The Butler Family

My Gift to You...

2011-12-24T13:14:00.002-07:00

I still haven't found a Christmas story that moves me as much as this one does and this year it means so much more. Merry Christmas!

By Betty LeBaron Mostert

When I was a child in the 1950s and 1960s, our Christmas traditions were not elaborate—except for the stockings. Because we children enjoyed our Christmas stockings so much, we continued the tradition when we married and had children of our own. Buying surprises and assembling dozens of Christmas stockings, however, soon became too much for my aging parents, especially my mother, who had a serious case of rheumatoid arthritis that limited her mobility and energy.

Eventually, I volunteered to take over the project. Our annual extended family home evening, in which we acted out the Christmas story and opened our stockings, found me exhausted from the demands of being the mother of several small children and juggling the events of an active life. As I watched everyone dump treasures out of the gingham Christmas stockings I had carefully prepared, I was feeling a little sorry for myself.

As expected, my stocking was empty except for the standard candy cane and Japanese orange that I had placed there earlier. But as I shook them out, I noticed a little bedraggled mouse made of a walnut and hazelnuts. One ear was much bigger than the other, and the whiskers were crooked. The tail had been cut too short, and the loop to hang it on the tree was off center. I was confused. Had someone’s kindergarten project ended up in my stocking?

I looked up and saw my mother watching me from her wheelchair across the room. With a gnarled, bent finger, she beckoned to me.

“I wanted to do something for the Christmas stockings,” she said. “They made these little mice in Relief Society, and they were so cute.”

Her tears were close to the surface, and her gentle voice shook as she continued.

“I couldn’t get my fingers to work, so I made only one. It didn’t turn out, but I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

I looked again at the little mouse in my hand. She was right. I didn’t mind. In fact, her little bedraggled mouse became the most precious treasure of all that Christmas.

For more than 20 years, I have tenderly removed the tissue paper from the misshapen mouse crafted by misshapen fingers and carefully placed it on a branch. My angel mother has been free of her crippled body for several years, but her Christmas mouse reminds me of two profound truths.

The first is that my mother honored me by believing that I could look past the mouse’s crooked ears and feel the love and sacrifice that went into its creation. The second is that if I, as an imperfect mortal, am capable of finding beauty in a humble little mouse, how much more is our Father in Heaven capable of seeing past our imperfect efforts and understanding our pure intentions.

I know that when we do our best to give to others and to Him, our gift is not just good enough—it is of incalculable worth.

My Loves

2011-11-18T17:24:00.002-07:00

I can't say it enough, I LOVE MY BOYS!

Halloween

2011-11-18T17:11:00.004-07:00

After our time in Sedona, we headed down to Phoenix to spend Halloween with my family. We had so much fun!! I hadn't planned on dressing up but my mom had this old football jersey in all the costume stuff and I loved it. It was an old boyfriends from Emery County, which is where my Grandparents are from. This will sound weird but it kind of made me feel close to my Grandma for some reason. Anyway, we all had a great time together!

All the kiddos together and this was the best we could do! They wanted CANDY!

My family

Mommy and Austin, the cutest, fattest pirate around!

My mom and dad with my boys, love it!

Sedona, October 2011

2011-11-18T16:58:00.002-07:00

We had the opportunity to meet up with my family in Sedona the last week of October. Everyone was able to make it and we had a blast! We got to stay in this beautiful Chalet that you see here! It was amazing and so beautiful there. We hiked, ate, relaxed, did crafts, went into town for hot chocolate and ate some more. It was something we will never forget and we can't wait to do it again, hopefully, next year!

looking out in the backyard

hiking

and the little hiking buddies, one of the times they liked each other!

Artistic Tendencies

2011-11-18T16:55:00.003-07:00

This kid LOVES to color! I can put this big pad of paper out and he will create masterpieces for hours! I think that is a win win situation!

Haircut

2011-11-18T16:51:00.002-07:00

Austin had his first haircut. I cut the other boys hair but did not even want to attempt one on this wiggly little boy! This happened so long ago, its time for another one! Ha!

Kindergarten

2011-11-18T16:40:00.005-07:00

Ian, at long last, started Kindergarten this year! He was SO EXCITED! He asked me every day if it was time for school. He loves it and has the same teacher Mason did, who is fantastic. He loves it and he is doing very well too. I feel like he is even further along than Mason was as that age just because he has that older sibling to watch, and he does! He adores Mason. I love this kid and I miss him so much in the afternoon!

All ready to go, he picked out this shirt specifically for the first day. A very Ian shirt!

Ian and Austin

Ian and Daddy, who came for the big day on his lunch break. He is awesome!

Ian and Mommy

What a cutie!!

Ian and Mason. They get to ride the bus home together and I am pretty sure that is their favorite part of the day!

2nd Grade

2011-11-18T16:31:00.006-07:00

My "baby" started 2nd grade this year! Can we please find a way to slow time down?!! He is too big! He loves school and is doing very well. Brag moment: He is in the highest Math group and he is in the highest reading group! I love that he is doing so well and hope that he keeps it up all through his schooling. Anyway, love this kid to pieces, he is truly amazing!

He pulls the silliest faces!

He is starting to get embarrassed of his mama!

Soccer, Rinse and Repeat

2011-11-18T16:18:00.003-07:00

Mason and Ian both played soccer this year and can I just say, "Oh Boy!" We were so busy for 5 weeks. Mason had practice on Tuesdays, Ian on Wednesdays. They both had games on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings. Alex and I would switch off taking and dropping off and a few times they had games at the same time! It was fun to see them play but we were glad when it was all over so we could finally catch our breath and we will do it all over again in April! The things we do for our kids!

Ian during one of his time-outs.

Mason

Ian, I just loved this picture.

Orangeville, UT

2011-09-18T08:34:00.006-06:00

In June, when my mom and grandpa were here, we took a little day trip to Orangeville, UT to visit my grandmas grave and to see the headstone. Orangeville is about 3 hours from Salt Lake in Emery County. This is where my grandparents where born and raised and started their family before moving to Arizona. I was a little anxious about this little excursion, not knowing what to expect seeing her name on the headstone for the first time. It still was too fresh in my mind. But the minute I stepped out, I felt calm and peaceful. It is one of the most beautiful cemeteries I have ever seen. I had been to this one years ago, but didn't remember it at all. Gorgeous scenery as far as you can see. It felt good there. We bought flowers to put on her grave as well as for all of my other relatives that are there, great-grandparents, great-aunts/uncles, so much history there. I really loved it and so did the boys. They were so good that day. They also have a war memorial there for all of the wars and all the men that served from Orangeville. It was neat to see my grandpas name along with his brothers. It was a very fulfilling day and I want to go back soon!

My moms cousin did the work for this gate

My grandpa misses her so much. We all do.

My silly boys, don't know what is up with funny faces!!

No Way!

2011-06-14T22:11:00.002-06:00

Ian graduated from preschool a few weeks ago! I can't believe that we have a kindergartner again! We are going to miss his amazingly awesome teacher, Teacher Pat! He learned so much this year (he is such a smart kid) and just loves her to pieces! He had mixed feelings about it. Some days he would say that he wanted to stay with Teacher Pat forever and the next day he would be excited to go to Kindergarten and ride the bus home with Mason! We sure love our Ian boy!

Austin enjoyed played in the sand during the program.

Jungle Park

2011-06-14T22:00:00.002-06:00

My sister Emily and her cute family came to visit us for a few days last month. I LOVE it when I have family visiting, we always have such a good time together. We spent an afternoon at the "Jungle Park" as my boys have named it and it was so nice to be outdoors! It was still a little chilly but at least the sun was out!

My boys

Emily and I

Austins first time down the slide, don't let his face fool you, he had fun!

Climbing with daddy

Austin and I

Derek getting in touch with his inner child...he was on a brief break from Law School.

Emily and sweet Elliot

I love this baby!!

Mothers Day

2011-05-10T11:38:00.005-06:00

What a wonderful Mothers Day I had this year! Alex gave me the best gift ever, sleep! He took over all the morning duties with the kids and I slept until 9:00!! It was heavenly! Then, I woke up to breakfast in bed. I got some priceless gifts from my boys, made at school (my favorites) and just relaxed! It was perfect! The only thing that could have made it better would have been being able to call and talk to my Grandma Curtis. It has been 3 months already and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her! We all miss her so much. At least I have my 3 little sunshines that I get to kiss, cuddle and love everyday! I truly love being a mom!

My boys and I (on mothers day), gotta love Ians "smile"!

Kick the Ball!

2011-05-10T11:31:00.003-06:00

Mason played soccer again this year, he really likes it and we enjoy watching him play. Ian gets to play in the fall and he can't wait!

He is number 5

Playing Catch Up

2011-05-10T11:08:00.002-06:00

I finally blogged today! I can't believe I let so much time go by, but I think that I got everything! I have not been in the mood at all but since this is like my journal, I decided today that I just needed to take a few hours and get it all down. Time goes by way too fast these days and I feel like I am always behind! I can't wait for summer break so that we can just relax and not feel so rushed! Of course, then I am forced with trying to entertain my children... :) No, but seriously, they are pretty good, it's Austin I have to give my constant attention to. He is by far my most demanding child. It's a good thing that he has his moments of pure sweetness so we can forget about everything else! :)

Arbor Day

2011-05-10T11:00:00.004-06:00

Wow, I feel like I have blogged a lot about Mason lately! Anyway, he won an Arbor Day Poster contest that the city of Murray holds every year. He won for all of 1st grade at his school. We were really proud of him and his poster was way cool. We were invited to a lunch that they put on for the all of the winners and then went to a presentation where we got to see all the winners and their posters. They also got a prize and a certificate. It was a fun morning but totally FREEZING outside! Just as everything was ending it started to snow. Good job Mason!

Lately

2011-05-10T10:52:00.003-06:00

Brothers

2011-05-10T10:44:00.005-06:00

These boys LOVE their little brother...

Easter

2011-05-10T10:30:00.004-06:00

We had a fantastic Easter. It was so fun with all my boys, and this year, I think that they really understood why we were celebrating. Which for me was the best part!

This was at the end of the day, so I wasn't expecting much, but here they are in their Easter shirts. I love my boys!

Ian doesn't know how to smile sometimes...

the Easter Bunny had a lot of fun putting these together....so I heard.... :)

yes, we only dyed 6 eggs this year. Nobody will eat them, so I didn't want to waste too many!

Break a Leg

2011-05-10T10:17:00.004-06:00

Masons school did a Musical this year, "The New Adventures of Hansel and Gretel". He came home with the flier and told me he wanted to do it. I was so happy because he is not the most out-going kid and has really come out of his shell these last few years. It was a lot of work, they had play practice every Tuesday for almost 2 months. There were so many kids that tried out that they gave everyone a part and had to have 2 performances. He was in the Jail Choir and got to rock out to "Jail House Rock". It was hilarious!

Lucky 7

2011-05-10T10:02:00.004-06:00

Mason turned 7 this year! How did this happen?!! I know that I will say this every year, but I just can't believe that he is that big already! He was lucky to have 2 parties this year. One at Grandma & Grandpa Dukes house with his cousins and then, the week after we got home he had a big friend party at Nickelmania. He has some great little friends and had such a fun time. I think he felt very special! Love you Mason!

Mason and his beloved "Maze Ball"

My mom made this awesome cake! She never ceases to amaze me!

The Train Park

2011-05-10T09:50:00.006-06:00

One of our favorite places to go is McCormick Ranch or as we call it The Train Park. Uncle Niels introduced us to it and now it is a must when we are in town. The boys absolutely love riding the train and more specifically, they love riding in the cattle car. The train goes all over the park and through a tunnel in which all the kids scream! It is pretty funny.

Park Time

2011-05-10T09:41:00.005-06:00

One of the main reasons we went to AZ was to see my friend Birte, who was in town from Germany. We had a great time hanging out, eating lots of good food, lots of treats, laughing and taking pictures. She is always snapping away at all of us, so I "got" her back at the park. :) See you next time!

Happy Birthday!

2011-05-10T09:28:00.005-06:00

Malorie and I both have March birthdays and our family tradition is to go to Mimi's Cafe. But since I live to darn far away, we usually celebrate when we can, so I was so happy this year when we were able to celebrate IN March and share the night with my sweet "baby" sister! We had so much fun and we get a little silly when we are all together! This is the most pictures you will ever see of me on this blog in one post, but I had to get one with all of my special ladies! Love you guys! xoxo

Spring Break

2011-05-10T09:23:00.003-06:00

We were able to go to Arizona for the boys spring break this year. This was a common sight at my moms house, all the boys gathered around Mason and his DS. I love these boys and I love that they all get along SO well!

Yum!

2011-03-21T17:36:00.004-06:00

Austin thoroughly enjoyed his dinner! Love that messy face!

ONE!!

2011-02-27T09:20:00.003-07:00

We have a one year old again in our house! Austin turned the big O-N-E on February 4, 2010. I cannot believe how fast this year has gone, it is crazy! We love this little guy so much, especially his brothers, they can't get enough of him! He is good for the most part but all in all our "worst" baby! He does not sleep at night! I have tried so many things and he still refuses. The Dr. says he might possibly be having night terrors, he has all the symptoms but it is really hard to tell if that is the case or he is just being a stinker! :) He has the best smile and gives the best kisses and even makes and "muah" noise to go along with them. He is taking steps but is in no hurry to really learn how to stand and walk. He loves his brothers and insists on playing with them all the time. Happy Birthday Austin! We all love you so much!

Our "baby"

Just a few pictures from his birthday party, he really enjoyed his cupcake!

Grandma Curtis

2011-02-06T09:47:00.008-07:00

My wonderful Grandma Curtis passed away this last Friday, February 4, 2010. She passed at her home, surrounded by my Grandpa and many loved ones. I am so sad for me but so happy for her, as she was in constant pain those last few days. She is now with her parents, siblings and her sweet granddaughter Kate and I am sure that was a joyful reunion. I know she is happy and free and is doing wonderful things in heaven. I love her so much, we have always had a strong connection and were very close. I was able to go and see her a few weeks ago and spend some precious time with her. In one of our conversations, she told me that she belonged to me and I told her that I belonged to her. I will remember those words forever. She has been a great example to me and my family of kindness, charity, patience and faith. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. I love you so very much Grandma!

Christmas Part 2

2011-01-13T16:17:00.004-07:00

So where to begin about our very weird Christmas this year. I guess I will start with Emily having a horrible case of Mastitis. She had been sick for a week and was not getting any better. She was in horrible pain too so she and Derek went the ER Christmas Eve day to see what they could do for her. They were there for hours and we had their sweet new baby with us. We had a family party to go that night so we all went. At the party, both Mason and Ian got sick and had fevers. So we left fairly early. On the way home I called Derek and he said that the Mastitis had turned into an abscess the size of a softball and that they were actually going to do a 30-40 minute surgery on her that night! Crazy!! So my mom and dad (and the baby) go to the hospital to be with her and don't get home until about 1:00 in the morning. Meanwhile, we get home and the boys just say they want to go to bed because they are so sick. At the time I was not complaining, they went right to bed without me having to threaten them with, "If you don't go to bed, Santa can't bring you presents!" Christmas morning seemed to anti-climatic! We were so tired and worried about Emily and now Austin was sick too! We just went through the motions that day. Then that night, Grandma Curtis who was still in the Rehab center (see previous post) was getting sick too! By the time we left on Monday, she had come down with a case of pneumonia and had to go back to the hospital and eventually was put on a ventilator and sedated for 3 days! She is doing much better now but still very weak and frail. So, we went home on Monday. On Wednesday, Lauren and Ryan and their kiddos came to spend New Years with us. They all got sick and by the time they got home they had to take my poor little nephew Lawson to the ER where they admitted him for pneumonia as well! It was a crazy last couple of weeks and we are all hoping that next Christmas will be much more uneventful! We were just to tired and worried about our loved ones it was hard to really celebrate but the boys still enjoyed the day and were spoiled ROTTEN!! So here is a late "Merry Christmas" to all of you and a "Happy New Year"!

Mason and his coveted DS

Austin's first Christmas and he could have cared less, my poor sick little guy!

The boys have been asking for umbrellas for forever so Santa was nice enough to get for them this year!

The only picture of me on Christmas, gross but I had to post proof that I was actually there!

Bits and Pieces

2011-01-13T16:10:00.004-07:00

These are just a bunch of random pictures from our trip:

Austin opening his Build-a-Bear from Grandma Duke, she records a special message. He loves it!

The boys got pillow pets from Grandma and Grandpa Duke, they were a big hit!

Ryan and his Lindy girl.

My dad humoring me!

Auntie Mimi (Malorie), my Mom and Austin. It had been a long day, we had family pictures done!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-01-13T16:03:00.003-07:00

Every year my grandparents give each family a Gingerbread House Kit to do together. It just got to hard to shop for everyone because our family has gotten so big!! Anyway, it had turned into a fun tradition and this year the boys got to do one with their cousins and Auntie Lauren or Auntie WaWa as they call her. I think that they ate more candy than they actually decorated with and that goes for Lauren too, who tried out the gingerbread! She said it was good!

Visiting

2011-01-13T10:39:00.002-07:00

Grandma Curtis fell and broke her hip a few weeks before Christmas. She had surgery and then was sent to a Rehab center. We took a few of the kids to see her and Grandpa Curtis for a little party they were doing over there and they sure enjoyed showing off some of their cute great-grandchildren!

Christmas Part One

2011-01-13T10:33:00.004-07:00

Since we were going to Arizona for Christmas this year, we celebrated a few days early with Alex's side of the family. We had everyone over for a nice, big dinner, read from Luke 2 (my favorite Christmas tradition) and opened lots of presents. I love getting together with family, we had a wonderful evening. The boys got their own suitcases this year from Grandma and Grandpa Butler, which they were thrilled about! My boys love gifts like that. For instance they love it when I buy them new jammies and underwear. They are practical, I like that! Anyway, we were all very spoiled this year!

All the cousins, they sure are a cute bunch!

Randy with his football tickets, he was so excited!

Grandma Butler and Lily

(Great)Grandma and Grandpa Cummings with Austin

Happy Baby

2011-01-13T10:30:00.003-07:00

Austin LOVES the remote control. I would say that it is his favorite thing to play with. If he catches sight of it, there is nothing else that can get his attention, there is no distracting him. He is right out of the bath in this picture, I love his crazy hair!

Singing Ian

2011-01-13T10:17:00.003-07:00

Ian's cute little pre school went and sang Christmas songs at one of the grocery stores. He was so excited about it and that is all I heard about all week! They were very cute with their jingle bell necklaces. Afterward, they enjoyed a doughnut and chocolate milk. Grandma Butler, Aunt Whitney and Aunt Bailee came too. Which really helped me out because they all took turns holding Austin for me! :)

Sometimes it's Good to be Ugly

2011-01-06T17:26:00.006-07:00

Alex's work Christmas party was an "Ugly Sweater Party" this year. The prize was a really good one too, an all expense paid trip to the see the Utah Utes play in the bowl game in Las Vegas. Alex wanted to win really bad, so he bought a little girls pink sweater at DI, then I uglied it up some more, well a lot more and guess what? HE WON!! We were so excited!! He shared the football tickets with his dad and they had a wonderful time!

Sittin' With Santa

2010-12-13T15:30:00.005-07:00

Santa came to our ward party, he was a big hit! Well, with all the boys except Austin, I don't think he was very impressed!

Still My Favorite...

2010-12-08T09:35:00.008-07:00

Mother's Christmas Mouse

By Betty LeBaron Mostert

I looked up and saw my mother watching me from her wheelchair across the room. With a gnarled, bent finger, she beckoned to me.

“I wanted to do something for the Christmas stockings,” she said. “They made these little mice in Relief Society, and they were so cute.”

Her tears were close to the surface, and her gentle voice shook as she continued.

“I couldn’t get my fingers to work, so I made only one. It didn’t turn out, but I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

I looked again at the little mouse in my hand. She was right. I didn’t mind. In fact, her little bedraggled mouse became the most precious treasure of all that Christmas.

I know that when we do our best to give to others and to Him, our gift is not just good enough—it is of incalculable worth.

Halloween

2010-11-11T13:04:00.006-07:00

Let me just say that I am so glad that Halloween is over!! Don't get me wrong, I loved dressing the kiddos up but I don't like the pounds of candy and the sickness that it brought! And it just seems like you celebrate all week long now, with the school, work and church parties, it is EXHAUSTING! With that said, I am sure that I had the cutest Lion, Dragon and Pilot EVER:

A Day at the Beach

2010-11-01T20:14:00.009-06:00

While we were in California we hit the beach. It was a such a nice relaxing day after Disneyland and the boys were in heaven! Uncle Jon and Aunt Cassie just happened to be in CA for a wedding and came and spent the afternoon with us. We can't wait to get back there next year!

The Happiest Place on Earth

2010-11-01T19:36:00.008-06:00

After a year of planning, the time finally came! We all went to Disneyland a few weeks ago. We totally surprised the boys, they had no idea! My kids are way OCD and we didn't want to hear, "When are we going to Disneyland?!!" for months. It was hard to keep it a secret, but so worth it. We woke them up Wednesday morning and told them we were going to a hotel far away and that Grandma Duke would be there. We wanted to wait until the day we were going to tell them, but their cousins Breghten and Lawson knew where they were going, so we spilled the beans the night before. They were so excited to say the least! It was a wonderful day and all the kids were FANTASTIC! Ian was a little sick the first part of the day but got better and they went on all the big rides. Mason even went on Space Mountain with me and loved it. Austin was good boy too and enjoyed being in his stroller as long as he had something to snack on! Thanks Mom and Dad for everything, we had a blast! We love you!!

Finding out the secret...

Mason reading to his cousins

Austin on the ride to Cali...in his new big boy seat! He was fine in the car as long as could see his mama!

Emily came too and she was able to go on quite a few rides and helped out a lot with kids.

Mal and Curtis

Grandpa and Grandma Duke, so cute!

I love this one, so tired!

it had been a very long day for this sweet boy!

Moab

2010-11-01T19:22:00.006-06:00

In September we to Moab and met up with our wonderful friends the Romneys. We had SO much FUN! They used to live next door to us and moved to Vernal a few years ago. Our boys get along so well, they are best friends. We are very excited that they will be moving back to Salt Lake next week, yay! Anyway, thanks for such a great weekend, we will for sure need to do it again next year!

Rise and Shine

2010-11-01T19:19:00.002-06:00

This is how I found baby boy one morning, just hanging out, love that smile!

Little Man

2010-11-01T19:11:00.004-06:00

My mom got Austin this adorable little tie and I almost forgot about it, Thanks again Mom!!

Family Pictures

2010-10-04T12:34:00.008-06:00

It happened! We finally were able to get family pictures done! I had been trying to do this for months, but something always came up! I love them and can't wait to get them hanging up on the wall! Thanks again to my wonderful friend, Aubrey Bolton, she did an amazing job!!

What I Did Today

2010-09-30T16:47:00.002-06:00

Ians First Day of...

2010-09-27T16:57:00.003-06:00

Pre-School...again. He was so excited to get back to his Teacher Pat and I am so glad that he has something to do during the day, while Mason is at school. Ian is absolutely bored without his buddy and Mom just doesn't cut it! We love you Ian-smarty pants! :)

He was so happy to wear his Batman shirt, he loves it and wants to wear it everyday!

For Sweet Baby Max

2010-09-03T09:48:00.004-06:00

Maximus Kyle Hawkins

Nephew and Cousin

May we live worthy enough to be with you someday, we love you sweet baby boy!

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in every change God faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
to guide the future, as in ages past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
the Christ who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow for forgot, loves purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

On the Move

2010-08-30T12:10:00.003-06:00

1st Grader

2010-08-30T12:02:00.006-06:00

Seriously? 1st grade, already? Enjoy your kiddos moms, they grow up way too fast! Mason loves school and his teacher seems really awesome. I miss him during the day and cried my eyes out on the way home the first day. I think that 1st grade it way harder than Kindergarten because it is the first year they are gone all day! Ian is really bored without him and won't start preschool until next week, he is quite excited for that and so am I! I feel bad for him and think it is so cute that he misses his brother so much!

Soccer

2010-08-30T11:38:00.005-06:00

Mason started his first year of soccer and is loving it! It is so fun to see him having a fun time out there and it is very entertaining! He is not the most aggressive one out there but he does get in there and gets the ball. We are so proud of him and we really like the coach. He just wants them to learn the game and have a good time. I love being a soccer mom! We can't wait for Ian to play next year and he can't wait either.

He is #3...

Ouch!

2010-08-30T11:21:00.003-06:00

Austin had to have a little (outpatient) surgery a few weeks ago. We have known that he would need to have this done since birth and have been dreading him going under for months! We are so glad that it is over and done and he will never remember it.

He looked so cute in the hospital clothes and I love the fat hanging over the side.

Recovery

My Loves

2010-08-12T17:01:00.003-06:00

Guess who's 4?

2010-07-17T23:13:00.007-06:00

Ian is!! And boy is so excited about that! He told us that he wanted to be at Grandma Dukes house for his birthday, so it just worked out perfect that we just happened to be there for Lindy's blessing. My nephews, Breghten and Lawson also have July birthdays so we decided to do a combined party, rent a huge inflatable water slide and party the day away! He had a wonderful time! Happy Birthday Ian! We love you so much!! Here are some pictures in no particular order:

Grandma and the birthday boys

Ian has been asking for the "Batman Castle" for months, he really was excited, honest!!

Mason was excited too...

How Cute is That?!

2010-07-17T23:08:00.004-06:00

If Niels was at my mom and dads house, this is who you find him with... :)

Papa Curtis

2010-07-17T22:52:00.005-06:00

We were able to go to Arizona last week and had a great time! My sweet Grandpa would come over and bring the boys tootsie rolls, he is so wonderful!

Kate

2010-06-28T17:36:00.003-06:00

This is the story that was done on my Uncle, Aunt and sweet baby cousin Kate.

(click on the video when you get to the page, it was beautifully done)

Grieving Parents Pay It Forward To Funeral Home - Pay It Forward News Story - KPHO Phoenix

Austin Update

2010-06-28T10:10:00.003-06:00

Austin is almost 5 months old! Wow, the time has gone by FAST!! He is 19 lbs 11 oz and 26.5 inches long. He has TWO teeth, he got those last week! The other boys were 10 or 11 months when they got teeth. He has been rolling over for 3 -4 weeks now and has been sleeping through the night since he was about 3 months old! How awesome is that?!! He is a wonderful baby, so smiley and happy and giggles at his brothers and his mommy is his favorite person, for now! :)

Amazing

2010-06-28T10:07:00.002-06:00

OK, I just had to post this picture, this was the day before I had Austin! I came across this today as I was catching up on the ol' blog and I just couldn't resist!

Lazy

2010-06-28T09:59:00.002-06:00

I have NOT been in the blogging mood at all, I think is has something to do with having 3 kids...anyway, the following posts are so out of order but I don't care because they are done and up, finally!

Just a Fun Day...

2010-06-28T09:54:00.002-06:00

This was just a fun day a few weeks ago...

Ian in his new life jacket that he got from Grandma Butler for a early birthday present. He loved it!

They found a garter snake in the backyard...yuck!

Mason sporting his new shades

Mason

Ians Pre School Graduation

2010-06-28T09:46:00.002-06:00

Ian had the cutest teacher this year, Teacher Pat. She was awesome and he learned so much this year! He is going back next year and I am so excited for him to have something to do while Mason is at school all day long! Anyway, we had a picnic and watched a magic show. All the kids sang some songs but not Ian, it happened to be kind of cold and windy that day so he was crying that he was cold!

Ian and his Teacher Pat, she is just amazing!

warming up....

Birthday Girl

2010-06-28T09:39:00.004-06:00

We went to the Zoo with (cousin) Brea for her birthday. The boys just adore her and we had a great time. Thanks Ashley #2 for such a fun day! :)

1st Grader?!!

2010-06-28T09:27:00.004-06:00

Instead of a "graduation" they did a little program with cute songs, knock knock jokes and favorite things about Kindergarten. I have a first grader!!

Masons last day of school with his beloved Mrs. Benware, she was awesome for him and we wish she could always be his teacher.

Summa Time

2010-06-28T09:17:00.003-06:00

So I can't believe that it is almost July! What a busy summer we have had already and I was so worried that the kids would be bored! We started off with 2 weeks of swim lessons which the boys LOVED and we are going to do more the end of July. They did really well and it was so fun to watch them. We have had visitors, Grandma and Grandpa Curtis, Grandma Duke, Auntie Emily and Uncle Derek. Em is preggers with baby number 1 and gets to find out next week what she is having. We couldn't be more happy for them. Grandma Duke is still here now and boy have we had fun and the boys have gotten completely SPOILED! She leaves tomorrow and then we will follow behind a few days later. We are all very excited to see everyone especially baby Lindy! I cannot wait to squish her!

Austin goes to Arizona

2010-05-13T16:10:00.005-06:00

I had the chance to go to Arizona last weekend, just Austin and I. I wanted to show him off and he was a BIG hit:

His Uncle Niels was ready to take him home, just like everyone else!

Hanging out at Grandma Curtis' house.

and while I was there, Lauren had a baby shower and got SO many cute things! I can't wait to see this baby girl in July!

Mr. Ian

2010-05-05T15:36:00.001-06:00

Ian wanted me to post a picture of him too! :)

Exhausted

2010-05-05T15:22:00.001-06:00

For Sweet Baby Kate

2010-05-04T11:36:00.002-06:00

Kate Hope Curtis April 29, 2010 to May 4, 2010

"This is my temporary home, it's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passing through
This was just a stop on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this was my temporary home."

~Carrie Underwood

Here Comes Trouble

2010-04-26T17:06:00.003-06:00

Oh, boy are we in for it! The boy is too cute for his own good! This came from a secret admirer...one of many!

Tasty

2010-04-26T15:20:00.004-06:00

I think we are going to have a thumb-sucker! He is always trying to get it and when he does, he is so happy and cute and then, he scratches himself and he has to start all over again! Love, love, love this little boy!

New Ride

2010-04-26T15:15:00.002-06:00

We got a new car! A Kia Sedona and we love it! The boys tell everyone that we "have a car with 7 seats and 8 windows". They like it as much as we do. It is so nice and convenient. We hated to get rid of the Xterra but it just wasn't working out for us anymore and I could hardly lift Austin into the middle anymore, he is just so big now! Anyway, we can't wait to drive it to Arizona in July, it will be so nice!

Thanksgiving Point

2010-04-24T16:28:00.004-06:00

Ian has such a great pre school teacher he has learned so much this past year, he really is such a smart boy. They call her Teacher Pat and she plans the funnest field trips for her kiddos. We went to Thanksgiving Point and went on a hay ride, fed the animals and rode the ponies. We had a great time!

Ski Bum

2010-04-24T16:23:00.004-06:00

Alex and his dad took Mason skiing for the first time a few weeks ago. When they first got there they showed Mason the ski lift and told him they had to ride that to ski. He took one look at it and said, "I'm not getting on that!" But he did and if you ask him what his favorite thing about skiing was, he would tell you, "going up!"

Mason & Grandpa Butler

We were really dumb and forgot to put some
sunscreen on him, but it wasn't as bad as I
thought it would be!

Papa Duke and His Boys

2010-04-24T16:22:00.002-06:00

Chunky Monkey

2010-04-24T16:00:00.005-06:00

Here are just a few pictures of my little man, the top one is from today, he has been getting so smiley and he giggles too. We just love him!

Snoonzin'

Hanging out with Aunt Lauren, love it!

6, already?!!

2010-04-12T14:01:00.003-06:00

Mason turned SIX last Monday! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone! I still remember so vividly his birth and now he is this silly little guy! He is such a wonderful kid and we just love him to pieces! Happy Birthday Mason!!

Blessing Day

2010-04-12T13:05:00.004-06:00

We blessed Austin on Easter sunday. It was a wonderful day and his daddy did a great job!

He is so chunky!

My cute boys

My Boys

2010-03-10T11:04:00.005-07:00

Well, I finally got up the courage and took a few shots of my boys...they turned out better than I was expecting considering I was ready to pull my hair out by the time we were done! Poor little Austin, I had to keep adjusting him because Mason and Ian were so wiggly! I love my boys!

3 Weeks Old

2010-02-25T14:46:00.003-07:00

I can't believe that my baby is already 3 weeks old today! It seems as if he has always been here with us! He is a wonderful baby and we are completely in love with him!

Baby Austin

2010-02-07T19:06:00.003-07:00

He's here! Austin Vaughn Butler, born February 4, 2010 at 4:26 p.m. weighing in at 9 lbs 14 oz and 20 inches long! We are so excited that he is finally here and the boys just LOVE him! He was so big that he broke his clavicle while coming out, so he has to have his arm in a sling but the doctors said that he will heal very quickly. So far he has been a really easy baby and so incredibly sweet and I hope he stays that way! We love you Austin!

34 Weeks...

2010-01-09T22:07:00.004-07:00

My friend Aubrey, who is an awesome photographer, took some pictures of me, the boys and my HUGE belly last week. I wasn't sure if I was going to do maternity shots with this one but decided that he shouldn't be left out! I did them with the other boys and I don't want him to ever think we weren't just as excited for him as well! Thanks again Aubrey, I can't wait to see the rest!

In Recent News...

2010-01-09T20:42:00.003-07:00

My "baby" sister Malorie got married yesterday! I sill can't believe it! So, Congratulations to Malorie and Curtis! We love you guys!

And

Lauren and Ryan have broken the cycle of boys, they are having a GIRL!! We are all: thrilled, shocked and excited for them and can't wait to meet her the end of May!

4 More Weeks

2010-01-09T20:39:00.002-07:00

I talked my doctor into inducing me a week early, so we are scheduled for February 4th!! I am so excited and it is nice to have a date. I don't particularly like being induced, going into labor kind of exciting, you have the "this is it" moment, but there is no way I can go the full 40 weeks! I think this baby is going to be huge and I am very anxious to be done with this pregnancy and meet my new little man.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-09T20:26:00.003-07:00

So we had a wonderful Christmas this year. I was so excited for the boys to wake up on Christmas morning I was up before them, just waiting for them to get up. We decided to let them sleep as we are sure we will have plenty of early mornings with them in the future! They woke up at 8:00 and the chaos began. They were so happy with everything they got, which wasn't a ton, Santa kept it under control this year and they had gotten so much stuff already and we still had more coming. Anyway, we had a nice relaxing morning with them and the toy of the day was the Bakugans, they absolutely loved them! Then we went over to Alex's parents house and had a wonderful dinner and more gifts. It was just a really nice day. It seems like this Christmas season came and went way too fast this year, I was sad to see it end and so were the boys. They did not like it when I took the tree down but I reassured them Christmas will be here again before they know it!

Tradition

2009-12-24T12:57:00.002-07:00

I posted this last year and just had to do it again. I absolutely love this story and I hope you will too. I hope we can all remember the true spirit of Christmas as we celebrate this year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Mother’s Christmas Mouse

By Betty LeBaron Mostert

When I was a child in the 1950s and 1960s, our Christmas traditions were not elaborate—except for the stockings. Because we children enjoyed our Christmas stockings so much, we continued the tradition when we married and had children of our own. Buying surprises and assembling dozens of Christmas stockings, however, soon became too much for my aging parents, especially my mother, who had a serious case of rheumatoid arthritis that limited her mobility and energy. Eventually, I volunteered to take over the project.

Our annual extended family home evening, in which we acted out the Christmas story and opened our stockings, found me exhausted from the demands of being the mother of several small children and juggling the events of an active life.As I watched everyone dump treasures out of the gingham Christmas stockings I had carefully prepared, I was feeling a little sorry for myself. As expected, my stocking was empty except for the standard candy cane and Japanese orange that I had placed there earlier. But as I shook them out, I noticed a little bedraggled mouse made of a walnut and hazelnuts. One ear was much bigger than the other, and the whiskers were crooked. The tail had been cut too short, and the loop to hang it on the tree was off center. I was confused. Had someone’s kindergarten project ended up in my stocking? I looked up and saw my mother watching me from her wheelchair across the room. With a gnarled, bent finger, she beckoned to me. “I wanted to do something for the Christmas stockings,” she said. “They made these little mice in Relief Society, and they were so cute.” Her tears were close to the surface, and her gentle voice shook as she continued. “I couldn’t get my fingers to work, so I made only one. It didn’t turn out, but I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

I looked again at the little mouse in my hand. She was right. I didn’t mind. In fact, her little bedraggled mouse became the most precious treasure of all that Christmas. For more than 20 years, I have tenderly removed the tissue paper from the misshapen mouse crafted by misshapen fingers and carefully placed it on a branch. My angel mother has been free of her crippled body for several years, but her Christmas mouse reminds me of two profound truths.

The first is that my mother honored me by believing that I could look past the mouse’s crooked ears and feel the love and sacrifice that went into its creation. The second is that if I, as an imperfect mortal, am capable of finding beauty in a humble little mouse, how much more is our Father in Heaven capable of seeing past our imperfect efforts and understanding our pure intentions.

I know that when we do our best to give to others and to Him, our gift is not just good enough—it is of incalculable worth.

32 Weeks

2009-12-18T16:30:00.004-07:00

So I am 32 weeks pregnant as of today, 8 more weeks to go. I have a sneaky feeling that they are going to go by very slowly! I am so ready to meet this new little one who wakes me up at 3:30 in the morning, kicking and moving around so much that I am sure he is going to pop out! He is crazy in there! I am ready to sleep on my stomach again, my hips ache some mornings from sleeping on my side. My sweet hubby put a soft camping pad on my side of the bed and so far it is helping some. I am ready to not have heartburn, although I will take that any day over morning sickness! I am ready to wear pants that button and zip and not a stitch of elastic in sight! I am ready to not have a aching back. I am ready to cuddle my other boys without my tummy getting in the way. I am ready for the craziness of having 3 adorable little boys. I am ready and so excited for this new adventure!

Rare

2009-12-07T21:03:00.003-07:00

This kid had to have been COMPLETELY worn out for this to happen...

You've Got Something on Your Face...

2009-12-07T20:57:00.003-07:00

Uncle Ryan having a little fun with the boys...need I say more?!

Early Christmas

2009-12-07T20:45:00.003-07:00

We let the boys open their Christmas gifts from the Aunts and Uncles while we were there. We wanted Christmas to be more simple this year so we all put in $5 per kid and got them one great gift and it worked out very well. Lets just say I know exactly what Christmas morning is going to be like! :)

Mason helping Lawson open his gift

Breghten examining his walkie-talkies

Ian opening his walkie-talkies, which he refused to let us put the batteries in!

Happy boy!

Ian, Malorie and Mason, can you just hear Ian saying "cheese"?!

A Little Holiday Baking

2009-12-07T20:37:00.004-07:00

Ever since Mason carved his pumpkin (in October!) with Grandma Duke he has been dying to make a Pumpkin Pie. He finally got to do this while we were in AZ and he had so much fun and it turned out really yummy too...

Thanks Grandma Duke!

Turkey Day

2009-12-07T20:20:00.005-07:00

We went down to Arizona this year for Thanksgiving and had so much fun. The boys played outside 24/7 and had a great time with their cousins, they all really get along so well. I really didn't take a lot of pictures that day, I was to busy eating and visiting with everyone. The weather was perfect and I got to see lots of friends that I have not seen in forever (Krista and Jenny, breakfast was so fun!). We met Malorie's fiance' Curtis, for the first time, it is still weird for me that she is getting married and we decorated for a wedding reception as well, which by the way turned out BEAUTIFUL and I got to eat at all my favorite spots that I have been craving lately. Oh and I went and did Black Friday for the first time ever and it was kind of fun! I got my Christmas present. It was a wonderful trip!

Ian picking me some flowers

Mason enjoying the Black Friday toy ads while daddy takes a nap

Derek and Emily, oh so cozy

Shame on Me!

2009-12-07T20:13:00.005-07:00

I have been so bad about blogging lately! I just have not been very motivated, this pregnancy leaves me very tired or is it chasing after 2 very active little boys? Well, whatever the case I am in the blogging mood tonight!

This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween...

2009-11-02T20:45:00.006-07:00

We had such a fun Halloween this year, but I am so glad it is over! We celebrated for 3 days! The first day, the boys had their school parties, then the next day we went to Alex's work and partied there and then the next day was officially Halloween and the boys got sooooo much candy and had a blast! Now we get to look forward to Thanksgiving in sunny Arizona!

Before the parties, Mason was Optimus Prime and Ian was a Dragon

Ian at his party, cutest dragon there!

Mason during his costume parade, pulling a very silly face! He had a mask but we liked the face painting better. I did my best... :)

At Alex's work, yes Emily, he is wearing the Josh Grobin shirt...

at the Trunk-or-Treat, you can kind of see my cute belly.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T20:45:00.004-06:00

I can't believe that Halloween is this weekend! This month has gone by so fast. We have done some fun things. Grandma Duke came and stayed with us for a week and spoiled us all rotten! She and my Aunt Val threw me a fabulous baby shower and I got some really cute things. It is always nice to have some new things for a new baby. We had a really great time with Grandma and the boys are excited to see her and everyone else at Thanksgiving. We took the boys to a Haunted Trail at Murray Park and it was so fun. It was geared towards younger kids but it still had some scary parts. Alex and I were laughing so hard at the boys, is it bad that we think it is funny that they were scared?!! We also went to a pumpkin patch with Ian's pre-school class. The boys really liked that. There was a pirate ship, story telling and Mason's favorite, a maze to walk through and of course pumpkin pickin'!

Preschool!

2009-09-27T00:01:00.004-06:00

Ian started Preschool a few weeks ago! He has been waiting so long for that first day of school! He is getting to big for his own good, he is no longer my baby. Good thing there is another on the way! When I dropped him off, I waited around for a minute and then he said to me, "Mom, go away!" Don't worry, my feelings were not hurt! Anyway, he is loving it and has a wonderful time. I am glad that he has his own thing now. We love you Ian!!

My handsome little guy!

Boy oh Boy!!

2009-09-23T17:49:00.001-06:00

As you can see, we will be adding another adorable baby boy to our family in February! We are very excited and the name hunt has begun!

10 Years Ago...

2009-09-17T15:20:00.003-06:00

Alex and I were gettin' hitched! We can't believe that it has already been that long and what a wonderful 10 years they have been. Hey hon, lets try for at least 10 more... :) I love ya babe!

(I tried to take some pictures of our wedding photos, but they just weren't turning out...I will try some other time, we've got some good ones!)

Kindergarten!

2009-09-03T09:55:00.007-06:00

The day that I have been excited for and dreading at the same time finally came this last Monday. Mason started Kindergarten! Alex took the afternoon off so we were all able to drop him off. But before we even got to the classroom, Ian was crying that he wanted Mason to stay with him! So sweet! But he got over it when they got to play on the playground. So, we finally get him in the classroom, he found his seat and we said goodbye. I am not even sure that he was aware that we left! He was so excited to get to school and ride the bus home. It felt so strange to leave him there, I can't even describe how I felt. I did get a little teary eyed but that was about it. Then we all went down to the bus stop to pick him up and he looked so CUTE getting off the bus, such a big boy now! He is having a great week so far and hopefully his enthusiasm for school will continue as he is getting used to going every day! We love you Mason!!

Ready to go!

Big man on campus...

Hard at work already!

This was actually the second day of school, on the first day, I forgot to take my camera off the manual setting so we had to try again! He loves riding the bus!

New Experiences

2009-08-26T20:14:00.002-06:00

So I took Mason in to meet his teacher and have his Kindergarten assessment yesterday. When we first got there, he asked me to hold his hand, he was a little nervous. We then proceeded to walk down to his classroom. By the time we got there he was very excited. I was not sure how he would be with his teacher but he blew me away and was not shy at all. He found his desk and then went and sat with her while I filled out a mountain of paperwork. It was so fun to sit and listen to him answer her questions and a couple of times, when he would struggle with something I wanted to say to her, he really does know that, but, I bit my tongue and smiled to myself. It was so hard to not say anything! But I knew I had to let him do this thing. He is such a smart little guy, (as is his partner in crime aka Ian!) and I know that he will do very well! I am a little worried about the first day of school, not for him, for me! I got a little teary eyed while we were there! I am pretty sure I will be bawling like a baby...