The Butler Family

Coming in 2010!

2009-12-26T17:11:00.000-08:00

It's true and still hard to believe! We are excited to announce we have a baby girl on the way. She is due in May and what we had come to believe as the impossible is still sinking in. Three little boys in our home are adjusting to the news and Ethan's immediate reaction was one of horror at the thought of barbies making an appearance. They really are thrilled with the news as are we. Dresses, hairbows, sparkles and dolls....very foreign but we are up for the challenge!

{ Most Importantly }

2009-10-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a long while....lots of pictures and words needed to update the last few months. Most importantly at this time, more important than any of that"fluff" I tell you that myself and my family need your prayers.

My mom is currently in the ICU in extremely critical condition. We need all the faith and prayers we can get at this time. Thank you to all the friends and family that have been aware of the situation and have offered support. We are extremely grateful.

I have set up a blog in which I will update her condition as often as I can. My sincerest of thank you's.

http://OurLoveofMom.blogspot.com

{ The Day has Come }

2009-05-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

So it's true, and I'm in denial about it. Tomorrow I turn 30. Those of you reading this that are older are thinking...whatever. Those of you who are younger are thinking how old I am, right?

Well it's something that of course I knew would come or at least in all reality I should be glad it came, but this is a tough one. I am pleased with my life thus far but is it really possible that this day came so quickly? Huuhhh..... I'm puzzled as to were the time went. I thought to honor myself :) and to try to lessen the blow I would try to be introspective about myself and my life and post 30 facts about little ole me. Boring perhaps ... you have permission to go now if the thought of 30 facts that you have to trudge through is too much to handle.

* I am a loyal friend! I really make an effort to keep in touch.

* I'm a diet coke junkie...sad but true

* I thrive on a busy schedule. More to do causes me to be more organized.

* I am not a "details" person, I leave that to Matt

* I like to talk. "Yellow Energy" (as Matt calls it) is a must for me

* My favorite color is Red

* I love to "network" with people. Moms, Business Owners, Handy People...you get the idea.

* I hate puzzles (goes back to the detail thing)

* I don't mind speaking in public or in front of groups

* Sleep is my favorite hobby

* I've discovered I have a real thing for hair product

* I love being a mom to boys

* I love mushrooms and artichoke hearts

* I am cheap

* I always have a spiral notebook with my life's notes

* I don't mind laundry

* I love e-mail and now have it at my fingertips with my Blackberry...so fun

* I love to vacuum...instant satisfaction!

* I get grumpy when I'm hot

* I was Relief Society President of a family ward at 23...now that will age you instantly!

* I love childbirth (pregnany a different story) ...2 of my boys nearly fell out on there own

* I ask a lot of questions, this is how I connect with people. Annoying I'm sure.

* I'm an optomistic person.

* I like a clean house. I didn't say it was clean, but I do like it when it is.

* I'm kind of a clothes horse when it comes to my boys

* I drive a mini van.....never thought that day would come

* Black Friday is where it's at

* I read the obituaries

* I love Mexican food

* I cut all the "boy hair" in my family, now that's a full time job

* I'm a saver

* Bubble Wrap is my friend

* I love all the friendships I have made with customers and clients

* I love my life and couldn't be happier, even if I'm doing it now in my "30's" ....WOW, that's even more than 30! Thanks to anyone who stuck around for all my ramblings. I never thought I'd make it. Who has time to think about this stuff let alone type it out!

LIFE IS GOOD

{ 10 Years Ago Today }

2009-03-12T14:59:00.001-07:00

10 Years ago today I married my favorite person. Hard to believe how quickly the time passes but at the same time feeling that it's been forever. I'm happier today than I was on what most people would call the most important day of a person's life. It's all about marrying the right person at the right time in the right place that makes it all work. The equation for a happy life together!

Happy Anniversary Matt!

{ Better Home Interiors }

2009-02-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

I want to thank all of you that have linked my business to your blog!

Word of mouth advertising is the best advertising of all....so this leads me to ask all of you loyal blog readers ( and I know who you are) to do me a favor......pretty please! Take a look to your immediate right, in case you didn't notice before but Better Home Interiors has a fancy button and you can have it too! Take it, share it, admire it and don't forget to use it!!

Thanks to all of you!

He's gonna be rich!

2009-02-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

Recently we had a big event take place at our house. Ethan lost one of his front teeth. I guess he's really growing up! But.....the best part as Jackson informed Ethan is that you get to put your tooth under your pillow and the tooth fairy brings you Quarters, Diamonds and Pennies!

What a deal I'd say!

January....the bad and the really good

2009-02-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

So I've got a little money saving tip for you.....

since it's cold out anyway why use your fridge when you can do this? Put your milk in ice banks to chill, perishables in a family size cooler and condiments, well they can fend for themselves. It's really convenient, except for the fact that all your labels fall off, everything is slightly damper than normal because unfortunately it does rain in the winter. Bummer!

Actually....as I'm sure you figured this is not something we planned. Matt and I had been getting ready to leave out of town for a week when our fridge went out unexpectedly. Well, I suppose that it's never "expected". What a drag! Anyway we improvised (thank goodness it is winter) and now three fridges later (don't ask) we are good to go.

So after figuring all of this out this is where we got to go:

Looks fun doesn't it?! Well it was!

Leaving the yucky cold winter for this put a BIG smile on my face!

January in Cabo San Lucas, not too shabby I must say. Matt or possibly strangers snorkeling...not too sure, I was dozing on the job :)

The "hat" : best vacation accessory now determined. Made early morning dining on the ship possible without exposing severe bedhead to unsuspecting cruise passengers.

This was one of our formal nights for dinner. Good food and even better date.

Food is something that there is no shortage of on a cruise ship. Believe me if you haven't been it's hard to imagine where they possibly store this kind of mass quanity of grub. But it's not about the quantity (well for many it was :) but for us it's all about presentation. Sad but true we took pictures of our food like every night. This is just a small sample. Our dinner mates must have thought we were crazy....but hey, we like to document.

Yummy!! You just can't go wrong with lobster. And, well if one isn't enough to fill you up order 2 or 3. Does it get any better than this?

Now to sum up this beautiful vacation:

Relaxation to the fullest
An over abundance of delicious food
Someone to clean my room and make my bed (twice a day)
Warm weather and sunshine that can't be beat
Time with my sweetheart that can't be matched at home
An opportunity to miss my children
Realization of how blessed we are in the US bad economy or not we are lucky!

Our Merry Christmas!

2008-12-27T17:33:00.001-08:00

Well, as you can see Santa Claus did make it to our home! I think every year the boys get more excited and it makes so fun for us. Fun times and memories to be made!

Thomas is still a celebrity at our house and the jet engine was a must have this year.

Carson multi-tasking...and yes that is drool on his shirt. He has had a bit of a cold and well you can figure out the rest.

Grandma and Grandpa Butler sent this wagon.....so fun!

The most exciting thing about this wagon are the restraints :)

When you have a monkey like we do, it's in their own best interest.

I realized I haven't even taken any pictures of the tree. Good grief, after all the time it takes to set the darn thing up you'd think we'd post pictures everywhere! Well, maybe before it's time to take it down.

Happy Holidays to all of you our friends and family!

Catching up!

2008-12-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

I was thinking to myself what a shame it was that I haven't posted anything since November and then the cruel reality hit.....October! It's been since October! So I suppose we'll pick up where we left off.

Yes, 3 boys is what we have in case you doubted for a brief moment. What are you going to do if one insists on being a witch? Oh...a Warlock right?! No a WITCH! Funny stories as I'm sure you can imagine but no skin of his nose, he loved it!

The crew getting ready to go out.

A little uncomfortable?

Nah!!!!! This is a boy who sleeps best with a kinked out neck which cracks me up because when the boys were babies I was always so concerned about "kinked" necks. Hmmm.....how can this possibly be comfortable?

We had a wonderful Thankgiving with family and have enjoyed several Christmas outings as well. A trip on the Polar Express was a fun adventure and dowtown to see the Christmas lights that never dissapoint!

Merry Christmas!

How was that for lightning speed update?

Autumn in the Park

2008-10-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

Look at this and you won't ever have to wonder why Fall is my favorite time of year. I'm always reminiscent this time of year because this is the season that Matt and I met and decided to spend our lives together. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the seasons come and go and how time flies without really acknowledging it's passage. I can't believe how big the boys are and how much they add to our lives. Each their own little personality and I wonder how it can be when they came from the same mould, but different they are!

Does it really get any better than this? Pure joy and at so little a cost.

Two peas in a pod.

Almost walking!

Bliss on a cool Autumn Evening!

The Top of the World

2008-10-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday we spent the afternoon up at Snowbird with the boys and rode the tram. Can you say amazing?! What a beautiful state we live in! Nearly 3000 feet up in less than 10 minutes.

The Crew....

Don't step back!! No guard rails on the mountain that's for sure!

This view...priceless!

Big Jacks is 4!

2008-10-02T12:33:00.001-07:00

It's official! Our Big Jacks is 4 years old. What a great kid he is! Today was a big day of course and to top it off it was a preschool day so add that to the excitement. Jackson helped me make this little poster to share with his classmates so that they would know all about him and what he likes.

He wasn't so much a fan of the crown or "clown" as he referred to it. He only kept it on long enough to get this pic. He came to me very seriously and said quietly "Take this thing of my head. Take it home and put it on the counter."

Happy as a couple of clams. Ethan loves to wrap em' and Jacks likes to do the unwrapping.

Not to be forgotten....Matt had a birthday this past week too! We spent time as a family up the canyon exploring and hiking around Alta ski resort for his big day.

We found this old ski lift chair on one of the trails. We got this picture of Carson right before he tried to fall through the back. You'll notice we don't have too many pics of this kid and for good reason. He's fast, he's wiggly and he has his own agenda!

Happy Birthday Matt!

Summer into Fall

2008-09-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing how quickly summer flies by when you're an adult?! It seems just like yesterday we were anticipating our summertime plans and being home together. Now it's back to the old grind of school and schedules. But what a good time we did have rounding out the warm days of summertime fun! Here's the proof.....

Who is this silly googly eyed boy? They loved these goggles!

Gotta keep the water out the eyes when sliding full speed.

Ethan enjoying a little hot dog with his corn cob holders. Did we mention this boy LOVES watermelon? Can't get enough!

Our little trip to the zoo. We went and picked up Dad from work and headed over together to have a little fun.

Back to school! Ethan on his first day of first grade.

Big Jacks headed off to preschool...rain or shine! He loved it and asked if I could drop him off there again.

Dad and Ethan scored some tickets to the BYU football game. Ethan's first game, I think he's a fan. He's the easiest kid to take anywhere. Before this game they spent the night before....

Camping! Also a first for Ethan. Matt is the YM's president and had a campout to attend. I'm thrilled to have 3 boys that will all be able to go together in a few short years, something I'm looking forward to!

A couple of good looking boys if I do say so myself.

Our Birthday Boy!

2008-08-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

My baby is 1! We thought it only fitting that the birthday boy be in his birthday suit for the big day. Actually there are a number of other reasons this little one is running around looking like this...First he is sooo busy that he doesn't want to take the time to hold still long enough for mom and dad to put his clothes on. Second, when he does have clothes on they are soaking wet in the front because of a leak he has a sprung....(something to do with the teeth perhaps), or they are filthy because he is a very messy guy!

His favorite gift was not the new toys but the crib bumpers that Grandma and Grandpa had delivered from Pottery Barn. Mom loves them because they're cute but Carson loved them because he could do this:

and this.........he seriously did this for like 5 or 10 minutes, just back and forth!

Happy Birthday Carson! One to eat and one for destruction.

Hmmmm....not too sure. Poke, poke.

Delicious! Frosting is the best!

We Love YOU!

Summertime Provident Living

2008-08-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

All I think of when I see this picture is look out! Put away your breakables! You can imagine that my home in completely overrun by little boys (and that doesn't even include the friends that come over!) Our boys are lucky to have little buddies that they can play with all the time.....as crazy and messy as it can be!

This year (a little late in the year I might add) after much council about provident living from a good friend at work, Matt decided that it was necessary to plant a garden. We've given it our best go at it and seen the fruits (or actually vegetables) of our labors. The boys have really had a great time with it and it's been a good learning tool. You really can't beat the little bean sprouts to death with the hose sprayer on jet and expect to get a return. While water is definitely a good thing it has to come in moderation and with a lot less power!

This is our little garden and hey it's not dead so I guess we're doing something right!

Wow! Our first squash! I told them we had to document it on camera for posterity. The sun was blaring in their eyes and I just couldn't get them to look at me without squinting or closing their eyes.

Here is the squash a little closer up....what can I say, we're proud! We're still very hopeful on everything else. I can say we have enjoyed two little strawberries as well....delicious!

I've been tagged!

2008-07-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

So the rules are: 3 Joys , 3 Fears, 3 Current Obsessions, 3 Random Surprising Facts

Let's give this a whirl!

My Joys:

My husband (I am a lucky girl!)

My 3 boys

My business http://www.betterhomeinteriors.com/ (it keeps me sane!)

My Fears:

Losing my husband in an accident

Doing risky things I deem unneccessary (other people call those same things fun)

Having wayward children.

3 Current Obsessions:

Finding good deals (especially on clothes for my boys, Matt included)

Picture Frames....I seriously didn't realize it but dang I've got a lot of them, and they are all hanging!

My website...I keep working and working and working, I doubt it will ever be perfect!

3 Random Surprising Facts:

I am really cheap! I don't think people realize how bad I am...it probably really belongs under obsessions !

I love.....love breaded fried mushrooms. Thanks Dad!

I hope this last one isn't too surprising but I really like to keep in touch with friends and family. It takes some effort, but boy is it worth it. I love taking a walk down memory lane and thinking about past good times and I appreciate those that also make the effort!

So my turn to pick on you! Consider yourself tagged:

Lucie Chamberlain

Elizabeth Smith

Lia Anderson

Natalie Needham

Lindsay Blackburn

Sister Kathryn Clark

2008-07-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

What do you think? Could this possibly be the best looking sister missionary that you've ever seen? My sister Kathryn went in the the MTC on July 16 th and will be serving in the Washington DC South Mission. We are so proud of her and excited about her decision to serve but we are going to miss her soooo much! She is a very important in the lives of our boys and as my only sister I'm feeling the loss. Wow! I hope the time goes fast.

Here is our beautiful missionary and a little teary eyed mom.

The Nephews! Boy (and I mean boy literally) will there be changes to these little ones in 18 months! They will miss their Aunt Kath!

Matt and I hope we will be standing in front of this same sign with these future missionaries. I'm sure the time will come faster than we can possibly believe.

Summer Fun

2008-07-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

For the record, to all of you out there that think I can't post pictures on a blog...I can! It's getting them from the camera and resized that causes me havoc. I just need to take the time to figure it out....but why when Matt does it for me?!

We've had a pretty fun summer so far! The kids have gone new places and tried new things. Matt's family was all in town recently and we headed up to Bear Lake for a family reunion and had a great time. The kids (and Dad) tried their hand at fishing or actually just untangling fishing line. It was a wonderful frustratingly good time! No fish and only one kid fell in.....success!!

We also headed up to This Is The Place Monument and had a really great time exploring and learning more about our pioneer heritage. On the way up Carson started to squeal and make a little noise and Jackson yelled back "Carson! That is enough...just sit there and look pretty!" Hmmm.....wonder where they heard that? The best part once we got there was of course the train.....and the 8 million questions reguarding it: Where is it? When will it be coming back? Where is the engine? How fast does it go? You get the point, only imagine this same set of questions being asked over and over and over again. What? Didn't you like my first answer? Gimme a break, that's the best I've got! They also had this wooden train that the kids loved and could climb all over. I don't know if they ever got there fill.

Pony rides followed shortly after. Believe it or not, Ethan enjoyed the chores that they let them do more than anything. Well, I guess if you know Ethan you understand. Jackson loved the train whistle that Dad bought for him in the general store. He asked me later if he could "Bring this bad boy with him" (bad boy refering to the whistle). Kids!

We enjoyed seeing the old chapel that was used for meetings and especially liked seeing this painting that was hung. It is by C.C.A. Christensen who is a relative and we know a little bit about. The girl that was there talking about it thought it was pretty cool that we were related to him and we felt special :)

Lot's of good times with Grandpa and Grandma. We hope to see them again soon!

It's been a while...

2008-07-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

So, I have put off posting because I wanted to include some updated pictures of some of the fun things that we've been up to. I have however decided to carry on without them because my technical support (my sweet hubby) has not been keeping up. Why don't I just do them you may ask...all I have is a pathetic excuse, so we'll just leave it at that. So.....pictures to come! We have been enjoying summer fun and we'll have proof shortly.

Gotta Love Technology!

2008-06-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

So...pretty much on a daily basis I look at Matt and say "Wow! Isn't the internet just amazing!" He always looks back and says "I know, I know...what would you do without it!?" But seriously people, WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT IT? I know many will argue that we all did just fine before, but aren't we so much better now?!

I have to say how incredible it is to be able to keep in touch so easily and see pictures of family and friends with a click of a mouse. I just love it! There are so many of you that we've lost contact with that we've been able to track down and communicate with on the internet.

Thanks goes to Bobi and the other girls that helped in organizing the Balmoral GNO! I miss all of you and am so grateful to see that your families are all growing and doing so well! There are so many of you that we have great memories of and we enjoyed being your neighbor and your friends!! What wonderful times we enjoyed, but I don't think you truely realize it until the time is gone!

Drop us line! We love hearing from you!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-05-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am admitedly not as faithful a blogger as many of you out there! I did however feel it necessary to wish myself a Very Happy Birthday blog style! (It was actually yesterday,but.... hey, I was busy doing fun birthday stuff!)

Matt took the day off to stay with the kids so I could go and do something fun. I started by going to be in the studio audience of Good Things Utah! It was really fun to see how things work behind the scenes and we got free stuff from Bath and Body Works! Bonus! My cousin Brigitta took me for some yummy lunch at Jason's deli and then we headed for home to review the tapes of our TV debut.

Ethan had been working diligently for many days wrapping presents for mom and her special day that by the time it came he had a whole bag full. Very nice gifts I might add....some colored pencils, some used paints and many favorite book selections to name a few. Each time I unwrapped something it was like it was the most exciting gift imaginable! Kids are so great!....it sure doesn't take much to make their day :)

Evening came and Matt took me downtown for dinner and some shopping at Trolley Square and the Gateway mall. We really had a great time together. I really have the best husband...sorry to all of you ladies out there. Thanks Matt for making it so wonderful! Another big one come and gone. Another year older and definitely another year wiser!

A Joyful Mother of Children

2008-05-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

With Mother's day fast approaching, it gives room for thought and reflection on being a mother. As I sit and ponder my life I feel overwhelming gratitude for 3 happy, healthy boys and the joy that their presence brings in to my life. With that being said I can honestly say that the thought has crossed my mind "Is this for real?! How did I get here and why are these people calling me mom?" Anyone who is a mother understands I'm sure! It's such a blessing to be a mother and to have the experiences that come along with it. I try to focus on the love and happiness they are to me and find joy and moreover to be joyful. They won't always be little, they won't always hang on my every word, and they won't always tell me I'm their favorite person in the whole world. But...they do today and that's what keeps me going day in and day out when all the days seem to blend together. Precious time that can never be bought back!

Laundry is my Favorite!

2008-04-25T22:11:00.001-07:00

So the other day I started thinking that Ethan and Jacks are old enough now that they can start helping with chores around the house. Wednesday I was doing laundry and I told the boys that they needed to put away all of their clean clothes. Ethan looked at me with an excited smile and a crazy giggle and said..."Laundry? I love Laundry! Can you do laundry every day while I'm at school so that I can put I all away when I come home". Immediately after hearing this I knew that I must document it or else I might not believe that it ever happened.

Ethan is really the type of kid that makes you feel like you've hit the jackpot. When it's time to clean up the play room he tells Jackson that he needs to leave so that he can clean it by himself. How many kids do you know that do that? He gets giddy when I ask him to clean his room up and make his bed. Folks...I think we have a winner! No trades on this kid. He is a keeper!

The Adventures of Jackson Clark Butler

2008-04-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Don't call him bud, dude, sweetie or love...he is Jackson Clark Butler and he'll tell you so!! This guy is a laugh minute with his classic one liners that could be compiled into a best selling book. We are more entertained by our children than we ever thought possible. I would call it cheap entertainment, but those of you that are parents know better than to say that is true!

Friday evening, while Matt and I were out (Aunt Kathryn babysitting....bless her heart) Jackson decided he needed a drink out of the bathroon faucet. According to JCB he climbed up on the toilet only to fall right back off flat on his cute little face. When we returned the poor kid had blood all over his shirt and a lower lip five times it's normal size. With his crooked little smile and bulging lip with cuts and bruises he says, don't worry mom, it's feeling all better. (I wish I had taken a picture) All better it was not! The guilt of a mother! No worries though, he tells me..."Mom, you are a great girl". No love lost I suppose! Gotta love those sweet little kids!

We're Blogging!

2008-04-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Say hello to the new Butler Family Blog. We've decided that in an effort to stay in touch with our family and friends both near and far that this is the easiest way to do it! This blog may not look as cool as many of the ones that you experts out there have, but hey....we're tryin!