A blog recommendation

As I've told you before, my brother Ryan has a blog. I love his blog. If you've never clicked on his link, I'd like to encourage you to do so. Right now.

Also, if anyone has hopped to my blog from his, welcome! Please click follow. I need more minions. Here is the link to the post he makes reference to.

Here is a picture I just stole from his blog, while I was writing this post. Go ahead. Read his blog. But follow  mine!

Awkward and Awesome

Awkward:

• Matthew drew a six pack of abs on his stomach and kept showing it to me.
• In the last couple of months we've had someone knock on our door ready to serve legal papers to a woman who no longer lives here. That's an experience I do not enjoy. The last guy that knocked told us we were their third address on the list and they didn't have a fourth.
• The dude in the pictures below. He was playing that little toy piano at the Pacific Science Center like he was a concert pianist, head bobbing included. Maybe he is. But he looked ridiculous.

Awesome:

• School is out! (finally!)
• For the last 40 seconds a large bug has been repeatedly flying into my living room window (from outside.)
• thump, thump, thump, thump
• Ken has been officiating funerals on the side. He became certified to do this while we were in school and now that we live in a larger area he is able to put that part of his education to use. It's very exciting for our family.
• You get a free glass of milk with your meal at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Got Milk?
• I got flowers from the primary chorister on Sunday during Senior Primary. It was really nice of  her. I felt guilty because I messed up the songs and I'm not even the official pianist. I was subbing.
• This picture of Ken and me. I love it, even if maybe you don't...It's my blog. I say it is exellently fabulously AWESOME! We're both nerds.

Awkward and Awesome:

• One of my kids told me I could have their left overs from the Old Spaghetti Factory. (Awesome) They brought it to me while I was in the bathroom. (Awkward...and really gross.) I declined.

Domination continued...

• I'll be in Utah from August 1st to the 16th. Gina is moving into a new apartment, sans roommates, so I can stay with her.
• We have 14 days o' fun planned and we will dominate the Wasatch Front.

• I realized 5 days after the plans were made that Ken and I will be apart for another one of our anniversaries. I think so far we've been together for 5 of them...out of 14 - counting this year. It's a good thing we love each other.
• This morning I booked a room at the Excalibur in Las Vegas. Gina and I are going Aug 8-9. Happy Anniversary to ME!
• I'm SO EXCITED!!
• I hate cats.

Other plans this summer include Long Beach for the 4th of July, Cannon Beach a couple weeks later to see my cousin, Darcy and both the big kids have youth camps. We are in the full swing of summer already and I LOVE IT!

Please enjoy the photo documentation of some of our other domination victories...

 Independence Missouri domination

 Kaylee's Pool domination

 Shari's domination

Wendi domination. (she actually rules. She just 'let' us do this because we are bigger than her.)

* Possibly, the word domination means something different...to us. (Try reading that sentence with a lisp. It's fun!)

Good Idea - Bad Idea

Good Idea: Sleeping in a tent.
Bad Idea: Sleeping in a tent during a rain storm.
Better Idea: Move the tent to the garage and live there all summer.
(Brought to you by Matthew's brains.)

Good Idea: Eating your broccoli.
Better Idea: Growing your broccoli yourself!  Check this out.. Our broccoli is growing!

Good Idea: Going on vacation.
Bad Idea: Leaving your family behind while you go on a trip that takes up your whole vacation time.

Good Idea: Having a Day O' Fun in Portland, Oregon.
Bad Idea: Hanging out in Portland under the Burnside Bridge.
SIDE NOTE: The first time my parents drove us near the Burnside Bridge Garen asked who those people were and Ryan told us they were culture. For years we thought hookers and hobos were culture. Oy.

Good Idea: Sixteen days spent with my sister in Utah!
BETTER Idea: A side trip to Four Corners and/or Las Vegas!
Bad Idea: Spending the whole time in Vernal.

Stuff and Things

*Ken leaves for Utah tomorrow at 4am for a week.
*Today we are spending the day in Seattle.
*I love summer break.
*Anyone out there know how to replace a kitchen sink? I'm going to give it a go this weekend.
*I loved 'The Help.' It's a great book.
*Matthew is a great name for a baby boy. (this is a hint to my bff who's having a boy sometime this week or next.)
*I hate cats.
*please follow my blog.
*Nicole will be 13 in a couple weeks. Am I really that old?
*ok. Have a good day. I'm going to sleep for a few hours now. (it's barely Tuesday.)

Memory Monday

If you have parents - or were raised by anyone who cares enough about you to get ticked occasionally, you've heard it.  'When you grow up, I hope you have a child who is just like you!'

Welcome to Memory Monday...My Mother's Curse(s)

I was always told to make my bed first when cleaning my room. It made no sense to me why I should make my bed if I was just going to get back in it that night and maybe even get a nap too. Why should I? The child just like me: Nicole


As a little girl I didn't need a lot of friends. I had my toys and I could spend hours and hours playing by myself. Keeping up both ends of the conversation has never been a problem for me. The child just like me: Anna


Tell me what to do all day long. I don't want to do it so I'm not going to. The child just like me: Matthew

I cried too much. The child just like me: Nicole

I really love to read books. The child just like me: Anna

The piano has come fairly easy to me. Too bad I didn't practice more. I could be even better and maybe know some theory! The child just like me: Matthew

Every year I always knew what I was getting for Christmas because I am an awesome snoop. The child just like me: Matthew

I like to make funny faces and I twitch my nose and mouth a lot. The child just like me: Anna

I knew what was going on with everyone all the time and I would give you a report if you wanted it...or if you didn't. The child just like me: Nicole

Nicole loves to sew, cook, put together jigsaw puzzles and make lists.
Matthew likes taking pictures, music, Tetris and chocolate with almonds.
Anna likes getting fixed up, swimming, baby dolls and talking - a lot. A REALLY LOT.

Now, here's the dealio...I was a pretty good kid. I never drank or smoked or did drugs. 98% of the time I went where I told my parents I was going. I didn't come home late and remembered who I was. I graduated from seminary with a testimony and a clear view of a temple marriage. Awesome right?! How bad can my mother's curse really be? Not that bad really. I'm more stubborn than them. However, the thought of raising Ken's Mother's curses?? That never crossed my mind....He too fits the description above and you can add that he served a mission. But, he's a boy and he only has brothers. Oh the things boys 'think' of without ever using their brains.

It's totally worth it though. 

Happy Birthday Casandra!

Happy Birthday to my Sister in Law, Casandra! She's 25. Here are two fun facts about her.

• She is an awesome softball player. She played in winning leagues, not just in the park like a lot of us.
• She is pregnant. Due on November 16 - my Mom's birthday.

Happy Birthday Casandra! I love you.

Things That Bug Me Mucho...

When I write in my journal or write a blog post, I try really hard to leave out all the negatives in my life. Yes, times are tough. Sometimes we argue, we raise our voices and occasionally Ken and I say a swear word. We are a normal family and have all the baggage that comes along with it.

But does all the negativity need to be recorded for my posterity? I don't think so. That being said, here is a list of things that bug me about everyday living in the Cheney home (that will obviously be recorded for posterity.)

• Blankets brought out to scripture study in the morning so kids can sleep between their turns. This doesn't happen everyday, but I dislike it nonetheless.
• Burping and toilet humor while eating dinner.
• Whiny voices and tattling. If the whiner is tattling they will be the one to get in trouble. 
• I can't think of one reason why I should see one of my big kids walk through the house in (his) underwear. Adding special dances to the flashing does not make it okay.
• I'm hungry, can I have ice cream? (If you are hungry, please eat something that will fill you up.)
• Playing the piano with your forehead does not count towards your 30 minutes.
• SIDE NOTE: I just found Ken's shoes he was looking for this morning for almost twenty minutes. They are in the front room next to the couch, where he took them off last night. Awesome.
• If you say your room is clean but I'm not allowed to look in the closet, I have $100 that says your room isn't clean.
• QUIT YELLING AT YOUR SISTER/BROTHER!!! (That's right. I yelled that.)

Okay, so I can't actually end this post with all the complaining that just spewed out of my brain. Here are some fun/cute/sweet/endearing/other adjective things my kids do that make it all okay.

Nicole:

• Cole lays down by me most afternoons and steals my pillow. We laugh and visit and it's our time for about 10 minutes that is completely uninterrupted. We don't actually take a nap, we just talk.
• We do jigsaw puzzles together. This activity helps her with motor skills and other sensory activities. It also strengthens our relationship and builds her confidence because she is turning into a puzzle ninja.

Matthew:

• Matthew puts magnetix on all his brackets (braces) and chases Anna around the house. They both love it.
• Sunday afternoon when Ken and I lay down for a nap, Matthew comes in and wiggles his way between us. He says that is his spot. At 12 years old he tries to act cool and tough. He doesn't want to hug me in public or let his friends know he likes us, but at home he is our baby boy.

Anna:

• Anna doesn't walk anywhere. She dances, skips, hops and gallops. It never ceases to put a smile on my face.
• She has a song for everything. She says her brains taught them to her. She has a smart set of brains.

Okay, there you have it. We are real and we love each other. Families are forever and I am so glad about that!

Good Idea - Bad Idea

Good Idea: Putting gel in your hair before you blow dry. This helps with volume and other technical stuff I don't know about.
Bad Idea: Running out of said gel and using aloe vera gel instead. Two reasons - It's not sticky and it doesn't work! It does however make your hair soft.

Yes, I tried that. I was desperate!

Good Idea: Spraying your hair with hairspray.
Bad Idea: Using OFF as hairspray.

Yes, I tried that once too. But I was 12 years old and we were at girl's camp.

Good Idea: Going on vacation.
Bad Idea: Not being able to talk to your Dad the whole time he's on vacation.

Dear Dad, call me! You're grounded. We haven't talked since Friday. Love the favorite.

Good Idea: Having Matthew teach our family about The Restoration.
Bad Idea: Matthew shared about Joseph Smith praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and other serious falsehoods in his account last night. It was painful and hilarious.

If you have a few minutes, please take the time to watch this true account.



Good Idea: Reading scriptures with your husband or wife.
Bad Idea: Reading the Sermon on the Mount with a lisp...just to see what it would sound like.

It was hilarious. Try reading the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

I know, I'm going to hell. But I'll be in good company.

That's Right People!

I'm so lame, it never ever crossed my mind to do a Father's Day post.

So here you have it! Three pictures. Two awesome Dad's and one little guy who's learning a lot from them.

Happy Father's Day!

Memory Monday

Random Confessions and other Stuff & Things

• When Gina was a baby I used to tell her how pretty she was in a really mean voice. It would make her cry. When I couldn't take her crying anymore I would assure her she a brat in a really nice voice and then everything was all better.
• When we were kids, Mom's spankings were worse than Dad's.
• Speaking of spankings, 4 words that brought a chill to any Anderson child were, 'Go Get The Board.' That's right people, Mom and Dad had a special paddle to spank us with. It was brutal.
• 3 more words that cause the 'chillled' to panic...'Grab Your Ankles.'
• A very long time ago I helped my mom drown a cat.
• When we would visit Grandma and Grandpa in Basin City, one of the highlights of the trip was walking across the street to Villa's - a little Mexican mini mart. I always bought a candy bar.
• When Wendi, Heather and I would play house, they called me 'Baby Goo Goo.'
• Heather also used to pack my eyebrows with mascara. (Like they aren't bushy enough on their own.)
• When we lived in Meridian, before my Dad covered all the walls in the family room with wood paneling, Mom gave us brand new crayons to color all over the walls in the room. I also decorated other rooms in the house to be helpful.
• I always loved new crayons.
• When I was in 5th grade we had a table cloth that was mostly red with a fine white pattern. I loved that fabric and I guess I wanted a swatch of it...or something - because I cut a piece out of it.  I didn't think Mom would notice. Less than 15 minutes later she noticed. I'm not sure it if was because I left the swatch on the table next to whole or if she noticed the scissors there too or maybe a combination but she noticed. Mom and Dad immediately knew who did it. Garen. He got spanked. I admitted it in 2007. (Sorry Garen.) 

Awkward and Awesome

Awkward:

• I wore my shirt wrong side out all day last Friday. I didn't notice until I was changing into my pajamas.
• A week ago, Sunday, I was playing prelude for Sacrament Meeting and it was almost time for our ward to start. Just as I was starting a new song, one of the counselors in the bishopric stood up to start the meeting so I immediately went from the beginning to the end and it sounded like I had played a fanfare for him. Awkward and Funny.
• This week, in Sacrament meeting, before the same counselor stood up, he turned around and looked right at me so I'd know he was getting up. He took away my chance to play the fanfare at the beginning of God of our Fathers. boo. (I probably wouldn't have done it, but I really wanted to.)
• Matthew spent last week at Science Camp. He had to go #2 in the woods behind a tree. He wiped with stinging nettle.
• While at the same camp, Matthew and his friends all kissed a banana slug to see if their lips would really go numb. They did.

• Anytime polygamy is brought up in a Relief Society lesson.

Awesome:

• Matthew passed the sacrament for the first time on Sunday. I was so proud of him I got teary eyed.
• Nicole organized our monster of a game/book/rubber stamp/blanket closet. She did a great job!
• Anna can recognize and knows the sounds of more than half the alphabet now. We've been working really hard on this!
• School is out in 8 more days! I sure love summer break.
• Corned beef cooked in the crockpot. I've never made it that way until last Sunday, and it was perfect. 
• Nap time.
• Getting a text on Sunday evening from my friend, inviting me to come over and eat doughnut muffins. They were good. (Thank you Amy) I posted the recipe.

Awkward and Awesome: (Mostly Awesome! I'd so tour this!)

New Recipe #12 - Doughnut Muffins.

Ingredients:

For the muffins: 

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk

For the coating:

• 1/4 -1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
3. Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. While muffins are baking, melt butter in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
5. Shake muffins out of the muffin tin while the muffins are still hot.
6. Dip muffins in the melted butter and then into the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool.

Thank you Amy for the recipe and the treat!

Stuff and Things

June 15, 2011

• It took 5 weeks for our pumpkin seedlings to show their pretty little faces. That's a really long time!
• Matthew harvested a radish the other night that was the size of my pinky fingernail. He was pretty excited.
• After FHE on Monday we put a puzzle together. Rather, we all started putting it together and I finished it.
•  Anna spent over 30 minutes working on the flag. There were 4 pieces. It was really tricky.

•  She also put a tree together. It too was tricky.

•  How awesome it that?!

• I'm going to have spaghetti for breakfast.
• Matthew has gone swimming in our pool everyday this week. 
• It is freezing. 
• He is crazy. 
• We do not have the Kansas weather he is used to.
• Nicole is studying my Health book from college and taking a lot of notes. I keep hearing 'Ohh!' and 'That is so true!' 
• I need a haircut.
• I was given an organ lesson on Sunday during Sunday School. It included playing the organ as loud as we could and some information on chords and chain preludes. I'm excited about the chord info. I need to learn more theory.
• The CD I won from the radio the other day is the soundtrack to Pirates of the Caribbean. 
• I think I'll give it to Ken for Father's Day.
• Is that bad?
• Gina steals internet.
• The Voice is my favorite show on TV right now. I watch it online since we don't have cable or dish. I love it!
• I think I'm going to order cable or dish.
• Tomorrow.
• A sister missionary that we knew in Grandview is coming to stay with us for a few days over the 4th of July. I'm excited for the reunion. 
• Ken will be in Utah over the 4th of July.
• boo.
• Have you read my brother's blog?
• Are you following mine yet?
• DO IT!
• Have a great day. See you tomorrow.

Good Idea - Bad Idea

Good Idea: Comparing your mom's beehive hairdo to Megamind.
Bad Idea: Putting your Mom's picture and Megamind on a split screen and seeing how right you really are.

Good Idea: Going to the gym in the morning.
Bad Idea: Eating Spamoni in the evening.

Good Idea: Committing to putting up 52 new recipes in 2011.
Bad Idea: Actually have to put up 52 new recipes in 2011.

Good Idea: Llamas with Hats.
Bad Idea: Killing people, biting a lot of holes into life boats, and ripping tags off of mattresses.

Good Idea: Buying a swimming pool for the summer time.
Bad Idea: Allowing the children to talk me into setting it up last Saturday. (June is not warm enough to swim outside in the PNW.)

Good Idea: Taking pictures of your children.
Bad Idea: Not saving the pictures to your hard drive and them somehow damaging your chip so you can't re-look at over 100 bad pictures from the photo shoot. BOO!

Good Idea: Agreeing to watch a movie with your husband.
Bad Idea: The Guardian, Miracle, Rudy and Coach Carter. I was to accidentally maliciously damage all 4 of these dvds.

Follow ME!

Dear Reader Extraordinaire,

This is a public blog. If you follow me, you will be able to see I posted something new in your dashboard or on google reader. Do it! Follow me. You know you want to.

please and thank you.

Memory Monday (Sunday Night Edition)

Bad Haircuts.

I'm a product of the 80s and 90s. Although I never had Farrah Faucet hair, I'm ashamed to admit I have been closely acquainted with other less than savory hair styles. I was going to share some great stories about the haircuts in our family but I think a picture is worth atleast a thousand words. So here's a few thousand words for you...

Meet Mi Madre. Mastermind of all our haircuts, designer of many of our clothes. She was an amazing seamstress and cut hair too.

Wendi, Heather, Me. About 1981. I remember the yellow dress.

Ryan in the back, Wendi, Adam, Garen, Heather, Me in the front. We all have the same bangs, but Mom grew Adam's hair out a little because it was curly. I also have a mullet.

Wendi, Ryan, Heather and me in 1979. I loved having dresses like the big girls.

Dad's graduation, 1985. Everyone looks angry because we just sat through 5 hours of graduation. The pink velour shirt was my favorite one that year.

Me in 2nd grade. A feathered mullet. This shirt had ribbons down the side and it was my favorite one that school year.

4rd grade. I like my bangs. I look like Garen.

Worst/Best picture. EVER. 7th grade. I'm growing out a mullet that my mom gave me 6 months earlier. I cut my bangs for the first time - obviously too short, so I told all my friends in school that Heather did it. To make it worse, I still ratted up my bangs and the  back of my mullet as high as I could. Oy.

For more hair stories, go to http://randrj2.blogspot.com/ and http://dreamawaysweetcharade.blogspot.com/. You'll have to ask to be invited to the second one, but Gina will probably invite you.

Pictures of kids.

Okay, so it's nice enough outside that I told the kids to make themselves presentable and I took some pictures of them. I'm not really sure how I feel about all of these but they are going on my wall anyway. I'm too cheap to pay someone right now and these are the best of the almost 100 pictures I took. You can thank Matthew for about 60 of them. He does a photo shoot just like his Dad. I think Gina is the only person who can appreciate that comment though.  

What do you think?

A post about Anna

The following is a transcription of everything Anna said in a 30 minute time period.

*I love frogs
*you know how long I can hold my breath for? (about 4 seconds) me-wow! You're good! Anna-i think I'm ready for the floating bridge! (we hold our breath while driving over bridges and through tunnels.)
*My brains told me to tuck my pants in like this. (into her socks)
*I thought it was a school today.
*How long Matthew go to school for? (7 1/2 hrs)
*ok, ummm, hmmm, oh.
*is it raining? (while looking out the window at the rain.) do you see rain? (ummm, hmmm. I fink so. It was pouring)
*Mama, where does Marsha live? (Ken's co-worker)
*Mama, that truck with rides every day and with something on the truck, is big like this tall and this small.(arms spread as wide as they will go) I saw it 2 minutes ago. It goes to my old school. Every day.
*When I was a bird, I had wings.
*Can I play with flubber?
*When I go to my old school, I go'd on a bus. But now I don't go anymore.
*Anyone got the mail today?
*what I look like when I do this? (stretch her eyes to look Chinese) I asked her what she thinks she looks like. 'Batman. I think when I do this I look like Batman.'
--she's looking at herself in the mirror right now.

****

First thing after family prayers each morning, Anna yawns and proclaims her love of something or some other gem...
I love elephants.
I love the Little Mermaid
Do you want to feel my feet? (no!)
I love big trees and little trees.
I call yellow cars mustaches, because they pop.

Q&A:
What's your favorite fruit? Apples, bananas, strawberries and cupcakes and watermelon.

I really love Reece's Peanut Cups

My title has nothing to do with my post.

This is my 100th post on volume 2! To celebrate I'm going to tell you a lot of things you don't really care about...maybe even 100 things. Maybe

This morning I have:

1. eaten E-holes for breakfast.
2. at the gym this morning I burned 400 calories.
3. talked on the phone with Ken, Ryan, Gina and my Dad.
4. texted Gina and Kate.
5. cut Anna's hair
6. taken a shower.
7. made plans to spend the night at my Dad's house tonight and make dinner for him, Kyle and my Uncle Brad.
8. done 3 loads of laundry.
9. made plans for my upcoming Memory Monday. Am I the only one who writes those ahead of time?
10. read about 15 blog updates.

Things I say to my child/ren everyday:

1. Go brush your teeth.
2. Make your bed.
3. Are your chores done?
4. Are you supposed to be doing that?
5. Don't bite your fingernails.
6. Yes you have practice the piano today.
7. I love you so much.
8. I'll be here when you get home.
9. I think it's your turn to make dinner.
10. Seriously, go brush your teeth.

Places I want to visit:

1. Nauvoo
2. Pennsylvania
3. Crater Lake
4. The Redwood Forest
5. Leavenworth, Washington (again)
6. NYC
7. Baltimore
8. Kansas
9. Victoria, Canada
10. 4 corners

Things that bug me:

1. People who talk constantly but have nothing to say.
2. Dirty clothes left on the bathroom floor.
3. Questions that people know the answers to.
4. know it alls
5. Most of the office staff at Matthew's school.
6. Swearing the hearing the Lord's name in vain.
7. Squirrels
8. Drew Barrymore
9. Josh Turner's voice.
10. Cats

Other random stuff

1. Watching people chew gum makes me want to puke. I actually dry heave.
2. I don't like to babysit.
3. Gina needs to move back to Washington.
4. Spencer is good at puzzles.
5. Ken went to the dentist this morning.
6. My flowers in front of the house are blooming.
7. It's really hard for me to have a 4 year old and I really love Anna.
8. There are hand prints all over my front window in all different sizes.
9. I haven't practices the piano today.
10. This is a really long post. 

Here are some facts about me:

1. I'm scared of cemeteries in the dark
2. I'm OCD about the time I go to sleep. It doesn't matter what time it is, the last time I see the clock it has to end on a 5 or a 0. I'll wait 5 or 6 minutes so I can see a :30 or :00.
3. I do 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles by sorting all the pieces by color, then working on them accordingly.
4. I have problems. Gina told me so.
5. Ken and I sing to each other in really high opera voices. The Wind Beneath My Wings is our most common song. Caw!
6. I love math and symmetry.

Note to Self:

1. Clean your room.
2. Don't be a control freak.
3. It doesn't matter how it gets done as long as it gets done.

Okay, that's all the for one post. 60 facts if you include the title.

The End.

Awkward and Awesome

Awkward:

• Ken still thinks he's a super hero.
• Me playing 'For All The Saints' hymn #82 on the organ. This Sunday is going to be a special treat for Lacey 2nd.

Awesome:

• I won a CD on the radio this morning. I can't remember which CD, but when it shows up, I'll share.
• At this gym this morning, I did a mile on the elliptical machine in 12 minutes, 40 seconds. That's my fastest mile. Ever.
• The Google logo today! It's a guitar tuner. You can play it! I forgot what I was supposed to be google-ing. (Awkward.)

Awkward and Awesome:

Lost in Translation

If you know me, have met in me in passing or only know me by reading this blog, you might have the suspicion that I may or may not be a little bit sarcastic. I also use words incorrectly and sometimes my compliments are not really kind.

When I was in 8th grade and my bff from Jr. High, Melissa was in 7th grade, we started telling people things were lovely when we didn't like it. We heard the early '90s version of 'I know, right?!' It was a beautiful thing!  I've taken it to a new level.

Here are a few examples.

• If I call you a genius or smart, I'm not complimenting your intelligence.
• If something is lovely, nice or neat, I don't find it attractive.
• When I call you lame, a turd or tell you you don't stink, we're friends. (My Mom's favorite words were turn and the swear word that begins with sh and ends with it. I guess she taught all her kids the same thing because we all do it.)
• Awesome can be used as an adjective to describe good, bad or other. It's the perfect word! It's AWESOME!

Here are some other fun facts. (The word fun in interchangeable as well, to be fun or not fun depends on the tone. You decide this time)

• I call my most loved ones Ferguson (or Fergie) or Cheney. Have you ever seen celebrity Jeopardy on SNL? There is one skit where Burt Reynolds changes his name to Turd Ferguson. Ferguson is just another way to call someone a Turd...in public. Cheney works because it really is our name.  Nicole is Cheney girl. Matthew is Cheney boy. Anna is little Cheney. You get it. I'm unkind.
• I screen my calls. Sometimes I just don't want to talk. 80% of my phone calls are from 5 people. If I missed your call, I may not have missed it. 
• If I may or may not have done something...if I wasn't supposed to do it - I did. For sure. If I was supposed to do it - it's a toss up.

hmm...I'm thinking if there's anything else I should confess here.

• Gina and I text each other swear words with no explanation. We're naughty.
• We also send each other pictures of ourselves making mean faces.

Okay, I think that's good enough for one session.

• poop

Stuff and Things

• YouTube. My brother just introduced me to Llamas with Hats. You'll never get the life back that you waste watching them, but I love them none the less. So do all the millions of people that made them go viral. 

• Matthew left yesterday morning for Environmental Camp. He's gone until Friday night. I miss him. A lot.

•  This weekend while my Dad and brother were in town we went on a few adventures. Here is are the evidence pictures.

gun, fishing pole and fudge shopping at Cabela's. 

(No guns were purchased and no animals were harmed while we were there. 

Those busts were already there.)

 At Home Depot there was a bucket for spare pieces you didn't want, so you didn't have to find the box you got them from. I stuck a 12 foot piece of PVC pipe in the bucket. (I also put it away after I took a picture so it didn't accidentally fall and hurt someone.)

 At WinCo we each had a small purchase to make. Adam loaded the belt for us. He did a nice job.

• Today I learned how to get a snapshot from a video on Windows Movie Maker. 
• When we were at the Gum Wall in Seattle last Thursday, Matthew took his gum out of his mouth and threw it to the top part of the wall. It them climbed down the wall like one of those suction toys. It was gross and funny at the same time.
• Nicole's gum didn't stick very well either. She gagged when she was placing it on the wall and didn't press hard enough.
• Anna thought all the gum was pretty and probably delicious. I didn't let her test her hypothesis.
• Kyle gagged and wouldn't even look at the wall.
• Today I am going to babysit from 6am to 7pm. I'll let you know tomorrow how that goes.
• Dear Stalkee, I am currently planning a way to better stalk you and display my findings. Also, I think it would be fun to meet at the park this week. Any day but tomorrow would be great. See the bullet right above this one for the reason. ps, I want to win a contest. the end.
• Happy Tuesday!

Memory Monday

Two random memories that crossed my mind yesterday...

In 1989 my Dad was working in Boise, Idaho after he lost his job in Oregon. He would leave on Sunday night, work all week in Boise and come home Friday night. He did this for at least a couple of months before he found the job that brought us to the Kitsap Peninsula.

On one trip home for the weekend Dad told me he'd give me $5 to iron all his work shirts for him. Sweet! Who doesn't want $5, especially when you're 12! I went downstairs and got right to work. It took me almost an hour to get those shirts done and after I'd finished, I went to Dad to collect my earnings. He was surprised I had finished so quickly. Actually, he thought it was impossible. I assured him all the shirts were ironed. He then asked me if I'd washed them. I was shocked! He didn't say anything about washing them first. I told him no. He told me they were dirty. I told him they did smell weird, but it never even crossed my mind to wash them. I never did the laundry.

Dad paid me $5. Mom washed his shirts and hung them up when they came out of the drier. He didn't have nice ironed shirts for the next week and I was never hired again.

***

In 2nd grade we lived in Boise, Idaho. Heather and I shared a bedroom. Our favorite song was 'Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows' by Leslie Gore. We listened to that song and that record for hours. When Heather wasn't home, I'd listen to it while I jumped on our bed. It was a crime, punishable by spankings to jump on your bed. One day I forgot to close the curtains and Ryan saw me. He stood right in the window and pointed at me. I knew he was going to tell on me! So naturally, I begged, pleaded and gave him all my money to shut him up. That night I was already in bed and Ryan came to my room, opened the door, put all my money back on the shelf and said, 'Dad wants you.' WHAT?!!! I was so mad at him! (For telling on me.) I went up to Mom and Dad's room, Dad asked me if I was jumping on my bed. I told him no. He asked me again and said Ryan said I was. I told him no again. He spanked me. I still denied it. He spanked me again. I still denied it. He sent me to bed.

This is the first time I've ever mentioned this experience since then. I'm not sure why I couldn't just say, 'Yes, I was jumping on my bed!' (And sometimes I invited Garen and Adam to join in on the fun!) But I never did admit to it.

Matthew's Circle

Before Matthew was ordained a Deacon on Sunday, I took a group shot of him with the men who were going to stand in the circle. This is quite a group of men and I love that they were all willing to be there for him.

A Day O' Fun

A week ago, Sunday, Matthew was spotlighted in Primary because his birthday was coming. One of the blanks he had to fill in was "A favorite thing to do with my family is______" and he wrote 'Surprise Days O' Fun'. Ken and I already had one in the works-sans Ken. Last Thursday I took the kids and my brother Kyle to Seattle.

Here we are in the car, before backing out of the driveway.

side note: I'm getting the bags under my eyes like my mom had.

I hate them and need advice on how to get rid of them. boo on bags!

 Our first stops were Bremerton, to pick up Kyle and then to Bainbridge Island to eat lunch with my Dad. 

No photos. sorry.

Here's the Space Needle, from the ferry.

 Kyle with Seattle in the background.

 Nicole, Matthew and Anna with Seattle on the left and a ferry going towards Bremerton on the right.

 Seattle in the background

 Kyle and Matthew on the upper deck. We road the 'Puyallup' boat. Pronunciation: Pew-Al-up.

 The infamous pig at Pike Place Market. It's so famous, it's infamous.

 Three kids chewing 12 pieces of gum -collectively.

Anna - 3

Matthew - 5

Nicole - 4

Holding nasty amounts of gum before adding them to the hepatitis wall. 

 Yeah. That wall smells. bad breath+stale gum+hot sunny day=bleh

 They are superheros.

 The Freemont Troll Beetle, as seen in 10 Things I Hate About You.

 An empty frame Kyle and Anna took turns filling.

It was a fun day!