Our Everyday Wonders

Learned this at Prenatal Yoga

2011-06-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

"Head Down,
Chin tucked,
Back to Belly,
Hands on Heart."

Also, that I should stopping worrying about my mothering and parenting skills/abilities. For God has chosen Joshua and me to be her parents, and He chose her to be our daughter.

I am really excited.

In the process of their new bed

2011-01-23T22:10:00.000-08:00

Here is Eowyn and Gandalf enjoying their partially made bed.

Sesame Seed Chicken

2011-01-23T21:44:00.000-08:00

I made this yummy Sesame Seed Chicken with brocolli and rice. I was very impressed with how easy this was and how tasty. My new FAVORITE recipe!

God is so beautiful!

2010-11-08T17:44:00.000-08:00

Today, I was so lucky to have the chance to see our week old baby orangutan at the Zoo. He is so adorable and makes the cutest sounds. I am so thankful that God was so creative in his creation of animals. I just love God's work!

Japanese Garden

2010-10-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Joshua loves anything Japanese. Secretly, or not so secretly, he wishes to live in a pagoda, eat sushi and never use a fork again. Well, we had some friends in town and being that it is Fresno there is not much to do. We had enjoyed some Five Guys burgers, than headed to Boomers which was quite overpriced for mini-golf (but we got some free popcorn), and out of the blue the Japanese Garden was suggested. Josh has been wanting to go for awhile, so we did. The garden is gorgeous!

Time sure does fly when you are having fun!

2010-09-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today has been the first day of truly cool weather here. The day was partly overcast and the chilly wind has been going around all day. I have loved every bit of it. I am looking forward to the cooler weather ahead.

I can't believe the summer is over, at least for me it is. Camp is done and it was a wonderful summer camp season. Since it was my second year doing it, everything seem to run so much smoother. The summer had its usually issues of kids bugging one another and someone getting their feelings hurt and the bumps, scraps and ouchies along the way. All in all, the issues were worked out and life was not so "over" as one camper said. I love hanging out with all those kids and I miss when camp is over. No worries though, fall and winter are just around the corner.

I just can't believe so much has happened since I last posted. Lets start in April, for Joshua's birthday we adopted a cute little gray tabby from the SPCA. We named him Gandalf. He was the last of his litter and he had a cold. So I guess being a little sick, doesn't make you a top choice candidate to be adopted. He fell asleep in my arms within minutes of picking him up. Josh and I could not say no to something so cute, and I am glad we didn't. He has been a wonderful joy to have in the family. He is the cuddle-bug of all cuddle-bugs. He loves all the cats even if they might not like him as much. He has the cutest little half-mews and silent ones. You can't even deny him anything because he has those dewy little kitty eyes that say "hi, love me".

Joshua got a job with West Park at one of their charter schools in Hanford. It is not to bad of drive. It is only about 45-50 minutes away and it is mostly freeway. He has been at it for about a month now and is enjoying it. He mostly has 12th graders, so the students are in the situation of needing to get the remaining credits done so they can get their diploma and/or pass the state required test. It is really nice, that he has the opportunity to work individually with each student and give them the one and one attention that they are needing. Getting the students pass this hurdle onto the next one, be it college or vocational school.

It is so hard to think at the moment. I am enjoying the sound of the wind and loving the cool breeze that is coming through the window. The wind smells so clean and crisp. Rain would be so nice right now.

Of course, just so you all know. I do not go down to the SPCA because I like to see what animal I can adopt and take home just for fun. Joshua went down to the SPCA, because we saw a three legged kitty at the SPCA's little store front, a few day prior, that they bring animals to during the day. So we thought if he was still there we would get him. He was adopted though. :) Yeah! Then Joshua told me I needed to go down to the SPCA and look at this one Siamese cat that he wanted to adopt. So I went down there on my lunch break to see this cat that he told me to see. I was talking to the SPCA lady and I told her which one my husband wanted to adopt but usually we look for a certain age (older cat preferably since they are the least likely to be adopted and euthanized first) and one that would be okay with other cats. The lady plops Aowyn in my arms, just so you know this was not the cat Joshua was requesting. In mere seconds that cat is kneading her head into my shoulder and burying her face in my chest. God gave me a heart for animals, and it is hard to deny them a home when I know I have one to give. Even though I was so very content with the four we had. I was not ready for another. We just a few months ago got Gandalf acclimated to the group and here I go again. I am heading straight down the road to Old Cat Lady-ville, with Josh helping me along. (As a side note, I asked God for a man that loved cats and I got one. God listens! I never thought in praying for that would get me a man who loves cats more than me.) So that day, I left with a 5th, a fifth cat to my troupe of cats that I am currently sharing a home with. They are getting along quite well for her only being here a week.

Thanks for letting me ramble. I am enjoying my new found freedom away from my desk and I can now sit leisurely where ever I want. Which makes this oh so much fun imo. I am off to bed, because I need to be at work early tomorrow to walk and train alpaca. :)

I love you! Hope to see you all soon.

From the Cat House aka Bussell Family

Justin's Welcome Home Party

2010-03-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Well...

2010-02-16T21:05:00.001-08:00

Well... Anduin has been in some problems before (lose of tail, big puffy cheek filled with saliva) and now her third eyelids with not go down. We took her to the vet on V-day and the vet says she looks fine. Her muscle movement around her face is fine. We had her tested for FIV and Feline Leukemia, because the vet says that can be a sign of that, but that came back negative. She is acting completely normal and does not seem hindered. Her eyes just make us feel bad. Vet says if nothing changes to come back in a week and she will prescribe some antibiotics. So we are just waiting to see what happens.

Gingivitis

2010-01-05T00:17:00.001-08:00

Of late Kefi's breath has gotten pretty stinky. So we took him to the vet and we found out Kefi has gingivitis. He is on some antibiotics and on his way to recovery. He is VERY angry with us though and he is making it known with being moody and grumbling at us. It hurts to see his discomfort but it is for the best.

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DC smooshing Sam

2009-12-19T01:00:00.001-08:00

Here is DC trying to cuddle as if he was a normal sized cat. He pretty consumed Sam with his body.

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DC & Elrond - Friends from the Beginning

2009-12-07T18:40:00.001-08:00

DC & Elrond's Adoption Story

ZooLights

2009-12-05T23:50:00.001-08:00

Here is a pic of Santa's Workshop at ZooLights! :)

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New Awesome App

2009-12-01T00:43:00.000-08:00

First day of December!!

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Kefi aka Pepé

2009-09-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

If you did not know. We love cats and we added another into the mix!
His name is Kefi aka Pepé.

Family Weekend (small part of)

2009-04-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

Sarah.. you know is not nice to point.

Weeee...!

Smile!

Zoe - Growing Up So Fast!

2009-03-29T20:11:00.001-07:00

Can you turn the computer on please?

Zoe!

2008-11-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

Our new little addition is named Zoe.
She is a little under 2 months old.
She is a healthy and happy little kitten.

DC is Zoe's new best friend.

Went camping..and caught a...sunburn!

2008-09-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we went up camping this past weekend, and no we did not catch any fish (we tried)but we did catch some sun. I caught most of it, of course. There are some pictures floating around to the left. :)

A sad little moment in time...

2008-08-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Joshua and I made the hard decision to put our little Elrond to sleep. He was getting on in age and the veterinarian said that his body was starting to shut-down.

We will miss him greatly, but we are SO thankful for the time we had with him. He has made this past year all the more enjoyable with him being my lap and bed-warmer, demanding with old cranky cat mews that he wanted the faucet turned on or to be held so he could fall sleep in my arms, and so many more wonderful moments that have blessed me with so many happy memories.

He will be missed but I know he is in a better place.

"Obviously, what God has prepared for us is wonderful beyond comprehension. Therefore, love your pets as much as you can while they are here. Those of us who go to heaven will later understand that everything worked out perfectly regarding our pets." (http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/pets.shtml)

A little prayer...

2008-08-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

This morning I took Elrond, our eldest cat who is 16 (like 80 in human years), to the veterinarian.

The passed few days he has slowly went from dry food and water, to wet food and water, to neither.

The veterinarian says the cause might be his kidneys, which are of normal size but certain technically stuff are higher than normal, suggesting to his dehydration and the fact that he might be in the process of dying because of old age.

So all in all, Elrond's kidneys might be giving out on him. He is on an IV, to keep him hydrated and we are now just waiting as time passes to see what God has planned for him.

Joshua and I have been trying to prepare ourselves for this moment for while, since we knew he was not as young as he once was. It is still heart-breaking none the less.

1st Year Anniversary

2008-07-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

Anduin Post-surgery...

2008-05-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

She is doing quite well. She despises the cone around her head. Her bum hurts a bit when she sits. All in all though, she is happy to be home.

Anduin in back...

2008-05-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Anduin ran away a week ago Tuesday morning (4/29) and she has returned us on Friday night (5/9). She is doing quite well. She is skinny but she is eating and drinking. We took her to the vet to get her some antibiotics and shots.

The bad news is the while she was gone, she got herself into some kind of trouble which mutilated her pretty little tail. The bone is showing and most of her tail is black dead meat. The vet told us that most of her tail will need to be amputated. The vet says about a two inches is all that will be left behind.

She is having surgery Monday. So if you would not mind, it would be very appreciated if you could say a little prayer for her. Just that everything goes smoothly with the surgery.

We are VERY excited, happy, and thankful that she is home. We are even more thankful that it was not a leg or something worse. :)

We love you!
Have a wonderful Mother's Day and be thankful for the life God and your mother has giving you!

Love,
JnC Bussell

Kitty Love

2008-04-09T22:59:00.001-07:00

Kitties enjoy a beautiful nap together

He was hiding from us :)

Big DC was cuddling

Our Kitties a.k.a Our Kids

2008-02-10T00:44:00.000-08:00

For all to see and know who we are talking about, these are the furry little creatures that bless our lives.
Samwise in the tree

DC scared to come out

Anduin giving me her prettiest pose

Cats exploring and investigating the "plant" (aka weeds) :)
In order from top to bottom: Elrond, DC, Samwise

Elrond & DC tasting the "plant"

-Silly Kitties! >^..^<

-JnC Bussell

All done! We are IN!

2008-02-03T19:31:00.001-08:00

Loan Docs are Almost Done!

2008-01-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday night, Joshua and I went into First American Title Company and signed most of the loan documents. We are waiting for the well report to come in which should be today, and that will be the last thing to sign. So unofficial but close, we are home owners.

We are so thankful that all this chaotic mess is almost over and we can sit inside our house in peace.

To no suprise to anyone, we have all four of our cats inside the house and they are doing very well getting to know each other. Anduin is a bit bitter about another two cats which she does a good job at showing us. All in all, we are a happy little family. :)

APPROVED!

2008-01-11T14:57:00.001-08:00

Need I say more!

We are FINALLY approved!

I am dumbfounded by it all and I lack words at the moment, but none the less. Approved!

Approved! Approved! Approved! Approved! Approved! Approved! Approved! Approved!

YEAH!

Thank you God and everyone who has helped us and kept us in their prayers! :)

Love,
J & C Bussell

San Felipe, Mexico

2007-12-31T15:50:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures and little videos from our trip down to Baja Mexico!

San Felipe 12/23-12/30/07

Also, Dustin has a few videos of the fireworks and the Baja 1000 on his myspace: http://www.myspace.com/moto88

We are now waiting...

2007-12-10T02:00:00.000-08:00

We have sent in our request for repairs, so we are justing waiting for them to get back to us on what they will or will not fix.

I hope you all are doing well through this busy Christmas season. I hope you are getting your shopping done soon, because the lines are only getting longer.

Stay warm and well!

Love,
The Bussell's

We did it!

2007-11-14T00:03:00.000-08:00

We have signed the counter-offer! We are on our way to becoming home owners. We are absolutely stoked! Our new address will be 6440 S. Fig, Fresno, CA 93706. Josh will be VERY close to school (about 5 country blocks) and I will be commuting, which is no big deal. We are so excited. We will start to move in around Christmas time. So YEAH! :)

Or Maybe Another Option...

2007-11-12T01:17:00.001-08:00

Another housing options has come into play. Josh and I have looked at this housing development, European Grove, during our engagement, but at that time we had decided these particular houses were out of our price range. Of late, they have been offering more incentives and lower prices causing us to take another look into this development. So we are taking our time and praying about it, seeing where God is leading us in this decision.

Both houses have their pros and cons, and we are weighing them out. We would appreciate encouragement and as always, prayer in such a decision. We are excited to have a our own home but if God closes both our doors, we will take it as God would like us to wait. If that is the case, we will to continue to look but wait. :)

A new house ... maybe?

2007-11-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

Joshua and I have put in a bid for a beautiful little 3 b, 1 ba house located in Easton. We have been counter-offered and we are deciding on what options we have available to us. We have fit into one grant and we are seeing if we fit into another. So if God willing, we might be moving into a house before Christmas which will be crazy exciting.

Also, I got another little raise. So I am excited for that because that makes everything a little more affordable. So we are really being blessed and I am so grateful. :)

Thank you guys for all your prayers. We love you!

Here are a few pictures of the house: