We are moving!

I haven't posted in quite some time. I am going to try to get better, I promise! We have had a very busy few months with holidays, birthdays, school and now we are MOVING! I never thought I would be able to say that. We are so excited to be moving into a bigger place. The kids will no longer have to share a room. I just thought I would update and let everyone know what was going on in my little corner of the world.

Youth Ministry Vision Statement

Well, it finally happened. My hubby has been offered a Student Pastor position with a local body of believers and we will be planting a church. If you would've told me a few years back that this would be happening I would've probably died laughing (not really). I am just amazed at how awesome our God is! Anyway, I wanted to share our vision statement and see what you all thought. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Timothy Bush

Wife: Brandy Bush
Married: October 10, 1998
Children: Alexander (Alex) - 8 years old; has autism
Alayna Grace - 3 years old
Hobbies & Interests: Traveling, reading, playing video games, music ( Skillet, Jars of Clay, 12 Stones, Mercy Me, etc.), and most of all spending time with my family.

As the Student Pastor I believe that every journey begins with the first step! I am committed to helping young people achieve their full potential, find meaning and purpose in life, and to know the unconditional love of God through teaching, praying, sharing and giving. I believe that young people belong in the life of our church and community and should be respected and encouraged no matter where they are when they take that first step.

An award, for me? Wow!

I got an award from Bobbi at Mixed Blessings. I've really enjoyed reading her blog and wish I could give the reward to her in return. :)




Here are the "rules":

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.

So, here goes the 7 blogs that I enjoy reading:

1. Betsy at MY FIVE MEN. I really enjoy visiting her blog and reading about her boys. She's also got some great recipes and food pictures. :)
2. Melinda at Dear Noah. I love the idea of her blog. I wish I were better at writing so I could do the same for Alex. Her blog touches me deeply because it is the truth spoken from a mother's heart.
3. Kristin at Kristin's blog. I love visiting and seeing all the pictures of her adorable little ones.
4. Shay at Uniquelyyoursbyshay's Weblog because she is a friend and a VERY talented artist. Check out her artwork!
5. Kerry at Colored with Memories. I really enjoy looking at the pictures of her girls and reading about the cute things they do. Also, her daughter and I share a birthday. :)
6. Bee at Dare to bee creative. She has some of the best ideas I have seen. Very creative!
7. Suzanne at Just a bunch of nothin' has a WONDERFUL way with words. When I read her post about mental retardation I instantly felt a connection because so many of her words could've come out of my mind. I just can't say them as beautifully as she can. She also takes some GREAT pictures of children.

Well, it took me awhile to do this because I really wanted to research the blogs I have saved over the past 6 months to find just the right ones. Please check them out and I hope you enjoy visiting them as much as I do. :)

"Welcome to my Class" goodie bag idea

My son's teacher gave all of her students a "Welcome to her class goodie bag". I thought it was the cutest thing, so I thought I'd share. Here's what was in it:

WELCOME

Welcome to my 2nd grade class!
I am so glad you are here.
I have made you a bag of goodies
to help describe our year.
The eraser is to let you know
it is okay to make mistakes.
We will correct them and learn from them
no matter what it takes!
The "Smarties" say I know you are smart
and really special too.
The "Lifesavers" are to remind you
that I am here for you.
The pencil represents the learning
that we will do.
2nd grade can be very hard,
but it is a lot of fun too!
The "Snickers" says we will laugh a lot
while traveling through grade 2.
The penny is to let you know
how valuable you are, too!

Back to work I go!

Well, today is my last day of being cooped up in my house all day with my two little angels. :) Yes, I am happy about it. I am so ready to get back on a schedule. I know I probably won't feel this way when I have to start getting up at 5:30 every morning though.

I've had a pretty good summer besides being sick with bronchitis for most of it. I didn't really get to do a lot of things I would've liked to do with the kids due to my illness and lack of funds but I really enjoyed being home with them. I did get my home more organized and less cluttered. That is very hard to do when you are home all day with 2 kids. Staying home is a lot of work! We also had a GREAT week at the beach! (note to self: I still need to get the pictures off my camera and blog about our trip). :)

I hope everyone else has had/is having a great summer! Let's go back to school now! :)

Enlightened perspective

If you will take the time to read these I promise you'll come away with an enlightened perspective. The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis:

They're written by Andy Rooney, a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words. Enjoy.......

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.


I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've learned.... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom/Dad that I love her/him one more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've learned.... That when your newly born child/grandchild holds your little finger in his/her little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

We're back!

We are back from our beach trip! We left on Monday and were supposed to return on Friday. We got there and as the week went on we decided to stay until Sunday. We had a blast. We were back home by 5:30 last night. I am now home and trying to catch up on laundry and such. Tim started back to work this morning. I know he hated getting up at 4:00 am after having no time restrictions for a week. Well, school will be starting back in 3 weeks, so I better enjoy my time at home while it lasts. :) I hope to be catching up on some blogging over the next few days too. Looking forward to checking in with everyone! Have a great day!

I did it!! Woohoo!!

I took my bus test and I passed it!! You have no idea how many hours I studied the parts of a school bus. :) I am so glad it's over. Now I can look forward to my vacation next week knowing that I have a job to come back to.

Please excuse the mess!

I am currently trying to give my blog a facelift. Since I am fairly new at all of this it may take awhile. Please excuse the mess while I figure everything out. :)