7 years and counting....

Our anniversary was this past Monday, July 21st. We spent the day en route from my folks' house in NoVA to Ithaca, but we'll find a time to go out and celebrate in the next few weeks. Upon return, we made sure to snap a family pic which we have done each anniversary so far. Here are a few takes of our photo shoot from Monday... it's not super easy to get everyone to even look at the camera, let alone smile! And it's amazing to see how our pictures have changed over the past few years... on anniversaries 5 and 6 we had a new baby with each one and on the 6th anniversary, Lucy wasn't with us anymore. On #7, we have no new babies, but Daisy is making her debut picture as a family member. God has blessed us abundantly, even should this is as big as the Jon Butcher family gets...

Let's go to the Zoo!

Sunday morning, we took a trip to the National Zoo. We knew Maggie would love it and she did. Despite the heat and the fact that the venture pushed into Jack's nap, both kids were SO GREAT the whole morning. Very little whining and not a single meltdown the whole trip.

Maggie "nicing" the cow with Aunt Kathleen

Daddy and Jack Jack exploring something

Silly pic of everyone (but yours truly)

Maggie is such a ham!

Jack Hi-Fiving a meerkat

Jack in the stroller

1 of the 3 zoo pandas... all were sleeping soundly at 10am.

Grandma's 80th Birthday

This weekend we went to my folks' house for my grandma's 80th birthday. Her birthday is not actually until August 21st, but we wanted to surprise her, which we did. We spent most of the day Saturday with the majority of my mom's side of the family and it was so crazy to see all of my cousins... all grown (or growing) up. I'm sure my aunts and uncles were a little beside themselves remember our family gatherings of old, when all of us kids were much much younger... and didn't have toddlers of our own. I love my Grandma. She is definitely the matriarch of our family, and has had a special relationship with each of us grandkids. And it makes my heart smile that she has spent time touching the lives of my children. Here is a picture of her after we sang Happy Birthday. She was a just a bit choked up, but who could blame her?

In Memorium...

It's been a year since we lost our sweet Lucy dog. I miss that worried furrowed brow often.






I think the kids would've made her young again. Maggie was only just getting old enough to pay her much attention. Though to be fair... Lucy was always a southern girl - born in ATL, we got her at the Atlanta Humane Society and she spent most of her days in the blazing heat of the South in central A/C of our first couple apartments and then in Charleston. And I've always comforted myself with the thought that she wouldn't have like living in NY much at all. I think the snow might've caused her great consternation. Bless her little doggie paws that always smelled like Nacho Cheese Doritos.

It's a Monster!!

So... we're in the grocery store this evening, and I am looking at some bananas - trying to pick up a bunch that aren't too green and also aren't a group of 12. Whilst doing so, I hear Maggie going on and on saying something about a "Monster". Not in a scared way, just kind of saying "It's a Monster!" Finally, I glance over to see what in the world she is carrying on about... and I see a man. with a HUGE salt and pepper colored beard. And his wife says to him (as they walk past our cart) "can you understand what she's saying?" to which he replies, "It's sounds like she's calling me a Monster." he turns to Maggie to say, "Oh, do you think I'm a monster?"... and thankfully he doesn't wait for her reply but continues on his way and I hear his voice trailing away saying, "I don't really think that's what she was saying." Through this entire ordeal - from the second I looked up to see that Maggie WAS IN FACT calling this bearded man a "monster" I totally kept my head low and acted like I had NO idea what was going on. Mercifully, it only lasted a matter of seconds and she did not carry on about the monster (as toddlers often do carry on and on about something that strikes them in particular) after he was out of site. I am sure this is just the beginning of many many things my children will say that will heap embarrassment upon us. Sorry, Mom and Dad... for all those thing I ever said (not to mention the Lebanese Taverna incident that I have heard about countless times....)

Way Way Cool

Y'all have got to check this out:

Where the hell is Matt?

A good friend of mine just emailed me this site and I had to post it. It's this guy who has traveled all over the world. So far, the majority of substance on his site seems to be videos of him "dancing" all over the world and with hundreds of people from other countries on his travels. And comments as well as his responses to those... It's just amazing though. Watch the video, you'll love it. And you'll want to travel the world just like this guy.

Be Vewy Vewy Quiet....

we are hunting wabbits.