What did we do this weekend?

This last Thursday I put Am's old bed set on sale at KSL.com and sold it in 35 minutes! This family down in Tooele County bought it for their little boy. Am's old 6 piece bed set is going to be his first BIG boy bedroom set. I got off work Saturday around 6:30 p.m. and Ambree wanted me to take her down to IKEA to get the set she has had her eye on for a while. Well we headed down and got her two end tables and a huge dresser drawer set. Am is so excited and has been working hard to get things prepared for when she gets married. She has one more payment for her Spring tuition then we are going to go back down to get the head and base board for her queen bed to complete her set. I love IKEA they have so many fun things down there. I am grateful that IKEA is so far away!

We arrived home around 9:30 p.m went and rented movies and sat in the basement family room putting together the end tables. We finally went to bed around 1:00 a.m.

Sunday after church we worked all day on the dresser drawers. Here is the dresser drawers in progress. Mike did not think that we could put it together right but we did!

Ambree working away at her new bedrooom setHere are the two end tables that Ambree picked out. They were pretty easy.
Ambree’s dresser drawers in her room all completed! Every drawer fit and it looks so good in her room. Of course the top is full of her missionary pictures! Rob's mom made Ambree the table topper that is full of sunflowers to go in her room. We had a lot of fun but our backs kind of hurt for a while.

Oh my gosh

OH MY GOSH! Will it ever stop? I got stuck so may times today that I gave up. This is ridiculous paying city taxes and WHERE the heck are the plows? After 4 weeks of sunshine do ya think they got caught up a little with the budget? Maybe the city should sell some "Snow Cones" or something and back off the raises for the big guys! Mike and I measured 22" in our back yard and it is still coming down. All has come from the last three storms in almost two weeks!

How about a BBQ?

After taking these pictures and loading them on my computer. I came in to get warm and check my email and my little brother Roger sent me a picture of his new baby! BOY wouldn't it be nice to go on this right now! Ha Ha

We will have all of the water soon for it!

I'm so lucky!

Saturday was Valentines Day and I received these gorgeous flowers from the love of my life. Now you are probably thinking so what? If any of you know Mike at all this was a shock. Out of 12 co-workers I was one of two that got flowers. This did take me back and I was so excited for Mike had surgery on his hand Friday morning and so I was not expecting anything and we had to do a WSU game Saturday night so I thought that we would just skip it this year. Nope! I'm so lucky!The colors are so pretty together and gives me spring fever. Am also received flowers from her dad and a bag of chocolates. We are two lucky girls!

Love is a Verb

In attending Women’s Conference my favorite speaker has always been Sister Mary Ellen Edmunds. She can make you laugh so hard that it hurts. She is one sister that truly loves what she does and is a great example to me. Mary Ellen Edmunds says: “Love is a verb.”"

Perfect love, casteth out all fear." 1 John4:18

"Charity is the pure love of Christ and it endureth forever." Moroni 7:47

"They do not love, that do not show their love." -William Shakespeare

“To acquire love…fill yourself up with it until you become a magnet.” Charles Haanel (1866-1949)

“We could love more if we sinned less, because sinning drains our batteries. Things like hate, jealousy, contention, and anger use up a lot of energy. The sweeter our relationships with God, the more we will long to serve and love Him and to make ourselves ready for anything He needs us to do. Maybe if we did some repenting, some returning to the Source of love, we would be able to discern promptings faster and better.” --Mary Ellen Edmunds “Love is a Verb” pg 8)

Recently I have been studying love. What is love really? There are so many different aspects of love. Romantic love, parent love, children love, human love, sports love etc...I think I side with Mary Ellen Edmunds when she says that "Love is a verb." It is something we do, not just something we say and talk a lot about. It's interesting, because people like to be "in love" but what does that mean?

I think it means giving and caring more about someone or something else than you do for yourself. I have learned over my 47 years that it's hard to truly love others and give of yourself freely, but when I think of true love, this image of my parents always being there for us kids. No matter what we were doing as kids we could always look in the audience or bleachers and see them there supporting us. The tender care when my mom had surgery on her knee, when my dad was in the hospital with his blood clot the love my mom had for him and stood by his side. My husband who works so hard for his girls, the cooking, making sure our cars are safe and endless things he does for Ambree and I. We are treated like princesses! I love you Mike!

The love that my daughter has taught me. She sees the good in everyone and puts their feelings before her own. She is the first to apologize even when it is not her fault. Her missionary stressed how he wished he could buy a set of scriptures for these two converts he help baptize. Ambree went down to the Distribution Center and bought two sets one in French the other in English and two book marks with marking pencils. We came home boxed them up and sent them so Rob could hand them to his new members. Am is the first to give and does not think twice at all. She has taught me many ways to love. I love you Am!

I thought of Heavenly Father and how he loves us so much no matter what we do and sometimes we in essence do not show our love by the way we treat others or the daily things that we forget to be grateful for, but He still continues to love us because he sees the bigger picture. I guess that's what love is. Learning to let go of the petty stuff and clinging on for dear life to the things that matter most to us. I hope someday to be able to love that deeply and perfectly. But as for now I'm just working on loving myself enough to give others the love I can as an instrument in the Lord's hands. And I’m grateful He allows me to work like that. Recently a sister in our ward had quads, two boys, two girls, and one that turned two in December. The sisters in our ward are taking shifts to help out this family for a while. I love going over and holding these special little ones. It's actually really fun! That is really why we're all here, to love each other and help each other home, no matter how weird or unique we all are!

I love my blog friends who are so dear to me and I love reading about their inner most thoughts and the trials that they face. I have been touched by their words and many times their stories have made me laugh so hard that it makes my bad days better. Love you bloggers!!

Happy Valentines Day

Here you go Julie!

Well here you go Julie! Move over they brownies...ha ha. Hope this helps to give you energy as you work and work. I know how you feel. Take care

Where is Malldo?

Guess Who?

So our Young Men and Young Women had this activity to go to the Mall and find 12 ward members. They called it "Where is Malldo". They all were to make themselves look different so the youth would have to search for them and really look. SO who do you think is Malldo in these pictures? I had a snuggly put away that I never used when I had a baby. I also had a baby doll that my great aunt Helen made for me. I dug for a old baby blanket that I have saved for Ambree, borrowed a wig that was in a A-line bob. And Ambree's glasses and there she is!

I got the honor to dress up ? and it was so much fun! She was a great sport. I really wanted to make her an old lady...which she almost is ha ha just K...but could not get a motor wheel chair. Knowing ? she would be doing wheelie's in the mall. Not safe for a new mom =) Can you guess who she is yet?

You’re RIGHT! It is the one and only Shelley!! Can you believe that she did this? Here is another ward member that dressed up, Cindy Dean. So I am waiting to hear how it came out. Shelley was hoping to have no one find her. We shall see!

NO BODY guessed Shelley! She walked by many people in our ward that were also dressed up and they did not even know her at all! Shell had to walk right up to them to tell them who she was. She even walked down the stairs in front of her daughter Kimee and her friends. They were wondering why she was walking so slow and then Shell went and put her face in Kimee's and then Kimee yelled MOM? Our RS President and Shar screamed their head off when Shell went up and talked to them! Who would of thought that Shell would ever dare do this? But then again no one knew who she was! After the kids found all the Malldo's they went back to the ward to have a lesson on sometimes things are not what they perceive to be in life.

We make a great team! HEY we will have to do this when we get together to scrapbook Joni, Julie, Sherry, Mom, Karen and the gang! ha ha

Christmas at mom and dad's house

We always go over to my parents house for Christmas dinner.

My mom isa very good cook and we love eating her food.

My parents are the best and they always take good care of us.

They are so supportive of their children and love their

grandchildren so very much. They work so hard to make

everything perfect for each and everyone of us. They have

been Temple workers now for 4 years and they love their

calling. My dad has been in a singing group now for 7 years

called the Men of Songand he enjoys that a lot. My mom has

been on a bowling league for gee...many years and does really

well!We all love them so very much and appreciate what they

do for each and every one of us! Merry Christmas mom and

dad,we love you and we are so glad that youare both doing so

well and keep up the good work!

Am told me to take another one cause she said her eyes were

closed. So I took another one and she pulled a face.

Funny Am!

Grandma, Ambree and Grandpa

Here is great grandpan and great grandma

with their first great grand-baby

Am took a picture of her dad opening up his presents

Mike looks happy...ha ha

Robbie, Tyson and my brother Gene

Riley their family dog with his BYU sweater!We had Steven's family for Christmas. I crochet BYU

beanie hats for them. They were excited and I made

their dog Jake a sweater to match! We also gave them a

game for all of them to play. You cast spells on each other.

Amber, Amanda, Aimee and Andrea Hancock

This is Amanda my nephew's wife, Zac's mom
This is the teddy bear that great grandma and great grandpa gave Zac.

He kept bitting the nose of the bear!

My cute great nephew Zac. He is opening great grandma's

gift. He got a soft storybook.

Merry Christmas!

Well her favorite present of all was when she got a surprise phone call from

Elder Furlong! He called to let her know that he had to change the time that

he was going to call. YES he had permission to call Ambree. His Mission President

is very layed back and Elder Furlong got to call his family first,

his two sets of grandparents and of course Ambree!

Now who can compete with that kind of surprise?

The Little Mermaid has always been Am's favorite movie. She wore out the video

so she got a new DVD of the movie. When she was three that is all she pretty

much watched. She also was in the Little Mermaid play and did 17 performances

at the Terrace Playhouse. We all had it memorized!

Am got a $100 bucks! Perfume, clothes, socks. DVD's

underwear, cookbook, cleaning book, lotion & sugar scrub.

His new friend a snuggle pillow. I have been replaced...lol

Dad went first

Am gave her dad a tin full of 70's CD's

Opening presents

Am and Karlee waiting for dad to get up!

Scandinavian Christmas- Lucia

Ryker and Shaylee

Ben looking at the tree

Ambree and Gracie

Santa and Gracie

Jack, Brooke, Santa and Kate

Nalder family
Ryker playing with his new toys
Brooke opening her surprise
Gracie trying on her new hat

Sadie

Emmy and Jen

We saw mommy, grandma kissing Santa Claus!

Riley

Jake lovin Santa

Cassie

Jack

Ambree

Sadie

Shereen

Kate

Ryker

Ben loved Santa

Gracie not liking Santa

Spencer enjoying Wii

This year aunt Kathy decided to do a Scandinavian Christmas. On Dec 13th, one of the most traditional Scandinavian festivities is celebrated all over Sweden, Norway and on the Swedish speaking parts of Finland. It is Lucia's day, the festival of light, and symbolically brings hope and light during the darkest months of the year. We did not do this on the right day for it was Christmas eve. All the grandaughters dressed in white and had candles in their hands, around the wreath in their hair. They had a lot of fun. While the Scandinavian music played they all came down the stairs and paraded around so all could see. So much fun!
Thank you Grandma and Aunt Kathy!

We did not cook a goose but had pizza! lol

Ambree

Gracie eating the candle

Kelsey and the King

Cassie

Shaylee

Gracie and Ambee

Kailey

Kelsey and Ben he wanted to be the King

Saddie and Brooke

Brooke

Kelsey and Kailey

Shaylee and Cassie getting ready and giggling

Kate

Brooke, Gracie and Am getting ready

Brooke

Boy has she grown up! Sadie

The first and last we saw Gracie in her white dress! lol

We all had a great time at aunt Kathy's and Uncle Bob's house. We all brought our favorite pizza and soda pop to share for dinner. Aunt Kathy made a green salad and a fruit salad to go with the pizza. Useally the Scandinavians cook a goose and well we wanted it to be simple.

Thanks so much for the fun and for always letting us be apart of the Bush family!

Merry Christmas,

Mike, Jana and Ambreelyn