Fix It Friday

I found this great photography blog a few months ago, iHeartFaces.blogspot.com. I love it. I've learned so much from all the contributors. I decided to jump in and try my hand at editing their Fix It Friday photo.

Keeping true to the Butler Manor, it is CRAZY around here this morning. Taylor is singing while blow drying her hair "Hey Mickey, you're so fine you blow my mind, Hey Mickey!" (she thinks its a new song). Mary Margaret is all nervous because she thinks her boyfriend might leave her for a 6th grader. (You know he left her for a 5th grader once before) To top off Mary Margaret's stressful day she has the semester test in Science which is the lowest grade she has and she finds out if she made the 8th grade basketball team. She already knows she is cut from Volley Ball. Taylor did not make the 2nd cut either.

On with the photo project...
I downloaded the Fix It Friday picture, isn't this little girl beautiful?

My favorite pictures are normally black and white or aged. I tried it with this and it just didn't work for me. Let the editing begin...using my new Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 editing program

I removed the noise giving it the soft effect. I added a filter that is called warming. This filter is adjustable. I adjusted it to 9 density and I think that I got the effect I wanted. Kind of . To me it still needed a little something.

Again I removed the noise from the picture which gave it a soft look, then I added a film filter called Warm Fall Colors. This is what I got. I love it. The colors pop, I think. This is my entry. Feel free to let the love flow with your comments.

I had so much fun working on this project. Thanks iHeartFaces.blogspot.com

When the Butler's Dine

On the 17th of May (Dianne's Birthday) I took pictures of the Butler Family. The pictures are looking great, I'm not finished just yet with everyone's. We've had the group pictures made twice before and each time we headed to Pizza Hut for dinner afterwards. This year we did it again. On Dianne's blog she posted a nice picture and mentioned that we EAT. We do, also, we must be a dangerous bunch.

Notice:
Starting on the left of the table...
Alyssa almost has the straw up her nose.
Nicole looks like she's havin some sort of fit.
Boss #1 shows up cause he hears we have lots of pizza and he talks Jason's ear off.
The rest of the folks on that side seem fairly tame, that is until someone passed some major gas.

Now for the right...
I hope you notice first that Dianne has nice hair.
2ndly notice please that Andrew seems to be trying to fork his father Clayton. We may need to save this picture for future reference.
The rest of the folks on this side seem tame too.

We were missing Tim, Mr. & Mrs. Butler, John, Renee, Ben, Amanda, John B. and Katherine. Tim (shows up later) headed back to the park where we were taking pictures to help someone who was locked out of their car, his parents drove him. I guess the rest went home.

Of course I am the one taking the picture!
We are excited when waiting...

Yes, I let YARM14YOL cook. This is the day after I found out about the ear piercing. I made her wear braids to school, which she hates. Yay me.

Frogs, Frogs, Frogs

Mary Margaret complains during the summer that she can't sleep because of the frogs. Not frogs inside, the frogs outside. This video is sound only because I filmed it Sunday night while Tim and I were outside discussing the fate of our pitiful pool.

For your listening pleasure, the frogs outside Mary Margarets bedroom. This goes on for hours.

P. S.
Taylor wanted to know what the noise was on this post. I totally had her convinced for about 30 minutes that it was her snoring last night.

Self Ear Piercing Girl Update

She is still breathing.
Barely.
We ended up at the doctors office on Friday for a serious infection that the doctor said looked like it could turn into a staph infection. He gave her some strong antibiotic and some cream for the ear.

The good doctor also gave her a run down on all the possible ways she could have permanently damaged herself.
Staph infections leave ugly purple knots.
Staph infection could have caused loss of hearing.
She could have pinched a nerve and paralyzed her face.
Blood poisoning which could caused her death.
Staph infection that could have caused her death.
He also told her this: keep piercing yourself and you'll be old and trashy looking.

I like our doctor.

She was sheet white for a long time.

All Grown Up

Josh, our nephew, graduated last night from Wynne High School. Josh gave us tickets.
We are so proud of him! Josh was born one year after Tim and I started dating, for 18 years now he's been Tim's shadow, he even used wear a shirt that said "Tim's Baby" on it when he was just a little thing. He's all grown up now.

Josh with his girlfriend Jessica.

When all us OLD folks graduated from Wynne High, it always stormed, the lights went out during Tim's 1989 graduation, it stormed hard at my 1992 graduation, the gym was always stifling hot, but in 2009 it was a clear pretty night and the air conditioning was finally done right. Congratulations to the 2009 Graduating Class!!!!

Tim's dad, Mr. Butler could barely control his excitement.

We ate dinner with the grad and then he was off to his Sr. Class Party.
We love you Josh!
Josh and Tim

Me and Josh

Breaking News

TEEN PIERCES EAR AND LIVES

ARKANSAS is where our next story comes from. It was just another normal, beautiful sunny Wednesday at Butler Manor. The Butler ladies had enjoyed Awanna's awards night and had just made it home to cook dinner and was getting ready to sit down to watch the rest of American Idol.

The Aunt, Kaye, walked to the bedroom belonging to one 14 year old Mary Margaret Butler.

"I was just going to ask her if she wanted cheese on her burger and to see why she had not turned in all of her school books, when I saw it and I was just devastated"
(Note: Mrs. Butler was not your typical Arkansas witness. She did not have her hair in rollers, house shoes or pj's on, and we could not detect the redneck gene. It is the practice of this news cast to only run pictures of typical witnesses, sorry.)
In the right upper ear of the accused teen was a huge, fake, dirty earring. The aunt reportedly asked when, where, and what the FORTHELOVEOFCHOCOLATE were you thinking? Miss Butler replied its been there for weeks and you just didn't notice it. I've been taking care of it. My sister knew about and some friends at school know. (Even the friends at school told her she was getting into TONS of trouble and MM said, thats fine I'll just get into trouble, well okay....)
The aunt is thinking, how stupid can I be? I've blow dried her hair several times, I've done her makeup, I've put her hair in pony tails for her, how could I have not seen this? The aunt missed it because the child was removing it and re-piercing her ear.

Witness: Why did you do it?
Accused: Because you never finish your sentences and I just want you to finish your sentences.
Witness: WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Accused: Every time I int erupt you, you stop talking and won't finish what you say
Witness: So to like "get back at me" you pierce your own ear? When I've said NOT TO.
Accused: Well, it just seems like you hate me.
Witness: Tell me how I show that I hate you.
Accused: Well you bought stuff for us this weekend when I thought you were going shopping for you.
Witness: WHAT!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Accused: I feel like I don't know my mom at all.
(now we are getting half the truth, mom has many piercings, some in unmentionable places, wonder should I check the accused in other places?)
Witness: That's not my fault that you don't know your mom.
Accused: That's not the story I get from my mom and I get a different story from Meemaw.
Witness: I DON'T CARE!!!! YOUR MOM DIDN'T PIERCE YOUR EAR, YOUR MEEMAW DIDN'T PIERCE YOUR EAR, YOU DID.
Accused: Well when our mom showed up at Mamaws this weekend I showed her. She said like mother like daughter, I did the same thing when I was your age, and I didn't show my parents until I got to high school.
(Am I getting the right message from the mother, isn't she telling this child that its okay to do whatever you want no matter if Kaye has told her no or not?)
Witness: I've been a teenager, believe it or not and I know how your brain works, little girl, I told you, no, you can not get any other piercings anywhere because it looks TRASHY. You think...I'll just do it myself. And you did and now its infected.

Her sister found out about the ear in the van on the way to school last week. Mary Margaret threatened her BIG TIME.

Groundings are dished out to both kids.

Other breaking news...
Taylor made Select Choir at School.
7th Grade boy decided that the 5th grader was not the woman for him and asked the 7th grade girl to take him back. She did. Too bad so sad for the 7th grade boy, 7th grade girl just lost all forms of communication for a very very long time.

No that does not work!!!

The other day, I needed to go to the bank for my job. We drive the company vans for errands. Boss #2 and I headed outside at the same time.
Me to Boss #2: I'll take your van to the bank.
Boss #2:Nope, I"m leaving
Me: I'll take Boss #1 van.
(I walk over to the van and try the doors, they are locked)
Me: Dang, the doors are locked.
Boss #2 aims his van remote and Boss #1's van and hits unlock.
Me: That wont work.
Boss #2: sure it will, I do it all the time.
Me: What??? where do you do this
Boss #2: At the mall, I think it works
Me; No it doesn't.
(I prove this by trying the door again and yes, its still locked.)
Boss #2: Oh, well it was worth a try.
I tell Boss #1, he laughs.
I tell the girls...
Taylor says OMGosh.
MM says... I thought it would work.

Maybe boss #2 and Mary Margaret are kin to each other.

Breaking news...
7th grade boy breaks up with 7th grade girl. The reason? A 5TH GRADER. Awesome. 7th grade girl doesn't know what to do with her life now. It was such a long relationship, Sunday night through Monday morning.

Busy

The first week of may we were extremely busy, which is why I'm behind on posting. May 1 Taylor sang at the Concepts of Truth fund raising benefit. She is 6 kids back.

That same night, Mary Margaret served at the Concepts of Truth Banquet. It was her first time waitressing. I had several people tell me how courteous she was and what a good job she did. I tell her this and she says, well you must have not talked to the lady who got the roast beef gravey in her lap and purse!

May 2nd was the Lives of Legacy, Mother Daughter Tea at church. Since Dianne only has boys, I let her borrow Mary Margaret.

Taylor, Dianne standing, Me and Mary Margaret sitting. Could my hair look more like a football helmet? I have gotten it cut since this picture, thank goodness. Someone tell me when my hair gets out of control like that please! This was an early Mother's Day gift for me. I didn't have to work and I got to spend the afternoon with my girls and church!

Taylor, me and Mary Margaret

Tim and his mom on Mothers Day. We ate lunch at the Butler's and then headed to church for World Changers meeting, which is Mary Margaret's mission trip with the church. I felt like I was signing her life away!

Funny: Bro. Randy, youth minister, says to the parents: Their cell phones will be limited to calling once a day, at a designated time to one number. So there will not be calling or texting, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, etc or even you unless it is during the designated time.
Mary Margaret to me: That won't be a problem for me cause I barely text at all...
Say What?
She has to have forgotten the 3800 texting overage, I mean it was such a long time ago...like LAST WEEK.

Cell Phones continued...

other cell phone drama...
My best friends daughter, Taylor Grace, has the new LG Scoop. After a long stressful day and several "I can't believe this crap" moments, Taylor Grace tells her mom, I can't find my new cell phone.

Look for it.
Okay.

Later that night Taylor Grace is sitting on the couch, messing with the computer, Dianna looks over at her, did you find your phone?
TG:Nope.

Oh no she didn't.
Oh yes she did.

It was on.

Dianna: (through clenched teeth) Then what are you doing? Go. Look. For. The. Phone!
They look high and low.
Husband jumps in the the truck, in his PJ's (to me this hoo larious, for him to go to town in PJ's, you know he was trying to keep the peace) heads to the resturant they ate at earlier. Nope, no cell.
Dianna's sister comes over, Alecia.
Alecia might weigh 120 pounds.
She gets out of her truck with a flash light bigger than her and said "Alright, Lets find this phone" and starts to blind everything within a 5 mile radius.

The way my friend described this flash just cracked me up.

Alecia lights everything, the yard, the house, and finally the inside of Dianna's truck, where they had all looked twice. Alesha shines the "You know you are a redneck if..." flashlight in the truck, Dianna is all "Alesha I know its not there we've looked, but go ahead anyway", reaches in and picks the phone up off the floor and says "Is this what we are looking for?".

Yep.

Everyone needs a little help sometimes.

This post was brought to you by the letter "D" for all the mother's who have said...

"Don't make me come look for it!"

Happy Mother's Day!

Check out Dianne's post Happy Mothers Day.

Saturday

I struggled with the title to this post, I could not come up one that fit. The title is something so silly to worry about.

Cancer prompted this post. Cancer likes to think that the world revolves around it.
Cancer is a devious monster.
Tricking you every possible chance it gets.
I see what cancer has done, too often.
I saw it today.
It made me mad. Mad that cancer plays tricks with us. Mad that it strips away our security and displays sorrow, pain, and shame. I know and you know there is no shame in having cancer. BUT...I have heard so many times how cancer patients feel ashamed, ashamed of their appearance, ashamed they are sick, ashamed they are weak, ashamed, ashamed, ashamed.

You hear someone just found out they have cancer. They look fine to you.
Weeks later, months later or maybe years later, you hear the news that person has lost his/her battle with cancer and you are attending their funeral.
Someone has taken great care and compassion to make your loved one, best friend or maybe just an acquaintance look as if you just saw them yesterday. This job is what I depend on to live, am I allowed to say, that we are part of that trickery? Morticians (using an outdated word) create the illusion, that up until the time she/he drew his last breath, everything was fine.

Visitations are for the living, visiting, hugging, and smiles. I've heard the comments, "they don't seem to be devastated...", etc. I can truly say that I don't give much thought to how someone grieves. I've really thought, everyone grieves differently, which is true.

I understand why I see relief in the eyes of the families who have suffered right along side their loved one. It's not relief for themselves. It's relief that their loved one. Relief that the sorrow, pain, and shame that has riped their hearts and families is gone. Relief that their loved one suffers no more.

Am I making any sense at all? I guess I'm trying to say...that if you don't already know this..."that someone" you knew as a kid, know as an adult, your loved one, or acquaintance is someone who has fought the hardest battle and won. Is it wrong for me to think of death as a victory? Cancer or whatever disease it might be is not getting to rip people apart, its over, battle won.

Remember.
Remember that you never know whats going on behind closed doors. Don't just say "I'll remember you in my prayers" and move on and forget. Do it and remember.
Remember your life, remember that without God you wouldn't have a life to love. Remember that the phones work both ways. Don't just exist. LIVE.

Anything can reach up and strip away your comfortable life and turn it inside out for the world to witness.

Texting and cell phones

Used Cell Phone: free to us

Ring tones: free to us because of blue tooth

Normal Alltel bill: $160.00ish

Estimated Alltel Bill after MM goes over 1000 Txts: $780.00

Happiness of your 14 year old: Priceless (NOT)

You read it right folks, she went over the 1000 texts. Alltel says she went over by 3800 texts. Alltel gives you a courtesy call when someone goes over the minutes/text. Our main line is Tim's cell so he gets the call.
Alltel: Mr. Butler this is Alltel, we would like to inform you that one of your phones have gone over their minutes.
Tim: Hold on, I do not handle the cell phone stuff, talk to my brother, he knows more.
Jason: What's wrong? (Im not sure that's a direct quote)
Alltel: The cell phone with the number !@#$%$%^&*(*&^%$ has gone over the texting by 3800 at .25 each.
Jason:!#$%^^&*&&^ Hold on.
Dialing Kaye
Jason: Do you know MM has gone over her texting by 3800 texts?
Me: No. I thought she had unlimited text (Im thinking I might have been wrong)
Jason: No, she only has 1000 text
Me: Oh. My bad ( not my directed quote but sounds good)
Jason: I'm going to set her up with unlimited text for 20 bucks today is that okay?
Me: Yep
Jason: They'll make it retroactive so your bill won't be high
Me: Great
Hang up. ... check
Call refill my blood pressure meds...check
Have heart attack...check


other cell phone drama will be provided as soon as my best friend sends me the photo I need...Dianna you know what I want.

Weddings and Wheelchairs

From time to time, the girls get on this kick of talking about their futures. One would think it would be all about college, then marriage, etc. Not at Butler manor. We talk about weddings.

Taylor: Kaye Kaye, is 25 a good age to get married?
ME: I guess.
Taylor: How old were you and Tim when you got married?
ME: I was 25 Tim was 28.
Taylor: Did ya'll have a big fancy wedding?
ME: No, ya'll went to daycare and Tim and I went to the courthouse in Harrisburg and got married.
MaryMargaret: I'm having the faniciest wedding ever. My colors are going to be red and white. I'm making my husband to be wear white, cause we're waiting until we're married which means I can wear white and he can wear white.
Taylor: Did anybody come?
Me: No. Just me and Tim
MaryMargaret: I'm having lots of people at my wedding with a big ol' party after, with dancing and singing and lots of food....
Taylor: That's sad. So how old will you be when I'm 25, and I'm getting married?
Me: 47
MaryMargaret: Dang, will you be able to walk then?
Me: Excuse me?
MaryMargaret: You, know the Kernodle's don't walk fast.
Me: The Kernodle's are in their 80's.
MaryMargaret: They are? Dang I thought they were in their 40's or 50's.
Me: Dianne is 47 and Clayton is 40something (sorry can't remember his age).
MaryMargaret: Well they don't walk fast either. Neither does memaw and pepaw and they are at least 50.
Me: They are 64ish.
MaryMargaret: Oh.
Me to Taylor: Baby, according to MaryMargaret, you may need to reserve the wheelchair for me and Tim.
Taylor: I will, Tim can roll down the isle with me.

Ha ha ha.

Teen Drivers Part 2

Yesterday, temporary insanity took hold of me and led me astray.

I let her drive in this weather.

We traveled, the back roads from Wynne to Colt in 1 hour and 30 minutes, topping speeds of 35 miles per hour, I think at one time she made it to 45 miles per hour, which was when she decided to let go of the wheel so she could use her hands to talk to me.

What was she talking about?
MM: Kaye Kaye, what would happen to this van (removing her hands from the wheel at 45 miles per hour) if Jesus decided to come back right now, take all the Christians and we just disappeared?
ME: (calmly) I'm not worried about what's gonna happen after Jesus comes, I'm worried about whats gonna happen to us right now. Get the hands on the wheel.
MM: I've got this.

Oh, we so talked about that before.

Drving down the back roads, we see all kinds of neat stuff, which causes us to not pay attention to the ROAD.

MM: Look that sign says Eggs 4 Sale (chicken's all in the yard)
ME: Yep
MM: Wonder what kind of fish eggs they are selling.

Yep. That's a true conversation.