YUCKY WEEK

MONDAY 25, JANUARY 2016

Well, this YUCKY WEEK has begun.

We had a great Stake Conference weekend.  The satellite went out as President Gray was giving his final points of his talk, but we got the gist of it and we heard his great message on Saturday night.  Basically our message was be nice and look for those who are lonely or need our help as we visit with those in our congregations.  

After the Sunday meeting which we attended in Edmond building, we went home and discussed what we had learned together.  It is always fun to question Grandpa Arthur to see what he got out of the meetings compared to what Grandma Gene heard.

Then Patriarch Hutto came over and helped Grandpa Arthur give Grandma Gene a priesthood blessing for my procedures and doctor consultations this week.  It's nice to have friends.  Thanks Kenneth & Grandpa Arthur for the very wonderful blessing.  I feel like I can face all the needles and tubes etc. this disease is bringing with it.

I'm writing this as I snack on Dulcolax stool softeners and Gatorade with Miralax.  I know you all would like to join me, right?

I did swim this morning and that felt marvelous!

Last evening I opened the blanket that Sarah and Ryan, our youngest son, brought me & found out it was warm snuggly pajamas!  They will be good to have around for this cool rest time.  Pink Polka dots...too fun, and socks to match.  Thank's Ryan and Sarah!

We also walked up and had a little dinner with Heather and her family last evening.  She gave us some yummy soup with lots of filling pasta and veggies included.  Then three of her children and the dog walked home with us.  Helen McKay told me the best thing I can do after surgery is start walking as soon as the doctor tells me to do so.  I don't mind walking so started early..ha!

As we walked home we passed the neighbors horses.  The sun was just setting and I handed my phone to our granddaughter Lily and she took this shot.  The horses were just turning around to leave.  I love this picture.

Then we got home and Grandpa Arthur thanked the children for walking us home.

They posed for a picture...and they scurried back up to their home with the dog in the lead.  I am so thankful we have 7 grandchildren that live close to us.  They all just pop in occasionally and it is a delight when they do so.  Oh, the energy of grandchildren...wish we could bottle this!

FRIDAY, 29 JANUARY 2016
Happy Birthday to John Darrell Bushman.  Grandpa Arthurs older brother turns 73 today!  Last weekend their youngest daughter got married.  We know Uncle Darrell and Aunt Darla danced at the wedding and surprised all how agile they are.  We weren't able to attend, but have been at many dances with this awesome couple and they have rhythm!  Enjoy this 73rd year Darrell!

Well this Yucky week has been moving along.  I agreed to hire a new surgeon..via..my husband and daughters request.  I have chosen Dr. Dunn to do my Colon surgery on the 8th of February.
Thank's for answering all our questions Dr. Dunn.  We really don't  want to experience this YUCKY procedure, but you have helped us be more comfortable with our dilemma. I will be at the OU Surgical unit by the OK Capital Building in the downtown OKC area.  Please remember
this kind doctor in your prayers...and his surgical team....here we go!

Heather and Grandpa Arthur asked all kinds of questions about this upcoming surgery.  Heather keeps me entertained so I won't get nervous.  She climbed up on the examination bed and totally enjoyed entertaining Grandpa Arthur and me till the doctor came into the exam room.  She opened all the cupboards in this photo.  We found the first green cabinet is just for show and when she pulled the knob the whole front came off!  Ha...got to love this baby girl of ours.

Heather has been a great help to Grandpa Arthur and I.  As she has been helping us, her van has been making YUCKY noises and two of her sons have gotten sick.  One has a double ear infection and the other needed to be picked up from school with a YUCKY headache and congestion.  Being a mom and daughter too is hard work!  Thank you, Heather, for helping us this week.  We love the Binky!

Meanwhile since I must wait a few days again, for this YUCKY event, I have chosen to swim each morning.  After all the Seminary students must still get up so I should keep going because of their example, right?  This is my gear I use when I swim.  I take half the house with me...ha!  I will be
forever grateful the city built this YMCA pool just a couple of miles from our cave.  We are blessed.

I have one more blood test, chest ex ray and who knows what all before the 8th.  My arms look like pin cushions.  I learned what rolling veins are.  My veins are rolling and rocking...both arms would not cooperate for the Flex Sig procedure last Monday, so they had to use my wrist.  I should have been a nurse...then I would understand all these YUCKY events I am experiencing.

Meanwhile, Grandpa Arthur, is still cutting up trees that fell during the ice storm.  He put weather stripping on the back door to keep the kitchen warmer.  He is keeping busy as he ponders this YUCKY week.  I caught him on his knees repairing the door knob!

It is a beautiful day in Oklahoma today.  The sky is blue and Grandpa has filled the old wagon with wood for our fire place.  We are blessed to have lived in this home for so many years.  Life is good even when we have YUCKY news!  We hope all of you can endure your trials and remember that this life is what we choose to make it.  We choose to find joy in this day.  Meanwhile it is lunch time and Grandpa Arthur is eating his apple and crackers for lunch.  He is a constant in my life.

I have been indexing a lot lately...I feel I must accomplish something during the day.  Hurrah for Indexing!  Really I am an arbitrator for Oklahoma School Records from 1895-1960 for all the small communities in Oklahoma.  I've arbitrated about 5,000 records so far this year...I do this so I will feel like I have helped someone with their genealogy.  I then watch tv and read books and blog the rest of my free time..ha!

We found this bouquet of flowers on our front porch.  I feel loved.  Thank's Sister Stowell!

Our Grandson Jake measured himself with the markings our children put on the door frame.  Jake is the same height as our son Ryan was at 16.  Jake is 13.

He is too tall for our living room couch.  Ha!

Lily is the same height as her mother was at 14...Heather is still that same size...too fun.  Lily is 11 and still growing.  This was fun to compare with our own babies..love the grandbabies!

Our Cecily had her wisdom teeth extracted, getting ready for college.  Hope you feel better soon Cecily.  We love you.

Our granddaughter, Brenna, texted me before my Flex Sig procedure and told me she had been fasting for me that day.  She is only 12 and fasted while attending school.  That made me cry.  I am a very blessed Grandma.  Thank you Brenna for loving Grandma Gene enough to fast for me.
These are pictures of our Brenna.  She is growing up to be a beautiful young woman.  Time moves quickly!

Well, with this thought I will end this blog.  This YUCKY week ended with less YUCKY than it began.  I'm glad I write my feelings down.  As I ponder this life and the happening this week, I feel protected and loved.  Thanks again to each of you for phone calls, texts, cards, e-mails, flowers and visits.
"I Gene having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceeding in my days."
The first book of Nephi 1:1
&
Blog post # 110 of the last testament of Gene Davida Wade Bushman
Yucky week is over, yea, a record of being a patient patient has begun for Grandma Gene.  Love your families, be kind to all you greet.  Make sure you are kind to yourself also.  You are loved and highly favored of the Lord.  Of this I am sure.  Hurrah for Israel.

The Anakims, the giants, were still inhabiting the promised land, and they had to be overcome. Said Caleb, now at 85 years, “Give me this mountain”.  (Josh. 14:12).
Grandma Gene, at 69 years, can conquer this giant, "Give me this mountain".
So if next week I end up in I "C" U...just remember Grandma Gene says, "Peek a boo, I see you"!
Hug's always,
Grandma Gene & Grandpa Arthur
Gene and Arthur

BURR

FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY 2016

BURR...it is freezing here...where did the sunshine go?

The fire in the wood stove and the electric light bulbs are great inventions for our home cave to be light and warm.  We are so grateful to have both on this cold, BURR, winter day.

Today was our last day to teach seminary.  It was a difficult day for Grandma Gene as the youth wrote us great thank you & get well notes.  Our last lesson was 1 Samuel 18-24.  Saul was very jealous of David.  I reminded the youth that they must not be jealous of Grandpa Arthur and I when we get to sleep in on Monday.  Ha.  They did not think that was nice.  I then told them to be grateful that they are young as we still will awaken at 5:00 A M.  That is what happens when you get old.  I didn't tell them that I can fall asleep again though.  We will miss these wonderful youth.  The future is going to be fine because these youth are here.  Love all of you!

We taught about Goliath on Thursday.  

This is the sling I made...we all enjoyed trying to knock out Goliath.  The youth are way better shots than us!  Way to go Seminary Students...we overcame Goliath on the 21st of January!

We got a photo with all our students and Goliath.  I gave them individual photo's with Goliath too.

When I went to get them printed, I received prints with Goliath's head cut off!  Ha.  I almost gave them to the youth, but the spirt whispered...Goliath is still alive.  So I had the printers redo the pictures and gave them a full picture of the "resurrected Goliath".  Even Goliath has the opportunity to repent, right?    Each of us are going to face our own Goliath's.  I hope the youth will keep their pictures with this defeated giant as a reminder.  They too can defeat the Goliath's that show up in their lives and so can we.  If you haven't read 1 Samuel 17 lately, you should do so.  

" 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

 46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

 47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands."

After we had the closing prayer.  I told the student's that I have colon cancer and that our last day is Friday.  Now we just hope the Stake releases us soon and sustains a new teacher for this great bunch of youth.  Now Grandma Gene is praying that she, with the help of a surgeon & his "MD" shield, can defeat this Goliath tumor that has invaded my personal space!  Having the middle name of Davida is helpful in my case, right?  I believe!

Grandpa Arthur took me to the Texas steak house for my last steak dinner for awhile.  It was yummy!

I must picture this when I'm chewing ice chips.  BURR!  It was delish!

Both my son and daughter's vans have had flat tires this week.  I drove with my daughter, Heather, to pick up her van. There was a nail in her tire.  We took it in to be repaired.  Before we picked up her van we drove to the Deer Creek Prairie Vale Elementary School and picked up her boys.  This is a photo of the street sign on the road in front of the school.  The school mascot is the Antlers.  The "great" road in front of the school: "He > I", yes, He is greater than I.

"Elementary my dear Dr. Watson"

 

BURR

SATURDAY, 23 JANUARY 2016
Finally the sun is shinning outside!  Welcome back sunshine.  We hear the eastern USA is having blizzard conditions today.  We are thankful we have blue skies today.
Well, it has been a week of tests and needles and getting our lives focused on me being a patient.  I get anxious about this silly tumor.  My daughter, Heather, has been with us, all the way, and questioned and studied way more than I can even comprehend.  Thank you, Heather, for your love and patience with this Mom of yours.
Our daughter in law did good with her removal of a kidney stone.  She is now in the process of healing.  Our granddaughter got accepted into BYU Idaho, congratulations Cecily!  We had a nephew whose wife give birth to a son this week, congratulations! We had a niece and her true love marry this week, congratulations! We have a little grand niece that shared her childlike dream with me and I experienced the faith of a little child.  Thank you Shawny!   The joy of these experiences bring hope and faith to Grandpa Arthur and me.  We thank all for phone calls, texts and visits.  It seems everyone we know has one struggle or another at this winter storm season...BURR.  We took a leave of absence from our temple callings...which I haven't even really served as an ordinance volunteer since returning from our mission, but Grandpa Arthur has.  We are hunkering down for tests, shots, and surgeries.  Grandpa Arthur has a sinus infection and cold that he is enduring.  We have total understanding of future events and know whether good or bad we can learn to "weather the storms".

The entrance to the cave doesn't face this edifice...the berm of the hill the cave is encased in does, but we have pictures of the temples in almost all rooms of our unique cave.  Our little hobbit house cave does face the eastern rising of the sun and that is a reminder of the OKC Temple entrance too.  We expect to enjoy many more rising suns from our "hobbit" windows.
Have faith, believe, & love your families and especially make sure your children feel that love.  Stay warm on these BURRLY winter days.  Spring is just around the corner.
Lets be kind to all we greet, smile more and believe this world is good.  Our love and prayers are with each of you.
Four more temple have been completed and are ready for dedication.  This earth life is a marvelous work and a wonder, enjoy.
Hug's always,
Grandpa Arthur & Grandma Gene
Arthur & Gene

JANUARY

SUNDAY, 10 JANUARY 2016

We went to Ryan's Ward to listen to our granddaughter, Brenna, give her first talk during Sacrament Meeting.  She wrote the talk herself, on the Godhead, and did a terrific job.

That evening we had a delightful meal with Ryan and Heather's family's.  We love being surrounded by our grandchildren.

Playing hide and seek?

Love the way these two can sit so comfortably on the floor.

Games for the older children!

A new rug!

Our daughter-in-law is a trooper...she has kidney stones and is really suffering, but enduring.

MONDAY, 11 JANUARY 2016

We had our empty-nester home evening with the Hutto's and Mary Newman in the evening.  Mary made a delicious beef soup...I love beef!  Thank you for the lovely dinner Mary.  We studied President Russell M. Nelson's last two conference talks.

"How can you ensure that your behavior on the Sabbath will lead to joy and rejoicing?"

Grandpa Arthur learned of free mulch that the city has from all the trees lost in the ice storms.  He went and got a pickup load for our son-in-law.  

It was a beautiful day to deliver this.

Do you like his snow shovel?  Ha..waste not, want not.

He created a nice hill for the future fruit trees.

Our daughter-in-law let me pick up her children the last couple of days of school.  She needs to pass these miserable stones.

I produced ice cube wheat grass for my smoothies...

The blender did all the work...so thankful for electricity!

TUESDAY, 12 JANUARY 2016

Another friend passed away this week.  Leo Fish was in the Oklahoma City Temple Presidency with Grandpa Arthur.  They are cousins and both grew up in Arizona.  Leo was diagnosed with a brain tumor 6 years ago.  He was expected to live 6 months.  He will be missed.  His wife Evalee is thankful for the last 6 years.  Our love and prayers are with Evalee and her family at this time.  We will be traveling to Joplin, Missouri for his funeral next Monday.  Thank's for the memories Leo.

Have you had the opportunity to pick Idaho spuds?  I spent many weeks in my youth, past Septembers & Octobers, working on potato farms when I was young.  This is a picture memory I saw on facebook this week.  It brought back many memories of hard work and fun pay checks I received as a youth and teenager.  I thought I had to clean the potatoes before I put them in the gunny sack...I was 8 years old when I picked my first basket.  Everyone passed me by on their rows...while I was spitting on the potatoes to get the dirt off...the farmer came and had to teach me how to harvest spuds!  I got ten cents for a gunny sack.  It took two baskets to fill a gunnysack.  The first day I earned 30 cents.  I improved my labors the next day.  We also helped harvest potatoes for the church farm.  We did that voluntarily.  

Combines, now days, are more productive than we basket carrying laborers.  

Got to love eating the Idaho Russet Spuds!

MONDAY 18 JANUARY 2015
We spent the weekend in Austin, Texas visiting with our two sons, Eric and Todd, and their families.  We rode down with our daughter Heather and her family.  We stayed in Todd and Allyson's new home.  We just relaxed and had a nice, noisy weekend.  Eight of our grandchildren were there and had a good visit with each other.  Families are the best.  Thank's for hostessing us all Allyson.  You are the best!  The children enjoyed a park in Austin until the cold rains began.

Grandpa Arthur even came to the park with us.  Way to push the swings grandpa!

Brandt spent the night with the cousins and his sisters came to visit with us on Saturday.

Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Gene with eight of our grandchildren.  We were in heaven as we listened to all their noise making...ha.

Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Gene with three of their own babies...love, love, love them.

I have seen great photo's of family photo's on the stairs.  This is our great attempt.  Thank's Cecily for being so pretty in this photo!  Perhap's next get together we can succeed.

We returned home on Sunday afternoon after listening to our son Todd speak in Sacrament Meeting.  We really enjoyed your talk Todd.  He is the scriptorian of our family.
Monday morning Grandpa Arthur and I drove to Joplin Missouri for Leo Fish's funeral.  His family gave him a great tribute and he will be greatly missed.  President Southward promised Leo that when
the time came he would speak at Leo's funeral.  It was nice to visit with many temple workers and President Southward gave great memories of Leo as well as reminding us all to endure as well as Leo did.

Evalee invited us to stay for the luncheon after.  I was standing by some of Leo's grandchildren as we waited for the blessing on the food.  Leo's grandson did the "loves me, loves me not" with his memory rose.  It ended with He loves me!

He then took the petals and placed them on the table arrangements.  The gym was set up with about 10 white tables and so this rose brought beauty into the setting.  Leo & Evalee love their grandchildren.  Families are forever!

I end this blog waiting for word from my doctors.  I had a colonoscopy last Thursday, 14 January 2016.  A tumor was found and so we are awaiting a biopsy report.  I think I just got a lump of coal for my late Christmas present.  I must try to be nicer in 2016.  More surgery is in store.  Growing old is so poopy!

After I got this great news I pondered this test.  I now must be patient as I become a patient.
Friday we purchased donuts for our Seminary Class and forged ahead.  Life is good.  Grandpa Arthur taught a great lesson on Samuel and his roll in anointing King Saul.  These youth are so smart and such a delight to be with that the future looks good.  We love our Seminary Students!

Grandpa Arthur and I are totally blessed.  May you have the best JANUARY ever.  Keep warm, smile often, and remember that you are loved.  Hug your children and tell them you love them.  Thank's for making Grandpa Arthur and Grandma Gene's life so full of joy and love.  May each of us, family and friends, continue to enjoy our time on earth and be kind to all we greet as we sojourn here.  Hurrah, until next time.....
Hug's always,
Arthur & Gene
Grandpa Arthur & Grandma Gene