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Thanks for reading my blog. I hear I give you up the minute news. Who needs the news when you have my blog?  Here's a picture for your viewing pleasure.

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To my favorite Newton, who's not just fruit and cake

Once upon a time my little brother, Garen, and I had a paper route.  It wasn't your typical 'we're kids so we deliver papers on our bicycles after school' route. No. It was a 'we're in high school and junior high and we don't have enough on our plates, so we'll work a middle of the night auto route that keeps us out of the house from 11pm to 4am 6 days a week' kind of route. It was horrible and awesome all at the same time. We filled many of the Seattle Post Intelligencer (The P.I.) paper machines in Silverdale, WA and then delivered to about 125 houses/apartments in neighborhoods along Silverdale Way and Ridgetop. Here are some of the best parts about having this paper route.

• We got paid pretty well.
• We often got to eat a middle of the night meal with our brother, Ryan, who was the night auditor at Silverdale on the Bay Hotel.
• We listened to the radio as loud as we wanted in the car.
• We could talk about anything and everything.
• It was a time in our life when we were working like adults (that have peaked by getting their own paper route) and being carefree like children.
• I don't know of any other time when Garen and I were so close.

Often times I would say things to him and my ending comment would be, 'got it cookie?' After a short time he got clever and his reply would be, 'I'm not a cookie. I'm a newton...fruit and cake.' Now. If we weren't kids and didn't have the naivety that came along with being kids, I probably would have made fun of him for announcing that he was fruit and cake, but alas...it was a simpler time and I was uncorrupt. 

Since those days, 15 years ago (!) I have often thought about them with great memories. Some of the BIG memories that stick out to me that will probably mean nothing to you, but would put Garen and I back in our Dad's Buick Somerset Regal (best. car. ever) delivering the P.I. are:

• Hearing 'Sold' by John Michael Montgomery
• Hearing 'What Mattered Most' by Ty Herndon

Her eyes are blue, her hair is long

In '64 she was born in Baton Rouge
Her favorite song is "In My Life"
I memorized her every move
I knew her books, her car, her cloths
But I paid no attention to what mattered most

• Hearing 'Angels Among Us' by Alabama --they had remixed this song to had commentary about the Oklahoma City Bombing that had just happened.
• I worked at Silverdale on the Bay for about eight months, but when I see that hotel, I think of all time we spent in the foyer with Ryan and Dale, watching movies and eating free restaurant food at 2 in the morning.
• When I drive through Old Town Silverdale and pass the bar by the Arco. I can still see that old lady with long dirty blonde hair we met onthe paper route. Our interactions were - hi - here you go - have a good night - be safe out there - but I liked them.
• Malcolm, the old guy that distributed the papers, was really nice to Garen and me because we were kids. He had minty breath. (probably to hide cigarette and alcohol smells)
• There was a crazy gas attendant that worked at the Chevron on Kitsap Way.
• Many nights we would get home about 90 minutes before I had to be to seminary, so we would buy stuff to cook breakfast when we got home. The first time I ever smelled burnt bacon was when Garen cooked it...maybe I was helping. hahaha

Garen and I don't talk very often on the telephone. We both have our own lives and they are busy. But, everytime I drove through Newton, KS I called or texted. When I beat my Dad at Othello, he needed to know. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we call when it's important, and I'm glad.

I bet you're wondering why I'm telling you all of this.

TODAY GAREN IS 30 YEARS OLD!!

That's right people, he's an old man. In honor of his 30th birthday, I have found 2 photos for your viewing pleasure.

Happy birthday Newton!

When Garen joined the Coast Guard his wife was pregnant. We soon found out they were having a boy. I had been watching the movie 'Melody Time' a lot with my kids during this time and I love the cartoon Little Toot. It was while watching this movie that I decided since Garen was a coasty, I would need to call his son Little Toot. Sadly, I've only met Hayden a handful of times, so the nickname couldn't stick, but here's a picture of Little Toot.

In memory of...(don't worry, no one died)

When I had only been married about a year my mom gave me a waffle iron. I LOVE my waffle iron! Do you know what you can do with a waffle iron? A lot more than make waffles, that for sure.

A little over a year ago, June 9, 2009 to be exact, our ward did an Enrichment Meeting (now known as Relief Society Meetings) where each sister brought their favorite gadget from home and gave a little 'infomercial' on it. I was stumped on what to bring until my genius friend, Liz, suggested I bring my waffle iron.

Why do I love my waffle iron so much? Because, like I said only 2 paragraphs earlier, you can do a lot with a waffle iron. Here is a short list of the things you can make/cook/iron in a waffle iron:

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Fried Eggs (not with a soft center)

Cake

Chicken (boneless)

Cookies

lastly, but not most importantly...

waffles (I don't heart waffles...unless they have my sister's homemade blackberry jam on top of them. Last night I heart-ed my waffle!)

At the Enrichment Meeting I decided I was going show the world (The Great Bend Ward) how to make cake in a waffle iron...german chocolate cake to be exact and I even bought the yummo frosting to go on top. When it was my turn to present, a horrible thing happened. My beloved waffle iron of 11 (ELEVIN!!) years would not heat up. It was a sad moment. Luckily because of the interest my friend Gloria had in my waffle iron demonstration, she quickly produced hers for me to borrow. (We were in her home. No, she doesn't just carry her waffle iron around with her. BUT, if she did...I'd love her even more.)

Her waffle iron was a fancy belgium waffle maker and it quickly heated up, much faster than mine ever did...even when it wasn't ancient. The german chocolate waffle cakes were a hit. There may have even been a run on waffle irons that evening at the local Wal*Mart. The only sad part of the evening was I left with no waffle iron, only the memory of it, and later a picture that was emailed to me by Liz...or Ben.

NOW, imagine a whole year without a waffle iron. I missed it and wanted to make lovely waffle-ey treats and lunches for the famdango, but alas, we were unable to replace it. When I moved out of Kansas, a few of my closest friends threw a little going party for me. We all wore aprons and ate delicious food outside in Linda McCowan's lovely yard, including waffle cakes for dessert. My going away gift, from Gloria, was A NEW WAFFLE IRON! (Say it like Rod Roddy used to say it on The Price is Right. RIP Rod.) Not just ANY waffle iron either, it was a fancy belgium waffle maker. I love it. I've had it for 4 months and used it many times already. We learned last night, that it does make good waffles.

This is my old waffle iron...post mortem. This is my new waffle iron, after it made lovely waffles last night. I tried 4 times to get a picture that would show how shiny it was, but the only thing it really shows is the dirt spot on the bottom left side. Whatever. I love it!!

Ensign Ranch 2010

I started this post about 3 weeks ago and then became sidetracked with other things in life. We had our annual trip to Ensign Ranch in Cle Elum Washington over Martin Luther King weekend. Here are my most favorite pictures from that trip.

It was the BEST one we'd had so far. I LOVED IT!

All the grandkids that came this year.

I love this picture because my Dad is smiling, my Mom is really happy and the baby just wants to be a part of the excitement.

Ken, my Dad and my brother, Ryan

Ken, I LOVE HIM!

My niece, Regann, moi, and my nephew, Devon

My brother, Adam, his daughter, Kaylee and moi

My most awesome Mom

Free Haircuts!

When I was a little girl I had 1 Barbie. My older sisters had them when I was too young to really care about them and my little sister had a couple when I was too old. The one I had, I got when I was in 3rd grade. I didn't really like Barbies and never asked for them until this one Christmas and that was because I wanted to cut it's hair. Thankfully Santa saw my thought process and gave me a 'Barbie' from the dollar store. I cut it's hair on Christmas Day, did a really bad job and threw it out in the trash before New Years, then went back to baby dolls...my true love.

Nicole got a Barbie for Christmas. I did not see her true interest and she got a real Barbie. She too cut is hair and did a really bad job. I wish I would have taken a picture of it before I fixed it. Here is a picture of the finished product. The layers are choppy but it's super cute and remember, I was working with Barbie hair.

Later on in the day, we had our friends, the Draper's over for Christmas Dinner as well as Brother Robinson. While we were eating I was telling them about Barbie's haircut and Ben asked me why I didn't give her a mullet. I don't know why this happens, but I was saddened because I didn't think of it and consumed with the idea of giving Barbie a mullet. Luckily for me, Nicole had 2 Barbies from last year that she never plays with so I found them and went to town.

Here is a video of me cutting Barbie's hair. During part of the video I was talking to my little brother Kyle. Other parts we were talking to the kiddos...but I still think it's funny.

It is probably needless to say that Nicole was NOT pleased with my fantastic haircutting skills, so we took care of that in short order.

a non blog...

Current thoughts (right now as I type)...

Kate is a genius. (I copied this idea from her.)
It's too cold to go to work.
I'd like to have sticky corn for breakfast.
song lyrics...though I'm sniffing and sneezing, afraid that I'll freeze, it's the best time of the year.
I'm going to call in sick. (I really don't feel well...not just the psychosematic kind either)
I think I'll make beirocks for dinner.
Duncan is the only kid I know that can take cute little animal toys and make them weapons. (Direct quote...you want me to hit you this bunny rabbit?)

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Happiness is...

...bestmen that take their own pictures at weddings
...straw phones that you can talk to yourself on

...people who ruin all the pictures...most of the time

...swimming in your clothes

...putting your sister in a headlock

...Surprise!! I just love this picture. It makes me laugh.

...Nicole holding the dog like a baby. He lets her do it too!

...matching flip flops!

...Spaghetti Tacos. Okay, not really, but Matthew wanted one and he ate it. He said it was good.

...beds that are made

These are a few of my favorite things

12 years of AwSoMeNeSs!!!

Today Ken and I have been married for 12 years. It is hard to believe that we have made it that far and it's also easy to see that we have. Sometimes our wedding day feel like it was just yesterday and other times I feel like it was 50 years ago. The only reason I can tell you that is because I know pretty much every married couple has had both emotions. Luckily for me, I feel like it was just yesterday A LOT more often that I feel the other way.
I know this picture is a rerun but I LOVE IT!

In honor of 12 years married, here are a few fun facts about US!

*We stole salt and pepper shakers from The Old Spaghetti Factory in Seattle, WA the first time we went there. We were with my sister, Heather. After about 4 years of holding said shakers hostage, I confessed to a manager and asked if we could pay for them. He said no, and told us to buy a dessert and we'd be square. I don't know how that can be the case, but we did and my conscience is clear-er now.ps, the reason we stole them in the first place is because we thought they looked like Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper from Blues Clues. Today, the kids don't watch that show anymore and ironically, we don't use the shakers either.

*In 1 day Ken and I ate breakfast is Lehi, Utah, lunch in Newport Beach, California, and Dinner in Bremerton, WA. We were tired when we finally got home.

*This is our 12th anniversary and our 5th that we have actually spent in the same state and or town. For many years I was working summers with my parents and I had jobs away from home over our anniversary. Our reasoning then and our belief now is still the same...it's okay if we aren't together on the 9th of August every year. Although that is our anniversary, we love each other every day and don't need 1 special day to celebrate it.

*We take a separate vacation every year in July. Typically Ken goes and visits with his family and in years past I have gone and spent that time with my family. For many it wouldn't work out, but for us it does and we look forward to that time. Let it be known that we also go on vacations together every year as well.

So often when people find out how we met, they want to know the whole story with all the details...In honor of 12 years, I'll tell all my reading audience...

When I was a senior in HS, Ken was a Full Time Missionary for our church. Missionaries are not allowed to date while they are serving and I wasn't interested in that anyway. The first time I saw him, we were sitting in Sacrament Meeting on a Fast Sunday and he stood up to bear his testimony. The first things he said were, 'Hi, My name is Elder Cheney. I'm from Provo, Utah, please don't hold it against me.' At that moment, the spirit whispered to me, 'you're going to marry him.' My response back (in my head) was, 'what about him companion? He's really cute!'

After I had this experience I non chalantly asked my Mom if we could have the Elders over for dinner. She agreed and we signed up only to have them cancel the night before they were supposed to come to our home. When they canceled, we didn't invite them again for over 4 months. During this time I continued with HS and taught my Primary Class every week. Occasionally the missionaries came in for Sharing Time, but Ken and I never had 1 conversation.

About 4 months later, Ken and his new companion approached us, asking us to sign the dinner calendar. My mom did and they came over later that week. I was so NERVOUS!! For no good reason. Beside the one thought I had 4 months earlier, there was no indication that he even knew who I was and if he didn't, that would have been completely appropriate since he was a missionary!

They ate dinner with us. My parents videoed them so they could send home a tape to each of their families. Garen and Adam, 2 of my little brothers, agreed to go on splits with them. (Splits is when 2 non-missionaries volunteer to work the full time missionaries so they can creat 2 companionships and cover more area. They now call it exchanges.)

A couple weeks later, after Garen had been hanging around with them A LOT, he announced one afternoon, 'Elder Cheney said when he gets home off his mission, he's going to come back and date Dedra.' I WAS FLOORED! How many times in a girl's life is she certain she's going to marry a certain boy? ESPECIALLY in HS? Since my experience in the dating department was being friends with my guy friends and not being the girlfriend, it would be putting it mildly that I was nervous and didn't really know how to respond.

After this announcement was made, I told my mom about the experience I had when Ken was first transfered into our ward. Shortly after that, Ken had written me a long letter that was kind of a getting to know you letter. I wrote one back. He gave me a picture of himself and wrote me a lovely little poem. I said thank you and giggled a lot. While he was in our area, I graduated from HS, started working my PT job FT and we wrote letter back and forth, even though he was in my ward.

Near the end of his time in Bremerton, I started having trouble with gall-bladder, but couldn't have surgery since my insurance hadn't kicked in yet at Fred Meyer. I was off work for about 10 days, which allowed me more time to know Ken, as a missionary. I was able to drive them to appointments when my brother was on splits. On a p-day they came to our home to do laundry. 2 days after he went to a new area, I went back to work.

That was all! We wrote a couple letters back and forth and then he got a new Mission President who wouldn't allow us to converse. We spoke on the phone I think 3 times for about 5 minutes each time...he was calling to talk to my Mom and I answered the phone. All of our communication ended in July 1996.

We did see each other 1 more time before he went home but I don't really remember it. I had my Gall Bladder out in October of '96 and he in town for a Zone or District Conference. My mom was at the church dropping something off and saw him. He got permission from his president to come to the hospital and give me a blessing. That took place approx. 40 minutes after I was woken up from being under general anestesia.

Ken got home from his mission January 1997. My mom had been in contact with his mom and she had volunteered to cater his homecoming party, so we went to Utah very shortly after he got home.

January 24 was our first date. I was really sick when he arrived to pick me up but I went anyway. We went out with Ken's friends, the Darringtons, now our friends, along with a few other people that I don't remember. We went ot Mexican, my favorite, but I was too sick to eat. I had a temperature over 100 degrees and secretly just wanted to go home. After dinner, we drove around looking for something to do, the bowling alley was packed so we went back to Randy's parents house...they were out of town. Everyone started doing their own thing, so Ken and I left and went back to his hose and watched a movie with his parents.

The next night we doubled with his Brother and Sister in Law, Brian and Susi. Went to the movie, 'That Thing You Do' at the dollar theater in Provo.

The next night was his homecoming talk at church and his homecoming party that night at his home. That night we played phase 10 with 6 other people and ate a lot of good food. When he drove me back to the house we were staying at that night, I told him that I got my temple recommend but didn't have a date set yet. He told me that night that he'd fly up when I went through. While he was driving me home that night, he ran a red light ON PURPOSE and I told myself when I got out of the car I could never marry him.

The next morning I flew back home and we talked on the phone every night. I set my temple date on February 15 and flew in on the 12th. On the 14th we ate dinner together at Heather and Farrell's house. He spent the night in my parent's living room and the next morning I went through the temple. On the 16th, we went to church together in my ward, the ward he served in. That night around 10 we went for a walk around my neighborhood and down to Lion Field, about a mile away...

This is how our engagement came to be...We were walking and talking and it was mostly Ken doing the talking. He was saying things like...I don't want to be engaged a very long time. I'd like to start a family soon. I think I'll probably live in Washington. I don't want my wife to have to work after the kids get here. I think getting married in Seattle would be perfect. Finally I asked him, 'are we engaged?' His reply??? 'Yeah, I guess so.' YOU CALL THAT AN ENGAGEMENT? HMPH! But that is how it went and we were engaged that night. We got home around midnight and since it wasn't Sunday anymore, we went to Shari's the celebrate. The next day we set our wedding date. He called his mom and told her he was moving back to Washington, and 3 1/2 weeks later, he did. He lived with my sister, Wendi and her family while we were engaged except for a short week or so where he stayed with Heather and Farrell...but they moved out of their hosue.

August 9th, we got married in the Seattle Temple. I was 19, he was 21 and had been home from his mission a short 7 months. We lost our clutch in my clunker car on the way home from Bellevue, so we ended up piling Ken and me, the Darringtons--Jessie was 8 1/2 months pregnant, along with Mom and Dad and 4 siblings into their car and drove home on one of the hottest days of the year with no AC. It was AWESOME.

and that's our story...12 years later, I wouldn't change any of it. I LOVE YOU KEN!!