspire me and comfort me. When I feel like I'm too busy and overworked I remember her worn hands and think of how much harder she worked. And if she can go through life grateful and with a smile on her face I can too.

Our tubby baby

2011-03-06T18:58:00.004-05:00

Will is now 2 months old and is proving to be a sweet, happy baby who only fusses if there is something wrong, I didn't know that babies could be so easy! He is also fat! I just love all his baby rolls - so yummy! A few pics from the past few weeks

Will and Ella back in January before he started packing on the pounds!
Will in the bath last night - look at those rolls! It had been about 2 weeks since his last bath (he did have a shower or two in between!). One of the things he doesn't get as frequently as he needs because he is number 5!

Sam and Will

Elliott is very sweet with his younger brother and watches out for him. As soon as he starts crying he says "Will, Will" and goes to him.

Welcoming Will

2011-01-18T11:16:00.004-05:00

On January 2nd the newest member of our family entered the world! William Chayne arrived at 10:50pm weighing in at 7lbs 7oz and 20.5 inches. I really don't like being in labor at the hospital and so this was the perfect scenario for me, Will arrived just 15 minutes after we got to the hospital, just enough time to get to the delivery room! We caused quite a commotion for the nurses. While the nurses were all fussing over me trying to put an IV in I announced "He's here!".

So far Will appears to be a gentle soul and his siblings love him already. He also likes to eat! At his two week check-up he had already put on 2lbs and has a nice double chin. Here are a cuple of funny things about being baby number 5 -
- His first bath was actually a quick shower at 2 weeks old. We were trying to get him cleaned up for church quickly!
- His second Mum is his sister Ella (age 5) who already knows how to burp him and soothe him.
- I didn't get any baby gear or clothes out for him until after we arrived home from the hospital. When I finally did get the baby clothes out I realized that we didn't have any warm clothes. Even though he is our 4th boy, all the others were born in the summer time! Thankfully we received a few presents soon after he came home and is now suitably dressed.
- He regularly stays in the same outfit for days..

Christmas at the Binghams!

2010-12-30T20:46:00.005-05:00

We had Christmas at home this year with no extended family and so I expected that the day would be nice and quiet. But not so!! Between cooking Christmas dinner and trying to respond to each child's requests for help with their new toys, Chris and I were kept on our toes and were exhausted at the end of the day. Some pictures from Christmas at our house this year...

Santa has been!!!

Ella and Sam did not wake up until 6:45am and then we had to wait another half an hour for Owen and Elliott to wake up. Then the present unwrapping chaos began!
Eating beignets (Louisiana donuts) for second breakfast at about 11am..

Ella in her ballet dress-ups reading one of her new books.

Sam and Owen ready for Nerf gun wars with their Dad!

We love building toys off all varieties in our home. Sam received a Connex set and here are Sam and Ella showing off the Ferris Wheel they made together with a bit of help from me.

And Christmas wouldn't be complete without a yummy Christmas dinner. Chris cooked an Asian spiced salted turkey this year and it was delicious! The Asian spices were subtle and just perfect.

Ella tucking into her turkey leg!

And Aussie Pavlova for desert - yum, yum!

Now Santa can rest until next year..... or at least until the baby comes!

Myrtle Beach

2010-12-30T20:35:00.003-05:00

At the start of December I heard about a hotel / indoor water park at Myrtle beach that offers great deals at this time of year. So a week before my due date and a few days before Christmas that's where we headed! (I did not tell my Doctor!) The kids were just so excited about the trip, even more excited about it than Christmas. Every night for 3 weeks I had to sing the "hotel song" to Owen before he went to sleep which was about going on a Christmas holiday and all the things we were going to do there.

As you can see from the picture below, the weather was cold and overcast, but we had a great time. We had a really nice room with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and beds for everyone. There was a kitchen and living area and the best part of all was the water park. There were water slides, hot tubs, swimming pools, a lazy river, and kiddy water play areas. The water park was split into two parts and so half way through each session we would dry off a bit and make a mad dash across the car park in the freezing cold to the other section. I took a lot of video but not a lot of pictures and so the two below are pretty much all I have. One of the things I loved was coming home and only having two sleeps left until Christmas!

A few

Merry Christmas from the Binghams

2010-12-20T13:54:00.002-05:00

A little Christmas spirit from our family to yours...

And for a laugh, check out these two versions of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Owen always keeps us entertained!

10 years in America

2010-12-12T05:52:00.004-05:00

December 10th marked 10 years since I arrived in the US from Australia. When my job transferred me to Chicago from Melbourne in December 2000 I agreed to come for just 12 months, there was no way I wanted to stay longer!. I loved Melbourne and my friends there and living in America was never part of my life plans. There were some problems initially with my work visa and so the company offered to sponsor a green card (permanent residency) for me. I didn't even think for a second before responding, "No I don't want that, I'm not staying!"

Here I am 10 years later living in the south and life is good. I have a wonderful husband who I admire and love and four (very soon to be five) great children who keep me running all day. Heavenly Father certainly knows me better than I know myself because I am so happy with the path my life has taken.

Some random things I love about living in America:
- Amazon - I even have diapers delivered to my door! No tax, free shipping and no trip to the store with kids in tow!
- Yellow school buses, I really thought they were just in movies, but no, they are real and everywhere
- Great family and friends
- Endless roadtrip possibilities.
- Holidays. Once summer is over, there is a continual stream of holidays to keep the year moving. My favorite is Thanksgiving - it's all about good food, family and friends and there are no presents to buy!

Australia will always be home to me no matter how long I am away. Here are a few random things I miss about Australia:
- Being close to my family
- That my children don't have Australian accents
- Aussie slang. After 8 years with Chris I can still pop out a word every now and then that he does not understand, but generally I don't use any Aussie slang anymore. This was never intentional, just something that happened over time so that I could be understood.
- Bakeries

I am now eligible to become a US citizen. Funny to think about since there was no way I wanted to stay! We are still not sure where we will move to after our time here in Augusta is done and so I won't apply until I know if we are going to stay in the US or move to Canada.

Thanksgiving Break

2010-11-29T19:29:00.005-05:00

Last week the kids had the week off for Thanksgiving and Chris had Thursday and Friday off. I can't tell you how much we all needed a break from our usual routine! The past few months have been busy and so it was nice for us all to slow down a bit for a few days We spent Thanksgiving day with some friends Jenny and Ian and their two children Malcolm and Myla. The kids LOVE going to their house and we love spending time with them. We all stuffed ourselves on too much turkey, stuffing, potatoes, beans, bread and pies for desert. Here a a few photos from the day...

Jenny reading a story while the kids wait for their food. We made sure that they were really hungry!

The day after Thanksgiving we went for a bike ride. It was the first time we have all been for a ride together. I must have looked pretty funny cruising around 8 months pregnant on my bike! It really wasn't too bad, I just wish that I had a bigger, softer seat! In the afternoon we went swimming. We hadn't been for a swim since September when our neighborhood pool closed and so it was fun to see everyone back in the water again. Elliott was very cautious, but it didn't take him long to find his swimming legs again.

On Saturday we took the kids to the science center in the morning. Here are a few pictures from out trip...

Happy 5th Birthday Ella!!

2010-11-21T20:02:00.006-05:00

On November 15th Ella turned 5. I can't believe she is five already and turning into a big girl! She was counting down the number of sleeps until her birthday all last week and was so excited. The night before her birthday we told the kids that they could get up at 6:30am so that Ella would have time to open her presents before school. So here are a few pictures of us up bright and early for Ella's birthday opening ceremony. Owen and Sam even bought presents for her with their allowance. Sam gave her tiny lady bug clip earrings and Owen picked out a necklace. Ella loves everything pretty and girly and the boys are happy to help her with that!

Sam "helping" Ella open her present from Oma..

Ella with her loot...

Ella showing off one of her new birthday outfits. This one I made using one of my cousin Toni's awesome patterns..

Earlier this year Ella went to "Build-a-Bear" with school and made a bear. She named her Amy and she has been in need of some clothes and so I made Amy a matching dress...
Oma sent Ella pjs with a matching set for Amy. So cute!
Yesterday we had Ella's birthday party. Between church, school and neighborhood friends Ella had 12 girls ages 3-5 at her party. We managed to keep everyone busy for 90 minutes with cupcake decorating, beading, food and some games. Ella requested a pavlova for her party and the mums that stayed loved it so much that they all went home with the recipe!

Making a bead necklaces...

Playing pass-the-parcel....

10 things we love about Ella...
- How she loves everything girly, despite having 3 brothers (soon to be 4 brothers!)
- How considerate she is. For example, if she has been asked to say a prayer and Owen wants to, she will often let him have a turn instead because it makes him happy.
- How much she loves fruit of all kinds
- Her willingness to try new foods
- How she loves to dress-up and look pretty
- Her love of learning. She is starting to read and daily asks me how to spell different words so that she can make up sentences. She is so excited to start kindergarten next year.
- Her creativity. She loves to draw and color.
- Her smile
- Her hugs - she gives great hugs and can't go to sleep without one.
- Her singing. Ella loves to sing and has learned lots of songs from church and school that she likes to sing when she is in the car or playing.

School Carnival

2010-11-21T19:47:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, November 13th Sam's school held a carnival / fundraiser. Chris was unable to come with us and so Mary, one of our friends from church, came with us to help me out. Chris has been very busy this year and so I often end up going places with the kids on my own. It was so nice to have Mary's company and help for the morning. Mary also helps me with the kids during Sacrament Meeting each Sunday because Chris has to sit up on the stand. She also watched them some of the time when I went home to Australia in May for Nan Triffitt's funeral. The kids love her and she has become like an adopted Grandma to them. Even Elliott went with her during church today for a while. He usually screams even if Chris tries to take him, but he didn't complain at all when Mary took him out during church today. I certainly appreciate her help! Anyway, here are some pictures from the carnival...

Listening to a story.

Sam made it all the way to the top of this climbing wall and was not scared one bit!

Ella showing her butterfly face paint..

Fall Fun

2010-11-04T13:27:00.004-04:00

The weather has finally cooled off here in Georgia and it definitely feels like fall now. During September and October the weather was still warm to hot, but that didn't stop us having some fun going to a farm / pumpkin patch and starting to do more things outside. Here are few pictures from the past couple of months.

Our neighborhood held a fall festival in mid-October that included a petting zoo, face painting, cake walk (a game where kids win a cupcake or cake), jumping castle and other fun activities. The kids had a great time.

Ella with rainbow face paint.

Owen showing his sword face paint and the cupcake he won in the cake walk.

Ella and Sam filling bottles with colored sand.

In October I also went to Steed's Dairy. First with Sam and the 6 kindergarten classes at his school. And then a few days later with Ella and Owen and our playgroup from church. Unfortunately I forgot my camera the day I went with Sam.

A couple of random shots from around the house. With the weather cooling off the kids have been spending a lot of time in the backyard and for 2 or 3 weeks we started eating dinner outside. The kids loved it and less mess to clean up afterward!

Owen building the tallest Lego tower ever! It really doesn't reach to the ceiling, but Owen did put most of the blocks on himself by climbing onto the Lego box to add some height.

Halloween Festivities

2010-11-02T16:39:00.002-04:00

We have made it through Halloween and have more candy than we know what to do with! Because Halloween was on Sunday this year, we decided to try and fit in as many opportunities as we could for the kids to get to dressed-up in their costumes and go trick-or-treating. By the time Halloween did come around we had fit in a special Halloween story time at the library, Halloween day at preschool for Ella and Owen, trick-or-treat at a local county fundraiser, a Ward trunk-or-treat and trick-or-treating at the local supermarket. We were officially over Halloween by Saturday night and the kids did not mind at all that we did not go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood on Sunday evening.

Below are some pictures of the kids in their costumes. Ella had to be Cinderella because in the version of Cinderella we have been reading this year Cinderella's real name is "Ella", but her friends call her Cinderella because of all the cinders she gets on her clothes from cleaning for her stepmother and stepsisters. Chris has been making up stories for the kids at bedtime over the past few months. In those stories Owen is either a Green or Silver Knight and so I made a costume for him that is the reversible so that he could choose to be either. So far the green Knight has been the more popular choice. Owen also decided to be Batman on a couple of occasions. Sam was an "army guy" and Elliott the cutest clown I've seen (not that I'm biased!) - costumes I picked up on sale after Halloween last year!

Ella and Owen's First Day of School

2010-09-14T10:56:00.002-04:00

Ella and Owen started preschool yesterday. Sam started school a month ago and so they have anxiously been waiting for their turn. They are in the same class and this year it includes another five children from church (out of a class of 15!) and so they already know about half the class.

Ella was quick to take her younger brother under her wing and show him where to go and what to do. She gets to be one of the big kids in the class this year. The first day went really well. I was a bit worried that it would be too much for Owen, but with the first day over, we're off to a good start.

Sam's First Week at School

2010-08-13T06:33:00.006-04:00

Sam started Kindergarten this week. Preschool for Sam and Ella finished at the end of April and so it has been a long summer! Sam has been so excited and practically skipped his way to school. What I wasn't prepared for was that I got a bit teary walking him to school on the first day thinking about how I wouldn't see him all day. Kindergarten here in Georgia is from 8:30am - 3:30pm, 5 days a week.

I asked Sam how school went the first day. He said he loved recess and hated rest time! We are now at the end of the first week and he doesn't even want me to take him to his classroom, just drop him off at the front of the school. I certainly hope his love of school continues for the many years ahead!

It has been quiet at home this week. Sam is my chatterbox and constantly wants to know what we are doing next. Ella and Owen have had a wonderful week playing pirates and fairy princesses together and are quite upset when they have to break away from playtime to go pick-up Sam or run an errand. I'm grateful they get on so well. Ella and Owen will start preschool 4 mornings a week next month. It's certainly going to strange just having Elliott at home in the mornings. Having just one at home is something I never had because I worked up until Ella was born and so since been a stay-at- home-mum I've always had two.

The part I've not enjoyed this week is picking Sam up from school. It has been almost 100oF / 37oC every afternoon. Although the school is a close 5 minute walk away, by the time we've walked up the hill we're all sweating like crazy, red faced and have to come home for an icypole/ popsicle!

Bingham Family Reunion

2010-07-30T19:29:00.005-04:00

At the start of July we went to Texas for a week to catch-up with Chris's siblings and parents who live all across the US and Canada. We're trying to get together every 2-years and so it had been that long since we had seen some members of his family. The last reunion was just a few weeks before Chris and I moved to Georgia, his youngest brother Bry left on a mission, his sister Laurel-Lee moved to Portland for more school and his brother Tom moved to Texas... phew! 2-years on.... Bry is now back from his mission in Las Vegas, and the rest of us are more settled. And his sister Laurel-Lee not only got to go to school in Portland but also met someone wonderful - Robert and got married this time last year!

Chris is the oldest of 7. 6 out of the 7 siblings are married and between us we now have 15 children ages 6 and under! What a party! The youngest one is just a few weeks old and belongs to his sister Liz, who lives in Austin, which is where the family reunion was.

The cousins had a great time playing together. All the kids had one or more cousins around their own age. Activities included trips to the playground, a talent show, a birthday party and a photo shoot at the capital building in downtown Austin. And lots of good home cooked Mexican food from Rick Bayless's cook book Mexican Everyday which has been a family favorite for the last year or so.

We also got to spend time in Dallas with Chris's brother Tom and his wife Tonia. It was a really fun week and we look forward to doing it again 2-years from now!

Busy Binghams

2010-07-25T20:46:00.005-04:00

Elliott started walking about a month ago and he also loves to climb. I thought that Owen was a busy toddler, but Elliott takes it to a whole new level. I stayed in bed for a few extra minutes yesterday and when I came out, this is where I found Elliott.... helping himself to his favorite cereal, Honey Bunches of Oats. I have also found him standing on this same table reaching up for the lights. He has no fear at all and is keeping me running!

This week I finally got two things done that I have been on my to-do list for a long time. I painted our living room blue and made Ella a new dress using one of my cousin Toni's fantastic patterns. Both the new blue wall and Ella's new dress are in the picture below. I can't believe I put both off so long. The wall didn't take as long as I thought to paint and Ella's dress was so quick and easy to make. It took about 20 mins to cut out Ella's dress and I sewed it all in a night. I even had enough energy left to make matching flower hair clips using scraps of left over fabric. Ella couldn't wait to wear her dress on Sunday and had to wear it the very next day. Thanks Toni for getting me sewing again! I can't wait to use more of your patterns.

One of Sam and Ella's preschool friends, Lauren, had a birthday party this week. Owen fell in love with a knight costume at Lauren's house and her Mum was kind enough to let Owen bring it home on loan for a few days. Owen had to have it in bed with him tonight because he loves it so much. Here's a picture of Owen-the-Knight...

Happy Birthday Owen!

2010-07-11T18:37:00.005-04:00

On July 6 our little Owen turned 3. We were in Texas at a Bingham family reunion with Chris's parents and siblings on Owen's birthday and so Owen had to wait until we got home the next day for his presents. He was one excited 3 year old when we got home!!! We didn't arrive home until late in the afternoon but Owen couldn't wait a minute longer. I had to quickly finish wrapping his presents and then the fun began! The highlight for Owen was a Playmobil castle with knights, horses and swords. He has been playing with it for hours every day.

The next day we had Owen's birthday dinner. He wanted pizza, fizz, chips and a pirate birthday cake! Owen has had his eye on a pirate cake at our local supermarket for months. Every time we go we have to stop for a moment to look at the cake. Unfortunately the cake is $50 and so I had to whip up a cake that looked something like a pirate ship! It was chocolate with peanut butter and cream cheese frosting. Peanut butter was the only way I could think of to get the right color! Anyone want cake? The kids now don't seem to want to eat anymore and we have so much left!
10 things we love about Owen
- His love of books and reading
- His imagination & creativity
- His enthusiasm
- How he wants to be big
- He has a big personality in a little body. Owen is still wearing size 2 clothes!
- How he loves to play the part of Ella's prince and will dance with her
- His love of swimming
- His loud but cute voice
- His smile
- His tiny backside that looks so little in underwear

Happy 6th Birthday Sam!

2010-06-28T20:45:00.002-04:00

Sam turned 6 today! He has been counting down the days and was so excited this morning to open his presents. And better yet, we had friends staying the night to join in the festivities with us. Madelyn and Brian are friends of ours from when we lived in Chicago. They now live in North Carolina and stopped by for a night on their way to Texas. They have two children - Elliott (4 tomorrow!) and Lilly (18mths). It was so great to see them again after 4 years and to meet their children. Our kids all had a great time together and we really hope to see them again soon. Sam is already asking for Elliott to come again.

As you can see, Owen did not want to be in this picture!

Sam blowing out the candles on his birthday pavlova. Our friend Elliott got a turn because he is turning 4 tomorrow and then Owen also got a turn because he loves birthday candles so much and is turning 3 next week!

10 things we love about Sam:
- He is a happy kid
- He wants to do what's right
- Often looks for ways to help without being asked
- Watches out for his younger siblings
- His love of water and swimming
- How he loves to ride our friends golf cart and will willing go anywhere for a ride
- How he wants to be first all the time (he was born first, so why not!)
- His memory
- How great he is at putting things back together and fixing things
- HOw much he loves friends and family

How does your garden grow?

2010-06-22T20:36:00.003-04:00

We have planted a garden again this year and have been enjoying some of the fruits of our garden for a few weeks now. We've had about 40-50 cucumbers already (anybody want one?!) and a few grape tomatoes and strawberries. I was quite impressed last week when I was able to make a Greek cucumber, tomato, bean and olive salad with the first two ingredients right from our garden. And we even had fresh oregano for the dressing. Right now we're excited about watching two small watermelon grow, almost daily you can see them change in size. At the moment they are about the size of a large grapefruit. We love our garden, for complete novices we've been fortunate to start off well.

Happy Birthday Elliott

2010-06-13T20:12:00.002-04:00

I'm so far behind on my blogging that I hardly know where to begin! On April 24th Elliott turned one and I can't believe that the year has gone by so quickly. Here are some things that we love about our little Elliott
-How he now wants to be doing everything his siblings are doing and lets us know about it!
-His wobbly attempts at walking. He can now take about 10 steps.
-His laugh. Just like his siblings, he inherited his Dad's infectious laugh.
-How he loves to try new food. Far more adventurous than our other two boys
-His smile
-His hair, he is the first of our babies to need a hair cut before his first birthday!
-His cheeky nature. If I tell him "no" he will laugh and continue on with what he was doing!
-How he loves to splash in the toilet - why do little boys love that so much!!??
-How cuddly he is.
- How he can't go to bed without his giraffe and yellow blanket from his Aunt Laurel-Lee.

Elliott received a swing for his birthday
Elliott had pizza and cup cakes for his birthday dinner. A family favorite for everyone!
Baby Elliott a year ago on the day he was born.

Goodbye Nan

2010-05-28T07:05:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday my Nan, Sheila May Triffitt passed away. While I'm sad that she's gone, I'm happy that she can be with Pop again, who passed away in January. I always imagined that they wouldn't be apart for very long. I could always tell they loved each other and were soul mates and it was hard to imagine one without the other.

My Nan was a unique, one of a kind, salt of the earth sort who just told things the way they were. A smile comes to my face when I hear her in my mind calling me "duck" or telling me that I look like I'd put on a bit of fat! (I've lost the fat so I can laugh about it now!)

I remember Nan telling us every Christmas when I was young that we needed to have it at her house as she might not be around next year. I loved those Christmases. Cousins everywhere, Pop handing out the presents that Nan had selected. One of my favourites was a pair of HUGE white frilly undies that I received when I was about 14. I looked at them and wondered when I was ever going to fit into them and then wondered how I'd been so "lucky". All the other girl cousins my age - Lania, Lisa, Tammy, Rebecca and Konnie all had gift boxed soaps and powder sets or something similar. I may not have appreciated the gift much at the time, but now I have a fun memory to tell my kids and bring a smile to my face. At Christmas I also loved the chatter of the women in the kitchen as they cleaned up, with Nan right in the middle of it all.

Like everyone, I loved Nan's sponge cakes. I remember how Nan and Pop welcomed everyone into their home and loved to share a meal. There is something about sharing a meal that brings people together. This is a tradition that Chris and I are trying to establish in our own home.

Chris and I got married in the Cardson, Alberta Temple in Canada in 2003. Nan and Pop were not able to attend because it was so far away. But, they were there when I took out my endowments at the Sydney Temple in 1995. My cousins Lisa and Jared and Lisa's husband Aaron also went though for the first time that day. I took out my endowments a long time before I got married, but I'm glad I did so that Nan and Pop could be there. I also remember them falling asleep during the sessions! :-)

Nan had a stroke in January 2009. She was left unable to write or speak. She had sent me a Christmas card that never arrived just a few weeks before. A couple of months after her stroke someone in our neighbourhood dropped by with her card. She'd put the wrong address on it and they had been away. It was so nice to get that card. It was chatty, she wrote about her garden and the weather and getting ready for Christmas. She always loved her flower gardens.

Nan's funeral was on Tuesday. I was not able to come for Pop's and so it was an opportunity in some ways for me to say goodbye to both of them. I'm glad that I came, even though flying half way round the world may seem too far to come. There were lots of flowers at the funeral - she would have loved that. And all the grandchildren and great grandchildren present sang "I am a child of God".

I'm so proud of Nan and Pop and the family that I come from. I've been fortunate to travel and live in many different places. The more I see the more I realize how special and fantastic my family is and no matter where in the world I live there will always be a special place in Tasmania, Australia that I will tell my children and grandchildren about. And I will tell them about two people - Harry and Sheila Triffitt, how they were humble, hardworking folk who put their faith in God and God made them great.

Bingham Cousins Come to Visit!

2010-03-18T20:01:00.004-04:00

Chris's brother Tom and his wife Tonia and their two boys Andrew (age 5) and Grant (age 2) have come to visit for a week. They live in Texas and arrived Saturday and will be with us until this coming Saturday. We've really enjoyed having them stay.

Sam and Andrew in particular have hit it off. They are the same age and are best mates. I think they could play all day everyday and never get tired of each other or fight. Sam is really going to be sad when Andrew leaves on Saturday. He was already getting sad about it tonight when he was going to bed.

Aunt Tonia reading to everyone. Trying to heard six kids under 6 to bed can be a challenge, but every night is getting a little bit easier!

Yum, Yum - a trip to Chick-fil-a was a big hit!

Andrew loves to climb and show how well he can balance.

A bit behind on my blogging

2010-03-18T19:40:00.003-04:00

I was just checking my photos and there are a few from the past few weeks that I wanted to add to show what we've been up to.

Ella attended her friend Madison's birthday party last Friday. The birthday party was at Monkey Joe's - which is a room full of inflatable jumping slides and obstacle courses. The kids just LOVE going there and so it was an extra treat to be able to go to a birthday party there. We're going to miss Madison and her family. They moved to Florida the next day.

Mr Elliott was sick a few weeks ago. Since he recovered though, he has been eating SOOO much and putting on the pounds. Can you see the lovely double chin he's getting!

Owen is always entertaining at the moment. Here he is eating pesto by the spoonful! Lately he wants to do everything just like Sam. Sam doesn't like pesto and so he's been avoiding it. On this occasion though he couldn't resit and suddenly remembered how much he loved it!

We added more dirt to our square foot garden a couple of weeks ago. The kids love helping out in the garden.

We had a few friends over for lunch a few weeks ago. When I counted, 6 out of the 10 were in my care that day!

Helpful Sam

2010-03-09T21:46:00.002-05:00

We were driving in the car a few days ago and Sam said to me "Mum, I was thinking in my mind that I should wash the dishes for you. Would that be a kind thing to do?" My response "Sounds like an awesome idea! Why don't you give it a go tonight." So here he is doing the dishes for me. Now, how do I get him to volunteer every night?

Bad Guys Don't Wear Diapers and They Don't Wear Underwear Either!

2010-03-06T08:27:00.004-05:00

OK, so you know it's potty training time when your 2 year old tells you that "Bad guys don't wear underwear and they don't wear diapers either". But, they can wear batman capes, carry pink purses and wear fluffy slippers! The good news is, that all this nakedness is also helping Owen potty train himself. He has not had a single accident while in his "Bad Guy" gear. (Thanks Henry for introducing Owen to bad guys!!!)

Owen has also moved Sam to idol status. If we tell Owen that we love him he responds with "I love Sam." If I need him to go to the potty I have Sam ask him! Sam is not quite sure what to make of all this attention from Owen. Sam was very kind this morning though and had "Special time with Owen" where they played Lego men together.

Here is a picture of "Owen the bad Guy Bingham".

SURPRISE!!

2010-02-14T19:30:00.006-05:00

Surprise!! Look who came to visit us this weekend - Grandma and Grandpa!!

Back in November Roxanne (Grandma) called me to say that they wanted to come for a visit and that Chris's Dad, Mark (Grandpa) wanted it to be a surprise. So plans were made and I tried to forget about the visit so I wouldn't spill the beans. Chris had absolutely no idea. His parents let themselves in at around 8:30pm on Thursday night and found us fixing something in the bathroom. Chris was so surprised! And the kids were surprised too when they found Grandma and Grandpa in the spare bedroom the next morning.

We had a marvelous weekend together. It felt like we'd never left Calgary and that they were just a few blocks away and that we were all hanging out for the weekend.

Chris took his Dad to school with him on Friday. Chris got to tell his Dad about all the cool surgeries he has been doing and "talk shop" all day. Friday also brought another surprise for us - snow!!! (I think Grandma and Grandpa must have brought it from Calgary with them!) It started on Friday night and by Saturday morning there was a couple of inches for the kids to play with.

Chris made it a "Rick Bayless" Mexican themed weekend and cooked up some delicious food for us to enjoy. For those in Chris's family with Rick's book "Mexican Everyday", check out the recipes on page 75, 235, 225 & 94. Somehow, Chris managed to squeeze four Rick dishes in between Saturday night and noon on Sunday! Our taste buds and tummies are happy and I felt very sleepy by the time I got to church at 12:30pm!

The highlight of the weekend for Sam was helping Grandpa get his electric steam train up and running again. For Ella, it was making tissue paper flowers with Grandma and then dressing up as a bride. For Owen, I think it was probably the snow, he asked for more. And for Elliott, I think it was the food. For me, I was very grateful to Roxanne for helping me make a start on painting the dining room. Isn't the color spectacular! It's a transition color, you'll have to check back to see the finished color.

Below are some pics from our marvelous weekend!

Special Time with Dad

2010-02-08T20:25:00.004-05:00

Each month Chris takes one of the kids out to do something special. In January it was Owen's turn and so on Jan 30 Chris took Owen out to the library and read him as many stories as he wanted and then let him pick some movies to take home. He LOVES books and LOVES going to the library and so they had a great time together.

This past Saturday it was Sam's turn. Home Depot was offering a free kids class which was perfect for Sam. He got to build a shelf to put his toy cars on and just loved it. He didn't take very long, and so Chris also took him out for pancakes at McDonalds.

Elliott started sleeping through the night last week and so I also got to have some special time with Chris on Saturday night. It was out first date out alone since Elliott was born! We went to see Avatar. Great movie and great to be out alone with the man I love!

Pop's Funeral

2010-01-29T20:36:00.006-05:00

Last night I was able to sit in my kitchen and listen to my Pop's funeral service. Oh how I wish I had been there in person, but I'm so grateful for modern technology that made it possible for me to be there virtually.

I've just been reading blogs from my cousins Toni, Lisa and Chrish. Seeing the pictures from the graveside service and seeing my older brother Dion wearing my Pop's war medals sent tears streaming down my face. My Pop was a WWII veteran and so at the end of the service an Australian Flag was placed on the coffin and the Last Post was played as it was lowered into the grave.

I'm so proud of my heritage. My Nan and Pop had 6 children, 5 boys and a girl. There are 29 grandchildren and 58 great grandchildren. They've left an amazing legacy. When I moved away from Tasmania at 18 to go to university, I didn't really appreciate the amazing family I came from and what I was leaving behind. Growing up it seemed that there were cousins and second cousins everywhere. I just thought that's how life is for everyone and that everyone had that many people around them that loved them. It gave me a wonderful sense of identity, I knew where I belonged in the world. And I still know that in my heart, Tasmania is home. More than anything, I want my children to know where they belong too, which is why we make it a priority to go back to Tasmania every couple of years and to attend family reunions on the Bingham side too.

I'm so glad I was able to visit Pop one last time just 3 weeks ago. It helped when I was crying today, that the kids knew who I was crying about. Sam is always so sensitive and several times has tried to comfort me and say that he misses Piggy Pop too. Even little Owen drew a picture of Piggy Pop for me tonight. He drew one shape for Pop and then another and said it was the box (I guess the coffin) and then he said that Piggy Pop was going to eat the coffin (not quite sure what that meant!). They looked at the pictures on my cousins' blogs and could see their cousins there and I was able to say how much I wish we had all been there too.

Chris likes to tell the story of the first time he met Pop in December 2002. Pop was down at the river flats on a tractor. He saw us coming and came off the tractor and said to Chris something like "You had better treat her right, or I'll kill ya". Somehow, saying that made Chris like him all the more. Of course it was said with a smile on his face and then he put his arm around Chris. Pop was such a like-able guy.

I will miss you Pop. You've been a wonderful example to me of how to live and make the most of life. How to love everyone, live righteously, work hard, be honest and to laugh.

Good bye Pop

Happenings in the Bingham Home this week...

2010-01-28T20:40:00.004-05:00

When we were in Tassie Owen started climbing out of his port-a-cot (pack-n-play). Not too hard when you're two and a half! Last week he realized that he can climb out of his cot (crib) at home too. So it was time to move up to a big boy bed. He had a bed already in his room for him to move up into. All we needed to do was to add some safety rails so that he doesn't fall out. That night Owen moved into his big boy bed. As you can see from the photos, he moves around quite a bit during the night! And more often than not we find that he has fallen asleep with a book on his face. He's our little book worm.

I love this photo of all four kids playing together happily (and not fighting over who had the toy of the moment first!). This box of Duplo Legos I picked up for $10 at a yard sale in Calgary. It's the most played with toy in our house!

I've tried to make it a tradition to cook yummy Australian Food each year for Australia Day and share it with friends and family. And so on Wednesday I went to Sam and Ella's preschool to read Possum Magic and share some Lamingtons and Vegimite sandwiches with their classmates. I was so surprised when more than one of the preschoolers asked for seconds of the vegimite sandwiches! I put them on a pretty plate to make them look enticing, but it wasn't necessary, they enjoyed them anyway. One of the mums even asked me where you can buy Vegimite because her daughter came home saying that they just had to go and buy some! Unfortunately I haven't found Vegimite anywhere here in Augusta, but I did just find Marmite last week which I was excited about. I know it's not the same, but it's better than nothing!

Good-bye Pop

2010-01-25T21:15:00.005-05:00

My Pop Triffitt passed away peacefully yesterday. I feel so fortunate to have been able to visit with him one last time just a couple of weeks ago. The hardest thing about living on the other side of the world is being away from family. Right now I wish more than anything that I was still in Tassie so that I could attend my Pop's funeral and be with the family. I think I'll be the only grandchild not there. I love my Pop and I will miss him. I'm happy though that he is not suffering anymore, but I'm sad for Nan, I know she is going to miss her companion.

We gathered the kids last night to tell them. It was good to be able to point to a picture of Nan and Pop and say, do you remember when we visited Nan and Piggy Pop a couple of weeks ago... Sam was sad and asked a few questions. For Family Home Evening tonight we made popcorn and then watched the videos that Lisa made in 2007 (see below). Sam wanted to watch them all a couple of times each. Thanks Lisa for making them. Watching them makes me realize just how amazing my grandparents are. I'm truly grateful for their lives and examples. I'm sad that I won't be there on Friday to say goodbye to Pop.

Remember When
Grow Old with Me
Pop Army

Jan 6 & 7 - Our last two days in Launceston

2010-01-21T21:43:00.006-05:00

On Jan 6th we arrived back in Launceston for two last nights before we headed back to Georgia. Here's what we did...

We had a good bye party at the Lanuceston Bike Centre. Tammy suggested it before Christmas and we were lucky to get a spot. It's only $17.50 to rent it for two hours. I remember going there as a child when we lived in Launceston and I just loved it. It hasn't changed much, but the kids sure enjoy it still! Simon and Simone, Tammy and Jason, Jacquie and Jared and Lisa all came with their kids. It was so great to see everyone one last time.

Jakob pushing Ella. Looks like she's enjoying putting her feet up!

There was a great little BBQ area for all the parents to hang out. Tammy and Jason...

Jacquie....

This shot is so funny. It's really just a decoration on the wall, but it looks so authentic!

Lisa had a great idea to have all the kids lie down together in a circle.

On Thursday, Jan 7, Mum, Tammy and I went out for Lunch at Still Water Cafe to celebrate Tammy's 40th birthday which was on Dec 18. I don't think we've every done anything like that before, just Tammy, Mum and me. It was kind of impromptu and really fun. So nice to escape from the kids for a bit and be able to be together. Next time I want to be more organized so that Kay and Simone can join us too.

After lunch we went to the aquatic centre for another swim with the kids. Unfortunately I don't have pictures for the blog. Then we headed back to Tammy and Jason's for one last sleep before our flight back to the US.

And now I'm all blogged out!!

Jan 6 - Visit with Nan and Pop Triffitt

2010-01-21T21:20:00.003-05:00

On January 6th we headed back to Launceston. We stopped in Deloraine for one last visit with my Nan and Pop Triffitt. Mum and Dad just told my last night (Jan 20) that Pop is not doing well and so I feel really fortunate to have been able to visit with him and to have him in good spirits. He was quite perky and shared several stories with us.

The last time we were in Tassie, 3-years ago, Chris asked Pop to share a story with us and so he did. He shared the same story with Sam and Ella on this visit, it's about how you need to obey your parents. He showed Sam and Ella how the tops of two of his fingers were missing and told them that he had lost when he was seven. His parents had told him and his brothers not to go into the shed. Which of course they did the minute they left. There was a wheat thresher in the shed which the boys started playing with. Pop wanted a turn and tried to stop the machine, when he did it cut the tops of two fingers off.

I also talked to Pop about how I didn't expect to see him again after the last visit 3-years ago. He said he hoped to be around a while longer too!

Nan's eyes just sparkled the whole time we were there and she was obviously happy to see us even though she couldn't say so. She has the most beautiful blue eyes. Nan also held Elliott several times. She seemed to really enjoy that.

I'm so glad we got to visit with them. I am so grateful for their example and I admire them so much.

Jan 3 - 6 Back to Oma and Pop's House

2010-01-21T20:58:00.005-05:00

After our time in Bridport we returned to Ulverstone for one last stay with my parents. Here's what we got up to...

A final BBQ with the Burnie Triffitts. It was a really really windy evening. We ended up having the BBQ in a shelter and then coming back to my parents for a final photo. The kids loved playing with their cousins one last time. Savannah and Owen in particular are really going to miss each other.

Sam playing cricket at the BBQ.

Owen's turn batting. Now that we are back home again, I really wish we had brought back a small plastic cricket bat. We have a larger wood one, but it's too heavy for Owen. Today, 2 weeks after we got back, Owen came out with gum boots on and a "helmet" and said that he wanted to play cricket. Unfortunately it was raining buckets outside.

Sam helping Pop build a fence in the back yard.
Owen after he raided Oma's dress-up box. I can't remember who he thought he was.
Ella wore this combination out to run errands. Such a stunning outfit. If you look closely she is wearing a wide belt on top of the hat

I also had a chance to catch up with two friends from high school / Don College. Samara, her husband Mic and their 15 month old son Felix. And also Bec and Tony and their two children Annie and Thomas. We had a lovely, impromptu picnic in my parents back yard. It was so fun to catch up. I hadn't seen Samara in probably 8 years.

Bridport - Dec 28 - Jan 3

2010-01-20T20:54:00.008-05:00

Next stop on our tour-of-Tassie, was a week in Bridport with Simon and Simone and their children - Sarra, Hallie, Oliver and Jonty. We couldn't have asked for a better week of weather and we had a great time relaxing at the beach and enjoying the sunshine.

Here's a picture of the car packed ready to head up to Bridport from Launceston. If you look very carefully, you will see 2-year old Owen in a very cosy seat in the back. He thought this was the best seat in the house!!

Hanging out at the beach with Simone, Lisa and Jacquie..

Jonty giving Elliott loves. This is one of Simone's pics, and she has a great series of the boys together on her blog.

Owen, ready to hit some waves. We found the wetsuit at a sports store in Burnie for $20. What a bargin!

Simon played so hard with the kids and they just loved it!

Elliott taking nap in the sun tent. He slept so well on the beach each day. When I was pregnant with him I would listen to "sounds of the ocean" relaxation music. The sounds of the waves at Bridport sure did the trick. I think he thought he was back in the womb. He fell asleep in my arms every afternoon at the beach without any effort and would sleep in the shade for an hour or two.

Dec 26 - Boxing Day

2010-01-17T20:56:00.002-05:00

On Boxing Day we went to Beaconsfield to join some of my Mum's side of the family for lunch. It was so great to catch-up with my cousins Aaron, Phillipa and Adrian - some of whom I hadn't seen in 20 years. I also got to meet Adrian's wide Kiyomi and Aaron's wife Alecia. Sam, Ella and Owen hit it off with Lilly and Zen and had a great time playing with their second cousins.

Kiyomi making balloon animals for the kids.

My Mum's sister Willy and Elliott.

Lilly, Ella and Sam hanging out.

Dec 25 - Christmas!

2010-01-17T20:09:00.004-05:00

Christmas morning finally arrived!! Of course Sam, Ella and Owen were up early at about 6:30am. But I was quite impressed with how patiently they waited for everyone to get up so that they could open their presents. By 7:30am everyone was up except for Jason and Kaisa and so we sent the kids out to the Bungalow in the back yard to wake them up. And then we waited some more......... Finally the kids couldn't wait any longer and started opening their presents. Just as they did Jason and Kaisa joined us.

At about 11am my Mum's sister Jannie came over with my Nan van Hoorn for a quick visit.
Next we headed to Launceston with a quick stop in Deloraine to wish my Nan and Pop Triffitt Merry Christmas. It's probably been 20 years since I last saw grandparents on both sides on Christmas Day - what a treat.
Then we arrived at my sister Tammy's house for lunch. It was the first time in 8 years that my immediate family had been together. Between my parents, siblings, spouses and children there are now over 30 people.

One of the highlights of our trips was when my Dad asked Owen to help him hand out the presents. I was so impressed that Owen knew everyone's name. This trip to Tassie was about family and making sure that my kids know their cousins. It was so awesome that after just 3 weeks Owen already knew everyone's name!

Dec 24 - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2010-01-17T20:00:00.003-05:00

On Christmas Eve we returned to my parents house. We tried to do a little nativity with the kids and tell the Christmas story. Owen and Ella dressed up as Mary and Joseph with a doll for baby Jesus. Below are their costumes pulled from Oma's dress-up box. I love Owen's gloves and the dummy in his mouth!!

Then my Dad read a story called "How the Kookaburra got his laugh". It's a long story and Owen's eyes got heavier and heavier until it was lights out! There were no problems putting Owen to bed that night!

Dec 24 - Date with Dad

2010-01-17T19:55:00.004-05:00

Once a month Chris takes one of the kids out to do something special. Ella was the lucky one to have her time came up while we were in Tassie. Here they are having lunch together at the Red Oliver Cafe in Ulverstone. Ella just loves food and so we thought she would enjoy this, but after wards she asked if she could please go to the pictures again next time!

Dec 22 - 24, Burnie Triffitts

2010-01-16T10:36:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday, Dec 22 we headed back to Dion and Kay's home in Burnie for 2 nights. The kids were so excited to see their cousins again. We checked out Burnie Park and the beach at somerset.

The kids at Burnie Park..
Savannah was sitting just along from the rest of the group, but wanted to be in her own picture!

A mother Peacock with her babies at Burnie Park.
We were fortunate to see a wild kookaburra at Burnie. He was sleeping in a tree just a couple of metres away. We also heard some laughing in another part of the park.

At the beach in Somerset.

The Burnie Triffits have lots of video and computer games to choose from. Just heaven for Sam! Here he is playing Guitar Hero with Josh.

Dec 21 - A picnic with the Rowlings

2010-01-16T10:19:00.002-05:00

On Monday, December 21, Tammy and her crew drove up from Launceston to Ulverstone for a picnic in the park. It was a really windy day, but we managed to find a little spot where the wind wasn't so bad. Sam, Ella and Owen were excited to see their Rowlings cousins again. After the picnic we headed down to the beach.

The kids near Buttons Creek building a wind shelter.
Katie and Ella. Katie had made a present for Ella.

Dec 20 - Ulverstone Carols by Candlelight

2010-01-16T10:14:00.002-05:00

One Australian Christmas tradition that I love is going to Carols by Candlelight. Each town puts on their own Christmas concert and the community come to watch and sing carols together. The concerts are always outdoors and when it gets dark, everyone has a candle. In my day they were real candles, now small LED candles are used - a whole lot safer!

Dec 20 - Storytime with Pop

2010-01-16T10:09:00.002-05:00

Several times while we were staying with my parents my Dad and Owen would disappear into the spare bedroom for storytime. So sweet! Owen just loves books and really enjoyed this special time with Pop. Here they are reading the "Biggest Christmas Tree Ever", a book that Hallie, Sarra and Oliver gave to our family.

Publish Post

Dec 19 - Devonport Ward Christmas Party

2010-01-16T09:55:00.005-05:00

Christmas in Australia is all about summer! We were able to attend the Devonport Ward Christmas party with my parents and my brother Dion and his family. The Christmas party was a pool party and BBQ. The kids had an absolute blast! The pool had an inflatable obstacle course in it, which Sam loved. Even I had one go at it (unfortunately there are no pictures as evidence!)

Cousin Josh took great care of Elliott for me...

Santa arriving on his Harley!

Dec 19 - Jason & Kaisa

2010-01-16T08:37:00.003-05:00

My youngest brother Jason came home for 10 days starting on Dec 18. It was the first time I had seen him in almost 3 years. The last time he came to stay with us for a couple of nights in Calgary on his way from the US to Europe in between snowboarding and working in Sweden. It was great to see him and exciting to meet his girlfriend Kaisa. Jason and Kaisa are currently working in the King Island cheese factory on King Island. Kaisa is from Oulu in Finland. Oulu is about 14 hours drive north of Helisinki. I used to think that Chris and I were from two opposite extremes of the globe, but Jason and Kaisi beat us hands down! Kaisi is just lovely and we really enjoyed getting to know her.

Jason and Kaisa...
Jason tackling Sam & Owen. The boys just love it!

Simon, Simone, Dion and Kay and their kids also joined us in Ulverstone on Saturday. They were all keen to see Jason too. Here are a few shots of us at the rocket park.

A bunch of Triffitt cousins climbing the rocket. Hallie got to the top and then shimmied up the pole and touched the roof!I love this shot of Jonty - he looks like he's posing for a BBQ Shapes advertisement!

Dec 19 - Catching up with Sonia and Steven

2010-01-15T21:50:00.004-05:00

On Saturday morning, December 19th, Sonia and Steven Woodford dropped by to see us. Sonia and I lived in a house in Melbourne together. I think there were about 8 girls living at the house at anyone time and we were known as the "Kew Girls", because we lived in Kew. We lived together for about 2-3 years from 1997 to 1999. It was little crazy at times but I cherish those friends and love to catch up with them whenever I can.

Steven was one of the few brave men to enter a house with so many females in it and in January 2000 Sonia and Steven got married (Happy 10-year wedding anniversary!). I remember making Sonia's wedding dress, which was a lot of fun.

Sonia and Steven still live in Melbourne. Sonia is originally from Tassie and they had just come off the boat from Melbourne and were on their way to Grandma's house. It was so great to see them and so fun to see how much our family's have grown. We both now have 4 children each - 3 boys and a girl.

Dec 18th - The Don River Railway

2010-01-15T21:03:00.006-05:00

We decided to take the kids to the Don River Railway. Sam just loves trains. Even at at 20 months old, when we lived in Chicago, he knew which way to walk so that he could watch the trains go by. When we lived in Calgary we spent the summers riding the steam train at Heritage Park and sometimes I would take the kids downtown to ride the LRT up and down the free zone. Now we live in Georgia and there aren't too many trains going by!! And certainly none to ride. The odd freight train, but that's it.

The boys loved it! We took a picnic and stopped at Coles Beach for lunch. It was raining a bit and we had to huddle under a very small picnic shelter to keep out of the rain. Fortunately we didn't get too wet, but we were very glad to get back on the train for the return trip.

A cool thing about the train we rode, is that it was the same as one I remember riding with my sister Tammy from Launceston to my Nan Van Hoorn's house in Kimberly when I was little. All passenger trains in Tassie stopped in 1978 and so I was fortunate to get a ride and lucky to remember it!

Dec 17th - Dad Arrives

2010-01-15T20:48:00.003-05:00

The kids really missed their Dad. Owen in particular. About a week after we had been at my Mum's, Owen just could not go to sleep. He just keep crying and crying. It was after 9:30pm and my Mum and I were desperate to get him settled. Finally my mum realized that he missed his Dad and gave him a framed picture of Chris reading to all the kids that was in the living room. He stopped crying, took the picture to bed, talked to it for a while, sang to it for a while and then went to sleep. The next day Mum laminated the picture for Owen. Owen could not go to bed without it until Chris arrived. This of course put a big smile on Chris's face. Who doesn't want to be loved by their kids!!

Chris finally arrived on December 17th, over 2 weeks since we arrive. The kids were soooo... excited to see their Dad!!

Here they are at Devonport airport watching the plane taxi to the terminal.

Together at last!

Dec 16th - A visit with Nan van Hoorn

2010-01-15T20:33:00.003-05:00

One of the great things about being home is catching up with family. On Dec 16th, my Mum's sister Willy and her husband John, picked up my Nan van Hoorn and brought her over to see us at my parents house. It was so nice to seem them all. Especially my Nan. She is now 92 and still very healthy but has dementia. I got this great shot of her bouncing Elliott on her knee. She also was singing a Dutch baby song which was so cute, something about bouncing the baby on your knee and then bouncing them up in the air at the end. I wish I had caught it on video.

My Nan's name is Elsina, but when they migrated to Australia she became Ella. And our Ella is named after her. I really love my Nan. In grade 11 my Pop passed away. They lived in Devonport and so all of year 12 I would stay with her one night a week to keep her company and she would teach me Dutch. I have found memories of that time and I really got to know her well.

Back in Georgia, Safe and Sound

2010-01-12T10:09:00.004-05:00

After 5 weeks in Australia , we are now back in Georgia! There were a few hiccups on the way back, but nothing too major. We almost left a suitcase at my sister Tammy's house in Launceston (THANK YOU Jason for racing back to the airport to get it to us!). We had booked our flights all the way from Launceston to LA through Qantas so that we wouldn't have to deal with luggage in Melbourne, but for some reason they couldn't do it and so we had to pick-up our bags and re-check them again in Melbourne. This took about an hour and we're grateful to the very helpful Qantas flight hostess who helped us navigate the airport with all our luggage and four kids. And our last flight from LA to Atlanta was delayed by two hours. Not so fun after you've been traveling with four kids for over 24 hours. But the kids proved again what great travelers they are and took it all in stride.

We're also very grateful to our friend Beau Person who picked us up in Atlanta and drove us home. A 5 hour round trip for Beau. After leaving Launceston at 6:30 am on Friday, January 8th, we didn't walk in the door until 1am on Saturday morning! That made it about 36 hours of traveling! We're glad it's over.

Elliott got his own seat on the flight from Launceston to Melbourne. So cute!

We had a 4.5 hour lay over in Melbourne. We killed time eating 50 cent ice-creams at McDonalds.

Owen on the flight from Melbourne to LA. The headphones are always too big and so his creative mother added a nappy (diaper) to add the extra height he needed. What a stunning look!!

When we arrived home, Santa had left Christmas presents under our tree!! So here we are at 1am in the morning, after 36 hours of traveling, opening our presents!! The kids were so excited to be home and we didn't get everyone to bed until about 3am!!

We've all experienced some pretty bad jet lag. Here we are the night after we arrived back eating dinner at midnight!! As the sun was setting that evening Sam said "Look!, the sun is coming up, it's morning time!" He was very upset with us when we told him it was the sunset and not the sunrise!! And yes, Chris is sporting a new shorter haircut, which almost became a shaved head when he asked me to tidy up the edges. In my jet lagged state I set out to cut his hair with no attachment on the trimmers!! Opps! Thankfully it's in the back and will grow back quickly!

Back to Oma's for some R&R

2009-12-16T15:21:00.002-05:00

After a week with cousins, it was time to head back to my parents house so that the kids could rest up a bit. A full week playing with their cousins tired them out! On Monday Dec 14th, our first night back, Owen slept for 14 hours straight! We were also fortunate to get 3 days of great weather. We've spent time at different playgrounds, at the beach and at my parents house. It's also the last week of school, and so several times we've run into school groups enjoying their end of year picnic. On Tuesday we had the entire 800 kids from Ulverstone High School suround us while we were playing at the beach!

Ella kicking back in her bunny attire. She wore the bunny ears to the supermarket later in the day!
A gorgeous day at Ulverstone Beach. Warm sun, no wind and the tide was in. Just perfect!!!

Playing at Oma's house.

Dion and Kay's House

2009-12-16T05:58:00.003-05:00

On Friday, Dec 11 we left the Rowlings and headed to Burne to stay with my brother Dion, his wife Kay and their five kids - Josh, Allister, Paige, Piper and Savannah. Owen quickly made friends with Savannah who is just 3 months older than he is. They were like two monkeys up to mishief together!! Ella and Piper had fun together and I had a great time playing games with Josh, Allister and Paige.

The last time we were home three years ago I played Settlers of Catan with Allister and Josh. This time we played Ticket to Ride and Starfarers of Catan. Three years on and Josh and Allister were much improved players and hard to beat! Allister won Ticket to Ride and should have won Starfarers of Catan also, but they let me (as the 1st time player) re-roll the dice and I ended up winning with a 4 point streak at the end.

I remeber my brother Dion playing rough with his boys when they were little. He had some good practice over the weekend swinging the kids by their feet and throwing them onto the trampoline.

Piper and Ella.

Dion swinging Ella

Dion swinging Piper by her feet with Ella and Savannah asking for another turn!

Dion throwing Owen onto the trampoline. Owen just could not get enough of all this rough and tumble and kept asking for more!

Allister playing with Owen on the trampoline, At his feet are Piper, Sam and Savannah!!

Catching up with Friends

2009-12-16T05:15:00.006-05:00

While we were in Lanuceston, I had a chance to catch-up with a few friends. On Tuesday, Dec 7th I met up with my cousin Lisa and my friend Jacquie. Jaquie and I were flatmates in Melbourne right before I moved to Chicago 9 years ago. Right around the time I left, Jaquie started dating my second cousin Jared (who was living in Melb) and a few months later they got married. They then moved to Launceston and Jacquie is now friends with Lisa and my sister Tammy! What a small world!

It was so fun to see them both and catch up. We met at City Park - which has a really great playgournd for the kids. Check-out Lisa's blog for her commentary. (Lisa, I hope you don't mind that I "borrowed" a few photos from you. Yours were so much better than mine!!)

Lisa and Kobe...

Jaquie, Me and Tammy (holding Elliott)

Elliott and Me
Sam found a great tree to climb up

Later in the week, on Thursday, I caught up with Lisa again and two friends we went to Don College with - Lynne and Angela. I have not seen Angela since Don College (18 years ago!!) and it was super nice of her to drive up from Hobart so that we could catch-up.

Staying with the Rowlings

2009-12-16T04:33:00.004-05:00

As we were planning our trip to Tasmania this time I thought about how I wanted to spend our time. The most important thing was for my kids to get to know their cousins and my parents. The best way to do that, was to spend time staying at each family's home. And so on Monday, Dec 7th we headed to Launceston to spend a few nights with my sister Tammy, her husband Jason and their 6 kids - Jakob, Aneika, Nathan, Henry, Katie and Lilly. We had a great time! Sam loved spending time with Nathan on the playstation. Ella & Owen quickly made friends with Katie and Lilly.

On Tuesday Dec 8th, Katie was home sick from school and so she was able to tag along with us to the city park. They loved riding on the Thomas train and seeing the monkeys. The next day, Sam got to spend the morning with Lilly at school, and later in the day Tammy bravely took Sam, Ella and Owen back to Lilly's class for a party for her teacher. We can't wait to go and stay with them again just after Christmas!

BBQ at the Punchbowl

2009-12-10T06:15:00.004-05:00

On Monday, December 7 we headed to the Punchbowl in Lanuceston for a BBQ with my brother Simon and sister Tammy and their families. The weather was perfect, the food was great and the cousins had a great time together. What more could you ask for!!

Chefs Simon and Oliver...
Aneika taking care of baby Elliott for me.

Oliver, Owen and Lilly

Tucking in.

The cousins teaching Sam how to play cricket.

Jason and Henry. (Chris -check out the Solo Henry is drinking)

Saturday, December 6

2009-12-09T05:07:00.004-05:00

On Saturday afternoon, my Mum took the kids and I to pick strawberries at Turners Beach, just outside of Ulverstone where my parents live.

After picking strawberries, we headed to Forth, about 5 minutes away, to play at a park that my Mum found recently. The play equipment is shaped like tractor.

Simon and Simones - Thursday, December 3

2009-12-09T04:22:00.004-05:00

On Wedensday night I asked Sam what he wanted to do the next day and he said "Play with Oliver!". And so on Thursday we headed to my brother Simon's house for the day so that they kids could play with their cousins Sarra, Jallie, Oliver and Jonty. They had a great time together!

Elliott having a jump in Jonty's jumperoo.

Sam and Oliver played so well together and laughed and laughed.
The sandbox was a big hit with everyone.

When Hallie and Sarra came home from school, Simon got out the kids 4 wheeler. Sam and Owen just loved that!!

At 5pm we went to the Deloraine Ward Primary party. The kids got to decorate ginerbread cookies, played games, ate and got a present from Santa.

Hallie showing the cookie she decorated.

Dion & Kays - Wednesday, Dec 2

2009-12-09T04:03:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday, December 2 we spent the afternoon with my brother Dion and his wife Kay and their kids - Josh, Allister, Paige, Piper and Savannah. The kids had a great time together! Kay is always known for her great cooking. For lunch she made homemade spring rolls (yum yum!) and for dinner parmesean chicken which had been dipped in egg, flour and bread crumbs with parmesan cheese and then shallow fried. Soooo.... good! Sam loved the chicken. Kay had made chicken nugget sized pieces and Sam gobbled up 5 pieces in no time and then took some home for later! Sam is my fussiet eater and to see him enjoy his food so much was great!

Paige with Elliott...

My brother Dion with Elliott

Savannah riding on Piper's back.

Checking out Oma's House

2009-12-06T00:08:00.005-05:00

Our first two days in Tassie were spent checking out my parents house and the beaches and parks close by.....

Home at last!!

2009-12-05T23:37:00.004-05:00

After months of planning we finally arrived in Tasmania on Monday, Nov 30. We started our journey on Friday, Nov 27 at about 4:30pm and drove 2.5 hours from our home in Evans, Georgia to the airport in Atlanta. 20 minutes from our home, Owen asked for "Stuffy" his toy elephant and his dummy (pacifier). We couldn't find either - oh no!! So we turned around and went back home only to discover that Stuffy had been with us all along under all our suitcases! Anyway, by 5:20pm, we were leaving home for the second time. Thankfully we had allowed plenty of time and were still able to park the car and get through the airport without racing. Altanta is one of the busiest airports in the world. Just to get to our plane, we had to ride a bus ride from our car to the departure terminal and then a train ride to get to our gate!

Our flight arrived in LA at about midnight (or 3am body time for us). We found our hotel and squeezed everyone into one room. Thankfully everyone slept well and slept in late. We were the last ones for breakfast the next morning at 10am. It was a beautiful sunny day in LA and so we went for a walk and found a playground for the kids.

At 8pm we headed back to the airport again. The kids and I to catch our 11pm flight to Melbourne and Chris to catch his 11:55pm flight back to Atlanta. Chris had to say goodbye to us at security and then a very helpful Qantas employee helped the kids and I to our gate (I LOVE Qantas!). Just before we were to board the plane Ella and Owen fell asleep and so I ended up carrying them onto the plane asleep. My kids are AWESOME travellers! Ella and Owen stayed asleep for a good 6-8 hours each. Sam quickly followed once we were on the plane. There was a crib for Elliott to sleep in too. While they were sleeping I managed to watch a couple of movies and rest up a bit myself. I was ready for major melt downs, but we didn't have any. Even the passengers around me commented on how good they were. I think they were probably releived too!! One mother with four kids - I'm sure they were expecting a bad trip too when they saw who they were sitting near!

The highlight of the flight was going to check on Sam and Owen who had gone to the toilet together. When I got down to the toilets, Owen had taken off his diaper and jeans and was just about to go running down the aisle butt naked!!

We arrived in Melbourne at 9:40am on Monday, Nov 30. Owen was asleep again and so I had to carry him and Elliott off the plane. It was so good to get off that plane! A customs officer helped me collect our bags ans strollers and just as we walked out, my sister Tammy walked up and found us. It was so good to see her!! We had a 5 hour wait in Melbourne and then a 1 hour drive back to my parents.(see Tammy and Simone's blogs). On the drive back to my parents all of the kids fell asleep and slept until the next morning! What a great start!

One of the things I love about coming home is driving up over the Don hill and seeing the ocean before me and then looking back at Mt. Roland behind me. That's when I know I'm home! I love the smell, the gum trees, the air, the beautiful scenery. I know I'm biased, but Tasmania is really one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:58:00.003-05:00

We were not quite sure if we were going to cook a Thanksgiving meal this year. We leave tomorrow for Australia and it just seemed like too much work to do the day before we leave. Chris suggested a couple of days ago that we should do it on Thanksgiving eve. That way we could finish packing on Thanksgiving and have more time to eat the leftovers.

Chris did everything! I LOVE my husband. He stayed up until 1am on Tuesday night doing all the prep work. The prep work included making home-made bread cubes for the stuffing, salting the turkey and making turkey stock from scratch to baste the turkey in and make gravy from. Chris worked so hard that he got a blister on his finger - mostly from cutting up all those bread cubes! This year we had a "Herb roasted turkey with shallot-dijjon gravey" from the November 2008 Bon Appetit (it's the one on the cover). The turkey was AMAZING! I have never eaten such a moist, flavorful, succulent turkey. Chris also made fresh cranberry sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn on the cob, asparagus and broccoli. It was all so DELICIOUS! I wish we had invited some friends to share it with us so I could brag about how great Chris's cooking is!

Sam and Ella have been talking about Thanksgiving at school all month and even had a Thanksgiving meal one day at school. They were very excited about having Thanksgiving this year and tucked into their feast too. I love Thanksgiving! It's such a great holiday. You just can't go wrong with a holiday that's just all about food!

Camping with Dad

2009-11-26T08:51:00.002-05:00

Chris has started doing something special with one child each month. This month is was Sam's turn and he got to go camping with Dad. The plan was to have them go camping at a real camp site down near the lake (about 20 mins away). But when we found out that it was $23 a night with a minimum 2 night stay we quickly decided that the back yard was a far better option! Cheaper and nicer! They cooked mac and cheese on the camping stove, read stories in the tent and had a really good time. Owen and Ella were a bit jealous and asked to go camping with Dad when it was their turn to do something special with him.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-22T09:21:00.005-05:00

I'm a bit behind in my blogging! This entry is about our trip to the Pumpkin Patch on Friday, November 13. We went with some friends from church. Every fall there are several farms in the area that set-up corn mazes, hay rides and lots of other farm activities. We went to the same one we went to last year and I think we enjoyed it even more this year. The weather was just perfect (last year it was super hot!) and there were even more activities this time. The kids had a great time. I was tired at the end of the day. I'm used to 20 minute drives or less around town. And the Pumpkin Patch is about 1 hour and 15 minutes away. A long drive for us!

Sam and Owen listening to a story about a square pumpkin.

Feeding the animals.

Checking out the chickens.
Owen on the tractor see-saw.
Sam pushing Ella on one of the tractor pedal bikes. This was by far Sam's favorite activities!

Ella and Owen watching the pig races.

Going on a hay ride.

Happy Birthday to Princess Ella

2009-11-18T20:50:00.005-05:00

Ella turned 4 on November 15th. She had her "1st" birthday party on Saturday, November 7th. It was a Princess Birthday party and she had about 8 friends at her party. There was a lot of pink princesses at the party!

At the party, they decorated cupcakes (my latest party trick - have the kids decorate cupcakes and call it the birthday cake! They enjoy it and there is no cake for me to make!)

Played pass-the-parcel.
Decorated Princess Crowns

Chased bubbles

Opened presents

Sang happy birthday and enjoyed party food.

Ella's "2nd Birthday" was on November 15th (her real birthday). Poor Ella had to wait for Owen to wake up before she could open her presents. He didn't wake up until 8am. He did the same thing last Christmas too! Very frustrating for Sam and Ella.

A picture of Ella with her loot

I made Ella a new dress for her birthday. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot of her wearing it last Sunday to church. It's very bright and I had a lot of fun making it. I made it from fabric that I bought in Adelaide 12 years ago!

Ella got to choose what we had for dinner. She decided on Pad Thai with shrimp (she calls it spaghetti and shrimp!) and corn on the cob.

10 things we love about Ella
1. How girly she is. She wears pink almost everyday and loves to wear tights and dresses She dresses herself and can often be seen wearing stripes with florals or wearing pink and red together.
2. When asked what she wants to be when she grows up it's always a princess - she never changes her mind. She has told us several times that she needs to go to the ball to meet a prince and get married (she thinks that Cinderella is a story about her because in our version, Cinderella's real name is "Ella").
3. She is often willing to share objects that her brothers want to make them happy.
4. How she tries to care for Elliott. When he is upset, she will try to entertain him and make sure that he is ok.
5. That she doesn't love chocolate. Because her brothers love chocolate, she will often turn to her Mum and say "girls don't like chocolate right?" For breakfast on Sunday's Chris will make oven puff pancakes and she will often ask for 'lemonade' which is lemon juice straight up and no sugar to flavor the puff pancakes.
6. She will out eat her brothers both in quantity and diversity of food. She loves corn on the cob, parmesan cheese, broccoli ("trees"), raspberries, shrimp, and most fruit.
7. She gives the best hugs and often wants to give several before she goes to sleep each night.
8. How she loves to play dress-up and will often get Owen to wear skirts, dresses and carry a purse.
9. How she keeps asking for a sister.
10. When she writes her name she loves to embellish the "E" with a few extra horizontal strokes.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T19:47:00.004-05:00

Halloween this year felt bigger than Christmas! We started the day by putting the finishing touches on Sam and Owen's costumes. Sam wanted to be a John Deere tractor and Owen wanted to be a fire truck. We got creative and made both their costumes from cardboard boxes and some spray paint. I was pretty pleased with the finished product and the boys looked so cute in them together. Thankfully Ella wanted to wear the same costume as last year, and so that didn't require any effort!

At noon we headed to the annual Ward Chilli cook off. First there were games and activities for the kids to play and then we had lunch. Chris made two pots of chilli and was quite stressed about winning a prize. We've been on a winning streak for the past few years and either Chris or I have won a prize for our soups / chilli. Chris was very pleased when his chocolate chilli won the prize for being the most original!

Later in the afternoon we headed off to our neighborhood Fall Festival. It included more games, candy and pizza. There were prizes for the best costumes. Sam won a prize for being the most original. I guess our family just likes being original! Sam was very pleased with his $10 Walmart gift card and told me how on Monday he wants me to take him to Walmart so that he can use it!

After the Fall Festival we went trick or treating. I LOVE taking the kids trick or treating and missed out last year. Owen was SOOO cute this year saying "Happy Halloween" and "Trick or treat" in his little 2-year old voice. This was Owen's first time going trick or treating and he quickly got the idea. So much so that he would not let us take his Pumpkin bucket (full of Candy!) away from him even when it got really heavy. But he was quite happy to take off his costume, just as long as he could still collect the Candy. Owen was also the last one to come home!

Some random shots from the day showing the kids in their costumes...

The Binghams Save the Day!

2009-10-18T20:34:00.005-04:00

This afternoon we arrived home from church and found a turtle sitting in front of our garage. We have no idea how it got there (very slowly I guess!), but we decided that we should move it closer to water. There is a large pond about 200m away on the other side of a main road. So everyone quickly got changed and that's where we headed. In hindsight, I hope we did the right thing - maybe it's been living in our backyard all this time and now we've moved it away from its family. And certainly it was a tad bit traumatized by 3 kids poking at it and being moved in a bucket!

Saying goodbye to our turtle.....

These two shots were just too funny not to blog. Ella loves to play with Elliott and Elliott loves to pull Ella's hair! Elliott came away with quite a fist full! Poor Ella... And what is Owen doing!!

Fun times with Owen

2009-10-06T21:57:00.005-04:00

Owen is very much a 2-year old at the moment - lots of fun, with a good dose of frustration at times!! He recently added some lovely crayon art work to our living room walls - the walls have flat paint and so the only way we can remove the crayon is to paint! Also a couple of additional goes at coloring our sofa with blue pen - thankfully that has come off we can only use pencils around the house now.

Here are some pictures of Owen taken over the past 2 weeks..

Asleep... Chris had just read him 2 stories and he was done. He doesn't like to take a planned nap anymore, but at least 4 days a week still falls asleep somewhere mid-afternoon!

Sporting a lovely pair of playdough glasses

This is a picture of Chris and me on the Carthew hike in the Canadian Rockies before we got married. It sits next to our temple wedding certificate in our bedroom. Owen was looking hard at it last week and said. "I go there one day too". Owen we would love to take you there one day!

On Saturday Chris took Owen out on a "Daddy Date". He loaned a bike trailer from a friend and took Owen for a bike ride along the Augusta Canal. Owen loves to say he is going "super-fast=speed" on his trike and so this was just awesome fun to be going super-fast-speed with Dad. Afterwards they went to MacDonald for lunch and a play.

Owen taking his unplanned nap for the day in the bike trailer....

Owen LOVES to play with water. In the bath, at the sink, outside. If it involves water, he's happy! Here he had tipped his cup of water on his tray and was drinking it up like a dog!

Goodbye Scott

2009-10-01T20:20:00.002-04:00

This week we said goodbye to a friend. Scott was our home teacher and just 17 years old. His father found him on Monday night on the track at the local high school, it appears he died of a heart attack while exercising.

Scott was an example to all of Christ like love and service. He would always greet me with a big smile and a firm handshake. As if I had always known him. Our children grew to love him also, he would greet them in the hall, tease them and quickly have them laughing.

Last year, shortly after we moved to Augusta, we asked the young men in our ward if anyone could help us lay sod, we would pay them, we just needed some extra hands. Scott was the only one to come and we spent a very hot, sweaty morning chatting and working. He did it all cheerily and with a big smile on his face. At the time he wanted to be a nurse, but over the past year his plans changed and just before he died he wanted to be a cardiac thoracic surgeon.

About 2 weeks ago we went to a friends house to learn how to make Thai food. Scott had also been invited. He was a great addition to the evening. Joining in the conversation and taking notes so we could all enjoy cooking the food at home later.

Chris and I have moved so often and what ever Ward we are in becomes our family. Scott and his family have become family to us over the past year. He has 6 siblings. I spent many mornings at the pool with his younger siblings over this past summer and my heart aches for them. It was a true testimony builder today at the funeral to hear remarks from his siblings, ranging in age from 6 to 21. I'm so grateful for the gospel and our knowledge that families can be together forever.

Lemonade "Tea Party"

2009-09-22T19:39:00.003-04:00

Ella's friend Jade invited her to a Lemonade Tea Party. Jade is fast becoming Ella's best friend because they go to school together and see each other at church. Ella was very excited that she could go to the party and that the boys were not invited! There were 8 little girls in all and they had a lovely time.

Best Friends

2009-09-14T20:08:00.006-04:00

On Sunday, Sam and Ella participated in our Ward Primary Program. They did a great job. Ella sang "I am a child of God" with her Sunbeam class and Sam got to say how much he loves playing with his brother Ella (he always gets that mixed up!!).

Here they are just before church...

And this morning, Sam and Ella had their first day at pre-school. Most schools here in Georgia went back in early August, so we have been anxiously waiting for theirs to start. They are attending a pre-school at a High School where the high school students teaching the class are taking early childhood education. So there are more "teachers" than little kids. They both LOVED their fist day and are very excited to go again tomorrow. Here they are just before heading out the door this morning.And while Sam and Ella were at pre-school, Owen and Elliott got to spend a quiet morning with Mum. Here they are hanging out together....

Sam-the-fix-it-man

2009-09-11T15:16:00.006-04:00

Sam loves to have a screw driver in his hand taking things apart to see how they work. He has got very good at this and can often take apart a toy and put it back together again. A couple of weeks ago I found him with a new baby toy a friend had given to us for Elliott. He had all the parts laid out on the floor and quite clearly was not going to be able to put it all back together again! This has become such an obsession that I have had to start hiding the screw drivers and he has likewise, been found hiding a "spare one" in his bedroom.

This talent comes in handy though, here is a picture of Sam putting the vacuum cleaner back together after we had replaced one of the belts yesterday. And the one below is of him "tinkering" with one of his toy cars today.

And here are a couple of funny shots of Ella and Owen wearing pipe cleaner glasses. Owen is a wild 2-year old at the moment and knows want he wants. On the afternoon these picture were taken he had decided that clothes were not an option!

Thankful that we have our life back!

2009-09-01T20:17:00.008-04:00

"And we're thankful that Dad has a new car and that we can have our life back." This is what Sam said in his prayers last week after Chris finally found a new car that fit our criteria. After 4 weeks without a car during the day the kids and I were very grateful to have the minivan back so that we could get back to our usual routine.

Here's a picture of the new car... It's a 2000 Honda Civic that was previously owned by a grandma in Florida. It only has 48,000miles (77,000km). Chris is very happy with his new car. Drive just like the old one, only much nicer and newer (yes even a 9 year old car can feel new!)

Some other random shots downloaded from the camera... The kids "playing" dominos together. They were really just using them as building blocks. I usually don't let them touch any of the "Mum and Dad" games, but after 4 weeks at home I relented!
Elliott sitting up in his new Bumbo chair. He is 4 months old already, time flies! He has Chris's eye color and I think he looks the most like Chris of any of the boys.
Storytime with Dad...

Chris took the kids out with their "rainbrellas" on Sunday evening. They had a great time stomping in the puddles. Even with their umbrellas they came back pretty soaked. This nice thing is that it's warm rain. Not like the cold rain I hear Tassie has been getting!

Charleston & Happy Birthday Dad

2009-08-18T21:24:00.023-04:00

The kids have not been anywhere this summer and so we made a weekend trip to Charleston for Chris's birthday. We started packing on Thursday night and the kids were soooo... excited! We were packed and already to go by lunchtime on Friday, but unfortunately Chris got held up at school. When Chris finally came home at 4:00pm the kids were out the door like rockets, ready to get in the minivan and hit the road. We hadn't even left the drive way before they wanted their movies on etc. I played hostess for the 3 hour drive there, feeding the troops and trying to keep everyone happy.

We had a great weekend. Saturday morning we spent on the Isle of Palms beach. We got there at 9:00am, which was a good thing. By the time we left at noon it was packed! The kids got to swim in the pool at the hotel, go to the aquarium and generally just enjoy being somewhere different. Sam cried when we told him Saturday night that we had to go home the next day. He really didn't think we had been away long enough.

The trip was also a good test run for our trip to Australia in November. We were quite pleased to see how the kids were able to settle down and all go to sleep in the one room together. Sam is still by far our best traveler. Owen is a tornado at the moment and even more so when he's out of his own environment- I guess that comes with being 2!

Ella took a 1 hour nap at the beach!

All ready for church on Sunday morning...
At the aquarium

Things to do when you're stuck at home!

2009-08-13T20:58:00.008-04:00

Chris's 1991 Honda Civic broke down 2 weeks ago (for about the 5th time in 2 months!) and so the kids and I have been without a car while we're waiting to find a new one for him. This hasn't been all bad. Last week we were still able to go to the pool every morning, but this week, school started back and the pool has been closed during the day and so we've had to get a bit more creative with our activities. It's still very hot here in Georgia and if you don't get out before 9am, you'd better be doing something that involves water to cool you off or else you'll just be miserable and over heat!

So here are some pics of some of the things we've been up to this week to fill in our days..

A friend called from Target to say there were lots of toys for 75% off. She picked up a few things for me, most of which I was able to hide away in the attic before the kids could see them. I did not, however, get the picnic table below hidden away very well. Sam found it and so I decided to let them put it together. It took them 2 hours to screw together and then they played with it for 15 minutes!!

Here are the 3 monkeys making Anzac biscuits (oat cookies)

Ella has been doing some great art work lately. This one is a caterpillar...

Owen has been ready for potty training for a while. This week seemed like a great chance to let him get the hang of things while we are stuck at home anyway. He has been doing really well - only one accident today, and that one landed on the grass! It's great having older siblings to help - I haven't had to do much at all. Here he is getting clean - he LOVES climbing up on this sink and today I caught him just in time. He had the tap running with the plug in and the first drops of water spilling over...

Elliott hasn't been very happy this week and Sam has been a great help trying to cheer him up. Here is Sam "showing" Elliott his baby toys..

Laurel Lee and Robert's wedding

2009-08-06T20:19:00.017-04:00

It's taken me almost 2 weeks, but here at last are a few pictures from Laurel Lee and Robert's wedding. Laurel Lee is one of Chris's 4 sisters and the one to come with us to Australia a few years ago.

Chris and I were able to fly out to Portland, OR with just Elliott for the wedding. It was so nice to have a few days away and it was so quiet with just a baby!! Elliott was a very good traveler and enjoyed the wedding too!

While we were gone, our friend Ashley looked after Sam, Ella and Owen. They had a great time - the highlight being a trip to Monkey Joe's (indoor inflatable slides) followed by dinner and more playtime at Chik-Fil-A. Apparently they were so tuckered out after that they all went happily to bed. Ashley did a great job looking after them all - even taking them swimming and to church on Sunday! Thanks again Ashley! There are some pictures of their escapades on Ashley's facebook page.

The Bridal Shower the night before the wedding...

Chris and Elliott at the Family brunch just before the wedding on Saturday morning.
The Portland Temple
The Bride and groom..

Aunty Laurel Lee with ElliottThe newest Bingham... little Malia
Chris's youngest brother, Bryant, is currently on a mission and so Laurel Lee had a life size cut out of him made so he could still be present in the photos. I found it a little freaky!!

Elliott smiling for the crowd.
Laurel Lee and Makena. Ella has decided she wants to grow up and be a princess in a white dress, just like Laurel lee!
Grandma and Grandpa

The $238 bite

2009-07-20T21:29:00.002-04:00

When we moved to Augusta we bought a fancy front loading, energy efficient washer and drier. On the weekend I noticed lots of water on the floor after doing a couple of loads. On closer inspection, Chris found what looks to be a bite out of the rubber door seal that matches the size of our 2-year old Owen. It's just the sort of thing Owen would do. I called today and found out that it's going to cost $238 to repair!! And the warranty just ran out 4 weeks ago - bummer!

Dress Like a Cow, Get Free Chicken

2009-07-15T21:15:00.003-04:00

On Friday we went to a fast food place called Chick-Fil-A for cow appreciation day. Anyone who dressed like a cow, got a free meal. The kids had fun making costumes the day before and had a great time at playing at the indoor playground and eating their meal.

Happy 2nd Birthday Owen!

2009-07-08T21:11:00.014-04:00

Owen and Sam were both due on July 4th. One came 6 days early, the other 2 days late. And now we get to have a party mid-year with 2 birthdays and 4th of July sandwiched in the middle.

On Monday, July 6th, Owen turned two. It seems like he has been two for a long time already and so we were glad to make it official. The night before Owen's birthday the kids decided to all sleep in Owen's room together. They were so excited and it took a little longer than usual for them to all settle down and sleep.

Owen was so excited about his birthday. I guess it helps to have older siblings to get you going. He knew exactly what to do with his presents....

By 7:45am we were outside taking his new "Plasma Car" for a ride...

Omi (my Mum) sent Owen a badge that says "I am 2". He proudly wore it all day long!

For his birthday dinner Owen had pizza and cupcakes decorated with way too much candy! Owen loves birthday candles and we had to light them twice!

10 things we love about Owen:
- How much he talks. Tonight he said to Chris "Sam's room. Get fireworks book. Be right back"! Not bad for a 2-year old.
- How little he is
- That he loves cuddles and being sung to
- That he is everyone's favorite at the gym daycare. I'm not Sam or Ella or Elliott's Mum. They all know me as Owen's Mum
- That he sings, and tells us to stop if we try to join in
- That he always wants to go with his Dad on errands
- How obsessed he is with water. Any body of water (e.g., lake, puddles etc) are swimming pools to Owen
- How he loves to help his Dad in the garden
- How he insists on doing everything Sam and Ella are doing. This includes helping cook, wearing a bike helmet and jumping in the swimming pool
- How sweet he is with Elliott. He loves to give him hugs and his favorite stuffed elephant

4th of July

2009-07-05T21:29:00.008-04:00

Last year Sam was disappointed that he didn't get to see the "sparks in the sky" for the 4th of July and so we promised him that we would go this year. There are fireworks at several places around Augusta and we had heard that the ones at the Fort Gordon military base were good and not too crowded and so off we went.

Before the fireworks, there were army trucks and rides for the kids to check out. By 9:00pm we had found a spot to put our blanket down and watch the fireworks from. By 9:30pm we had 4 very tired children and by 10pm when the fireworks started they all burst into tears, tired and scared by the loud noises. Thankfully the fireworks display lasted a good 20-30 minutes which gave them time to take it all in and calm down. Sam decided that it sounded like popcorn and that helped ease Ella and Owen's fears. Elliott was by far the best. He was wide eyed and silent the whole time!

A random shot of Sam earlier this week getting his beauty sleep!