Our life this past fall--Oh, I'm back!!

Little Duck -Jeremy and Zorro-Zachary

My good friend, Julie and I at our ward's 'Trunk or Treat'

I'm so sad that she and her family have moved out of our ward.

I really miss her and her family every Sunday!

My neice, Ashley Bushman got married

Amanda was in concert band and Jazz band at Rhodes

Amanda was in Choir at Rhodes

At one of Zachary's soccer games, Jeremy fell and had a

buckle fracture on his left arm

Our coaches eating too. The head coach on the right,

Coach Demassa has recently resigned after 8years at Dobson.

Crazy booster mom's getting ready to feed the Varsity players

on Thursdays. The team eats Thursday's and also Saturday mornings!

Braiding Amanda's hair before the game

Jeremy and I spent two weeks

during Dobson's lunch hour selling raffle tickets

I made Matthew pose around 10:30 pm

after a Friday night game. I started at 3:00 putting up banners,

then at 4:30 helping braid hair in the band room, then picking up babysitters for

Zachary and Jeremy, and then going to the game at 7:00, then waiting for Matthew

and Amanda after the game until around 10:00pm. These were our Fridays in Fall!

(Oh, and I had to change my hair back dark-no more blonde-bummer)

We all had football spirit. Zachary, Jeremy, a friend's dog and I,

all marched in our little Homecoming parade!

Our booster club bought a cool banner

Matthew # 72 ,played Varsity football for Dobson

playing her Alto Saxophone at a competition

at A.S.U. band day. Their show was called

"Waternight"

Amanda's joined marching band and loved it!

(She didn't like getting up at 5:00am for band practice at 6:00am four times a week)

Here is the band in formation after their half-time show, at

our Homecoming game

They were incredible and placed 2nd in state!

I'm back-----Our life this past fall

I'm back!!

Okay, so this isn't really Michelle...it's Julie. I'm trying to figure out why she can't post. I don't seem to be having a problem. The problem is you actually have to be home to do this not in your car or out shopping...so stay home and try blogging Michelle. I think you're up and running! You try from your end.

I'm not thirty-something anymore......

My husband took our family to New York before our family reunion in Virginia and he planned the whole trip. What an awesome birthday present it was. When I came home, a day before my birthday I opened this hillarious card from Judi!

Inside reads: What are these women doing?

( cooking, baking sewing has never been my speciality -several friends and I joke about it, too) Years ago, Jodi gave me a cookbook titled, "White Trash Cooking" - and that sums it up.

I'm still working on it-and made my first pies, myself, this year-never too late, right?

I took Matthew to the highschool early and was surprised to find these in my yard.

Zachary ran inside the house and said "Dad, somethings wrong with our yard."

My mom surprised me.


My kids said "Our yard looks like Dairy Queen"
I laughed and was treated to Dairy Queen by Julie. I enjoyed my Mint Blizzard!

Wearing this silly fish hat at the Fish Grotto Restaurant. Seafood is my favorite, and it was good.

(Young) Girls just want to have fun!!
Amy and Chandra surprised me and took me to dinner.
Thanks to calls, gift cards and phone seranades on my 40th.
It was a fun day, inspite of the reality, I'm not in my thirties anymore!

Bushman Family Reunion in Warrenton, Virginia,08

The exciting 3 hour flight to Chicago, then two hours to New York. We then drove to Philidephia, had a Phili Cheese Steak, and tried to see sites. However, all 50 Governors were in town and everything was closed. We then drove to Virginia and meet David's sister and all of the family.

(I'll blog about New York when my photos arrive)

All of us gathering at Ann's home. One night there were 26 people staying in her home!

We love being together!

Washington, D.C. Temple (several of us did a session together)

My awesome neices and nephew. ( The other nephews not pictured)

Luray Caverns (we were 100 ft under ground)

We drove from Warrenton, VA to Shenandoah Campsite ( the remaining photos)

Swimming and having a BBQ at Ann's country club.

The view from our hotel room

Bushmans gathered for Skit night

Our family did a football skit-Amanda was a tough coach

baby deer that came close, too

I've never seen a deer this close!

Hiking in the beautiful Mountains. Our group hiked 4.2 miles. I was tired. There were beautiful sights and water falls. (left Cousin Rebecca Baird, next to her dad, married to David's sister, Dave Baird; behind him Daniel Baird;and sister Rachael Baird; Matthew Bushman; and Daniel's wife Ulianna Baird (from Romnia) and me

Matthew and Amanda doing the 'Hokey Pokey'

David and I dancing the 'Virginia Reel"

Mom (Louise) hitting her pinata
We celebrated her 80th birthday!

The Club house where we had 51 members of Louise Bushman's family gather

Our eating area at the Shenandoah Campsite in Virginia-look how green it is!

We had a blast! Zachary cried when he left his cousins and said why can't we do this next year?

EFY for Matthew and Amanda

Pizza night -her roomate pictured on the very left, Jocelyn Whitneck.

Her Company

Amanda and Matthew along with 10 other kids from our ward went to EFY in Flagstaff. I drove up my kids and four others, Adam and Ben Stapley their cousin, and her friend. We had a great group, singing, talking being crazy. Matthew didn't take pictures but Amanda took around 75! Here is a photo of her group. Brandt Hansen from our ward, pictured in the first row, was also in her group. She had a blast! She now email's her group and they are planning to meet. She missed the last meeting, due to Youth Conference. Matthew enjoyed it too. He roomed with Adam Stapley and enjoyed the classes and the dances.

Zachary's 8th Birthday

I brought ice-cream sandwiches for his group to enjoy at Camp Casita

Ryan carried him in his shoulders during practice so that everyone could see who the birthday boy was. Zachary felt so tall!!

14 kids in my backyard! With the help of Carey and her son Aussie, we had a balloon relay, running the balloon under your chin, and trying not to pop it.



Christian and Claire holding onto the balloon, and trying to not let it fall or pop!

The kids all got their own noodle and battled in the pool. They also had to watch our for our shark, Aussie who would try to knock them off.

IsaiahSandoval, Tyler Reed, Lee Grande Noble, Christian Sandoval, Jacob Hartwig, Jared Wright, Claire Stapley, Kelli Brown, Eliza Fuller, Cohen, Baylie Pettitt, Brielle Hansen, J.T. Roberts and Zachary all making a pose for the camera.

Happy Birthday, Zachary!!

Zachary's Baptism, June 8, 2008

Zachary got baptized and his second cousin, Zachary was ordained a Deacon the same night




Carol Hartwig gave the talk on the Holy Ghost and had Zachary open a present which had a quilt she made. She said the "Holy Ghost is a comforter just like when you put a quilt around you."

Zachary's many Lunt, and Maclay cousins

Carey Hernandez came to her first LDS baptism. She said she was impressed.

My first cousin Marvin Maclay and family

Kaitlyn Noble, Claire Stapley and Brielle Hansen enjoying doughnuts after the Baptism

Lourie Moutinho and Stephanie Walters, both workers in our Primary

My first cousin Heidi (on left) and Dianne Turley (from our ward) and Heidi's sister Kristi. Heidi and Kristi's dad and my dad are brothers. Dianne grew up with these sisters in Casa Grande,AZ

More Lunt Cousins

Adam Stapley, Michael Howden (from our ward) Ashley Maclay and Jaylin Maclay, Josh Lunt (cousins) and Ben Stapley (from our ward)

Brett and Stuart Maclay, first cousins

My step-sister Nicole Montes, and husband Hugo, Mackenna, and Trey

Ashley Culliard, Bryce Hansen, Micheal and Matt Howden (from our ward)

Matthew Howden and Bishop Hardy (who conducted the baptism)

Amanda played the intro music and played "When I am baptized" song and "Trying to be Like Jesus" Judi Stapley played "His Hands" after Zachary was baptized and my neice Heather Fauver (not pictured) sang. Kimberly Haig had a awesome slide show of many photos of Christ displayed, while Heather sang. Edwena Thacker, in pink, gave the Baptism talk and really emphasized how "Sacrament is no long a snack, but a real reflection about Christ we take every Sunday. Karina Fuller (not pictured), Zachary's Primary President gave him "A Faith in God" booklet and was so sweet in describing how important it is to follow it and how to accomplish goals.It was a wonderful night, and I'm thankful that we had many (over 100) cousins, friends and family, my brother David and wife Julie ( unfortunatley many I did not get a photo to post). I am especially thankful to Chandra Hansen( from our ward) and Vicki Maclay(first cousin) for all of their help with the food and clean-up, too.

I hope Zachary will always remember the special feeling that was present at his baptism.

"The Bushman Bunch"