Great to be 8!

The statement holds true... It really is great to be 8! My precious Tess Abigail Butikofer was baptized this past Saturday. She had been anticipating this day for quite some time. July seemed to come and go in a complete flash and before I knew it she was turning eight and getting baptized all in the same week. Since Tess is quiet by nature, she normally doesn't get overly excited about things BUT she had the countdown going from the time we got back from Bear Lake and was completely going crazy by the time Friday got here and her "Grandma by the Temple" and Idaho cousins and Aunt showed up.

It was such a wonderful experience to see her all in white with her glowing skin and charming smile. There were two other kids from our ward who were getting baptized as well. When we went back to the font and Brother Spencer told the order which they would go, Tess was the first. Her little hands started to tremble and she told me she needed to use the bathroom. Once we got that over with a she proceeded through the doors into the font, a peaceful calm took over as her daddy reached for her hand. Once she came out of the water, the smile on her face spoke volumes about what she was feeling. With so many loving Uncles, her Grandpa Earl, Brother Spencer, and Tim placing their hands on her head to give her the gift of the Holy Ghost my heart was pounding out of my chest knowing how lucky she is to have that much love and priesthood support.

There are times in your life that you can reflect on and see the "bigger" picture. I know this was one of those days; surrounded by family... witnessing the beginning of a young and beautiful girl's future!

Short Sassy Six

Little Miss Mia Louise turned six years old this week. She has been such a blessing in our lives and was the baby for almost six years. From the get go this kid has done things her own way.

I was scheduled to be induced with Mia on June 2nd. After supervising an all night graduation party and a long week of festivities back in 2005, I came home to "rest." My body was so uncomfortable and really resting was out of the question. We went down to my mom's for a memorial day bbq. After eating lunch I carried my plate into the kitchen to wash it and put it in the dishwasher. As I bent over I felt an excruciating pain and couldn't stand back up. Tim immediately told me to get in the car so we could go to the hospital. His biggest fear has always been that I would have a baby in the car. So, we headed to SL. We got as far as Mt. Dell Golf course and I told him to turn around that I was embarrassed to call the doctor in on a holiday. He ignored me and continued down the canyon to the hospital.

When I checked in I told them "my husband thinks I am in labor." Once I was checked by the nurse she confirmed that I was indeed in labor and needed to get the epidural before it was too late. We left Ellie and Tess with everyone back home. When we called to tell them what was going on they were all halfway to the hospital. Good thing everyone was ready to meet Mia because she arrived one hour after we got to the hospital.

She hasn't stopped surprising me since that day. This year of kindergarten proved to be no different. Between the shoe incident and the love notes from her "boy" that is a friend she has kept me on my toes.


I was worried how she would react to the baby since she had been our "baby" for so long, but again she has surprised me. She loves Evie and wants to help all the time. She loves reading, playing the violin, and is quite the ballroom diva. We love our Mia Lousie and know she will go far in her life! I am so proud to be her mother.

Sunrise Sunset

CLICK ON THE PICTURES, Obviously I am not technologically savvy!

Is this the littel girl I carried?... When did she get to be a beauty? ...Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?... (I have been in song mode for over a week) I also have been dieing in anticipation of these pictures. We had them taken while in St. George. I think it was way worth the wait. What do you think? Then there are the rest of my girls, we couldn't stop with just Evie! Hard for me to believe this was my baby once upon a time. I am so amazed and impressed with her. I will say that her outer beauty is stunning BUT her inner beauty will take your breath away! When she was my baby, the world seemed just right. She was an adorable baby, her older sister loved her, and I was in a good place. Now she is preparing for baptism and entering that next phase of life. Her gorgeous looks are paired with her scholastic abilities and endless talents. It is a blessing to be her mother. There are many words I could use to describe my world when Mia was my baby. We were building a house, Tess was only 20 months old, I had three kids in day care. It was a nightmare! But everytime I would hold my sweet little baby, she would snuggle up in my arms and everything seemed right. Her looks will steal your heart; along with the 15 kindergarten boys who write her love notes and bring her flowers from their moms yard! She was my sweet baby for almost six years and I loved every minute of it. And then when you think your heart can't possibly love anything more..... this happens. > I couldn't love my life and my babies anymore. Since this IS my baby for life, my cup runneth over with love! Thank you Tim for giving me four beautiful babies! You complete me! (I know cliche but true) Sunrise, sunset quickly fly the years..one season following another, laden with happiness and tears.

Click here if you want to see more amazing pictures of the session, Valerie was amazing.

Evie's Pictures

About 1 minute after entering the big bright world!

BTW: Evie had the pinkest skin from the time she came out.

Her score was 9.9= OVER ACHIEVER!!!!!

The three sisters waiting to see the result. Nothing but cheers and smiles.


Official weigh in 6lbs 130z


Ready to be big sisters!


I thought she looked chubby but she is my typical little bird!

Thanks to all who came to see us and who have made wonderful meals. We are so blessed to have you all close and part of our family.

Love, Tim & Billie Jo and the 4 girls!!!!

It's A...........

GIRL! Evie Fae Butikofer made her arrival on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 2:06 pm. We could not be more excited and pleased that we are now parents to FOUR beautiful daughters.

With all the anticipation and anxiety that I have been going through the last little while I was beyond ready to meet our baby. I had been saying the entire time that I truly hoped we had a girl. Most people tried to tell me that it was a boy and he had been waiting for 12 years to join our family. While I would have been happy to welcome a baby boy, I am OVERJOYED to be the mother of 4 girls. I know many people who have four girls and my grandmother Louise started out with four girls. There is something about girls that I just love! So yes more pink, more hormones, more dancing, and more joy at the Butikofer home!
In case you are wondering about her name, I will offer some explanation. I am very into names that have meaning to both Tim and I. This name evolved from both of our grandmothers'. Eva is Tim's grandmother Burtenshaw's name and also his mom's middle name. Fae is my grandmother McNeil's name. We feel like Evie has spent time with both wonderful woman while waiting to join our family. By giving her a part of these legendary women, it will define who she is and how strong she will be. Her potential is limitless!
Thanks to everyone who called, text, and came to support us. We love you all and can't wait to be back home with all of our daughter's living the good life on Country Lane.
Picture will come soon!!!

Farewell 2010

I know it sounds cliche but where did this year go? The last few days I have thought a lot about the year 2010. It certainly had its highs and most definitely had some lows. All I know is that this year has been a season of change all around. Let's start with my kids.

As you all know little Miss Mia started school this year. While I was a little worried about how she would act (following Tess cannot always be easy) I will say I am not at all surprised! Yes even the phone call from the teacher, NOT SURPRISING!!! She has many friends but seems to have a love/hate relationship with one special friend named Hunter. Again, no surprise! I didn't feel like I had spent as much time preparing Mia for kindergarten like I had the other two. I have mixed emotions about Kindergarten. On one hand if you teach them everything and have them "reading" before kindergarten, they are somewhat bored and feel like school is just a social avenue. The other hand being you have some pride knowing your child is one of the top kids when you go to parent teacher conference and they already have everything marked off. So as usual with this kid I just let the card fall as they may. I have been so surprised to see how things have turned out. She reads better than either of the other two did at this point and she is constantly surprising me with how "grown up" she has become. I will admit she might have a set back come February and I stop carrying her around like my "little" baby. For now, I will get as much cuddle time as I can. Mia also started violin when school started this fall. Batting a thousand, she has shocked me with how well she is doing. I absolutely LOVE to hear Mia and Tess play duets, even if it is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. So to sum up the year for Mia I would say, Little Miss Attitude Rocks the Kindergarten World!

Moving on to the middle child. Tess has had a wonderful 2010. She started playing the violin in February and took off like a rocket. Her teacher would tell me what a perfect student she was and how pleased she was with Tess each time she came to lessons. This is how Tess goes through life. She finished out first grade winning her class spelling bee (they don't go any further in first grade) and when she left her first grade teacher we ALL three (myself, Tess, and her teacher)shed many tears. Mrs. Flinders set Tess on the educational track like I have never seen an educator do. I was so worried about how second grade would then go down. Fortunately, she continues to thrive. She also finally has her good "friends" in her class. They have lots of fun and Tess has found more joy in school than ever before. She also started ballroom this fall with the return on Aunt Giselle. As a result she is constantly engaged in performing. Serious ballerina, showy Jazz dancer, dynamic acrobat, and now social butterfly ballroomer! She and Luke did a great job at the Christmas show and this upcoming year will be bigger than ever for Tess. She is moving to level 2 on violin, getting a new sibling, as well as preparing for baptism. To sum up the year for Tess, the shy quiet child is blossoming into a beautiful outgoing belle of the ball.

Talk about growing pains! Ellie had quite the 2010. Ellie began playing the guitar in February. This proved to be the perfect match for Ellie and her personality. I have no idea how to play the guitar or anything that goes with it. I can figure out violin fingering and music but guitar is way out of my league. Ellie listens to songs and figures out the cording and plays has a great ear. Ellie also participated in her first year of comp team. None of us even knew what a show stopper Ellie could be until she starts into her hip hop mode. Watch out! She gives new meaning to "attitude." She did her first solo and was amazing! She also finished up elementary school and moved onto middle school. SERIOUSLY, I have a middle school student. Her bus comes at 7:05 in the morning and she is always ready and going. She has matured so much this year and it scares me to think she will be entering Young Women's this year! She got an ipod (touch) for Christmas and acts like your typical teenager. To sum up her year I would say, winds of change. (Oh some of the greatest music came from my high school days!)

Tim and I just celebrated our 14th anniversary. Neither of us can believe that at this time in our life we are adding our 4th child. There was a time when we both thought that 3 children was our lot in life. 2010 seemed to change my mind! Between life, death, and the pursuit of eternal salvation... I realized we needed to expand our family. This was not an easy decision given how crazy our life schedule is. However knowing we are weeks away from meeting the final member of our family brings me great joy and complete satisfaction. Since we never found out the sex of our other children I could not let my track record fall. We all have our days thinking it is a boy or a girl and for various reasons but whatever this child is it will complete our family. Tim and I also were called to go on the Stake Trek this year. I will say that of the things that took place in 2010, this had to be one of my highlights. Not only did I grow an obscene appreciation for my pioneer ancestors, I also developed a stronger love and testimony of my Savior, and more importantly a deeper and more amazing love for my eternal companion. It was on the trek that I realized I was pregnant and how lucky I am to have such a wonderful man for the father of my children. We still have so much learning to do but hopefully together we can make it. Our careers are both doing wonderful, (thank heavens Giselle returned to me this year) and Tim has never been so busy/successful with work. I think a highlight for Tim this year was the addition of the tower to the boat. He not only loves wake boarding but spending time with family and friends on the water. I think he wishes the season were a little longer around here. I just remind him all the snow means full reservoirs this summer. To sum up our year.... BLESSED!

We have so many things to be grateful for this year. Good bye 2010, thanks for the good times, the bad times, and our times with each other!

Tales from Kindergarten, Mia Style

And so it begins! Probably need to document these things right now so some day in the future I can laugh about it... someday!

Her "natural" pose!-Kindergarten 2010

I have been so blessed to have all my girls in school this year! We run a tight ship around this place and between the 7:05 AM bus time for Ellie, violin and guitar, and piano lessons in the morning, and then 7:58 AM bus time for Tess and Mia we get up early. Not a problem in the past. My two older girls are morning kids, they jump up and get going. Not so much with my third. She has been a different story from the get go. Call it head strong, call it stubborn, call it moody, just call it MIA! Each morning she has a different "drama." Many times it goes like this.

Mom no one will play with me on the playground. They think I am four because I am so little. My reply, logical of course- Well you can explain to them that your birthday is May 30th and you are five. There is another cute girl in your class named Kaylie who is about your size. Try to play with her.

The next morning

Mom how do you spell KC. My reply: K-C. Tess the spelling bee champion and family nark chimes in. It's probably C-A-S-E-Y. She is writing a note to her boyfriend mom and wants to spell his name. Again my logical reply, Mia we don't write notes to boys and your only boyfriend is your dad. (Has she not learned anything from the Jamison episode in preschool!) Later in the day while doing laundry, I find a post it in her pocket reading

KC + Mia

One day as I walk up to greet Mia at the end of the Country Lane bus stop, she gets off holding one sandal in her hand and one on her foot. When I inquire she tells me (one hand on hip and a smile) Kaleby ripped my shoe off and broke it on the bus. My inquiring mind wants to know-Mia what is your shoe doing in Kaleby's face? No reply!

Then this morning. Seemed to be starting off great, in fact she got dressed before Tess and had eaten three raspberry muffins before 7:00! Moving on with the routine, we went in her bedroom to make her bed ad get her shoes and socks on. LET THE GAMES BEGIN. She balked and cried and whined because she does not like wearing brown shoes to school. Last week she didn't like her mary janes because they showed her socks. Today it was the brown shoes didn't match her blue pants. I gave her the speech and we proceeded to doing hair. The fireworks continued and as a result she was spanked and sent back to bed. 20 minutes later it seemed the tantrum was over and we advanced to finish up mode. I took both she an Tess to school knowing there wouldn't be much time for mommy to help with homework tonight so we did reading before school and left at 8:30 AM. Dropped them off at school and headed back home-flash forward 20 minutes and the phone rings. Caller ID indicates -South Summit Elementary. "Hello Billie Jo, this is Mrs. Blazzard. Mia didn't have ANY shoes on when she came to school today! She told me she left them on the bus accidentally, so I called the bus garage and they radioed her bus driver. He said Mia didn't ride the bus. I then told Mia the bus driver said you didn't ride the bus today, and she replied; oh yeah I came in my mom's car. I must have left them there. Are her shoes in your car?" Running down the stairs to check my car, I tell Mrs. Blazzard. "I could guarantee they are in her book bag but let me check real quick." Surprise NO SHOES IN MY CAR. And to think I have 13 more years of this!!!!!!! Can you say boarding school.
In other new, Tess and Ellie are loving school, loving life, and loving wearing their shoes!

Tess, 2nd Grade

Ellie, Middle School 5th Grade