Butlers

Blessed Season!

2011-01-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Whew what a crazy month yet a very blessed one as well! Going into December money was really tight! Our previous landlord shorted us $750 which I had planned to use for Christmas presents and travel. Well we scrimped on everything, did some serious bargain shopping, and limited our buying to kids only, no presents for any family and told them the same for us. The results were an ok Christmas for the kids but nothing great. Then the wonderful people in our lives started to come out of the woodwork! First Jeff's amazing aunt talked to the kids and got their wish lists. She picked the expensive items and informed us not to worry about it. She easily spent $500 on us way more than I ever have or would! Then one of Jeff's friends, that he has known since he was 8, called to tell him he and his company selected us to do a secret Santa for. My pride kicked in (of course) and I told him "no we are fine, the kids are fine". Jeff was more humble and gave him the list of items we weren't able to get for the kids... he filled in the holes. Needless to say my kids had one of the best Christmas' ever! We enjoyed a week in Utah enjoying the first Christmas morning ever with Jeff's sister and tons of creative time with the rest of his family. We even found time to zip up to Morgan to see our friends the Limbs (minus John...Stupid UPS!). Then on to Idaho Falls and my amazing sister who housed us for the next week. Snowmobiling, sledding, pictionary, and Just Dance II. Another amazing week. The trip lasted 2 weeks including 28 hours of driving and 2240 miles. Then another blessing, 3 days later we get a flat tire in our garage :). All that travel and a flat in the safety of the garage. The spare tire kept us mobile until the wonderful day of student loan deposits! Now we have 4 pretty new tires and money back in savings! Heavenly Father definitely watched over us! Thank goodness for the daily blessings.

Black Friday!

2010-11-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

Black Friday is one of my favorite days of the year, not only because of the great deals but the pure entertainment! When we lived in civilization I always went with my 4 sisters, mom, and youngest brother. It truly was a sport. We would meet together on Thanksgiving night with our ads and map out the night's activities. Mom always went to BestBuy, I usually got assigned to ToysRus with Lexie, Nichole hit Fred Meyer with Kim in-charge of Target. My brother's assignment was to aid whoever had the longest list. Then we would all go to the clothing stores, Old Navy, AE, and anywhere else with a rockin' good deal. Afterword we would meet for breakfast discuss our adventures, distribute our loot and settle up financially.
Here in the middle of nowhere my store choices are limited to Walmart, Shopko, and Old Navy. No one waits out all night to get a good deal and there is little strategy required. I embraced the limitations of my situation and charged out with my good friend Becca and Emerson at my side. First stop Walmart; 12:01. No need to rush or push here, plenty of merchandise with little fuss. Then back home to rest until 4:30 when off to Old Navy Jeff and I go. Ran into Becca there of course and discovered no other stores opened up until 8:00. Back home to my warm bed. The alarm goes off at 7:30 but my pillow holds me hostage until 9:00. Back out to the mall, solo this time, to grab a few small things left on the list.I completed my shopping with little fuss and even less excitement!
The excitement I enjoy isn't the rumored tales of violence and rudeness so many speak of, but the thrill of hunting down and capturing the elusive deal. The pre-night preparations combined with fellow hunters plans to deliver a great bounty! New friendships are forged through the freezing cold night and once the doors finally open we all look out for one another. We grab doorbusters for each other just in case one of the notorious "bum rushers" break through our ranks and get the deal before the die-hards make it. Then while waiting in lines, that wrap around the entire store, we hold a stranger's place in line while they run grab that one last forgotten item. I think Black Friday brings out the best in people and I love to see it as well as be apart of it. I can't wait to get back down close to my family and a real Black Friday experience and enjoy one of my favorite parts...the people!

Snow DAY!!!

2010-11-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

In the last two days it has snowed here more than it did all last year! As a result the kids Thanksgiving break started early. Emerson and Adison tried to shovel the drive-way but by the time they finished the drive-way was covered again. Jeff went out and relieved Adison. After 3 hours of fighting a losing battle they came in. The girls (joined by Adison) enjoyed playing in the winter wonderland.

The next morning checked the school website and found out school was canceled. First thing the kids wanted to do after they woke up was to go out in the snow again. After forcing them to eat breakfast and brush their teeth they snow suited up and headed out. Jeff handed out the sleds we bought them for Christmas (he couldn't resist) and they went out to make their snow hills. We forced them in (it is 9 degrees out) and warmed them with hot coco. Emerson went back out to try to clear a path again and it started snowing about 2 min later. He was less than thrilled! :) Now we are all sitting around still in our p.j.'s eating marshmallows and being lazy! Love snow days!

Prodigal son

2010-11-17T23:25:00.000-08:00

My amazing son Emerson has returned from his mis-adventures in Utah. He went back there in January to be with his mom and his friends. We missed him more than I could ever describe! Utah presented him with greater challenges than he expected. He fell in with the wrong crowd and he found himself alone without any supervision more often than not. His return came suddenly and in an interesting way. Friday night I got a text from someone in their neighborhood expressing their concern for Emerson and his safety. Saturday more calls from others expressing more concerns. Sunday 3 a.m. call from Emerson saying he needed to come home now before he got into real trouble. Sunday 8:30 Emerson boards a plane and by 3:30 p.m. he was home. Now he is settling down in to the craziness that is our family life :) He starts school tomorrow; eager to charge forward toward his future and embrace the challenges it will bring. I am grateful to Heavenly Father for watching over him when we couldn't and returning him to us safely!

Sister, sister..

2010-11-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

So we finally have a visitor here in the wilderness! My oldest Kim came to visit and watch the BSU vs. UI game. After a couple of wrong turns she finally made it around 6 last night. We stayed up talking and making fun of Jeff til 11. Showing off my house and the town is so fun! She has to leave tomorrow afternoon so it is a short trip but since she will probably be my only visitor in our 3 year run here but It was great to have her even if it was only for a short time!

Clumsy ME???

2010-11-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

Everyone who knows me knows how clumsy I am. Jeff always jokes that I could walk down a perfectly flat perfectly clear path and still trip and fall! My history of accidents proves this.... One day, when I was a teenager, I ran down the stairs at my house. I managed to trip over my feet and tumble head over heals to the bottom. I pushed my dress down just in time to see my family lined up at the top of the stairs looking down at me. Some how I had managed to end up feet up, head down on my back with my undies exposed. Fast forward to the future, I am at work into my second week at my new job.... I go to fill up my water bottle, trip over a child laying on a Lovesac and fall into a cabinet and break my thumb, four days before leaving for DisneyLand :) Next, again stairs! Chloie was sick and sleeping in the recliner to help control her cough. Being the good mother I am, I went up to her room to bring down her blanket and pillow... Trip, Falll = Broken big toe. And my most recent clumsy caused accident? Running late (as usual) to get Lauren from gymnastics. I rush out to the garage and reach my arm behind the huge dresser to push the button to open the garage door. My arm gets caught behind it and I get jerked back. My ear, is just the right height , gets smashed into the corner. I stumble dazed back into the house to tell Jeff he needs to go get Lauren. He rushes over to see what happened... The result? A nice gash INSIDE my ear. Blood poured out and my ear rang. It took a little while for me to find my balance (such as it is) again. Needless to say, "Grace" is NOT my first, middle or last name!!!

My cup runneth over!

2010-11-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

I am starting to feel overwhelmed! As my semester comes closer to ending my stress level rises faster.... I often feel like I am drowning. All of my previous semesters have been pretty easy. I've had a few tests and projects to do, but I was able to complete them with relatively no effort. So when I registered for my 17 credits I thought, meh... no big. Then I added 2 more days of work to the week... again...no big. I didn't factor in all the kids things, Jeff's stuff, church stuff and oh ya...SLEEP! So here I am getting closer to finals and realizing most of them are comprehensive...WHAT??? What is this thing you speak of???....Comprehensive?? Seriously, last year I didn't have one and this year I have 3 in one semester.... just my luck! So I am working on my time management skills (which suck) and learning to run on 6 hours of sleep (I've always been a 8 hour a night girl). I am sure Heavenly Father is looking down on me hoping I learn my lesson. So I am going to pass my new found wisdom on to all you crazy busy mothers out there... don't take on everything! No one expects you to except for YOU... I know, easier said than done but well worth the time you have with your kids! (Or so I've been told, hopefully I will know soon!)

Happy Halloween times 4!!!

2010-11-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Jeff is the President of the Non-Traditional Students Group
at the Law School. As a result he (and me of course) were in charge
of putting on a trick-or-treat event at the school. This marks day
1 on our candy obsession. This was on Thursday... I took the kids with
me to work....got them ready....and took them over to Jeff at the School.
They came home with a TON of candy. Well I could have been done there
but OH NO! Friday... the kids school celebrates Halloween in a Fall Fun Fashion.
They hold a barn dance. They teach all the kids K-6 country dances, have them
dress in their best county gear to preform for their parents. So Jeff and I spent 3
hours at the rec. center (kids all at different times of course) and watch the
hoe-down! Then Jeff gets talked into taking the kids to the Trick-or-treat
event held by the downtown businesses. They started at the hospital went to 90%
of the businesses and then ended up back at the hospital. There they decorated
cookies and did arts and crafts. I had to work until 6 so Jeff did this by himself
(GREAT FATHER AWARD!) We all got home around the same time...just in
time to get ready for the ward trunk or treat..... Again tons of candy! Saturday
after the race the kids insisted on going out again and Jeff dubbed me to take them
(fair is fair) and we went to the dorms at the U of I. They didn't get a lot of "good" candy but enjoyed the fun decorations and costumes of the college kids. Sunday...
I wasn't going to let them go out but all their friends kept calling and
wanting them to go. I gave in (bad mom moment)
and told them they could go around the block for an hour and then be done. Lauren
stayed home with me and we watched Dora:BOO and handed out candy to
the trick or treaters. The results of our 4 days and 5 locations of trick or treating???
2 Giant bowls of candy...divided up chocolate and non-chocolate. It is probably a
good thing we are taking up running!! Here are some pictures of their costumes...
all store bought this year... expect Adison's. I shredded some clothes and drug
them through the mud to create that true un-dead feeling!

Lauren Monarch Butterfly

Adison...Undead Hippy!

Chloie...Taylor Swift

Kids...Acting Like Their Father
CRAZYY :)

Fun Run???

2010-11-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

Adison loves to run.... Jeff and I aren't sure where he gets it from.....but he loves it!
So we signed Adison up for a marathon club here in Moscow
They meet twice a month and run two miles each time.
In between their group runs the kids are encouraged
to run everyday.... goal is to run 32.8 miles by April 1st
So I find myself going against everything I stand for and running
everyday to help my son meet his goal. Exercise...bluck!
The club's first meeting was a 2 mile fun run on Saturday
Oct. 30th Morning. It was freezing cold but we all went out to support him!

Here Chloie and Lauren are waiting in the warm building at
Moscow Charter School for Adison to finish.
The race grouped kids in K-3 and 4-6 grades
The K-3 kids ran a mile and started first.
Then the older kids were told to go to the starting line...
Well those kids only heard the word "Go" and instead of
waiting for the horn.... they all took off.
It was interesting watching all the coordinators
take off after them to bring them back to the starting line!

Here is Adison pre-race all geared up and ready to run.
A couple of his friends from other schools were there
participating as well. There were about 15o kids there total
and about 25 parents that ran with their kids (I wasn't one of them!)

Here is Adison as he charged to the finish line.
It took him about 15 min to complete the race mostly because
he and his friend Sam (pictured) took a wrong turn
and had to back track to finish. (He has his dad's sense of direction!)
When he was done all he could say was how fun it was and
he couldn't wait to do it again. So the lazy Butler's have began
Marathon training...The things we do for our kids!!!

President's Day

2010-02-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

Once my hair gets so long that I find myself putting it in a pony tail everyday I know that it is time to cut it. The funny thing is that it looks a lot more blond now, probably because I cut all the red out! But man it still is crazy to watch all the hair fall to the floor! In some spots I took off 5 inches! But I know that it will be long and bugging me before summer is over so I never stress to much about it!

Jeff is so smart, I forget sometimes that he isn't just a smart alick. He has always been able to fix our cars and save us a ton of money by doing it. He wasn't happy that I was taking his picture, notice the middle finger starting to rise. But I had to document his handiness, he is book smart and car smart... the whole package!

Lauren is getting so big! She is able to ride her bike by herself for almost the length of our street, but she struggles with staying straight! I need to cut back on her alcohol consumption! But she sure looks cute with her little helmet and pink bike! I can't believe that she is going to be 5 this summer... where did my little girl go???

Chloie decided to take her bike out for a spin to make sure that it still worked :) The weather has been so mild that the grass is starting to turn green! The kids had a few friends over while Jeff and I worked on the cars and cleaning the house... Over all a great President's Day!

Happy New Year

2010-02-10T17:45:00.000-08:00

So I have been a huge slacker on updating this.. sorry! Life is a little crazy with Emerson gone, but we are adjusting. We had a wonderful time in Idaho Falls and Utah over the Christmas break, it was wonderful to see so many of our friends, we wish we could of seen you all! Jeff survived his first semester and did pretty good. I was a little disappointed with my grades, I received a B in my history class and the teacher hasn't responded to my questions as to how this happened. So I finished up with a 3.8 GPA but it could of been worse! This semester is a little strange so far. I have a professor that swears like a sailor and yells out the "F" word just to make sure we are paying attention. Very different from schools in Utah and Southeastern Idaho! But to be quite honest it is the class that I am learning the most in and the most challenging so I guess we take the good with the bad sometimes. The kids are all doing amazing and Lauren has started reading. It is so fun to see them get the concept and see their excitement for books. Adison just finished the first Harry Potter book and it only took him a week. He is so smart, just like his dad and big brother! All the kids are in gymnastics and Chloie is a natural, they have moved her up to level 2 already and they tell me she is a born gymnast! Jeff isn't so sure about it but he will come around, mostly because he doesn't have a choice! Other than that we are all plugging along and looking forward to the summer when we can be with you all again! Until next time, know that I miss and love you all!

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-06T20:18:00.000-08:00

My family has never been known for being traditional, in any sense of the word. But there is one tradition that we have done since I was a little girl and that is make and frost sugar cookies at the holidays. It is a tradition that I brought with my to my own family and I hope that my kids will have the same wonderful memories of it that I do! Even though our kitchen is smaller than most people's bathrooms, we made due!

Lauren was very proud of the cookie she made. We are still trying to figure out if she got more frosting on the cookie or the floor!

Here is A.J. he was the first of the kids to organize the sprinkles on his snowman into a face. His personal face doesn't show it be he was very excited!
After all the decorating fun was over the kids, and Jeff were kind enough to leave all the mess for me to clean up. Just like we did for my mother. Wow another tradition that I didn't plan on!

And while I was cleaning frosting from EVERY WHERE, the rest of the family went into the front room and played supermario party8, over all it was a wonderful day!

While we may not have the monetary things that we are use to we are growing together as a family and finding that we can actually have a lot of fun together, what a wonderful gift!

Lost but not forgotten???

2009-11-23T21:11:00.001-08:00

Well it has been an eternity since I posted here, Sorry! Life is crazy at times and boring at others. I wish that it could all balance out. Life is getting better up here, a couple of girls from school, Emerson and I went to see New Moon the other night. It was fun but the Twilight premier with the 20 of us last year was a little more exciting! Holly was chosen as hottest girl at the table, Dariell hid in the bathroom to get us good seats and the rest of us rocked out to music on my phone in the freezing cold! Mandy booed and hissed through the whole thing while secretly lusting after Edward. So many wonderful memories! Terri and her girls, Jodi and Tori, Lisa, Joann, it was like I had all my favorite people in the world there with me! While life here is becoming easier, life in my wonderful hometown of Roy Utah will always be where my heart is!!!

Carving Punkins!

2009-10-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

Adison got the biggest pumpkin he could carry. In fact it was so big it couldn't be weighed. All we know is that it weighs more than Lauren which is at least 33 lbs. He worked so hard on it!
Chloie rolled up her sleeves and dug right in. She wasn't afraid of the "yuck", and good old Emerson, he helped on Laurens for a bit. Lauren was a little reluctant to get her hands dirty!
But, she was allowed to do a little carving, and she really enjoyed that!
Emerson loved the goo, in fact he helped clean out Adison's as well, because it had a TON of guts inside of it. Some even looked like a skeleton. I tried to take a picture but it was too dark inside to see it.

My Children are Brilliant!

2009-10-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

As parents we all love to brag about our kids. Blogging is like an open invitation to do just that, so hold on to your britches cause her I go! Adison is getting all A+ is his class and they moved him up to the "gifted and talented" math class. I am so proud of him. His lowest score was 112%. And Chloie, who is in 2nd grade, is on a 4th grade reading level. Emerson, well it is just a given that he is smart. Even thought he is a year younger than all the kids in his grade he scored "Advanced" all of his testing. Lauren, well she is naturally brilliant, just like her Daddy! Overall I am very proud of how smart, and yet funny they all are. They don't define themselves as the "smart" kids but the fun kids. Jeff and I are honored to be their parents and we hope that they will always enjoy learning and growing!

All Better

2009-09-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I have calmed down and the bitterness has passed! Nothing has really changed but the support of my friends and amazing husband have helped my attitude! Thanks guys! Well now that I have used a million "!", school is starting to get busier for me. I have a 2000 words essay, a 1200 word essay and a midterm in geography. But it keeps me from wallowing in self pity to be busy, so I will keep it. Not much else going on, hopefully soon I will have something good to write about, but for now... I am at peace :)

Bitch and Moan!

2009-09-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

I have to vent for a minute, so if you don't want to hear my rantings...STOP NOW! Otherwise, brace yourself! I am so irritated with the ward here, not one axillary organization has shown up at my house except the Young Men. I only know 3 ladies in the ward and 2 are in the presidency. The school's are just as bad. I volunteered at a Ice-cream social, hoping that I would get to know some of the parents while I was there. I stood next to 3 women and not one bothered to talk to me. I finally tried to make conversation and got shut down pretty fast as they took my topic and turned to each other to talk about it. excluding me once more. My kids are having the same problem, kinda. The parents wont let their kids play with mine until they met me. Fine I totally agree, but they also wont make anytime to meet me. No matter what they are always to busy meet or even talk on the damn phone! I feel like an outcast without any cause. I haven't meet my Bishop or counselors, maybe I was spoiled in Utah but really isn't that one of their duties? To welcome and get to know the new members. Chloie is suppose to get Baptized in about 2 months, good thing I am taking her to Idaho to do it! I have never had such harsh feelings toward any body in my life as I have towards the people of Moscow! Everyone said "you will love it there, everyone is SOOOO NICE!" Well apparently The Butler's don't fit in enough to be treated nicely, and it may be along time before I will try being nice to the jerks around here!

County Fair

2009-09-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

So the county fair was this weekend and the kids were buggin us all week to go. So Friday after school we took them all to the fair. It was funny because Jeff had never been to a small fair before, in fact the only fair he had ever been to was the Utah State Fair. Needless to say it was shocking how "small" it really was. We weren't there long because the rides were 3-5 bucks each or we could buy wrist bands that were $25 each. Being the poor college students we are, we bought 30 bucks worth of tickets, and let the kids ride til they were gone (about 1 hour). It was an ok way to spend a Friday night, it could of been worse :)
Lauren and Jeff going for a ride in the "Jalopy cars" Good times, good times!
We bought elephant ears to eat, the kids weren't sure what to think until I bought them and explained they were just HUGE scones, covered with Cinnamon and sugar. After that they chowed down, (except Em, he doesn't like scones..WEIRD!) But Lauren loved them the most I think!

Humble....ME?

2009-09-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

So I just have to toot my own horn a little. I am doing so much better in school than I thought I would! I was far from a good student in high school and I have been worried history would repeat itself. But so far I ROCK! I have aced all my quizzes and papers and my grades are throwing the curve high... to bad for the other suckers :) But it really is an accomplishment for me, ask my family, school was more for the social aspects never academic. Good thing that I am the old lady on campus with no time to socialize or things could be different. Again, there is a season for all things and my season is NOW! (because I am amazing in case you missed it)

Life

2009-09-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

Things are pretty uneventful around here. The kids are all loving school and Jeff &I are doing good as well. Adison and Chloie love the freedom they have here. Because it is so small and quaint, we let them walk into town and wander around. They think it is cool, they go to the toy store, rock shop, fountain, and playground. I am excited that they enjoy doing so much together. Really moving here has made us closer as a family as we have no one else to depend on. Weird how you receive blessings you didn't realize you needed!

Climbing

2009-09-07T18:42:00.001-07:00

The U of I has an amazing rock wall center. They let the kids free climb up to the white line. They had mats underneath them, just in case they fell. It was fun, Jeff and I even tried!
Adison was the first to try and got pretty high the first try.

Here Adison and Chloie went on the tallest wall. So proud!

Lauren got so far...Daddy was a proud papa!

Even I gave it a try, not to bad for an old lady :)

Fishin'

2009-09-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

This is a BEAUTIFUL area 20 min from our home that we found. It is a perfect little place to fish and hang out. There is no fee to use the place and you can have a campfire with no hassles...I am starting to like it here a little more!Adison and Chloie were trying so hard to catch a fish, they didn't have much luck but they had fun casting and reeling it back in.
Emerson was so patient and helpful to his little siblings! He cast a few times as well trying his luck!
Dad and Lauren, she had to have a turn too! Silly.

3 Day weekend!

2009-09-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

Party time, or maybe sleeptime, way probably the later! I have a little homework but not to much, mostly review and Jeff is the same. He is even going to take Adison and Chloie fishing tomorrow morning. It should be interesting. I will have him take pictures for the blog, we will see if they fall in or not. We decided that if we are going to live her we might as well start to "try" to fit in, with all the fishin' and huntin' that goes on. The problem is no one but Jeff and Em like fish, but we are going to have to learn! It might be the only thing we have to eat by the time December rolls around! The kids are doing great in school, except Chloie got stung by a bee yesterday at lunch :( She survived and all is well in her world. We still miss everyone and are still trying to find where we fit in here but slowly we are finding a niche!

First day of School

2009-09-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

It is finally here, I was beginning to wonder if it would ever arrive! First day of school, party on!! The kids were excited, Emerson was a little nervous but they all did great. Chloie got on the right bus to and from school, Adison waited patiently for her to get back to his school so they could watch and Emerson only messed up once by going to the wrong class at the wrong time. Over all a great day, Lauren had to be in the picture too, even though she has been going to school for the last 2 weeks :) Life feels a little calmer now, we will see if it holds out!

We survived!

2009-08-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

Well the first week of college has come and gone, we are still alive! Jeff has made it through his first week of late nights and tons of caffeine. I had survived young kids at college and home. It has been pretty easy so far. Homework as been a new thing for me and I am still trying to learn how to balance studying with my kids around. But luckily they start on Wednesday and so I will have the afternoons free, with the exception of Lauren-loo. I have enjoyed having my mind and thoughts challenged in a way other than whining kids :) We are finally starting to make some friends, mainly because we haven't unleashed our true personalities yet, we will suck them in before we let them see the real us! The whole family (Even Jeff and Emerson) went to church today and meet several other families in the same situation as us. The ward was very friendly and welcoming. If the Rolling Hills ward is even half as good as the original Country Lane ward we will be just fine!

School has started

2009-08-25T16:06:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the first day of school for Jeff, Lauren and I. It was very interesting :) I was really nervous, I totally felt like a fish out of water. I was stressed about finding my classes, getting there on time and if I would be able to get back to get Lauren on time. As usual all my stress was for nothing, it was easier than I thought and I was able to get everywhere without any major rushing. All in all it was a good day. Jeff is already swamped with homework and was up until 1 doing homework and went in early today to finish. I am totally going to be a single mom but it is for the greater good and my kids are being wonderful! Lauren has a wonderful pre-school that she goes to that she loves. They even serve her breakfast and lunch, one less thing for me to worry about. Today I only had one class and then had some time to go and use the gym. Who knows, I might get a better mind and body out of this whole experience!

Farmers market

2009-08-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows us knows that we are NOT heathly eaters. My husband has spent his life trying to put some weight on, as a result fresh veggies and fruit have never been on the top of my shopping list! Well every Sat morning they have a wonderful farmers market in town. We have heard wonderful things about it be as of yet hadn't made it. We decided that we would go yesterday and wow it was wonderful! They not only had fresh fruit and veggies but tons of homeade stuff. From fresh donuts to fresh bread, as well has lemonade, fresh honey and honey comb, followed by a bunch of stuff I have never heard of. Then there were paintings, carvings, clothing and jewelry all hand made. It was crazy! They also had live bands playing and dance instruction going on. We got fresh potatoes, corn and peaches and spent a total of 4 dollars. What a deal! We enjoyed the donuts, lemonade and honey sticks. We are so country!!!!!

I am so ready for school to start!

2009-08-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

I am going stir crazy! Jeff has orentation all week from 8 to 5 which leaves me and the kids to entertain ourselves. It is hard to do, finding something that they all will enjoy. We went and walked around town today and showed Emerson the toy store and then went for ice cream. The kids rode their scooters because it is easier to walk them back up the big hills. While I was walking Lauren and her scooter up the hill she tripped and her scooter swung around and smashed into my foot. So my keepsake from the day is a swollen foot and ankle. I am hoping tomorrow will be a little less eventful! I have discovered I am defiantly not a stay-at-home mom! I enjoyed working a little each week, it gave me time to center myself and restore my patience. Going to school next week will be good for me. I don't think I could make it without it. And then the next week the kids go back, I just need to make it through 2 more days and I will be golden!

Finally all is right in the world!

2009-08-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Emerson finally made it home! It has been so weird not having him here. We all felt the difference of not having his sarcastic personality around, and Jeff was finally forgetting that he was balding (Emerson loved reminding him everyday!) We all drove into Spokane to get him, Jeff and the kids were able to go to the gate to get him. He isn't sure what to think of the town yet but he now knows where the worlds supply of grain and straw comes from! Then to top off this wonderful day we discovered that they have "Redbox" as well, sure there are only 2 of them for the whole town and everything good was gone, but hey at least they have one!

Family hiking

2009-08-14T22:16:00.000-07:00

Daddy is so wonderful, he helps our nature challenged youngest through the wild. She had to wear her cowboy boots, not the best for hiking!

We are such a wilderness family, can't you tell? It was funny to watch Lauren she is soooo a city girl!

My way cute family hiking in the wilderness near our new house. So much fun!

I love my husband!

2009-08-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

So sometimes I just feel like I need a little alone time, is that wrong? Well either way I felt like that today. I realized that Jeff is starting school next week and then after that I am going to be basically a single mom in a town where I know no one so I will have little time to myself in the near future. I asked Jeff if he would let me hide out in the other room by myself for the night and allow me to just read while he took care of the kids. He said yes and there you have it. I enjoyed a nice relaxing night all alone without fighting with anyone to do anything or breaking up any fighting. Of course the kids were on their best behavior with Jeff and he didn't have to deal with any of it but that's ok too! It was nice to just veg out with no worries. I think as women we all need to do this every once in awhile, you know just to recharge our batteries. I hope that all the busy women I know take any opportunity they can to do the same thing, it is good for the soul!

Another day in Moscow

2009-08-11T19:49:00.001-07:00

We had another nice day with Jeff today. We got up and hung out in our jammies for awhile. Jeff longer than anyone else! Adison went with his friends Luke and Yohan (yes that is his name no joke) and they took him on a tour of Moscow. He learned out the toy store, and wandered around town; he had a lot of fun. They came back here and Jeff took sometime to teach them how to play guitar hero. Luke's dad came over and introduced himself, Jeff gave a great first impression, playing video games at 12 in the afternoon still in his pajamas! It was awesome!!!! Did I mention that our new neighbor is a Lawyer with his own practice here in town...I am not sure Jeff will be going to him for a summer internship :) We finally got Jeff to take a shower, and we headed out again to explore the town. We ended up going to the Goodwill store, the craft store, the rock store and finally the Toy Store. It was fun to see the kids run around, the rock store was cool and we learned that the 6 ray garnet is the Idaho state gem and that there is a place that we can go harvest them ourselves. We ended the day going to the kids favorite playground, the one downtown and coming home to eat fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans for dinner. All home cooked of course! Another great day here...but school is coming soon :) I am way excited!!!

Moscow

2009-08-10T22:37:00.001-07:00

These are just a few of the Pictures from around town. We found a playground in downtown Moscow. The picture with Chloie shows that one and the clock is right across from it. And the big building is Adison's new school. We had a picnic lunch there today. It is fun to have Jeff around for a little bit just to hang out with us. Now once we get Emerson here our family will be complete!

Starting to settle in

2009-08-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Well it took longer than I thought, but Adison has a friend. His name is Luke and he lives right across the street. He is 10 and goes to the same school as Adison will be going to. But I found out the weirdest thing! Chloie will go to a different school than him. They have grades K-3 at one school and 4-6 at another. Crazy, so Chloie will walk to school with Adison and then take a bus to where she goes. It seems a little strange but what do you do? So all of my kids will be in different locations durning the day, and then when Lauren is going into 1st grade she will be there by herself and Adison and Chloie will be together, but just for one year. I don't know how I feel about it but not much can be done. I now am just hoping we can find some friends for Chloie and Lauren. Chloie + Barbies do not add up to happy Chloie!

Washing Dishes

2009-08-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

This is something that I was sure that the kids would HATE.. shows how much I know. The kids are fighting over who gets to do the dishes. They think it is the coolest thing...all I can do is hope that the love last 3 yrs. I am not holding my breathe. Once Emerson gets here and complains about doing the dishes I am sure the rest of the kids will join his pessimism.

623 South Adams Moscow Idaho

2009-08-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our new Home. The front is Very BLUE, it is nice and clean inside. We are getting use to the smaller rooms, and no dishwasher, but we are having fun so far. We are all missing our friends though...you can all come visit anytime~! The room with the 2 beds is the attic and Chloie and Laurens own playworld. We are still working on the layout and where to put everything, needless to say it is a work in progress. I love the shelves that are in the attic they are perfect for all the games and I have a table up there for them to play them on. It is kind of the opposite of my old house but instead of sending them downstairs to play, I send them upstairs :) I still have a bunch of boxes to unpack and my bed isn't anywhere close to being set-up but once Jeff gets back we will have a week to finish getting everything together before school starts. The Hope you in joy....

Last Night

2009-07-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

It is my last night in Utah as a resident. I have been packing, cleaning carpets and running around like a crazy woman. I have everything packed and 95% of things on the main floor or the garage. Tomorrow morning we will take down the bunkbeds and start loading the truck. We hope to be out of here by about 6 at the latest. But since we will be on Butler standard time probably around 8 I am guessing:) It is still not completely real to me, but now that we have found homes for our dogs and the house is packed I almost believe it. Jeff is so calm about it. He and Emerson are upstairs watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire while I am up stressing. Oh well, I am usually the chill one and he is the stresser, at least I know how he feels now. Well I am exhausted and ready to pass out. Good night Utah, Good morning Idaho!

Good-bye SUCKS!

2009-07-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we are down to the wire now...4 days and counting. I have updated my blog and changed the name, so that we can keep in touch with everyone. It is starting to hit me that we are moving far away. We have spent a lot of time visiting people and family as it is going to be awhile before we see them again. I have gotten so use to seeing everyone when ever I want I think I have kind of taken it for granted. I realize this is going to be the hardest move I have ever made. My mother even cried when I left and that has never happened before. I am going to miss all of my wonderful friends more than I thought. I had kind of convinced myself it was no big deal but I now realize the error of my thinking. I am trying to hold it together as my kids are having a very hard time the closer we get to the big move. I have packed up all the stuff I can and now I am getting rid of a few more things. It is getting close and I fear that no matter how hard I try to prepare myself and my kids we are going to have a very hard weekend. I am putting my trust in my Heavenly Father, he has always directed my path and has never lead me astray. I will pray for you all everyday and hope that you will do the same for me!
Love you all ALWAYS....Angel

Almost Good-bye

2009-06-23T21:25:00.001-07:00

Well, the Butler clan will be shipping out in exactly one month from tomorrow! It is hard to believe we are leaving here. We have been in Roy for almost 8 yrs and it is more home to me than anywhere I have ever lived. The people here are not just friends but family! To all the amazing young women I have had the chance to know, I LOVE YOU. Also to the friends of the Country Lane Ward, thank you for all you have done for me and my family. I will be back to visit, even if you don't want me to :). I am going to try to post the life and times of the Butler clan livin it up in Moscow, here, just so everyone wont forget us. So lets party and have a good time for the next month and then hang on tight because we will be back before you know it.

Love, Angel

I'm BAAACCCKKKK

2008-12-30T22:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been a MILLION years since I have posted anything. Jeff broke our computer and I hate using the laptop... that and I have to wrestle it away from Jeff. Life has been way crazy busy, but nothing to exciting, well other than Christmas. The only thing my kids REALLY wanted was a Wii. Luckily my mother loves them (more than me) and got it for them. Several other people bought games and accessories for the system and so now their lives are complete. My only goal is to be able to play guitar hero with Emerson and have him not yell at me for making him lose. Wait never mind it is great fun to watch him throw a temper tantrum! We took the kids sledding after the big storm and had a great time! Of course I was exhausted from carrying Lauren back up the hill all the time (thx JEFF) But it was still way fun. Our house still hasn't sold but we haven't given up hope or faith that our time will come. It just hasn't been the right time for us to leave all of you amazing people....sorry you are still stuck with us. Well until next time, which will be sooner, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MANDY LOVES TWILIGHT

2008-11-23T18:11:00.000-08:00

A big group of us went to go see Twilight on Friday night. It was so CHEESY! But it was so worth the price of the ticket just to watch Mandy mock the teenage girls. She had the opportunity to sit in a theater full of them and listen to them SCREAM every time Jacob came on the screen. She had me laughing so hard that I fell on the ground and had tears running down my face. So if you see Mandy reminder of her love for Twilight and call her by her new name....SPIDER MONKEY! But be careful she might hop on your back :)

Boys

2008-11-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

Emerson and his friends, Brody and Cody, make me laugh! They all were hanging out here yesterday during Chloie's Hannah Montana Birthday party. Chloie got a Hannah wig and had taken it off. Brody decided to see how he looked as a blond...not good and then Cody put on Jeff's red wig...not good either! The best part was watching them dance with the 7yr old girls. They were the hit of the party! Emerson of course just stood back and watched. He isn't as into cross dressing as his dad and friends. That gives me hope for at least one normal man in my life! But luckily Jeff is so cute it makes up for his cross-dressing ways!

Protesting

2008-11-11T21:05:00.000-08:00

So for anyone who doesn't know my husband, he loves to Argue!!! So when the opportunity presents itself that allows him to argue without using tact...He runs with it. Well I am sure many of you heard about the rally that was held downtown where the Gay (happy of course) people protested the LDS church for its involvement in the passage of proposition 8 in California. Well he rounded up his buddies, Travis and Brad (last names have been with held to protect the innocent) and they went down to give those "happy" people something to really protest...Them! They (mostly BRAD) almost got the crap kicked out of them by a cute couple that consisted of 2 of the manliest women they have ever seen. They also learned new things about the Constitution of the U.S. (things that are NOT in it) and made fun of all the guys wearing their sisters pants. The highlight was the catchy slogan they came up with..."Straight is Great, Straight is Great, That is how WE procreate! All in all it was a productive night that left the 3 of them feeling rather pleased that they, themselves, weren't HAPPY...aka GAY!

Birthday Party

2008-11-11T20:41:00.000-08:00

Adison and Chloie's birthdays are 6 days apart. So we always have a joint birthday for Jeff's family. The kids have a good time and love to see them. Jeff's Aunt Joy and Norman are always incredible and make each of the kids feel so special. Jeff's parents as well as his sister and her family came as well. It was great to see them as we don't get to as often as we all would like. Anyway, Chloie turns 7 on Friday and Adison turned 9 last Saturday. They are growing up WAY to fast, wow time flies! But Dariell, Holly and I have discovered that our family's were meant to be BFF's. Holly and Adison have the same birthday, Brody and Chloie have the same birthday and now Lauren and Tucker have the same birthday. It is crazy how it has worked out. Well I know this post is really random but that is how I am so it fits :) Until next time....Big Love and you are my favorite....ssshhhh don't tell!

Hello Everybody!!!

2008-11-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, sorry it has been so long since I've said Howdy but life had been a little nuts. Every year I take on the challenge of making my children's costumes and every year I vow to start earlier. Well I started early this time but got way sick and had personal crap that got in the way. The good news is that with a VERY heavy dose of antibiotics (3000 mg of amox and a Z-pack) with some good old predisone, my severe bronchitis is clearing up nicely! But, I digress. I did manage to make two adorable fairy costumes and aid Adison in his quest for dark wizard magic. I must admit that I was a very proud mom at the Trunk or Treat on Halloween night. The kids all looked great, including Emerson who was just scary without a costume (LOL). My husband was a great hit, dressed as a HOT CHICK! NOT!!!!! I must admit that he has great legs but he defintley does not have the face to pull off trans gender! But it was a great laugh especially when people looked at him and realized that he was a HIM or as Jeff would say a SHIM (She-Him). All in all it was a great Halloween and can't wait for next year!

Carving Pumpkins

2008-10-13T18:50:00.000-07:00

We decided to carve pumpkins the other night. It was so fun! The kids were way grossed out by the goo. Every time they stuck their hands it they made a face and said OOOHHH Gross. The pumpkins turned out way cute and we had a good time.

Stealth Fart

2008-10-10T23:24:00.000-07:00

So I love Emerson to pieces, he is hysterical! The other night Jeff and I had put all the younger kids to bed and I was getting ready to go to the store...we were out of everything! I ask Em if he wants to go with and he says yes. I expected him to say No because he has always hated going to the store. Well Jeff says he want to go instead. They rock, paper, scissors for it best 2 out of 3 and Jeff wins. Em pushes and asks for 3 out of 5 and totally takes it, Jeff has never lost. So Emerson and I head off to the store. He is telling me about school and informs me that he had the worst gas in keyboarding class and so he was farting the whole time. I laughing of course, and ask him how no one noticed. I then was educated on the fine art of stealth farting. The key is to spread your butt cheeks really wide so that they don't ripple when you let the gas out. I seriously almost pulled a Mandy and peed a little as a result of how hard I was laughing. Luckily the gas wasn't toxic or at least the kid next to him stunk more than Emerson did...needless to say the next time you have gas, remember spread'em wide to reduce vibration!

Stomach Flu

2008-10-10T22:52:00.001-07:00

I hate being sick in general but the stomach flu is the WORST! It just knocks me down. I can function with a head cold and a fever actually anything but man that stomach thing is a killer. I think the problem is the fact that you never know which end it is going to come out of. Do you sit or kneel. I always worry that I have made the wrong choice...so far I have been lucky! But now my cute little boy has it, but on the bright side he NEVER has missed the toilet while hurling. It is really impressive since he is 8. In fact one morning I woke up and went in to my bathroom and noticed that there was puke in the toilet. I went into the front room and there was my sweet little Adison asleep on the couch with a bowl. When I woke him to see if he need anything and asking what happened, he told me he didn't flush because he didn't want to wake Jeff and I up. So amazing! Now Chloie is a projectile vomiter! I was at girls camp and I called to see how the kids were. Jeff told me she had thrown up all over the whole bed, the floor and the bathroom. That all happened on the first puke of a series...I was very sad that I wasn't there (NOT)!! Well I hope that the Flu doesn't visit any of you anytime soon.

LSAT

2008-09-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

We are getting down to the wire for Jeff and his LSAT preparations. He has 8 days til the big test. His practice tests are really good around 164 to 168 and if he can get that kind of score on the real test we are totally staying here! I am trying hard to not get my hopes up and put to much pleasure on him but it is hard. Every time he tells me his score I almost jump for joy...it is hard to act like it is not a huge deal. Jeff is the only one who is allowed to put pressure on him, everyone else just stresses him and makes him mad. So, if you all see him around don't say to much about the test, including wishing him luck...in fact don't mention it, it is better for ME that way :) But, we are going to change the party house to Mandy's house because the house we will be able to afford will be tiny! So if you see Mandy congratulate her on being the new and improved hostess of the ward formally named Country Lane.

Sad Days

2008-09-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Well the dreaded day has arrived, our amazing ward is being broken up and divided into a bunch of different wards. The worst part is that I am out here all alone in BFE while all the people I love the most are going to be together in a ward. I told our bishop (the amazing Bishop Howell) that I would be going to the same ward as him and all of my other BFF's (Seibolds, Limbs, Howells and of course Chapples) no matter what. Jeff and I are just going to have to sell our house fast so we can find some place over by them. I know that our Heavenly Father has something great in store for all of us with this change, the hard thing is getting past the sadness in order to see the greatness that is waiting for all of us. I remember when the Country Lane ward was first put together. I hadn't been going to church here very long and I was very excited to meet new people. The great thing is that because of the amazing CL ward my fantastic husband became a member of this TRUE church. The new ward boundaries brought about that little miracle for my family, I can only hope that the same miracle is awaiting another wonderful family! The good news is that we are all still neighbors and can bug the crap out of each other when ever we want. So Country Lane keep your chin up the future is waiting to bring you further blessings....Stay strong and know that I love you ALL!

Running in the Rain

2008-09-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jeff and I took the kids into SLC on the train to go to the planetarium with his cousin, Jenny. She is wonderful and takes all of the nieces and nephews to do stuff all the time. So, we get into Salt Lake and it starts to sprinkle a little. We hop on the trax train and take it about a block and a half. We have another 2 blocks to go to get to the planetarium so we start walking. Of course then it starts to down pour. We all are in shorts, tee-shirts and flip-flops. We begin running from one awning to another trying to make it to the planetarium without getting completely drenched...well we run out of awnings, so there we are downtown Salt Lake all huddled under a little tree trying to avoid the rain. Man did we look funny! Emerson decides that we are getting to much wind so he runs for it about 100 ft to a little awning and seems pretty happy there. The rest of us decide to make a break for it. So we stand there for a bit and continue with our "run...stop...run...stop" until we finally arrive. The kids had fun laughing and sliding as we ran and Jeff and I enjoyed just watching it all unfold. it was fun to just deal with life. I hope that we can always remember how fun that was and to always learn to make lemonade when we are handed lemons!

Slide Show

2008-09-19T10:28:00.005-07:00

2008-09-17T20:19:00.001-07:00

So Chloie and Lauren started dance and gymnastics. Their schedule is crazy but luckily one of my BFF's Holly is helping me get them to dance. Her little girl Jayden is in the same class as Lauren. I can't wait to see the 2 of them on the stage dancing. It should be hilarious. Dariell, Holly and I are in the middle of getting ready for our 3rd annual Halloween murder mystery party. It is going to bigger and better than ever. It is crazy how excited people are to come. We decided to write it ourselves this year. It has been a lot of fun but at the same time harder than we all thought. We have 30 parts to come up with and that is 30 different personalities and secrets to create. It has been great for me to get back into writing though. I always wanted to be a writer, this isn't what I had in mind but it sure is a good time. I am working on taking pics so I can get more on here. My family is so amazing so I should have more pictures of them.

Great Fun Doing Service

2008-09-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to go with some of the young women in our ward to serve dinner to the high priests in our stake. It was cool to see how many high priests there are in our stake! But after we did our service and ate the wonderful dinner (roast beef, tatos and gravy, cucmbers, tomatoes and apple pie with ice cream) Jessica C. and I were hanging out talking in her drive way. Her sister Jamie came out and we were all just chatting when Jess screams that an animal just jumped at my window. I was way freaked out because one of my neighbors had told me that there was a large raccoon wandering the neighborhood. After some major panic Jamie says it was just her dumb cat. (I hate cats!) So we are all laughing when we saw Jodi H and her family arrive home. We all decided that we wanted to scare her. We jumped out of my van and sneaked over. Tanner (her son) sees us and just sits there staring...he knows we are weird. So Jodi goes in through the garage and we sneak through the front door. We first try to hide in the closet by the front door... to much stuff so then we hide on the stairs...too obvious, so then on to the bathroom in the tub. Well Tanner comes in and says she will never look in there so we need to hide in her room. We run in there and Jamie and Jess climb on the bed and start to get in under the sheets...did I mention that Jodi is the Bishop's wife? Anyway; I have a small issue with this that gets vetoed so in we all go. Tanner comes in and tries to hide with us.. no room so he lays on the floor. Jodi is taking to long to come (BATHROOM #2 we think????) and so Tanner goes down and tells her there is a surprise for her in her room. She finally comes up and flips on the light. We all yelled SURPRISE and scared the crap out of her. It was awesome but we did wake up her sleeping 7 year old daughter (sorry again Tyler!) She took pictures to commemorate our funny! Needless to say if you here rumors of a Bishop having 3 girls in his bed that are not related don't think the worst! It is all in good clean fun...and his sense of humor is just one of the many things we LOVE about our bishop!

Children

2008-09-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

My kids have been trained by THE master of all arguing! It makes me laugh when Jeff gets so mad at the kids for arguing with him when they are just following his example. Adison is the worst..or the best depending on how you look at it! He just keeps going until we literally have to tell him to shut his mouth. It will serve him well if he ever decides to follow in his father's footsteps and become a Liar...I mean Lawyer.

Emerson is getting pretty good at it as well but he has learned at least when to stop. It is fun though to sit back and watch him argue with Jeff. He gets his dad all twisted in to a frustrated mess. It is good to see him like that it helps me remember that he is beatable...at least sometimes.

But it is wonderful to see that they are smart enough to think ahead during a discussion. I hope that they develop and use that talent for good and not evil. I think it is very important for people to be able to argue but in a productive way. I am not saying that they are learning the good argument from their father but at least they are learning the basics that I can manipulate later!

2008-09-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

Let the fun begin!!!

I was so excited when school got out in May, all I could think was...ahhh, finally a little down time. Then the craziness of summer started with kids going everywhere and little mini-trips planned keeping us crazy once again. So then all I could think was...ahhh, finally school is starting. I was excited for routine and bedtime. You know, all the stuff that goes down the drain the day school gets out. But just like everything there is really no green grass on the other side. Now we have dance, gymnastics, soccer, pre-school and as many other things as we can possibly fit into a day. Wow...I am so glad I went down to part-time at work! I don't know how full-time moms make it work

But I have found a little piece of heaven on Tues. and Thurs. mornings from 8:30 til 11:30. All my kids are in school at that time and I get some ME time. It is amazing! I highly recommend it to everyone! I am finally tackling all those projects you never can get to...and LOVING IT.

Jeff and I are finally on the same page. We had a little ruff patch where we were both suborn and unforgiving, luckily we were able to YELL our way out of it. (jk). I always thought that we would be the couple that never really fought. I has been hard to realize that we aren't the perfect couple I have always imagined in my head. It also gives me hope when I realize that all the other perfect couples out there might be just as imperfect as us. Basically we are all human no matter what we lead other people to believe at times. Well Jeff is making me a sandwich, (yes at 9:00 at night) and i am going to eat it and hang out for a few quiet minutes...until tomorrow when the craziness starts again!

Intro

2008-08-31T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hello--

Welcome to my blog...I guess. I am not sure how it will turn out but hope you all enjoy!

A little info about me and my little family...

Jeff and I were married about 10 years ago and now have 4 kids. I am working part-time so I can afford my kids extra-curricular actives, (kids cost a lot of MONEY!) Jeff is applying to law schools again, hoping that we can get somewhere closer to here. And my house still is for sale.

I think that most of my post will be about my family and the trials that we face...including the "discussions" my husband and I have. I hope that we all can learn from each other on ways to strengthen all of our relationships.

Love Angel