not be room enough to receive it

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it." -3 Nephi 24: 10

This is exactly how I have been feeling about Kenya donations pouring in from all over the place. 

In this last week I have had 3 different sets of people ask if they can make skirts for the girls at Hope Eternal Children's Home. 

(One is even for a sewing final for a class on campus.)

I have had someone offer to make all the boys at Hope Eternal Children's Home new pajama pants. 

My little sister's dentist donated almost 100 toothbrushes, paste and floss sets for my boys. 

Kev gave me some of his old clothes. 

Auntie Tam and Kadon are looking into getting white shirts for the Hope boys. 

The heavens have seriously opened. I am so excited about all these little blessings everyone is giving, making and donating. I am just worried about how I am going to get everything to Kenya. That is going to be an expensive amount of luggage. (but totally worth it)

change the world

This is how I feel: 

Only 4 days and 2 months and I will be back in Kenya. 

I am so excited. 

Landing in Kenya is exactly what I want to be doing on my birthday. 

It is the best present ever!

It is one step closer to changing the world for my boys. 

alumni bingo

Every semester the BYU-I Alumni Association gives out these bingo cards. There are prizes every time you get a new bingo. So exciting, right?

Kaylen and I thought it would be fabulous if we worked to get a blackout this semester to get all the wonderful prizes. 

I think a stroke of genius came across me when I thought that we should ask Kayla to join us. 

She is super fun and great. 

There is one catch... 

She is deaf. 

Neither Kaylen or I speak very good sign language. 

With a lot of pointing and crazy finger throwing up she understood us and now is part of the crew.

 We will black out that bingo and soak the Alumni Association for all they are worth. 

Here is #25: Locate and take a picture with the Thomas E. Ricks Statue on campus and post it on the Alumni Facebook wall. 

And #13: Create your own tradition. Tell us what you did. If you pick/rub Thomas' nose, you will be engaged by the end of the semester. 

All you marriage hungry people out there.

i-night

Here are some blessed pics of the crazy night. This is just a flavor of all the variety of things that happened at this activity. It was insane. We had 56 events all happening at once. 

I finally broke down that night and cried when it was over. I was so relieved/ididn'tknowwhattodowithmylife. It was quite the mixed emotions. 

 Dodgeball

 The Orbiter

 The Bungee Run

 Gladiator Joust

The Climbing Wall 

 The Orbiter

 The Obstacle Course

 The Dunk Tank

 Another Gladiator Joust

 Sumo Wrestling 

 Off With Your Head Gladiator Joust

 Human Bowling

 More Obstacle Course

Volleyball

Pie Toss

Laser Tag

Karaoke 

Mechanical Bull

The ROTC

The Dance

More Mechanical Bull

The Dangle Hopper

The Locals 

Live Music

The Fabulous Dance

involved

Everyone asks how I got so involved with the school.
I ask myself the same question.
With a lot of reflection, I have it figured out.

At the beginning of last semester I walked into my room while my roommate, Kathy Hale, was on the phone. She said something about there was a need for someone to do I-Night. I said, "I could do that." (Mistake one) 

My name was submitted for thought and prayer over. Later that night my old FHE brother, Rick Roper, called me.
"Is this the Megan Emily Butler?"
"Why yes it is."
"Okay, cool. I already know you and so you don't have to come into to interview."

And that was that.

I got a call a day or two later inviting me to the all council retreat that night. I had to be packed and ready to go within an hour or two.

I went.

Sooner then I knew it I was all wrapped up in all sorts of things. I have never even been to I-Night and here I was planning the largest school wide party with the good ol' Brady Schow.

wedding ten

My old roommate Alexis got married to her long time boyfriend Matt in the Oakland California Temple. Obviously she is Asian and because of this there were a lot of Asians there. That was an experience I had yet to have at a wedding. Matt went on his mission to Asia where he caught yellow fever. This was for Alexis' benefit. 

Things I learned from their wedding:

1. Make sure your crazy uncle is on a cruise when the wedding happens. 

2. Think about ordering your wedding dress online. It is cheaper.

wedding nine

My long time early morning seminary and girls camp friend got married after dating her boo for two years or something like that. She did not pull any crazy Mormon 2 week isha. This girl made sure she knew her man before giving him the okay to tie the knot. Of course she married a man with the male version of her name.

 

Aaron and Erin were married this summer in the Oakland California Temple.

 

What I learned from their wedding:

1. Backyard weddings are super cute.

2. It is great to know the person a long time before you marry them.

3. If you order your bridesmaid dress from a weird asian site make sure you know that shipping is going to be expensive and the bust is going to be big.  

wedding eight

This is another wedding I missed. Mike and Jenn tried to convince me to leave Kenya a month early to be there for their wedding. I had to regretfully decline their offer. Jenn was my roommate twice. I love her to pieces. I knew that Mike liked her before she would even admit it. Of course she was dating another boy at the time but in the end I was right and Mike won her heart. 

They got married in the Newport Beach Temple in California in March 2012. 

Things I learned from their wedding:

1. Venues are cool but don't break the bank for them. 

2. Have a fun DJ and great groomsmen. 

wedding seven

My long time roommate Sniffer Nene got married to her high school crush. 

She got married the day after Raven got married. It turned out impossible to get to both of the weddings. Due to the fact that I was working and San Diego is way easier and cheaper to get to then Idaho Falls I choose to stick to my home state. 

She knew of this situation and presented me with the desire to have me at her wedding but also understood that Raven's wedding was just all around easier for me. I would have loved to be there. I would have loved it so much. 

What I learned from their wedding: 

1. Reuse a family dress. It still looks just as luscious on the 2nd person. 

2. Keep your high school crushes. It might work in your favor a few years down the road. 

wedding six

This wedding was totally unexpected. It wasn't unexpected that it happened it was more unexpected that I was asked to be in it. My roommate Kelsey and her boo Justin got engaged while we were roommates and asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding after knowing her for just a short while. 

I was honored. 

Kelsey and Justin got married in the LA temple during 2011 summer.

What I learned from her wedding:

1. Not everyone wants a photographer at their wedding. 

2. Backyard weddings are great. 

3. Make sure you know more than the couple and one other person at the wedding. :)

wedding five

Raven got married to the man I was rooting for the whole time. I was all over going to this summer wedding. I love Raven and Andy. They have a great relationship. 

Their wedding was what people call; a location wedding. 

They got married in the San Diego, California temple. It was fabulous. She looked beyond fabulous.

Things I learned from their wedding: 

1. Beach pictures always are wonderful. 

2. If you want fake flowers... go for it. 

3. Extra time in between the temple and reception? Go to the movies!

wedding four

My home girl Becca, snuck this little engagement on me while I was in Kenya to her long time friend, Scot. 

When I got home from Kenya she told me the date and color scheme. I got the dress no problem everything was working perfectly until I tried to get a ticket to Dallas from Idaho and then everything fell apart. 

This is when Zach and Raven stepped in and saved the day. I am so grateful for that still to this day. 

They got married in the San Antonio Temple in Texas. It was as hot as hades. 

What I learned from their wedding:

1. When you have done all you can the Lord will provide. (Zach and Raven)

2. If you need it... it will be confirmed to you who you are supposed to marry. 

3. If the temple closest to you is closed the weekend you want to get married just wait until it opens. :)

wedding three

Stephanie and Emil got married the day after I left for Kenya or the day I left for Kenya. I was supposed to be a bridesmaid but I could not due to traveling. 

I love this couple. High school best friends. You know the rest of the story. Stephanie was a roommate and is a great friend.

What I learned from their wedding:

1. Having a great story is a plus. 

2. You want to marry your best friend. 

wedding two

This was my first wedding where I felt super cupid. I feel like I had a big part of bringing these two love birds together. Brittany was my roommate and Ben was an old FHE brother. You can put together the rest of the story with a few sheep dances, sadie hawking dance and what not in between.  

Brittany and Ben got married in the Salt Lake Temple sometime in April? I have no idea. I have forgotten. 

What I learned from Brittany's wedding:

1. If the original bachelorette party idea fails then Denny's is always a great back up. 

2. Have fun bridesmaids.

3. You can ask your bridesmaids to help you with things. 

wedding one

Everyone jokes that the movie 27 Dresses is written about my life. I tell you that I have a goal to not be a bridesmaid in 27 weddings. It is a noble quest. 

The first wedding I was ever a bridesmaid in was for Kendra Gaurding. She is this lush woman that I met during the Oakland Temple Pageant. I just love Kendra to pieces. 

She got married in the Oakland temple in December. 

What have I learned from her wedding?

1. Don't let your mom pick your shoes.

2. If you are going to have a dance party the best way to get the crowd moving is to dance yourself.

3. Bridesmaids are really just there for a few pictures. 

just a little

There is that saying that goes, "Just a little goes a long way."

I am asking you to give just a little. If everyone gives just a little then it will become something that will go a long way. 

I realize that you most likely can't drop in a hundred (or maybe you can). Not all of us are blessed like that. Donate what you can even if it is only a quarter. Every little offering is blessing a child. 

Here is the link: 

http://www.gofundme.com/10i4iw?pc=fb_cr

Thanks in advance from me and the boys. 

mint

I got mint jeans. It happened. 

I realize that it is huge trend right now but they were on sale for less then $20 and they fit so well. I say, "Why not?" 

My roommate Haley is all sorts of jealous. She has been searching for the right mint jeans and for me it was like the dear Lord put them right in front of my face. 

So here they are Haley... the blessed jeans.

They are gracing my lush body while I lay in my bed. 

lovin' the saints

We all know that I have a love for Africans. It is deep (more then I can explain).

It is nice to hear when others have that same love especially when it comes from the unexpected. 

President Jeffery R. Holland on his more recent trip to Africa discovered what I feel. He describes the members of the church just as I would describe the members of my Lucky Summer Ward in the Nairobi Kenya Stake.

His words are here in a video. 

virginia

The flight should be taking off right now. 

My mom, dad and two littlest sisters are headed to Virginia. They will be gone for a while. 

Kerianna is going to be at Auntie Tam's house. Everyone is meeting up there. 

Party at my house. 

That's a joke. I am working all the freaking time. 

(no complaints) 

solid four

This semester with roommates it was just crazy. There is no explanation. We had 2 roommates move out due to medical reasons and one move in due to her crappy roommate situation. 

We are the solid four.

Alisha is from Nevada. She is a Magala, Spain RM. She is majoring in communications with a minor in Spanish. 

Then there is me. Megan from the bay. Not an RM but a KL (Kenyan lover). I am majoring in recreation with a minor in international studies.

Haley is from Washington. She is luscious. She is majoring in photography. 

Bailey is from California. She is also a Malaga, Spain RM. She is majoring in therapeutic recreation. 

We got along so well it should be a crime. I couldn't have asked for a better solid four to take on the amount of moving that happened. We will be rooming all together again in the spring next year. 

scoop on poop

As basically everyone knows, I have bowel problems. Since I have been blessed with this there have been many other people who quietly come out of the closet to be about their bowel problems too. I have become the president of the secret bowel problem society. If you want to join, there is a $35 fee. I take cash or check. Just send me a Facebook message. 

 With my recent endeavors to do a 360 with my rump, I have found that most people know a little about the scoop on poop. You are going to be blessed with some little facts. 

 1. You should poop one foot a day. (Shoot, I try to double this. That is my daily goal.) 

 2. You're poop should float. (I have tried and tried and I still don't have very much success with this.)

 3. A human farts 14 times on an average day. (No comment.) 

 4. You should eat 25 grams of fiber a day. (I start my day with fiber one ceral and some fiber supplements. That always gets me starting off the day strong.) 

 5. You cannot prairie dog the squirts. (Enough said.) 

 6. Everyone poops. (If you have to poop in a public place... Do it. No shame. Just pray that it doesn't sound like a fireworks show going off.) 

 7. Eat lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc and you will be so regular. 

 8. If you feel a little stopped up take a laxative at night. (Just make sure that you clear your morning schedule. You are going to be a little preoccupied.) 

 There you go. Now you get to see a glimpse into the life of Megan Butler. I keep track of most of these things just so I know the next day I will not be in pain. In the end my advice to you would be: Eat lots of fiber and stay regular.

iPad

Welcome to the life of an iPad. Kaleigh and I got this to take to Kenya with us with lots and lots of apps for kids to learn. Right now I am just slowly learning how to figure it all out. It is definitely coming along. You know, just living the dream.

facebook stalk

Here I am in African Club. I am the token white girl minus the one that is married to the president. I am sitting down by the wall in the MC little theater and the tallest lankiest African boy plops right down next to me. 

"I saw you with Abilla in Kenya."

(It took me a while through his accent to figure out what the child was saying.)

"WHAT? How do you know Oscar? And where did you see us?"

"I am from Kenya."

"No freaking way. Which ward are you in?"

"Eldoret."

"Shut up."

"Okay, you are right I am from Zimbabwe. I served with him in Uganda and Ethiopia."

This is the second time something like this has happened to me. I cannot believe it. 

It made my night but also it is a little creepy because that means this brother has been doing some serious facebook stalking to be able to pick me out of a crowd like that. 

race and ethnicity

I am taking a race and ethnicity class. It is so super interesting all the time but lately... holy crap.
I sit there and my mind is just being blown to pieces. What are we learning you ask?

African American history of course.

I LOVE IT.
No joke.

I am sitting here in class and I just can't get enough of learning about Abe Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. Rosa Parks and Harriett Tubman are blessed daughters of God. I am so grateful for the things that Martin Luther King Jr. did. Pleasy V. Ferguson is just so interesting. They made segregation sound so good and so okay. Then came along Brown vs. the Board of Education and segregation is not okay anymore. All because one little black girl lived in a white neighborhood and wanted to go to school with the people she lived around. I am all about this stuff.

I am just loving class lately. I love black history. I come home and google more information. I hope I am this passionate about the class when we move onto Native American history in a week.

Maybe I need to become an African American activist.
I would love that.

short lived

Today was the first day of the cleanse. I had the breakfast of a champion. I started with lots and lots of watermelon. The day continued with more watermelon, lots of cantaloupe, strawberries, apples, oranges and grapes. It was going swell until the night hit and boom... 

I became Oscar the Grouch 

Everything anyone did made me so mad. I knew it was because of the lack of things that I had eaten. I was just so peeved about the littlest things. 

FHE was awful because I just could not enjoy anything. 

This is when I knew that I had to stop the cleanse and go back to being normal. I cannot handle a whole week of just constantly being annoyed by every little thing. I might have punched my one of my roommates.  

Our nextdoor neighbor, Sarah, made us meatballs and brown rice for dinner. I quickly went over to her house and asked for some. She laughed at me and handed over the goods. 

She is going to go straight to heaven. 

As random facts of today:

I have peed over 10 times. 

And I have dropped off the Cosby kids 4 times. 

I lost about 5 pounds too. 

Was it worth it? Heck no.

idaho falls temple

Today I had a total spur of the moment trip to Idaho Falls. 

I got picked up from my council office hours and luckily I was rocking a dress and I just carry around my recommend. 

We get to the temple and instantly everything is super funny. 

First off: my recommend is from Kenya. 

This is how it goes:

They look at my recommend for 30 seconds and then up at me and then down and up about 10 times. 

You just know that in their heads they are beyond confused. 

Second off: I put on my jumpsuit. 

It was more like a jumpshorts. 

That puppy was short. 

Thankfully Moriah went and got me a new jumpsuit. 

Third off: we were doing names from Hungry.

I got someone with the last name Fats-so during confirmations. 

I was gone. I was giggling all over the place. 

Plus the old men confirming us kept on messing up and cracking jokes. 

"Wow! I just keep getting ahead of myself."

We got the names we were doing for baptism and I knew it was going to be all bad. 

One person had the last name of Penzis and another was something like Fandass. 

I know. I am so mature. 

Fourth off: Gingie who was checking off the names at the font had a bloody nose. 

Not a normal bloody nose but like black crusty crust. 

Also he picked his ear and flicked the wax.

Lush. 

Fifth off: The oldest man in the Idaho Falls was baptizing me. 

I thought I was going to break him. 

I didn't even grab his wrist in fear of making it pop off. 

Going down in the water and coming back up was all on me. 

I got an ab work out for sure. 

Sixth off: There was a boy in the girl's locker room. 

A poor little deacon. 

So funny. 

Needless to say we had the giggles the whole freaking time. 

It was awesome and the temple workers were just egging us on. 

Best Friday night ever and that was just the beginning. 

dad's sweater

Today has just been one of those days. 

The ones you want to sleep off and pretend they never happened. 

So around 2:00 I popped on this little sweater. I bought it for my dad right after I came home from Kenya with hope that it would up his fashion a little. I guess he never wore it. 

It came back to me. 

I am so thankful it came in the mail a few days ago. There is so much comfort wearing my poppy's clothes.

I needed this sweater today. 

Tomorrow will be great. I know it.