A Fond Farewell

The Bingleys - Tonya, Lyssa (3), Chris, Hayden (5) and Preston (8)

Change is in the air and it's not just the Obama campaign that's touting it. Our friends, the Bingleys, have decided to uproot and move to Billings, MT where Chris accepted a position at his alma mater, Rocky Mountain College.

I met Tonya almost 9 years ago at P.S. I Love You, the mom's group we attended. Preston was 9 months old and Annabelle was 6 months old. We hit it off and soon our families would get together for various events, parties, camping outings. As Preston got older both he and Josie (Annabelle would be an innocent bystander) would partake in some nasty fisticuffs. This didn't hinder our relationship with Chris and Tonya, thank goodness, as I remember some blood being spilled on more than one occasion.

The Bingleys are a ton of fun to be around. They are also very kind, caring, great secret keepers and too nice for words. They are one of the main reasons we bought our house on Grant Street as they lived just a block away from us. Just four months after we moved in,though, they decided to build a house somewhere else. I have to admit, I was a little perturbed that they would want to move away from us but at least they stayed in the same town. Tonya's sister just moved here from Alaska last year and now the they are leaving the state so I don't feel so horrible now.

Chris and Nate would have man-dates on occasion. I had to laugh at the thought of them at the coffee shop drinking microbrews and sharing a dessert, Chris, well-groomed wearing his nice work clothes while Nate was the rough and tumble construction worker (you draw your own conclusion here). Nate had a great friend in Chris as he was the one who taught Nate the in's and out's of homebrewing. Chris was also one to throw a gathering together quickly: whether it was a guys-only-after-work meeting at the winery, dinner at their home or a family sledding day.

Once our kids went to school and Tonya went back to work we'd see them only ccasionally at the pool or at a social gathering and we'd always say, "We need to get together!" and then a few months would pass. We were so thrilled when we went to a dinner auction and sat with them and I got drunk and bid on a vacation home in Sisters, OR and that they wanted to go with us. We hadn't spent time with them in so long we were excited at the prospect at having a whole week rediscovering how fun the Bingleys are. Well.....it was just a week before our departure to Oregon that they broke the news about their move....and that they wouldn't be joining us after all.

So to get back at them for breaking our hearts I am posting this wild and crazy picture of their family. In all seriousness though, they will be greatly missed by everyone whose lives they touched during their 9 years here on the Palouse. They will have no problem making friends in their new hometown and those who do will be very lucky indeed.

We have been very blessed to know you Chris, Tonya, Preston, Hayden and Lyssa! All the best to you in the Big Sky State!