Top Ten Things I am Excited for This Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving is approaching I am getting more and more excited for the holiday. In Letterman style, I give you my Top Ten Things I am Excited for this Thanksgiving.

10. Sleeping in - I've been waking up at 5:45am since September.. and I'm tired of it (Ha! Get it! Tired.. Anyways..)
9. A BREAK - I get a week off from both teaching and school. This break is much needed. I hope I can allow myself to turn my worries off.
8. Christmas is coming - Thanksgiving means that Christmas season is quickly approaching.. and I can't wait!
7. Football - I love me some football and Thanksgiving week is always good football.
6. Colorado - I love the state and Nate and I should see some snow while we're there. Although I've been traveling back for 4 years now, I am still amazed by the beauty of the state.
5. Card games - Nertz, Golf, Shanghai.. you name it, we play it at the Butler household. I know there are gonna be plenty of games played this holiday.
4. Food - Let's be honest, food makes me happy. Although I didn't like Thanksgiving food when I was a kid, I've grown to love the turkey, stuffing, ROLLS, and salads.
3. Babies - There are going to be babies (and kiddos) all over this Thanksgiving. Two in particular I am yet to meet in person. So excited!
2. Family - Holidays are all about family for me. It starts with a visit to my family this weekend and then to the Butlers we go.

And finally, my #1... drum roll please!

1. Nate time - We are probably the two busiest people ever (okay, not really, but it feels that way). I'm looking forward to just having some time for Nate and I to chillax with nothing to do :)

Life's Lessons

Nate and I have been married for 5 months now, and with these big life changes come big life lessons. For example, this week I learned what can't go down the garbage disposal :)

Yesterday I cooked up a healthy dinner of chicken and baked sweet potato and onion. Delicious - yes, good for the sink - no. I happily peeled the sweet potato into the sink, as I'd seen my mom do many times with potatoes. After I was finished peeling the potatoes, I stuffed the peelings into the drain, flipped on the garbage disposal, and went on with making dinner. What a good wife I am, right? Welllllllll.. I started cleaning some of the dirty bowls and quickly noticed there was a problem. The water wasn't draining. Those happy, little potato peelings clogged the sink. Oh yeah, mom used the sink to peel into, but then put the peelings in the trash. Whoops!

Ahhh.. Life lessons. While I learned that potato peelings DO NOT belong down the drain, Nate learned how to unclog a sink. What learning this marriage brings us!

My husbo, taking care of my mess:
DO NOT PUT POTATO PEELINGS DOWN THE DRAIN:
As punishment, Nate made me scrub the floor until he "could eat off it." So mean:
Of course I was kidding on the last part!! I just happened to be cleaning the floor as Nate unclogged the drain :)

Can't wait to see what lessons we have ahead of us! Good thing I have a handy husband because knowing me, there will be a lot!

A Note About Married Life

Recently people have asked me, "How's married life?" And while I don't like to get all googley-oogley about how absolutely grateful I am, how completely lucky I feel to have Nate, or how happy I am in this life I live... I do think it's worth mentioning, at least a little bit.

Growing up you always wish for a person who is the complete package: loving, humorous, sincere, caring, unselfish, family-oriented, driven. Or in my case, Nate. I'm the luckiest girl to have someone who is all of these things and more. He is my perfect balance and every day with him is better than the last. I never imagined my life would be made easier when I met my match (call me a pessimist), but life IS easier. I look forward to growing old with this man!

Wonderful, Trouble-Making Stevie

Everyone knows how much I love my dog. She is the apple of my eye, my exercise partner, my homework buddy...... and the thorn in my foot! This dog, I'm telling you, is the best and worst dog all at the same time! She has a kind heart and loves a good cuddle, but she just loves food too much! As she's gotten older she has calmed down, which is nice, but all incidence have not ceased.

Take yesterday, for example. Nate was taking a shower and I was driving home from school when Stevie happily, opened the cabinet door beneath the sink, pulled out the trash and ate A WHOLE CHICKEN CARCASS!!!! I'm talking legs, wings, breast bone and all. My immediate reaction was fear. Chicken bones can splinter in dogs' stomachs and/or get stuck in her intestines, yadda yadda yadda. As mad as this dog can make me sometimes, the bottom-line is, I L-O-V-E, Love her!

So what's happened since? Nothing much. She is acting totally normal and seems to be looking less fat the more trips we take outside :/ Am I surprised she will most likely survive this carcass-eating incident? You be the judge. Below is a list of interesting things Stevie has eaten and survived. Most of these happened when she was a pup, but still.

• bag of bagels
• a whole lot of flour (how did no one get a picture of this?)
• remote control buttons
• BBQ grease
• around 100 Chapsticks
• medication
  
• an Easter basket of chocolate (the scariest incident of all)

So although she can be a bit meddlesome at times, making me crazy with the things she gets into, I can't help loving her. She gives hugs when I walk in the door, can sense when I am sad, and to be honest I just picture her around when I one day have a baby and am up at 3 am (because I know she will be up next to me).

And now pictures of the wonderful, trouble-making Stevie:

She loves apples, and eats them just like a human:

Samurai Stevie:
Santa's Little Helper:

My Dog :)

Exciting Times

It's exciting times right now; a time of lots of love and BABIES, BABIES, BABIES. The Butler family is adding two more members this month (unless Britt's late, but that's not gonna happen, right Britt?). I can't wait to meet these little darlings in person, I've got to say. Thanksgiving will be exciting times in CO! Also, my BFF is prego with miss Lilly Grace, due in March. I can't wait!

Through my busy and stressful time right now, it's nice to have family (LoLo included). Both sides of my family are there to push me and help keep me going ("Hurry up! Don't fall back!" Right Dad?). Just wanted to say thanks to all my family.... So, fam, thanks for putting up with me :)

(Special thanks to Mama, who gets an earful everyday about how busy and stressed I am)

To end, I'll lead you to a clip of the ever-happy Sofia. Click here to enjoy!

A Surprise for Erin

This past weekend we celebrated Erin's upcoming wedding at a very cute Bridal Shower in Glendora. We had a great time playing games and watching Erin open her bundles and bundles of presents. It was great to see all the wonderful things Erin and Andrew received, but I was excited for present-opening for a whole other reason. I had a little secret gift for Erin.

For about the last 3 weeks in August I worked on an extra special gift for my "Luva." I sent out an email to Erin's closest female friends and family asking for recipes, as well as, pics of them and Erin. The response was amazing! I had such a great time putting together Erin's special cookbook (honestly, my favorite gift I've ever given!). "Erin's Cookbook" ended up being 100 pages of recipes from all of her family and friends. Here is a look at the finished product!











ps - I love you Apple for enabling me to put together such a nice, quality, hardback book!

A Little Something to Brighten Your Day..

Halloween is coming and Sofia is ready. Can you believe how big she is getting?!! I haven't seen this little munchkin in a couple months and I sure do miss her. Hopefully I will get to see her soon!