The Butcher Bunch

Museum Trips

2010-02-21T18:30:00.006-05:00

We recently took a couple of trips to nearby museums. The kids really enjoyed themselves and it helped make a couple of cold winter days quickly go by. Here are a just a few photos of the many exhibits we enjoyed.

This contraption apparently measures brain activity but we think it wasn't working as the same side always had more brain activity.

Mike and I did our own little experiment in the light room. If you stand still for several seconds in front of a special light then your shadow will stay on the wall.

Enjoying the 150 year old carousel at the New York State Museum.

Abby enjoying the bird exhibit.

This was my favorite 'New York in Bloom' Exhibit

Alex's favorite...the mastodon skeleton.

Our kids were very concerned about how they got the mammoth into the exhibit.

Uh-oh...Abby already likes shiny rocks:)

This sums up what Anne thinks about experiencing the museum in a stroller.

Mike and the kids.

Guess who?

2010-01-21T13:13:00.004-05:00

I love my babies! They each have their own unique personalities yet at times they seem very similar. Can you guess who is who?

Hopefully more posts to come soon!

Catch Up

2009-11-12T09:48:00.011-05:00

Here are a few photos of the fun we've been having...in between getting sick with the flu and working on house projects.

Abby enjoyed playing with Alex's scooter so much we gave in and got her one of her own. They ride their scooters everyday!

Alex waving at his school's Halloween parade.

My baby turned one!! Here she is in her cute birthday outfit from Grammy.

We discovered recently that Anne has an egg allergy and so for her first birthday I made my first egg-free cake. It actually turned out delicious and Anne dove right in!

A hole to China?? That is where Alex said he was trying to dig to in his sandbox. He worked for days on this hole and it was so deep that at times I couldn't even see him working in it.

Fall Happenings

2009-10-13T21:31:00.006-04:00

We've been enjoying fall with its cooler temperatures and beautiful foliage. Here are a few things we've been up to.

We went apple picking at a nearby orchard. The apples were damaged by hail and therefore were very cheap. I was amazed at how much damage a hail storm only lasting a few minutes can have on an entire orchard. No apple went unharmed and each one had some sort of damage. I felt kind of bad for the apples, but we made good use of them in some yummy apple crisp and apple pie.

Alex waving through the apple trees.

Mike was nice and carried Anne the whole time.

The kids liked the pond next to the apple orchard.

The kids enjoying some backyard leaves.
Typical picture - Anne can't sit still, Alex is being silly and Abby is distracted.

Taking a rest in the leaves.

Painting pumpkins. The kids did a great job.

Notice the John Deere shirt. Abby still wears it night and day.

Not So Extreme Home Makeover

2009-10-13T21:20:00.005-04:00

Here is our attempt to makeover our living room. It didn't go quite as planned. It took A LOT longer than we thought it would and the paint color wasn't exactly what I had envisioned. It is a nice change though and as soon as we can muster up the courage we'll attempt a few other rooms.

Before

After

GO COUGARS!!!

2009-09-13T14:17:00.005-04:00

We are loving BYU's football season this year. Mike has taught the kids the cougar fight song and the kids love to yell "First down!" after Mike says "That's another cougar..." Keep up the winning streak BYU!

The kids are in their "BYU pajamas" for the Oklahoma game last weekend.

Off to a Great Start

2009-09-10T20:42:00.002-04:00

Alex had his first day of school today and he did great! He loved riding the bus, going to gym class, checking out his own library book, drinking from a juice pack and playing with the toys. His favorite part he told me was seeing his good friend Carter. We are happy that his first day went so well.

Moments before the bus came.

Mom and Dad are so proud.

Poppy came to see Alex off on his big day.

Finally...Alex has been dying to ride the bus for years! We were happy to see that a nice man from our church is his bus driver.

Bye...take good care of him.

A Little Piece of Heaven

2009-09-07T16:08:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite places to visit in the whole wide world is my parent's home. Not only because it is the home I grew up in but also because it is BEAUTIFUL. My parents have done so many wonderful things to the property around the house and I love to visit and go on the trails and enjoy the wildlife. Here are a few photos from my last visit. The pictures don't even come close to the real thing.

The house

View from the porch of the house of the Hudson River.

A baby deer I ran into on my walk.

Can you find the Mama deer?

Some turkeys I also ran into while walking around.

The beautiful pond my Dad made.

Some of the beautiful wildflowers that cover the land.

Beach Babe and Company

2009-08-25T20:17:00.004-04:00

It was a beautiful day today and summer is quickly coming to an end so Mike took the day off and we headed to Grafton Lake. A great time was had by all even little Anne. She loved playing in the sand, trying to eat the sand and splashing in the water. Alex and Abby also had a great time digging in the sand and playing in the shallow water. Hopefully we can fit in one more day at the beach before school starts!

"I Wanna Stay at Grammy's FOREVER!"

2009-07-31T16:32:00.006-04:00

These were the words frequently spoken by Abby on our recent trip to Utah. We had a great time in Utah going to a Bees Baseball Game, Lagoon, waterparks, taking Alex and Abby to their first movie, attending the Oquirrh Temple Open House, seeing old friends and most importantly being with family. It was fun to see Alex, Abby and Anne interact with their cousins. We were sad to say good-bye to loved ones and already can't wait to visit again.

We Love Him!!

2009-06-23T14:45:00.002-04:00

For Father's Day this year, I took the kids to the local dollar store to pick out a couple of gifts for Dad. The kids had so much fun shopping for Dad and did a good job of picking out things Dad would enjoy like his favorite snacks and some tools. They could hardly wait for Father's Day to give him their gifts. Here's a few pictures of this year's Father's Day.

Alex placed this warning note on the door of the closet containing Dad's gifts.

Alex was so excited to finally give Dad his gift.

Abby also elated to give her gift.

Mike admiring the card Abby made for him.

Happy kids with their happy Dad!

Hose 'Em Down!!

2009-06-11T14:26:00.008-04:00

Alex and Abby LOVE to play in the backyard, especially in the sandbox. "Can we go outside?" is frequently asked by them throughout the day. Lately, they have been getting extra dirty making bath time a daily necessity. On this occasion, they were so dirty we had to hose them down so that they could actually go in the house.

1,2,3 Strikes, Not Out!

2009-06-01T06:57:00.005-04:00

Alex has entered the world of tee-ball competition where everybody is a winner. We've enjoyed watching him and the other little boys on his team learn the game of baseball. Alex's favorite parts of tee-ball are the over-sized uniforms, pulling on the grass and dandelions in the out field and waving at Mom and Dad. Oh yeah, and he likes to bat and catch.

In the "ready" position.

At bat - GO ALEX! (If you look closely, you'll see Mike and Abby in the background playing third base coach.)

Getting a little distracted.

Running to third with Dad coaching him on - I love their helmets:)

Two of Alex's biggest fans.

We Love Our Abby

2009-05-25T11:02:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated Abby's 3rd birthday. Mike and I can't believe that our first baby girl is three! Where did the time go? Abby chose a princess theme for her first birthday party and we invited a few of her friends. I am used to rough, loud and crazy boy birthday parties so I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet and cute little girl princess parties are. Here are few pictures of the celebrations surrounding Abby's birthday.

A picture of Abby shortly before her birthday party. She was soooo excited!

Abby and her friends eating cake.

What Alex thinks of princess parties - his face shows it all!

Abby caught destroying her cake.

What was left of Abby's cake after a cake batter mishap with Alex and after Abby destroyed half of it. It was about 1/2 inch high with frosting!

Out of the Mouth of Butcher Babes

2009-04-23T06:16:00.005-04:00

As we currently don't have a functioning camera this will be our first post without any pictures. We thought we'd share instead some of our favorite things that the kids have said in recent months. We hope you'll find them as funny as we do. Hopefully our next blog will contain pictures of our wonderful Butcher Babes.

(Setting) Mike and Alex are walking into the men's locker room at the YMCA. Mike notices that the locker room smells extra bad that day.
Alex: Mmmm, it smells good in here.
Mike: Really?
Alex: Yeah, it smells like root beer.

(Setting) Anytime Abby says a prayer.
Abby: Dear Heavenly Father, We thank thee for this day. We thank thee for the food (Even if there is no food in sight). Please bring the blessings. Amen.

(Setting) Mike and Heidi having a conversation about their age at the dinner table.
Alex: Mom, are you old?
Heidi: No, not yet.
Alex: Are you new?

(Setting) Abby singing her favorite song "I am Like a Star" over and over again.
Abby: I want to sing "I am Like a Star" on my nose.
Heidi: Okay. (Heidi thinking Abby will simply change the lyrics to include the word nose)
Abby: (Abby starts puffing the tune "I am Like a Star" through her nose.)

(Setting) Several hours after Heidi attempted to answer Alex's question 'Where did my poopoos come from?" Alex is asked to say the prayer at the dinner table.
Alex: Dear Heavenly Father. Please bless the food in our tummies so that it can turn into poopoos.

(Setting) Alex found an old picture of an ultrasound done while I was pregnant.
Alex: Mom, what is this?
Heidi: It's a picture of an ultrasound.
Alex: (several seconds go by)...What sound does it make?

(Setting) Alex's battery operated toy wasn't working anymore.
Alex: Mom, why doesn't this toy work anymore?
Heidi: The battery ran out.
Alex: (Alex looks perplexed.) Where did it go?

Celebrate

2009-04-01T19:38:00.006-04:00

We can't believe it, but Alex recently turned 5 years old! We took the opportunity to celebrate his birthday outside as we don't often see 65 degree weather at the end of March in upstate New York. Alex had a lot of fun playing with all of his friends in the backyard. On the same day as Alex's party, Abby went to her first birthday party. She was so excited and had a great time.

Abby before her first birthday party

Alex's cake

Sandbox fun

Opening presents

Alex wrestling with his favorite wrestling partner

Battle Wounds

2009-03-20T08:38:00.003-04:00

Abby had a run-in with a tree stump...and lost. We actually aren't sure what happened because no one saw it but we know it involved a tree stump. We did hear the piercing cry though and witness an enormous amount of blood. We took her to the ER where she got glued. Stitches sound cooler but I guess the new thing is glue. Abby handled the whole incident like a champ and we are grateful it wasn't worse.

Posing for the camera

Alex and Abby pretending to be like Anne
Alex insisted on a snowman with multiple heads

Burrr....

2009-01-17T15:19:00.003-05:00

Just a few pictures of what we have been up to this winter... not much!
Abby hitching a ride with a neighborhood friend.

A very bundled up Abby

Snow fun

Anne on her special day.

Abby trying to play with her little sister.

He was the Star of the Show...

2008-12-21T21:33:00.002-05:00

Alex was the star of his preschool Christmas program...literally. Alex did a great job playing the star and it was fun to see him in his first play. Some of you may recognize the donkey and the girl in pink.

First Smiles

2008-12-21T21:27:00.002-05:00

Anne recently started smiling which has made all the night wakings, frequent diaper changes, and crying already worth it. She saves her best smiles for Alex who tells us that we need to smile bigger. I think we'll keep her:)

Ahhh, the Northeast!

2008-12-21T21:15:00.005-05:00

Just a few pics of the ice storm we got last week and the two snow storms, yes two, we got this week to give us a total of 15 inches of snow. It will without a doubt be a very white Christmas:)

Quick, take a picture...

2008-12-09T17:59:00.008-05:00

Quick, take a picture...before the gingerbread house falls apart! This was our family's first gingerbread house. It's not bad considering the making of it included the help of a two and a four year old. We had a lot of fun and the kids ate way too much candy even swallowing a few gumballs before Mike and I realized what they were eating. In case you are wondering, yes Abby is wearing a John Deere shirt and she insists on wearing it ALL the time!

Meet Anne Elizabeth

2008-11-06T16:10:00.006-05:00

Although Mike and I didn't intend to have our own little "A-team" before we started having children, we've named our newest little addition Anne, a name we both love. Anne came into this world weighing 8 lbs 1 oz and was 19 and 3/4 inches long, exactly the same as her older sister. So far Anne is a really good baby and greatly adored by all, especially her siblings as you can tell by the pictures. Alex and Abby both find her "newbornness" (ie. jerky movments and rolling eyes) hilarious. We are so grateful that she is finally here and feel blessed that all went well.

2008-10-29T17:53:00.004-04:00

It's a Girl!

Super Cute Super Heroes

2008-10-24T21:05:00.004-04:00

As Halloween this year will be a little hectic with the arrival of our new little one next week, we thought we'd take the opportunity this weekend to celebrate by attending the local YMCA Halloween party. Alex picked out both his and Abby's costumes this year and was proud to have Abby as his 'sidekick'. I know I am biased but I think these super heroes are super cute.

A Fall Tradition

2008-10-19T20:42:00.004-04:00

Every year as a family we like to go apple picking at a local orchard. We went on a gorgeous day this year. Alex liked being able to pick the apples and Abby liked eating the apples. Alex and Abby also picked out their pumpkins, ate apple cider donuts, and played in the play area. We have been eating an apple a day since we went and this weekend we made the yummiest apple pie:)

"I want to eat the apple now!"

Can you find Alex?
"What are these long green things with fuzzy things on the end, Dad?"
Our four year old told us that the first thing you need to do to start a tractor is pull out the throttle! Smart kid.

Time for Preschool

2008-10-02T20:20:00.003-04:00

Alex has been enjoying attending a nearby preschool for the past couple of weeks. His favorite things about preschool are snack time, Marvin the monkey (he's a puppet), and learning how to spell. Mom's favorite part...free time!

First day of preschool

First field trip to an apple orchard

Last Day at the Beach

2008-09-03T14:30:00.002-04:00

Before the beaches closed for the summer, we headed to Grafton Lake and had a great time in the rowboat, playing in the sand and swimming in the water. We are sad to see summer go, but excited for fall with preschool starting and the arrival of baby #3.

Cavanaugh Family Reunion 2008

2008-08-23T15:24:00.005-04:00

The whole Cavanaugh Family was able to get together for this year's family reunion. We all had a great time going to the Great Escape, visiting Aunt Joanne's camp, hanging out at Oma and Poppy's, going to the Altamont Fair and wearing matching shirts (Alex wants to wear his every day). Alex and Abby had a great time getting to know their 9 cousins on this side of the family. We wish that we could all live closer together. We can't wait until the next reunion!

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

2008-08-16T21:41:00.003-04:00

After being stuck inside for several hours on yet another rainy day (we've had a lot this summer) Alex had the great idea to get out his and Abby's rain gear (thank you Oma). They had a nice walk in the rain and Abby provided the music with a song she has been able to sing a lot this summer, "It's Raining, It's Pouring."

Go ValleyCats!!!

2008-08-09T17:07:00.003-04:00

This week we took Alex and Abby to their first Tri-City ValleyCats baseball game. The ValleyCats are a local single A minor league baseball team...it's not the New York Yankees but it's as close as we can get here. The kids had a great time enjoying the ballpark atmosphere, eating popcorn, clapping and cheering on our team, and watching the fireworks. We had so much fun and the kids did well considering we didn't get home until almost midnight.

Backyard Waterpark

2008-08-04T09:35:00.003-04:00

After a recent frustrating trip to a public pool (mostly because Abby for some odd reason doesn't like pools) we decided to invest in a pool...kiddie pool that is...and a couple of sprinklers. Along with a couple of neighborhood friends, our kids had a blast in our very own backyard.

Our Weekend Getaway

2008-07-20T18:35:00.002-04:00

This weekend we took Alex and Abby to their first Hill Cumorah Pageant. Alex loudly asked after the two minute opening scene "Is it over yet?" which got a chuckle out of those around us. Abby liked eating all the treats and probably only looked at the stage for a few seconds the entire time. It was worth it though. We also had a great time playing with cousins and visiting the Rochester Zoo. The sea lions were our favorite because they were playful and interactive.

Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime?

2008-07-16T08:40:00.002-04:00

Here are just a few random pictures of our summer fun - kite flying and playing in the sandbox at Oma and Poppy's, fun with friends, our out of control garden, "hiking" at Indian Meadows, and riding on the ATV...

A Day at Moreau

2008-06-30T13:50:00.004-04:00

Slides are much less scary with Dad:)

Although you can't tell from the pictures, we spent Friday at Moreau Lake. When we got there Alex and Abby saw the playground and even though the lake was right next to it they both wanted to go on the playground. Here are few pictures of their fun on the playground. After the playground, we got in our bathing suits and headed to the beach. With our hands slathered in sunblock and then sand getting into everything we didn't get the chance to get the camera back out. We all had a great time and we love Mike's Fridays off!

It's A...

2008-06-22T21:24:00.004-04:00

GIRL!!! At least they are "pretty sure" it is. The technician had to look twice and after the second ultrasound concluded that it is a girl. We wouldn't be shocked though if it is a boy. We are so excited and now the girls will out number the boys:)

Family Fun

2008-06-14T20:44:00.004-04:00

We spent a fun and HOT afternoon at Hoffman's Playland this weekend. Alex had a great time on the rides and Abby still isn't sure if she did or not.

The Graduate

2008-06-07T22:03:00.004-04:00

Preschool graduate that is. Alex had his last day of preschool this week and the whole family was invited to attend his graduation ceremony. It was fun to see a slide show of all the things Alex was able to do and see him get his "dipwoma" as Alex says it. Abby had a great time and was thrilled that she was finally able to stay at preschool with Alex.

Get ready, Get set, Garden!

2008-05-27T13:31:00.003-04:00

Yeah, the gardening season is finally here and hopefully the warm weather is here to stay. Over the weekend we finished planting our garden for this summer. Gardening has become my favorite hobby and my 'break' from motherhood. Last year our garden did really well and we hope for another 'plentiful harvest.'

Abby's New Shirt

2008-05-21T15:07:00.002-04:00

Abby is happy that around the beginning of November she will be a big sister:)

I Want to be like my Big Bro

2008-05-13T21:06:00.002-04:00

Here's Abby trying to be like her big brother.

Enjoying the outdoors...

2008-05-13T20:58:00.004-04:00

We have been spending a lot of time lately in our backyard digging in the sandbox, climbing on the swing set, and playing with neighborhood kids. Thank goodness winter is over!!!

The Best Note Ever

2008-05-13T20:54:00.002-04:00

I came home one evening and was pleasantly surprised by this note from Alex. It's the first sentence Alex has ever written and done, of course, with help from Mike. It was just in time for Mother's Day.

Boys and Capes

2008-05-05T13:49:00.002-04:00

Alex's new love is his new superman pajamas. He wants to wear them ALL the time and I can hardly get them off of him. As I have explained this behavior to other mothers I have learned that nothing comes between a boy and his cape.

Abby the Lady

2008-05-05T13:46:00.001-04:00

Every time I see Abby eat spaghetti it reminds me of that scene in Lady and the Tramp.

Arrgghh

2008-05-05T13:29:00.001-04:00

Pirate day at preschool

Farmer Alex

2008-04-26T22:11:00.005-04:00

Alex's favorite part of the week is our visit to Oma and Poppy's where Alex gets to "drive" the tractor with Poppy. Alex LOVES to ride in the tractor as well as other recreational vehicles at Oma and Poppy's. Alex has put a 'new tractor' at the top of his wish list and not the toy version either. Mom and Dad reply to this wish with a "maybe on your 50th birthday" (we're hoping he forgets by then). Thankfully Alex readily accepts that answer.

Abby and pigtails

2008-04-26T21:59:00.003-04:00

Abby's hair is finally getting longer and thicker and the long anticipated wait is now over to be able to put pigtails in Abby's hair. The only problem is Abby rips out the hair ties almost as quick as I can get them in. She looks super cute with pigtails and like a big girl. I guess for now I'll just have to keep on dreaming about a cute little girl running around with pigtails.

Seconds after putting the pigtails in...

...and now there out.

"Am I still four?"

2008-04-08T13:26:00.003-04:00

"Am I still four?" is a frequent question from recently turned four-year old Alex. Alex had a great birthday and an exciting transformer birthday party with all 12 of his friends! Yes, 12 friends and yes Mike and I learned our lesson...12 is way too many kids. Alex's 'big' gifts included a Spiderman bike personally picked out by Alex and a Big Wheel from Oma and Poppy. From the expression on his face you can easily see his enthusiasm for his new toys. He also received some transformers which he absolutely loves. So much so that he wants to sleep with them. We still can't believe he is four years old!

"I want to be like Dad"

2008-03-26T13:42:00.004-04:00

I had to share this because I think it is so cute. Last night Alex "helped" set the table for dinner. As you can see in the photo he pushed his chair as close as he could to Mike's and put his plate right next to Mike's plate. It was so cute to see Alex eating his dinner right next to Mike because Alex idolizes his Dad. Needless to say, Mike is a GREAT dad!

Easter Cousin Fun

2008-03-26T13:26:00.003-04:00

We had a lot of fun celebrating Easter with Alex's and Abby's cousins. We had an indoor Easter egg and basket hunt as it was freezing outside. Abby wore a super cute Easter dress made by her Aunt Lisa and looked like a little princess. We had a great time visiting with family, ate lots of yummy food, and the kids tired themselves out by playing with each other for three days straight.

First Swimming Lesson

2008-03-06T19:15:00.005-05:00

Alex had his first swimming lesson tonight and he did really well. He wasn't afraid and did everything his swimming instructor asked him to do. It was fun to watch him and analyze how he handles new situations. He cracked me up when he grabbed the instructor's swim goggles when she wasn't looking and put them on. Needless to say they were too big for him and the instructor also got a kick out of it. Abby played in the kiddie pool while Alex had his lesson and attempted to drink all the water in the pool despite her parents repeatedly telling her it was 'yucky.' Abby's reply, "Water? Yucky?" followed by a big gulp.

Snowman Fun

2008-03-06T19:08:00.003-05:00

We have been getting lots of great 'snowman making snow'. Alex is getting really talented at decorating snowmen and Abby is getting really good at saying the word snowman as well as eating large quantities of snow. Here is the newest snowman in our yard along with a picture of Abby who has finally learned to like playing in the snow.

Snow Snow Snow...When Will Winter End??

2008-02-28T17:24:00.001-05:00

Just to remind us that winter isn't over yet, Nature dumped another 8 inches of snow and blew in temperatures below freezing a couple of days ago. Under that 5 foot snow pile behind Abby (a.k.a. the Pink Marshmallow) are my spring bulbs and I wonder if that pile will even melt by spring. Needless to say, we are all very ready for spring to be here. Alex is slowly but surely recovering from having his tonsils and adenoids removed. At the moment he kind of looks like Goob in "Meet the Robinsons". He doesn't feel much like eating so gracious Abby often "helps" him. I think Alex has lost 5 pounds and Abby has gained a couple. Thankfully, Alex breathes much easier now which is why the surgery was done in the first place. The first picture above I took as the 'storm was upon us.'

Brave Little Guy

2008-02-23T21:31:00.000-05:00

It seems like blogspots are becoming quite popular so I thought I'd try it out too. I am not quite sure what I am doing yet, but I will give it a try. The latest exciting thing that happened in our family occurred on Thursday when Alex got his tonsils and his adenoids taken out. Alex was a brave little boy and his doctor told us that he was "polite" in the operating room so that made us very proud of course. He did very well after the surgery and loved all the attention he was getting. Unfortunately his throat has continued to hurt the past couple of days making him one sad little boy. There is nothing harder for me as a mom than to see my children in pain. I can't wait till this is all over and Alex is back to normal and hopefully not snoring anymore and breathing better:) Abby too did very well on 'surgery day' as she was left home with our friend Sharon and then Oma and I think she liked the one-on-one she got that day. This photo was taken shortly before Alex went to the OR.