Sisters

My little sister Amber came to Minnesota for a visit for the past 12 days. She just got home form her mission in Hong Kong and we were so excited to have her come out. For one thing she needed to meet Tate! When she got in the car he looked out the window and wouldn't look at her. He was just smiling and laughing but wouldn't look over. After he softened up they became good friends. Sharing a room and playing all day. I didn't take many pictures while she was here, I wish I had, but here are just the few I did take.






Sisters are the best. I love my baby sister, and I'm so glad she is home! She went back to Montana today and I miss her already!

Families are Forever

Today I have been thinking a lot about families. I love my family, both Bingham and Baum! I feel so blessed to have all of these people in my life. I know I have grown in many ways because of all of their influences. I have great examples of strong women and loving, compassionate mothers, of faithful/dedicated husbands and loving fathers. Our family really has it all. As much as I love my family that lives outside of my home and miss them daily, I know what gets me through the day is the family that is right here in my home.

When life is as unpredictable and crazy as it is right now, and sometimes I think I should be a complete mess. I feel at peace in my situation. Sure I get anxious sometimes at the thought of the unknown, everyone does. I always have a constant reminder that everything will be right, because I will always have my family. We live in Minnesota right now and to be honest I wasn't too happy to come out here, but I love it. I really do, I would even say I sometimes have mixed feeling about leaving here someday. Yes I hate being away from loves ones and miss them terribly, but I have my little family of three. We're small but we have each other.
My sweet Donny is my best friend. We laugh and giggle together, have constant inside jokes and most of the time know what the other will say or is thinking. We have cried together and found comfort in each others company. I know now that it doesn't matter where we live or how much money we have or how nice our house or car is. We are happy with nothing, (I know this because we have nothing now and we are happy). Happy to be a little family.
Little Tate is a blessing in our family. Sometimes I can't remember life without him. He is like sunshine in a bottle. When I feel down, that little smile warms my soul. Family really can be together forever........and I'm counting on it!!!

Sunday Best

Can you resist a boy in a sweater vest? I can't! He is such a snappy dresser and I love it! He's just so kissable and squeezable, and that smile just melts my heart!

I vant to suck your blood!

This year for Halloween Tate went as Dracula. He was so cute with that cape flapping behind him and that little bow tie. We had our church Halloween party the week before Halloween when Greg and Valynn were here. It was fun and I had thought maybe that would be all the Halloween we would do this year. I'm glad we decided to go out and do some trick or treating because we had so much fun. At first Tate wasn't quite sure what we were doing, but then at the first house that lady opened the door and dropped candy in his bucket he was hooked. The look on his face was priceless! There was no stopping him he was running from house to house. His bucket was getting so heavy but he wouldn't let us carry it for him he just started dragging it along. He did take a few spills along the way one somersault off the sidewalk and one trip that gave him a little bloody lip which added to the costume. He cried for a few seconds and was ready to go again. He was so funny he was holding his bucket out and would continue to hold it out until they would drop another into his bucket, then he would wave and say bu-bye and turn and run.






We went out with our friends the Oborns. Tate and Madison are just the cutest! Little Dracula and his witch girlfriend. Yep they like to kiss! and it is so cute!






One of the houses in our Neighborhood did an awesome job decorating and making it very spooky. Tate was terrified! But they were giving out full size candy bars so we had to go up to the door. As you can see he was scared to screaming and tears, please don't judge me for laughing in the pictures it was entertaining and I do feel bad for making him scared!




All in all it was the best Halloween we've had in years! It was so fun to see Tate enjoying the traditions we enjoyed when we were little.

When Grandma and Grandpa come to town

Grandma and Grandpa Baum came to visit us the past 9 days. It was such a great visit! We really enjoyed having them here. Tate got so attached to them that when they were getting ready to leave and rolling out their suitcases he started crying. After they left he stood at the door just sobbing for about 10 minutes, I then picked him up and he continued to cry on my shoulder for a while. I couldn't hold back the tears either with this sweet boy crying for his grandparents. He just fell in love with them. Donny and I have always said how blessed we are to have the families we have, and this week just reaffirmed the love we have for our families. I wish I would have taken more pictures while they were here. I'm still not as good as I should be with taking pictures. The funny thing is that I now have it down to have it with me all the time, I just forget to get it out! This is kind of a picture dump but I couldn't leave any out and well I know most people look at blog for the pictures anyway, so I guess I shouldn't apologize for it. These first few are from our walk around Minnehaha park and falls. We are so happy to live in such a beautiful place.


We spent 6 hours at the Mall of America one day. The boys were all troopers, especially Tate! He did so well! He got to ride a few rides at the Nickelodeon Park with Donny and Grandpa. He loved it of course. I swear that place is like the Lotus, you can spend hours in there and not realize how long you were there. Also a picture of Greg feeding Tate his first Twinkie and Tate doing ab exercises with Valynn.

These pictures are from our trip to Stillwater. The "birthplace of Minnesota", it was a beautiful day and the views were gorgeous!


These are a couple houses we saw on our drive around Stillwater. The scariest house on the block and a gorgeous Victorian house with pretty fall leaves. I wish I would have taken pictures of more houses, there were some really pretty ones.
Happy Halloween!

Most smiles are started by another smile.

This little boy's smile is infectious. He smiles at everyone who passes by him. I love his little personality. He is such a happy baby and makes everyone around him happy. He has been loving having Grandma and Grandpa here this week. He's been playing with Grandpa outside throwing rocks and wrestling. Every time we get in the car he puts on his biggest smile and says "Hi", looking straight at Grandma. It's impossible not to fall completely captive of this sweet little boys charms.

Apple Junction

We have been having so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa Baum here! Tate is loving every minute, as are we. Today we went to an apple orchard, there at least 50 or so surrounding the twin cities. We were in the little store buying apples and I look over and Tate is eating an apple that he had gotten out of a basket of apples on the floor. He loved it, he ate at least half of it before he got tired.




I was terrified that they just let those chickens roam around not fenced in while people are walking around. One started to charge Tate (probably just a few steps toward him, but it felt like charging to me)and freaked me out!