Little man Old man

Andrew had his tonsils removed and tubes put in his ears again today. Please, please, please pray for a quick and easy recovery for him. Also, please pray for my Grandfather. He is dying of colon cancer. We are praying for mercy and comfort for him. In the aftermath of Andrew's surgery, we cannot travel for about 10 days. We want to be with my family as soon as we can after his meeting with Jesus. Lots of issues come into play. Please pray for our wisdom.
Thanks!

Logic and Birthday

What is logic? In the little world I live in, logic often comes into play trying to figure out my kids. Not always the best plan. Marianne had 6 teeth for a long time...then number seven came in (a third on the bottom). Still fussy, I used my logic to determine that she was getting number 8 (the fourth on the bottom). I spent a few days wondering why the orajel I was diligently applying to the soon-to-be eighth tooth was not helping, when upon more investigation....I found three molars. Yep, three, to none of which I applied said orajel. Poor baby. So, now she has 11 teeth, but still no fourth bottom front. Next time, logic will have to take a back seat.

This is Birthday week for a little man turning three on Thursday. He's had one party, tonight he'll open out of town family gifts, and Thursday, the best gift will be that Daddy is taking the day off....just.for.him. Pictures and fun will be posted this weekend.

Its Beginning.....

to look a lot like Christmas!!!! Yeah! I love it. Andrew has done a fantastic job making some new ornaments for our tree this year. I made a very educated guess that I probably don't want my crystal snow flakes on the tree this year. This education came from simply watching my daughter. I am totally convinced that she will climb the tree at some point. To avoid said catastrophe, we have put our tree in our front door entry way this year. Something VERY new to me! BUT by doing this, we can put our baby gate up in front of the tree to hopefully slow her down. HOPEFULLY!!!!
So, tree is up and decorated, garland is on the mantle, stockings are hung, Christmas village is set up, dining room slider has pretties hanging on it, and a centerpiece is made and on the table (really it's just a toy for my children to destroy and watch me put back together). How is your decorating coming? Are you ready to celebrate the coming of a Savior? We are!!!
Merry Christmas, may this season be wonderful for you!

Thankfulness and Gratitude

Having a heart of Thankfulness and Gratitude is one thing that we are actively trying to instill in our children. Family Life Today has some awesome resources and programs you can listen to that are incredible. How many times we read in the Psalms about thankfulness, gratitude and honor to God. November isn't the only month to remember to be thankful, but it sure is a great place to start. As Thanksgiving rolls (very quickly) into our midst next week, here is a list that Andrew has started. I encourage you to do the same with your kids...their innocence may bring you back to reality:

Mommy, Daddy, Marianne, Nana, Papa, Bumpapa, Great Gram, Grammy, Grandpa, Lizzy, Uncle, Lisa, Katie, KK, Uncle Brian, Aunt Suz, Uncle Brad
My friends, my toys, Marianne's toys (you know they are sometimes cooler!), animals, the deer outside, my house, my bed, my new frog fan, ladybugs, school at church, Miss Meeley (Mrs. McNeely, a teacher on Wednesday nights), coloring.
Food, my moose shirt, reading books with Daddy, my snuggle (favorite blanket)

Happy THANKS-giving a little early. I guess it's never to early to start.

The Best

This is my hubby. He's the best. It's his birthday. Because it's his birthday, today is my favorite day....with out today. I wouldn't have him.
I LOVE YOU, Paul!!!

I just love this picture of my amazing man being an amazing Daddy!

Marianne the Birthday Princess

Yesterday my baby girl turned 1! What a crazy year this has been. Let me tell you about this special girl. She is spunky! She is BUSY! She is Way. Too. Smart.! Marianne can put a smile on anyone's face on any kind of bad day. We are so blessed to have this little one in our lives. God has richly blessed us.

Picking what cake to make for Annie was not hard. I'm in the process of redo-ing her bedroom. All butterflies and daisies. So in keeping with that theme, here is what I came up with for this special day.

And, because we are good parents, we gave her the entire butterfly. Something to note about said butterfly is that it was decorated with nearly an entire tub of frosting. Shhhh..... Don't tell! Another thing to note is that my fantastic color choices, when mixed together, make purple. Yep, purple. She really enjoyed her cake. This picture does no justice to her true enjoyment, but I'm sure you can imagine if you know our rambunctious eater!
One toy that I've wanted to be the first to give our little girl is a baby doll. She L.O.V.E.S. it! She also got a stroller and baby bed and high chair for it, because, well....I'm over the top with birthdays. Among other very generous gifts Marianne was given some of the highlights are a wagon, a musical ball toy, a doll house, a pop up toy, strawberry shortcake, a school house, and two My Little Ponies (one from her brother!)
Marianne has reached some wonderful mile stones, and some not so wonderful ones, too. She has learned biting in self defense (at least for now it's self-defense), signing many things, saying "Hi" to everyone she sees, and my favorite, when asked if she loves you, a nice hug in return!

Little Hearts

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberence Day

Each year, over half a million dreams are shattered. Out of 3.3 million babies born alive, some 30,000 die during the first 28 days. Another 39,000 babies are stillborn. Miscarriage occurs in fifteen to twenty percent of pregnancies, while ectopic pregnancy occurs in one percent. This day effects so many people. I f you have never yourself lost a baby, surly you know someone who has.
Today is the day to honor those babies, so I am asking you all to do that today, sometime, some way.

If you yourself have lost a child/ren allow me to honor your sweet baby today by leaving a comment and tell me a little something about your precious angel. I'll start us off.

If you want to leave a message of support for those mommies and daddies that have lost precious babies do that in the comment section too.

~~I'll be praying for you today.~~

Rambin' Fall

Here we are, Autumn in West Michigan. Pretty much what I'm saying is that it's been raining for a long time. To follow that up, I'm ready for sunshine. You'd think after living here for 9 years (wow, that's crazy) I'd be used to the "lake effect clouds." But. I'm. Not. In fact, I think I'm less used to them this year than last. Hmmm...sounds like backwards progress. The bad thing about cloudy days is that they make me miss home. The Big Sky Country....God's Country....my family. The sun shines there...unless its actually raining or snowing, which never lasts all day. Ok, I'm done whining, now on to life:
Here we are in the midst of what we call "birthday season." In 36 days we celebrate 6 birthdays here in the Bush family. That's a lot of cake. It just so happens that one of those birthdays belongs to my little girly girl and one belongs to my hubby. I love birthdays. Yep, love 'em! I'm getting all excited to celebrate Marianne's birthday in just two short weeks. WOW. Ok, that's not what this post is about, so lets move on.
We've been busy, crazy style busy. Between youth group on Wednesdays, birthdays, and sporting events for our teens at church, we're not so sure if we're coming or going. In fact, its become routine for Andrew to ask "Where we going, today." Or "Whose comin' over." Hopefully soon we'll be slowing down a little and settling into our non-summer routine. Not that we really have a summer routine, but you know what I mean.
So, all of this to say, Happy Autumn. Hope you find something to keep you busy.

Airplanes, Haircuts, Messes, and Sweetness

Andrew's new favorite game is "airplane" he loves it. The only danger is he likes to force himself to dive over our heads....so we always play by the couch for a soft landing.
I did it. I broke down....almost literally, and cut my baby's hair. I swore I wouldn't, but it needed to be done. She had a ring all the way round her head that was a good 2-3 inches longer than the hair around it. I didn't cut the top because its too fun to put piggy's and bows in, but I evened the rest of it out.
What you see all over Marianne is grape salad. She really enjoys her food, and I really don't like stain treating....so she wears no clothes often when we eat. A bib just isn't enough for this little one. Dinner (and sometimes lunch) is often followed by a fun time in the tub.
Marianne got this new blanket last night. I've never seen an 11 month old get so excited about a blanket. It is now a favorite, I think. Thanks Mrs. Van Der Hulst!
Paul and I went the the JV foot ball game last night. Andrew was so good for our babysitter (thanks Anna). We snuck into his room when we got home and couldn't resist trying to wake him up by taking this priceless picture. He looks so innocent. I needed that after a bit of a tough day. He has definitely been showing us his tough and tumble side lately. Gotta love little boys.

Cute kids and Mountains. Does it get better?

So we took another trip to Montana this summer. The purpose of our trip was to spend time with "Bum Papa" who is Marcie's Grandfather. He has been diagnosed with colon cancer, so we wanted to take a trip while he was still feeling good and spend some quality time with him. When not visiting him, we had a great time doing "Montana" stuff. The above picture is Andrew at Branham Lake. He LOVES to throw rocks in water...any water works. Andrew got to go camping with his Daddy and leave Mommy and Marianne in town. He had a great time, but was very tired by lunch on the second day.
Marianne had her first blueberry pancakes....Enough said.
After the camping adventure, we set up the tent in the basement of Nana and Papa's house. The kids had so much fun!!! Here's a classic happy face from the little girl. Its not to hard to know when she's having a good time!
All that playing wiped Marianne out. She fell asleep between her feet and because we are mean, we took a picture instead of making her more comfortable. It just doesn't get better than sleeping babies...

Speaking of that sweet baby of ours, she's growing W.A.Y. too fast! She will be a year old next month. I (Marcie) have started to plan her big celebration, and we can't wait to remember the day our little Princess came into our lives. She has been a huge blessing to many people. I still remember hearing the words from the specialist that we probably wouldn't have our own kids. I'm so thankful that God is bigger than any specialist. Every time I look at my wonderful children, I remember God and his love for us. Knowing how many times we brought this issue to prayer just reaffirms how God promised that in HIS will our desires become real.

10 Months!

Our little princess is 10 months old already. It is so hard to believe! She is such a little go getter and a lot of fun! Nothing gets past this girl! As her proud parents we think (of course) that all her "tricks" are wonderful, like pulling up to stand against the wall....or often the stove (yep send my Mother of the Year award now), barking at the dogs, telling Andrew "no" and just being cute! Its hard to believe she's changing so fast!

More Pics

On top of Thief Creek.
Marianne totally crashed on the way down the Mountain from Deerhead Lake.
CHEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We saw this moose from across Deerhead lake. It was fun to watch him feed from the bottom of the lake. This was a very nice day spent in God's creation! One of our favorite places to go. About a 2 mile hike to get to it is all and worth it all.

Montana

Here are my lovely children, ready for bed. Andrew loves that Annie has jams just like his.
Locked in the jail at Bannack. The first territorial capital of Montana. Usually a ghost town, the weekend we were there was Bannack Days. We watched a poorly acted out shoot out in front of the saloon, saw people dressed as if the town were still hoppin', mined for gold (and garnets) and dipped candles.
Andrew LOVED the waterslide at camp. Camp was an amazing week with 40 campers from 7-12th grades. At least 5 kids came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and many made other decisions regarding their walk with Him!
This will always be one of my favorite pictures. Andrew fishing with Papa makes my heart smile. Thanks Daddy for taking the time!

So, I'm very sorry these pictures are so late in coming. Hopefully I'll be posting more over the next few weeks. Life around here has been hectic at best as Marianne has discovered how to crawl and Andrew now opens doors....bad combination. Our first week back to reality was a hard one (read previous post) but we made it through...now maybe we'll have a week to get back to "normal" whatever that is!!

Sweet Memories

Oh, Sweet Sweet Hannah girl. What a special blessing. Now held tight in the arms of your precious and wonderful Mommy and her sweet savior, Jesus. Your short four weeks in my life will forever change me. Your Mommy was my dear sweet friend who loved you and your sister so very much. She would snuggle you both close and sing you pretty songs. She loved you both more than life its self. Jordyn loved you too. Just the day before your tiny life was taken to be with Jesus, she was running through our house calling you her Nanny. Your Mommy is gonna be missed just as much as you are, so on days when she looks down and sees your Daddy and Sister being sad, give her an extra hug that day. She'll need it and so will you.

North Carolina and Virginia

Maymont Park in Richmond, Va. Papa tried to feed Marianne to the goats. Andrew actually touched one, but only one!
Rockin' it out with Uncle Brian. My sister and her hubby were such great hosts. They complied with most of Andrew's requests and thankfully left the air conditioning on since it was quite hot!
Treysen's graduation was what spurred this 8 day trip to the South. It was very fun to watch my oldest nephew graduate from High School. He's going to college and will soon have out his very own video game I'm sure! We are so proud of you, Trey!!
At the mall near my sisters house there was this great fountain area where kids could play. Andrew had a cup and wanted it filled up so he could dump the water on Nana's feet. Had so much fun and wanted to go every day. Good thing there's one similar her in Holland!
More water fun!
This was such a great trip. I enjoyed all of it except the part where we had to leave Daddy at home. I missed Paul and the kids did too, but I am so thankful he was willing to let us go. Also, a big thank you to Nana and Papa, who, without their help...I'd never had been able to go. 15 hours of driving with 2 little kids would have been impossible!

Happy Father's Day

I contemplated long and hard on who I should honor in my post today. . . My Daddy or my kids Daddy. I chose both. So here goes.

Dear Daddy,
Thank you for being my Dad. Thanks for choosing me. (He really did.) Thanks for taking such good care of my Mom. Thanks for loving her rotten children enough to call us your own. Also, you are the worlds greatest Papa. Thanks for loving my kids the way that you do!

To my baby Daddy:
You are an amazing husband and father...here's the top ten reasons why.
10. You taught Andrew to pee standing up.
9. You tolerate Marianne's big bows.
8. You love me first, always Mommy first.
7. You like to be with us.
6. You taught Andrew to smash spiders.
5. You like to snuggle...with all of us.
4. You understand when I've had a long day.
3. You play.
2. You desire for our kids to have a godly example of what a real man is, and strive to be that real man!
1. You change diapers, feed kids, dress kids, read to kids, and love Andrew, Marianne and me unconditionally.

Thanks for being you!

Family update

Hi everyone. So its been a while since I posted, but I've been on vacation. North Carolina and Virginia were wonderful, but more on that later this week. For now I've got an update to share with you about Lisa (our sister in law). A round of testing has been done and the results are not positive. We are not giving up hope, we refuse, but her cancer is back and growing. She has new tumors on her brain which are causing symptoms. She also has cancer on her bones in several spots. Please pray for the family. Jon, Lisa, Elizabeth and Katie. Appointments are made to discuss treatment options, but every time cancer returns, the options grow smaller in number. Thanks for your prayers.
Specific requests:
Jon-Work, that they would be understanding and supportive
Lisa-Little effects from steroid treatment (racing mind and extreme sleepiness)
Lizzy and Kate-Being shuffled during appointments ect. Understanding when Mom's not on her game
The rest of us-Doing whatever we can to help out while leaning on HIM not ourselves.

Boys vs. Girls

As a Mom of a boy and a girl, and the wife of a man, I've done some independent research on the differences of the genders. Here is what I've learned.
Boys are dirty---Girls pretend not to be
Boys think they can fly in the sky---Girls like to look at the sky
Boys can pee standing up---Girls can too, but its much more work
Boys think farting sounds tough---Girls think it sounds like a helicopter (Direct quote)
Boys think smashing bugs is cool---Girls think boys should do it for them
Boys hate clothes--Girls love them
Boys hate shoes---Girls love them
Boys think climbing things is an accomplishment---Girls think its dangerous
Boys make good sound effects---Girls don't
Boys have muscles---Girls have "squish" (Another direct quote)
Boys are fun---Girls are too! (just in a different way)

Poor baby!

I am pretty sure that anesthesia and babies shouldn't mix. Marianne had tubes put in her ears this morning. The poor little girl has had 5 ear infections now since January. In an effort to make her more comfortable, we handed her over to the little labor smurfs (you know all the medical professionals in the surgery area wearing blue) and watched the next 14 minutes drag by. I'm a wimp, an over protective mother and I'm proud of it! All went well in her surgery, but she sure gave a fight when it was time to wake up. Pretty sure they kicked us out as quickly as possible so as not to disturb the peace!
Here's to healthy ears!

If ya ain't Dutch....

You are still precious!! In your own little way! Even if your name is Andrew and you are a total stinker when you're Mom and Dad want to take your picture all dressed up to look like something you are not. The only way we could get this special Prince to pose for a picture with his little sister was if we told him he could make a "super silly face."

As pretty as the tulips are, they just don't hold a candle to this gem! She was so happy on this night! Not that I'm partial or anything, but DANG she's cute!!!
Our little Dutch Princess decided that it was much better to eat her wooden shoes then wear them. Why were we surprised by this, coming from the I'll-Put-Anything-In-My-Mouth-Just-To-See-What-Kind-Of-Germs-I-Can-Find Princess?
Pretty sure this isn't an innocent look. I'm guessing it was when he was telling our friend Jeremy, "Come!" Mind you, he was telling, not asking. Fortunately for Andrew, Jeremy thinks he's cute enough to follow.
Andrew sure enjoyed dancing with the Klompen Dancers. I'm pretty sure that the only reason he was dancing was for the laughs and smiles of all the wonderful silver haired people who found him "sweet and adorable."

So again I'm behind in posting pictures, but well....get over it! FYI for those who may think I'm a disturbed Momma, I did not actually read the book pictured in the previous post...it was for dramatic effect that I posted that picture.

Attention Please!

Attention Ladies and Gentlemen....I here by announce that one named Andrew Jon Bush is officially potty trained. As a result the Prince's mother and father are jumping for joy!
To all whom it may concern. This is not a joke, it is not April fools day, it is not wishful thinking, it is a fact! Hip Hip Hooray!!!

Have a nice day.

It's My Life.

As I look out my window I find myself longing for yesterday's sunshine. I love sunshine and basically loathe yucky, nasty, dreary, gray, dingy clouds. For some reason that is beyond my understanding, clouds make me lazy, grumpy, bored, and basically blaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! I know what you're saying: "You live in West Michigan...get over it." And to that I reply, BLAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know where I live, I know its cloudy here often, but I will remind you that I grew up in the SUNNY Big Sky Country...God's Country! I will never get used to all these clouds and I don't WANT to get used to all these clouds, for if I did, what would I have to complain about today? Again, I know what your thinking: "There must be something else you can complain about...they are just clouds." But again, you are wrong. I have nothing to complain about except the clouds that are so dark today that they will most likely rain on the parade. (This is not a fictitious parade, as there is indeed supposed to be a parade today, not that I plan on watching 64,000 children walk down the streets in lines, but there is a parade.) Don't believe me...nothing to complain about...here's my list of my current life...see for yourself.

I serve a living Saviour.
I have a wonderful Husband. He is the best thing that God ever gave me. (Don't tell him, but I don't even mind picking up his dirty socks and flannel shirts)
I live in a beautiful house.
My house is messy. (Nope not a complaint. Its messy because....)
I have a precious son given to me by my gracious Heavenly Father at just the right time.
I have a beautiful daughter who brings joy to our home.
I have wonderful friends who go shopping with me at 10:45 pm and who come over for key lime pie for my birthday at 9:30 and who take me out for lunch and who call just to encourage me on tough days and who I will forever adore.


OK, so seriously, that is my life...What is there to complain about?
Have a nice day.

Thanks!

For the past eight months my wonderful husband has made it possible for me to teach Senior High girls every Wednesday night. He graciously stays home with the kids, gets them dinner, and off to bed (or at least started in that direction). They always have fun just being with Dad and I'm usually blessed with fun pictures of whatever they did that night. So, to my man....THANK YOU! You are wonderful to me! You are a spectacular Dad! You are my favorite!! Love you!

One Half

Marianne is 6 months old today. I can hardly believe how fast time has gone for us. She is really a fun baby. We are so blessed to have her sweet personality and easy going mannerisms. Thankfully, she takes after her dad in that area and not me. (That would be intense and cranky!) We are really looking forward to the summer. Rumor has it, its supposed to reach 80 degrees on Friday! That would be awesome! Our walking (or jogging) miles have now reached 38. This is very fun for us. Both the kids love the stroller and just being outside. This past weekend, we took Andrew to the woods down the road from us for a clean up day. He had a lot of fun wandering around and picking up garbage and sticks on the path. This is one if his favorite places to walk to as he has become quite the nature boy. We (which actually means me in all honesty) are looking forward to Tulip Time starting the end of next week. Andrew will be at a great age to enjoy the parades and junk food....mmm junk food! Anyone who wants to join us is more than welkom!!! (Har har!)

Better Late Than Never . . . Right?

Easter is definitely my favorite holiday. The resurrection of our Lord and Savior is the only reason we have hope in the future. Death has no sting. What could not hold my Jesus in the grave cannot have any grip on me either!! Praise Him!
What's more, Easter holds the promise of spring. I love spring, who doesn't? New growth, green grass, birds, bunnies and the promise of summer!! We hope your spring is bringing new promises your way, promises of better things.

We found these sweet little bunnies by our house over the weekend. Ok, so to be more honest, the dogs found the little bunnies. Andrew sure thought this was special. (Unfortunately, they have since found their demise, something Andrew doesn't know. Darn dogs anyway!) Gotta love baby bunnies!
Andrew really got into the egg hunting. He found ones we didn't think he would. He loved finding the coins and treats hidden inside. This boy wants to be outside so badly. Now that the weather is warming up, its so nice not to have to tell him no!! We were blessed with a beautiful day!

Always a smile, Marianne looked like spring itself in her new dress that Mommy made. I love making things for my kids! Can't wait to create more!

Taking a picture of four kids who really just wanted to eat and hunt eggs proved difficult. The all looked like a million bucks though, don't you think?Andrew is potty training! He is doing very well. We are excited to enter this new phase of our lives...one diaper size!! He loves getting M&M's and taking money from Daddy! Hopefully we'll be done with the training part soon and can move on to more fun things!

Just Fun and Hope for a Contract.

This is Andrew one night before bed. I asked him to go get some jammies and he did. All by his big self!! He also wanted socks, two pairs. Silly boy!! He just loves to read. He would read all day if he could find someone to tell him what the words say!

Andrew and Marianne have a new ball pit. We had a small one that has been destroyed so we bought an inflatable swimming pool and it works great!! There are over 300 balls! It is fun to just let them play around together!

Andrew loves to wear our shoes! This time he put them on and begged Daddy to take pictures!

Our happy little girl. She is such a blessing!! Now if only we could get that hair of hers under control......

Well, life is good here at the Bush house. We have surpassed 22 miles but haven't gotten any in this week as the wind has been so bitter!!! We are waiting for global warming to kick in so we can go back outside!
Paul is now waiting from the word from CWA that they are on Strike against AT&T as a new contract has yet to be signed. If he does go out, we will definitely enjoy having him home, but will certainly be thankful when he can go back to work. Please pray with us that the union and company can come to a good agreement VERY soon!!