Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

When I think of New Year's growing up, mostly I think of my mom fixing the traditional new years meal with collard greens, pintos, and pork and telling us we had to take a bite of everything. If we didn't we would be broke and have bad health. Yuck, I hated that meal worse than any other meal that year, not that my mom didn't prepare it well, but just every one of those three food items I don't care for at all. Now that I'm a parent, I look forward to the idea of preparing the New Years day meal for my family and passing on that tradition. I realize it is more for the passing on of the traditions than the actual meal, and yes, thank you mom for making me eat one bite.

I also think about all the many New Years resolutions I've made. Some, I kept fairly well and others not so well. The many diet resolutions, yeah well... then there were the ones where I committed to improving my prayer times with the Lord, or with my scripture readings. Those usually lasted a bit longer than the diet ones but still didn't make it all year long.

So I've decided I am not going to make resolutions any more. Instead, on New Year's Day, I am going to spend my day thanking God for the blessings of the past year and praying for the future to come in the next year. I feel especially led this year to pray for the direction of our country, as well as for the many service men and women going through really hard times with so many back to back deployments. I also feel led to pray for the many many families going through financial difficulties and for the many children around the world without homes and families to love them. I pray today for the missionaries all around the world who live with very little to share the gospel of Christ and I challenge myself to find more opportunities this year to share the gospel here in my Jerusalem verses just on the mission field.

With all that said, Happy New Years to you all. May the Joy and Peace that only Christ can give overflow you all this day. And, If I was going to make a resolution. It would be to cherish every moment of this short life and make lots of whats below these babbling paragraphs.... memories...

Me and Molly heading down to the huge bonfire at Nana and Grandpa's house. She looks hungry for Smores!

Watching daddy's blackhawk jump

These pictures are from when Molly and I were able to see one of Bryon's jumps last week. I haven't been able to see any of his jumps in the past few years that we've been dating so it was VERY cool for me to experience it for myself. He only had three more jumps left before he completes his tour in the Army in March. This was the last blackhawk jump that he will ever do. Bryon is the first jumper out of the helicopter so you can see him specifically as he parachutes down. Bryon says the army calls the first jumper the 'test dummy'. I don't really find that name particularly funny but oh well, I guess it is sorta true. One down, two more to go!

Merry Christmas!

For everyone reading our blog, the Mushrush family wishes you all a very Merry Christmas. This has been an exciting and challenging year for us as a family and for us a nation. We all have a lot to be thankful for. Most importantly, Christ's birth, the true reason for the season. As you read the Christmas story below, allow yourself to be transported to the time when the Christ child was born, in a lowly manger, alone and unappreciated and unsure of what the future held. We thank you God that the future is in YOUR very capable hands.
May you all be blessed. We love you all!

Luke Chapter 2

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Hoke Christmas Dinner

This past Saturday, the Hokes, my dad's side of the family, celebrated Christmas together at the restaurant Pie Town in Charlotte. We had a fantastic time catching up, meeting all the new baby editions and making memories. Below are a few pictures from the event.


Grandma opening her gifts.

Daddies Chris and Josh chatting

Grandpa burping Molly

Ayden and Collin playing.

My Aunt Edith and cousin Erin, who is getting married in just 2 months to her sweet JAG officer fiance now serving in the in the US Air Force!!!

Grandma looking radiant.

My cousin Kristen's beautiful baby boy, Ben!! This is the first time I met him and he is such an ADORABLE baby! Looks just like his daddy, in my opinion. Welcome to the world little man!

Molly and Ben chillin in their car seats during our Christmas dinner

Aunt Janie and my cousins Jordan and Claire

My cousin Alexwinning over all the babies hearts.. no joke!! A great daddy in the making.

Cameraphone pictures

One of Bryon's all time favorite pictures of Molly. She looks mischievous!

Aunt Diane with Molly at Thanksgiving

Gram Sargent, Aunt Diane and Molly snugglng

look at those cheeks!

Molly's ready for Santa to come! She wants diapers, wipes, diaper genie2 refils.. very demanding wish list :)

Mommy and Molly snoozing

Grandpa giving Molly a bath in the sink! Well, almost in the sink.

Daddy's Home!!

Molly's reaction today when Bryon walked in the door and picked her up. What a welcome, I think someone is a daddy's girl already!

Holiday speech to the troops

Holiday Speech to the troops.

Soldiers and Family members, veterans, and all who have served our nation in uniform, happy holidays to you. This holiday season, like the previous seven, we as a nation find ourselves at war. Being deployed in harm’s way is always a sacrifice for a Soldier and when these deployments coincide with the holiday season the sacrifice is even greater. Your service during this time of year is in keeping with the yuletide goal of establishing peace on Earth. The diplomats negotiate peace, but the Soldier ensures it. Your efforts in defense of our nation, and freedom for people everywhere, is a special gift to all this holiday season.

The American people honor your service and thank you for allowing them to celebrate this season in whatever manner their faith dictates, knowing these most precious freedoms are protected by you. All Soldiers deployed and at home are a critical part of fulfilling the solemn pledge we all take to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Our long history of succeeding in this endeavor gives us faith that the American people will celebrate the holidays in their own way for many generations to come.

American Soldiers should be justly proud of their service. You are among the few Soldiers in history who serve to defend an idea. The proposition that all men are created equal, that the protections embodied in our Bill of Rights apply to all regardless of station, that the people are more important than the very land they live on are well worth our Soldiers’ sacrifice. Freedom and democracy are tenuous things only made to endure because American Soldiers stand guard against all that threatens them. These threats are continuous, thus your service is as well; necessitating you defend our values even during this holiday season. But be assured that the American people respect and understand your sacrifice and know your service on their behalf is both needed and greatly appreciated.

Our Army faces many challenges in the future. We are engaged on two fronts fighting against terrorist threats, we are developing a high-tech Future Combat System, we are taking better care of our wounded warriors than at any time in history, and we are transforming to meet future threats. All these challenges, and many more, could distract you from taking the time to reflect on the importance of this holiday season. But they should not.

I must tell you, no matter what your duties are, be it manning a checkpoint in Fallujah Iraq on Christmas Day, or standing by as a medic on call at Bagram Afghanistan during Eid ul-Adha, or a grandmother taking care of the children of a deployed Soldier at Fort Hood, Texas during Hanukah; whatever your duties are, take some personal time to celebrate the holidays in the manner you see fit.

Let me offer you a story of one of your forbearers to exemplify my point. Over 200 years ago on a frozen Christmas morning, a ragtag Continental Army was encamped along the Pennsylvania shore of the Delaware River exhausted, demoralized and uncertain of its future. They had been defeated by the British enemy in numerous previous battles and were on the verge of losing the war. Desertions were high, and the majority of those who stayed were ill equipped, ill of health, and their enlistments were due to expire at the end of the month. General George Washington bet the fate of our new nation on a surprise attack on Hessian forces in the New Jersey town of Trenton, necessitating a risky crossing of the frozen Delaware River that Christmas Night. The weather was horrendous and the river treacherous. Raging winds combined with snow, sleet and rain to produce almost impossible conditions. To add to the difficulties, a significant number of Washington's force marched through the snow without shoes. On one of the boats during the crossing was Private John Greenwood, who recounted that with all the stress of the mission he had forgotten it was Christmas and decided to pray. He prayed for something that would be repeated by thousands of future American Soldiers finding themselves in harm’s way on Christmas Day. Private Greenwood’s prayer was not for his own safety, or even success in the mission, he simply prayed for the wellbeing of his family and his fellow Soldiers. History tells us about the victory that occurred the next day, ultimately allowing for the birth of our great nation. Private Greenwood’s personal Christmas story, however, is an example of how the success of those patriots came from the strength of their faith and the freedom to practice it. In Private Greenwood’s sacrifice and all Soldiers who followed came the essence of the American Soldier. Our Soldiers defend an idea, allowing Americans the freedom to worship and celebrate their faith in a manner of their choosing. So, if you as a Soldier choose, please take the time to celebrate your faith this holiday season no matter what your religion is, or where you are defending our country from.

Our freedoms are precious, our Soldier’s who sacrifice to provide them are honorable, and the American people are grateful. So, on behalf of the Army leadership and the American people, I want to thank you once more for your service and wish you and yours a most happy holiday season, and all the best in the coming New Year.

Bumbo blessings

So, I feel like crying looking at this picture and realizing how big my baby is getting. It seems like only yesterday I was going through the torture of labor and staying up countless hours at night with her trying to get her to latch on and eat. Now she's sleeping great, eating great and even able to sit in her little bumbo chair and hold her head up! Yesterday marked Molly's 11th week of life. She is able to push up and sit with her head only wobbling minimally. She smiles at Bryon and I and sometimes even has a little squeal when we talk to her first thing in the morning or when Bryon gets home from work. She loves taking naps in her swing and listening to Mozart and Christmas Carols of course (she is her mommy's baby). She hates tummy time but has to do it several times a day whether she wants to or not (yes i'm a mean mommy).

As I'm sitting here typing this, I'm staring at our beautiful Christmas tree, looking at the beautiful handmade stockings hanging over our fireplace, watching my sweet husband burp Molly and hearing our dryer finish up our sheets and I realize how very blessed I am this holiday season. To have a nice apartment, more possessions than we could ever desire and a healthy loving family.. truly I am the most blessed woman. I received the Hands On Missions newsletter this week and read about the conditions in Malawi this Christmas. The missionaries there described it as the hungry time of the year and how most poeple are living on mangos. I hope we all realize how incredibly fortunate we ALL are, regardless of how you compare to the average American family. We ALL are rich in the grand scheme of the world. I challenge us all this season to do something for someone less fortuante... give to the Salvation army bell ringer everytime you leave Walmart, donate to St. Jude's the 5.00 they ask at Kmart EVERY time you go.. yes, this is a challenge my husband made to me, it's easy to give once, but giving every time is much more challenging. And ultimately remember the most incredible Blessing we have received this year, the promise of eternal life through Christ Jesus.. and that gift is completely free for the taking.

Me, I'm thankful for my baby in her bumbo chair...

A few reception pictures

Cutting our incredibly yummy wedding cake, a year after the fact :) Oh, and the top layer is our 1 year anniversary cake that tradition says you eat on your first anniversary..
Well, that's in 10 days!

Great Grandma Mushrush holding Molly for the first time.

Uncle Dave, Aunt Joni, Jessica and Jake at the reception

Grandma Marion holding Molly for the first time.

The kids tearing up the dance floor and Aunt Mary trying to keep up :)

My high school girlfriends giving a toast. My sweet college girls also gave a great toast but I don't have a good picture of them to post yet.. More posting will definitely come!

Great Grandmas Bettis and Mushrush meeting at the wonderful dinner Bryon's dad held for us the Friday night before the reception. It was at the Poplar Lodge in Hendersonville and was superb!

Bryon holding Molly and Bryon's best lifetime friend Chris Mentch holding his little girl Chloe. Chris and Laura drove all the way from Erie, PA with a little baby just to be at the reception. It meant so much to Bryon having them there. Bryon's other best friend Tony and his family (3 kids) drove all the way from Fayetteville and Bryon was so honored to have them there as well. We love you guys!

Casey flirting it up on the dance floor with Grace. I tell you what, that little boy is quite the ladies man! Way to go Casey!

My incredible husband giving the best toast I've ever heard at our reception. I am the most blessed woman in the world to have such a thoughtful, romantic, Godly man. I love you baby!

Four generations of Mushrush's. Molly, Bryon, Bryon's dad and Great Grandma Mushrush. Definitely see the resemblance there.


**Thank you to Bryon's dad for these pictures.. If anyone else has any, shoot them my way!!*