The Rusch Family

Vacation Pictures

2009-07-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pictures from our vacation in Utah. We had a blast. We were able to see almost all of my side of the family. We missed a few of them, but hopefully we will be able to see them soon. Thanks to everyone for such a good time!

This is my great grandma and my grandpa that I haven't seen since I was about 9 so this was the first time they met George and the kids.

Here we are with my other great grandma. We haven't seen her since Abby was 6 months old.

Here we are with my dad at my aunt's house.

The kids at the Hogle Zoo.

The girls in their shirts I made them for the 4th.

Dalen in his shirt. His shirt was much easier than the girls.

The kids at the carnival on the 4th.

Gas $200.00

Hogle Zoo $150.00

Fireworks $50.00

A weeks worth of excitement and ten hours to recover on the way home -----Priceless!

Long Time, No Post

2009-07-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, time just keeps getting away from me and I have had no time to post. I am making it my new goal to post at least once a month instead of once every 3 or 4 months. Since I last posted a lot has happened. Easter, Time Out for Women, Abby turned 7, summer started, Rylee jumped on Abby and broke her arm, Lovell's Days and now we are in Utah on vacation. The weather was beautiful this morning and we went to the Hogle Zoo. The kids had a blast. It started to rain right as we were leaving so now we are just hanging out at my grand parents house. We will spend tonight with my Dad and my aunts. Tomorrow we are going to have lunch with my aunts and dad and then we will go see my Great Grandma Dumas. I believe that she is 97 now and we haven't seen her for almost 7 years. After that we will head down to my Mom's house and spend the 4th in Mount Pleasant. They have a parade, carnival and rodeo. I can't wait for all the fun. I will be sure to post pictures as soon as we get home. Until then I hope that everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend. And I want to give a big THANKS to everyone who has fought or is currently fighting for our independence. We love and appreciate you!!!!

Fun on the Farm

2009-03-22T19:15:00.001-07:00

Well since it was so nice this weekend we thought we would take advantage of the nice weather and try to get some pictures of the kids. I thought it would be fun to go out to the farm and take pictures on the tractors and haystacks, which I was later informed that they are straw stacks. It was a lot of fun and the kids were really patient. I am not at all very smart when it comes to taking pictures, but I think they turned out okay. Dalen was fine when we took his picture by himself, but didn't at all cooperate when we tried to do a group picture.

This one has to be my favorite! It was probably the only time this weekend they weren't fighting!

The girls got these hats for Christmas and Rylee hates it. I told her if she let me take pictures of her in it she never had to wear it again. After she saw the pictures she loves it now. The sun was totally in the wrong place but I had to get one of him looking like he was having fun.

2009-03-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! Over two months since I lasted posted anything. I guess things have been kind of boring lately, NOT!!! Things got kind of crazy with the remodel and work and trying to get things back where they belong and now I have been trying to play catch up with some of the other things that got neglected over the past month. Not to mention the exciting task of delivering the 273 boxes of Girl Scout cookies that Abby sold. I am sooooo glad that is over with, but thanks to all of you who supported her! Me and Jennie took the girls to High School Musical on Ice. It was a blast and I think that they girls really enjoyed it. Jennie got a few pictures with her phone, but we didn't take a camera in with us. We weren't sure if they would let us take one in and it was freezing outside and I didn't want to chance having to take the hike back up to where we were parked if they didn't allow it, so sorry there aren't any pictures. Oh yeah, I am sure that most of you know, but for those of you that don't George got a new calling in the ward. He is the secretary in Young Mens. He is really excited about it. Last night was his first activity night and they just did some planning for future activities. I know he'll be great!!! That's pretty much all we have been up to. Now that I got you all caught up on our not so exciting life, we'll see if I can get back on track with the blogging!

Dance Recital and Christmas Pictures

2009-01-02T18:19:00.001-08:00

These pictures are long over due. I know I promised everyone they would be up last weekend, but Dalen ended up with ear infections and was very cranky. Now that he is feeling much better we have the time and the energy to get this done so here are Christmas and dance recital pictures.
Abby has been dancing for about three years now and this was Rylee's first recital. She was very nervous and we weren't sure that she would dance once she got up there, but she did GREAT!!!! She danced her little heart out!

Aren't they beautiful

Shake your groove thang! Our little ballerina The Dancing Queen

Here is our tree with the ornaments all up high so Dalen wouldn't get them. We promised ourselves we wouldn't go crazy this year, but you can see from the presents that we are big fat liars. Ridiculous, isn't it? This is a not so happy Dalen.

This is Dalen after he figured out what the heck was going on!!!

Here is Rylee with her giant, and very annoying, singing Sleeping Beauty
And here is Abby with her favorite movie of all time, Hairspray

Dalen turns 1!!!!!!!

2008-12-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe it, but on Dec. 12 our baby boy turned 1!!! Our theme was fire trucks. I found the cutest idea to make fire trucks with graham

crackers, oreos and candy. And of course Dalen had to have a cake, so we made him his own fire truck cake. The frosting in the picture looks pink, but I promise it was red. When it came time to open presents he wasn't a very happy kid. Everybody bought toys that make lots of noise and so every present he opened he wanted to play with instead of opening the next one, but we finally made it through all the presents.

I can't believe that it has already been a year since he was born, but I love how much fun he is right now. Happy Birthday Dalen!!! We love you!

Rylee Turns 4!!!!!

2008-12-04T20:19:00.001-08:00

The big day has finally come and gone. Can anyone guess who the guest of honor was????

That's right, Tinkerbell! I think the brown haired version is much cuter, but that's just my opinion!

I was very happy with how the cake turned out. It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. Rylee loved it.

We had such a good time. When I asked her if she had a good party she told me "Momma, this was the very bestest birthday party ever". Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!!!!

Parties, Parties, Parties

2008-12-04T20:05:00.001-08:00

Wow!!! What a crazy week this has been. We started our week with George's grandmas birthday on Sunday night. Then it was off to Billings Monday. Tuesday was the ornament exchange. Wednesday, the ward Christmas party. Tonight was our little Rylee's 4th birthday and tomorrow is George's Christmas party for work. I would like to think that things can settle down now, but next week we have something every night.

The ornament exchange turned out pretty good, I think. I had fun and it seemed like everyone else did too. We are really hoping to make it an annual event so if anyone has some good suggestions on what to do next year please let us know. Here are a few pics of some of those who joined us and some of the decorations.

And of course it wouldn't be a ward Christmas party without Santa!!!! Can you guess which one of our angels doesn't want Santa to bring us toys?

Dad's Response

2008-12-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I wasn't sure how the whole fake birthday party for my dad was going to go over, but apparently it went over great in his eyes. He tried to go in and leave a comment, but said that it rejected it both times and he doesn't know why so he asked if I would please leave his comment for everyone so here it is:
Sissy,Wow...now you went and done it. You made your old dad shed some tears! I can honestly say this was the nicest birthday present I ever received in my whole life. You tell me I have taught you to do good things for people,which is an awesome compliment. I only wish I could have done more for you and Jordan as you were growing up, but you grew up sooo fast. But as I grow older...I find more and more that the gifts you give do not have to be monetary or material. The important gifts you give and receive are those that you can pass on to make you a a better person or make someone else a better person. The creativity and time you took to put together my 'birthday party' with your precious angels...planning the video, baking and frosting the cake, singing happy birthday without me being there, and most importantly, setting the example for your children, make me very proud to be your dad and I consider that gift to be priceless. Your kids see you taking care of missionaries, spending time with the kids teaching them important life lessons, helping them to understand reality, but then showing them that no matter what, everything can be 'ok' in the world, sets the stage for their positive development to be good citizens in this crazy world and it makes your dad want to be a better father, grand father (papa), husband and community member, too. Thank you for my awesome birthday present and for the wonderful words you wrote in your blog. I am proud of you as a daughter, as a mother, and as a wife to George. Thanks for being a wonderful part of my life. I love you, Sissy, as I love your whole family! All my love, Dad

Thanks for making my eyes squirt some tears dad!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!!!!!

2008-11-26T14:35:00.000-08:00

Happy 49th Birthday Dad!! I didn't know what to get you for your birthday so we thought we would throw you a party so here it is. Even though you weren't here to enjoy it with us we very much enjoyed it. YUM! I thought it would be fun for the kids to sing to you since we don't ever get to be there on your birthday, so here's a video. George is working nights so he didn't get to enjoy the party, but he says happy birthday and he loves you.
I
I don't know if you remember the book you gave me a couple of years ago for Christmas, Why a Daughter needs a Dad, but for my part of your present I thought I would pick a few things out of that book that pertain to us. Some I have included explanations or memories dealing with the reason and some need no explanation.
Reasons Why a Daughter Needs a Dad
1. To teach her the joy of serving others. I can remember many times going with you to take cookies and cards to veterans or being there with you doing the Veteran's Olympics. I don't think that I will ever forget the feelings I had when being there in those moments.
2. To help her find her way in life. You have always been supportive of the decisions that I have made. Not all of them have been the best decisions, but you stood by and let me make my own mistakes while still being there to let me know it was going to be okay.
3. To teach her how to work. I am thankful that I learned how to be a hard worker from you.
4. To always have time to give her hugs and kisses!
5. To teach her that she can forgive more than once. This one has probably been the hardest lesson that you have taught me, but probably the most important lesson in life that I needed to learn.
6. To learn that when he says it will be okay soon, it will. It is no secret that over the last few years I wasn't sure that things would ever be okay, but through it all you have kept telling me that it will. Through all the ups and downs of the last several years I have finally realized that it is okay. When I needed to cry, you told me it was okay. When we would laugh, you'd say "See sis, everything is going to be okay". I now realize that in the end and with time, everything will be okay.
Thank you dad for all the wonderful things you have taught me!!! I love you!

Memories of Missionaries Past

2008-11-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

As many of you know WE LOVE MISSIONARIES! I am so thankful for missionaries and the work that they do. I have always been a member, but my husband and his brother and sister are converts. I love being involved with the missionaries and I am always thankful when they asked me to go with them. One of my most favorite things is to be able to watch how people change as they learn of the gospel. As I was going through pictures saved on the computer tonight I came across some pictures that put a HUGE smile on my face. We have loved all the missionaries that we have gotten to know, but we have been lucky enough to remain very close friends with 3 of them. Clark, Lambert and Nakken is what we will forever call them by, although it is now legal to call them Craig, Scotty and Tanner. We were lucky enough to have these 3 guys there to share two very special days with us, the day me and George went through the temple for the first time and the day that we were sealed as a family. I am so thankful to have you guys in our lives! We love you!

Halloween

2008-11-05T20:29:00.000-08:00

Halloween. What a day. I don't ever remember

Halloween being one of my favorite holidays,

but now that I have kids it is starting to become

one of my favorite. Our day started out like

normal, up at 6 to get ready for school and work.

I ended the work day early and

went to Abby's party at school.

After school it was off to Girl

Scouts for Abby while I went to

pick up Rylee and Dalen. Once

we all got home we decorated

cupcakes. What a sticky mess!!!

My favorite were the mummy

cupcakes, which George informed

me looked nothing like mummies,

but I think we gave it a heck of a shot. Then the real

fun began. Running around the house like a bunch of

lunatics trying to find all pieces to all costumes, getting hair curled, getting dressed and of course make-up! After all the craziness it was off trick or treating. The girls were done after about 3 blocks. Dalen didn't even make it around the block before he crashed. After all was said and done the kids had more fun

handing out candy and eating

chicken noodle soup after we got home. Then the grand finale, Uncle John and Aunt Bonnie's house. It has become a tradition the last few years that everyone goes out to their house to hang out and get a healthy treat! This year everyone got a pomegranate. YUM! What a fun filled, but exhausting day! Can't

wait to do it all over again next

year.

My Brother the Missionary!

2008-10-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

Thought you all might like to see some pictures of my baby brother Jordan! For those of you who don't know he just left recently to Brazil to serve his mission. Sounds like he is having a blast so far. He is the one with the thumbs up. They found the rat in their bathroom. YUCK!!!!

More Fun!!!

2008-10-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

Just some more fall fun!!! We made a haunted gingerbread house. Not the easiest thing to make, but we managed. Dalen found a little fun of his own with a chocolate muffin one of the girls left out. YUM YUM!

Our Little Pumpkins

2008-10-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!!!! Thought it might be fun to

start a blog to keep in touch with everyone. It seems like

it has been a long time since we have seen most of the family. I know some of you haven't even seen Dalen yet and with us being so far away and winter coming you probably won't see him anytime soon. I know there are some little ones that I haven't seen yet either so please feel free to send us some pictures. Here are some pictures of us tatooing our pumpkins last night. The kids are too little to help us carve so they have

so much fun doing the pumpkins this way instead.

We also had lots of fun at the

pumpkin patch and corn maze

with Papa, Michelle, and Mackenzie

in Idaho. Dalen stayed behind and spent some quality time with Grandma . Well we hope to see you all very soon!!!! We love you all!!!!