Nutter Butter's first picture

Below is a picture of Nichole's baby...aka Nutter Butter. I am so excited to meet her!! (See post below titled Other Mother)

Oh, and the name is being chosen so if anyone has suggestions let me know!




Looks like she is drinking a beer already!! Definitely Nichole's daughter...haha

Dude...Where's My Boat??

I've been wanting to put these pictures up since Ike. This was a problem all around here...these pictures are some we took on the Island of Clear Lake Shores where my parents live...random boats everywhere! On streets, in yards and even up against and crashing into houses! I only imagine after the storm there were alot of...Dude...Where's My Boat? haha

Other Mother

I have been so blessed in my life to be surrounded by strong Christian women. My Nannie, my Mom, my Aunt Verna, my Youth Leader Mel, Cecilia, other friends of my Mom and many other women. I think it has been a true blessing and gift to have these woman as examples and leaders and show me what it means to be a Christian wife and mother.

One woman I would particularly like to mention is Janice. She is my Mom's Best Friend and Business Partner and my OTHER MOTHER. Having someone to turn to no matter what, who loves me unconditionally just as a mother does, and someone that does not judge me or lecture me or ridicule me but just listens to me, let's me vent, and when asked gives me gentle guidance and advice without giving demands and without forcing me into a decision that she wants. She gives pros and cons for both sides and has a way of being supportive of either decision while using her experience and knowledge, and her strength and God's word to guide me into the right choice. As a young lady with a rocky relationship with my mother, it is nice to have someone who is sort of neutral and loves both my Mom and me and can sort of be in both corners and we can stand on her neutral ground.

I have told Janice repeadedly that she is an Angel to me and to my family. I love my Mom and Janice does not replace her. But to have Another Mother to turn to is such an amazing thing. The lifting up, the support, the advice, the love, the friendship, the guidance and example, mixed with the the prayer that she provides - on top of that my own mother does is just amazing! (Janice does alot of other stuff too that will remain between us!! HAHA)

So...where is this reflection on my relationship with my Other Mother? We found out Wednesday that my Best Friend and Soul Mate, Nichole, is having a baby girl!! I can't wait to be someone's Other Mother!

I have something to say to my Nutter Butter (that is her nickname already)...I will ALWAYS be there for you no matter what and I hope that our relationship is strong and good and you will know that I love you like my own and that I am here in times when you feel you can't turn to your Mom, when you feel you need Another Mother...I am here and I love you already and I am so excited for you to join our friendship and our family! It has already been a blessing for me to be part of your tiny little pre-birth life, and I can not WAIT to watch you grow into the intelligent, beautiful, strong, loving Christian woman I know you will be. You have already blessed with an awesome Mother and hopefully I can live up to the high standards Janice has set and be an awesome Other Mother! I hope I am as much a gift from God to you as you and your Mom and My Other Mother Janice are to me!!

Derek's B-Day Video Message

Hope you enjoy this Derek...I had fun filming these 3 crazy drunk people A day late and worth the wait!!



Not bad for the first movie I've ever produced!

Happy B-Day Derek!

Mike's little brother Derek celebrated his Birthday yesterday! We text him and I got to IM with him for a few minutes to wish him Happy B-Day. I know the distance from our family is now a fact of our life, but I don't like it! If we live here there is distance from Mike's family...if we live there...distance from my family. Either way, we have to adapt. It would've been nice to hug him on his B-Day and go to dinner or something.

I took a video on Saturday night in the RV (thanks Michael and Regina for the evacuation home!) where we stayed in during evacuation and again when we didn't have power. Dan and Shawna came over to have a belated celebration of my B-Day and I recorded their B-Day wish for Derek. I will work on figuring out how to post the video. It is funny

Fionn and the cats really miss you alot! Come stay with us soon so they can get some attention! We need a pet sitter if you are looking for a career change...haha!



We love you Derek and hope you had a great B-Day...as soon as Mike gets a paycheck your present is on its way!

Ike by Mike

Sorry, couldn't resist the rhyming! These are some pics Mike took of our view of Hurricane Ike. Some of them my Dad took of our junk. The ones on top are of the junk pulled out of the garage, then below are of the garge while still full of the junk. Thank God we only lost things. Our family was so blessed compared to many of our neighbors. How in the world did all of that junk fit in that garage? The pics below are Butler's Courtyard. Every tree, limb, leaf, and branch that could fall did!

1st Day Feeling

Today Mike started his new job and our new life officially began!




It isn't with GE like I originally told everyone...guess I was overzealous...he was offered an even better job the same day he accepted the GE job. Thanks to Tom Hayne's kindness once again! He told me months and months ago that a good friend of his had an engineering firm and Mike should contact him when he is ready to get a job. So, Mike did, and he got an interview and was hired the same day! He is now a Nassau Engineer!! It is way more money than he thought he'd make, it has good benifits, paid holidays and sick leave, the office building is right next to mine, the guys he are working with are good friends of Tom and great Christians, a guy on his soccer team just started working there recently too...the list goes on!! Most importantly, he really liked it today and it is so important to me that he do a job he likes and is challengeing in an environment that he is comfortable and happy in.

I am so proud of him and so excited to officially be an Engineer's Wife!! HAHA This is definitely a new start for us and such a blessing as we will not have to struggle to make ends meet, and we get out of that nasty debt and even get to save money to buy a house soon!!

This morning it felt like the 1st day of school at our house. The morning was full of excitement and nerves, and hope for the future. Mike had a new outfit on...new pants, new top, new shoes and new belt. He looked so handsome I had to take his picture. He had his portfolio ready to go to fill with papers and notes. I feel so blessed to have married such an intelligent man with such possibilities! I love you Mike and I'm proud of you! Enough mush...go out there and bring home the bacon baby!! OH yeah new shoes for Amber soon...whooo hooooo!! HAHA

First day of new job = first day of new life!