backyard fun

I’m really not copying Amy’s blog, but apparently we think alike…so here goes again:

I had a great afternoon with Jadon today, we just sat in the backyard and picked weeds, planted some flowers and talked about life.  We chatted about school, soccer, baseball and all kinds of fun stuff,  I loved it.   He helped me so much but mostly I loved spending that time with him.

and the cat came back the very next day…..

So apparently the Bush and Neal families have issues with cats.  This is the fourth set of baby kittens that we’ve found in our backyard.  Yea, don’t let their cuteness fool you…they’re a spawn of Satan.  They hiss like they’re the devil himself.  Last time I found newborn kittens under our bush I called the vet.  She explained to me how to foster them, like get up during the night to bottle feed them, ALL three of them…hahahaha, I brought them to her office that afternoon.

and we’re done….

Here are some pictures of the kids last soccer games and party…Jadon had a great season and found he played best at defense.  He did amazing when they put him in as goalie.  He was on it and never let a ball past.  He had a blast but is going to take the winter/spring season off.  He wants to try baseball or football…yay!!!  And Micah’s season, first of all Chip did an AMAZING job as coach.  He really taught them a lot this season and really brought them together as a team.  We kept hoping for a win, heck we kept hoping for a goal, just one, we would have taken one…hahaha, I’m just kidding they got three this season!!! 🙂 They tried their best, but they had so much going against them unfortunately.  They were one of the newest teams to play together and they were the youngest in their league.  Sometimes it looked like they were playing against giants out there.  They never gave up though and Chip just continued to teach them skills and encouraged them to go out and give it their all.  And as a testiment to Chips coaching, ALL the girls enthusiastically signed up for the next season and all wanted to make sure Coach Chip was going to be their coach.  Thank you Chip for taking this on this season (I personnally know how busy you were 🙂 ) and thank you for coming backfor next season!!  It means so much to the girls AND so much to the parents!!  See you all out there in a couple months…Micah’s last game was at night so the pictures didn’t come out well…

hmmmm

Is it bad when your sons Sunday School teacher hands you the book “The Strong Willed Child” and says “here, I thought you could use this”

Just wondering.

my thoughts about the…gulp…election

Tomorrow morning I’m going to take the kids to school, grab an ice coffee from Micky D’s (seriously, they’re the best ever!!) and head over to my assigned polling place to cast my vote. I’ll bring a book, because I’m sure I’ll be there for awhile. It’s been a roller coaster of a ride for me these last couple of months. Emotions run deep this election year. Mine certainly have run the gamut, from panic, to anger and frustration, to anxiety, confusion, peace, worry, and even complacency. This is being touted as the most important election ever…although, I believe I’ve heard that before. I’ve asked questions, I’ve searched my soul, I’ve prayed, I’ve studied, I’ve gone to the Word of God, I’ve learned more about politics this year then ever before in my life. As I was praying earlier today and I felt the anxiety of this election start to creep in, the words of John Piper who’se book I’ve been reading, “When I Don’t Desire God…..” came into my head; he reminds us to find satisfaction in God alone and to desire Him more then we desire ANYTHING this world has to offer. In my simple mind I kept equating that to material possessions, or success in the workforce. And that’s true but it wasn’t until today that it hit me, there’s so much more. I ought to desire Him more then I desire my politics, desire Him more then I desire to make the right decision in who and what I vote for, desire Him more then I desire good to win and evil to fail, desire Him more then I desire to be right in this election, desire Him more then I desire a secure and safe country, desire Him more then I desire financial stability for our country.  Desire Him more then I desire change, desire Him more then I desire country first.  All these are important things, so what is the significance in desiring Him above all else? Again, John Piper put it best when he said “God is glorified in his people by the way we experience him, not merely by the way we think about him. Indeed the devil thinks more true thoughts about God in one day than a saint does in a lifetime, and God is not honored by it. The problem with the devil is not his theology, but his desires. Our chief end is to glorify God…We do so most fully when we treasure him, desire him, delight in him so supremely that we let goods and kindred go and display his love to the poor and the lost.”

So yes, tomorrow, I will go to the polls and I will proudly cast my vote. It is my duty and I take my responsibility seriously. I know where I stand and I know why I stand there. I believe what I believe and I’m not ashamed. I desperatly want my guy to win and I desperatly want my measures to win because I passionatly believe that is what is best for our country. BUT, first, I pray for the inclination of my heart to be toward God and his Word. Without that, nothing else will happen of any value in my life.

halloween fun

Once again, we had another super fun Halloween! We really try to keep things simple in the Bush home…carve the pumpkins, roast the pumpkin seeds, come up with a cheap cute costume and hang out with friends. And trick or treating is always so fun in our neighborhood. Lot’s of people and lot’s mingling, I love it, it just seems like everyone’s your friend. We ended up in Chip and Amy’s driveway for some fire pit fun, all sitting around talking, laughing and handing out candy. Seriously, what more could you ask for?

mi amore

I just got news this morning that my grandma passed away. She was 92 and her body had given up. It was time for her to go. This wasn’t a shock, her quality of life had been deteriorating for the last year and quite honestly we had been waiting for “the call” for some time now. But obviously, it’s sad. An era is over. I can’t help but feel sadness and happiness as I reminisce about my life with my grandma, and I love that so many wonderful memories have come flooding back. Grandma lived a passionate and full life. She loved fiercely and gave from the depths of her heart. Life was never about her, it was about loving everyone and making them feel apart of the family. Most of my memories take place in her big craftsman home in Los Angeles, specifically in her kitchen and dining room where 2-3 tables where pushed together and chairs brought in from every room to accommodate everyone who had come for dinner. I remember being afraid sometimes because I didn’t know many of the people who would swing open her front door and wonder out loud what Mary was making for dinner. I soon learned that everyone was welcome to come in and no one was a stranger. Grandma loved to serve and give to others and cooking was the best way for her to show she loved you. I remember the first time I brought Bill to Thanksgiving dinner. I just remember his eyes as he walked around trying to take it all in. He was a little confused when everyone started pulling homemade pizza and trays of stuffed shells and lasagna from the oven at 11:30 in the morning. He figured “that must be the way the ‘Italians’ do Thanksgiving. He ate until he was fat and happy. Only he wasn’t so happy when he realized that was just our appetizer and the real turkey dinner with ALL the trimmings was ready a few hours later. I didn’t know any different…I thought all Thanksgivings were like that. I think he asked me to marry him the next day… 🙂 Grandma’s pantry was full of every kind of treat imaginable, there were cookies and candy, sugar cereal and chips and soda. Grandpa had a sweet tooth and Grandma was happy to oblige. Us kids benefited as well, as our mom would NEVER let us have such stuff. Grandma would just laugh as we’d come in from the car, run by with a quick hug and kiss then sprint back to the pantry to lay claim to as many treats as we could get our grubby hands on.

My grandma was full of life. She loved to smile, she loved to laugh. She was a happy women. Her house was always full of music and singing. There were many nights when she would pull out sheet music to her favorite songs and we would sit around the table after having stuffed ourselves with whatever amazing dessert she whipped up that night and just sing. Some would harmonize, some would just try to catch the tune but all would laugh. And Grandma could cut a rug! She lit up the room when she danced. I was proud in High School to brag that my grandma could do the moonwalk!

What I will always treasure about Grandma was that she loved Jesus! She lived for him. She knew what he did for her and knew what it meant. Those are words that came straight from her mouth. I know that my grandma is walking with Jesus right now, singing and dancing and worshiping her creator! Praise God for the hope we have in Jesus! The last words spoken by my grandma to my mom were “mi amore,” my love in Italian. That was a term of endearment her father would always say to her and now it’s past on to the next generation. Thank you Grandma for the legacy you leave behind!

out of the mouths of babes part 2

More of what I’ve heard my children say (mostly to me) in the last couple of days…

*”without me, this house would be boring…”

*”no, no, you can’t do this to me, I can’t live this way…”

*”mmmm…I am beautiful!”

*”when I grow up, I want to be a cooker or a mommy…”

*” you should clean your closet, because have you seen Aunty Amy’s closet…?”

*”Do I have cream cheese on my glasses?”

my response~”seriously, what???”

*”I wish I hadn’t shaved my arms!”

again, what???

a little bit of this, a little bit of that…

It’s been a slow week in the Bush home…funny what I consider slow these days, considering the Bush family will be represented on the soccer fields 5 of the 7 days this week. So it’s not slow so much as not real exciting. The kids are about to go on Fall break which means homework has been light, no last minute projects due…thank goodness, Bill’s been gone for a couple days and I’ve had a lot of time to myself.

You know when you drink your cup of coffee and you realize you blended just the right amount of coffee grounds to water and you poured in the perfect amount of creamer and your coffee never tasted so good…yea, I had that experience this morning, and it was great…now, I just wish I could remember exactly what I did. Anyway, I’m off to read the Words of God and fight for the Joy that we have in Jesus. Wait, did I say fight for the joy we have in Jesus? It doesn’t seem like we should be fighting for it, shouldn’t it be that we just have it? Sadly, I think we as Christians easily fall into the belief that the knowledge of God and the joy we find in Him should be easy to get. We are passive and we expect spiritual things to happen out of nowhere. But we are called to battle, to fight the good fight. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him-John Piper from the book “When I Don’t Desire God, How to Fight for Joy”. But what do I do when I know I should desire God, but I just don’t. It’s the “I want to want to,” syndrome. Good news, we can’t summon up that joy on our own, it can only come from God Himself. And how does God give it to us? He reveals Himself through his written word. The reading, studying, meditating and memorizing of the Bible leads us to complete and lasting joy, because it leads us to Christ and seeing his glory and enjoying his fellowship…

That’s all I got. Wishing a good day to all~

yep…she’s a diva.