The Butricks

Love

2011-02-14T21:13:00.001-06:00

February 7, 2011: I didn't take a picture today, but we did visit the pediatrician who confirmed the fact that our little boy is BIG. At 4 months old, he's weighing in at 19 lbs., 14 oz. I love how this picture shows his chubby little body.

February 8, 2011: We tried spoon feeding for the first time. It was messy. It was also cute. Notice the bib says, "I love daddy."

February 9, 2011: He fell asleep like this. I love sleeping baby boys.

February 10, 2011: Love these little lion feet :)

February 11, 2011: I told Curtis I couldn't remember the last time I had a delicious, ooey-gooey cookie. Good thing he's a great listener! I love getting sweet, thoughtful gifts.

February 12, 2011: Today, we volunteered with a group from our church at the Convoy of Hope. We packed over 78,000 meals for Feed our Starving Children. We also got to sport these lovely hair nets...

February 13, 2011: We got a new TV and got rid of our enormous old entertainment center...hooray!!! We love the new setup and all of the space we got back!

February 14, 2011: I found these Yo Gabba Gabba Valentines in various places around the house: Willa's (the one labeled "To: Human") was on top of her litterbox, Lucy's (the one labeled "To: Owner") on the table next to her kennel, and Jackson's was on his changing table. Love is in the air this Valentine's Day!!!

Super Bowl XLV

2011-02-06T16:05:00.000-06:00

February 6, 2011: Ready for kickoff!!!

A Snowy Start to February

2011-02-05T09:35:00.000-06:00

Snowpocalypse hit the Ozarks on Tuesday, which means I was off school for the rest of the week. I know I'll be paying for it in June when the weather is beautiful, but really the timing for these days off couldn't have been better. I have had so much on my to-do list lately that I really needed the time to cross a few MAJOR things off. Here's how I spent my snow days:

February 1, 2011: The first round of snow on Tuesday brought a little over 6 inches to our house. I don't remember the last time it snowed that much in Springfield!

February 2, 2011: Lucy loved rolling around in the snow!

February 3, 2011: As I said earlier, the days off allowed me to cross things off my daunting to-do list. Taking first priority was the completion of my Action Research paper for my Master's degree, which is just another form of a thesis. I worked tirelessly on this paper while I was home, so I was ecstatic to receive this email from my advisor. Yay!!! It's finally DONE!!!!

February 4, 2011: Jackson has been unusually fussy and hard to get to sleep lately. I think we finally figured out that he may be starting the early stages of teething. These little tablets have become little drops of heaven for all of us.

February 5, 2011: MORE SNOW!!!! Curtis got out early this morning to try and clear some of the thick snow off the driveway. We got about 2 more inches yesterday and last night. Will it ever end?!?!?!?!

Showing a Little Leg

2011-02-03T08:14:00.000-06:00

January 31, 2011: I went back to the orthopedic specialist today and I'm relieved to have this sleek new knee brace to wear now instead of the humongous immobilizer I've had for almost a month. I'm hopeful that I will be able to drive my car again soon and I can't wait to start physical therapy next week. I'm ready to be fully recovered.

Busy Butricks

2011-01-30T17:12:00.000-06:00

Phew! Have we ever been busy this past week or so. I have done my best to keep up with my daily picture taking, but I just haven't had time to add them to the blog. Here's what's been happening since last Friday!

January 21, 2011: This has become one of the favorite parts of our bedtime routine. Jackson already loves to look at the pictures!

January 22, 2011: An unhappy car ride :(

January 23, 2011: Is there a hoarders show for people who collect travel-sized items? If so, we would qualify!

January 24, 2011: I couldn't find Willa anywhere...until I saw something suspicious sticking out of the comforter...

January 25, 2011: I'm working my way through Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project this year. Not that I'm in any way UNhappy, but it's a great way to add even more satisfaction to my beautiful life. I energized and decluttered in January. I'm ready to remember love this February!

January 26, 2011: Curtis and I recently purchased some TOMS shoes for ourselves. Not only are they some of the most comfortable shoes we've ever had, part of the money went to a great cause! For each pair purchased, a pair of shoes is given to someone in the world who is in need of a pair of shoes. Now I want a pair in every color...

January 27, 2011: Jackson is finally starting to reach for objects on his own!

January 28, 2011: My mom & dad watched Jackson for a few extra hours so that Curtis and I could go to dinner together. We ate at Farmer's Gastropub downtown and it was delicious!

January 29, 2011: Can you believe the beautiful weather we had on Saturday?!?!?! Curtis took Jackson on a little walk around the neighborhood. I think they had fun!

January 30, 2011: We went over to Loren and Carmen's house to celebrate Aunt Robyn's 60th birthday. Jackson loved spending time with Great-Grandma Butrick!!!

Snow Baby

2011-01-20T14:24:00.000-06:00

January 20, 2011: Happy Snow Day!!!!

A Cat, a Binky, and a Fist

2011-01-19T21:08:00.000-06:00

January 18, 2011: I feel like I often neglect Willa these days. She pretty much keeps to her half of the house, so we really only see her at night...but mostly we're just asleep. I decided to spend a little QT with her today. Her little purring motor let me know that she appreciated the extra petting very much!

January 19, 2011: Jackson couldn't decide whether he wanted his binky or his whole fist in his mouth. So, why not both????

A Girl's Gotta Have Options

2011-01-17T08:52:00.000-06:00

January 17, 2011: Hmmmmm...what shall I read today on my day off??? Happy MLK Day everyone!

Family Time

2011-01-16T20:46:00.000-06:00

This weekend, I've been focusing on spending as much time as possible with my little family. After the craziness and chaos of the past week, it was refreshing to put everything else aside and just be home for a while. I definitely cherish weekends now more than ever!

January 15, 2011: I miss my brother terribly and hate that he's so far away. On Saturday, as I got ready to dress Jackson for the day, I was excited to find that the Aspen t-shirt Uncle Justin gave him fit perfectly! Not only did I get to see my handsome little guy wearing the shirt, but it helped me think about my brother too :)

January 16, 2011: Not much going on today, but I thought this snuggly family moment was too sweet not to capture.

The Week In Review

2011-01-15T10:59:00.000-06:00

January 10, 2011: Snow fell in the Ozarks on Monday night. I was hoping that would mean a snow day for Jackson and I on Tuesday...no such luck. Curtis brought a little in with him after he shoveled the driveway!

January 11, 2011: Jackson couldn't seem to keep his socks on while he was at Grandma's house on this snowy day. Grandma decided to improvise and keep his feet warm with her socks instead.

January 12, 2011: For our "dating" anniversary (which we still recognize each year), my super thoughtful husband got me a Snuggie!!! The selection at Walgreens that day was limited to black Skull & Crossbones or Camo. Curtis chose well :) This is me trying to recreate one of the pictures of the happy Snuggie wearers on the side of the box.

January 13, 2011: For Christmas, Curtis bought me a Keurig coffee maker. It is AWESOME!!! I have recently become a coffee lover and look forward to choosing my K-cup flavor each morning.

January 14, 2011: Cheers! Today, we closed on our house...again. We refinanced in order to save quite a bit of money each month on our mortgage expenses. It was a much longer process than we had anticipated, so this day was definitely one worth celebrating with a little leftover New Year's champagne!

The Dog Days of Winter

2011-01-09T13:55:00.000-06:00

January 9, 2011: Lucy trying to find even the smallest patch of sunlight to keep her warm on a cold winter's day.

Murphy's Law

2011-01-08T07:45:00.000-06:00

I don't know who this Murphy guy is, but his famous law "If anything can go wrong, it will" definitely held true this week for the Butricks. I have really enjoyed being back at school with my kids, and I know they have been happy to get back into our normal routine. Jackson and Grandma are having so much fun together, too. She has taught him the joy of playing patty-cake :) As great as that has been, life decided to throw a couple of curve balls this week. I'll let the daily pictures tell the rest of the story.

January 4, 2011: This is my "rock star" t-shirt that I wore on my first day back to school. It was a great day and I loved getting back into the classroom.

January 5, 2011: Wednesdays are going to be tough for the next couple of months because I still have to attend classes to finish up my Master's degree. This week, Suzy decided to make it a little more difficult to get to class. I had just finished up at the McDonald's drive-thru (10 piece Chicken McNuggets, fries, and a Sprite of course) and was headed out through the mall parking lot. Suddenly, Suzy began sputtering and I knew something was definitely wrong. I had just enough time to pull into a parking spot before she died. Luckily, it was nothing a little TLC and a can of Heet couldn't fix. And thanks to my girl, Stacie, I still made it to class on time.

January 6, 2011: 7:00 pm is fussy time at our house. Fortunately, we have learned that the best remedy for this is a nice, warm bath. No, we don't completely bathe Jackson every single night, but we do at least put him in his new rubber ducky tub and splash around a little. This week, he has begun to discover the fun things he can do with his feet while in the tub. He is fascinated by pulling the floating rubber ducky towards his body with his feet. It's super cute!!

January 7, 2011: It was a normal Friday and I was teaching math like a rock star. Just as I was getting to the best part of the lesson when the kids were about to reveal their latitude/longitude coordinates for their assignments, I took a fateful step backwards. This was a bad choice. I have a long history with dislocating my knees, and that is just what happened this time. It always occurs when I step backwards in just the wrong way. It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced (including giving birth) because my knee didn't pop back into place on its own and had to be "helped" back by the ER doctor. This exact scenario has played out many times in a recurring nightmare that I have. I couldn't believe it was actually happening at school in front of the students. I am SO thankful to have such a caring group of friends at school who stayed by my side throughout the whole painful ordeal. I'm relieved that I have this weekend to try and recover. Hopefully, I will be able to return to school next week.

January 8, 2011: We did a celebratory cheer this morning because we finally used the last napkin from our wedding. No, you don't need to get your eyes checked. We got married on June 21, 2008. We have been using the leftover napkins since that day.

Whew! What a week. There have been ups and some pretty serious downs, but that's life. We are hoping that next week is a little less eventful :)

One More Day...

2011-01-03T08:38:00.001-06:00

January 3, 2011: Today is my last day of maternity leave. This is how I plan on spending my day :)

Yikes.

2011-01-02T21:38:00.000-06:00

The title of this post pretty much sums up how I'm feeling about my futile attempt to keep this blog updated. It was brought to my attention today that the pregnancy ticker on the page indicated that I'm 50 weeks along. I guess you could say that's pretty inaccurate.

I thought that being on maternity leave would provide me with plenty of time to blog about all the joys of parenthood. So many other moms do it...why can't I???? Somehow, amid all the spit-up, tummy time, smiles, and diaper changes I just couldn't keep up. Now I find myself gearing up to go back to school (insert sad face here) and back to the daily grind again. For anyone out there who still actually checks in on The Butricks, I will do my best to post something as often as I can. No promises on the frequency or amount of detail put into the blog...but I will do my best!

One goal I have this year is to take at least one picture a day of something that is happening with us. It's a little idea I stole from our photographer. I would ultimately like to post each picture on here to share with all (3) of you. For now, I will leave you with the first two pictures from the first two days of 2011. Enjoy!!!

January 1, 2011: Anyone want to play "Where's Willa?" $200 trip to the Emergency Vet..."Happy New Year!!!"

January 2, 2011: Testing out the Chicco carrier :)

40 by 40

2010-07-26T16:53:00.000-05:00

I came to the screeching realization today that I'm well over halfway through my 30th year of life, which made me think about all the things I've accomplished thus far. I've been happily married to the man of my dreams for over two years, I have a fulfilling career, and in a few short months one of my biggest dreams of having a child is coming true. Life has been good to me. Very, very good. This has also made me realize that there are so many other things (some small, some big) that I have yet to accomplish. Instead of making a bucket list (because that's just too overwhelming), I'm going to start a list of the 40 things I want to do before I'm 40. I'm not even sure that I can come up with 40 things...but I'm sure going to try! :)

1. See the Cardinals play the Cubs at Wrigley field
2. Pull out a map, throw a dart at it, and GO!
3. Learn to drive a stick shift
4. Walk at my Grad School graduation ceremony
5. Pay off debt
6. Ride in a helicopter (and preferably over a volcano)
7. Take Curtis to see the Grand Canyon
8. Name a star after Jackson (and any other children we may have along the way)
9. Start or join a book club and read every book that is selected
10. Take dance lessons (of any kind)
11. Become Teacher of the Month at my school one time
12. Adopt a child
13. Own a home that has a basement and a door from the garage directly into the house
14. Train for another 5K, stick with it, and actually RUN the whole thing
15. Get my first passport and use it
16. Participate in an adventure race of some kind
17. Learn how to crochet
18. Celebrate our 10 year anniversary with a romantic getaway
19. Buy an expensive pair of shoes...just because
20. Be able to make a sizable donation to a favorite charity
21. Be an audience member on either Ellen or Letterman
22. Successfully and confidently use chopsticks
23. Get Lasik surgery
24. Rent a condo on the beach for a week and take the whole family
25. Ride a gondola in Venice
26. Take pottery lessons
27. Drive a sports car really fast
28. Jump on a pogo stick like I did when I was little
29. Go whale watching
30. Learn a craft or an art and turn it into a money-making hobby
31. Organize all the pictures in my closet and make scrapbooks
32. Go to New York City with Curtis
33. Start a college fund for our child(ren)
34. Take a photography class
35. Help build another Habitat for Humanity house
36. Visit our nation's capital
37. Read for enjoyment at least 20 minutes everyday
38. Take a wine-tasting class
39. Dye my hair a different color
40. Learn to love cooking for my family

Nursery Progress

2010-07-18T19:17:00.000-05:00

We have spent the past few weeks working on Jackson's nursery, and it's coming along quite nicely. There are still several finishing touches that we need to take care of, but it's basically ready for a baby to use if necessary! Here are several pictures of the progress we have made so far.

The (empty) crib, rocker/recliner, and freshly painted walls (3 pale yellow and 1 chocolate brown). We still need to work on the window coverings.

The recliner and dresser (almost doesn't all fit in this tiny little room!)

We quickly got the crib set up with all the cute bedding!

Then, approximately 15 minutes later, someone decided to curl up in it :)

Curtis and I made his name out of these cardboard letters with spray paint, scrapbooking paper, and Mod Podge. Now comes the hard part...actually getting them hung on the wall!

Several stuffed friends await Jackson's arrival!

Lots of clothes in the closet just waiting for a baby to play dress up :)

Tiny little shoes...

Our growing book collection and Cardinal Louie

Two blankets have already been handmade for our little guy. The yellow one was made by my mom's good friend, Michele and the green one was made by Grandma Butrick. They are both so beautiful and soft.

He won't even be here for three more months, but look how full the dresser drawers are! We have pretty much all the clothes we'll need through the first 6 months. All washed and put away just waiting for Jackson to wear them.

And finally, here's an updated picture of me. I am 27 weeks along in this picture, and he's just getting bigger and livelier every day! I predict that he will either be a soccer player, a dancer, or a boxer with all the punches, kicks, and flips he's doing in there!

There are only a few weeks of my relaxing summer break left, and then it's back to school for a little while. I am definitely not ready to start thinking about that yet, but going back to school also means that we're closer to meeting Jackson :)

I Write Like...

2010-07-18T18:59:00.000-05:00

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Really? I mean, REALLY?!?!?!? So, I came across this "I Write Like" website today through a friend who posted her results on Facebook. I thought it would be really interesting to see who I write like too. Now I'm just concerned. I can't honestly say I've ever actually read any of Stephen King's work, but I do know that the content is usually pretty twisted and dark. I guess the analyzer looks at things like word choice and writing style, but I'm still a little creeped out to be compared to Mr. King. Oh well, he must be doing something right since he's one of the top-selling authors of our time. Perhaps I should try my hand at writing horror stories....?

I Love Lucy

2010-06-26T13:50:00.000-05:00

Call us crazy, but we made another life-altering decision this week. As if getting ready for a baby wasn't big enough, we decided to dive in headfirst and add a dog to our growing family too! We had been talking about it for a while, so last weekend I suggested that we go see what dogs were up for adoption at the Humane Society...just browsing...not committing to anything yet. Well, you know how that usually goes. We came across this adorable beagle-mix named Lucy who had the calmest, most polite personality of any of the other dogs. Not to mention, she's three years old and already house trained. How could we possibly pass up this opportunity??? We made up our minds right then and there that she would be the perfect dog for us. I'm happy to say that, after three days of adjusting to our home (and our normally less-than-friendly cat), we have absolutely no regrets. I have already declared her the best dog on the face of the Earth. We definitely made the right decision. Here are a few pictures of Lucy!

What a sweet face :)

Doing what she does best!

Snuggling with Curtis

Jackson's Progress

2010-06-26T13:33:00.000-05:00

Since I haven't been updating this as often as I would like, I thought it would be easiest to create for you a photo montage in this posting to get all four of my faithful readers caught up on the past month or so. These were all taken in May or June of 2010. Enjoy!

19 Weeks

20 Weeks

21 Weeks

22 Weeks

23 Weeks

24 Weeks

Now that I'm at 24 weeks, reality is definitely beginning to set in. Jackson is very busy most of the time, and I am starting to see some patterns in his daily cycle. This weekend, we are working on getting the nursery painted so that we can start getting all the furniture in place and ready to go! This is what I've been the most excited about during the whole pregnancy. I love to nest...especially when the nest is full of tiny little things :) I will leave you this time with a few pictures of our baby boy. These were taken at the beginning of May, and I realized that I haven't really shared them with everyone yet. Good thing it's summer and I have more time to do stuff like this now! Enjoy :)

Sweet profile

Tiny little feet (there are 10 toes!)

Spine and head

Waving hello!

Ending the Suspense...

2010-05-13T21:24:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday, Curtis and I had our official ultrasound. You know, the one where they check EVERYTHING. Number of arms, legs, toes, kidneys...and measure every part possible. It's also the ultrasound where the gender of the baby is determined. We are certainly not the type of people who like to wait for important news such as this...but this time was a little different. I had really hoped to be able to share this news with my parents in person, however they were out of town the day of the ultrasound. Then, the next week my brother would be in town too. SO, I decided I wanted to wait to find out when we could get the whole family together (I'll show you how we did that in a second). Curtis, on the other hand, just couldn't wait. So, he peeked during the ultrasound. Totally fine with me...but I made it very clear that I did not want the beans to be spilled yet. Thankfully, he did a great job of keeping the news to himself. Well, except when he told his mom...but who can blame him for that??? :)

I waited...and waited...and waited...for what seemed like an eternity until Thursday finally rolled around. We planned on having my family over for dinner and what I'm calling the "baby cake". After the ultrasound, we took "the" picture in a sealed envelope to a local bakery and had them create a cake with a filling in the middle that would reveal the gender of the baby. We quickly shoved our faces full of pizza and gathered around the dining room table to cut the cake. The pictures that follow should tell the rest of the story.

The cake says, "Which are you...Pink or Blue?"

The first cut...

It's a BOY!!!! :)

So, get out the baseball gloves and race cars. The Butricks are having a boy!

And, to update you, here's my 18 week picture:

15 Week Update

2010-04-23T16:16:00.000-05:00

It's week 15, and everything is going great! We had our monthly doctor's appointment yesterday, heard the heartbeat again, and I'm happy to report that we're healthy and normal. We also scheduled the date for our official ultrasound. If the baby cooperates, we should know what we're having May 6th! That's only two weeks away, yet it still seems like an eternity. I am SO anxious to find out! Here's my 15 week picture...next time I'll try not to slouch so much:

14 Weeks and a Future Cardinals Fan

2010-04-17T08:26:00.001-05:00

Here we are at 14 weeks already, and I'm feeling great! Everyday, it seems like my belly's getting bigger and bigger. I'm anxious for next week's appointment where we'll get to hear the heartbeat again, but I'm even more anxious for May when we will hopefully find out if it's a boy or girl. Until then...anyone want to place bets??? :)

We bought this t-shirt at the Springfield Cardinal's game Thursday night. It should fit right around the time the 2011 baseball season starts...PLAY BALL!!!

Lub-dub, Lub-dub

2010-03-25T11:25:00.001-05:00

Today, we got to hear the little bean's heartbeat. It took a while to find it at first, but once it was located, it was unmistakable. The nurse said it was 160, which is great. There were also lots of strange gurgling sounds which I would have thought was my own digestive juices. Not the case, according to Nurse Kris. She said they were the sounds of the baby moving...a lot. It's so amazing to know that there is actually a little life forming in there. Hearing the signs of that makes everything even more real to me. Below is the picture of my 11 week bump. I lost a pound since the last doctor's visit...not sure where I'm losing it because it's clearly not coming off my waistline. What a fantastic journey this is!!!

Announcement!

2010-03-13T11:54:00.000-06:00

Wow! Have I really not posted anything new since December 31??? Well, I guess I finally have something exciting to post. I'm going to be a mommy in October! Curtis and I are very excited about this new adventure, and we are already anxious for our little one's arrival. So far, pregnancy has been treating me very well, so I hope that continues. Here's Baby Butrick's first picture. It's the cloudy speck inside the big black hole :)

Christmas 2009

2009-12-31T10:22:00.002-06:00

Christmas 2009 was definitely a holiday to remember. This year, we had the opportunity to celebrate the season with both sides of our family, both near and far. Noticeably absent this year, however, were both of our brothers in Colorado. We certainly missed Chad and Justin, but already have a trip planned for June to visit them. We started our celebration December 13th, and it just continued for the next two weeks! We are definitely counting our blessings that we were able to travel to Moses Lake, WA to visit our family there too. It was a wonderful trip filled with laughter, games, and TONS of yummy food. Here are some pictures of our Christmas 2009 memories.

Christmas Tree at my Mom and Dad's house.

Butrick Christmas tree

Believe it or not, this wasn't even all the gifts!

There was a serious rubber band war going on. This was taken right in the middle of it :)

Calling a truce

The kids performed a play that Rachel wrote and directed. Very cute!

It was a sold out play. This was the only seat left for Dev.

Christmas Day pic

New light saber!!!

Awesome new race track

James...

...Benjamin...

...and Rachel sledding in Leavenworth.

James + sled = happy

Rachel and Benjamin are also happy at this point, but this was taken before Benjamin's epic collision. After that...not so happy :(

The sledding hill

Beautiful landscape (with the added bonus of some Japanese tourists in the foreground)

Gorgeous day, lasting memories

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and made just as many wonderful memories with your family as we did!

Christmas Cheer

2009-12-05T07:54:00.004-06:00

I absolutely can't WAIT for Christmas this year. Curtis and I will be flying to Washington on Christmas Eve to share the holiday with his family, so after Thanksgiving, I wasted no time putting up our Christmas tree. I want to be able to enjoy it for as long as possible this year. Here are some snapshots of our little Winter Wonderland :) Merry Christmas!!!

Blog Neglect

2009-09-19T16:36:00.003-05:00

I've been totally neglecting my blog lately, and for several different reasons:

1. School is in full swing, so my free time has been greatly reduced.
2. Our life is pretty boring lately and I haven't been inspired to post any updates.
3. We're sharing a computer now because Curtis' laptop is having issues again and we just haven't taken it in to get it fixed (or purchased a new one).

So, here are a few updates for the faithful readers out there. School is going great this year! We have a wonderful group of 5th graders to work with, and some really fun and talented new staff members at Cowden. I am really enjoying my job right now and couldn't ask for a better start to the year!

Curtis and I have been doing a less than stellar job of keeping up with our 5K training since school started. And when I say less than stellar, what I really mean is that no actual running has occurred in about a month. The problem for me is that I prefer to run in the morning...but not at 5:30 when it's still pitch black outside. Then, by the time I'm home at the end of the day I'm either completely famished and need to eat or it's already getting dark AGAIN! I need a treadmill. The problem for Curtis is his knee. The last run we went on did not go well for either of us, but especially for him. We both ended up limping home. It was like a comedy act. We looked hilarious and I'm sure the old man who witnessed it all from the end of his driveway is still chuckling about it. It's okay to WALK a 5K, right???

My baby brother moved far, far away to the land of black bears, ski bunnies, and Lance Armstrong. A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about a little place called Aspen. He is absolutely loving his new life. But, then again, who wouldn't? He's rubbing elbows with the elite, has a wonderful job, is chasing black bears out of the hotel swimming pool, is making some new friends, and hopes to capture the attention of a few of those ski bunnies on the slopes this winter. I can't wait to go visit him, and I miss him so much!!!

I hope these updates will tide everyone over for a little while as I'm unsure about how frequent (or infrequent) these postings will be for now. I hope everyone is doing well! Thanks for stopping by :)

Room 110

2009-08-17T09:49:00.006-05:00

I've been hard at work in my classroom the past couple of weeks, and I must say, it's looking pretty good! I thought I might share a few pictures of the finished product with those of you who have never seen my room.
The view from the doorway. Students share computers in pairs. Notice the mailboxes along the windows...my awesome grandpa made those!

This is what I spent a big chunk of my time on this summer. I organized all the books in my class library by genre, and put them into tubs. Each book also has a pocket with a card in the front (labeled according to which tub it belongs in) to make for an easier check-out...and (hopefully) result in fewer MIA books at the end of the year. We'll see if it looks this good next month...

I just LOVE things that are so organized!!!! This makes me smile :)

Front of the classroom = SMART Board, carpet area, my desk, etc.

Conferencing table and math shelves. The conferencing table is where I meet with students one-on-one, or in small groups to work on specific skills they may need additional practice with.

Weekend Deals

2009-08-17T09:21:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, my mom and I went on a quest for good deals for my classroom...and good deals we found! I had to take the above picture because just talking about it won't give you the full effect of how much stuff I got! I spent right at $50, and my mom helped me out with $11.50 for the five pairs of scissors, Pictionary game, and craft sticks you see there. We went to Staples for Teacher Appreciation Day, so along with the great deals on many of the supplies you see here, I also got some freebies! After that, we went to lots of garage sales. My main goal was to find a lamp and some small chairs for a reading nook I'm wanting to create in my classroom this year. The chairs were a no-go, but some good friends were kind enough to donate a lamp (not pictured) that was on it's way to Goodwill. Thanks, Ryan and Tricia! Below is a list of all the stuff I snagged for $50:

~6 pkgs. of colored pencils
~2 pkgs. of Sharpies
~2 pkgs. of cap erasers
~1 pkg. of colored craft sticks
~2 pkgs. of markers
~3M plastic hooks
~star-shaped name plates (for desks)
~24 composition notebooks
~grab-bag of construction paper (garage sale find)
~4 paperback books (Bunnicula trilogy, and a fantasy book)
~4 hardback books (A Light in the Attic, Oh The Places You'll Go, New Kid on the Block, and a Harry Potter book)
~a whole stack (20-25) educational magazines (Highlights, Contact Kids, etc.)

Freebies:
~1 pkg. of #2 pencils
~post-its
~notepad
~school box
~paper clips
~2 pkgs. of blue pens
~push pins
~grab-bag of miscellaneous office supplies (magnets, clips, etc.)

What a great day!!!!

Continuing My Education

2009-08-17T09:02:00.004-05:00

Another bit of exciting news around here is that I've officially decided that I'm ready to continue my education and work on my Masters Degree. At this point, I've sent in my application and I'm working on getting recommendations filled out and my transcripts sent over. So, I haven't been officially accepted into the program, but I'm very hopeful! I'm applying to William Woods University because I really like the way their program is set up. If I'm accepted, I will be a part of a cohort of teachers that will meet once a week for about two years. Each of the courses will last 5-6 weeks, and we'll move through the classes in a particular sequence. This could not be better for me because I was very concerned about working on my Masters while I'm teaching. I didn't want to become overwhelmed with all the work, but I'm thinking that one class at a time will be very manageable for me. Plus, I really like the idea of having the same classes with the same people at the same time throughout the program. What a great opportunity for collaboration! I'll definitely be letting you all know if/when I'm accepted into the program!

5K Training Updates

2009-08-17T08:44:00.003-05:00

Since Curtis has been sick, he hasn't really started his training for the 5K, but hopefully he'll be able to get started now that he's beginning to feel better. I, on the other hand, have kept up with the schedule every single day! I still have 4 more weeks of training until I'm "race ready", but I'm feeling really good about the progress I've made so far.

If you'll recall, the first day was 1 minute run/1 minute walk (10 times), and I thought there was no way I'd be able to run for more than one minute at a time. I'm happy to say that I've proven myself wrong! After that, the next two days were 2 minutes/4 minutes (5 times). Then I did two days of 3 minutes/3 minutes (4 times). And yesterday, I did what I previously thought would be impossible: 5 minutes/2 minutes (3 times). That's right...I ran 5 minutes IN A ROW...3 TIMES!!! I couldn't believe I did it!

From here, the training schedule just gets harder. Tomorrow, I'm supposed to do 7 minutes/2 minutes (3 times). 5 minutes was hard enough! I don't know how I'll make it 7, but I'm going to give it a try! Curtis has definitely kept me motivated throughout this process because, even though he's not running with me right now, he encourages me not to give up before I go for a run, then praises me when I return for my accomplishments. Without the motivation from him, I don't know if I'd be doing quite so well :)

Busy as a Bee and Sick as a Dog

2009-08-17T08:30:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I've updated everyone on the happenings around here, so I'm going to post several shorter snippets today to let you know some of the things the Butricks have been up to lately. First of all, I've been "busy as a bee" working on my classroom the past couple of weeks. The kids don't officially come back until the 25th, so I still have a little over a week, but the classroom is ready! I'll post pictures in a separate posting later. While I've been busy with that, Curtis has been "sick as a dog" for over a week. He's actually on the mend now, which is good...but it's been a rough time! Three doctors and two rounds of antibiotics later, we finally got a diagnosis of "severe tonsilitis" from the Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist. What we don't understand is why the first two doctors couldn't come up with that diagnosis considering the huge, white spot on the back of his throat! I'm thinking we need to start searching for a new PCP for Curtis...

Training Days 1 & 2 (With a Little Added Bonus)

2009-08-04T11:11:00.004-05:00

I know you've all been on the edge of your seats just waiting to hear how the first two days of 5K training has gone. I'm happy to report that Day 1 was a great success for the Butricks. As it turns out, we are REALLY good at resting! What a relief to be able to cross that day off our 6 week plan.

All jokes aside, today was the first day of actual training, so I decided that it would work out best for me if I got mine out of the way first thing this morning. That was a good choice since the forecast for today is 95 degrees...ick. I hopped out of bed, put on my brand new shoes (which I bought just for this occasion), and headed out the door.

Today's schedule called for 1 minute of running, followed by 1 minute of walking (repeated 10 times). The following is a run-down of the thoughts running through my head at each of those intervals.

Run #1 - This isn't so bad! I could do this!
Run #2 - Okay, I'm a little winded, but I still feel good. I wonder if those landscapers over there think I'm a REAL runner? I think I'm pulling it off.
Run #3 - I hate running uphill...I hate running uphill...I hate running uphill...Am I done yet?
Run #4 - I could really use my ChapStick right now...My lips hurt real bad (as Napoleon Dynamite would say).
Run #5 - Okay, this is kind of sucking now. My legs feel like Jell-O.
Run #6 - Oh no, that elderly couple and their dog are walking very slowly, and I'm going to have to pass them! Will they hear my heavy breathing? What if they don't move out of the way? What if I trip and fall right in front of them?
Run #7 - "Don't Stop Belie-e-vin'! Hold on to that fee-e-e-e-e-lin'!"
Run #8 - I could stop now, and no one would have to know...
Run #9 - I sure do love these new shoes! Feels like I'm running on clouds.
Run #10 - Well, this is it! I'm almost there. I might pass out, and I'm starting to see spots, but I'm gonna keep going until that timer hits 20!

I couldn't believe it! I, Alysia Butrick, had just completed Training Day #2! I almost did a happy dance in the middle of Pythian on my way back to the house. But, I was still seeing a few spots, and I could feel the beginnings of a small headache coming on, so the sight of our house couldn't come soon enough. I turned down our street...and walked...and walked...and got about halfway down the street fully expecting to see my house soon, when suddenly it hit me - This is NOT my street!!!! In my delerium, I apparently failed to notice that I turned about one street too soon. I immediately started to panic and wonder how I would make it out of this situation without looking like an idiot. Finally, reality set in and I realized that this was pretty much like every other residential area in Springfield and I could just continue walking around the block until I got back to my house. You'll be happy to know that I did eventually make it back to my house. I just had to take a little "extended detour" to get there! Luckily, Training Day #3 calls for more resting. THAT I can handle! Stay tuned for future updates about our 5K adventures.

Waking up in Vegas

2009-08-03T19:48:00.007-05:00

Last week, the Butricks went on yet another summer adventure to sunny (and hot) Las Vegas! We took advantage of the slumping economy and booked a super cheap 3-night getaway for the two of us. I took a few pictures while we were there, but definitely not as many as I had planned. I guess we were just having too much fun enjoying every single moment that I forgot about the camera in my purse! Here are a few of the pictures I took:

This picture was taken in the Springfield airport. We decided to grab a bite to eat before we boarded the plane. That was a bad idea. I believe our total for a chef salad and two drinks was approximately $14. Hence the perplexed look on Curtis' face.

After the chef salad debacle, we decided that our first stop in Vegas would NOT be the hotel...but instead In & Out Burger!!!!! Great choice after a long flight. Thanks to Nedimir, our cab driver for being patient enough to take us to the drive-through on the way to the hotel!

Finally, we arrived at our home-away-from-home for the next three nights, New York New York!This was the view of the roller coaster and MGM Grand from our room.

After we settled in our first night, we headed to the other end of the strip so that we could catch the Cirque du Soleil LOVE show. It showcases the music of The Beatles, and was an amazing production. It gets two thumbs up from The Butricks!

The following are just a few more quick pics of things we did during our stay in Vegas.
We stopped by to see what the lions were doing at MGM. They were pretty active this day, playing with a well-loved ball and with their trainers.

Curtis kissing a blowfish at the Mirage aquarium. We also visited the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, but I forgot to take pictures...What was I thinking?!?!

View of the gondolas at The Venetian.

Pretty umbrellas hanging from the ceiling at The Palazzo.

We ended up going to a 2nd Cirque show called Zumanity because we were surprised with some great coupons our 2nd day at the hotel (and you all know how much I love coupons!!!!). The acrobatics in this show were amazing. It is NOT a family-friendly show, however, so I won't blog about the details.

I think next time we visit LV, we'll try to get a room at the new Planet Hollywood. It seemed like a very cool place to stay, and is definitely in the center of all the action. We had a great time in Vegas together, and would love to go back again sometime soon.

Runnin' Just as Fast as We Can!

2009-08-03T17:17:00.002-05:00

Watch out, Springfield! This October, the Butricks are taking on a 5K race to benefit breast cancer! I know it sounds crazy (and it just might be...), but we're going to give it our best shot. Actually, I know this will be a breeze for Curtis, so I will be giving it my best shot. I am absolutely NOT a runner. In fact, I don't even know how far a 5K is!!! I guess I'll be finding out soon enough:)

I usually avoid running at all costs, but it's for such a good cause, how could I not participate? Plus, I'm hopeful that I'll have a great feeling of accomplishment at the end of the race. I picture something reminiscent of a scene from Chariots of Fire (or any other uplifting runner's movie). Arms outstretched, sweat dripping from my forehead (but in a pretty way, of course), head lifted to face the sun as I bask in the glory of the great finish (cue cheesy music).

In preparation for the race, Curtis did some searching and found a plan that should have us race-ready in 6 weeks. The best part of this plan, you ask? It starts today, and next to the word "Monday", it tells us that we have the strenuous responsibility of RESTING! That's right...resting on our first day of training! Finally, a training plan I can get on board with! This could really work out well for me:)

And for those of you who might be interested in what the rest of our 6 week plan will entail (because, unfortunately, it's not ALL resting), or perhaps want to give it a try yourselves (ahem...Hilary!), you can find it here. I'll keep you all posted on how this goes...that is, if I survive!

This Woman's Work

2009-07-24T11:48:00.005-05:00

When I watched this on So You Think You Can Dance this week, I was in tears. No one wants to have to battle breast cancer or watch someone they love go through it. The sad reality is that a majority of us will be personally affected by it at one time or another. It shows what I can only imagine the gamut of emotions must be for someone dealing with this everyday, and it truly says what words cannot. Watch it here. It's beautiful.

O Magazine

2009-07-13T13:35:00.002-05:00

Another magazine offer I came across today is 5 free issues to O Magazine (from August-December). You can access the order form here. The website promises no obligations and no need to cancel the subscription. I just typed in my address and email, and that was it! I'm excited about all the great magazines I'll soon be receiving in the mail!!!

Real Simple Magazine

2009-07-13T13:30:00.003-05:00

For those of you out there who are fans of the Real Simple magazine (full of great tips and tricks for home decor, food, clothing, crafts, etc.), Amazon has an AMAZING deal right now on a 1 year subscription. Only $5 for an entire year! It's usually about $50 for one year, so don't pass it up! I just got mine today:)

Adventures in STL

2009-07-07T14:12:00.013-05:00

Since the traditional 1st anniversary gift is paper, I decided to get a gift that both of us could enjoy together...Cardinals tickets!!!! So, last Wednesday, Curtis and I packed our bags and headed for St. Louis for a few days. We had the best time and did pretty much everything we'd set out to do. I'm going to let the pictures help me tell the story of our adventures in STL.

Day 1
First stop of the trip - Grant's Farm, where we got to meet up with Justin. On a scale from 1-10, I'd give Grant's Farm about a 6. It was like a small-scale zoo with a really long tram ride. Nothing too amazing, but free nonetheless. Free, that is, if you are stealthy like we are and seek out free parking 1/2 mile away as opposed to paying their $11 fee. $11...seriously?!?! To park for 2 hours?!?! No thanks.There was a petting zoo with TONS of goats. We opted to stay on the outside of the pen because of all the....droppings that we saw numerous people stepping in. Ew.

After we left Grant's Farm, we checked into our (somewhat ghetto) hotel, grabbed some wings, and then it was off to our first game!

We had great seats on the Casino Queen Patio. The game went into the 10th inning with a score of 1-1, but the Cards pulled it out with a home run from a former Springfield Cardinals boy, Colby Rasmus! It's so much fun to see the hometown boys making it big.

Day 2
We got up bright and early and walked down to the riverfront for Curtis' first trip up into the Arch! I guess when you visit the Arch when you're younger, the size of the "tram" doesn't seem that unusual. Then you become an adult...and boy is it a tight squeeze! I felt like I was on an episode of Mork and Mindy. Nanoo-nanoo:)
We spent the rest of our afternoon playing like little kids at the Science Center. Sorry this one's a little fuzzy...apparently, my camera settings got changed somehow. But can you see Justin floating in the air? Pretty cool!
And we went to the Art Museum too. This is actually a painting, but it totally looks like a photograph! There was some pretty amazing artwork to see, but there was also some really weird stuff. In fact, I'd say that some of the stuff they label as "art" looks more like a science experiment to me. One piece that made me really mad though was a bunch of nails hammered into the wall with a single piece of string tied around it. Seriously???? People get paid to make this stuff. I could do that!!!

We left the Art Museum at what we considered a pretty reasonable time in order to get to game #2 on time. St. Louis traffic, however, thought otherwise. We sat in traffic and went approximately 12 blocks in 1 1/2 hours. And then THIS happened...
That's right, folks! Curtis somehow got cut off by a HORSE AND CARRIAGE!!!! It was just too classic not to take a picture of. I will laugh about this forever:)
The good news - We made it to the game and were in our seats as the first pitch was being thrown, and the Cards won AGAIN!!! I like to think our presence had something to do with their two wins in a row:)After the game, we met up with Justin again at a place called The Tin Can, where they sell a very wide selection of adult beverages in cans for a very affordable price. We had fun, as you can tell by the picture above!

Day 3

Curtis and I slept in for a little while on Friday, and then headed for this cute little place a few blocks away called Crepes in the City where you can choose from a whole bunch of different types of crepes. I totally should've taken a picture of mine, but I'll just have to let my words paint the picture instead. First of all, you can choose the type of crepe batter you want. Mine was a chocolate crepe stuffed with strawberries and Nutella (yum!), and topped with whipped cream. Mmmmmm...I'm craving one right now!

After that, we just kind of wandered around a few different places. We walked down to the landing for a bit and stopped by the new Lumiere casino to lose $8...although, at one point, we could have won that much too. One day we'll learn to quit while we're ahead! Then we hopped in the car to check out a couple of our favorite stores that we don't have in Springtown (H&M, REI, and Whole Foods). We didn't buy anything, but instead just kept saying, "If only we had one of these in Springfield..."

We were so excited that one of my best friends was having a BBQ at her house that night, so we stopped in to visit for a while and play a mean game of washers. Angie and I have been best friends since our sophomore year of college (this is our 10 year anniversary), and it was so wonderful to get to spend time with her and her husband, Robert. What a great time we had!
After we left the BBQ, we headed back downtown to the riverfront for the annual 4th of July festivities. Mom and Dad just rolled into town too!

We got to see the Counting Crows perform...but only on the jumbotron since there were like 100,000 people there.And then they shot off the fireworks from the barge in the river. I loved sitting right beneath the Arch to see this whole display. Breathtaking!
We met up with some more of my college friends at the riverfront that evening, so we all decided to go out afterwards. They took us to a place that I think is called Talayna's, but I called it Tawanda's all night because I just couldn't get it figured out. I think the word I would use to describe this place is...unique. It's covered in mirrors and disco balls, and they had great karaoke! The fireworks made us really hungry (and a little thirsty too), so we ordered the greasiest pizza I've ever seen (but it was really tasty!).You know it's a good time to end your adventures in STL when your hair ends up like this...
What a fun time we had!!! I'm so glad we got to meet up with so many different people and experience so many different things while we were there. We can't wait to go back soon!!!

Better Late Than Never!

2009-06-26T09:46:00.010-05:00

Hayley, I know you selected me for this award months ago...but I didn't forget! I finally had a few minutes of downtime today to do some blogging, so here we go:)

Rules:

1. List 7 things that you LOVE.

2. Link to the person who has tagged you.

3. Choose 7 more bloggers to give the Kreativ Blogger Award to.

4. Comment on those 7 blogs to let the recipients know you chose them.

Okay, so here are just 7 of the things/people that I LOVE:

1. Curtis
I can't even begin to describe how much I love this man. He is the best friend I've ever had. We laugh together, support each other, and make new memories each day. I am so lucky to be building a life with Curtis and I count my blessings everyday. He is amazing!

2. My Family
I have also been blessed with the best family in the world. We are all very close, and I love knowing that they are there for me anytime I need them. On top of my own immediate family, I am now also part of a wonderful extended family.

3. Good Friends
I LOVE my friends, and I LOVE that I have lots of them. My friends are the most beautiful people I know. They are all strong, loyal, funny, caring, and selfless. I know that I will always be able to count them as my friends.

4. Reading a Good Book
Summertime = Reading for this teacher! I hardly ever get a chance to read for fun (or for any other reason, for that matter) during the school year. So, I try to spend as much time as possible in the summer to read as many great books as I can. So far this summer, I've read a book called Until We Meet Again, which is a true story about Holocaust survivors and the horrors they faced while in hiding, and then in concentration camps. It's a fascinating, easy read that I definitely recommend. And now, I'm halfway through The Art of Racing in the Rain, a family's story told through the eyes of Enzo, their dog. So far, I'm having a hard time putting it down. After I finish this one, I'm planning on reading Eat, Pray, Love, which I hear very good things about. I LOVE being a bookworm!

5. Travel
I guess one good thing about a failing economy is that travel prices are CHEAP right now! Curtis and I both love to travel and will jump at almost any opportunity to do so if we can afford it. This summer, I've been working on making extra money by attending several of the district workshops that are offered. With the money I'm making, we were able to travel to Tennessee, we'll be making two trips up to St. Louis, and we're going to VEGAS in July! We are so excited to do as much traveling as possible this summer. What great memories we're making:)

6. Children
Obviously, I love being around children since I teach them everyday. Recently, some of my friends have had babies, and I just smile being around them. The innocence and inhibitions children bring to our world are priceless.

7. Serving Others
Something I LOVE that I don't get to do very often is serve others. Our church does a community outreach project once a month, and we participate in that when we can. A few weeks ago, we were able to help out with a school makeover. Curtis and I worked with a group of 5-6 painting the inside of a classroom. The feeling I get from helping other people and making a difference is indescribable.

This seems like such a short list compared to all the things I can think of that I LOVE. Thank you, Hayley for nominating me:) Now I would like to pass the award on to the following people: Ashley, Hilary, Rachel, Melody, Shannon, Angela, and Aubrey.

A Wedding and an Anniversary

2009-06-26T08:34:00.008-05:00

Last weekend, Curtis and I had the privilege of traveling to Tennessee for my best friend, Jill's, wedding. The immedicate-family-only ceremony was held on a Thursday afternoon, and the rest of the guests (including us) arrived on Friday for a barbecue, tons of fun activities, and the Saturday night reception. All of the wedding events took place at Whitestone Inn, the most beautiful Bed & Breakfast I've ever seen. Whitestone sits on 360 acres of land, right on the gorgeous Watts Bar lake. The room that Curtis and I stayed in was called the Chickadee Suite, and it was AMAZING!!! We loved everything about it, from the way it was decorated to the comlimentary beverages restocked in our fridge each morning, to the jacuzzi tub in the living room. What a great place to relax and celebrate not only the wedding, but our first anniversary. Thank you, Jill & Prentice for including us in your special weekend! Here are some pictures from our getaway. Enjoy!

On the way to Whitestone, we stopped by this beautiful waterfall called Ozone Falls. This is a place Curtis used to visit when he was a wilderness guide in college.
This was our bedroom. Isn't it cute?

This is the view into our living room from the kitchen...

...and this is the jacuzzi tub in the living room, facing the TV!

The Entrance Barn (aka - Home Sweet Home for two days). Our room was on the lower level of this building.

This is the view of the lake from the Farmhouse porch. The Farmhouse was where we ate breakfast and lunch each day. It also housed several guest rooms, as well as a rec area in the basement complete with billiards, ping-pong, and tons of board games.

This picture was also taken from the Farmhouse porch. On the right, you can see the chapel (which I hear is beautiful inside), and on the left, a building called Lion and the Lamb. Lion and the Lamb is where the reception was held and it's where Jill & Prentice and their parents stayed. Somewhere (I think right in front of Lion and the Lamb) is a gazebo where the ceremony was held.

Everything's set up for the beautiful reception!

The bride and groom's first dance.

Father/daughter dance. Check out those moves!!!

Our first anniversary pic. It's hard to believe one year has already gone by!!!

Me with the beautiful bride. Congratulations Jill & Prentice!!!

$6.84 CVS Trip & $7 Sunglasses...

2009-06-14T18:06:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, my favorite sunglasses bit the dust. The sunglasses that just last Sunday got an unexpected compliment from the gentleman behind me in line at the Red Box. In fact, he was so taken by them that he actually paused mid-sentence in what seemed like a very important phone call to tell me how awesome they were. As you can imagine, I was deeply saddened by the passing of these trusty glasses. Of course, I have a few backup pairs (the "B" team as I affectionately call them) but those all have a "yeah, but..." attached to them. For example, when Curtis saw how upset I was that my faves were broken, he did his best to offer suggestions. Our conversation went something like this...

C - "Don't you have an extra pair in your car?"
A - "Yeah, but they're REALLY old and all scratched up"
C - "You can just wear the ones in my glove box."
A - "Yeah, but they just don't look right on my face. They're too skinny and they're not my style. I need big ones"
C - "But they're so sporty!"
A - "But I'm NOT sporty!"
C - "Maybe if you wore them, you would be."
A - "I highly doubt it. Anyway, I need to find new sunglasses tomorrow."
C - "Okay..."

Although I really appreciated his attempt at helping me find a solution to my crisis, I was set on getting new ones.

Imagine my excitement to find that CVS was advertising what seemed like a great deal on sunglasses today. Buy two pairs, get $10 in ECBs. The ad said that the sunglasses started at $5.99. What a steal this would be! Yeah...I don't know where these $5.99 sunglasses were, but they weren't at my CVS. The cheapest ones I found were $13.99....$13.99!!!! I've never paid that much for sunglasses because they always seem to find ways to fall into bodies of water, get scratches in the very center of them (precisely where your eyes focus most of the time when driving), etc. At most, I will pay $9 for a pair of sunglasses. Anything more is just a waste of money in my opinion.

So, CVS was not the place for me to find my new shades. I did, however, come across some pretty sweet deals while I was there. Here's the rundown:

Peanut Butter crackers (package of 8...4 crackers per package): $1!!!
John Frieda Shampoo and Conditioner: On sale for $4.99, used 2 $3/1 coupons - $1.99 each! (these, btw, are usually $6.99 each)
Jergens Natural Glow Lotion: These were marked on sale for $7.99, but it rang up $4.25. Sweet deal!
Kelloggs Raisin Bran cereal: On sale for $1.88, used a $1.50/2 coupon - $1.13 each!

Total before coupons: $18.99
Subtotal after manufacturer coupons: $11.49
Final total after ECBs earned last week: $6.84 (with tax)
Total savings (using original prices): 80%!!!!!!

I love that CVS tells you how much money you've saved at the bottom of the receipt (if you're a cardholder). To date, I have saved $73.69 and spent $73.01. I've finally broken the 50% mark overall! This is so exciting:)

Now, for the conclusion you've all been waiting for...the sunglasses. Since CVS was of no help to me in that department, I decided to trek it to Wal-Mart, mecca of all things cheap. I was pleased to find several cute pairs in my budget, and settled on one with a price tag of $7. A great price, but then it hit me that I spent more on a single item at Wal-Mart than I did on 6 at CVS. Crazy the deals I'm finding!!! Oh well, I love my new summer shades:)

Old Navy Coupon Drawing

2009-06-10T08:26:00.004-05:00

One of the blogs I follow, Gateway to Saving is holding a drawing for a $50/$100 gift certificate to Old Navy. Go here to enter, but hurry! The drawing will be held at 1 pm today!

O-O-O-Old Navy!

2009-05-25T15:58:00.003-05:00

Very rarely do Curtis and I treat ourselves to new clothes (like, maybe once every few months). For those of you who don't know about the Old Navy coupons, let me tell you a little bit about how it works. Supposedly, every Thursday night, the website resets with coupons that you have to "search" for. There's a limited number of each type of coupon (fewer of the higher dollar ones, of course) so you have to get there as soon as possible on Thursday night before they run out...and they go fast! This past week, for example, they had some coupons that were $60 off a $100 purchase (really wish I would've gotten that one!). Those are usually harder to find and harder to collect, but well worth the time. This week, I settled for a $10 off a $50 purchase...so off to the mall we went! Here's what we scored for our $50 this week: 3 pairs of shorts (2 for me, 1 for Curtis), 2 V-neck shirts (Curtis), and 2 pairs of flip-flops (Alysia...and only $1 each on Saturday!). It feels so great to have something new in our closet to wear:)

***Sidenote: She's a little hard to see because of the dark bedding, but our sweet kitty just had to get in on the far left side of this one. She loved our new clothes too!

Deals for Week of 5/23

2009-05-25T15:17:00.003-05:00

I have been really bad about blogging lately...but school's starting to wind down, so hopefully I'll get back into the routine this summer. I just thought I'd share with you a few of the great deals I scored this week. A lot of the blogs I keep up with do separate postings for each of the stores they visit. I don't really have that kind of time, so I'll just give you the big picture.

Walgreens:
~Select Banana Boat sunscreens are BOGO this week. I got two originally priced at $10.99, used $5 Register Reward I scored in a purchase last week and paid $5.34 OOP (out of pocket) for both. Total saved: $16.64 -- 76%!!

~Spaghettios - On sale for $0.99 this week. Bought one and used $1 Register Reward I earned last week. Total saved: $0.99 -- 100%!! (FREE!)

~Reach Toothbrushes - On sale 2/$5 this week, get $3 in Register Rewards for your next purchase.

CVS:
~Revlon Nail Polish - On sale $3.99, get $3 Extra Care Bucks (ECB) for next purchase.

~Colgate Total Advantage - On sale $2.99, get $2 ECB, plus I had a $0.75/1 coupon. So, I paid $2.24 but got $2 to put towards a future purchase!

~Playtex tampons (18 ct.) - On sale $3.99, get $3 ECB.

~Maybelline mascara - BOGO - Paid $4.79 for 2 Great Lash mascaras!

***In a previous visit, I got a printout coupon for $3 off a $15 purchase. My total before the coupon was $15.83, so I got all of that stuff for $12.83 OOP, but earned $8 to use in the future!

Wal-Mart:
~Glade Sense and Spray Air Fresheners - On sale for $5. I bought two and had two $4/1 coupons, so I got each for $1!!

~Velveeta Shells and Cheese - Wal-Mart has them for $1.50. I bought two and used two $1/1 coupons, making them $0.50 each.

~Sara Lee Honey Wheat Bread - On sale at Wal-Mart for $1.88. Used a $1/1 coupon, got the bread for $0.88.

~Pillsbury Brownie Mix - On sale for $1 each.

Price Cutter:
~Wheat Thins - BOGO this week (reg. $3.49 each). Got two and used a $1/1 coupon. Paid $2.49 for both.

~Kraft Cheese - On sale for $1.59 this week (a steal in and of itself!). Used two $1/1 coupons, so got each pack for $0.59! Even though we really didn't need cheese this week, I just couldn't pass up this deal...so the new packs are in the freezer right now:)

The Big Picture:
Total before discounts, coupons, etc. for today's shopping trip:: $92.46
Actual Total:: $45.43
Future Purchase Stockpile:: $11
Savings Today:: $47.03 -- 51%!!!

Deals and Steals!

2009-04-26T11:10:00.008-05:00

As summer draws nearer, Curtis and I have begun to realize a couple of things:

1. We have some things planned in the next few months that will cost us some money.
2. Money is not something we have a lot of right now.
3. Time is running out to put any money away for our summer fun.

Bottom line: We need a plan to start saving money where we can.

One of the ways we plan to do this is by seeking out great deals in the grocery stores and combine those deals with coupons whenever we can. We tried to begin this process last Sunday, but I was a little discouraged because all the good stuff was gone by the time we got there...and I didn't really feel like I was saving as much money as I thought I would. My high expectations combined with the less-than-desirable outcome resulted in a huge feeling of defeat for me. I felt like the time I spent surfing the web and scouring the newspaper ads searching for the best deals was a complete waste.

After a few days of being a Debbie Downer about last week's fiasco, I psyched myself up to give it one more try. "I will NOT be defeated!!!" I reassured myself. So, at 6:45 this morning I headed to the convenience store up the street to pick up a copy of today's paper. When I got home, I first took out all the coupons (both from today's paper and from those I'd already clipped) and familiarized myself with them. Then, I made a list of things we needed to get this week so that I could find the best deals on those things first. I was so excited to see that I was able to find either sales or coupons (or both in some cases) on all of the "must have" items on our list except for the string cheese (but it is a necessity in our household, so oh well). After I was able to square that stuff away, I continued searching for the "fun and free" stuff.

I went to Walgreens (two locations), CVS, Dillon's, and Harter House and was home within 1 1/2 hours with all my treasures. (I should probably stop here to note that we did go to church last night since North Point just started a new Saturday night service...so I'm not trading church for saving money!) I'm slowly learning how all this stuff works, but it was SO much fun seeing how much stuff I got for the money I spent ($53.42 total). Here's a run-down of some of the best deals I found.

Great Deal #1 - The 2-Liter of Sierra Mist (orig. $1.59) - FREE with a coupon that printed at Dillon's a few weeks ago:)

Great Deal #2 - Nivea Body Wash (orig. $4.99) - Walgreens has a deal this week where you get a $5 Register Reward (a coupon that prints out after purchase) that you can use on any future Walgreens purchase

Great Deal #3 - Glad trash bags (on sale at Walgreens for $6.99) - I had the cashier ring these on a separate transaction from the body wash so that I could turn around and use the $5 Register Reward on the trash bags - So, I got these for $1.99!!!

Great Deal #4 - Suave hair care - Walgreens had them 3/$5, PLUS you get $2 in Register Rewards, PLUS I had a coupon for $1.75 off of three - paid $3.25 for all three but got the $2 coupon for another transaction...

Great Deal #5 - Old Spice body wash (orig. $4.99) - turned right around and used that $2 Register Reward from the Suave shampoo and got the body wash for $2.99.

Great Deal #6 - Sara Lee bread (on sale at Harter House for $1.79) - Had a coupon from today's paper for $1 off - Paid $0.79!!!

Great Deal #7 - CVS has a deal where if you buy $20 worth of selected products, you get $10 in Extra Care Bucks (used just like Walgreen's Register Rewards). I got the following items: Neosporin, Band-Aids, and Tylenol Extra-Strength Caplets for a little over $20, then I used $3 in Extra Care Bucks I got last weekend so I paid $17 today...THEN I got the $10 ECB from today's transaction. I haven't used those yet because I thought it might be smart to save them and see if they could be better used next week.

Not to shabby for my first time out, don't you think??? My goal is to try and keep you updated each week on the deals I find so that maybe some of you will be able to start saving money too! Also, if you find things that I haven't found, please feel free to leave a comment and share your finds with all of us!

Towelhead

2009-04-21T18:00:00.002-05:00

I'm usually not a huge movie critic, but I have a VERY strong opinion about the last one we rented. I'll keep it very short. Don't EVER watch the movie Towelhead. We actually stopped it about 20 minutes in because we were so uncomfortable with the content. It was not at all what I expected, and I can't even say much more about it because it was just too disturbing. Don't watch it!

Ew

2009-04-21T17:38:00.004-05:00

Funny for today -

Last night, Curtis and I went about our normal nightly before-bed rituals. A ritual that goes something like this: Alysia falls asleep on the couch watching Heroes at approximately 8:30...Curtis wakes Alysia at 10:15 so that she can move her slumber to the bedroom...Alysia stumbles, groggy-eyed to the bathroom to take out the contacts which are now cemented to her eyeballs...Contacts are out, so Alysia fumbles for her glasses so that she can see to brush her teeth...Alysia reaches for her pink Oral B toothbrush...Alysia rubs her eyes once more to make sure she's seeing clearly in her befuddled state...Yep, she's seeing clearly...Pink Oral B toothbrush is not in it's usual spot in the holder...Instead, it's in Curtis' MOUTH!!! That's right, he used MY toothbrush! Gross. But then again, I guess he should be the one who's grossed out since he was the one who used someone else's toothbrush. We definitely had a good laugh about it though!

Couponing

2009-04-12T20:31:00.003-05:00

It seems like I can't go anywhere these days without people buzzing about couponing. I've just started to delve into this hobby lately because, let's face it...money is not exactly growing in my backyard. Clearly, I am still taking baby steps towards becoming a couponer because, although I clip coupons on a regular basis and keep them all strategically organized in my very official white envelope, I'm certainly not saving the amounts of money that I've heard others have been saving. I think one of my problems is that Curtis and I don't get a daily newspaper, but my mom is always so thoughtful to save the coupons from the paper for me...so am I missing advertisements on what's already on sale? I also visit several couponing blogs/websites to try and keep updated on the best deals, but I often feel overwhelmed and unsure about where to start. If you are a couponer and have any suggestions or advice for me, please feel free to post a comment! I can't wait to start saving lots of money!!!

Easter Sunday + Slumdog Millionaire = Awesome

2009-04-12T19:37:00.005-05:00

Curtis and I have been attending North Point Church regularly for several months now because there are so many things we love about it (i.e. their mission, the music, the outreach and community opportunities, etc.). One of the things we love the most is how the message/theme each week is so current and relevant. The Easter Sunday service was no exception. Mix in 3-D glasses, rockin' music, and a message relating the plot of Slumdog Millionaire to Christianity, and you've got yourself a good time in my opinion! The service ended with an interpretation of the celebration dance at the end of the movie, which I have posted below. Enjoy and Happy Easter!

Congratulations Jill!

2009-04-05T08:59:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, my mom and I got to throw a bridal shower for my best friend Jill. Jill and I have been friends since we were about 4 years old, so we've shared all of our biggest milestones with each other. Last year, I was blessed to have her as my Maid of Honor...and this year I get to celebrate with her as she prepares to walk down the aisle too! I'm so excited for her to begin her new life with her fiance, Prentice. They make such a wonderful couple, and I know they are going to be so happy together! Here are just a few pictures from the shower.

Harper is Here!!!

2009-04-05T08:45:00.003-05:00

Last Friday, our good friends, Leslie and Dave welcomed their new bundle of joy into the world! Little Miss Harper was born at 11:55 pm, weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz., and was 20 3/4 in. long. She's such a sweetie, and we're so excited that she's finally here!

Harper and her mommy
Auntie Lindsay got to hold her too!

Stretching her legs!

Baby Fever!

2009-03-26T10:22:00.006-05:00

It seems like I've been perpetually surrounded by pregnant friends lately. I have to say it gives me a pretty good case of baby fever at this point in my life! My friend, Leslie, is actually due next Friday and I never posted pictures from the baby shower we threw for her. It was so much fun seeing all the cute girly things Baby Harper will soon be receiving:) I can't wait for her to arrive!!! Here are some pics from her shower.

The cake and punch table.
Welcome Baby Harper!
Pics of Leslie and Dave when they were babies. The "How Big is Leslie's Belly?" Game
A dog book where you can move the dogs' heads, tails, and...well...let's just say one lifts his leg.
Leslie's mom gave her a family heirloom...a locket that has been passed down for several generations and that Leslie once wore. It was so touching! Leslie and her momma The hostesses and mommy-to-be: Ashley, Leslie, me, Mandy All the girls!

Surprise (sort of)!!!

2009-03-26T08:03:00.005-05:00

Curtis' birthday was March 7th, and I'm finally getting around to posting pictures from our celebration (it's amazing how much more time I have on my hands during spring break...). The party was originally supposed to be a surprise, but he ended up finding out about it anyway which was no surprise to me. I was actually relieved when he did find out because I'm so bad at keeping secrets, and I didn't want to have to lie to him about anything either. Even though the party itself was no longer a surprise, I still had a few tricks up my sleeve!

First of all, I was even surprised at how many of our friends showed up to celebrate with us. We had two VERY long tables filled upstairs at Big Whiskeys. He was so excited to see everyone! Another surprise I had in store for him was his cake. He jokingly made a comment one day before his birthday about how awesome it would be if he could have a cake made by Celebrations by Sonja (the lady who did our delicious wedding cake). Little did he know, that plan was already in the works! The cake was beautiful and just as yummy as ever, so he was very happy:) I also surprised him with tickets to see Coldplay this summer. We can't wait for that concert! Curtis' party couldn't have turned out any better, and I think the Birthday Boy had an excellent time with all of his friends!

The Helfrechts and one of our two LONG tables.
The Berbs The beautiful cake!!!
Coldplay tickets!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CURTIS!!!!

A Happy Reunion

2009-03-25T17:54:00.007-05:00

It's been so long since I've posted anything, that this news is a little outdated, but I thought I'd share it anyway. I attended Pershing Elementary K-6, which is a small elementary here in town (pretty much one classroom per grade level). Because of the small size, we all knew each other very well and all lived very close to one another which led to hours and hours of after-school fun. After elementary, however, some of my good friends headed off to other schools and we all kind of lost touch with each other. Fortunately, we live in the world of online social networking these days, so through Facebook we were able to reunite (first in the virtual sense, then in person). I was able to meet up for coffee with four of my best friends from Pershing, and we had the BEST time reminiscing about the "old days" and sharing our lives as adults with each other. It was so exciting to see what beautiful, successful women we have all turned out to be! I can't wait for our next reunion:)

Powerful Words

2009-03-23T19:45:00.003-05:00

I just got back from an amazing trip to New Orleans where I attended the National Science Teachers Association convention. The whole experience was wonderful and I learned a LOT while I was there. Oddly enough, one of the highlights for me came after we left New Orleans, on the plane ride home. I was lucky enough to be seated next to one of the featured speakers at the convention, Kenneth Wesson (and boy, were the rest of the folks in my group jealous!). Kenneth is a researcher/speaker in the area of neuroscience as it relates to education. Through our conversation, (which, embarrassingly, all started over me reading an US Weekly) I was really able to gain some insight into why it's important for teachers and parents to understand how a child's brain works and develops. We discussed the ongoing debate of whether or not our school days should be lengthened. He would argue that it's not the school day, but rather the school year that should be lengthened because the brain doesn't retain information as easily after only a few days (and tell me why we wait until AFTER spring break to give the MAP test?!?!?!).

I found our conversation to be very enlightening, and I could probably ramble on and on about all of the things we talked about for hours. But the most important thing that Kenneth said to me that has resounded in my head since our time on the plane is this: "Children may not remember exactly what you said or what you did, but they will remember the way you made them feel." Then he asked me to think about my 4th grade teacher (who I adored) and recall something that she said or did, and I could think of nothing. Then he asked me to recall how she made me feel, and I can still feel those same things today just picturing her. I felt special, smart, and valued.

I have always been the type of teacher who strives to make every student feel exactly that same way, but after my conversation with Kenneth Wesson, I am even more inspired to make that extra effort. I have to make it my priority to try and make at least one positive connection with each of my students every day. Even if it's just a smile first thing in the morning when they walk in...that may be the only smile they see that day. I want to give them the same sense of belonging that Mrs. Jones gave to me. If you have time, I encourage you to read a short story I found online that Kenneth shared with a group of faculty members at a community college. It definitely brought a tear to my eye, and I hope it causes all of us to think about the impact we can have on others simply through the way we make them feel.

New Car!!!

2009-02-22T08:42:00.003-06:00

Here is a video Curtis made of our new car (it's kind of like MTV Cribs for a Honda)!!! It's been so much fun to drive it around everywhere:)

Vote for Mary!!!

2009-02-21T13:51:00.004-06:00

Several weeks ago, my mom sang the National Anthem at an MSU basketball game. Luckily, Curtis and I had just bought a new video camera and I couldn't wait to try it out, so I was able to record the performance. Last week, a contest was announced through YouTube to find the favorite Star-Spangled Banner singer. This morning, we uploaded the (completely amateur) video of her performance to YouTube, so now all she has to do is wait and see if she's the winner! If she wins, they will be flying her to Washington, D.C. to perform at The Smithsonian Museum, as well as a Baltimore Orioles baseball game. What an awesome opportunity this would be for her!!!

Here's the part where you can help make sure she wins. The winner of the contest will be the person whose video had the highest number of "views" as well as the highest rating. You can view her video here as many times as you want between now and April 13! Personally, I'm going to try and view it several times a day. You have to have a YouTube account to rate the video, but it's really easy (and free) to start an account...and you don't have to post any videos. Just VOTE!!! I know she would do an amazing job. Thank you for supporting my beautiful, talented mom:)

Getting My Priorities in Check

2009-01-19T17:00:00.003-06:00

I heard a quote once that went something like this:

The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

I'm not sure who coined this phrase, but it's something I've been thinking about a lot over these first few weeks of 2009. As a chronic list-maker, I get pure joy out of crossing things off my list (especially in order of priority). I am the queen of prioritizing what's already on my agenda. I've done it all my life. What I've been finding lately, however, is that there have been several items left off my uber-busy schedule that really should have been there all along. Things such as working out, reading books, and focusing more on my spirituality. Things that never fail to make me feel accomplished and whole.

That's why I have recently decided to realign my priorities. Obviously, my job as a teacher is one of the most important things in my life. It's a job that requires me to be a little more selfless than usual at least 5 days a week (sometimes more). Since I know that fact will never change, I have had to change the way I spend some of my free time. For example, Curtis and I joined our local YMCA two weeks ago. Since that time, we have been visiting the gym pretty regularly. Personally, I'm averaging 4 times per week for at least an hour per visit. Combine that with eating healthier meals, and I'm feeling great! What I love the most is that it's something that Curtis and I can do together.

Spiritually speaking, our church kicked off the New Year with a daily bible study/prayer journal that will walk me through the Bible from cover to cover by December 31. I've never made it past Genesis, so I'm glad to have the guidance through this process. I've really enjoyed my daily devotional time. Although these may be small adjustments, I can already tell what a HUGE difference they are making in my life. Yay for 2009!

A Year to Remember

2008-12-30T15:52:00.014-06:00

It's so hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2008, but what a memorable year it was for the Butricks! Here are just a few of our favorite pictures and memories from the past 365 days...enjoy:)

Mother Nature

We experienced everything from ice to tornados to severe flooding (not to mention 60 degree weather on December 30th!!!), but hardly a dusting of snow in 2008 (how can it snow in Las Vegas, but not here?!?!). Without a doubt, the weather in Springfield, MO will always keep you on your toes.

Concerts
Curtis and I were happy to be able to attend some awesome concerts with good friends this year. We saw 4 Jax, Ben Folds, The Eagles, Augustana, Counting Crows, and Maroon 5.

Silly Things...
2008 definitely had its fair share of silly moments. We had some child-like fun carving pumpkins together before Halloween and we spent a weekend dogsitting some cute pups, only to find out that our sweet kitty does not play well with others. We also spent Labor Day afternoon with some good friends doing silly things such as going to Dollar General to buy cheap knee-length socks so we could go bowling after a day at the pool.History Unfolding
We were fortunate enough to be able to attend an Obama rally here in Springfield the Saturday before the election. We knew that, regardless of the election's outcome, we were able to witness a little piece of history that night.
Celebrations
2008 was complete with birthdays, showers, and some pretty awesome parties! Here are some pics from just a few.
New Hobby
Curtis and I found a new hobby this year...camping! We went three times before it got too cold outside, and I can't wait for it to warm up so we can go again!
Travels
Whether it was a weekend jaunt up to St. Louis or Memphis, or a week-long excursion on the Pacific Coast, we were lucky enough to travel quite a bit more than usual this year. Sometimes the circumstances for our travels were happy, sometimes not so happy. Whatever the case, we made some lasting memories during each trip we took!
And the "Biggest Event of the Year" award goes to...
Our Wedding! It definitely helped to make our 2008 memorable, and we know that we will have a lifetime of memories yet to come:)
Curtis and I would like to wish all of you a very Happy New Year, and thanks for sharing in our memories from 2008! Yay for 2009!!!!

Christmas '08

2008-12-29T16:40:00.006-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas this year...I know I sure did! Curtis and I had a chance to celebrate with all of our local family members, and some from out of town as well! Here are just a few pictures from some of our Christmas celebrations. My camera was not cooperating the entire time, so I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted.

Justin and I at Cartoon's on the day after Christmas. My Uncle Danny and my mom knew some guys in the M-Dock Band, so we had VIP Passes and our own reserved table. It was hilarious watching the middle-aged men and women out on the dance floor that night! There was even a guy wearing leather pants and a woman who danced like Elaine from Seinfeld. No joke. It was classic!

Mom and Dad enjoying the band at Cartoon's. Dad doesn't usually smile for pictures anyway, but he was especially frowny here because his back was killing him. He was a good sport though! Oh, and Mom was asked to sing backup for one of the songs that night. She's awesome!

These are my uncles, Danny and Steve. In the middle is Steve's friend.

Curtis and I enjoying our evening together:)

This was the next morning...our "Christmas morning". We didn't get to celebrate as a family this year until the 27th because of Justin's hectic work schedule. I don't know how he does it, but we are so thankful he was able to come down for a day or two. What you can't see are the three stockings Santa filled for Justin, Curtis, and I. They're sitting on the couch. It's our yearly tradition to open those first and they're usually filled with some tasty treats, and sometimes a little moolah:)

Dad opening one of his gifts. He got more than a lump of coal this year! I guess he was on the nice list:)

Grandpa relaxing and having a cup of coffee. Nothing out of the ordinary on a Christmas morning!

This last picture was taken the next day at my friend, Amanda's wedding reception. We clean up pretty well!
We had such a great Christmas, and we're glad that we get to share just a little bit of it with you:)

Christmas is Here!!!

2008-12-24T10:04:00.002-06:00

It's Christmas Eve today and I couldn't be happier! It seems like I've been waiting for Christmas to get here for months this year. Perhaps the cause of my overwhelming anticipation is the fact that I had all my shopping done on Black Friday....and all the gifts wrapped the next day. Nerd alert!!! I just can't wait to get all the festivities underway so Curtis and I can spend time with our families and eat lots of yummy food. I feel truly blessed to have so many wonderful people to share this Christmas with. It is definitely the most wonderful time of the year! May God bless all of you this Christmas season!

Love,
Alysia

A Difficult Decision

2008-12-17T17:57:00.006-06:00

As most of you probably know, I've been going to church pretty much all of my life (although college was kind of hit-and-miss for a while). I love the church I grew up in with all my heart because that's where my family is. It's where I made what seems like thousands of memories throughout Sunday School, Youth Group, mission trips, choir tours, etc. It's where the foundations of my faith were built. It's the church in which Curtis and I said our vows. It's where I was baptized and became a Christian. It's MY church. It's MY home. More recently, however, Curtis and I have felt as though something was....well, missing from our church experience. We were longing for a group to fit into. Perhaps a Young Married class or some sort of small group situation where we could form lasting relationships with people on similar life paths. We tried several different things, but we had a really hard time finding that place that made us feel like a part of it all. So, we finally made the difficult decision to explore some of our options (or as it turns out, really only one option was necessary).

Some good friends of ours told us that they had been attending North Point Church for a while and that they really liked it. So, we gave it a try....and we LOVED it!!! I knew right away that this was going to be a place that would offer us the church experience we had been searching for. I never thought I could leave a church service wishing that it was next Sunday already. The goal of the church is to make each service an unforgettable experience, and I'd say they're exceeding that goal with me. I'm always able to take something away from the message, and don't even get me started on the music. I mean, WOW. Sometimes I have to tell myself I'm at church and not a concert. We are also very excited that, in January, we will have an opportunity to form a Community Group with people we can make personal connections with and share our journey with.

North Point has helped us to put all of the pieces of our church puzzle together for us, and for that we are so thankful. To give you a little taste of what we get to experience each Sunday, here are a few videos for your viewing pleasure!

Nutcracker/Drummer Boy Intro

We Three Kings/Guitar Hero

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-12-02T13:57:00.005-06:00

The rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Fill out the questions below
3. Tag 5-7 people at the end of your post.
4. Pass on the tag. Have FUN!!

1.Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? How about Lukewarm Chocolate? Hot drinks are not my thing...I have a very sensitive tongue!!!

2.Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Uh, WRAPS THEM!!! What's the fun in giving an already unwrapped gift? Just the anticipation and excitement of it all is what makes gift-giving so awesome:)

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I prefer white. I just think it's really classy-looking, however I had only colored lights to work with this year.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Fo-sho! Gotta have some Holiday smoochin' ;)

5. When do you put your decorations up? Thanksgiving weekend

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Eeny-meeny-miney-mo... I pick my mom's sweet potatoes. Curtis still hasn't even given them a chance. One day, I will win and he will love them too.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: Gosh, everything!!! If I have to pick one, I'll say just the simple traditions we used to have: Going to a Christmas Eve service at church, then heading home for hot (lukewarm in my case) chocolate and family caroling. The next morning, Mom would torture us by making us wait for what seemed like HOURS while she went downstairs to take pictures of the tree overflowing with gifts from Santa.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I distinctly remember Jared Rasmussen telling all of our classmates (4th or 5th grade) at school that he caught his parents putting gifts under the tree. I didn't want to ask my mom about it because I desperately wanted for him to be wrong...turns out he wasn't :(

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes I even open gifts before Christmas Eve because Curtis is a big kid and can't ever seem to wait until Chritsmas Eve...let alone Christmas Day. His excitement is infectious though, and I'm growing to love our new tradition :)

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Oh, our poor tree. It's actually kind of Charlie Brown-ish after the beating it's taken from our sweet kitty over the past few years. This year, the tree is adorned with 300 colored lights and LOTS of ornaments. Most of the ornaments are either family heirlooms or ones that I made when I was in grade school. Curtis' favorite is the one with a cut-out of my head from my 3rd grade school picture atop a lovely pair of angel wings cut out from a doily.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Hmmmm...As a teacher, this is a toughie. I like looking at snow, but I don't really care to have lots of it during the school year because I know that it means my summer will become even shorter if we have snow days. Don't get me wrong - I still get a kick out of hearing my school announced on the closings. It's a good feeling to be able to pull the covers back over my head and stay in my pajamas all day, but I always have the ominous "make-up days" hanging over my head.

12. Can you ice skate? Um, no thank you. I tried it once and I was on my patootie more than I was on my feet. Not a pleasant experience.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I have had lots of favorite gifts over the years...too many to list here. I think the gifts that mean the most to me are the unexpected ones. Usually the more personalized gifts that I know I'll keep forever are the ones that stand out the most.

14. What is the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with family is a priority for me. Without family, it just wouldn't be Christmas!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? My grandma's "Christmas Tree Cookies". They are the most delicious cookies on the face of the earth and she makes them for us every year. In fact, one of our wedding gifts was a cookie press along with a copy of her recipe. Curtis made our first batch over the weekend and they were FANTASTIC!!!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? When we open gifts at Mom & Dad's house, we always do stockings first. They are stuffed with all kinds of small goodies: candy bars, chap-stick, gift cards, cash, etc. Then, we work our way through each gift, one at a time. Aahhh...I can't wait!

17. What tops your tree? An old plastic star. It really needs to be updated!

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving!!! I absolutely love the whole gift-giving process. I love shopping for the gift, wrapping it, and watching with excitement as it is opened. I
always get so much joy out of it!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I'm going to go with Oh Holy Night...although I love pretty much every Christmas Song:)

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? YUM! But I only like them around the Holidays...weird I know. I guess it's kind of like Candy Corn at Halloween?

21. What do you want for Christmas? Um, a new laptop? I'm so over mine right now. It's out of control! Since that probably won't happen, I'll go with...some new clothes...or a Wii:)

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas Party? Annual? Don't think so. But I think we're starting a new tradition at school this year!

23. Do you dress up on Christmas or wear PJs? Comfy clothes are required on Christmas Day, but I will dress up if we're going to a party.

24. Do you own a santa hat? I actually don't. I should get one!

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? Curtis (of course) and our families.

I tag: Hilary, Rachel, Melody, Aubrey, Shannon, Hayley, and anyone else who reads this blog and wants to partake in the fun:)

New Tunes!

2008-11-30T21:38:00.001-06:00

I hope you enjoy the new Christmas music on my playlist:) It really is the MOST wonderful time of the year!

Thankful Thoughts

2008-11-27T11:15:00.003-06:00

It's Thanksgiving Day, but as you can tell by the new layout, I'm already rushing to look forward to Christmas. Sometimes I have a hard time just enjoying the moment that I'm in and not worrying about what is still to come. I thought this would be the best way for me to slow down and remember what today's holiday is all about: Being thankful. Here is a list of the top ten things I'm especially thankful for this year (in no particular order).

1. I have the BEST husband in the entire world. Seriously. I'm one lucky girl!

2. My career offers me the opportunity to hang out with kids all day long. What could be better than that?!?! They always give me something to smile about:)

3. I have the most loving, supportive family anyone could ask for. They are always there for me.

4. My family grew a LOT this year! Not in the "they should really go on The Biggest Loser" sense, but I now get to call all of the Butricks my family too:) They're wonderful!

5. Although the economy has been in a downward spiral lately, we're still surviving. Some days are better than others, but no one can take away everything we've learned over the past several months.

6. I have the privilege of owning a home that I love, which isn't an opportunity everyone has these days.

7. I have lots of amazing friends who constantly teach me new things about life. They are all beautiful, smart, and strong. I am so blessed to be able to call them my friends.

8. I have my health. Enough said.

9. I am able to serve others in need. This year, our church has organized a coat and toy drive for hundreds of local kids in need. Curtis and I get to purchase a coat and some action figures for a 3rd grade boy. The fact that I am able to do this makes me SO happy!!!

10. As a teacher, I get to constantly continue my education and strive to better my teaching skills. I have the opportunity to be a lifelong learner.

All in all, my life has been pretty good to me. It's times like these that help me to find this kind of clarity in all the craziness of everyday life. Last Sunday, our pastor spoke about being a blessing to others through our own thankfulness, so that's what I'm doing today. We all have things to be thankful for. I know I could've made this list much longer than I did. I hope you can take a moment while you're with your families on this Thanksgiving Day to really think about all the things in your own life you are thankful for. I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope it's a fantastic one:)

Computer Explosion!

2008-11-18T08:42:00.004-06:00

So, last night I was in the middle of what may have been my finest blog posting to date, when all of a sudden, the laptop screen went black and smoke started coming out of it. Long story short, it may be a while until I finish that magnificent posting. RIP laptop!

An Evening With The Eagles

2008-11-14T09:20:00.004-06:00

Wow! Words cannot express how awesome The Eagles concert was last night. It really was like no other I've ever been to...and I've been to a lot! There was no flashy light show, no crazy special effects or pyrotechnics. Just four guys in black suits (with some help from instrumentalists) playing nearly every single one of their greatest hits for their biggest fans. It was simple. It was tasteful. It was classy. It was AMAZING! I have always loved this band, but getting to see them live gave me an even deeper respect for them and for everything they have accomplished over their many years of making some of the most well-loved music of our time. Despite their age, their harmonies and energy on the stage were flawless. Sometimes you hear an artist live and you wonder how much time they had to spend on editing their albums. Not these guys. Their vocals were right on, and I was able to sing along with pretty much every song (which is a high priority of mine when I go to a concert). The other thing that impressed me so much about The Eagles is that there was no opening act, yet we were there for a solid three hours listening to hit after hit. It was a late night for this school teacher, but definitely time well-spent. Unfortunately, there were no cameras allowed inside the arena, so I have no pictures of Don, Glen, Joe, or Timothy to share with you:( Thank you to Mom, Dad, and Uncle Steve for giving me (and Curtis) such a great birthday present! It was a night we will never forget!

Welcome to The Hotel California

2008-11-12T17:49:00.003-06:00

I haven't had much to report lately...not sure why. I guess we've been in a little bit of a slump as far as blog updates are concerned. Curtis and I are excited though because we just found out today and yesterday that we have tickets to The Eagles concert this Thursday night!!! The concert will be held in the new John Q. Hammons Arena on the MSU campus...Grand Opening night! I will be sure to update you soon with pictures from what I'm sure will be a fabulous evening. Until then...Take It Easy.

New Hair!!!

2008-10-20T17:08:00.004-05:00

So, I got my haircut this weekend and I thought I would share a few pics with you. I'm really excited about it because I just felt like my long hair was crampin' my style! I think this cut makes me look a little younger and more stylish. Christina at Bodhi Salon did a fantastic job! I don't think these photos really do it justice, but you get the idea...

CC/M5

2008-10-20T16:47:00.004-05:00

A few weekends ago, we got the chance to head up to St. Louis with some of my teacher friends to attend the Counting Crows/Maroon 5 concert. It was such a fun weekend and an AWESOME concert!

Elly, Tricia, and Melani right after we checked in to the Sheraton, where my little bro works.

Sweatin' it out at the Houlihan's in Union Station...where we had not-so-excellent service.

I was so excited to get the chance to meet up with two of my best friends, Cathy and Angie for a couple hours! We shared some laughs and a delicious dessert at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Me and Tricia pre-concert...SO excited!!!

If you squint, you can see Adam Duritz balancing on top of the speaker at the front of the stage. I think this was during the line from "Round Here" where he says "...just like walking on a wire in the circus..."

There he is on the JumboTron

Yay! What a great concert!

Justin, his friend Ed, and Curtis...boys will be boys.

Pumpkin Carving '08

2008-10-03T17:00:00.004-05:00

Look at me...three posts in one week!!!

Anyway, last night The Butricks celebrated the beginning of fall with an old-fashioned pumpkin carving. Admittedly, I was not too keen on the idea at first because A.) I don't do arts and crafts...not even with my students...what a grinch I am...and B.) the thought of sticking my hand in a slimy, gooey pumpkin didn't really appeal to me. Curtis, however, was very excited about the whole project. His enthusiasm about pumpkin carving was so child-like that I just couldn't bear to rob him of that. So, we dug right in!

We bought 2 gigantic pumpkins and a carving kit at Wal-Mart. We excitedly selected our templates and got everything set up. Curtis chose the Haunted House.

And here's me cutting the top off my Spider Web pumpkin.

As if the pumpkin goop isn't bad enough INSIDE the pumpkin, Curtis turned it into something even more disgusting!

After I realized just how much stress the Spider Web template was going to cause me, I quickly opted for a more old-school approach...a Sharpie and easy-to-carve geometric shapes:)

And remember the Haunted House in picture #1??? Yeah, that quickly turned into this cute Pumpkin Man. But please note the partially-carved moon on his forehead. HA!

Our finished pumpkins side-by-side. Mine looks like a Kindergartener could've created it!

And the best part of the whole evening...Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!!! YUM:)

Yearbook Yourself

2008-10-02T21:58:00.004-05:00

HA! I have gotten the biggest kick out of this website tonight. Here are my 1968 and 1994 pics, as well as Curtis' 70's 'do. These were our faves, but all of them were hilarious! Do yourself a favor and check it out...I promise it'll make you smile:)

The Butricks Go to Washington

2008-10-01T20:51:00.005-05:00

As I mentioned earlier, Curtis and I ended up having to take an unexpected trip to Washington last month for his grandmother's funeral. This was my first time traveling to that part of the country, so although the circumstances weren't the happiest, I was really looking forward to seeing Curtis' "old stompin' grounds". We flew into Seattle (I'm going to save all of our airport stories for another time), which was beautiful! Not to mention we had a chance to eat the best seafood I've ever eaten in my life at Ivar's. YUM! After our quick meal in Seattle, we fastened our safetybelts for our 3 hour journey east to his parents' house in Moses Lake (Did you know there is a desert in Washington??? Well, there is!). This is where we set up camp for the next five evenings, although I must mention that our last full day there was spent traveling even further east to Latah (Curtis' birthplace) and Spokane (where we got to meet Micki Tee...LOVE her!). It was so nice for us to be able to spend time with the family for that many days. We shared several beautiful evenings together laughing, telling stories, and eating some great food! Here are some pictures from our time in Washington:)

Memorial for Curtis' grandmother, Betty Pearson. I never got a chance to meet her, but it's obvious what a beautiful, special person she was.

We never could figure out that darn Sudoku puzzle!!!

Curtis' dad burning the boys' names into wood blocks.

Perhaps Curtis should have taken a few lessons from his dad...HA! No, but it was REALLY sweet how hard he tried to get this just right for me. And we got a great laugh out of it too:)

All the siblings and spouses

The entire family...what a great group of people! And I'm so glad I finally got to meet his wonderful grandpa:)

Not Enough Hours in the Day

2008-09-30T21:46:00.002-05:00

So, I'm not doing such a good job of keeping this thing updated. My life is just way too busy right now. I can't keep up! Keep checking back and I'll try to get things going again soon! I really do have so much to write about...

Camping Fun

2008-09-14T08:43:00.005-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend, Curtis and I went camping with our friends, Bret and Elly. This was the first time Curtis and I had ever been camping together, which is crazy since he's such an avid outdoorsman. The main reason we had never gone before is that we didn't have all the gear we needed. So, before we left town, it was imperative that we stop by Wal-Mart to pick up a few items (i.e. a tent, some camping chairs, cooking utensils, a fishing license, etc.). We couldn't WAIT to get started!

Our campsite at Shell Knob was absolutely gorgeous. It was right on Table Rock Lake and was at the far side of the grounds, so it was very private. The tent, although it's not exactly our dream tent, was actually pretty cool. It's definitely more spacious than I had anticipated. After we got the tent set up, we decided to pull out our new chairs so we could sit and chat for a while. Here's what happened when we set them up:

No wonder we got such a good deal on them...they were kid-sized chairs!!! Ooopsie! Oh well, we got a good laugh out of it:) Anywho, Curtis tried to do a little fishing.

We went on a (1 1/2 mile!) group hike at Roaring River State Park.I didn't want to climb this...but I did it!

Our gourmet dinner of Kosher Dogs and Cheddar Brats...yum!

These are the new $5 adult-sized chairs we purchased in Shell Knob. And here's a funny story to go along with this picture. Originally, we had our chairs set up on the more level side of the campfire, however that location seemed to attract the most smoke and ash from the fire. So we moved our chairs to the other, not-so-level side of the fire. Almost immediately following the moment captured below, I somehow lost my balance and ended up tumbling down the side of the hill...chair and all. I ended up with a few scrapes and bruises, but my pride definitely suffered the worst injuries. So embarrassing!

We had so much fun on our camping trip and we can't wait to do it again very soon!

Livin' La Vida Loca

2008-09-12T18:24:00.004-05:00

Yes, that's right...I just quoted Ricky Martin's greatest hit. But, that's exactly how I feel about my life right now. It's kinda crazy. Not bad-crazy, but maybe a little busy-crazy. So much has been going on that I don't even know where to begin with this posting. I know that some of you are probably thinking that Curtis and I fell off the face of the earth though, so I'd like to update you as much as possible. I think what I'll do now is highlight some of the key points, and then I'll elaborate on each one later when I get a chance. One thing that I've obviously been busy with is school. Everything there is still going really well, but those ungraded papers are certainly starting to pile up! Eeek! One thing I'm really excited about right now though is that I will have a student teacher in my room in about two weeks. I've met her already and I'm really looking forward to working with her because she just seems so enthusiastic about the teaching profession. It's refreshing to see that kind of eagerness, and it makes me a little nostalgic about my student teaching days.

Something else that I can't wait to write about sometime soon is a camping trip that Curtis and I took with our friends, Bret and Elly. It was the first time I had been camping since after my senior prom...and the second time ever! It was so much fun though, and I have some pretty funny stories to share, so more on that later.

Another bit of news I should probably fill you in on is that Curtis and I took an unexpected trip last week to Washington for his grandmother's funeral. Aside from the fact that it was hard to be away from school for four days, and that we were there for a funeral, it really was a great trip. There were some traveling woes along the way, however I'm so thankful that we had the opportunity to be there with the family for a few days. I will hopefully have some pictures from our time in Washington to post soon, so look for those! I'm going to make it my personal goal for the next few weeks to try and update this more than I have been lately, so be on the lookout for new stuff!

Back to School Update

2008-08-28T21:19:00.002-05:00

For those of you that have been on the edge of your seat waiting to hear how school has been going this first week, I'm happy to report that it's shaping up to be my BEST year ever! Words cannot even express the joy I'm feeling right now. After the past two years of feeling like a babysitter just trying to survive the often horrid behaviors of my students, I can safely say that I feel like a teacher once again. In fact, Curtis set a goal for me to NOT come home crying after the first day of school this year (because this is all he's ever experienced since the beginning of our relationship)...and I didn't! In fact, I've been grinning ear-to-ear every day this week. I've been trying to put my finger on exactly what is making this year so much better than the past few, and I've come up with a list that I'd like to share with you.

1. Highly motivated, enthusiastic students.
2. The implementation of some fun and new ideas (or "idiyuhs" as one of the facilitators of a summer workshop would say) in my classroom.
3. The fact that I'm actually teaching the same curriculum for the 2nd year in a row!
4. I've surpassed the 5th year hurdle.
5. For some reason, I feel more organized this year than in years past.

Anyway, it's nice to come home each day with a smile on my face. This is exactly the kind of year I needed because I was really starting to doubt my career choice there for a while. Now I can't imagine wanting to do anything else with my life!

Back to School

2008-08-24T14:46:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is the first day of school and I have to say that I'm actually feeling pretty good about things this year. Everything leading up to it has gone smoother than it has any other year, which is great considering the school was a construction zone throughout the summer (and still is in some parts). I'm really happy with my room layout and I'm excited to try out some of the new strategies I learned in the numerous workshops I attended over the summer. I will have to take pictures of the room this week and post them because I'm really proud of the hard work I've put into it. My favorite new thing in the room this year are the mailboxes that my grandpa built for me. They sure beat the dilapidated cardboard mailboxes I had before! It's nice to have such a handy grandpa:)

Last night, Curtis and I decided to celebrate the end of summer by throwing a BBQ for some of our best friends, most of whom are teachers. We served hamburgers and cheddar brats, as well as a variety of beverages, while our guests brought yummy side dishes. It was such a fun party and a great way to relax and spend time together before life gets a little more stressful. Here are a couple of pictures from our evening.

Six things about Alysia

2008-08-20T19:38:00.006-05:00

Hilary tagged me, so here goes!

Here are the rules: Link to the person who tagged you, mention the rules, tell six quirky, yet boring unspectacular things about yourself, tag six other bloggers by linking to them, and then go to each person's blog and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged. (I think I will just list them at the bottom and leave it at that. If they see it, great.)

6 random unspectacular things about me:

1. When I'm driving, I typically find my way directly into the lane I will eventually need to turn from. The craziest thing is that, more often than not, my turn is miles away...but I make sure I'm ready for that eventual turn! I'm like a Boy Scout: Always Prepared:)

2. I'm usually a very reserved person, however I also have this wildly competitive side that only comes out in certain situations. This competitive alter ego can be seen rearing its ugly head most often during a rousing game of Friends Scene-It, Catch Phrase, or Taboo. My team ALWAYS wins!!!!!

3. As you may have read in an earlier posting, I make the bed every morning. I am extremely obsessive about the direction in which each of the many decorative pillows are facing. The patterns must coordinate and face in the exact same direction. I feel as though something is amiss if the pillows do not meet my standards. And Curtis, bless his heart, tries to help me put the pillows on the bed sometimes...but I often end up fixing them later. I LOVE YOU BABE!

4. I love to fold and straighten things. When I worked at JCPenney, that was my favorite part of the job. Forget the customers...I wanna fold shirts!!!

5. I love brand new school supplies. You really can't beat a freshly opened box of crayons or colored pencils. In fact, that's one of my favorite things about starting back to school!

6. I can name that tune in 3 notes! You probably don't want to play that game against me because I have a freakish memory for all things musical. I can probably name the band too!

I tag: Ashley, Hayley, Melody, Shannon, Rachel, and anyone else reading this blog!

A Bit Apprehensive...

2008-08-15T14:09:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've updated the ol' blog, but things have been crazy busy lately! I spent last weekend in Memphis with some good friends, which I'll probably write about in a separate post (if I have time!!!). I've also been spending a LOT of time this week on school stuff. I can't believe it starts in a week! I feel mentally ready, but my classroom has a LONG way to go still.

Today I'm feeling a bit apprehensive about this weekend's upcoming events. I know it's hard to believe since I'm so ridiculously young-looking, but it's my 10-year high school reunion. We're celebrating tonight at Ebbet's Field and tomorrow night at Tonic Ultralounge here in Springfield. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing because high school, although it was fun, was also a really long time ago and I only keep up with a couple of people anymore. I hung out with a few people from my class, but most of my best friends were either a year older or a year younger than me. I'm not really sure who will be at the reunion, but I'm hopeful that I can either reconnect with some old friends, or that I can make some new ones that I didn't have in high school. I'm also hopeful that people aren't quite as "cliquey" as they were 10 years ago...but that's probably too much to ask for! I do tend to get a little nervous in social situations when I don't know anyone, but for some reason I'm even more nervous about the reunion...and I should know most of the people there! I'm sure it will be so much fun though, and I am looking forward to showing Curtis off to everyone:) Hey - at least I should have lots to talk about!

I Don't Want It to End!!!

2008-08-07T11:04:00.004-05:00

Tonight is the finale of one of my favorite shows, So You Think You Can Dance...and I really don't want it to end! I think someone should create a year-round program that showcases different genres of dance. It wouldn't even matter to me if it's a show based on competition. I just wanna see more dancing! Anyway, last night was the final performance night and I have absolutely NO idea who will win. The final four dancers are all extremely talented, but all have drastically different styles. I would honestly be happy with any of them winning, so it's definitely a win-win. My favorite routine from last night's show was the Mia Michaels contemporary dance that employed all four dancers. What talent! I couldn't find any video clips from last night's show, so I chose one by Katee and Joshua from earlier in the season that I loved.

The Way I Am

2008-08-06T11:22:00.004-05:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet some new people at a workshop I attended. Of course, one of the first things people will ask you besides your name and what you do (or in this case, where you teach) is to tell them a little bit about yourself. It's usually at this point that my mind goes into overload because there seem to be thousands of little tidbits I could share with this new acquaintance. I mean, really...it usually takes quite a while to learn all the complexities that make up my personality and my life. Being in this situation made me realize that some of my faithful readers may not even know some of those thousands of little tidbits that make me who I am. Even those I've known the longest. I've decided to share as many of them as I can think of right now with you...a Cliff's Notes version of sorts. Here goes!

I teach 5th grade. I am a newlywed and married to Curtis, the most wonderful man on the face of the earth. I am a perfectionist and a people-pleaser. Sometimes I can't make a decision to save my life. I often take things too personally and worry incessantly about the "what-ifs" in life. I am extremely loyal to the people closest to me. I work hard to be successful at whatever I do and I fear being a disappointment or failure. I am a hopeless romantic. I love to do laundry. I am OCD, but living with a boy has harnessed that in quite a bit. I try to attend as many concerts as possible. My mom taught me that Steve Perry is a rock-and-roll legend. In fact, the first Journey song I sang was "Open Arms" while riding in my carseat. I wear my heart on my sleeve and am practically incapable of hiding my emotions. I love well-written literature. I almost always put the needs of others before my own. I can appreciate the beauty in nature. I love artistic photography. I do not like being the center of attention (unless it's in the classroom). I am financially organized. I'm the kind of nerd who loves word history and grammar rules (and I always follow them). My friends are the most beautiful people ever...inside and out. I was raised on the belief that family comes first. I want to be a mother someday. I have an embarrassing fear of drowning. Sometimes I drive too fast. I make the bed every morning. Music is in my blood. I get a rush from serving others. I LIVE to travel, but I don't get to as often as I would like. If I could time warp back to the 80s, I would. I have a good sense of humor and I LOVE to laugh. I'm a sucker for reality TV. I sing in the shower. I'm a lifelong learner. I loved planning our wedding. I have gained a true sense of self over the past 10 years...and I now have the confidence to go with it. I can quote any episode of Friends almost verbatim. I have only been camping once in my life. I get pure joy from seeing the excitement on a child's face when they learn something new. I am an excellent listener and counselor in good times and bad. I cry when others are suffering. I'm a very social person and love to be surrounded by good friends. I have made some mistakes in my life, but I don't live with regrets because I've learned from each experience. They have all shaped me into who I am today. If I could adopt some of the children I've had in class to give them a better life, I would. I am deathly afraid of wasps. I despise conflict and avoid it at all costs. I love my home and everything in it. I love cats (MEOW!). I can't run around the block to save my life. Sometimes I wish I was a dancer. I'm shy and very quiet until you get to know me. I'm a list-maker and a goal-setter. I'm a good hostess, but I'm not a good cook...I leave that up to my husband. I love my life and the people that are in it because they accept me the way I am. I wouldn't trade any of this for the world.

Stay Classy, San Diego!

2008-07-30T10:22:00.002-05:00

Our last morning in San Diego was almost an exact repeat of our first day there. We went back to Coronado to bid farewell to the beautiful Pacific Ocean, then we headed to In & Out Burger one last time for lunch. We thought it was only fitting to say "goodbye" in the same way we said "hello". We had a wonderful time together on our honeymoon. We made so many lasting memories and we can't wait to plan our next trip together!

Celebrating our Independence in Style

2008-07-28T17:02:00.002-05:00

Our honeymoon took place over the 4th of July weekend, so we were excited to celebrate California-style. We spent a majority of the day at the beach (surprise, surprise) and originally planned to just hang out there to watch the fireworks at the nearby fairgrounds. After giving it some more thought, Erin (being the smarty-pants that she is) suggested that we might be able to go to her uncle's house and watch the fireworks from there because it overlooks the fairgrounds. As it turned out, her uncle was out of town and gave us permission to hang out there for the evening. I don't think Curtis and I were prepared for this house. Wait, did I say house? I meant mansion! It was the biggest, most gorgeous house I've ever been in. We had such a wonderful time with Josh and Erin celebrating our nation's independence, playing on the beach, and relaxing in our borrowed mansion:)

Curtis dug himself a hole!

In the hot tub.

Gettin Our Wild On

2008-07-27T15:06:00.003-05:00

As if 8 hours at the zoo wasn't enough, we decided to go ahead and spend almost another full day at the Wild Animal Park, an extension of the SDZ which is about 45 minutes outside of San Diego. One unique thing about this park is that they have tried to recreate an environment similar to that of the African savannah. Something else that makes this animal park completely different from any zoo is that only a few of the animals are actually in cages. Animals such as the giraffe, antelope, rhinos, ostriches, etc. are allowed to roam "free" through a large portion of the park. This is not the case with the lions, cheetahs, and tigers for obvious reasons ("Mommy! Why is the lion eating the zebra?!?!") but they still have their own turf within the park. Visitors can also pay extra to take guided "safari" tours where they can feed some of the animals and get extra photo ops. We really wanted to take one of the safaris...but we also really liked not having to spend an extra $300...YIKES!!! In contrast to the zoo, sunscreen was a must at the Wild Animal Park. It was extremely sunny and HOT!!!!! It was a fun day and we're glad we went, but by the end of our trip we decided that we've definitely had our fill of wildlife for a while.

Cheese!!!

We saw a sign that said "Trainer Talk" next to the cheetah display. We thought the trainer might come out to the visitor sidewalk to talk to us. Instead, he appeared INSIDE the display with the cheetahs. He fed them while talking to us about them. When they were finished eating, all three gathered around him and licked his arms/legs for about 10 minutes...nonstop. It was awesome!!!

This is an example of the variety of animals you could see roaming around together in the park.

The lions like to hang out on this old jeep. There were about 5 of them on/in there at the time.

One of my favorite moments of the day. The lion cub was trying to get his lazy father to get up and play, but Dad wasn't too pleased with the interruption in his cat nap. Curtis should be a professional photographer because he really captured the moment here. So cool!

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears...Oh My!

2008-07-27T14:34:00.003-05:00

We were so excited to get the chance to go to the world-famous San Diego Zoo. So excited, in fact that we spent approximately 8 hours there. We made sure to get our money's worth and see it all. Our tickets even included a guided bus tour, as well as admission to the Skyfari (the sky tram that runs from one end of the zoo to the other). With both of us being such fair-skinned, freckled folks (God bless our future children...) we loaded up on plenty of SPF 30 in the parking lot prior to entering. As it turns out, sunscreen really wasn't necessary at the SDZ. We were surprised to find out how jungle-like the zoo is. We were pretty much in the shade all day. We had so much fun, but boy were we tired!

Rawr!

We were THIS close to the gorillas. I love this picture of the alpha-male's hand. Amazing.

Ssshhh! The pandas are sleeping!

The polar bears were so much fun! They were swimming, diving, and playing with this pink ball.

The ocelot came out to see us, up close and personal. We really wanted to pet her. What a sweet little kitty...

La-La-La Jolla!

2008-07-25T09:12:00.003-05:00

During our trip to San Diego, we actually ended up visiting 4-5 beaches...each one just a little different. One of our favorites was La Jolla. It is such a beautiful, unique area with lots to see and do. We spent a very relaxing afternoon there. Here are some of our favorite pics from that day.

Curtis is riding a wave on the boogie board.

There is a protected section of the beach at the Children's Pool where the sea lions hang out.

Beautiful view (the coast...not me!)

There are caves that have been carved out by the ocean. Gorgeous.

Who Knew I Could Have So Much Fun at a Museum?!?

2008-07-24T16:18:00.004-05:00

During the honeymoon planning process, we both just kind of threw out ideas of things we might want to do when we got to San Diego. Our main plan was to not really have a plan and just take it one day at a time, but we wanted to have at least some ideas in mind. MY ideas included things such as the beach, drive to L.A., the beach, the zoo, the beach. Get the picture that I wanted plenty of beach time? One of the things Curtis mentioned he wanted to do was to visit the USS Midway, a retired US Navy aircraft carrier-turned-museum. One of the things I love most about Curtis is his passion for history, science, and nature...three areas in which I often need remedial help (usually help from Curtis). When he told me he wanted to go to this museum during our honeymoon, however, I'm pretty sure there was some eye rolling and nose crinkling from me. I kept thinking that maybe he would forget about it and we could just sit on the beach everyday. When he mentioned it several more times en route to California...and a few more times while we were there, I knew it was something that he REALLY wanted to do. I must admit that I'm really glad we went because it wasn't like other museums I'd been to in the past. It was very interactive, and it was so fascinating to be standing where thousands of our finest servicemen and women stood and served for so many years (the ship was in use from WWII-Desert Storm). It was a great little glimpse into history and a fantastic learning experience for this girl! And the best part is that we got to wear little headphones and take the tour at our own pace. Here are some of my favorite pics from the day.

My husband is always turning knobs and pushing buttons he shouldn't...

Keep trying honey!

They threw me in the brig (which I learned is like a jail on the ship for the naughty sailors)

Ready for take-off

How would you like to see this flying towards you???

Curtis interrupted my strategizing for a quick photo.

Day Trip to L.A.

2008-07-23T14:09:00.004-05:00

One of the things we both wanted to make sure we did while we were in California was take a little trip up to L.A. via the coastal highway. We started out bright and early on Sunday morning and took off up the coast through some beautiful little beach communities. We did drive through Laguna Beach and I'm 99.9% positive that I saw LC's parents' house. We also stopped in Newport Beach for lunch at a little Italian cafe. I should pause here to say that one of my favorite things about being in Southern California is that pretty much all the restaurants have outdoor seating. I LOVE that! Anyway, when we arrived in L.A., we exited the highway into West Hollywood. I guess I was expecting something more from West Hollywood since you always see pictures of the celebs hanging out there. We must have been on the wrong street or something because we felt like we were pretty much in an all-Asian community. We finally hit Santa Monica Blvd and made our way to Rodeo Drive. This is where we had our one and only (very small) celeb sighting...Zach Braff driving his Porsche. And it happened so fast that we weren't able to capture the moment with our camera.

After Rodeo Drive, we intended to make our way to Hollywood Blvd. to see the walk of fame and Grauman's Chinese Theater. Although we did end up there later on, we made an accidental wrong turn that ended up being our favorite part of the day. Our turn took us through the Hollywood Hills and by some amazing homes overlooking the city. One of the homes had a FOR LEASE sign out in front, so we pulled over to do a little inspection. Once we saw that the home was vacant, we helped ourselves up the stairs that led to the patio on the rooftop. It was an absolutely breathtaking view. I probably could have stood up there for several more hours, but we were too afraid of being caught trespassing. It was such a fun adventure with my new hubby!

The view from the rooftop of the vacant house.

Me trying not to get trampled by the crazed tourists at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

The Hollywood sign in the distance

What a fun day!!!

Beautiful Coronado

2008-07-22T11:01:00.004-05:00

After we had the rental car fiasco behind us, the first thing we both wanted to do was get to the beach. We hopped in the car and headed west to Coronado, a small beach community in San Diego. We immediately fell in love with this place. It was very clean and the sand was so soft...not to mention the beautiful view! We spent the afternoon walking up and down the beach, touring the quaint little shops in town, and taking pictures by the boats in the gorgeous harbor. Here are some pictures from our first afternoon.

It was a beautiful day.

Our beach feet:)

The Hotel del Coronado...some say it's haunted?

It's hard to get pictures of both of us, but here we are by the harbor.

No, Everything's NOT Okay!!!

2008-07-21T16:17:00.005-05:00

They say a picture's worth 1,000 words...and that's definitely the case with the picture of Curtis above. You may be asking yourselves: "How could one have such excitement on his face whilst holding a simple to-go cup from an ordinary fast-food chain?" Well, that's where the 1,000 words comes into play, my friends. Let me preface this post by getting a couple of things straight: 1.) We had an AMAZING time on our honeymoon, so please don't get the wrong idea here. 2.) This could be a lengthy post, so feel free to skim if necessary.

It all started during our flight from Kansas City to San Diego (with a connecting flight in Phoenix). The flight from KC left a little late, so we were on a very tight schedule (like the kind of schedule that has you running from one end of a major international airport to the other...in flip flops...holy shin splints!). Lucky for us (or unlucky as we later realized) our connecting flight was running behind as well. 45 minutes behind to be exact. Originally, we were supposed to arrive in San Diego around 10:45 p.m. We actually didn't land until around 11:30. Also keep in mind that we had McDonald's when we left Springfield at 1:00 that afternoon and we split a quesadilla in the KC airport. We had arranged for a rental car with a company called Advantage that we are pretty sure is a local company. When we got off the plane, Curtis immediately went to one of the courtesy phones to call Advantage and let them know that our plane arrived late and that we would still be picking up our car. They never answered. All he got was an automated message saying to get our bags and wait out front...so we did...for several minutes. Finally, Curtis decided to go back in and try calling again. This time, he found his way to another automated message saying, "Our shuttle service runs every 10 minutes between the hours of 7 a.m. and midnight." Yeah, at that point it was 12:02. GREAT! After much debate on what we should do about the obvious abandonment, we finally settled on taking a cab to Josh and Erin's house (our home sweet home for the week). $50 later and close to 1:00 a.m., we arrived at their house...exhausted and slightly ticked off. We decided to go straight to bed and head back to the airport to straighten it all out in the morning.

Morning arrived pretty early for us Central-Standard-Timers and we decided to walk to the grocery store just up the street from the house to get some Cheerios and milk for breakfast. Let me also add here that Curtis had called Advantage Rent-a-Car by this point and their conversation went something like this:

ARAC: Good morning. Advantage Rent-a-Car.
C: Yes, we were scheduled to rent a car from you last night, but our flight arrived a little later than planned. I tried to call your offices at 11:30, before you closed, but no one answered the phone and we were stranded at the airport.
ARAC (nonchalantly): Yeah, sometimes that happens.

What quality customer service! Anyway, on our way back from the grocery store, we noticed a bus stop and decided that might be a more cost-efficient way to get back to the airport if we could just figure out how. Luckily, there was a nice gentleman there who told us that the next bus would be coming in about 5 minutes and that there wouldn't be another one for an hour...and that it would be possible to get to the airport via the bus system. We then decided to go ahead and quickly take our perishables up to the house and try to catch the 8:05 bus so that we could just get our car and worry about breakfast later. We were thinking, "How long could it possibly take to get back there? It only took 15 minutes by cab."

We were just in time to catch the 8:05 bus...unfortunately the 8:05 bus didn't make it in time to our next stop to catch the trolley (basically a train). We were one minute late, which meant we had to wait for another 30 before the next trolley arrived. During our wait, we did meet some really nice people who helped us plan out our route for the rest of our journey. One was the guy from the first bus stop who was now late for work. The other was this hilarious little Italian woman who took us under her wing on the trolley ride. After we finally boarded the trolley and made it to our next changeover to another bus, we arrived back at the airport. By this time, it's about 10:30 and we're ready to do something besides ride around in public transportation.

We sat and waited for the Advantage shuttle to come and rescue us...and we waited...and we waited. After about 15 minutes of this waiting, Curtis called the company for the 2nd time that morning only to hear them say that the shuttle runs every 10 minutes and there should be one coming by any time. We waited another 5 minutes and never saw one. We finally decided to just cut our losses with Advantage and hop on the next shuttle that arrived, whatever company that may be. I can assure you that this was a tough decision for me to make because, by this point, I'd had plenty of time to stew over the events of the past 12 hours or so and I had several issues to address with Advantage. Like the fact that they'd better take $50 off our total to compensate for the cab ride, and how DARE they not answer their phone at 11:30 and then be completely unapologetic for their lack of customer service!!! But alas, the Hertz bus pulled up and we were then whisked away to the magical land of rental cars. We felt a sense of relief...

...until we realized how much more it was going to cost to rent from Hertz. You see, we were quoted an awesome price with Advantage, but Hertz was going to be almost triple the Advantage price. I think the look of panic and illness on my face must have given me away to the lady behind the counter because she asked, "Is everything okay?" Little did this poor soul know that her question was about to open a floodgate. "No, everything's NOT okay!!!" I cried, tears starting to trickle down my cheek. We (well, mostly Curtis since I was emotionally unstable at the moment) explained the situation to her and what brought us to Hertz. After lots of typing and note-jotting, she handed us our final quote. This nice lady (whose name I can't remember) felt such sympathy for us that she gave us some discounts on our car so that it was comparable to Advantage's price...and she gave us a free upgrade too! We were so happy and it was really nice of her to do that for us.

We were practically running to find our Toyota Corolla (which was a great little car, by the way) so that we could FINALLY get some food. In the cab the night before, we spotted an In-n-Out Burger off one of the highways, so we knew that was going to be our lunch destination (it was almost 11:30 by this point). It was probably the best meal we've ever eaten, hence the sheer excitement on Curtis' face in the picture. It was a rough start to the trip, but hey...we will always have a great story to tell and a funny picture to remind us of the whole thing!

Exiting in Style

2008-07-17T17:10:00.003-05:00

For our wedding night, we decided to stay at a romantic little bed and breakfast in Marshfield, MO...approximately 30 minutes away from the reception site. Originally, we thought that we would just drive ourselves to the bed & breakfast since it was so far away. We didn't want to have to ask anyone else to take us there...and then how would we get home in the morning? Before the reception, my Maid of Honor, Jill, told me not to worry about how we would get to Marshfield and to have a wonderful time. At the end of the night, Curtis and I were shocked and ecstatic to see that she had rented a stretch limo for us! It was perfect because it not only allowed us to be a little more carefree at the reception, but it gave us the opportunity to share some quiet time together after such a crazy, hectic day. To top it all off, Jill and her boyfriend (now fiance) drove our car all the way to Marshfield the next morning complete with "Just Married" decorations. It was such an unexpected but perfect surprise. Thanks Jill and Prentice! You guys are amazing!!!

First Look

2008-07-17T16:54:00.003-05:00

Curtis and I decided to do a First Look before the ceremony so that we wouldn't have to spend much time afterwards to take pictures. At first, I was a little unsure about doing the First Look because I had always had a pretty traditional view of what my wedding should be like. I always envisioned that my walk down the aisle would be the first time he would see me. I have to say that I'm really glad we chose to do the First Look. Being such an emotional person, I knew several tears would be shed throughout the day (and they were). I was able to get most of my tears out during the time that Curtis and I shared together rather than being a weeping basketcase during the ceremony. It was great! During our few moments together I was also able to share with Curtis a letter I wrote him the day before the wedding. It was an emotional moment, but it was so special and it really calmed my nerves before the ceremony.

Good Eats!

2008-07-11T16:16:00.004-05:00

One thing that Curtis and I were very picky about during the planning process was the food. We wanted to make sure that it was classy and delicious...and that it was! At Touch, we were able to choose from a list of fabulous hors d'oeuvres. The only problem was that we had to narrow the list down to only 5 things. That was hard, but we sure had a great time at our tasting! We decided on Ceasar Salad in Baked Parmesan Bowls, Hummus and Pita Bread, Cashew Chicken, Meatloaf Sliders, and Asian Beef Wontons with Wasabi Slaw. I heard some rave reviews from many of the guests...especially about the sliders. They were delicious!

I've attended many weddings in my life, and one thing I know is that guests are usually very excited to taste the cake, so we wanted to make sure that ours were a hit. We ordered both from Celebrations by Sonja, and it was the best cake we've ever had! My cake was a square, 5-tiered white wedding cake with raspberry creme filling. The outside was decorated with white buttercream icing, a chocoate brown swirl pattern, pink ribbon around each layer, and a B on the top layer. It was beautiful and SO yummy!

We wanted to make sure that the groom's cake fit Curtis' personality perfectly. He isn't a huge sports fanatic, so the traditional golf ball or team logo cake just wasn't going to cut it for us. One thing that Curtis loves to try and incorporate into his wardrobe (socks, sweaters, t-shirts, etc.) is argyle, so we thought, "Why not have an argyle cake?" Luckily, Sonja was totally on board with this idea. She had never done an argyle pattern before, so she was up for the challenge. Originally she was concerned that making it in buttercream wouldn't work because of all the straight lines necessary for an argyle print. But, fondant was out of the question for us because it was going to be way out of our price range. So, Sonja rolled up her sleeves and gave the buttercream a try! We think she did a fantastic job and Curtis LOVED his cake! It was chocolate with light brown chocolate icing and the argyle print in pink, white, and dark brown. She even designed our monogram on the very top of the groom's cake too!

The Attire

2008-07-10T15:56:00.009-05:00

I'm back! And I've decided to devote this posting to the attire we chose for our wedding. Let's start with the girls because I'm all about ladies first! After I chose the colors for the wedding, I was struggling with which of the colors to use for the bridesmaids' dresses. I really wanted to incorporate both colors equally, so I decided...why not have both?!?! I had 6 bridesmaids, so I had 3 in a Tea Rose color and 3 in Mocha. I really like the way those two colors looked together at the front of the sanctuary and the girls look awesome in the pictures too! I was also pleased with the style of dress we chose because I think it was super flattering on all of them. We found some really cute, comfy, and affordable shoes at Baker's that the girls wore. I also bought each of them a clutch purse that would match the shoes and the dresses. Rachel, Curtis' neice (who melted my heart by calling me "Aunt Alysia" all week), was our flower girl and her dress was absolutely adorable. She looked like a miniature version of me with the pink sash around her waist! Thanks, Cara, for working so hard to make it:)

Since we had pink and chocolate brown as our colors, I was very torn about what the guys should wear. I was positive that I wanted them to have black tuxes since it was a church wedding, but I was hesitant to put them in pink vests or ties because I thought they might clash with the girls' dresses...not to mention some guys don't enjoy wearing pink. I also initially had an issue with mixing brown and black together because I had always heard it was a major fashion faux-pas. So, I decided to seek out some advice from my favorite fashion experts, Stacy and Clinton from TLC's "What Not to Wear". According to these gurus, it is now totally appropriate and even a little fashion-forward to mix brown and black. Especially in a more formal situation. Boy was I excited to hear this! So, black tuxes with brown accessories it was! And I think they all looked great:) Even our ring bearers, James and Benjamin (Curtis' nephews) had matching ones!
I found my dress at David's Bridal just two days after Curtis proposed (yes, I'm THAT girl!). I actually saw it in their catalog first, and knew it was my favorite one in the pictures. I tried it on and loved it, but was told that I should try on at least 10 dresses before I made a decision. 10 dresses later, I STILL wanted that first one! It was just perfect for me: clean lines, no beading or "frilly stuff", and a touch of uniqueness with the pink sash (and it needed no alterations except for the bustle, which was also a very big plus). The one thing I would have done differently is take notes when I went in for my final fitting. The sash, as simple as it looked, posed a bit of a problem the day of the wedding, but it all turned out fine in the end!

Overwhelmed!

2008-07-09T17:08:00.003-05:00

That's what I am...overwhelmed. This is also the reason why I haven't posted anything on here in a while. I have SO many things to write about, but the task just seems so daunting that I keep putting it off. Much like the GINORMOUS stack of Thank You cards I have sitting on the table right next to me as we speak. I promise I will be posting more info about both the wedding and honeymoon as soon as I can, but for now I just want to let you know that I have the pictures from Jessica uploaded to our Shutterfly page for everyone to view. Enjoy those and I promise I will rejoin the blogging world very soon!

http://alysiaandcurtisbutrick.shutterfly.com/action/

Jessica Oatman Pictures

2008-06-30T09:34:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to post a quick entry to let everyone know that Jessica has posted some of the edited pictures from the wedding on her photoblog. She is still finishing up the rest, which will be available for purchase on her website at some point (she is having a baby this week, so it may be later than sooner). I thought I would at least share the few that she has done with you today. I hope you enjoy!

http://jessicaoatman.blogspot.com/

PS - Curtis and I are having a great time in SoCal. In fact, we may never go back home. It's so beautiful here!!!

The Flowers

2008-06-26T09:53:00.007-05:00

The colors I chose for the wedding were pale pink (the dresses actually turned out more of a rose color) and chocolate brown, so I thought it would be good to incorporate a pop of color in the flowers...and boy did they pop! I had what I think was the most beautiful bouquet ever. It was a hand-tied bouquet made up of my three favorite types of flowers (all hot pink): roses, tulips, and peonies. I think they put about 10 of each kind in there making for one HEAVY bouquet! It's okay! My arms needed a little toning anyway:) I really wish flowers lasted forever because I really want to wake up and look at that bouquet everyday for the rest of my life. I guess pictures will have to do...

All the other bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres were made of hot pink roses. The girls carried three tied together with either pink or brown ribbon. We also had a beautiful arrangement of roses on the altar. They were absolutely gorgeous! Rachel, Curtis' neice was our Flower Girl and she scattered pale pink rose petals down the aisle. In an earlier post, you may have read that I was having trouble deciding what to do about honoring grandparents. We chose to put two yellow roses on the altar for Curtis' grandparents that live in Washington. They weren't able to travel to Springfield for the wedding, so we wanted everyone to know that they were missed. We also put two white roses on the altar in memory of my Grandma Edith and Grandpa Glenn.

The Salon

2008-06-25T14:01:00.005-05:00

I've decided to break the wedding day up into segments and write about each of them individually. This post will focus on the time my girls and I spent at the salon before the ceremony. We all met at The Clip Joint to get our hair done at 9:00 that morning. Originally, I had scheduled to have a mani-pedi also during this time. At the last minute, I changed my mind and decided to move that appointment to Friday. Boy am I glad I did! I know we would've been super late if I hadn't. Not to mention the fact that I had the mom of one of my students do my nails, and she did the whole thing for free (as my wedding gift)! It was super sweet of her and came as a pleasant surprise. Thanks, Becky!

I was a little nervous about getting my hair done because I went in for a "trial run" last month and it didn't quite turn out the way I had hoped. Nothing bad, just not exactly what I had in mind. I was nervous about communicating my concern to the stylist because...well I'm Alysia...I'm not very assertive and I'm a people-pleaser! To my surprise, I was able to explain it in a way that she completely understood and the finished product was absolutely what I had in mind - sleek and elegant.

Our salon time was so much fun and I thought everyone's hair turned out SO great!!! I was really impressed with the service we all received. They even cleared a space along one of the counters for the refreshments we brought! Here are a couple of pictures of our time at the salon.