From Chris to the Butler Family

I have been able to keep in touch with all of you over the years through Mom and Dad. Since I don't have that option anymore I wanted to make sure everyone had access to my phone number and email address, so here they are. 479-968-9377.
cteaff@centurytel.net.

Trivella and Mary Hope, when I look at you I see Mom. Through you she will always be with me. Roy and Wayne, I can't look at you and not see Grandma and Grandpa. They were good people and they raised good children. Patsy continues to touch us all through you Don. Lisa learned after the first time she met her that she was a very giving and loving aunt. I am so glad you have been part of this family. Betty, to me, you are one of Mom's sisters, your home was and will always be my second home. Janice, any woman who has raised two boys that both became ministers should write a book on motherhood. Dale, I see myself in you. As a young boy searching for his identity, I pulled some from you. Jim, it took a good man to do what you've done.
To all my cousins, we all know we are more than cousins. Very few families were as close as we were in our younger years. Mike, David, and Cary, with our ages being so close,and the fact we got to spend so much time together growing up, I feel especially close to you.
I love you all,
Chris

An update from Cary Lynn

Well I guess I can also give a brief update on the goings of the younger King family. Well where to begin I was born Feb. 07 1957....maybe a little too far back. Like David I also have made the 20 year mark with the North Richland Hills Fire Department but unlike him I have decided to get a real job. So after being a firefighter, paramedic, Fire Inspector and Arson Investigator. I have decided to take my retirement and go back to school. I have just finished my sophomore year at the University of North Texas working toward a degree in History and secondary Education. Like David I believe the quality of our public schools is slipping and think they need quality people to fix the problem. Sense their cant seem to find any they will have to settle with me. At least I don’t have to handcuff or arrest the little darlings any more.

As far as the family goes Debra is still earning her way into heaven by staying married to me. Coming up on 24 years, not bad for two people who only knew each other 6 days before getting engaged right? Josh is in his senior year at Houston Baptist finishing his degree in Christian studies and will follow on to the seminary in Dallas for his post graduate studies. He just got back from England as a member of a group that is promoting an International youth revival this summer that is expected to draw kids from all over the world. He has a two month long summer job running the youth camp for a large Church in New Braunsfel. His twin sister Courtney got married last summer to a nice young man and has just gotten a promotion at the bank she works for to become a loan specialist, she is also attending college in the evenings. No grandkids yet and if she has anything to say about not for a long while if ever. This is fine with me because unlike some of my cousins I am not old enough yet to be called a “Granddad”. The littlest one isn’t so little any more. Hillary just finished her freshman year in high school and is active in volleyball and still maintains the honor roll in academics. So all in all things are going well here and I look forward to seeing everyone this summer

Butler Family Reunion

Trivella and Mary Hope are planning a family reunion this summer. The dates are Fri & Sat, July 21 & 22. They are wanting to have it at the AmeriSuites in Irving, near the airport. Right now they have arranged a rate of $79.00 per night (plus tax) for each room. The rooms are all a King-Sized bed with a fold out couch in the other room, or 2 double beds with a fold out couch. The rate includes a full hot breakfast.

If enough rooms are booked, they will give us a conference/meeting room to gather in at no charge.

Right now there are no formal plans for activities, however there is plenty to do in the metroplex. The Rangers are not in town, but there is a minor league team in Frisco, which is about an hour drive from where the hotel is. We could look into tickets for that if they are in town.

Anyway, mom or Mary Hope need to know by June 15 if you are planning on attending and the number of rooms you will need. You can call Trivella at (972) 986-2997 or email her at Trivella@EV1.net

Hopefully we can get a good group together. If you have any questions, give Trivella a call.


David

I got this going, so I guess I'd better put a little something about everything going on in my life. I've been with the Dallas Police Department for 20 years now. It seems like only yesterday that I was walking into the Academy, wondering about how I would make it through the next 19 weeks. I didn't even think to look 20 years ahead. I spent 5 years as a Police Officer, 2 years as a Senior Corporal, 10 years as a Sergeant and the last almost 4 years as a Lieutenant. I'm currently assigned to the Communications and Detention Services Division where I'm helping to implement a computer aided dispatch system. The Department was state of the art with the current dispatch system when it was put into place in 1972, but it hasn't changed since then. My job is make sure that the system the City purchased will work to the best of it's ability. I took over this assignment in Jan of 05 and will be there through it's completion. We are supposed to switch over to the new system in Jan of '07, and I will probably stick around until June or July to make sure that everything is running smoothly.

Cindy and I have been married almost 14 years now. She is currently working part time at our Mother's Day Out program at church and is spending the rest of her time being mother and driver to our two kids.

Lindsey is 11 and in the 5th grade. She is an excellent student, in Gifted and Talented in every area offered. Last year she was the only kid in her school to score a perfect score on the State Achievement test. I told her that it would mean a lot more if someday she scores perfect on the SAT.

Drew turns 6 on Feb 22. He's in kindergarten and has adapted fine to school. We were concerned about his ability to stay focused since at home he can't. Our worries were unfounded. He has done fine at school.

Both kids are enrolled in a Charter School for next year. We have been very concerned with the quality of the education in the Irving schools, especially starting at the secondary level. The school we have gotten them into is designed as a college preparatory school and runs 1st - 12th grades. We have friends who got their kids into it and love it. Because it is a Charter school, there are no behavior problems. Kids who become a disruption in class are simply told to not return.

We still live in Irving, about 2 miles from mom. We'd love to have visitors this summer and make a run to Six Flags, like in the old days. Anyone who is in the area is welcome to give us a call.

Hope to hear from ya'll frequently.

David

From Ronald Wayne

I got this email from Ronald Wayne. Thought I'd put it up for everyone.

David, this is a great idea! It's sad it takes funerals to get us together. Even then it seems some of us are too busy then to stop (talking about me). I hate that I get to see so few of my family anymore and that my kids don't even know many of my cousins or hardly any of their second cousins.

NEWS with me: I'm at Cherry Grove Bapt. Church where I've been for more than 13 years as pastor. We are in the process of fixing (from Rita) and remodeling our sanctuary and educational building. We have a crew coming down from Minnesota next month. My daughter, Alicia, graduates from Fairview High School May 23 of this year and my son, Christopher, will graduate next year. Both are good students. Chris plays right field for the school baseball team, so we are starting to get really busy once again with baseball season. Ya'll take care. I'll TRY to keep you all posted as to what's happening in our lives! Ron

Hello Butler Cousins, From David Smith

I thought this would be a good way to share a little information about what's going on with all the family. After Vernon's death, I realized that I hadn't seen some of you in about 13 years, since Grandpa's funeral. Its a shame to at least not stay in contact some way or another, considering that we all probably have email and web access. I know everyone is busy with their lives and their kids. It'd just be nice to know what is happening with as many as we can get involved in this blog.

I'm gonna send an email to everyone I have an address for, and that's not really a lot of you, and invite you to join in. You can post anytime you want, once I've added you to the list, and I'll try to put together a Butler family email list. I promise I won't flood you with forwards of emails or any type of annoying in-box stuff that you'll have to spend time deleting as soon as you get it.

If you would do me a favor and pass this along to other cousins, aunts and uncles, so that we can gather contact info and try to have a way of sending out news, announcements and chit-chat. My email address is david@dcldsmith.com. Also, we have a family website at www.dcldsmith.com .

Hopefully ya'll will join in this and we can at least know what is going on in our family, even if we don't have time to get together very often.

Look forward to hearing from you.

David