Family Reunion 2010

This year for our family reunion, Mike and I were in charge. It was a busy summer for both of us, and add this to the mumbo jumbo...let's just say we're glad its over :) It was a lot of fun though and I was glad for the opportunity to see all of my family together. We missed those who weren't there (Moe and Chris for part of it) but really I was pleased with the turn out! It seems to be getting harder and harder for all of us to gather in one place at the same time...we're getting so big! At this point, there were 21 1/2 grandkids. Since then (Just two days ago actually) Mardy has had her baby! Congrats you guys...we're so happy for you :) Count in the adults and that makes it for a total of 36 1/2 in our family as of July 2010! Wow! Gotta love big families :) Since it was an even year, we had the winter Olympics earlier. My family was also having a biggest loser competition, and my Mom wanted the grand finale to be during the family reunion. SOOO that was our theme, Biggest Loser/ The Bingham Olympics. I have to say, I think it turned out well and was more fun then I could have hoped for, but what do you expect when you get such amazing people together? :)

Our first day was on Monday. We had people arrive and set up camp at the KOA in Salt Lake City (I know, its crazy to camp downtown in a big city) and go to my Mom's for their final weigh in. Then we had our Biggest Loser Day activities. For any of you who watch Biggest Loser, you know that they have competitions against one another, so that's what we did...family against family. The things were geared more towards being active since it is "The Biggest Loser" and losing weight usually requires activity :) The first one was the obstacle course. First you had to run backwards, then army crawl to the picnic table, go up and over the table, hula hoop to the bats, put your head on the bat and circle it five times or so, and then run back to the start. The first picture (above) are the official participants doing the army crawl.

Here are a few of us after turning around and being really dizzy. (Marjorie, me, and Jacob)

Of course the little kids wanted to try it all too and it was so fun seeing them all play and interact :) Below are a few videos I thought the family might enjoy.

The adults enjoying the show. (left to right-Marjorie, Angela, Valerie, little baby Sophie, and Ashely...plus the backside of Naomi and Mickie in the background)

More relaxing...left to right is Mardy, Jacob, Jeanine, and Heidi holding Thomas

The next activity was the triatholon- they had to hulahoop so many times, then jump rope so many times (I can't remember the number), and then swim across the pool. Below is a video of this. Below is another video of the kids performing.

Since it was Monday, we had FHE, sponsored by Michael William. He is such an amazing guy...I'm so lucky to have him! He is so good with kids and would do this activity with kids on his mission where they would play spiritual hopscotch and learn the importance of doing everything (i.e. reading scriptures, saying prayers, obey parents etc.) that were in all of the boxes in order to get to the end, eternal life. If we didn't do that thing, then the box would get X'd out and we couldn't step on it. The kids liked trying to jump over these boxes and seeing who could jump the farthest. Then we'd repent and get some of the boxes back. It was quick, fun, and easy and a HUGE hit. After it was done the kids were still making their own hopscotches and "teaching" one another. Too cute :) Because of the big size we had to divide up into two groups. Above is my group and below is Mike's group.



Later that night they announced the Biggest Loser...This is the video of that :)

The next morning, Tuesday, dawned early and above are some of the kids eating breakfast. Each family was in charge of a meal so that Mike and I didn't have to do it all. Thanks everyone for your help! It was really nice and easy for us and we appreciate it! :)

Mom and Megan eating breakfast. Lucky for us, Mom and Dad were able to switch their P-Day and were there all of Tuesday! We really enjoyed having her and Dad with us since that was the reason we wanted to have it in Salt Lake so they could be there for most of it :)

Since this day was Olympic day we had each of the families wear different colors (Mike and I were white/orange, the Cooks were gray, the Lloyds red, the Tomlinsons pink, the Meservys blue, the Trent Binghams green, and the Robert Binghams yellow). We went to Liberty Park to have all of our events and above is a picture of me with my sweet little niece, Sophie. She is such a serious baby, but such a sweet heart too!

These are the contestants for the first activity-snowboarding! In this they had to push off and go down the ramp and see who could coast the farthest. Below are the individuals on their runs.

Naomi for the Tomlinsons!

Kimball for the Lloyds!

Rachel for the Cooks!

Spencer for the Meservys!

Mike for the Binghams/Reeses (we decided to combine with Trent and Mardy)

The next activity...Curling! Aka boccie ball according to Mike :) Above he is setting up the playing field and explaining how it is done.

The Cooks vs. the Lloyds (left to right-Ashley and Valerie with Megan in front of them, then Heidi and David with Emily in front of them)

Stud muffin David!

Amazing Ashley!

Meservys vs the Tomlinsons (left to right, Spenser, Marjorie holding Miles, Jared, Angela, Micah).

Talented Micah!

Dead on Jared!

Super Strut Angela! :)

One armed Marjorie!

Binghams vs Binghams/Reeses (left to right, Jeanine, Mom, Me (Camille), Mardy)

Umm...me

Super Mom! :) ...Heidi? I can hear you singing it! "Cuz She's a Suppper Moooom!" ;)

Superb Jeanine!

Prego Mardy! :) (but prego no longer!)

The next activity was a snowball fight! AKA water fight! This was for the kids, and who ever was the driest won! :)

Perfect form Scottie!

This is a video of the kids running around. I just love it...especially when Emily comes and throws the ball at Mike :) They have such a loving relationship :) Mike wants to win Emily's affection so badly, and I think she knows it because she antagonizes him and knows just what to do to get a reaction outta him :) Love it :)

Lining up to be judged by Michael and Heidi.

This was the Alpine Skiing where they would run in between the trees...the younger ones didn't have to go as far. (left to right, Marjorie, Nicole, Jacob, Rachel, Trent, Naomi)

Get Ready, Get Set, GO!


Here's the end of that race...and as you can see from the back of Angela's shirt, the adults got in on the water fight action (aka snowball fight) as well :)

Now its the kids turn :)

Now the Boys must have a hand (or foot!) at it :)

Sweet little Thomas takin' a nap

My good lookin' husband and myself-Man he looks good! :)

Love you honey!! :)

The Meservy's (this was right before Miles got that shiner on his forehead). And so that's it! We went back, had the awards ceremony, but I didn't get any pictures of that unfortunately. We had made different sized medals with their different colors for gold, silver, and bronze, and the gold medalist also got an origami flower spray painted gold. It was fun...at least I had fun! Thanks everyone for coming and having a good time! Sure do love ya!

Am I safe in assuming Mike is MINE?!?

Background: Above is a picture of my beautiful sister and her husband Moe, and their three kids; Kenya, the oldest, Naomi is on the left, and Micah is in the middle. So I went to my sister's blog the other day and read this hysterical entry! I laughed so hard and had to read it to Mike as soon as he got home. He laughed too and requested I put it on our blog so his family could read it as well. I think it kinda made his day and made him feel good :) Here's Angela's post:

I've been having some conversations on marriage with the kids, I guess you could say. I had to go to Brigham to get some needed errands done, and on the drive home the girls were spouting off who they wanted to marry. Examples: Kenya told me that she wanted to marry Enrique, a boy that we used to live by in Mexico. Naomi told me that Jeffrey told her that he wasn't going to marry her, "So I guess I'll have to yfind someone else. (audible sigh) I will get married though...someday." Naomi then decided that she wanted to marry Enrique too, but then decided against it, because Enrique was going to marry Kenya. I was trying to suppress a laugh, when Micah blurted out, "I want to marry Mike!" I couldn't hold it in any longer. Explanation: Naomi has had a "crush" on Mike, my sister Camille's husband, since the day she's met him. She's always telling him that she's going to marry him. Well, I guess Micah decided he wanted to marry him too ;) I told Micah, "Micah. Boys shouldn't marry boys (Not to mention the fact that Mike is already taken ;). Boys should marry girls and girls marry boys. Mommy is a girl and I married Daddy who is a boy." Micah seemed to understand, until a little while later he blurted out again that he was going to marry Mike. I think it sunk in though, because several hours later as Micah and I were preparing dinner together he said to me, "Dad is a boy, and he married you, and you are a girl!" I said, "Yes, that's right Micah!" Then Micah did a moan/sigh and said, "Mommy I want to marry YOU!" I laughed and then he smiled and said proudly, "When I a dad, I marry YOU!"

Adventures of the Reese's

Wow...so much has happened in so short of a time! I haven't posted anything forever, and Mike was really wanting me to, so he got on and uploaded the photo's for me (that's the part I hate and dread the most because I feel like it takes FOREVER! He didn't want to write anything though, so here I go! :) For awhile now Mike has made small little comments about how my hair use to be so blonde and he wonders what it would look like again, so with his permission, we went to Walmart and got some dye...I had already roped my friend Sharon into doing it not too long ago (but I chickened out and it really didn't do anything) so I didn't want to ask her again and make her hate me...this is a long and very boring thing to do. Who else could I ask to help me out? Hahahaha, yep, my good ol` hubby! And he consented to do it! Yea! What a good sport...since my hair has been blonde Mike has said that he likes it, but he thinks he likes my red hair better. I'm not sure if he means it or if he's just saying that because he doesn't want to have to go through this whole process again hahaha :) He's so funny and made me laugh a lot while he was doing it by acting very feminine...so when he asked when we were going to paint our nails I knew I had probably asked too much of this man and had slowly zapped out his manliness...that or the fumes from the hair dye morphed some of his brain cells :) Below are a few of the pictures from that event.

Mike pulling out my hair oh so faithfully

Me with the cap and all the hair pulled out.

Next on the list was when we were able to go down to Utah for the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" which was absolutely amazing!! I loved it so much and Mike said that he even enjoyed it! Above is a picture of us on our way down so a before shot of the hair cut and after the hair dye. Next we were able to go to the Jazz game, which was lots of fun. Hahahaha, so Mike has a small, okay a pretty big, obsession of gathering autographs. Apparently he has over 500 autographs including Lebron James, Isiah Thomas, Carmello Anthony, Kobe Bryant, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan, Deron Williams, , Vince Carter, Tracy Mcgrady, (basketball) Steve Young, Ty Detmer, Austin Collie, Dwight Howard, Charlie Frye ,(Football) Andy Roddick, Roger Federer (tennis) Patrick Marleau, Jonathan Cheechoo (hockey) Jeremy Guthrie (baseball)....I don't even know who most of them are, at all. But I loved going and seeing Mike all giddy and like a little boy Christmas morning. When he was down getting the autographs he kept bitting his cheeks, trying to not smile and betray his joy.

So there we were, sitting in the seats waiting for the body guard people to give us the go ahead to go up to the rail for autographs...I was busy taking pictures when all of the sudden they gave the go ahead. I literally just turned in my sit after taking a picture to find Mike GONE! He was already up by the railing, ahead of a buncha little kidos, getting the autographs :) Hehehe...he was the only big kid down there for a while but eventually he had others join him. I tried my best to get pictures for him in using the zoom button since I was so far behind and couldn't make it up to where he was. This picture above is of Kyle Korver, his all time favorite man crush of Mike's. Below is some of Kyle warming up that I was able to get.

Kyle above, Jerry Sloan, the Jazz coach, below.

Above is some of the players warming up, and below is Mike and I after the game up close to the court. Mike would really like to get seats right about where we're standing, but we'll see..

And here is where our seats were this time. AND a view of our new hair cuts. Yes, Mike is almost bald! :) It was so funny...he said that because he was letting me get my hair cut as short as I wanted then he should be able to cut his as short as he wanted too. So I said okay, and Mike choose the two shortest blades (or whatever they're called) for the clippers and when I first started I could do much because I was freaking out that it was so short! It was shorter then what Mike thought it would be, but it was to late to turn back. Then we did a longer one on top right? BUT THEN we had to trim up the sides with the shorter one again, which I did, and then Mike went in to look at it in the mirror and decided the front was a little too long so he was going to trim it up real quick. I'm still in the restroom when all of the sudden I hear this "Arrgh!" And I go running out thinking he's cut himself again or something...and then I burst out laughing because Mike has this stripe down the middle of his head. It was NOT my fault! Mike kept saying it was, but I promise it was not! Hahaha, so this is why we ended up shaving the rest of his head and why we now have to use a flash when taking pictures, otherwise he'll look bald :) And that my dear friends and family, is the grand adventure of the the Reese's in the last little while. The End.

Valentine's, Skiing, what more could you ask for?

A lot has happened in a short amount of time! Here are a few pictures to help catch you up...

On night when I had work, Mike decided to go bond style with his buddies when playing laser tag. Above is his really good friend from the dorms, Matt...they do a lot together and sometimes I forget that Matt isn't technically a part of the family :)

Then when he had a ten hour day at the YMCA I got together with my good friend from the dorms (and after and forever), Sharon, and since it was soon to be Valentine's Day, we made some sugar cookies. They turned out great and tasted wonderful (thanks Marjorie for the recipe).


Then when Mike and I celebrated Valentine's day I had the biggest and best surprise. Mike had dinner/lunch ready when I woke up after working, and for my gift he had scrapbooked our wedding! And he did such a good job! He had help writing the words on the front sheet from our sister, Tamar, which we really appreciated...thanks Tamar! It was wonderful and I completely loved that day. Oh, and yes, he has amazing taste when it comes to flowers as well :)


Then this week we were able to hit the slopes and do some amazing skiing with his brothers, dad, and sister. It was a lot of fun! I was able to ski...and I was a little rusty since I haven't done that since eighth grade, but it was fun and I want to do it again! I was glad Mike hadn't skied for a while so we could relearn together :) Thanks for letting us go with you guys!

Up on the slope

Mike's Dad, Keven, Ryan, and Stephanie in the front.

Mike being daring and skiing through some rocks.

Afterwards, on our way home with Mike's little brother, Ryan. So that's it! We're doing good and living life! Hope everyone else it good and is having a great day!

1/2 a Year and Counting!

Wow...6 months! Does time always fly by this fast? It's amazing how much has happened and how it feels like I have been married forever! I can't imagine life without my wonderful husband, and I hope I never have to live without him again. There are many reasons I was drawn to this hunk, but below are listed just a few...

Reasons I love him:

1. His amazing sense of fashion

2.His desire to stay connected with family
(we watched American Idol with his brother Jason via iChat on his Mac)

3. He has an incredible smile :)

4. He lives up to his name as the "Wild Card"

:) I really do love you honey :)

Reasons he makes me smile:

1. He is always taking photos and loves to see/make me smile


2. He is always trying to surprise me and makes my food into smiley faces to brighten up my life


3. He married me for time and all eternity and is forever stuck! Yea for me! :)

And so for all of these reasons and more, I have just had the best 6 months of my life :) I sure do love you honey dear sweet heart!

No...we're not dead quite yet

"Life is good, life is great, life is unbelievable!"

During nursing school my study buddy and really good friend, Kassie Burton, would sing this clip from a song to me all the time (often it was when I'd start freaking out and she'd be trying to calm me down and tell me I wasn't going to fail at life, and nursing). And I believed her, thank goodness. Every now and again I'll find myself singing this phrase to myself and smile, knowing that it is very true.

Life is unbelievably great/good right now for Mike and I. In December I was called off a lot and one week I was only able to get in 6 hours. While that stunk quite a bit, we were just grateful for the knowledge that come January I would not be called off as much because I have moved from the Resource Pool to a full time night position. Its great! I haven't been called off yet! :) The only down side is that now I have no excuse to be as lazy :(

The holidays were a happy time for us...we were able to go to my home, Jerome, and spend some time with my family. Haha, we spent more time with them then planned due to work calling me off (along with three other nurses, so I was NOT going to be going into work that night), and my mom saying she'd pay for our gas if we would turn around and came back. Thanks Mom!! It was so fun and good to be around family again. I left poor Mike alone most of the time while I went and helped my Mom pack up her home so that when they get off their mission they can move into something smaller. The yard and everything was just too much of an upkeep without my Dad's help. It was sad for all of us to see the home my Dad built from his own two hands with much sacrifice, his own sweat, tears, and literal blood, be packed away, but after seeing the hassle of it from the last two summers and how easy the condo in Salt Lake is...well, could we complain? Besides, it's staying in the family for now, which couldn't make me happier! I can't part with it fully quite yet. The home I was born and raised in, with all the memories...

Above I said "poor Mike"...Ha! He didn't have too shabby of a time either so don't feel too bad for him! He had brought down our Wii so my neices and nephews could play with it and it was so cute to see how much they worshiped him and would do basically ANYTHING so that they could play the Wii. All Mike had to do was say, "Heidi, what do your boys need to do for you before they can play?" And they would all scatter to tidy up the house inorder to play. Its fun to see him have so much fun, and all my neices and nephews aren't satisfied if its just me anymore. They always ask, "Where's Mike?" Even little Emily who is hard to win over and was very sassy towards Mike before this trip has warmed up to him and now his name is in her limited vocabulary. When we came back after I was called off work, we walked into their house and Emily said, "Mike?" It was really cute and made Mike's day, along with the fact that she will now give him hugs (these are rare from this cute 2 year old).

Unfortunately we don't have any pictures, but it was a fun trip. My amazing mother was able to push hard and get mostly everything done and put in storage before they headed back to Salt Lake. While down there we were able to see little Miles and Sophie be blessed and boy! What cute kids! The Bingham gene must not be dominant, becasue all of Marjorie's boys look very Meservy, and Valerie's kids look very Cook! It'll be interesting to see what Mike's and my kids will look like, whenever that time comes. And No Marjorie...I'm not pregnant! I know you'll immediatly think that and call me unless I clarify :) Anyways, hope everyone is doing well and that you all had as good of holidays as Mike and I!

Till the next month! (But I really will try to be better at posting sooner then that...we'll see)