Eat, Drink and Be Merry--in a non blasphemous way.

Tonight we had friends over for dinner.  We've been meaning to have them over for about 4 months and it finally happened tonight. It was so fun we've decided to do it again tomorrow for Family Home Evening and then some games. 

For dinner I made an awesome meatloaf. It was delicious.

I am thankful for friends and yummy meatloaf.

I also like leaves that change colors in the fall. I took this photo on my cell phone through a dirty windshield on a street in my neighborhood...not too shabby! I LOVE WHERE I LIVE!

Obligatory Thankful Post

Today I am thankful that I didn't die when I ran for one minute straight. That's right people. One. Minute.

I'm lame.

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.

Adventures with boys...part deux

Last night Matthew spent the night at his friends house so that means they move the party over to our house for the next night. (Have I mentioned that I love 4 day weekends?!!) Here are only a few of the things I have seen in the last six hours since Matthew and Jacob got here.

The barricaded Matthew's door and the hallway, except for little peep holes, so they could shoot nerf (nerd) guns at each other.

*take notice of all the lincoln logs in the lincoln log bin. We try to be organized!

 Matthew built me a table to hold scriptures.

 He's still working out some kinks.

 They built a fortress in the front room using twenty-four storage bins.

 Then they covered it with blankets and called it a fort.

They have since expanded their fort by lowering the walls. They've padded the ground with blankets and old couch cushions and they're 'exersicing.'

On another note, that is kind of related...the boys were calling each other 'dude' a lot. Ken interjected and asked them if they knew what a dude is?  Do YOU know what a dude is? Ken told them a dude is a mole on a camel's rear end. According the http://www.dictionary.com/, Ken is a liar. 

Dude
–noun


1. a man excessively concerned with his clothes, grooming, and manners.

2. Slang . fellow; chap.

3. a person reared in a large city.

4. Western U.S. an urban Easterner who vacations on a ranch.
 
*I just told the boys Ken was wrong and then explained it's a guy worried about his clothes and appearance. Jacob replied, 'That's even worse!'
 
Today I have to be thankful for little boys. Especially little boys who think they are big! They are hilarious and inventive and a little smelly.

Red Robin Birthday Song

Happy happy birthday. Today's your special day. Happy happy birthday. We're glad you came our way. Happy happy birthday. May all your dreams come truuuuueeeeeeee. Happy happy birthday, from Red Robin to you. Hey! (I typed hay first.)

Happy Birthday to my Brother in Law, LARRY!!

This is my mom's car. It died in May. My dad gave it to the fire department. They broke it. The guy in the back seat, center front is my brother in law, Larry. He's awesome...and 40 today. I love you Larry!

Holy Pictures Batman--at the park

Today I am thankful for beautiful weather and no school. We were able to go to a park close to our home with some good friends. Here are 18 pictures for your viewing pleasure. My most favorite favorite picture is the very last one. I my opinion, it's totally worth the wait!

Matthew and Jake on pogo sticks. They were getting about 18 inches in the air. It was pretty awesome.

 Matthew jumping.

 Nicole scooting.

 Nicole riding a bike.

 Nicole and Jessy just sitting around.

 Tyler on a bike.

 Next we 'played' tennis. I use the term played very loosely. We actually swung the rackets and chased the balls. A. Lot. Be sure you notice how often the ball was not where it was supposed to be when the rackets were swinging.

 This is Nicole honest to truth 'pose' while she waits for the ball to make it to her side.

 Next the boys got tired of running for tennis balls so they decided to climb the fence.

 And now, for my MOST FAVORITE picture of the day....I LOVE IT!

I'm also thankful for children who like to have their pictures taken. It was a super fun day!

November 3, 2010

Right now one of my children is sitting in their room crying. I interrupted their story to tell them to put pants on. They're too old to be walking around the house in their underwear. Can my one thing I'm thankful for today be doors and pillows to cry in? GOOD GRIEF!

Today Matthew only had a half day of school because of parent teacher conferences. He also has tomorrow and Friday off because of said conferences. I went to his conference today. He's doing really well but they said he gets easily distracted and he talks too much. I'm pretty sure he got that from Ken. (or me)

The thing I'm thankful for today is $20 coupons off of purchases that are even under $20. Because of said coupons I was able to buy a Christmas present for one of my children and 3 pairs of crazy knee high socks today for nothing. That's right.  It was free. I didn't have to add stuff to meet a limit so my purchase of $19.51 cost me nothing...except for all the shoes I bought at famous footwear to earn said coupon. So worth it though!

In other news...Nicole continues to be doing really well learning at home. She's found her niche and I'm just trying to provide her with enough information because she can't seem to get enough of it! (except for history. We seem to fall asleep during movies.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Sister in Law, RHONDA!!

I couldn't find a picture of her but she likes pickles so this is for her. :)

and now for the TMI section...
I need to buy new deodorant. I think mine is betraying me.  If I'm around you and I stink, please tell me in a way as nice as possible. gracias.

Lastly, but not least-ly...
Will you pretty please with sugar on top help me earn my Personal Progress Medallion and Honor Bee by participating in my PP blog? I'd be most grateful!  http://honorbee.blogspot.com/.

Bathrooms and Pigs and Sugar Cookies...

When I was a little girl visiting my Grandma Price's house I loved using the upstairs bathroom that was down the hall towards her bedroom. It was pink. BEAUTIFUL pink and the soap had a lovely flower smell. There was a doll with a crocheted skirt that hid toilet paper.  Seriously, it was the perfect bathroom for a little girl. The only problem with it was the light was not by the door, but over by the toilet instead.  I always thought that was a little weird but it didn't bother me too much because I could see the light switch when I walked into the room. One time when I was about 5 years old, I finished with my business and then turned the light off before I walked over to open the door.  It was instantly black. No more lovely pink. I didn't know where the door was. I really scared but I didn't want to call for help and be teased. I remember standing in the middle of the room panicking before walking slowly to a wall, placing my hand on the wall and then walking slowly for what seemed like an eternity, until I found the door. It was easily opened and I was free. Phew! That was a close one.  I learned a lesson that day. I NEVER again turned the light off before opening the door in the pink bathroom.

Today when I left my children's restroom I turned the light off (which is right next to the door) before opening the door. When the room went black, I was suddenly 5 years old at my grandma's remembering that experience. the only difference was I wasn't lost inside the bathroom. I just opened the door. I just thought I'd share.

Another funny thing that happened today:

My friend came over and we were talking about what we were making for dinner.  I told her I was making sloppy joes. She said she was making spaghetti. I told her I don't like spaghetti. (Sorry Kate.) She said she doesn't mind spaghetti but she doesn't like hamburger. I told her my sister, Wendi, doesn't like beef at all. Matthew interrupted:
M: Wendi doesn't like beef?!
Me: nope.
M: How come she has a pig?
Me: Pigs are pork.
M: Oh yeah.

So my friend Kate (who happens to love spaghetti) stole and idea from her friends' blog and I'm stealing it from her. For the month of November, she is sharing one thing each day that she is thankful for. I'm going to do that too.

Yesterday: Believe it or not, yesterday I was thankful for Walmart. It pains me to even type that because I HATE Walmart. But yesterday, they were my dream come true. I bought 3 weeks of groceries for less than $200. there. HOORAY! I also took Ken's watch in to get the battery replaced and they broke it. they couldn't get it put back together, even with THREE associates working on it. They told me they were so sorry and gave him a brand new watch, a nice one like the one they  broke, not a crummy one. Thanks Walmart! I'm thankful for you...for the moment.

Today: I'm thankful for good neighbors. Four of the neighbor girls came over and decorated sugar cookies with us today. They are a lot of them, getting them out of my home. It was great to visit with their mom too. I like her. See pictures below for our cookie decorating awesomeness.

Here is my awesome sugar cookie recipe:
1 1/2 C butter softened, not melted
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract (I used almond)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
*mix all of the above until well blended (I let them mix in my kitchenaid for about 4 minutes)
5 C flour
*slowly add flour until well blended
*chill for 2-3 hours
*roll out until 1/4-1/2 inch thick
*bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes (I did them for 6)

Frosting
1/3 C butter softened, not melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract (I used almond)
1/4 C milk
4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
*cream butter
*add flavoring and milk
*slowly add powdered sugar
*add more milk if needed, to make it spreadable (I usually end up using about 1/3 C)
*add desired food coloring and enjoy decorating your cookies!

Meet Perri. She is SO SWEET! Except when she eats too much sugar. Some people get hyper. She becomes angry. Before that happened, she went home and then off to Activity Days. I felt kind of like a grandma this afternoon. Sugared her up and then sent her home to detox. :)

I NEED YOUR HELP! Yes, YOURS!

How many blogs does a girl need? When I ask that question, The Sound of Music comes to my mind when Frau Schmidt asks Maria, 'How many dresses does a governess need?' Well I'm not sure how many dresses she needs, but apparently I need 4 blogs. Because that's how many I have, not including the one I created for my mom to keep track of my brother's mission. 

What? You didn't know I have 4 blogs? I keep two of them regularly: http://cheneychatter.blogspot.com/, (this one) and http://cheney365.blogspot.com/. A daily blog journal I have recently started because I'm lame at scrapbooking and my scrapbooking hero Liz has inspired me to do this project but I have failed each time I tried to do it in a book. But I digress.

I have another one that I started a couple of years ago that I want to get printed into a book and then delete it because I don't keep it up and I don't really like it. http://apicisworth1000words.blogspot.com/. You may remove it from your list.

My last blog I started today. It doesn't have any posts yet but it will soon. The reason I'm telling you about it is because I need your help! I want it to be interactive.

I've started doing personal progress with Nicole. I've decided that I want to earn mine again and I want to honor bee also. In order to complete many of the value experiences, you have discuss what you've been reading about or trying to accomplish with 'your leader, your mother, your grandmother, or another woman you respect.'

Well guess what, that's where you, my dear friends come in.  Since I'm lacking a YW leader, a mother and a grandmother, you have won the prize! I'm guessing there are 2 or 3 people out there that many read this blog that never comment and I don't know who they are because some of the places I get 'hits' from I'm certain I don't know anyone there. BUT, many of you, especially those of you that comment fairly regularly are the women in my life that I respect and would love to have these discussions with.

So, here is my request:
Please bookmark or add to your blog list http://honorbee.blogspot.com/ and check it occasionally. I'm going to add my journal entries to that blog. I have three waiting right now. Will you please read and comment and help me in accomplishing my personal progress? AND, if this works, I'm more than willing to add you as administrators to help you in achieving your goals as well.

please and thank you.

Post Script after publishing: I have deleted my cheney365.blogpost and my apicisworth1000words.blogspot.  They really were lame!

Boy Scouts and Long Jumps.

Matthew is working on his Tender Foot in Boy Scouts. This last Thursday they were doing physical fitness. Here are some pictures of him doing to the long jump. He jumped 54 inches. That was an 8 inch improvement of his jump a month ago. He should get his Tender Foot this month. Way to go Matthew!