Jolly, Merry, Happy Photos to share!

Just wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from Christmas in the Merritt House! Please enjoy them as much as I do! :)



All the boys with their Christmas Eve gifts! Broc, Josh and Drew got lucky and scored with a huge box of yummy brownies! Dad is still trying to figure out how come he didn't get quite as lucky and instead got a Grandpa Vest! :)



Carissa and I with our Christmas Eve gifts! Clearly we are thrilled to both get a tub of Cox's whipped honey! YUM!!!!!!!!



More sisterly bonding over the little bump! So excited for Edwin to be born! Only 4 weeks to go! Hooray for being an Aunt!



Pops wearing his head thong! Yes that is correct! It is supposed to help with the snoring but I think it's just moms way of getting him to wear something this amusing! We all had some pretty good laughs!

I'll Be Back!

For Christmas this year Broc and I decided to get my mom and dad a fish...just a little bit of background! When we got married and had our open house in Connecticut I really wanted to have little fish bowls as the table centerpieces! Well the fish ended up being a success (see photo below) and as a result Broc and I ended up with new pets!



Long story short...when the time came for us to move back West to finish school and the sorts my dear mother and father became adopted parents to the one remaining fish left from our wedding, Hazel! Over the course of the next 8 months my mom really did fall in love with little Hazel the blind, spastic fish!

Tragically, a week before Broc and I moved back East to D.C. and were about to claim Hazel as our fish once more, she flipped out of her bowl and dried up dead before anyone got home! This was clearly very hard on her adopted parents because my mom got teary when she called to break the news!

Well, this could only mean one thing! You guessed it! Broc and I decided to replace the hurt of Hazel with another fish! Please enjoy the following video to see just how happy and thrilled my parents were to have a new fish to call their own! :)



P.S. We decided to name the fish Arnold! Mom says he is like the terminator, "I'll be back" and so therefore Arnold fits just perfectly!

He is a VandeMerwe Dang it!

Lots has happened in the past few weeks and I would be extremely ungrateful if I did not take a little bit of time to write a blog for dear, sweet grandpa VandeMerwe! He passed from this life on December 18, 2010 and was an amazing man and example to me. As I think about the different events that took place in his last week of life I am overwhelmed with how much my loving Heavenly Father truly cares for each of His children! We experienced countless tender mercies of the Lord while we were in Utah and feel blessed that we were able to share in Grandpa's last week!



This is grandpa Joe with his brothers and sisters when they still lived in Holland! Grandpa is the 3rd from the left in the top picture!



This is grandma and grandpa on their wedding day! Aren't they beautiful?

Well I guess I can start with the tender mercies...

1.)The project Broc is working on currently had a review in Salt Lake City Utah and since Broc schedules the reviews he was able to make it close to Christmas plus convince his manager that he should be placed on the review!
2.)Broc was scheduled to go to Utah on Monday the 13th which meant Broc made it in time for Grandpa to recognize him, a memory Broc will cherish forever!
3.)I was able to make it in time on Wednesday night to say my goodbyes and spend time with Grandpa before he passed!
4.)Every member of Broc's family was able to gather together for the funeral and share special experiences as we laughed and cried together about memories and moments with grandpa!



This is a picture of the whole family gathered together after the funeral services on Tuesday!

5.)After so many years of serving others we were able to tenderly take care of Grandpa in his last week and it was such a blessing for all of us, especially his children!
6.)The airlines were generous and waived our flight changing fees which significantly helped us out!
7.)We got to look through hundreds of pictures and hear stories from family and friends! Some stories his own children had never even heard!
8.) We were able to participate in the funeral services and preparation, a unique experience that was so great!

When all is said and done, I feel so grateful that I was able to know and love Grandpa VandeMerwe! His example and life have paved a path for me to follow and live up to! I want to serve like he served! I want to love like he loved! I want to be happy with life like he was happy with life! I want to have faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ, like he had faith! Most of all, when my time comes to leave this life, I want to go like he went, with no regrets!

As Grandpa would often say to his kids when they were not living up to their name...You're a VandeMerwe Dang it! Well Grandpa all I have to say is you were a VandeMerwe dang it and I am so proud I have you as part of my heritage now! May your mission continue to be one filled with work, love and service! We love you and miss you always but look forward to the day we can be reunited with you! I know that the Plan of Happiness is one that will bring us true happiness someday because then we will all be reunited as a family again! God be with you till we meet again Grandpa!



He and grandma in front of the George Hotel, an old hotel that he bought and basically rebuilt all in his late 70's! The house was infested with bats and falling apart but he worked hard and made it into a beautiful hotel once again!

Giving Thanks in December?

So I know we are all Ho Ho Hoing now but is it okay if I still give thanks in December? I have been a little swamped with the almost done with my first semester of grad school rush but now things are calming down and I have time to breathe again! Phew! One more take home final to do and I am that much closer to getting my Masters! :)

Well Thanksgiving this year truly was a blast! We went up to Connecticut to spend time with my familia and it was well worth it! Things I found myself grateful for during our quick break at home:



First and foremost I have to say I am so thankful that I got to see my loverly sister with her cute little belly! Not only did I get to see her little belly but I got to feel my nephew Edwin moving around for the first time! By far the high light of our trip!



Next it was wonderful to be surrounded by good friends and family on our day of thanks! We had so much yummy food and plenty to be grateful for! What a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving day!



And then of course there was the post-Thanksgiving Christmas tree shopping! I must admit it was pretty cold up there but we all feel like we picked the perfect tree! Mostly I was just grateful for the boys who were able to cut the tree down, get it hooked onto the car and figure out a way to get it to stand tall and beautiful in our family room! Thanks boys! :)



And last but not least I was so grateful that all of the kids (Car & Josh, Broc & I and Drew & Jesse) could successfully make Kufta en Matzoon! It was a birthday gift for my mom and although the wheat balls were a little bit cracked I think overall it was a great success! Jesse hadn't ever had our traditional post-Thanksgiving Armenian meal and she liked it so I am taking that as a success! (Notice Josh's awesome face in the photo and the lit match in Broc's hand! Oh those boys!)

Really though, my Thanksgiving was just so great! Filled with love and happiness and family! What more could a girl like me ask for? Thanks family for the best 3 day break from grad school ever! I LOVE YOU!

P.S. Even though I said I was giving thanks in December...I'm not going to lie and say that I was thankful Broc was in gorgeous Puerto Rico this past week for work while I was stuck in freezing cold D.C. with snow doing finals...



Ok so I wasn't too happy about that but I am thrilled that we get to spend a few days in Utah this week with his family! I guess for that I can be grateful!

Cashew Chicken Anyone?

Remember how I am not a cook? Remember how even the thought of cooking stresses me out? Well I have recently been inspired to give this whole cooking thing another go! Broc was out of town again this week for a few nights and I decided to take that opportunity to experiment! No worries! I would never experiment alone! Not when it comes to cooking! Instead I invited my sweet neighbor Emily over and a friend from the ward Amy for a night of cooking and talking and appreciating our womenly desires to be homemakers! Well long story short...we started with some raw chicken, cashews, onions that made us cry and chopped veggies but ended with a delectable dish of cashew chicken!

I know what you are all thinking! It doesn't even look that good but I will have you know that is a picture of the leftovers I saved for Broc and he happened to love it! So much so that I am attempting to make it again by myself! Huge! I know! :)

Well I am proud to say that these lovely ladies and I have decided that it is worth a monthly rendezvous to get together and attempt to make something yummy! We have planned out next cooking escapades for December 20th so more food posts to come! Thanks Emily and Amy for making my Monday night a blast and for putting up with my slow cooking tendencies! Here is to our monthly dinner group! We will be domestic goddesses soon enough!



P.S. Next time I will remember before we have eaten to take a better picture of our gourmet meal! Promise!

My mom is cooler than your mom!

Remember when I wrote this about my mom finishing the Bar exam? Well just to let you know when I said finished I meant it!

On Friday my dear mother found out some of the best news ever! SHE PASSED THE NEW YORK BAR EXAM! This means my mom is a true, blue New York City attorney! So for all those New Yorkers needing a lawyer never fear! My mom is here to save the day!

I just couldn't help but brag for a few minutes about my amazing mother because we are so dang proud of all her hard work! About 3 years ago she got accepted into Cardozo Law School and she never looked back once! She worked hard, studied harder and survived the Law library time and time again! Finally all that hard work has payed off because she is done for good!

Mom, hope you know how much I look up to you and admire your hard work! If I can be half the woman you are in my life-time I will be happy! Thanks for being so dedicated and way to be the smartest lawyer I know! I really think it is true...you mom are cooler than any other mom I know! LOVE YOU!

P.S. I think this is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever because we will finally have our mother back in all her glory! No more books! No more library study dates! No more late nights of reading! Instead we will all be together playing games, eating yummy food, singing songs around the piano, watching movies! Back to the good old days at last! I know what I am going to say I am thankful for this year...that my mom passed the Bar Exam with flying colors!

Happy Birthday Broc!

So I know this post is a little belated! But I just needed to let my Brocy boy know how much I love him and how happy I am we could celebrate another birthday of his together! Broc turned 26 years old last Friday and we have been having a party ever since! Now do not be fooled by that piece of cake up above! I know you all are probably thinking, "How sweet! She baked him a cake for his bday!" Well I will have you know that is not just any normal cake! That cake does not come from a box! That is right folks! I made that cake frosting and all from scratch! A true homemade cake for the birthday boy! So when I say we have been partying ever since I am not kidding we have been in cake heaven this past week!

Because I happen to be the world's most amazing wife I went above and beyond the call of duty this year! Not only did I make a delicious homemade chocolate cake for the birthday boy but I got him a gift he cannot deny being his all time favorite! The pure look of joy on his face should be enough to let you know how much this gift will be appreciated! I got Broc the very first season of Matlock! For those of you who do not know what Matlock is just go here and please become a fan! Needless to say it is going to be hard to top this birthday next year! (And he happens to be sporting the US Open shirt my parents sent him for his bday!)



So I must say that not only was Broc spoiled on his bday but I was spoiled on his bday too! On his day of birth in the mail arrived an extremely belated wedding gift! Thank you to the Rolapps for our most favorite newly-wed salad ever! In case you cannot tell that is money filling a nice porcelain salad bowl! Like I said we were both spoiled!



I guess you could say it was the birthdays of all birthdays! Thanks for being my husband Broc and for putting up with all my crazyhood! You deserved every bit of spoiling I could give on your special day! Love you!

To Mexico And Back Again!

Well so much has happened in these past few weeks and I haven't even had a moment to update the blog! So here I am attempting to do just that! We have literally been to Mexico and back again! For the past few years it has been grandpa VandeMerwe's dream to take his whole family on a cruise! Well the time finally came and we are so glad that we could both slip away from our busy lives for a moment and enjoy some good old family time!

The cruise took us down to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada Mexico so it was quite the adventure! The following are just a few of many pictures taken to capture the wonderful moments we had with family! VandeMerwe side how we love you so!

One night for dinner we got to sit with Broc's family! All us Buttars together at last! We love you family! (P.S. This was the same night Broc ordered 3 entrees of lobster tail and shrimp! The boy was shameless!)


Just Grandpa VandeMerwe walking with lots of the grand kids! We sure love him and are grateful for all the sacrifice he has made on our behalf!


Pharaoh's palace is where we went to watch our shows every night! Us gals just being silly and pretending to be Egyptian! We sure had fun!


Even though we were on a cruise to Mexico when the wind got blowing it sure did get cold! We were so happy to discover the first day of the cruise a hot chocolate dispenser! Yum! Didn't that hit the spot from time to time!


This was the night we got to eat dinner with grandma and grandpa! We sure had fun spending precious time with them! Memories that we will never forget!


After some shopping in Ensenada Whitney and I had to show off our great buys! Mexican dresses to bring home! Don't mind the fact that my white belt is actually off the bath robes in our room! I had to make it work! ;)


Almost the whole group together playing some games late into the night! Scrabble anyone? What about dominoes?


The ship even had a mini golf course so obviously we had to hit it up! I'll have you know that Abby, Sammy and I all got holes in one during this round! Way to go girlies! Let's just say it was an interesting game of golf on a rocking boat!


We certainly did have fun in the Cabo sun!


This picture was taken on lovers beach! Little did we know when we got aboard the water taxi that there would be no dock on the other side! To make it ashore we had to jump out of the boat and quickly run to the sand before the tide pulled us in! Hence the soaking shorts and shirt! But the beach was beautiful and for sure worth the wet clothes! We had a blast!


One night we all piled into our room for a Brian Reagan debut! We thought the top bunk might break from all the boys on it but some how the bed survived while we had a lot of great laughs along the way!


At karaoke with some of the family! Only Ally and Uncle Rob were brave enough to get up there! It was fun to watch the other singers though! Some had talent and some certainly did not!


All in all we were certainly not ready to come home by the end of the trip! We love you grandpa VandeMerwe and cannot thank you enough for making this trip possible! May God be with you til we meet again!

Oh Conference...How We LOVE You!

Well last weekend we were privileged to watch conference! Normally we would go home and be with family on a weekend like this but with upcoming events and not much time we decided to brave the weekend on our own!

Now for most conference watchers this may not seem like that big of a deal! But for the Buttars family it meant a big deal! Since we are cheap...correction I am cheap...and we have not yet signed up for internet (they want to charge us 30 bucks a month! NO THANK YOU!) or cable for that matter we were at a loss for how to watch beloved conference!

For those of you who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Conference weekend is a time where we hear messages from our Prophet and other church leaders! They broadcast the sessions (2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday) all over the world! Members can tune in and watch online, on TV, on the radio etc. To watch some conference talks click here!

Well with pretty much zero options besides driving all the way to the stake center for each session which also meant cutting into my precious homework time in between session on Saturday, we had to take measures into our own hands! That is right everyone! Because we cannot connect to the internet from our apartment but we can access the network of our club house from the parking lot we decided this might be our best option! Broc and I snuggled up in the back of our lovely car, got connected to the internet network The Park at Arlington Ridge and watched all 8 hours of conference that way!

We viewed it as a wonderful missionary opportunity because most of the time we had the windows down and yes there were certainly people walking around! We decided if any one asked we would not turn down the opportunity to invite them to watch along!

Although we didn't have anyone brave enough to ask us what exactly we were doing...Broc and I had a great time watching the Prophet of the Lord in our little car! Back seats pushed up all the way, laptop in the middle, a blanket up to block the sun, some snacks to get us through and we were all set! Now if that's not dedication I don't know what is!

Topher!

The little red ford that I learned to drive in, my beloved Topher has officially died! That car survived 3 teenage drivers...barely! That was the car I felt most comfortable in and now poor little Topher has given up the ghost!

That little car and I have some pretty great memories! I remember when Carissa was first driving him and we had to come up with a name! Topher just seemed to fit and so it was! I remember when I finally learned to drive, running into the fire hydrant before I even got my license and destroying the whole side of my beautiful car! That bent up side stayed with me always, a constant reminder to drive safe! I remember making tape after tape since there was no CD player! The day the eject button broke was the day I was forced to listen to my Sunday tape over and over again because that's the tape that got stuck inside!

I remember driving across the country in that little car hoping that we would make it to Utah in one piece! Carissa and I had so much fun but unfortunately we did bust...we were afraid it was the transmission and that we would be stranded in the middle of Iowa! Well Topher pulled through and thank goodness we made it to Utah!



I remember the times Topher got decorated for my birthday and the times I would blast the music loud with the windows down thinking I was the luckiest girl alive! I remember the early morning drives to seminary and my special parking spot at school! Even though Topher has not been my car for a while (he has been passed on down to the next teenager, Drewbie) I will certainly miss that little red Ford I learned to love so much! When Drew texted me to say he thought Topher was dead I was hopeful he would pull through again! This time he wasn't quite as lucky! May you rest in peace my little Topher and remember how much I truly loved you!

BIG Drum Roll Please....

I passed the test! I am a true-blue, through and through, tough and strong, able to handle it all, been there, done that, worlds most accomplished wife because I am a survivor! That is right everyone! I survived an entire week all alone in my apartment while my husband was away at training for work!

Now let me set the record straight! Yes Broc and I have been separated before! He interviewed various places our last semester at BYU which meant he was out and about traveling the world without me! Also, when my lovely mother graduated from law school only I was able to come home for the celebration! So yes we have spent nights apart before but this time I passed the real test! All those other times I had dear friends to call upon or family to be with and therefore was never truly alone! Well last Sunday I dropped Broc off at the airport and he didn't come home until Friday night! YIKES!

That's right folks! I held down the fort all by myself for 5 whole nights! For some this may seem silly but for me it really was a victory! Not going to lie...getting him back on Friday night was even more of a victory but at least I know I am tough enough to do it now! So here's to all those years of being a scaredy-cat! I am done being a chicken! I have moved on to bigger and better things! Thanks Broc for coming home to an even better wife! I love you!



And p.s...in case you can't tell in the picture I am holding him so tight he won't be going anywhere anytime soon! Just because I'm not a chicken anymore doesn't mean I'll be asking for him to go on business trips in the near future! ;)

Updates Updates!

Well now that school has actually started I figured I would do a post about all the fun stuff Broc and I have been up to these past few months!

In August my good friend Andrew who went to Catholic University of America for his undergrad took Broc and I on a grand tour of my new campus! It was a great tour (hence the reason I was not lost at all on my first day of school) and pretty much got me pumped for a new adventure! I was glad Broc could see my campus so at least he sort of knows what the next 8 months of my life will be like! Thanks Andrew for the tour!



Another weekend in August we treated ourselves to some tickets to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic Tournament! We only paid ten bucks for the tournament qualifying matches but we still got to see some big names on the warm up courts so all in all it was worth it! Broc even got David Nalbandian to sign his shirt! Talk about a successful Saturday!



Then we went on a date to the temple! We love that place! It was our first time driving there from our apartment and although the GPS took us right through the heart of D.C. we made the most of it and enjoyed the scenic ride! We hope to make it a habit to go to the temple as often as we can! What a blessing it is to have one so close to home!



Recently we also went to visit some close family friends the Turley's. Last time I saw their family they had no kids and now they have three beautiful little ones that are absolutely adorable! The youngest was already asleep when I snapped this picture but it was a blast seeing them again and hearing about their lives over the past few years post NYC living!



Then one Friday night we randomly decided spur-of-the-moment to go to a free concert at the Air Force Memorial! (HOORAY FOR MY GRAMPS!) Well this little spur-of-the-moment inspiration turned into a beautiful night! We sat under the Air Force Memorial (click here if you do not know what the memorial looks like) listening to beautiful music played by the Air Force Concert Band a a guest high school band from Japan! As we listened to the music we could look out and see Arlington Cemetery, the Capitol, the Washington Memorial and the Pentagon! Talk about the perfect setting for an awesome, free concert!



That same weekend there was a huge Honor Rally in D.C. put on by Glenn Beck! Beck fans or not we had to be a part of this epic day! Because there were so many people in town for the event the metro systems were backed up for hours! Not wanting to miss the big crowd at the Lincoln Memorial we decided with a group people to walk from Arlington, VA into D.C. for the rally! It was a hot and long day but totally worth it! There were estimations up to 500,000 people in attendance, more than have ever gathered at the Mall in Washington D.C.! Needless to say it was a crazy day!



And then Nils came into town to visit so we met up for half-price burgers at Champs! All the boys got the same burger...The Pepperjack Bacon Stack Burger which is deliciously described on their website as "Two patties topped with pepperjack cheese and applewood-smoked bacon"! I just couldn't bring myself to order the same! I wonder why! Anyway, it was so fun seeing Nils and hearing about his life adventures since freshmen year! We told him we would start saving to come visit him since tickets are only $600! ;)



And last but not least we went with some friends to Great Falls! It was a beautiful sight to see and we are glad we spent a Saturday hiking around! It made us super excited for all the other fun things we still need to do here in D.C. so bring on the funness!

More visitors!

My loverly siblings came down to visit before we all started school again and we had a blast! They came for a quick stay (seems to be what my family is good at...quick visits! But better a visit than none!) and it made my last week of summer vacation perfectly happy!

Fun things we did while they were here:

1.) Went to a HUGE thrift store and got lost in all the items they had there! While Carissa looked and looked for maternity clothes, Drew found this little gem of joy! I couldn't help getting a picture of my studly brother! :)



2.) Carissa and I went to a Relief Society pizza night while Broc and Drew played some sick tennis! All I have to say is our pizza was the best pizza there! YUM!



3.) We had family bonding with game playing, wheat grinding and waffle making plus much more!



At the end of their stay I was sad to see them go but they both took home lots of goodies! Thanks for coming Carissa and Drew! Please don't be strangers and come back soon!



P.S. I can't help but ask...who will our next visitors be? ;)