Summer 2010

November may be here...but I'm taking it back to this summer. 'Cause that's how I roll. No seriously, this blog has that title for a reason.

We had a really busy and fun summer this year. We did our first ever Wee Kids Camp for The Ring and it was a huge success!! Our verse for the week was, "I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14) and each time I heard a child yell that He was wonderfully made was precious. We had almost 20 amazing volunteers that showed up each day to help teach and love on the kids. Here are a few pictures from the celebration that we had on the final day.









Next, we headed to Arkansas for a week to see my family and spend quality time with them. The kids had a blast and were loved on the entire time. We celebrated Nathan's 9th birthday, went to the Gulpha Gorge (a beautiful national park) and Magic Springs and played Putt-Putt.









From Arkansas, the kids and I headed up to Kentucky where we met Jake for our friends Drew and Cack's wedding. It was a great time and the wedding was beautiful. We were so thankful to get to be a part of that day.






The day after we got home from Kentucky, Addy began the 2nd grade!




That's the highlights! It flew by way to fast, but was so incredibly wonderful.

2010 Walk to Cure Diabetes

Dear Friends and Family-

On October 23rd, we are going to be walking in our 3rd annual walk to cure diabetes in support of Addy Rush! We are very excited about this day and looking forward to joining together in support of Addy and in the eventual finding of a cure.

The walk is an important day for our family and if you are able to walk with us, it would mean so much! We are not ordering new t-shirts this year, so wear your Addy T-shirt, or a gray or red shirt if you don't. But please don't let a t-shirt stop you from joining in the fun.

We'll be walking at LSU's Campus 'Old Front Nine', on October 23, 2010. The walk starts at 10:00, but we are going to meet at 9:30 close to the registration tents to take a group picture before the walk begins. The walk is around 2 miles and usually lasts about 45 minutes. After the walk will be free food and kid entertainment. If you are able to stick around, please bring your camping chairs or picnic blanket.

You can find out more and sign up at:

http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87878129

Please search for THE A TEAM with team captain, Cristy Rush. I am not asking any of you to raise money (although donations are accepted), so fill in $0 for that box.
What we are asking for is that you pray for Addy and her heart as she continues to live a life with Type 1 diabetes. Jake and I do pray for a cure of diabetes, but more than that, we pray for Ad's strength and the reminder that she is perfectly and wonderfully made.

Thanks,

Jake, Cris, Addy, Jack and Joe Rush


For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139: 13, 14

**Please forward this to anyone who might be interested. This is an open invitation to anyone who might want to join us.

Holding On

Jake asked me Monday night if I could help him rearrange the attic so he could check our air ducts for leaks. I happily agreed because we have just continued to pile things up there to get them out of the way and I was hoping this would also be a chance to organize and purge.

When we started moving stuff I decided that it was time to finally go through all of Addy's clothes instead of allowing them to sit year after year in the attic. 6 years worth of clothes ended up living in 14 Rubbermaid totes packed to the brim. It was unreal!

I started sorting through them with the intention of donating, passing on to cousins, selling and keeping special outfits. I didn't really realize, though, how hard it would be. Seeing all these tiny outfits that I used to hold her in when she was a baby. And dresses that she used to wear while running around the backyard, and tiny little boots and her first day of preschool outfit. It was just very emotional.

When she got home from school today, I wanted to scoop her up and never let go. I don't want her to be that little girl again, but I don't want her to grow up so quickly either. It was a fresh reminder to be thankful for what God has blessed me with today. In this moment. I have had the privilege of watching my tiny little baby grow into a beautiful, kind-hearted little girl and I am thankful.

Yes, those tubs hold memories, but tonight, I'll get to watch her sleep and be reminded all over again of how special this moment truly is.



*** and no, Jake, not like the creepy mom in your favorite children's book I'll Love you Forever

Camp Victory

I started writing about Camp Victory last night and realized that it would be so much more meaningful coming from Addy. So we did an interview and here are her answers:

Mom: Addy, what was your favorite part of camp

Addy: EVERYTHING!!!

Mom: [chuckles] What specifically?

Addy: the carnival. games that our patrol did. Trying to find our counselors like hide n go seek. Playing on the playground. Gym and art. swimming. snacks. cafeteria. girls bunk house. Fishing. paddle boating. running. I liked to be low, because then we got to drink kool-aid.

Mom: What did you learn at camp?

Addy: Songs! Lots of songs. There was only one rule that was at every station: Have fun, and be safe. We had to stay with your patrol. One of my friends wandered off on our way to the gym and she got in trouble. She got in time out. [she digresses about her friend] I learned how to put the insulin in a shot by myself. I learned how to give myself a shot. I tried new prickers!

Mom: Who were your best friends at camp?

Addy: Alexis, Jalee, Alex, Jada, Charlotte. Charlotte was one of the cutest girls. Abby.

Mom: Was there anything about camp that you didn't like?

Addy: What I didn't like was fishing. The trail to fishing. Because that was the hottest trail.

Mom: What did you eat and drink at camp?

Addy: Diet Coke, orange juice, water, no milk. I ate peaches, cherries and pineapples. And it tasted delicious! Pizza, hot dogs, green beans, potato salad, eggs.

Mom: Did you brush your teeth everyday?

Addy: No! But I did brush my teeth sometimes. But I took a shower everyday!

Mom: [desperate] Did you miss mommy and daddy? Jack and Joe?

Addy: Why would you ask that? You know I did!

Mom: Do you want to go back to camp next year?

Addy: Yes....totally!


These are just a few pictures that Jake took while Addy was showing us Camp Victory, but hopefully Addy will have a lot more to show us once her disposable cameras are developed.

A day in the life of the Rush boys (or random phone pics)

These pictures truly do capture the funny (sometimes crazy) day-to-day of Jack and Joe.



--Pictures and details of Ad's Camp Victory experience coming soon.

No comment

Stop Diabetes

A few weeks ago, I was approached by the Baton Rouge chapter of the American Diabetes Association with a request for Addy. They wanted her to speak at a Stop Diabetes (www.stopdiabetes.org) luncheon that would help the corporate sponsors understand what it was like for a child to have diabetes. The luncheon ended up falling while we were going to be in Arkansas so we recorded a video instead. She sounds a little rehearsed in the beginning because I needed to make sure she said her name, how old she was and how long she has had diabetes, but after the first 10 seconds her answers and her take on diabetes was too precious (and heart wrenching)not to share. Once again....this child amazes me.

Addy and T-ball

Warning: Turn your volume way down...I cheer loudly!

Addy started playing T-ball last week and it has already been so much fun. She absolutely loves catching and hitting, but her favorite part is running the bases! I don't really get it either.




For some reason, having a daughter old enough to play T-ball makes me feel 30. I can't really explain why that is, but something about cheering at your child's games...it's very surreal.

Mid-Stream

I really, really hope you guys love gross stories. I've got a doozie today!

Sometimes when we first get out of the car, Jack has to go pee really bad. So like any young boy, down come the pants and he starts peeing into the bushes. Today, I had just let Joe down to walk into the house and had grabbed a large amount of grocery bags. Before I even truly realize what is happening, Joe has run over and is throwing his hands into Jack's pee stream to play in the "water." Both boys start laughing, which makes the stream a little erratic and puts more mess on little Joe. And all the while...I just stand there.

What can you do but laugh?

Brotherly Love

Notice who has the dirty hands...and whose face was "painted."

One more reason to love Jack

January 21st

January 21st has a very special meaning to the Rush family. It was on this day in 2008 that Addy was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

There are days where you remember every last detail and this was one of those days. I took Addy to her pediatrician in South Carolina for what I thought was a urinary tract infection. She had been having accidents during the night. She was having to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes during the day. She was constantly eating and drinking. When her doctor came back and asked us if our family had a history of diabetes and that we needed to immediately go to the Children's Hospital in Charleston...inside I started to panic. There are so many stories to tell from the hospital, but I will save that for another post!

What I do want to talk about is the amazing way God designs our personalities. About the time Addy turned 3, she changed from this perfect angel (really!) into a little angel who pushed the boudaries a little bit further each time. She became super independent and strong willed. She wanted to do everything for herself and would keep trying at something even when it didn't work the first time.

I started praying that God would break her of her strong will. That He would keep her from being prideful and would realize that God places people in her life to help her. I prayed that she would turn back into that little girl before age 3 hit.

But, God had something else in mind when he blessed her with having a strong will and self motivation. He knew that her being independent would be a very important part of her life starting on January 21, 2008.

Now, I am incredibly thankful that my daughter has a will that is not crushed under tough circumstances. I understand how she can receive 2,190 finger pricks and 1,460 shots a year with barely a complaint. I know that other kids could not do what she does, but because God designed her perfectly...she is able.

So today is a celebration. It's a day where we thank God that our daughter is here with us. A day where we encourage Addy and let her know how proud we are that she has handled everything so well. A day where we remind her that it is God who gives her the strenth to handle diabetes and that He is the one she should call on when she is tired or frustrated or angry. And it is a reminder to us that she is perfectly and wonderfully made.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139: 13, 14

The Highlights

We have had so many great moments in 2009.

--We welcomed Liza, Cole (why don't I have any pictures?) Lily and Eli into the world. And Gilly!
--Addy learned to ride her bike without training wheels, lost a tooth and learned to read!
--We celebrated Joe's 1 year birthday and Addy's 1 year diabetes anniversary.
--We did our 2nd annual Walk to Cure Diabetes in October and raised over $1400 and had close to 50 walkers!
--We were blessed to have a week in Gulf Shores with my family and an entire week at Christmas
--We had a great time with Jake's family at Thanksgiving and a fun time eating out with just the adults!
--An incredibly relaxing weekend with great friends in Paducah
--We had many laugh- filled evenings with our friends around bonfires, tables and everywhere in between
--We cleaned poop from white berber and sometimes found it easier to just remove the carpet completely!
--We have had amazing Sunday nights at the Ring. Great worship and timely, kick-my-rear sermons.
--We started a Mom's Bible Study and I have been blessed to learn beside many Godly moms.
--Jake and I celebrated 8 years of marriage and feel like we just get better with age!

And that is just a few moments!

I have also seen more sadness this year than any other. I lost 2 wonderful people in my Grandma and my brother Scott. I will miss them dearly and life will not be the same without them.

But in the good and the bad, I know that God's love, grace and mercy is always pouring out on us; and in that I am always thankful.