Monday, December 29, 2008

Year end for the Butlers

Hannah has had a year of many first. She stared Kinder, is learning to read and becoming more independent by the minute. She has made so many new friends in the neighborhood. She always loves to be out and about and try new things. She has kissed a boy and broken up with him a week later. I think that they have mended fences as friends but promises that she will not kiss somebody again until she is old enough. Which I tell her is not until she is 25 but I am sure that in her mind it is probably like 7. Today her uncle called her a little girl, which deeply offended her. She is a BIG girl now. He tried to strike a deal by offering to call her a medium sized girl but she told him "medium sized girls are like 4 year olds" She just can't wait to grow up and when she does, I am sure that she will conquer the world. She is a giggler, a storyteller and a snuggle bug. She is extremely smart, she is at the top of her class and has inherited her father's creative streak, I am so excited to see what the combination of those two will bring. I love my little girl (But don't tell her that I called her little...how insulting.)


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Braxton is my little man through and through. He loves to cut up paper and make a mess. I recently found out that he was spending a lot of time at my moms house just sharpening pencils and I thought it would be a great idea if we borrowed her electric sharpener and brought it over to our house. It was a win-win keep him occupied and get the pencils all sharpened at the same time......or so I thought, as soon as he started up he yelled at me "Hey mom this is really loud and annoying, I bet it hurts your ears right." I told him no my ears were fine and that he could do it as long as he wanted. Well that finished it, as long as it wasn't annoying me...he was done. He has a sweet heart as well, and a good memory. He is always helping me find things and eager to help when needed. He is learning so much everyday and says the cutest prayers at night. He keeps me laughing and greatful for the opportunity that I have to raise a boy.
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Grayson is the HAPPIEST baby in the world. Seriously people...it is ridiculous. For the past two weeks we have had to take him out of sacrament meeting for laughing too much and too loudly. He laughs all of the time. The cute baby screaming
squeal laugh that I wish that I could capture and remember forever. My brother noted that even when he is crying it is almost like he is faking it because he takes a break to smilr. Whenver he sees somebody that he loves his face just lights up and he reaches right out to them with a big smile. I feel so blessed to have him in our family. In fact I think that I am going to go and squeeze him right now.


































Monday, December 15, 2008

Christmas Nativity

My favorite part of decorating for Christmas is setting out the nativity. I collect a new one every year and have several that the kids are allowed to play with (thank you little people) and some that are "hands off" We stayed home on Sunday and the kids wanted to play with this one, which is a "hands off" nativity and I said I would let them if they let me take pictures of them while they were doing it. I think that it is so sweet that they are learning the Christmas story through their play. I did however have to put an end to it when Brax made the shepherd kiss Joseph. In his defense... "I thought him was a girl because his hat looked like hair and his wife just had a baby." Oh Brax I love you ya goof.











Saturday, December 13, 2008

Santa's Elves


So this is a picture that Travs took of Santa's elves hiding candy in the kids advent calendar. He spent hours on this. Notice the Hershey Kisses, that is what the kids got the next morning. I love my husband. He loves to keep the magic of childhood alive in our children. Hopefully they won't grow up too fast!




Saturday, November 29, 2008

Fun in the Santa Fe

What could be more fun on a Black Friday than hangin' with some of our favorite Santa Fe peeps? I was shooting Val's family for her Christmas card photos and we snuck in a few pics of ourselves, got to hang out, eat some Il Vicino and the kids left us alone to gossip... Now I call that a successful day.



I promise this is a roly-poly....not something much worse






















































Thursday, November 27, 2008

Count Your Blessings

This Thanksgiving there are many things that I am thankful for but here are my top 5.

1. My husband- I don't think that anybody could put up with me as well as he does. He is "the cheese to my macaroni" I am organized and cranky. He is free spirited and jovial. He works so hard for his family and then comes home and plays with the kids, reads to them before bed and makes us all laugh.

2. My children- I love them and their little personalities. I love the way that they make me laugh, cry, pee my pants, squirt milk out of my nose, and teach me something new every day.

3. My Family- My mom is my best friend and I am so lucky that she lives so close. She is the best shopping buddy and helps me way more than I deserve. My dad tells the kids imaginative stories that holds their attention way longer than I ever can and I am so glad that I am getting to know my brothers as almost adults.

4. My girlfriends- You guys make me laugh! I couldn't breathe without you.

5. My home- what a blessing to have a haven from the world where I can walk around in my underwear. Teach my children the gospel and have complete control of the remote.





4.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Heart Nipples


Travs and I have been sick all day, so Braxton spent the day with Grandma (thanks mom you are the best!) When he came home and it was time to put him to bed I started to put his jammies on and this is what I found underneath his shirt. This is how the conversation went


"Braxton what is that?"

"Them are hearts on my nipples"

"How did they get there?"

"Grandma painted them there"

"Why"

"Because her thought it would be funny...... and it IS"


Well Brax I'll have to agree with you there it is funny. Thanks again mom. You are the best grandma ever!


Monday, November 10, 2008

I Love Fall

When the trees are dressed in their golden garb in preperation for the fall of the leaves and the weather is beginning to get crisp and cold it makes me happy. Fall is my favorite season and so on Sunday when we were all ready for church early (miracle) and the kids looked so cute I grabbed the camera and headed out to find some yellow trees to take some pictures with. Here are the results