Butcher Family Reunion 2015

I know this post is a long time coming, summer is already over, where has the time gone? Better late than never, I suppose. This year our family reunion was very impromptu, but still so much fun! We gathered our family together in about a week with phone calls, texts, etc...and then all met up at a lake near us (Sadly, some weren't able to make it due to work, school and such). It was quite windy the entire day, but it was still a great time. It is crazy to me how much older my younger cousins have gotten since the last time I saw them. We went fishing, boating, paddle-boarding, canoeing, and had a picnic lunch. 

Cousin M w/ wife H

Their oldest daughter A

Their youngest daughter A

Their oldest, also A 

Aunt L 

Aunt L w/ cousin P

C and Me

Cousin J w/ daughters A & I

Cousin J's oldest, J

Cousin H w/ daughter R

Dad w/ cousin A

Cousin J w/ husband R and daughters J & I

Cousin M w/ cousin A & his son S

Aunt L, cousin P w/ wife A

Cousins I, H and P

Uncle R

Uncle C

Cousin H & Dad

Cutest little one, R 

Cousins A & A

Little J (extremely smart for his age!)

Our picnic setup, not too shabby!

Dad w/ C 

Uncle C w/ cousin M

 After returning home and getting cleaned up, we all met again at Aunt L & Uncle R's house for a BBQ & games. Fun times!

Cousin E w/ husband J

Dad w/ Aunt B

Dad, cousin P w/ wife M

Cousin I w/ M 

Cousin M, his son A, Uncle R

Me and cousin A 

C and cousin M

Me and cousin A

Cousin H w/ son A, cousin J w/ son H

Cousins A, J & A

Cousins A, M, E & J

Aunt B & Uncle C

(Top) Cousins E, J w/ husband R
(Bottom) Cousins L & A

Uncle R w/ Cousin M & wife H, kids A and J 

Cousin J, C, Dad & Mom

It's Fair Time!

Every year our family gets tickets for the State Fair and it ends up being the highlight of our week. And this year was not a disappointment. We got to visit the animals, walk through the commercial booth, and even go to the Circus. The weather was perfect, it wasn't too crowded, just an overall good time. I think this is the 3rd or 4th summer in a row that we've gotten this photo. Had so much fun I kind of forgot to take pictures as I went so this is all. Love the State Fair! 

Mom & Dad

C & Me; the pig was almost too high for me to reach!

M & Dad

Thank You

Well, I realize that I've been avoiding posting this for awhile now, but it has been a big part of our summer (and beginning of school) so here I go. My beautiful aunt Sherri Schloss left this world for the next on August 16, 2015. She fought her hardest but in the end, nothing else could be done. I think it was pure shock at the beginning, knowing she had worked this hard and come this far only to have everything come crashing down. At the end of the day though, I think we all felt our own amount of peace concerning the situation, knowing Sherri is breathing easier and finally enjoying things she couldn't before. The funeral was so nice and everyone spoke sweet memories about her and the many things she had done for them. Sherri was truly an incredible daughter, mom, sister, aunt and most of all, friend. She will be greatly missed. Thank you for your continued prayers and for your friendship as well. Keep in mind that you can still donate to cover medical bills or to buy a Lungs For Sherri t-shirt to show your love and support at: http://lungs4sherri.org/

June 19, 1965-August 16, 2015

Utah's Hogle Zoo

Well, the summer has flown by without informing me first, so getting back into the swing of school and everything else has just kind of slapped me in the face. It's hard to believe how busy one can be, but at the same time, it's always good to take a break and just chill. In my case, this means getting together with old friends and going on adventures. Today's adventure was with my bestie, L, who I met and instantly connected with at Brighton LDS Girls Camp. She is freaking adorable and always cheers me up, whether it is her contagious smile, goofy stories or even her music selection in the car as we go places. For this particular adventure, we drove in the morning to Utah's Hogle Zoo and it was beautiful! Since it was earlier in the morning, we were practically the only people there so we were able to go anywhere, do anything, without the normal hustle and bustle. We saw the gorillas and we even talked to the trainer-lady and she told us more about them. We saw a sea lion and seal show, but were definitely bummed to not be able to go to the bird show, normally the best part of the zoo. Oh well :( Basically we just walked, talked, saw some amazing (and even funny looking) animals and had a grand time. The zoo was so lush and green and there were so many unique birds flying around. I love love love nature and animals so I was in my element. After a quick bite to eat, I had to get back home to get to work, but this mini vacation was much-needed and thoroughly enjoyed! Had such a grand time that half the time I forgot to take pictures but here's some L sent to me. Enjoy.

Since I couldn't pose with a real lion....

I think she does ladies and gentlemen, at least with the female...