Seven Years
Gary and I celebrated our Seven Year Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, July 22, in Carolla, North Carolina. We didn't do anything fabulous or special but it was a wonderful day and it was fun to sit down together and talk about the last 7 years, remember our wedding day, our honeymoon on the beach and review together the great blessings we have. Gary is the love of my life. He's worked hard to make our family strong spiritually, provide for us, love us and care for us and meet all the needs that he can. I thank God every day many times for him- even when he irritates me.

Our marriage is not perfect, we're not perfect, but we've been through so much together and we'll go through so much more in the days and years ahead.

Gary- thank you for 7 years of yesterdays and a lifetime of tomorrows.

Jon MohrII

Timothy 4:7-8

We're pilgrims on the journey

Of the narrow road

And those who've gone before us line the way

Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary

Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses

Let us run the race not only for the prize

But as those who've gone before us

Let us leave to those behind us

The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave

Lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone

And our children sift though all we've left behind

May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover

Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave

Lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful!

Weekend Recap Friday Grace turned 8 weeks. I'm sure we did something but darned if I can recall that far back.... oh yea, I packed! Saturday we did all we could to get up early and head out to my dads. We left about 8:35. Pretty good for wanting to leave by 8:30 at the latest. We had to stop at the bank and since Gary had one of his "wide awake thinking about work all night" episodes he had to stop and get a gallon of coffee and a king size Resses cups and THEN we were on our way! We went a 'new' way and go there in good time. We hung out, played with Tyler and visited and went down to the lake. Tyler learned how to throw rocks into the water from Pops so we did that, we played with the new sand toys my dad got him too. mostly Tyler just pulled his little sand wagon all over the beach. Keeping his tennis shoes on turned out to be a good move! We also had lunch and then Tyler went down for his nap. Patty came over around 2:30 and Tyler woke shortly after. Grace also needed to eat and we had to get dressed for the Angelo Family reunion at my grandma's house (mom's mom) so it was pretty hectic there for the next hour! We finally got it together and headed out taking only one toy from Papa's house with us. Tyler does not at all understand the concept of keeping toys there for next time! :) We made good time getting over to grandma's and I was shocked at how many people were there! I helped grandma get the appetizers out which included Gary's favorite-- cheese sticks! Grandma didn't want to make them figuring the quiche and crab cakes were enough. We had leftover quiche and crab cakes but no stix! Never underestimate the power of fried cheese over children, and Gary. LOL! My grandma was one of 7 and 5 of them were there. Her, Sis, Toots, Dick, and Jim. Dolby passed away while i was in college and Joe from Chicago coudln't make it. Philip who took my senior and wedding photos came and did some pix of everyone who was there, pictures of the cousins, the siblings, and we did some of our family including my mom and grandparents, some the 4 of us and a 4 generation with me, mom, Grace and grandma. I can't wait to see how they turned out considering Grace cried when we stood still or took her paci out and Tyler was so tired he didn't know which end was up. We left at 7 because Tyler was just at the end of his rope. We got to my mom's about a half hour later and Tyler and Gary showered (this new endevor of showering is going pretty well and will certainly help when we are at the beach! It's also MUCH faster than taking a full on bubble bath with toys!) and when we got Tyler's jamies on he started playing well with his cars and so we let him do that to wind down a bit. he started getting a little tipsy and I realized it was approaching 9 so into bed we went! He sleeps SO well in his Thomas air bed- I highly recommed those toddler take along beds! It has sides that are like bumpers so he doesn't roll out- LOVE IT! He slept till 9 the next morning! Grace too passed out and slept till I had to wake her up at 11 so I could feed her and go to bed myself! Church the next mornign was packed for the 175 anniversary service. Pastor Kelly's sermon was, as always, wonderful. Tyler and Gary ended up down in the "nursery" together because the "Nursery" is a carpet remant in the corner of the sunday school room that has toys for kids to play with. In the times we've been there that Tyler has been not an infant we've never really known an actual adult to be down there watching them. They have sunday school teachers on the other side of some chalkboards but as far as we can tell, their focus is on the older children. Last time, when Gary went to get Tyler, all the kids-older and younger- were runing around swinging things and arms at each other and Tyler was in the middle of it and got scared. I guess when he spotted Gary he just started crying and begged to leave. So, when we do go there to church, one of us will go down with him. Gary said there was an older girl, maybe 12 or 13 watching them a little but she threatened to spank one for doing nothing at all and Gary thinks maybe they were siblings and she was just annoyed at having to watch him. Gary said he enjoyed playing with them which I thought was sweet. I know it's a small country church and there are probably only 2-5 kids that need watching on a regular basis but we still worry about Tyler's saftey and we also know that Tyler can get carried away, as all boys do, when he's not kept busy and we'd hate for Tyler to hurt another child when we could have prevented it. We had the catered lunch afterwards which was very good but Tyler was crabby after his long day with a short nap on Saturday and the craziness of the new church and excitement of being at Grandma's. He didn't eat much which has always, for Tyler, been a sign of exhaustion or illness so we got out of there close to 12:30. Tyler fell asleep after we had been in the car only 20 minutes! We got home about 2:30 and we put Tyler down for a nap, I fell alseep after I fed Grace at 3 and Gary called when he was leaving the golf course... at 5 and woke us all up! Gary's brother was dropping by on his way from Lia's house home so we went over for pizza and to get to see him a little bit. Tyler ran around and used up all his energy. He also made up for not eating much lunch by consuming 2 slices of pizza, an applesauce, a yogurt, some salad, jello and 2 cookies. I guess he's not sick! He was in bed by 9 again which I think we'll just make his new bedtime until it starts getting dark earlier. He'll be up that late most nights on vacation anyways. So that was our weekend in a long nutshell! How was yours?ps- if this blog is a little choppy it's because i get interrupted about every 10 words or so... :)

Life of a new mom... I'm totally ripping this off of a friend's blog, who ripped it off of her friend, who got it out of American Baby Magazine. It bears repeating. The Fantasy Life of New MomsBy Kayt Sukel Sure, you once fantasized about romantic getaways, becoming rich and famous, or perhaps just finding that perfect pair of shoes on sale. Now, however, fierce Mommy love, hormone surges, and sleep deprivation have led you to daydreams made of grander stuff: 1. Your husband lactates, so he can never again say, "I'd love to help you out, babe, but I haven't got the equipment"-as you rise for yet another 3 a.m. feeding. (I'd settle for one who doesn't take as long to awaken from slumber as it does to just feed the baby yourself.) 2. Your baby tells you exactly why he's been crying for more than 15 minutes and exactly what he needs. 3. Your child, upon winning the Nobel Prize, tells the entire world in his acceptance speech that his genius is all due to his beautiful, intelligent, and caring mother. 4. Your husband begs you to let him do the piled up laundry and the stack of dishes in the kitchen. (Gary does this actually...) 5. Eight uninterrupted hours of sleep. Writers note: I'm sighing with desire as I type this. 6. You wear a flattering, slimming material that repels all spit up, mud, dried cereal and other stains. 7. You pee and shower with the door closed, and no one watches, barges in, or screams for you. (If we're really dreaming let's talk a bubble bath long enough to shave, bathe AND read...) 8. Scientists discover the amazing (and immediate) fat-burning power of the cream-cheese brownie. 9. A robotic vacuum not only sweeps the floors but also sorts and stashes toys, Tupperware, and clothing. 10. Finding dependable, flexible and afforable child care is a simple task. 11. You find a nursing bra that doesn't pinch, pop open, chafe, or let you down on the supportive side. And if you're really dreaming, it's also sexy and attractive. 12. Your mother-in-law (and mother) gushes about what a fabulous job you're doing raising her grandchild. 13. A vengeful goddess turns Tom Cruise into a pregnant woman. Let's see of exercise and vitamins will do the trick for him then! (Woohoo!! Amen, sister!) (let's see him give birth in complete silence too!!!) 14. Your husband says, "You look like you've had an exhausting week. Why don't you go to the spa tomorrow and the baby and I can spend some time together." 15. You buy a toy that doesn't make noise, sing songs, or vibrate and your child actually likes to play with it. 16. Your husband tells you your post partum hair loss only makes you look more beautiful. 17. Your child decides on his first birthday that he is too old for diapers and potty trains himself on the spot. (Oh, goodness, yes. Dare to dream.) 18. Lightning strikes anyone who tells you, without provocation, that you look tired, should sleep when the baby sleeps, or should put a sun hat on the baby. (These are the same people who repeatedly ask when you're due, are you sure you aren't having twins, and do you think you'll make it to your due date.) (SO TRUE!) 19. The baby goes down to sleep after only two stories, three minutes of belly rubbing, and one round of lullabies. 20. Stay-at-home motherhood is declared a respected and appreciated career, with base pay, full benefits, and a bonus.

Photo's of Grace taken today!

Our Beautiful Family

Tim, Sandra, Grace, Heather, Gary, Tyler, Stephanie, Gary

On Sunday, July 8, 2007
Armandina Grace Bush
was dedicated at
Grace Community Church
by Pastor Dan Michaels

This past weekend my mom came down and we took her to the cabin with us. She and I got to ride in the car together and visit and to be honest, it was nice to not have to talk over Tyler! I was sure to apologize to my mom for the way I talked nonstop when i was little!!! Tyler's wonderful and I love that he can put major sentances togther, can be in a conversation and even leads a conversation but sometimes I crave a little peace and quiet!! Friday I was of course not ready when my mom got there but we did get things together finally and left. The drive down was uneventful other than i was a little worried Gary would run the old farm truck going 20 mph off the road into a ditch. (teasing!!) The man kindly pulled over after a few miles and let our two cars pass. We got there and shortly had supper and cleaned up and then went out on the boat. It was so fun to show my mom everything! It was also fun to get to have Gary be the driver, he did a wonderful job! After we got Tyler into bed we sat around the living room visiting until bedtime. Saturday we got a slow start which was nice because no one cared! My mom took Tyler on a long walk, the Bush's came and we spent some time sitting around, visiting, eating lunch and getting ready for the afternoon party. At 3 people from the Bush's bible study began arriving and we had dinner. My mom and Tyler went on another walk, threw more rocks into the lake, and right at 7 we left for home. Tyler slept in Grace's room so Grandma could have his bed which he thought was SO cool. :) We watched Harry Potter and went to bed. It was fun to go the cabin and get to enjoy it with my mom. It was also nice to just get to visit so much!

I already have over 100 photo's for July! I'm sure none of you are all that surprised though. :) On the Fourth of July we drove down to the Cabin and had a cookout with Gary's parents and family. Lot's of Kandray's telling stories and we got to learn some about Grandma's family, the Wagners. It was so nice to get to spend some (rare) time with Uncle Josh. Of course he was hesitant to hold Grace but I made him because her other Uncle Josh won't even get the chance till October at the soonest! :( Do you think I managed to get a photo? nope. BOO! Enjoy some I did get!

I watned Tyler to have the Thomas laptop in time for vacation so he'd have something to do while strapped into a carseat for 15 hours so my dad got it for him. Turns out that on this particular toy when they say 3 and up, they mean it! *sigh* Here's a pic of him playing with it... minus pants.




Aunt Mary Kandray got Grace an adorable little pants outfit so I took this for her benifit. Thanks Aunt Mary!! (And unfortunately I don't have time to do this for everyone who got her clothes! Sorry!)

One of my mom's close friends threw a "Meet Grace Bush" party for us in June. Several families who are friends of ours as well as family came including both of Grace's Great- Grandma's on our side! It was SO fun to get to see everyone and show of my princess. :) She wore a beautiful dress that Linda gave her and of course I did not get a picture of just her! I'm learning though at each event to remember what kind of pictures to take. This event taught me that just because you are pointing a camera at a person does not mean they will stop and smile. I got lots of action shots that included people eating and talking. Oh well! Here are a few I wanted to share of the good ones! I especially like the one of Tyler and Alceo. I can only hope they get along as well as we do with his parents!!! ;)

Auntie Lori Reda came to visit us and we got a couple really cute pic's of her! Of course we didn't get one of just her and Heather. BOO!

These pictures were taken Mid- June. I'll try to update photos more- I just forgot I could! Thanks for the reminder Hannah!

Grace is 6 weeks old! Unbelievable! We're all still here! This also means, for those who care, that I've been nursing for 6 weeks. Grace gets a bottle of pumped milk occasionallyand goes back and forth just fine which I am VERY thankful for! It allows me to be less tied down and allows for some flexibility since she still eats ever 2-3 hours... occasinally she'll go longer but mostly only when we're in the car or she's fallen asleep in her swing. When she gets to that 4 hours though and wakes up WHOO_HOO she's frantic! I think she likes the more controled flow of the bottle better so i'm really trying to limit the bottle usage. We've given up limiting the paci usage though. :) As I re-read babywise in the past few weeks I realize that most of the really regimented stuff in there I didn't do for Tyler and I'm not doing with Grace. I'm sorry but when you have a toddler it's just not as easy to put a 4 week old down alone in her crib, awake and walk away and expect her to fall asleep on her own. You also really can't let them cry too long for fear of waking the other one! We'll do more "cry it out" stuff when she's much older but for now, i'm enjoying rocking her or letting her sleep in her swing- what difference does it make? Maybe i'll pay later. :) Tyler LOVES Grace. She can definately get on his nerves but he really loves her. It makes me so happy when he tries to help or comfort her. His methods never work and usually cause more distress right now, but he's trying. He likes to stand by her head when she's in the playpen and sing her the ABC's or Wheels on the Bus or hum the Thomas tune. He also tries sometimes to give her a paci which would be fine if he was a little more gentle... and didn't try to do it while she's dead asleep in her seat or something. He likes to hold her too and so often times I let him just becaues I know it's 3 minutes he'll sit still!! His volume has been on high pretty much since she came home and even higher lately so I wonder if his cold and congestion are causing him to not hear well. (my mother-in-law's suggestion) We are working on our 'talking voice', 'inside voice', wisper voice'... whatever you want to call it but to no avail so far. He loves to ask why and pretty much demands that when he's talking to you that you turn and look at him and repeat what he's said or answer him right away. It's funny when I'm not tired and short tempered... unfortunately i'm most often the later. He's so independant about some things but so dependant about others. I like feeling needed but I wonder what Ishould be pushing him to do on his own more. We're not sending him to preschool this fall so I do'nt worry about it... i do wonder though. He's also developed an instant crying skill since Grace came home. I htink he feels if she's crying he must also... and louder. he's not near as bad when Gary gets home b/c he usually can get the attention of one or both of us, but when it's me alone forget it. "use your words" is my new most often said phrase. Our least often used word has suddenly become "crap" becaues Tyler has picked it up and uses it well, and in context. His car wheel falls of: "oh crap" he says with a tilt of the head and roll of the eyes. You can laugh. it's quite funny but of course i can't encourage it. He's also started saying Gosh which he got from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I don't like it but it's better than crap and I try to ignore it. The new neighbors are hoodlums and say every bad word in the book so on nice days when we open the window you can hear them all... I know one day Tyler's going to trip and fall and yell out "Oh F---" (fudge... except I didn't say fudge... ha ha! Great Christmas Story line!). Then what do I do?!?!?! The landlady was over th eother day and the skateboarding guys were next door conversing with thier four letter word vocabulary and she acutally yelled at them. I wonder if it's in our lease not to use profanity at the top of your lungs... i could SO get them evicted! LOL!! So the past two nights Tyler has done the CUTEST thing- I'm seriously going to get it on video one of these days... not that I'll know how to share it but still.. Anyways a long time ago I got Goodnight Moon from the library and as boring as it is, he loved it. He demanded it every night for the 4 weeks we had it and so shortly after we returned it we got it for him. I can't remember what event it was for but for some reason we bought it and we've read it before bed almost every night since. Lately I've been also reading him a section out of a Precious Moments Bible stories book i had when i was little. I'm sure he doesn't get any of it but i'll do until we decide to buy the story bible i saw at the bookstore a few months ago. So the night before last I had him try to read goonight moon to me and he 'read' the ENTIRE thing minus like 5 words! I was so impressed and it was so cute! So last night he started again and I yelled for Gary to come listen and Tyler did it again! Right now he's dancing around the house to "his music" which is a mother goose CD. Let me just say that these things are not all that uplifting. Right now he's listening to Pop goes the Weasel. The little one is stirring so i'm off! Happy Monday!