The Butler Scoop

Shiner!

2010-03-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

Lulu and her buddy Zane Smart both showed up at Church on Sunday with matching black-eyes! Zane's mom thought it would be funny to say they had gotten into a fist-fight! Which is somewhat hysterical because both Lu and Zane are the sweetest kids and great friends! Zane got his "shiner" from bonking into his brother's knee while playing, and Lu received her's when a neighbor kid was wielding a plastic sword as Lu rode by on her bike... bad timing!

To make matters worse... it was spring class pictures at school yesterday!

Zane thought it was cool... Lulu called me within 15 minutes of school starting to tell me there was
"no way"
she was having her picture taken with the class...

A Day In The Life Of Ruby-Roo!

2010-02-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Ruby is getting to be such a big girl! She has grown so much faster than George and Lulu seemed to at 3! She finally said, "I want a big bed like the kids, mom!" In all of our moves, we haven't had to take the crib down. I love our crib and nursery! I loved picking it out when we were expecting George. I loved picking out new bedding to match each kids personality as they were welcomed home! When we brought Lu home, 2 1/2 year old George looked so small in his big-boy bed. Then when Lu was 4 and Rubes was soon to arrive, we had to push her out of her affectionately named "cribby-bye". Lu got a whole new room and a beautiful new big-girl bed to entice her out! Well, Rubes will be 4 in March and I just don't have the heart to take the crib down. So here is Rubes with her converted crib or as she likes to call it her "brand-new-big-girl-bed"! That first night she asked if George and Lu could have a sleep over in her "new" bed...

Ruby is very busy these days with preschool, ballet (she even preformed in her very first dance recital for the holidays!) and constant, elaborate and very messy arts & crafts at the kitchen table. Anyone who has received a wrapped gift from Rubes can vouch for her creativity and generosity! On different occasions she has carefully wrapped my kitchen scissors, tape dispenser and cooking utensils, then gave them as gifts!

Some of Ruby's favorite things

PAPA, Winston, baking & cooking, anything Lulu is doing, her babies, her animals, playing on nickjr.com or pbskids.com (she has mastered the mouse!), "homework", watching cooking demonstrations on the computer and just trying to keep up!

D.A.R.E. Graduation!

2009-12-04T20:04:00.000-08:00

Today was D.A.R.E. Graduation for the Fifth Graders... George is soo excited about this program! Define Assess Respond Evaluate is a decision making model program to help kids resist drugs and violence. D.A.R.E was taught by Officer Sam and George was required to write an essay about his learning experience.
George... being Student Body President and all... lead the assembly with the Pledge of Allegiance. He did awesome! I was honestly biting my lip from cheering, "GREAT JOB BUDDY!", but I would have totally ruined his rep!
D.A.R.E. has made for some awesome dinner-time conversation! George and his friends have taken this very seriously. Officer Sam even said George had at least one question every day for him! George's only complaint: "I can't believe they made us boys wear the girly "peace" shirts!"

George with friends Nick, Gio, Harish, Connor and Carson!

Thanksgiving - Vegas Style!

2009-11-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

The "Other Butlers" and Judds visited for Thanksgiving Weekend! We enjoyed a yummy dinner, baked, talked, shopped, swam, did our charity outreach, saw a cirque show on the strip, watched the BYU/UTAH game (we were robbed!), went to a movie, played DS (a lot!), ran, went to the LV Temple and of course...

...we saw the big guy in red!

Santa & Cousins: We'll see you in a couple of weeks!

Mr. President!

2009-11-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

Election Day 2009!

"Nervous" George next to one of his best friends, Carson who also ran for Bartlett Student Body President!
George giving his Presidential Speech to
third, fourth and fifth graders!
I am still in awe of his confidence and cool demeanor!

Here is George giving his speech today!
Oh, and by the way....He won!

We Officially Have A Missionary Among Us!

2009-11-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

Connor James Judd, the oldest cousin in our family, has been asked to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Bacolod, Philippines Mission! He will leave for the MTC on January 27th, 2010! We are soo excited for him! We wish we could have been there to see him open his mission call letter....but this picture is the next best thing!
I LOVE the look on Connor's face!
Congrats Connor!
Can't wait to see you all in a couple of weeks for Thanksgiving!

Steve, Romney, Dee, Allie, Connor and Tracy... no Hunter? Did he have a "hot date"?

Vote GEORGE For President!

2009-11-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

I've always said George would end up in politics one day... and he is officially campaigning this week for

Bartlett Student Body President!

We worked very hard this past weekend on his posters (thank you, thank you Mrs. Thompson for your awesome connections and effort - his posters are Swwweeet!), and on his stickers (thank you, Mrs. Boyce for your creative, computer genius and endearing patience!) and on his speech...

Thank you George for knowing
exactly what you stand for!
You Bet Your Bottom Dollar - George Is The One For President!

Good Luck Georgie ol' Boy - We love you!

The Never-Ending Week of Halloween!

2009-11-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

Will this week ever end?

Tuesday =
Second Grade Spider & Bat Fair

I needed to include Jackson Bateman's habitat so you could understand the idea...Lulu's Bat Habitat was awesome! She used a flashlight to illuminate her bat-cave! Jackson's wasn't too shabby either!
Wednesday = Trunk or Treat!Butler Girls with Pops and Thompson Girls with Dad!
Ruby refused to wear her costume and decided on a dirty, old recital dress
Thursday =
School Halloween Parties & ParadeLu and her darling friends Jackie, Grace and Kate!
Have you ever seen such boo-tiful girls!
George and his buddies Nolan, Skylar, Connor and Gio!
Aren't they spook-tacular?!
Lulu's very, first Halloween Parade!
Thank you Bartlett
for making a new tradition this year!
Ruby refuses to wear her costume to her pre-school Halloween Party and carries a "Chef" costume in her bag to school!
Friday =
Ballet Costume Party & Pumpkin Carving
Ruby refused to wear her costume to Ballet...
at this point, I've given up on any possibility of her in a costume!
Saturday =
Thompson Halloween Party & Trick or Treating!
The girls had a blast at Abbie and Daisy's Halloween Party on Saturday morning! Ruby still refuses to wear any costume and at the party wins the
"Costume Most Like Yourself" award!
*thanks for the pics Lindsay!
Rubes decides to surprise us all and dresses up in a
"last minute, six dollar, Wal-Mart Pop's purchase"!
We figured she just wanted to be like her sis!
She even wore face paint!
For Halloween evening, The Dawahare's, The Thompson's and The Rich's joined us for chili & breadsticks and then,
Trick or Treating in the neighborhood!

A fun and exhausting week!

This Really Is The Place!

2009-07-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I found a new favorite spot in SLC!

This is the Place Monument

So much fun! We did a full Cousin/Dee/Aunt/Grandma day! Everyone showed up in shifts! All lightweights! Of course, Sam and I are die-hards and spent the whole, dusty, 100 degree day there! The kids had a blast! Activities mixed with a picnic, mixed with history, mixed with ice cream, mixed with a gift shop, mixed with a farm... these are a few of my favorite things! In talking to a pioneer volunteer, I found out you can dress like a pioneer and volunteer with your kids all day! The kids just get to run free throughout the little town streets and farm! The kids agreed it would be crazy-fun! Next summer we are so doing this... I just need to break the news to Rich!

Lu and George playing "pioneer kid games"!
Don't they look like naturals?

Rubes, George and Memphis (the only ones without aversions or allergies) rode ponies and fed the baby sheep with bottles of milk!
Rubes, of course made fast friends and wanted to take one home!

George, Allie, Morgan and Lu
in front of the first BYU building!

Another fun summer day!

Every Tuesday & Thursday!

2009-07-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me even a little, knows I LOVE Wheeler Farm! So just imagine my excitement when my sister Sam, not necessarily a "Farm Girl", agreed to meet me and the kids after work for a picnic! Wait, it get's better! This turned into a s u m m e r - l o n g tradition! Every Tuesday and Thursday evening, after Sam finished work, we would all meet at The Farm for dinner. Some nights Grandma & Grandpa would stop by as well. The kids were in heaven! They created a game call "Apple Races" where they would pick crab-apples from the trees and float them down the stream. We fed the ducks and Geese. Some nights we wouldn't even visit the animals, we would just play under the big oaks on the grass or swim in the stream. Sam and I would sit in the shade and catch up on the week. The only thing better than the Farm, is...

Family at the Farm!

Morgan, Lulu, Ruby and Memphis

Wondering about Mem's huge goose-egg?
Yes, it's from Ruby! Our first week in SLC, Ruby accidentally hit her in the forehead with a golf club!

Apple Races!

A Bit of Summer Reading!

2009-07-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

I made Lu and George a deal at the beginning of the summer... read a full book series over the course of summer vacation... choose your reward! George choose the Lightening Thief Series of three good sized books. He finished the series @ 10:00 pm the night before school. Just squeaking by! He loves this series and is now reading the fourth book, Battle of the Labyrinth. His reward?

Well Lulu's passion is reading and she finished her Romona Series (Beasus and Romona,Romona the Pest, Romona the Brave and Romona and her Father) by the end of June! She then went on to read the second series (Romona and her Mother, Romona Forever, Ramona Quimby Age Eight, Romona's World) all by the end of July! Her well deserved reward was...drum roll please....

A salon manicure & pedicure!

Whatever Lulu does, Rubes wants to do too! The best thing about sisters is getting to share everything! The girls had soo much fun being pampered!

The Fourth of July!

2009-07-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

I love Fourth of July for so many reasons, but the top of my list is seeing my proud Pop's in his ol' Willey's Jeep with the American Flag flying!

Fourth of July @ Brighton has become such a great tradition for both Rich's and my families! We meet up at the top of Brighton Proper first thing in the morning on the Fourth. There's a big pancake breakfast, a small parade, lots of friends & neighbors and larger than life beauty all around! The kids have a blast with all the cousins and friends... and of course the great outdoors!

Me and my childhood best friend and next-door neighbor, Jenny Lund Lemberes.
Growing up, we caused quite a bit of trouble! Jenny and I were ruthless big-sisters! Thanks heavens our sisters have forgiven us! Jenny's little sister, Mandy, is Sam's best friend. All of our kids are about the same age... it's so fun to see them all together!

Sam's Morgan, My Lulu, Jenny's Gabe and Mandy's Abbie!

The Butler/Judd Cousins

The Butler/Start Cousins with Grandpa

You might be asking, "Where is Ruby in all these pictures?"...

You can usually find her here... in Papa's arms!

Lulu's Recital

2009-06-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

Lulu and Kate

This year's dance recital theme was High School Musical and it was held at a local High School Gymnasium. Lulu danced in two pieces: Jazz/Tap and Ballet. Ballet is Lu's favorite and it shows! She is amazing! Because of the magic of carpooling, Rich and I hadn't seen her dance all year. So when she performed her first number, we were in tears! Lulu can really dance. She is such a beautiful ballerina!

Bravo, Bravo!

The Start Cousins Help Kick Off Summer!

2009-06-07T22:44:00.000-07:00

Sam, Eric, Morgan and Memphis helped us "Start" summer off right with a weekend visit! Since Morgs and Mems are part fish, we swam a lot! I've never seen two girls love the water more! We even got to help Morgan celebrate an early 8th Birthday!
The best thing about having visitors... doing all the touristy things here in Vegas! It's about the only time the kids and I ever make it down to The Strip!
The kids love exploring FAO Swartz!
Memphis and Ruby gave us a preview of what to expect from them during our summer in SLC!
Double-Trouble!

Last Day of School!

2009-06-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Last Day of School finally arrived... and we were more than ready this year! We need a break from dance, baseball, golf, projects, homework... we need summer! We get one month of Vegas summer and then we head on up to SLC for 5 1/2 weeks of Utah summer! So look out sleeping in, look out slurpees, look out swimming before breakfast, look out late nights, look out rec center waterslide... then watch out Utah - here we come!

Lulu with her darling first grade friends Grace, Jackie and McKenzie!

George on a feild trip with buddies Gio, Mr. Rose, Kevin, Darien, Lauren, Lacey, Mikel and Mikalah!

Lulu & Mrs. Gaughan and Geroge & Mr. Rosensteel

We love our Bartlett Teachers! Both amazing and kind! Both are officially Butler Family friends forever! Thank you for a wonderful year packed with great memories and friends! Oh, and we learned a little too!

Baseball vs. Lacrosse

2009-05-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

George played Baseball again this year... his team... The A's. He is number 6! Ya gotta love Baseball Buns! He tried out for "kid pitch" and it's a whole different ballgame! (pun intended) The boys were bigger and the pitches crazier! But he's lovin it!

The girls also love Baseball... but for an entirely different reason...

The Snack-Shack!

Both girls are able to eat their weight in Airheads!

I think next year the "other" spring sport may steal George away! Cousins Connor and Hunter play and George is getting the Lacrosse bug...
I sure hope Lacrosse has a Snack-Shack!

Twelve Years!

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

Rich and I were set-up in January of 1996. I knew I would marry him on our second date. We fell in love during the spring and we knew we wanted to be married that next spring. We had a small, intimate wedding Saturday, April 26th 1997 in The Little White Chapel across the street from the Utah State Capital. Our ceremony was followed by a lovely, wedding luncheon at Tuscany. It snowed the day before our wedding; yet that morning was the most beautiful, warm, big-blue sky, spring day! We loved Our Wedding Day! Rich cried, my Pops cried...it was perfect! We both have said the only thing we would change, would be to make the day last longer!

Our dear friends, Kathy and Andrew Stirling and The Happy Couple at our Rehearsal Dinner, The Chart House Restaurant.

He still makes me laugh!

Spring!

2009-04-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

Spring brought Ladybugs! Tons of them! Everyday Rubes and I picnic on the front lawn and she collects her "little friends"! Spring also brought Grandma Dee Dee to town! Rich and I decided to take a stay-cation at the Bellagio Hotel and Dee Dee held down the fort for a few days! I love watching Dee soak up the SUN by the pool after a long Utah winter! It's the realization of where Rich gets his sun-worshiping from! She repeats all weekend, "You just don't know how good this sun feels!"

Easter Eggstravaganza!

2009-04-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Easter Weekend was beautiful! Saturday we woke up to a little bit of welcomed rain! This spring shower didn't put a damper on our 2nd Annual Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt and Social! Lots of kiddos showed up with baskets ready for the mad-dash! We LOVE our neighborhood and this has become such a fun event for us to look forward to! Thank you Boyce Family and Avery Family for helping each year to make this eggstra special!

Easter Morning, George was the first one up (as usual) with Lu and Ru close behind him! Lulu was

Queen of the Egg Hunt

this year and found her eggs in record time! Rubes is still just fascinated by the whole experience!

My Baby!

2009-03-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this sweet, little, California-born babe has grown into our Big Three-Year-Old Ruby! Rubes calls all the shots at the Butler Home and I can't even imagine our family before her...

p e a c e f u l ?

Rubes never stops talking (demanding) and speaks with a low, raspy voice, hand gestures & a slight, Spanish accent... she's an original!

For her birthday, Ruby wanted to ride the Carousel and have cupcakes with pink fluff icing!

What Ruby wants, Ruby gets!

Bravo, Bears and Broadway Bound?!

2009-02-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind! And with the beginning of baseball season, robotics club and golf clinic, it's bound to stay this way for a while! Here are some highlights from the big kids!

This is what an A+ Native American project looks like!
George receiving his "Bear" award and being uniform inspected by an Air Force Major!
Miss Lulu's Bartlett Elementary Musical Debut!
Lulu with her teacher and darling friends!

We are so grateful for our wonderful school and community!

How was your St. Valentine's Day?

2009-02-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

Rubes cashed in on both George and Lulu's class Valentine's Day Parties! We all made our Valentines, Valentine boxes and Valentine's sugar cookies and hit the school-party circuit on Friday!

This year no one was sick for Valentine's Day! For George this was the 1st time since Kindergarten that he was able to be at school for the BIG class Valentine's exchange and party! The past three years he has had some random flu or fever... this year he made a Valentine's Box for a class contest and exchanged Valentine's with his friends.

Lu's class exchanged Valentine's, read Valentine's books and made ice cream sundaes! On Saturday evening, Valentine's were delivered to our door. Everyone in the family got a Valentine gift from their special Valentine, but it was Lulu's gift that had the whole family excited! Lulu's Valentine left for her a gift she has been wanting for months...
The Snuggie and a box of chocolates!

For Mom & Pops!

2009-01-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

Today, talking to my mom on the phone, she wanted to know what Little Miss Ruby was doing right at that moment... so this is what Rubes was up to! At home, she is usually wearing little more than a bow and bracelet! Rue is a firecracker! She is constantly surprising all of us with her quirky, little self! The other day I was being stern with her about something she had done, and she replied, "You don't have to treat me like a criminal!" Later that night, I realized it was a D.W. line from an Arthur book! We all laughed so hard, she now says it everyday!

Oh and another thing... Today is my dad's 85th Birthday! Happy Birthday Pops!

Oh Thank Heaven For Turning Seven!

2009-01-21T21:01:00.000-08:00

Lulu turned 7 this past week! Seven! Can you believe it? Our little Noodle Lu is now Seven! Our sweet, little chubby-cheeked beauty is now this amazing, intelligent, thoughtful, string-bean of a Lady! When Lu was a baby I used to sing (poorly) "Good Morning Beautiful" to her each day... I have always been overwhelmed by her beautiful little self! As she gets older, I have the privilege of seeing daily, her true beauty... her generous and loving personality! Lulu has grown into a truly amazing Lady!

We celebrated on Saturday with a Tea Party for Lui and 8 of her closest friends! Each little-lady came dressed in her party dress and brought her favorite doll. We first did hair, nails and make up and then retired to the dinning room for a light lunch and tea (pink lemonade)! All the ladies remembered to bring their manners and amazed me with their lady-like behavior! This was my favorite birthday party yet! It was so sweet and peaceful! George even got in on the action by serving the ladies crustless turkey and jam sandwiches on silver trays!

Dancing Queen!

2009-01-12T22:18:00.000-08:00

Lulu had an Open House for her Tap/Jazz class tonight @ her dance studio. She and her darling friend Kate take classes twice a week together and Melis (Kate's mom) and I are able to carpool. It's so convenient and works out perfectly... except for one thing, I never get to see Lulu dance anymore! So tonight was such a treat! Lu is brilliant! She has talent and grace that come so naturally to her! She constantly amazes me with the things she is able to accomplish!

lulu and kate both turn 7 this week!

Now, of course, Ruby had to get in on the action! Lulu can't do anything without a little, very messy & loud, shadow! So Ruby dressed herself in her dance gear (notice the tights over the leotard?) , packed her ballet bag and could not be restrained from participating in the routine! And somehow she new most of it! Rubes took it very seriously and didn't hesitate for a second about getting up there in front of all the parents and onlookers! Lu, as usual, is such a great sport about her little sis! She is a way better BIG SIS than I ever was... sorry Sam! Rubes starts her own ballet class this month - she is ready to take on the WORLD!

Say It Ain't So!

2009-01-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Our annual pilgrimage to ol' SLC, and therefore our holiday celebrations, have officially come to an end! As usual, Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles, friends and of course, COUSINS were the highlight of our stay! The day we arrived, I turned all three kids l o o s e and didn't see them again until the morning of departure two weeks later... well not quite, but it always seems that way! There was plenty of snow, so we did a lot of playing and sleigh-riding.

Pops flew in on Christmas Eve just in time for dinner and Santa's traditional visit to Grandma Dee Dee's house! My kids are still amazed at how Dee and Santa have remained such close friends throughout the years! After singing a couple of carols, Old St. Nick was on his way and the Pajama Treasure Hunt began! Once the pj's were found, it was time for The Annual Cousin PJ Fashion Show (DJ'ed by my very own Richie)! Who knew our family has so many talented dancers! We ended the night with a reading of the Nativity by the talented director and playwright, Hampton and her crew!

Christmas morning was spent with the Morgan's enjoying our traditional Christmas Brunch and opening gifts! The highlight this year was the gift to George from Grandpa... a pocket knife that belonged to Grandpa's Grandpa, Trail Lewis and an old picture of Grandpa as a kid with his Grandpa Lewis using that very pocket-knife! I'm not sure if George realized how special this gift really is, but Rich cried his eyes out!

The rest of our holiday was spent catching up with friends and just relaxing with our families. Every year our trek home seems to get easier and more enjoyable... Thanks everyone for making room, jokes, food and time for us! We love you!

*A BIG THANKS to Aunt Sam and Uncle Eric for giving Ruby her ballet ensemble! It is now the preferred alternative to De' Chicken Dress we all grew to know and love over our holiday stay!

**FYI this was written by a 36 year old!

A Vegas "Snow Day"?!

2008-12-17T15:30:00.000-08:00

It is Vegas and it is snowing! It has been over 6 years since I've been in my own home whilst it was snowing! And today... Snow! Sticking to the grass and the palms and the red tile roofs ... Snow! Here, it seems terribly out of place.

Growing up in SLC, on the cozy snow days, my parents would bake. So because I'm a creature of habit, and it's snowy & cozy; I've been bakin' like crazy! I'm not brave enough to try my parent's traditional recipes like Head Cheese (Yuck!), Fruit Cake, Raisin Filled Cookies and English Toffee. Instead, we've made Peppermint Hot Fudge Cake, Gingerbread Men, Parmesan Rolls and Chocolate Birthday Cake (for George's Teacher). Licorice Carmel's are planned for tomorrow! So stop by... we always have plenty for friends!

Thanksgiving With The "Other Butlers"!

2008-12-02T22:22:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2002 in Portland, Oregon was our first Thanksgiving away from our family and on our own... and it stunk! The mashed potatoes were runny, the gravy lumpy, the stuffing was soaked from all of my over-attentive basting and it all ended after about 2 minutes! It wasn't at all like the Grand Feasts of my Mom & Dad's or Dee's! And to top it all off, we were lonely! We needed visitors for Thanksgiving from that day forward. So we placed a desperate call and struck a deal! Every year since, the "Other Butler's" have been our honored guests for Thanksgiving Weekend! Some years the Judd Family makes the trip and maybe one day my family will take a break from cooking and join us! The more the merrier! There is nothing better than a full table (or two!) for Thanksgiving Dinner!

This Thanksgiving weekend was so fun and relaxing! Thanks to Dee and Auntie Kim, dinners were cooked, kids were entertained, groceries were purchased, house was cleaned, gifts were acquired, teasing was hysterical and laughs were plenty! I wish Thanksgiving came twice a year!

Cousins Tag and Hampton are full time entertainment for my kids! I would wake up to Ruby being bathed, changed, dressed and in the midst of an art project every morning thanks to the combined efforts of Lu and Hampton! They are quite the team! Tag had a shadow named George all weekend... he was even cool enough to take George golfing for two days in a row! When I asked George on Sunday "What was your favorite part of the weekend?", he said he had 5:

1. Golfing with Tag
2. Bike ride with Tag
3. Video games with Tag
4. Golf store with Tag
5. Watching football with Tag

Thanks Dee Dee, Auntie Kimmie, Tag and Hampton for making our Thanksgiving memories edible and memorable!

Tagged... Thrice!

2008-11-16T20:15:00.000-08:00

I guess I have avoided this long enough... Thanks for thinking of me Steph, Allyson and Ali!

Question and One Word Answer:
1. Where is your cell phone? car
2. Where is your significant other? george'sroom!
3. Your hair color? dishwater:(
4. Your mother? tenderhearted
5. Your father? stubborn
6. Your favorite thing? myfam
7. Your dream last night? bizzarro!
8. Your dream/goal? oregon/mayberry
9. The room you’re in? loft
10. Your hobby? kids
11. Your fear? tragedy
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? oregon
13. Where were you last night? grocerystore
14. What you’re not? highmaintenance
15. One of your wish-list items? artclasses
16. Where you grew up? utah
17. The last thing you did? baked
18. What are you wearing? sundaycomfyclothes
19. Your TV? off 20. Your pet? winstonbeagle
21. Your computer? relic
22. Your mood? tightlywound
23. Missing someone? sis
24. Your car? volvo-always
25. Something you’re not wearing? bracelet
26. Favorite store? anybakery
27. Your summer? nostalgic
28. Love someone? mr. butler
29. Your favorite color? blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? tonight
31. Last time you cried? ?notacrier
Tag
1. I hum. All the time.
2. I laugh out loud at Seinfeld re-runs, still.
3. I sleep with a blankie and one leg out.
4. I make my microwave times be multiples of or divisible by 4, always.
5. I still pretend my hair is long when it's wrapped in a towel.
6. I dream of pancakes at least once a week, always have.

Tagged

What is the best thing you cooked last week?
Gingerbread cake! Not a cook, I'm a baker!

If time, money and babysitting were no object, where would you go?
Christmas shopping in NYC for sure! I've always wanted to see the lighting of the Tree in Rockefeller Square!

When was the last time you cried?
Teary eyed at the Primary Program today. Not really a crier... Rich cries enough for both of us!

List five things you were doing 10 years ago (1998):
1. Enjoying being a Newlywed!
2. Chasing after Barks and Win as puppies!
3. Fixing up and enjoying our little Sugarhouse home and garden!
4. Opening Porcupine Pub & Grille
5. Finding out we were expecting George!

List five things you were doing five years ago (2003):
1. Settling into our Oregon neighborhood
2. Running the Hood to Coast Relay
3. VP of George's Preschool (Multnomah Playschool)
4. New Member Committee Chair for Junior League of Portland
5. Enjoying every little, fabulous thing Oregon had to offer us!

List five things you were doing one year ago:
1. Settling into our Nevada neighborhood
2. Mourning the loss of Barks
3. Driving three times a day to Bartlett Elementary! Scarred for life.
4. Homework!
5. Driving back and forth to SLC, because we finally could!

List seven hobbies:
1. Gardening, when it's not 115 degrees!
2. Baking...oh soo fat!
3. Reading, if there's time
4. Writing, there's never time!
5. Sewing, poorly.
6. Painting, one day again soon.
7. Cleaning, i love it so much! ;)

Name five favorite foods:
1. My Pop's Pork Chops with Fried Potatoes!
2. Cheap Chocolate Ice cream
3. Oatmeal with blueberries or bananas or both!
4. My Pop's Spareribs with Yorkshire Pudding
5. My Mom's homemade English Toffee

Name (favorite) five places you've been:
1. CannonBeach, Oregon
2. Naples, Florida
3. San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico
4. NYC
5. Anywhere in the Pacific Northwest!

Five favorite memories:
1. My second date with Rich to a U of U play (the night I knew I would marry him one day!)
2. Rich and my mallrat days @ ol' Cottonwood Mall!
3. Pulling little George all around Sugarhouse in his wagon!
4. Pulling George and little Lu around our Sherwood neighborhood in the wagon, collecting wild blueberries for smoothies!
5. Pulling George, Lu and little Ru and (in the Bjorn) around our Brentwood neighborhood in the wagon, to visit the local farmer's market for strawberries and peaches, which were eaten by little mouths on the ride home!

Halloween and... Nevada Day?``

2008-11-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

Halloween, in these here parts, falls on Nevada Day. For Halloween-Nevada Day, the kids dressed in western wear for school and had a rootin-tootin good time celebrating this great state and our favorite spooky holiday!

It has been a whirlwind of activities! Harvest Festival, Pumpkin Run, Scout Bicycle Derby, Trunk or Treat, School Halloween Parties, Friend Halloween Parties and finally, the Big Day of Trick or Treating! It was just over 70 degrees and we were able to Trick or Treat 2 neighborhoods in short sleeves and flip flops. You cannot ask for anything better!
Lulu was an Angel, which isn't much of a stretch for her! Noodle really hung in there this year and actually lasted for more that five houses. She had two pieces of candy and threw up later that night. How can this sweet, non-candy lovin' girl be mine?

Ruby was planning on being an Angel Baby, but on Wednesday saw a Dora the Explorer balloon dressed as a black cat at the grocery store and declared... "I'm going to be a kitty cat like Dora!" So, we returned the Angel and pulled together a quick black cat. Viola! A happy baby! Rubes and ABBEE looked so stinkin'cute! Notice how Ruby carries her treat bag like a "purse".

George broke my heart this year! He has never been something scary before. To me, being something scary means you're growing up. I remember George wanting to be Spiderman when he was 5. It just seemed too soon, so I persuaded him to be a spider instead. But this year there was no getting around it, he was a very scary Wear Wolf! Then, the ultimate heartbreak! George decided not to use the pumpkin trick or treat bag we gave him for his first Halloween, (the one with GEORGE embroidered on it) he wanted to use ... his pillowcase!

Life is Good!

2008-10-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Pops is home! And he doesn't travel again until January! All our married life Rich has traveled for work. It has never been too awful. I think we both secretly liked a little break. The kids and I get in a groove with our routine, and I know he loves his weekly stay at Hotel Valley Ho and other fabulous digs he gets to frequent. But as of late, it's been too much... he misses home, the kids miss Pops and I miss my late-night treat accomplice! He always says, "We are unstoppable when we're together!" He's right! When he's away, I'm tired, the house is a disaster and dinner becomes mac n' cheese or cereal... okay, when he's home I'm tired, the house is a disaster and dinner is usually mac or cereal, but he's home :)

A Saturday in St. George!

2008-10-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

The Butler Fam took a Saturday away to enjoy some cooler, cozy weather, the Staheli Family Farm and of course, the Pizza Factory! Saturdays can be so crazy with tennis, errands, friends, yard work... It was so great having the kids all to ourselves!

The Butler's Are The Proud Owner's Of A Brand New Mercedes!

2008-09-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

Well, only Ruby can truly fit in it... but the ruby-red Benz is all ours! Ru won this Mini-Mercedes at the local Kid Fair @ the District last weekend! All the kids are in Heaven about it! George is extremely disappointed about his not being able to fit in it, but he sure has tried! Of course, he looks completely ridiculous... adorable, but ridiculous! Lulu has tried her best as well, still a little too big for the mini convertible. But it fits Rubes like a glove, snacks and all!

Last weekend we also visited the Annual Summerlin Arts Festival. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a blast! They could hardly wait to create their masterpieces. Every year the Art's Council passes out pastels for everyone to decorate the sidewalk and the Nevada Ballet Academy even gave my future ballerina's each a pair of toe shoes! I thought you all might enjoy some pics of our little Fine Art enthusiasts!

The Summer Review

2008-08-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

It has taken over a month to get back into the swing of things here at home! Life is so much more overwhelming when I'm cleaning our home, cooking our meals and watching our kids! In Salt Lake, everyone spoiled us! I didn't lift a finger for a whole month! It was fan-tab-u-lous! Anyway... we are back now, both physically and mentally! School is about to begin and I thought we needed to update some of our non-Salt Lake memories, so here is our late- summer review!

Big Rock Candy Mountain, a childhood fav of mine, may have been a bust! Everyone, including Rich, kept asking me, "Where is it?"

Snow Cone Sale with the Avery's at 7:00 pm - any earlier was just too hot! (George coerced Lu and Ru to be the "entertainment")

Our Bougainvilleas! Just because they are wonderful! And my daily reminder that beautiful things can survive in the desert! ;)

A stay-cation spent at Mandalay Bay Hotel! The kids (and Mom) loved sipping faux-margaritas by the pool.

The Boys of Summer - Carson, Evan, Chase, Jakob, Kyle, Greyson and Geo! George's All-Boy Birthday Bash!

We LOVE Wheeler Farm!

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

Okay, so it might just be me that loves Wheeler Farm... but I take my kids (and usually some cousins & friends) every time we visit Salt Lake... rain or shine. My Grandma lived off of Vine Street nearby and my mom grew up with the Wheeler kids. She even has pictures of Mr. Wheeler pulling she and my aunts and uncle on a sleigh behind a horse!

Wheeler Farm has always intrigued me. I love it! It's beautiful! The grounds surrounding are shady and green, the small creek is cool and refreshing, the animals are well taken care of and the heritage of the farm fascinates me! Bringing life back to the basics! George and I talk all the time about being able to own and live on a farm... it's one of my wildest dreams! George has always loved that idea, and I think we could easily recruit Ruby. However, Rich and Lulu, we may have a hard time convincing! I can't remember Rich ever visiting or wanting to visit the farm with us and Lulu's eyes start to itch, and she starts to complain within the first few minutes... City folk!

Seven Hours At Hogle Zoo!

2008-07-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

My sister Sam and I decided to take the kids to the Zoo last week... we spent seven long, hot, filthy, smelly hours visiting the animals... it was a blast!

It was Ruby's first true time at a zoo (I'm sure she doesn't remember her earlier visits). She loves animals so much and truly was amazed at seeing them so up close and personal. She stood watching the monkeys with pure astonishment!

George, Allie and Morgan loved the rare, white alligator and even talked me into an extremely, squeaky souvenir version, which I regretted on the ride home :)

Miss Memphis (Muffins) kept Sam running by behaving like a wild animal... she's in that 18 month old busy stage :)

And Lu, who is not much of an animal enthusiast or one for being dirty, definitely enjoyed her cousins company and her share of frozen treats! All in all, it was a fabulous zoo trip with lots of laughs and memories!

George's Birthday Rocked!

2008-07-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

This is what a nine year old looks like! Our dear old Georgie Boy turned nine on Friday! Nine! How is that even possible?! This was the first birthday since George turned three that we have spent back in Salt Lake. It was so fun to celebrate his special day with family!

George had a great day which started out with a cousin sleep-over, Grandma Dee Dee's chocolate chip pancakes and a treasure hunt to find his birthday gift... Rock Band! He and the cousins rocked out all morning long! That afternoon we met Aunt Sam, Morgie and Memphis (or as Ruby say's "Muffins") down at Liberty Park for the Aviary, a picnic and some splashing in the Seven Canyons! George and Morgan even got to feed fish to the pelicans at Tracy Aviary... a real birthday treat... yum!

Later that night, the Morgan's and Butlers all met over at Mill Hollow for presents, cake and ice cream, and movie in the park! It was the perfect end to his first day being nine! Happy Birthday Bud!

Ladies Luncheon with the Rich Girls!

2008-07-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

We had a "Ladies Luncheon" at the Zinn Bistro with our good friends Melissa and Kate Rich! It was an afternoon reserved for ladies only! Lunch started with some lady-like conversation over hot, spiced, apple cider...yum! A large basket of their homemade pastries was served and we could have easily made that our lunch, but that wouldn't have been ladylike. Kate ordered tomato basil soup and Lu had a Chinese chicken salad. Both girls brought their best manners, remembering to put their napkins on their laps and keep elbows off the table!

It was such a fun afternoon with my big girl! Lulu has always been a little lady and loved the special treat of a ladies lunch without little sister Rubes!

Hiking with the Lovealls!

2008-07-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

There are few things more perfect than a beautiful day, gorgeous views, dear friends and great conversation... and that's exactly what we had on our hike up Alta with the Loveall Fam!

Jill and Byron have been our dearest closest friends since our wedding. We have spent endless early morning bagel/coffee runs, late night Iceberg or Pace's Dairy Ann treat-stops and even a few nights at some of the windiest places on earth! They are always good for a mix of hilarity, sincerity and extremely dirty jokes!

We have been through a lot with the Lovealls. Jill and Rich were old timers together at the Gap and I helped Myron open his wildly successful restaurant Porcupine Pub & Grille (http://porcupinepub.com/). They helped me eat my way through my pregnancy with George and then, once he arrived, spoiled him like he was their own. We crossed our fingers for years as they tried to start a family of their own, and cried the night they told us they were finally pregnant with Jones. Later that same night, our tears of joy for them became our own, when I took a pregnancy test at their home and we found our we were expecting as well! Jones and Lulu were born exactly one week apart, in the same hospital and in the same room!

Four months later, we moved from Salt Lake to Portland, Oregon. They have since had Maggie (3 yrs), and we have Rubes (2 yrs) and we try to see them as much as we can when we're back in town. Our lives have definitely become more hectic with our growing families and we constantly talk of how old we are getting, but we can still count on them for a sick sense of humor and true friendship. Leaving Salt Lake was like leaving a piece of ourselves behind. Aside from our families, it's the Lovealls that will always have part of our hearts!

Fourth of July at Brighton

2008-07-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Spending the Fourth of July in Brighton has been our family tradition for years. Both sides of our families (and ol' childhood friends/neighbors) meet up at Brighton, Utah for an early morning pancake breakfast and small town parade! Every year we decorate wagons, bikes, scooters and my Pop's old Willies Jeep for a loop around the little town! We love soaking up the crisp mountain air and the amazing views! I truly don't know who loves it more the kids or the adults!

These are some pics of all the fun: Abbie, Morgan and Lulu! Us Butler/Judd girls lovin our pancakes! Memphis, Morgan and Ruby on the parade route! George and Allie roaming free!

Barkley

2008-06-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

One year ago, this week, our family of seven became six. We lost our handsome boy Barks last year to cancer and our family just hasn't been the same. Barks was a super busy, lovable pup, with big ears and a handsome face, who loved to bug his brother Winston and get into mischief! In his short 9 year lifespan he cost us thousands of dollars in property damage. Shoes, leather coats, toys, my dad's hearing aides and eventually $200 cash from a money clip! Life was never dull around our house, and if it was, it meant Barks was up to no good!

There is a wonderful children's picture book titled, "Six Is So Much Less Than Seven", it tells how all the everyday things are so much easier with six rather than seven. Like sweeping the floor is less stress with six, dinner time is so much easier with six, a walk to the park is so much smoother with six. But at the end of the day, when you look at your family and there is someone missing... Six Is So Much Less Than Seven.

Friends and Family!

2008-06-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Last week our ol' friends from ol' times in Sugarhouse visited! Matt, Cindy and little Frankie Daly visited from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They were here all week and we couldn't get enough of them! Frankie is a couple months younger than Ruby and a total Rocket Scientist! Man can this kid talk! I wonder where he got that from?... Cindy! All three kids were completely entertained by his darling personality and his amazing rendition of "Corn, Corn, Chicken and Corn"! (Oh, and seeing Matt and Cindy was great too!) I swear Ruby and Frankie really did like each other! In this picture they look like they are pretending to have a good time! We love them all and were so sad to see them go! :(

Then on Friday night... the cousins came to visit! We love our cousins and the weekend was filled with slumber parties and swimming!

What Time is it?... Summer Time!

2008-06-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

School is out! Yippee! The official last day was actually June, 4th. I would love to say that we immediately started celebrating with fun summer-time activities, but Rue and Lu have been sick, so we've been taken it easy.

This is a rare picture of George (he detests the paparazzi) with his "Principals Award". He got this fabulous certificate and a special ice cream sundae social with the Principal. The recipients of this award are chosen by teachers and given to kids with good grades, who show leadership, friendship, citizenship, etc. Basically an award for being an all-around good kid... which is definitely who George is!

Lulu is no longer a Kindergartener! This is Lu with her Kindergarten teachers Ms. Hundley and Mrs. Parkson (Mrs. Parkson went out on maternity in April, but thankfully came back for pictures!). Lulu loved her teachers and school so much! She had perfect attendance for the year and on the last day, she woke up with a fever and croup cough! Lu is already asking "When does school start again?"

The kids love school, are excited for their summer adventures, and are looking forward to fourth and first grade! We feel so fortunate to be part of such an amazing school and community!

Ruby's Big Adventure!

2008-05-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

Ruby has been very busy lately! She started preschool (an hour a week), is counting, singing, potty-training, and... was stung by a scorpion! Scorpions here are venomous, and unfortunately, abundant due to the palm trees and rock. What at first seemed to be just a pinched finger, quickly turned into a very strong sting reaction causing her to be hospitalized for two days.

It happened in the morning as we were walking out the door for school. Rubes just started to cry. I thought she had caught her finger in the door. It was a little red and swollen, and I asked her two or three times, "Did you pinch your finger?" She would just scream, "NO!" I thought, "She'll be fine" and loaded the kids in the car. School is two minutes away and she was still crying when I walked the kids to the playground. It went through my mind, "I wonder if she was bit or stung by something?" It wasn't until our way back to the car, that she started to convulse and I knew she had been stung and was having a reaction. She was seizing, foaming at the mouth and vomiting on the way to the hospital and as we pulled into the ER, she was gasping for air!

Ruby spent the day @ the emergency room getting chest X-rays, an MRI, and "metabolizing" out the venom. The doctors just treated her symptomatically with benadryl, steroids, a serious pain killer and breathing treatments. She literally twitched, convulsed, vomited and cried from 8:30 am until about 8:00 pm. By the next morning she was a little weak and raspy, but ran the pediatric halls singing and laughing until they gladly discharged her at 3:00 in the afternoon.

Crazy! Absolutely my worst "mom moment" yet! Rich just kept saying, "Nikki, you have to calm down!" But I honestly thought she was dying before my eyes! I have never in my life been so scared.

It's a good thing were not gamblers! We have had the craziest luck since moving to LV! In the almost two years of living here, all three of our kids have been hospitalized! George for a hernia surgery, Lulu for an emergency appendectomy and Rubes for a scorpion sting! All random! Rich and I are just so grateful for our healthy kids! A nights stay in the hospital's pediatric wing can really put life into perspective!

Oh, To Be A Kid Again!

2008-04-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

This is what the kids have been up to lately... Playing! The weather is perfect and we are definitely taking advantage of every second spring has to offer! What is better than sand in your shoes and a ring around the tub at night?!

*Lulu and Savannah swinging!

*George and Kyle "fishing"!

*Ruby loving her new sand/water table! Thanks Auntie Sam and Grandma!

Ruby Roo Just Turned Two!

2008-03-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

The "Beast" turned two! Ruby is a spitfire and when all is well, she is the delight of the family! She cracks us all up, all the time! She is by far, the silliest of Butlers! But when things don't go Rubes way... watch out! Toys will be thrown and eardrums will burst. She regularly sets off our alarm (window sensors) with her screams! I know what your thinking, and yes, she is a lot like ol' Georgie boy! But she is also a lot like Miss Lu too! She is very sensitive and such the girlie girl! Dress up and babies keep Miss Rubes and mom very busy during the afternoon.

We celebrated Ruby's Birthday early with Grandma and Grandpa who were staying in Mesquite on Thursday. We swam, golfed and drove go-carts! Grandpa loved watching the kids at the pool and never seems to mind how rambunctious they became. Although, I did see him take out his hearing aids :) Grandma kept saying, with a paybacks-are-golden kind of smile, "You sure have your hands full with that one!" But I wouldn't have it any other way! It was too short a visit, but a blast!

On Friday, the Birthday Girl woke to a table full of gifts (most sent by everyone back in SLC). She was definitely spoiled with fun, summer toys, like - bubbles, flip-flops, a camping chair and picnic supplies! She was in heaven! Later that morning we visited the local nursery to see the turtles! This is one of Rubes most favorite things! And since we haven't dared the Las Vegas Zoo (negative press), this is the closest to wildlife we have found:( She love, loves all animals! After a nice, long birthday nap, our dear friends, the Thompson's, came over for dinner, cake, a treasure hunt and some pure Butler chaos! Thanks Thompson's for being our surrogate family for most of our family events!

Spring has Sprung!

2008-03-23T21:28:00.001-07:00

Spring Break and Easter Weekend went by way-to-fast! This is my favorite time of year! I love having the kids home from school! (I know you may have heard me say differently...) I love it when we can be on our own schedule! Watching Elmo in mom's bed! Popsicles for breakfast! Tennis in the driveway after dinner! Monopoly at midnight! There were days I didn't even leave the neighborhood... wonderful happiness not to be stuck in my car. No school, no homework, no scouts, no baseball, no ballet... just pure playtime!

Below are some pics of our First Annual Neighborhood Egg Hunt! It was a blast! Neighbor families met on Saturday morning for cinnamon rolls and O.J., while Rich and some other dads hid over 200 eggs! We then walked, biked, wagon-rode and scootered over to the golf course for the hunt! The kids had so much fun with all of their friends! I think this will be a tradition for many years!

The Latest Butler Tid-Bits:

*Ruby has had candy as breakfast for three days running.

*George asked on Easter morning, "Mom did you hide the eggs? Because they're hidden in places you would hide them!"

*Ruby can now give a play-by-play of each of her timeout sessions. She says, "Mama mean, I cried," she then points to the corner, rubs her eyes and pretends to cry, then says, "Trouble!"

*Lulu reluctantly admitted to not liking the Organic easy mac n'cheese that I've been buying for over a year. "Because I don't want to hurt your feelings." - What a sweet girl!

Post-Valentine's Day

2008-02-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

I know I have been "Blog-Slacking"! I have been very uninspired lately! So here is a brief update:

*Lulu and mom made cookies for some of our local Valentines!

*George was sick on Valentine's Day for the third year. It's just not his holiday!

*The weather has been fabulous! We spend most of our days soaking up the 65 plus degree weather. Spring is officially here in Henderson!

*Ruby is talking non-stop these days! Her all day favorites are:

Where's Oulu? Because she love her big sis Lulu so much!

Abbieya! Daisya! Because she loves Abbie and her baby sister Daisy!

Pooh! Because she watches Pooh Bear on a perpetual loop.

WINNIE!! Because one of her best friends is a 9 year old beagle who barely tolerates her!

What is the secret to a good marriage?

2008-01-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

I came across something written, which I think Rich would agree, fits us perfectly! It struck me as funny and thought I would share. I was reading an article titled, "What is the secret to a good marriage?"

"... an elderly neighbor was asked this same question about marriage. He and his wife had been married more than 50 years. He replied, "Oh, my dear, it's really very simple. My wife and I agreed long ago that I'd make all the big decisions and she'd make all the little decisions. And in all these years together, there just haven't been any big decisions."

Our "Big Girl" Just Got Bigger!

2008-01-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

Today is Lulu's 6th Birthday! Six just seems so BIG! Sadly, Rich is in New York for a conference... I was motivated to post so he could see pics of his girl on her birthday! Although we missed Pops during our b-day festivities today, friends and family sent gifts and calls and visits and love enough for 100 birthdays! Thanks Everyone! We also have a small party planned for Saturday so Pops can celebrate his little Lu's birthday too!

Lu's Kindergarten class (and Rubes) helped her celebrate today with cupcakes and lollipops! She loves her classmates and school so much! She is so eager to be in first grade, learning and doing what "big kids" do. She's just growing up so fast! How do you stop that from happening? Lulu is honesty the most amazing little girl. She has the purest kindness I have ever know. She is so patient with both Ruby and George. She is smart and helpful and unselfish, always! Lulu is already the person I hope to be. I know year six is going to be her best year yet; but tucking my sweet girl in last night, I thought to myself... bye, bye five year old Lu... I'm going to miss you!

We've returned from the great... Salt Lake!

2008-01-09T21:49:00.001-08:00

Whew! We have made it back to ol' henderson and are just now starting to settle into the groove of things again! Packing up a family of five, plus the dog and our entire Christmas for two weeks away, proves to be more difficult and trying every year! But the wonderful memories and COUSINS make it all worthwhile! We loved seeing old friends and spending quality time with our families! Aside from the sadness of the passing of my Aunt Beverly and the passing of a dear Butler family friend, we enjoyed and cherished every moment spent with our loved ones! Cheers to a New Year filled with health and happiness!

Santa made his annual stop at Grandma Dee's house to say "Hi!" and sing jingle bells with us all! For the first time ever, George was wringing his hands with worry over this year's behavior! He was truly convinced he was getting coal... but Santa came through for all the kids (leaving a note saying, "Obey your parents!") George got an awesome race track, Lu got a pink DS she asked for and Rubes got a tricycle! Salt Lake did not disappoint! We woke up the morning of the 25th to an official White Christmas!

This was the year my dad decided to pass on his Red Rider B.B.-you'll shoot your eye out-Gun to Georgie ol' boy! I know, I know... Mrs. no kid of mine will ever play with weapons Butler... you can all mock if you must! George loved it, Grandpa loved demonstrating it, my mom and I loved watching the boys try to shoot tin cans off the garden fence and Rich loved it more than everyone put together! I rarely see that side of him! Rich is a pretty good shot too, for a guy with one eye!

I promise, residents of Summerhill Estates, the Red Rider will be highly supervised!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

2007-12-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

The Butler Fam is headed HOME for the holidays! I'm sure we will have plenty of stories and pictures to share in January! Here's wishing all of our dear friends and family that we are unable to see this holiday, a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! See you in 2008!

Love,
Rich, Nik and the kids

Sleigh Riding in Las Vegas!

2007-12-16T19:41:00.000-08:00

Our poor deprived children...George had the brilliant idea of pouring water down the driveway, letting it freeze overnight, then "sleigh riding" on a Tupperware lid in the morning! We had our doubts it would actually freeze, but it did! So this morning the kids were out in the front yard "sleigh riding" and yelling things like, "Whahoo!" and "This is AWESOME!" I'm sure the neighbors were thinking, "those crazy Butlers again!".

Have a Cheesy-Christmas!

2007-12-04T21:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1171860347
Everything these days at our house is cheesy because of Ruby! So enjoy this seriously silly little clip!

Our First Blog!

2007-12-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

This is the Butler Family's first official blog! I was encouraged by some blogging friends...so here goes!

This weekend was packed full of fun activities! George and some school friends ran the Las Vegas Kids Marathon! It was the last 1.2 miles of the true Las Vegas Marathon. George received a medal, bragging rights and has complained of his sore muscles all weekend!

We also ran to the local nursery to get our Christmas tree! Christmas tree-hunting in Nevada isn't quite as storybook nostalgic as our California and Oregon experiences. We definitely miss the days of going to the farm, picking the perfect ten foot tree for a mere $30 and having it cut down while sipping cocoa by the fire! However, we did get this great picture of the kids by the tree with the palms in the background. So Las Vegas!