Happy Birthday To My Blog

It's my Blogs 1st Year Birthday and I would like to do something to celebrate. My sis Emily is the one who got me into this compulsive obsession. It all started with my own selfish desire to win a PIF (that's Pay It Forward). So in honor of her and my Blog I would like to have another PIF contest. Now here are MY rules.

1. You must leave a comment about your favorite or memorable post of mine over the past year. Yes, I know that's asking a lot especially if you have just been pretending to read my blog.

2. I will draw 2 names on Wednesday, sometime. 1 blogger from Utah & 1 blogger from elsewhere.

3. What will you win you ask. Well my original PIF was a package of some of "My Favorite Things" so I will probably repeat that theme.

4. If you play & win I would love for you to do your own PIF.

Thank You & Good Luck!

Smart Remarks: The Host

I'll make this short and sweet. For those of you who have not been introduced to this blogger you will have to check her out. Not only is she an amazing writer she is also my cousin. She's had this Smart Remarks book club going on for awhile and I am finally getting around to participating for the first time. (Due to the fact that I made her fell bad about leaving me out of her last one.)Anyhow here is my insignificant review of Stephanie Meyers THE HOST.

Not being much of an accomplished reader this very long book presented quiet the daunting task for me, 619 pgs to be exact. If any of you loyal readers remember me complaining about how frustrated I was trying to get through this book, then you know what an accomplishment this was for me to finish.

The first 150 pgs were pure torture for me. I have never read any type of sci-fi lit. and this was completely losing me and becoming a complete snoozer. Thanks to the encouragement of a few friends I persisted on and even started to like/tolerate the book as time went on.

I will say I wouldn't have recommend this book to anyone and feel that Steph could have totally made this into a shorter more concise novel. I was happy with the way it ended and enjoyed most the dialogue between Wanda & Mel. I even had a little prediction of my own come true at the end. Unlike the Twilight books I would have much rather seen the movie first.

So there is my pitiful attempt at the Smart Remarks Book Club. Now go read the for mentioned blog for a real book review.

VOTE!

Since the Presidential election is coming up and since I have never had a picture to go with the name ABUTLER and since I would like to be included with fellow blogger framily (that's Family + Friends) I would like your help in voting me a new blogger username and profile pic. Your choices are:

Profile Pics #1 Baby with tongue

#2 Annie & Raggie

#3 Wearing Brothers 70's Outfit

(The later the pictures went not so cute.)



Username Nominations

#1 Annie (Going back to my roots)
#2 Hot Mama (That's what my kids call me)
#3 Anna B ( A play on Abutler)


Of course all suggestions will be taken into consideration. Your participation is much appreciated.

I am...

I had a friend tag me this really fun tag over a month ago. I finally got around to taking the time to work on it. For me this was very thought provoking and I thought a good journal entry for that. I'm tagging my Fristers (that's friend + sisters) Emily, Amanda & Molly. Don't take as long as I did.


I am a wife and mother and even though I’m not the best at either I try to be, because I love my husband and kids the most.
I miss my family. Having Amanda here in Utah has been the greatest but I still REALLY miss my family.
I think about being organized EVERY single day.
I know I’m a Child of God.
I want to go on an exotic vacation with Trent.
I have a hard time saying NO to anybody. HELP!
I search the Internet almost everyday. I couldn’t function without it.
I wish I was a morning person. (So does Trent) I have never been, but have always tried.
I hate slow drivers. They drive me crazy.
I am scared of walking into a room alone and not knowing anyone. I’ve been a loner most of my life and it has always scared me to even think about going somewhere I don’t know anyone.
I fear the dentist, losing a child or my husband, scary movies, someone knocking on my door when my house is messy, and driving in the snow.
I always have stacks of papers on my kitchen counter. Another reason I think about being organized ALL the time.
I love my family.
I feel sad when I hear about a kid getting picked on at school. Bullies suck!
I hear Viva La Vida for the bazillionth time on the kids computer.
I smell my dog. Yuck!
I don't always wash my face before I go to bed. I’m usually to tired to do anything but fall into bed. Gross huh?
I wonder all the time how my life would have been different if I had been born at different time. Crazy, but I have this fascination with the past.
I care about what people think of me. I know it shouldn’t matter but it does, to me.
I regret not keeping better record of my children’s accomplishments. I have never been a good record keeper. In fact Tucker never got a baby book. How bad is that?
I am not good at keeping my mouth shut. I have gotten a little better, especially with Trent. I just can’t keep ALL my thoughts bottled up in my head, can I?
I believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church. I have never doubted it and I am thankful for that testimony. In the name of…..
I dance in my mind all the time. I used to dance when I was younger but since then not so much. I would love to dance with my husband but he doesn’t like to so much.
I sing all the time. It has been my life for so long I can’t think of a day I haven’t sung. I’ve done it for a living, I’ve done it for fun. I LOVE TO SING!
I write on the computer and that’s about it. I have always HATED my handwriting and therefore avoid ever having to write anything. I would rather type it out and print it.
I win nothing. I just don’t have that kind of luck.
I dream of singing on Broadway one day. I’m a total Musical nerd and love to listen and watch all musicals. If I could choose what kind of music to sing it would have to be Broadway.
I lose my mind when my kids fight with each other. It drives me nuts.
I never make my bed when I get up in the morning. If it does get made it’s later in the day or just before I go to bed. Stupid huh? No just lazy.
I listen to ALL kinds of music. I love it when I hear a new song or when one of my siblings makes me a CD of new songs. I can’t live without my music.
I can usually be found on the computer these days. I need to start limiting my computer time.
I read very little. It’s not that I don’t like to read it’s just that I don’t make the time for reading. But when I do I always enjoy it, especially if it has to do with Vampires & Werewolves. I also really like self help books. I need a lot of help.
I am happy when my husband and children are Happy.

A No Go

First off, I would like to apologize to any of you who were misled and thought I was saying I was actually going to be on Judge Judy..I wish. All I was saying is that's what I was told it was going to be like. I was actually just going down to the Salt Lake County court house, sorry didn't mean to burst your bubble. At least now you can go and cancel your DVR record setting.

So now for what happened...NOTHING! They never told me that there was a chance that they would not be able to serve the court papers to the defendant. So it wasn't till I got all the way down there and didn't see my name on the docket that I was told this news. Apparently the jig is up and they know they are trying to track them down. It could take awhile to get these jerks served. For the meantime I have another court date of Nov. 13th. At least I have a little more time to track down my star witness and give more thought to that perfect outfit. Thanks for suggestions.

Judge Judy

"I'm not a lawyer but I play one on T.V." That's what I want to say tonight when I go to small claims court. Yup, for real I'm going to small claims court. Most of you have heard my cry and complain about "FiltaFry" (aka the 'F' word). Well, we had a pretty big account not pay up and so now I have to take them to court. When I went and filed my papers I asked the clerk "What can I expect?" He said "Have you ever watched Judge Judy?" and I said "Have I!" Little did he know that I was raised on the old school Peoples Court, the one with Judge Wapner, and have pretty much watched court T.V. forever. Anyway, he said if I had watched Judge Judy I should know what to expect because it's pretty much just like that. So I have been preparing my case by watching all 263 episodes of Judge Judy and I think I'm ready. I want to make sure I don't look like a total idiot. You know like the ones you see on those shows who don't even bring any evidence with them. I am a little worried that my most important witness is out of the country and I will be winging this on my own. I'm actually hoping the Defendant doesn't show up. That makes me the Plaintiff, right? Wish me luck.

I GET SO EMOTIONAL 2!

If you want to know what the heck this is all about refer to this, or this, and maybe even this. If not enjoy the awesome pictures my 11 year old took with my really crappy camera.

So here's my story line. My best frousin (that's friend+cousin) planned this really cool "girls trip" to Seattle with an incredible detour to Forks. Yes THE Forks. Anyhow, I unfortunately am not able to go due to a previous engagement (aka going to see my Sis in Tuscan, AZ, also an amazing "girls trip".) BTW didn't something from those Twilight books happen in AZ, hum! After my rather vocal protest and jealous outburst I expressed my feelings of being "left out." Boy did that open a whole can of worms. To make a rather boring story, short... My SIL, the one who ignored my email and is going on the previously mentioned "girls trip" sent me THIS:



















Wha ? For ME?




















Carefully...




















Is it possible?

It is, it is, it really is!!!!!!

You can see why it is affectionately named the "Pooh Loaf".

I Let the kids each have a turn at holding it and playing with it and then it too took its rightful place next to the fine china.

I too would like to thank Jenny, who made this all possible, my spell check who makes me look so smart and never fails to interpret that unrecognizable word, Landee (even though I've never been formally introduced or acknowledged), and most of all my dear SIL who made the sweetest gesture of all. Thank you!

WARNING: YOU MAY BE THE NEXT ONE TO RECEIVE THIS IN THE MAIL!

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Micah has always been our local comedian. He always has very funny and witty things to say and usually at such random times. Most of the time he doesn't even know how funny he is or that he was eve trying to be funny.
Yesterday I was driving the kids and there friends to Brigg's football game and this is the conversation I heard in the backseat between Micah and his friend.

Friend: "Did you know that someone dies like every single minute of everyday?'

Micah: "Really?"

Friend: "Ya, but that's okay because there's a baby born like every minute of every day too."

Micah: "Oh, that's why there's always that new baby smell in the air."


Love you Micah!

"PeeSchool"

Today was TuckMan's 1st day of "PeeSchool." He was so excited. He had his backpack on and was ready to go an hour before carpool. I was excited for him too. This was his first REAL preschool experience. I have to admit that I actually felt a little tinge of emotion when he left. It was time for him to be gone though. After spending ALL summer with the big kids and not having to be stuck at home with me and running errands all day he was ready to go off and enjoy a little bit of the big kid life. Since school started for the other kids he has not been happy with me. Because of my insane schedule in the afternoon I have to run all my errands in the morning and Tucker has NOT been liking it. He was getting to where when I would say the "E" word he would start listing his demands and threats. Our conversations would go something like this.

Me: "Okay Tuck it's time to get ready and go run some errands."

T: "WHAT? I don't want to go. I'm staying here."

Me: "No, you have to go. I can't just leave you here. Some BAD guy might come and get you."

T: "Okay, fine but you have to buy me some candy."

Me: "No, I'm not going to buy you candy and you better hurry up or you're not going to get to play with Deklin later." (Deklin is his BFF.)

T: " Okay then, I'm gonna get lost."

Me: " Oh ya, well maybe the policeman will find you and put you in jail."

T: "You're the meanest Mom EVER."

Me: "Oh ya."

T: " I think I will just jump out of the car when you're driving."

Me: "Okay you do that, now come on we have to go." (Note to self: CHILD LOCK)

Now I can just go run my errands while he is at preschool and don't have to worry about buying him candy, losing him in the store, or him attempting to jump out of the car. What a little stinker. He does have his moments though.

Speaking of Teeth

Blythe lost both of her front teeth within 24 hrs. Daddy pulled them of course. I don't think I will EVER be able to pull my kids teeth, grosses me out big time. I think she looks so cute and she was so excited. The Tooth Fairy was a little slow to respond, as usual, but made up for it the 2nd night with a $5 spot (inflation, you know.) Trent actually pulled the 2nd one out at Stake Conference on Sunday (if that gives you any idea of how much he was enjoying Stake Conference.) Speaking of braces this ones going to have start the REAL headgear ASAP (at night only, crossing my fingers.)

All she wants for Christmas is her 2 front teeth.

WHAT!!

So, I took Brigg to the Orthodontist for a "Free" consultation. Why didn't I know that I was going to have to donate a kidney or some other vital organ on the black market to be able to afford braces for just 1 of my kids. Unfortunately, our kids got REALLY bad genes in the oral region. (Trent and I both had braces.) I have this thing about straight teeth so this is going to have to be a must. I'm just SHOCKED at how much it's going to cost. Those of you who KNOW me real well know that there is a certain cosmetic surgery I have wanted forever...Well, if I wasn't putting braces on my kid...Tell me what a good Mom I am for sacrificing my own selfish wants for my kids good looks. WHATEVER!

Oh Ya!

What's better than going to see Mamma Mia for the first time???? Going to see it for the 2nd time and making it a Sing-Along. Last night I went with Tim & Brenda to see the Sing-Along Version of Mamma Mia. Yes, you heard me right. There is now a Sing-Along Version and believe it or not it's better then the 1st. We were a little disappointed in the turn out. I went armed with my video camera hoping to get some shots of the real entertainment. When Tim & I walked in we couldn't help but start laughing... there were 2 other people in the theater besides us. I don't understand why we were the only ones who decided to go to the movies on a Wednesday night at 9:50 pm? I think we ended up with a total of 9 people in theater. It was still loads of fun and I would recommend it AGAIN!!! Thanks for the night out guys and thanks for staying with us.