The Cheney scene

The books of 2011!

2012-01-05T00:06:00.000-05:00

I read 50 (edited from 49 1-13-12--I forgot one!) books in 2011. Up from 30 last year! Here is a list of them. My favorites: The Help, Matched and its sequel Crossed, Sarah's Key, Vampire Academy books, Richard Paul Evans and Nicholas Sparks' books! :)

Ariana: The Making of aQueen, a novel by Rachel Ann Nunes
Babylon Rising Book 2:The Secret on Ararat by Tim F. LaHaye and Bob Phillips
Babylon Rising Book 3:The Europa Conspiracy by Tim F. LaHaye and Bob Phillips
Babylon Rising Book 4:The Edge of Darkness by Tim F. LaHaye and Bob Phillips
Blood Promise (VampireAcademy, Book 4) by Richelle Mead
Bloodlines by RichelleMead
Born to Run: A HiddenTribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen byChristopher McDougall
Crossed by Ally Condie
Culture Warrior by BillO'Reilly
Don't Cry Wolf by ClairM. Poulson
Eye of the Tempest byNicole Peeler
Freakonomics: A RogueEconomist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt andStephen J. Dubner
Frostbite (VampireAcademy, Book 2) by Richelle Mead
Heaven is for Real: ALittle Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo andLynn Vincent
Just Give Me a LittlePiece of Quiet: 60 Mini-Retreats For a Mom's Soul by Lorilee Craker
Last Sacrifice (VampireAcademy, Book 6) by Richelle Mead
Letters to MalcolmChiefly on Prayer: Reflections on The Dialogue Between Man and God by C.S.Lewis
Lost December: A Novelby Richard Paul Evans
Matched by Ally Condie
Michael Vey: The Prisonerof Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
Miles to go: The SecondJournal of the Walk Series by Richard Paul Evans
Murder by Design byBetsy Brannon Green
Promise Me by RichardPaul Evans
Sarah's Key by Tatianade Rosnay
Secrets of theMillionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker
Shadow Kiss (VampireAcademy, Book 3) by Richelle Mead
Spirit Bound (VampireAcademy, Book 5) by Richelle Mead
SuperFreakonomics:Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy LifeInsurance by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Tempest Rising byNicole Peeler
Tempest's Legacy byNicole Peeler
The Act of Marriage:The Beauty of Sexual Love, Updated and Expanded by Tim and Beverly LaHaye
The Best of Me byNicholas Sparks
The Help, a novel byKathryn Stockett
The History of Love: anovel by Nicole Krauss
The Horse and His Boy:Book 5 in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Last Battle: Book 7in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Magician's Nephew:Book 6 in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Maytrees: A Novelby Annie Dillard
The Miracle of Freedom:Seven Tipping Points That Saved the World by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart
The Most ImportantThing I Know: Life Lessons from Colin Powell, Stephen Covey, Maya Angelou, andOver 75 Other Eminent Individuals compiled by Lorne A. Adrain
The Overton Window: AThriller by Glenn Beck
· The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
The Silver Chair: Book4 in The Chronicles of Narnia (again) by C.S. Lewis
The Walk by RichardPaul Evans
Tracking the Tempest byNicole Peeler
Vampire Academy byRichelle Mead
Wanted One Family byDeanna Edwards
Water for Elephants bySara Gruen
Witch & Wizard byJames Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Witch & Wizard: TheGift (2) by James Patterson and Ned Rust
z...and countless children'sbooks read over and over (think Ten Apples Up on Top and Brown Bear, BrownBear)

Books we've read in Book Club over the years:

2011-12-18T18:45:00.001-05:00

2011:

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Matched by Ally Condie
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Secret Daughter: A Novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
The Help, a novel by Kathryn Stockett
The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points That Saved the World by Chris Stewart and Ted Stewart
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

2010:

Have a Little Faith: A True Story by Mitch Albom
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William Paul Young
True Bucketfilling Stories: Legacies of Love by Stacey A. Lundgren

2009:
Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Hazardous Duty by Betsy Brannon Green

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forestor

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Before 2009:
90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey
And They Were Not Ashamed: Strengthening Marriage through Sexual Fulfillment by Laura M. Brotherson
Hearts in Hiding by Betsy Brannon Green
Inside My Heart: Choosing to Live with Passion and Purpose by Robin McGraw
Journey of the Promise by Joann Arnold
Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
Prince Caspian of The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death by Jean-Dominique Bauby
The Freedom Factor by Gerald N. Lund
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
The Innocent Man by John Grisham
The Mitford series (book 1) by Jan Karon

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Our Hearts and Homes by James L. Ferrell

The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Howell Book Club (around 2003-2005):

Letters by Marjorie Pay Hinckley

No One Can Take Your Place by Sheri Dew
Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish by Sue Bender
Sisters of My Heart by Ann Marie Blaine

The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Our Hearts and Homes by James L. Ferrell

I know I forgot some ladies. Let me know!

Merry Christmas everyone!

2011-12-05T13:02:00.001-05:00

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

2011-09-21T15:33:00.002-04:00

Picture In Portrait 5x7 folded card

Click here to browse our modern graduation invitations.

View the entire collection of cards.

Projects around the house

2011-03-19T10:59:00.000-04:00

Haven't had much to blog about lately...it's kind of lost my interest...
But here are a few things I've been up to the past few months.

Our new entertainment center that I LOVE:

Our OLD chair with lots of stains and yuck...

Redone!With curtains to match (not the best picture, sorry). Total for all chairs and curtains: $6!

And I recovered the piano bench! I love it!

Books I read in 2010 - 30!

2011-01-01T10:55:00.002-05:00

Well, I read 30 books in 2010. I also finished one in the wee hours of 2011, so it will be my first one for 2011's list. Favorite books this year: the Hunger Games series. So good! Here is the listing for posterity:

A Little House Traveler: Writings from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Journeys Across America by Laura Ingalls Wilder

A Single Thread by Marie Bostwick

Babylon Rising by Tim LaHaye

Before My Heart Stops: a memoir by Paul Cardall 09/10

Catching Fire: The Second Book of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Dewey: The Small-Town LIbrary Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

Evidence: A Novel of Suspense by Clair M. Poulson

Foul Play by Betsy Brannon Green

Grace: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans

Have a Little Faith: A True Story by Mitch Albom

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

I'll Find You: A Novel of Suspense by Clair M. Poulson

Letters to Garrett: Stories of Change, Power, and Possibility by Robert E. Quinn and Garrett T. Quinn

Mockingjay: The Third Book of the Hunger Games (again, yes twice in one year-a first for me) by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay: The Third Book of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Murder by the Book by Betsy Brannon Green

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Spirit of Christmas by Jennie Hansen, Betsy Brannon Green and Michele Bell

Tales from Grace Chapel Inn: Back Home Again by Melody Carlson

Tales from Grace Chapel Inn: Going to the Chapel by Rebecca Kelly

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis

The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

The Shack by William Paul Young

The Short, Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse novella by Stephenie Meyer

The Unfinished Gift: A Novel by Dan Walsh

The Year of Disappearances: An Ethical Vampire Novel by Susan Hubbard

True Bucketfilling Stories: Legacies of Love by Stacey A. Lundgren

...and countless children's books read over and over (think Dora goes to the Doctor and Good Night Blue)

Christmas 2010!

2010-12-27T21:50:00.000-05:00

Santa and our cuties!

2010-12-11T17:55:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas friends and family from the Cheneys!

2010-12-09T17:40:00.001-05:00

Some Annie pictures

2010-11-27T12:03:00.000-05:00

What a great experience for India in Annie! Here are a few pictures.

More family photos. My favorites!

2010-10-31T23:20:00.000-04:00

Family pictures October 2010

2010-10-18T23:03:00.002-04:00

Hope you like our new banner! It's about time, I know...These are the sneak peeks from our family photo shoot! Sidney is nearly 4, India 10 and Max not far from 7! My friend Lara Douglas is awesome! Here's how to find her.

India is in ANNIE through Community Theater of Howell!

2010-10-13T10:33:00.001-04:00

India is in the play Annie with the Community Theater of Howell. She is in the youth chorus, so she is in 3 scenes and sings and dances in two songs. She has two lines. She loves it SO much! Please don’t feel obligated to come, but if you would like to, the show is going to be fabulous! Tickets are available now, and we get a discount of $2 off each ticket if we buy them beforehand. Our whole family is going to opening night November 12th, so far, and we plan to usher a few of the other shows. Tickets are pricey, $16 for adults, $14 for Seniors 60 and over and students/children. You can buy tickets online here starting 10/15, but there is a fee. I can take cash or checks made payable to CTH. You can use a credit card for 50 cents more per ticket, I believe. Here are the dates the shows are, basically two weekends, one show Friday, two Saturday and one Sunday, each weekend. We will wait to see when people are coming to see if we will attend at that time too, but probably our whole family will only be there Friday, November 12th. Tickets are also available at the door (for $2 more). Seats are assigned. You buy tickets for a seat in a row in the theater. There really aren’t bad seats anywhere. Let me know where you would prefer (middle, aisle, etc.?) and what day, and I can try and get you what you would like.

November 12, 13, 19, 20, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
November 13, 14, 20, 21, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.

Let us know. We hope you can come! Thanks! Love, Angie, Frank, India, Max and Sidney

Our latest family photo!

2010-09-28T21:06:00.001-04:00

Angie, 37, Frank, 36, India, 10, Max, 6, Sidney, 3. 09/2010

DC!

2010-07-01T23:54:00.000-04:00

We are stopping here: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/pitmv-springhill-suites-pittsburgh-monroeville/ then going here: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/iadmc-fairfax-marriott-at-fair-oaks/. We will see a million things before we go here: http://www.castleinthesand.com/ on the ocean! Then we'll start for home, stopping somewhere, but leaving it open where. :) Can't wait! Have a great 4th family and friends!

More Balloonfest

2010-06-29T17:20:00.000-04:00

The night after we went to Balloonfest, we had the balloons come to us. What a treat to watch them all at home. We saw two land and get all put away too. Once when I was 9 or 10, I got to help pull a balloon down, and I never forgot it! What a neat year for our family and the balloons!

Potter Park Zoo with Max

2010-06-29T17:14:00.000-04:00

Sidney and I had a great time with Max's Kindergarten class at Potter Park Zoo a few weeks ago. Do you see all the birds and lions in our pictures?!

Here are a few pictures. Our friends are Philip, his mom Peng Hampton and Aidan.

Max's ending report card was excellent, and he is now a 1st grader!

The haps for India

2010-06-29T16:57:00.001-04:00

INDIA GOT ALL A'S ON HER REPORT CARD! WE ARE SO PROUD OF HER!
These are India and some of her friends at her 3rd grade luau.

And her with her Brownie troop for their bridging ceremony.

Our garden update

2010-06-29T16:46:00.000-04:00

Look our first harvest! Radishes. It's too bad we don't really like radishes because they're huge! I only planted 5 plants. :) Does anyone want them? Everything else is getting bigger and bigger and bigger (as Sidney would say). Our pumpkins are taking over our deck! These pictures were taken 6/20, and it's amazing the growth in 9 days! Michigan is so lush right now because we've had so much rain. We are so blessed. Our whole family loves going to look and see how much our garden is growing.

Balloonfest 2010

2010-06-25T21:01:00.001-04:00

Look at my sweet family...we are so blessed.

Look at my sweeties at Balloonfest

India, almost 10, Max, 6 1/2 and Sidney 3 1/2 062510

Picture of our "famous" kids from The Ann Arbor Journal

2010-05-27T20:57:00.001-04:00

Our kids can't stop saying, "I'm famous! I'm famous!" because a picture of Sidney and a caption talking about all 3 was published on The Ann Arbor Journal's website here about India's 5K. It's the 5th picture down. I will put the picture here too...

It says, "(right) Sidney Cheney, 3, and his brother, Max, 6, of Howell play on an inflatable obstacle course while their sister, India, 9, participates in the Girls on the Run 5K." All rights are to jeffreymsmith. Thanks!

An attitude of gratitude

2010-05-27T20:41:00.000-04:00

At India's 5K, she, Max and Sidney got free "Live with gratitude" bracelets. On their blog list, India was there. She said she was grateful for: THE SUN.

India Hutchings sun!

Spiritual self reliance

2010-05-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

I spoke at a Relief Society Meeting last week on self reliance. Here's a link to the post on our relief society blog about it.

India's 5K!

2010-05-23T16:52:00.000-04:00

This was India's second 5K of the week. She did awesome. We are so proud of her! She really trained and got ready for this! Thanks to all her great coaches! They have a really good group from Hutchings, and not even all the girls went! Way to go India!

Garden day 16

2010-05-19T18:57:00.000-04:00

Broccoli, carrots, peas, 2 lettuces and radishes!

potatoes, some corn, cantaloupe and strawberries. :)

Long-awaited after...

2010-05-05T22:33:00.002-04:00

So, last fall, I blogged about our latest landscaping project and gave some before pictures...well, here are the after ones and they can also serve as our baseline gardening pictures. We have planted! I think we put way too much in for the small space we have, and I think we will be overwhelmed with all the stuff we tried to plant, but this is our first year, and we will just learn from our mistakes. And have fun watching it and doing it as we go along! We planted potatoes, watermelon, corn, pumpkins, acorn squash, cantaloupe, peas, carrots and radishes. Wish us luck! Oh, and the things all ready in and blooming are strawberries with lots of blossoms. Can't wait to pick them. And the bush you can see on the grass level there is our very happy blueberry bush. :) Growing things and digging in the dirt makes me happy!

Max's Fine Arts Festival 2010

2010-05-04T10:13:00.000-04:00

Max's first Fine Arts Festival was great! The little Kindergarteners all were so cute. These are pictures with Max's teacher, Mrs. Wildman. She is the best teacher ever, and we are SO happy Max has her!

India's Fine Arts Festival 2010

2010-05-04T10:03:00.000-04:00

At Fine Arts Festival, the kids show off their artwork (on the walls) and their singing and performing skills. India's was great this year! We thought they really moved to a new level in 3rd grade where they're not singing along to the voice on the tape but singing themselves finally. This is her with her friend Marie. India is such a good singer, and she doesn't get enough opportunities to sing. We are so proud of her!!!

Easter

2010-05-04T09:52:00.000-04:00

A little late, I know, but here are some Easter pics...first after coloring eggs, then some from the Primary Easter activity and then one from over at Grandma and Grandma Krispin's house with cousin Jessi and her boyfriend Addie...okay, his name's really Adam, but the kids like to call him his childhood nickname, Addie. :)

Max's baseball!

2010-05-04T09:45:00.001-04:00

Max is a baseball player! He's doing so great! The amount of improvement in his team from the beginning to now is amazing. He has a great coach who is a gym teacher in Brighton, Coach Jen. Nick from his class is also on his team. For his first game Saturday, he was the first at bat, and he got a double on the first try! On his team you get pitched 5-6 balls and then if you can't hit it, you can hit the ball off a tee. He's #1 (literally)! It's hard for Mom, but I do find myself saying GO GREEN. We're so proud of how good he's doing! Way to go Max!

Milestones...

2010-03-24T19:37:00.001-04:00

Max was chosen as Hutchings Elementary Student of the month! The certificate says January, but he just got it yesterday, March 23rd, and had his picture taken with it. We are so proud of our Max. He is such a good example to his brother and sister and us! His certificate was signed by our Congressman that we love, Mike Rogers!

This is India's Spring picture (Max was absent, and I don't think they do retakes.). Isn't she looking old? I find it funny that her knee is worn out, like all her pants, because still, at 9, we can't keep her off her hands and knees (no, I wouldn't have put those pants on her if I had noticed). India got her first standardized test results back this week, when she got her MEAP scores. She got 312 for Math which is a 2-Proficient. She is perfectly at grade level, where she should be for this. For Reading, she got a 340, a 1-Advanced. This means: "the student's performance exceeds grade level expectations and indicates substantial understanding and application of key concepts defined for Michigan students." We're so happy with her results!

Sidney is MOSTLY pottie-trained, which is very exciting for all of us. We hope we are almost done with diapers!

Our trip to the U.P. in January...

2010-02-18T17:46:00.002-05:00

We went up to Frank's parents' place in Trout Lake in the U.P. while my mom was here visiting. The roads were awful most of the way up and some of the way down, but we made it. Our trip to Tahquemenon Falls to see the frozen falls was the highlight:

January haps...

2010-02-18T17:32:00.000-05:00

This is a little backwards, but some things that happened in January...snow fun, Max's 6th birthday!

And a few others I like...

February haps so far...

2010-02-18T17:16:00.001-05:00

Here's a picture from our latest trip to Frankenmuth. :)

I'm sure you've noticed Sidney's trip for 3-year old pictures in the slide show. Here are a few of our favorites:

A few family pictures from this past Sunday:

Amazing quilt from Frank's mom!

2010-01-19T12:29:00.000-05:00

Isn't this beautiful? Frank's mom made it for me for Christmas. I absolutely love it. She did it in my favorite purples and greens. It must have taken her so long, and I LOVE IT! I will always cherish it!

I LOVE BOOKS! 2009

2010-01-07T23:27:00.001-05:00

I really enjoyed keeping track of the books I read this year and am going to keep it up in 2010...reading Mitch Albom's Have a Little Faith (I keep thinking of this book as Gotta Have Faith--you know like the George Michael song...) and the sequel to The Society of S, a little vampire novel I'm enjoying. Not creepy, like Twilight, not as good, but enjoyable...

Books I've read in 2009 (32)...

A Thousand Shall Fall: The Shiloh Legacy series, book two by Bodie and Brock Thoene

Above and Beyond by Betsy Brannon Green

Backtrack by Betsy Brannon Green

Code of Honor by Betsy Brannon Green

Don't Close Your Eyes by Betsy Brannon Green

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (again)

Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Never Look Back by Betsy Brannon Green

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (again)

Recovering Charles by Jason F. Wright

Say to this Mountain: The Shiloh Legacy series, book three by Bodie and Brock Thoene

The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forestor

The Great and Terrible: Clear as the Moon (Volume 6) by Chris Stewart

The Great and Terrible: From the End of Heaven (Volume 5) by Chris Stewart

The Great and Terrible: Fury & Light (Volume 4) by Chris Stewart

The Great and Terrible: The Second Sun (Volume 3) by Chris Stewart

The Great Gatzby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

The Shiloh Legacy: In My Father's House by Bodie Thoene

The Silent Patriots by Joann Arnold

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time (and also the Children's book and Young adult version) by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (again)

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

You are Captivating: Celebrating a Mother's Heart by Stasi Eldredge

z...and countless children's books read over and over (think Dora goes to the Doctor and Good Night Blue)

2009 facebook statuses...

2009-12-27T20:36:00.001-05:00

I thought this was clever...certainly not all my statuses, but an interesting mix...

What the kids are thankful for (from our Christmas letter)...

2009-12-27T20:33:00.000-05:00

Max is “thankful for Jesus Christ, our Savior, and our family and for hospitals!”

Sidney is thankful for the DS, and for his family and for when we go away being able to hug us and say, “I missed you!”

India is “thankful for Mommie and Daddie and Grama and Max and Sidney and Callie (our cat) and our house and for Jesus and Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost and for our eternal family.”

Merry Christmas friends and family from the Cheneys!

2009-12-27T20:22:00.000-05:00

The Cheney family is thankful this Christmas 2009…

We are so thankful Jesus Christ was born on the Earth, and we love celebrating his birth every year at Christmas. We love the songs, the stories, the decorations, the lights, the fun, the peace at Christmastime.
We are thankful for our 9 year old India, for the choices she makes that bring her closer to her Heavenly Father, for the strong, fighting spirit she will always have in her, for the caring way she has about her.
We are thankful for so many blessings from the LORD for serving when he asks us to in church.

We are thankful for Frank’s job at ProQuest and that he wasn’t included in the last round of layoffs.
We are thankful for a loving father who tirelessly works for the good of our family, who gives all his time to playing lightsabers and Webkins and XBOX.
We are thankful for Grama Judy, who is visiting us now and helps Mom and Dad keep their sanity with frequent breaks. help and babysitting.
We are thankful for good friends who help us along the way. What would we do without them?
We are thankful to live where we grew up, to be able to see people we know and love all around us and to feel so at home where we are.
We are thankful for Max, our almost 6 year old, for the sweet, kind spirit he is and for all the cuddles, laughs, precious prayers and smiles.
We are thankful for extended families and the get-togethers. So many, we are proud to call friends.
We are thankful that while we still have the responsibilities of two houses, we have renters in one of them to help us able to manage them easier.
We are thankful for a loving church family that blesses our lives, supports our children and helps us find the way.
We are thankful for the peace of the Spirit we feel at Christmas, for the Comforter and the love we know God has for each of us.
We are thankful for the best husband EVER who is loving, thoughtful, patient and kind.
We are thankful for those who came before us who make up our family tree with all its great branches and leaves. It surely is one only the LORD could fashion.
We are thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who really knows us and truly helps us through every day.
We are thankful for our 3 year old Sidney, for his OCD tendencies that make us laugh and want to scream, for his easiness, for his “I love you too!”s.
We are thankful for blogs and facebook and how much easier they make it to keep up with how all our friends and family are doing.
We are thankful for SO many blessings, uncountable really, for warm heat and warm beds, for clothes and toys and sweet-smelling spring flowers and fluffy, white snow and beautiful voices and tax returns and great books and good pizza and great restaurants…
We are thankful that God loves us SO much that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
We are thankful for you, and we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and an amazing New Year!

With love, Frank, Angie, India, Max and Sidney
The Cheney family

Our rocking family...

2009-12-06T18:54:00.000-05:00

I don't think anyone would enjoy these as much as we all did tonight, but I thought I'd share!

Hip Hop!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Singing!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Country Cheneys!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Classic!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Disco--this one whites Sidney's face out too much, but still cute:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

India the star!

2009-12-05T10:06:00.000-05:00

India sang at the Ward Christmas party; well, Frank participated too, but he only hummed. :) Everybody did great, and it was lots of fun!

Max!

2009-12-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

Frank shared this on facebook today about Max...thought it was blogworthy.

Frank says, "So, in our house we say a family prayer before bed each night. A few days ago, Max (he's 5) was saying the prayer, and it was cute as usual. He was thanking God for stuff, then he asks for it to snow so that we can go sledding. Now keep in mind we are all sitting around heads bowed, quiet and he says "And please help daddie not to hurt his nuts..."

(if he said anything after that, I didn't hear it.) So I say "Huh what? First where did you hear that word?" He says "my cousins." Then I asked why he was worried about me. Apparently he was remembering an unfortunate incident that happened last year with me and a tree the first time we went sledding for the winter. It's true kids really do say the craziest things. Love that boy!

Field trip today!

2009-11-06T23:37:00.000-05:00

Sidney and I went with some friends to the State Capitol in Lansing today! I went last when I was 15 or 16 with my 4-H Club, Rangers 4-H Club in Hartland, Michigan. Since, the Capitol has been entirely restored. It was gorgeous! We also went to a really cool museum called the Michigan Historical Museum. I love Michigan. I love history; what's not to like? It was really fun!

These are from the museum, lots of hands-on stuff for kids.

I'm thankful today for having such great friends and living in a great place. I really am so blessed! Thank you Heavenly Father.

Latest great songs by the PS 22 Chorus (they are so inspiring!):

traditions

2009-11-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

My friend Julie Barb blogged about an interesting little tradition we have between us. She called it the "Sisterhood of the Traveling gift bag," which is a clever little name. I love Julie. We've been friends for so long! I really cherish and appreciate her. Go read her blog and see the pictures: "Sisterhood of the Traveling gift bag."

Pictures

2009-11-03T17:02:00.002-05:00

I've been working on adding pictures to my slideshows which takes a long time actually! Look directly above for one devoted to our July 2009 family reunion in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was awesome! Lots of new ones in the slideshow above it, 2009, too.

Teaching Young Women

2009-11-01T16:52:00.003-05:00

This was my week to teach all the young women in our ward. I always am so nervous to teach them! I fasted this morning, a new and great experience for me, so that I would have the Spirit help me know what to teach and so I would not be sick or have a vertigo attack (from my Meniere's Disease) while teaching, that I wouldn't be nervous or hot, all the things I worry about. It went well, and I wasn't hot or nervous, and I didn't feel sick or dizzy at all. Heavenly Father answers my prayers, no matter what it is I ask. I did have an attack shortly after lunch today, and I have been having a lot of them, and I was so grateful that Heavenly Father kept me safe for teaching. I have a real testimony of fasting and know it really does change things. There is real power in it. I taught about being clean and mostly taught about President Hinckley, who I love dearly.

Some quotes from my lesson:

--My favorite was from President Hinckley: "Walk in the sunlight of that peace which comes from obedience to the commandments of the Lord."

-“Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9). This is the new theme for the youth for 2010. It gives me great peace and lets me know the Lord is on my side! I have help!

- “One of the greatest weaknesses in most of us is our lack of faith in ourselves. One of our common failings is to depreciate our tremendous worth.” --L. Tom Perry

--“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well...Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” --Isaiah 1:16–18

Happy Halloween everyone!

2009-11-01T16:43:00.003-05:00

Our trick-or-treaters!

This is Max with his friend Philip Hampton and their teacher, Mrs. Wildman.

Halloween did come to our house, despite having the flu all week! India was a queen (of course), Max was Iron Man and Sidney was a lion. It was FREEZING out, but fun was had by all.

Stake Conference and the flu at our house!

2009-11-01T16:37:00.003-05:00

We had Stake Conference last weekend. My feelings from it are that I need to go to the temple more, that that is where I will find the peace I need in my life. I thought that now that Sidney is the only one home, I can find a babysitter and go on Thursdays during the day whenever I can. I talked to my friend Sally Mikat about it, and she was feeling the same way, that she just needed to go. We are going to try and work out going together when we can! I'm so excited.

We couldn't go this week because all our kids got the H1N1 flu. Max and India got it the worse, and Sidney just a little. He was all ready on antibiotics for an ear infection, and I think it gave him some protection, thank goodness. Mom and Dad did not get it! I guess on Wednesday, Max's class had 18 out for it! It is running rampart here, and so many have had it now. Many in our church family.

Our Max!

2009-10-16T20:32:00.002-04:00

We got an email from Max's teacher, Mrs. Wildman. We thought it was blog-worthy:

"Max seems to be adjusting to the school routines and he seems to be doing really well. As I am getting to know his personality, I am learning what a genuinely sweet little boy Max is. Just the other day one of the other children said that another student was being "bad". I was trying to explain that the student is not bad and Max said "He is not bad, he just makes bad choices." I thought that was too cute! He was exactly right and for a kindergartner to express and understand that really made me so proud of Max. Keep up the good work at home Mom!"

Well, we love getting notes like that! Of course we know Max is a very special little boy, and we're always glad he remembers things we teach him. We feel blessed he’s in our family and are very proud of him! Thank you Heavenly Father for blessing us with Max!

India's hair

2009-10-04T13:40:00.002-04:00

While we watched General Conference (yaay, church on tv!) today, we did a new hairstyle for India. How do you like it? It was hard to get the little bead openings onto her twists which are getting thicker and thicker.

I particularly liked Elder Bednar's talk (from the 1st session yesterday) and am excited to incorporate it into our Young Women In Excellence program in about a month. Hope you are having a great weekend.

Kirtland trip for my birthday, my amazing blessings.

2009-09-24T21:36:00.005-04:00

The Relief Society in my ward (womens' organization) planned a ladies only retreat overnight the weekend of my birthday (this past weekend) to Kirtland, Ohio. This is a place of church history in my church. I have been there quite a few times, but I was looking forward to some time away from the kids and to myself to kind of refuel spiritually. I felt so guilty wanting to go because I know how hard it is on Frank with the kids by himself. But, typical best husband in the world, he was excited for me and encouraged me to go (I really love him). I was a little bummed about being gone for most of my birthday. I did get a call singing to me first thing Saturday and everyone waited up to help me open presents before Frank and I were able to go have a nice dinner (thank you America!) after I returned home.

It turned out amazing, honestly. I just really needed to hear the messages about Women of Light. I felt like it was all what I needed to hear. I really felt the Spirit a lot on this trip. It's exactly what I needed. All of the planners deserve all the credit because each part they planned was amazing. I was a driver, and I enjoyed getting to know the ladies picked for my car. We stayed at a friend of the retreat organizer, Lavon Maiersperger. The place was huge and beautiful and me and 45 of my closest friends stayed with them. :) Talk about good friends. Here's a picture of us watching a Brian Regan dvd. That guy is hilarious and CLEAN, thank goodness. We played silly games too. We also had a lot of yummie snacks. The food was awesome!
We toured lots of sites and felt of the history and spirit there. The missionaries called to serve their missions as tour guides to the sites kept remarking that they couldn't believe we were all from one ward! With all those women, he was sure we'd be a Stake! The Brighton Ward is fabulous. I feel blessed to be a part of it.
Here we all are in front of the Kirtland, Ohio temple. This temple isn't owned by our church anymore, but it was nice to meet on the grounds. President Hedquist, our Stake President, came down just to speak to us, and then we had a great testimony meeting. President Hedquist is a special man. He is going to be released from this calling in a few weeks.

A part of the retreat was some time scheduled for personal reflection that we could do what we wanted really. We were given an envelope that we were to open at that time which I thought were some questions to direct our reflection towards the theme, "Women of Light." Instead, we were given two letters. One was from our Bishop, Seth Cook. It was a great letter because you could tell that Seth felt the importance of a retreat like this for us and he wanted us to know how much he values us. He said, "I have pondered deeply to know what message the Lord would have me share with you. I believe it is to emphasize the potential you have to touch the lives around you. When I say you, I partially mean you as a group of Latter-day Saint women, but more specifically I mean you as an individual. I mean you, the one whose hands are now holding this letter – you will make a difference in the lives around you...I imagine you, Sister, as one of the fingertips of the ward; capable of reaching out the furthest and where the one-on-one touching and changing of lives happens. As a woman of light, a woman who loves and lives the gospel, you have light to share."

The other letter that I thought was questions turned out to be a LOVE letter from my sweet husband, Frank. Thank you so much Julie Robinson for getting all of these for everyone. I will always hold mine dear! It was such a surprise to me to have him there with me in the form of the letter, and I just balled through the whole thing. I really am so blessed! What I did to be given a man such as him I'll never know, but I am SO thankful for him. This past Monday was our 13th anniversary! Frank says I can share a tiny bit: "1994 - This is the year that I remembered how much I love you, the year that I found you again, the year that everything was made perfect again. 1995-1996 - Never in my whole life was I as sure about anything as I was when we got engaged and then married. There are just things in life that you know for certain and this was and is the most certain thing I have ever felt...That makes it 21 years that I have known you, 18 years that I have been 100% sure that I was in love with you, and 13 years that I have been married to you. What an amazing time it has been. The more I listen to people at work complain about this or that with their spouses, the more I realize how unique a love we have. To have your wife be your best friend as well is one of the greatest blessings a guy can have. I just know that someday when your hair is blue and mine is gone we will still be walking hand in hand along some path, break wall, or beach enjoying each others opinion on whatever we see and living, at least for that moment, without a care or worry in the world because we have each other. I love you Angie, and I always will." I'm crying again! Well, it was a great experience, really uplifting, and you wouldn't believe how happy I was to see Frank, India, Max and Sidney when I returned. I missed them all so much. After I read Frank's letter, I wanted to read my patriarchal blessing (a written blessing members of our church can get to help guide their lives). It is such a blessing. Again, as I read it, completely new things popped out to me in it that I never noticed before. I have such a testimony that it really is personal revelation to me, and I am thankful that I live in a time to be able to have it. I know it's not normal for me to write all this, but I REALLY want this blog to be like a journal (someday I'll get there...). Thanks for listening.

Quotes I like, Thomas S. Monson and Gordon B. Hinckley

2009-09-24T20:23:00.001-04:00

Stolen from friends' blogs:

"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware. The tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered around the house, the piles and piles of laundry lying around to be tackled, will disappear all too soon. And, you will, to your surprise, miss them profoundly." -President Thomas S. Monson

A reason for blogging: "You likewise will have significant experiences. I hope that you will write them down and keep a record of them, that you will read them from time to time and refresh your memory of these meaningful and significant things. Some of them may be funny. Some may be of significance only to you. Some of them may be sacred and quietly beautiful. Some may build one upon another until they represent a lifetime of special experience." Gordon B. Hinckley, 31 October 2006.

Mom came home with us from Nauvoo in July!

2009-09-17T19:44:00.003-04:00

My Mom came home with us from Nauvoo! We had such a good visit. It's been way too long since we were able to spend a good amount of time together. She was such a help to me when I was pretty burnt out from having no time to myself at all. I really appreciated it. I didn't take enough pictures of her visit. We had a great time. We went to Frankenmuth, to the Ann Arbor Art Fair and did lots of stuff at home. Frank and I got to go out by ourselves a lot too. It was so nice and so needed. Mostly we got to live life together for a change. It was nice.

Mom also freed me up to be able to go to Girls' Camp for one night, just enough time for a great shaving cream fight! I love our young women!

Can you say catch-up? Nauvoo family reunion July 2009

2009-09-17T19:10:00.008-04:00

Okay, somewhere between Max's last day of Preschool and India's horse camp, we had an amazing family vacation for a family reunion to Nauvoo, Illinois. This was the first reunion for my mom's side of the family. It was really great! It was great to get to know your family better. And it was fun to go to all the things to do in Nauvoo with family! This picture below was at Carthage Jail. I like Max's dance in the front. :)
The amazing Nauvoo temple...we had a family session where all the people from our family could go together, both a youth one and an adult one. It was amazing to be in the temple with people we love so much!

The kids all REALLY liked the horses everywhere. We really liked our carriage and wagon rides.

There was so much to do all the time. Kids at pioneer pastimes...

Going through the many pioneer shops and homes with Ruth and Jessi...

The four siblings, Tom, Max, Pam and Judy, missing Doris Jean, who passed away about a year ago...aren't they a good-looking bunch?

We grouped families by colors for pictures the first day. I think red was awesome for us.

This was cool but pretty scary! The oxen kind of did whatever they wanted. We were glad when they stopped and let us off!

Beautiful Nauvoo temple.

Beautiful family in the City Beautiful!

It kills me that we were not in this picture. Cell phone reception is horrible in Nauvoo, and we were trying to get our kids to sleep in the hotel and didn't know that that was when the BIG pictures were taken. Oh well.

It was really a great time. I can't wait for the next one. Our family is awesome!!!

Up with the yoopers...

2009-09-17T19:04:00.003-04:00

India up in the UP...at the beginning of August, India spent her 3rd annual week in the U.P. with Grama and Grampa Cheney. She really enjoys her week to have Grama and Grampa all to herself. We came up over the weekend to pick her up and enjoyed some time away, especially on the water. I wish it wasn't so long of a drive up there.
Here are India and Grama at Tahquamenon Falls, one of Michigan's best tourist attractions. The Cheney's live about 45 minutes from the Falls.

Here's our boat ride with the Cheneys' place behind the kids. It's beautiful! Love all the birch trees...

Here are Max and India with Grama and Grampa and their place in the background.

India did turn 9 in there somewhere...some family from Texas in the house...

2009-09-17T18:54:00.004-04:00

We did a very low-key sleepover with a few friends for India's birthday, and it was so non-stressful, it was awesome. We can't believe she's 9!
My Aunt Marcy and Uncle Jesse and their daughter Melissa and her two daughters Coryn and Dillon came up unexpectedly in August too. It's always so great to be with them. They all went to Cheeseburger in Caseville after visiting with us. I wish we had been able to see more of them.

My iRobot Roomba vacuum...

2009-09-17T00:18:00.002-04:00

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. I could watch it all day. I have the best husband in the world for buying me this (okay, for MANY reasons, really)! They are pricey, but this is a refurbished model...from a daily Woot! It goes from wood floors to carpet to throw rugs...it's awesome! You just let it go and it does its thing. It goes right up close to walls and chairs and cabinets and goes under tables and beds where my other vacuum could not go without a lot of work. I can't tell you how amazing it is! Come and check it out!

So...our latest project around the house...

2009-09-16T23:50:00.003-04:00

BEFORE, see the bricks match the ones in the front of the deck... DURING

That's a blueberry bush...I'm so excited. Soon to come: AFTER...stay tuned...

We've been putting in some landscaping (aren't we always?). We did the whole south side of the house as just a plain flower bed with mulch so we don't have to cut up close to the house anymore...then we decided to do raised garden beds with a small flower area in front...it's not quite done yet, but here are our before and during pictures. I'll have an after soon. We are also taking all the grass out on the north side of the house to match the south side with just a simple flower bed with mulch too (it sounds so simple, but it's really a lot of work...)...fun fun.

Our trip to Caseville, Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-16T23:37:00.003-04:00

We had a fun trip to Angie's family's place in Caseville, in the thumb of Michigan. Of course we stopped in Frankenmuth on the way home. We did all swim, even though the water was pretty cold. We could sit by and play in the water for weeks, all of us. Perfect weather of course (it never rains in Caseville).
Had to get some Putt-putt in...India got a hole in one, but her color wasn't lit up. She seemed to really try and do well this trip to the putt-putt. Did you notice the Putt-putt metal sign is gone from the roof of the place where you get your ball and club? We have endless family photos here with the putt-putt sign in the back, and it was missing this trip!

Sidney just finished crawling through the ramp through this little house after his ball...

Love the water...

Frankenmuth....very busy on Sunday!

U of M Museum of Art trip

2009-09-16T23:20:00.003-04:00

So, for one of our last days of summer, 9/2/9, we had a summer school "field trip" down to Ann Arbor. We went to the U of M Museum of Art down on campus. I love taking my kids down there and showing them places I lived and spent lots of time when I was in school. Do you like this photo timed to get the Michigan Union sign between them and the cars going by? Fun.

We had to take this picture with the Claude Monet, Mom's favorite! Too bad it didn't come out very well. They had a lot of Picasso paintings and amazing Tiffany Glass pieces too. Cool.
Here are my cuties on the front steps. Then we went and had lunch with Dad at the Macaroni Grill. It was a great day.

1st day video...

2009-09-15T23:08:00.003-04:00

First day of school for Max and India

2009-09-14T12:32:00.003-04:00

So, school started this past week! India is in 3rd grade and Max is a kindergartener at Hutchings Elementary. Sidney is very jealous and wishes he could ride the bus too! Max started out all day, alternate day, Tuesday, Friday, every other Wednesday, but after his first day Tuesday, they called to say there was a cancellation, and that he got picked in the lottery to switch to all day, every day kindergarten! Since that was far and away the better choice for us, and the bettter teacher, we said yes! Things are going well. We are still working out sleeping and getting up, and we have some very tired kids.

Caseville!

2009-09-06T22:01:00.002-04:00

We went to Caseville for Labor Day Weekend...here's a video of the fam on the big slide (more later):

a little painting...

2009-08-17T10:55:00.002-04:00

So, do you like my paint? I wish I had more time to do it, but it's FINALLY getting there! Yes, this is almost the same green I've painted in three houses now.

Sidney twinkles

2009-08-16T23:16:00.001-04:00

India's horse camp

2009-07-31T23:17:00.003-04:00

India has had horse camp this week where she goes all afternoon. She is amazing and had so much fun with it. They did a show today, and it's amazing to think she had never ridden a horse before (except being walked around at the zoo) and was doing it all herself today! She also got to walk Max and Sidney around the field riding a pony which they loved! She had to take the bridle and saddle off and put them away too. She was really serious about her duties and how careful she had to be, which shows just how grown up she is becoming. Some pictures, and I'll try and put a video on soon. By the way, I know, I'm way far behind in blogging. I KNOW.

Max's Last Day of preschool

2009-06-06T10:55:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures from Max's last day of preschool. They had a picnic at West St. park. It was a beautiful day for it! The two adults pictured are Miss Penny and Mrs. Stone, Max's teachers. They were really great this year. The next picture is Max and Sidney on the tire swing with Meileah, one of Max's classmates. Isn't she pretty? Then here are the short videos of 2 of the songs that they sang for Father's Day and end of school. It's exciting that Max is now a kindergartener! I'm also really glad to be done driving there and back every day!

PS22 Chorus rocks!

2009-06-02T09:44:00.005-04:00

I think this choir of 5th graders (and their terrific teacher) are amazing. You can follow lots of songs on Youtube of them and others in their class for a few years back. I absolutely LOVE how every child is really in to the music. You can tell they love to sing together. The songs are so beautiful with them singing them too. These kids make me so happy! Please enjoy a few of my favorites:

New Moon trailer

2009-06-02T09:22:00.001-04:00

Wow, here it is (thanks Melanie!): New Moon trailer. Woohoo!

BFF's: Max and Nic

2009-05-29T09:50:00.004-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Max and our neighbor Nic. They would play together 24 hours a day if we would let them. They are two weeks apart and both very tall for 5 (Max is 95th percentile, so Nic must be there too)! Looking forward to summer. :)

While the BFF's play, Sidney and I have been having fun with trains!

India's Dream Girls show

2009-05-24T22:39:00.003-04:00

Here's a few of India's songs from her Dream Girls show at the Hartland Music Hall. Aren't they all just adorable? We are SO proud of India. What an amazing girl she is!

Our cuties!

2009-05-21T09:12:00.001-04:00

Lovin' these little ones! Excited for summer!

Our Max!

2009-05-19T09:42:00.008-04:00

Max's preschool class sang to their mothers for Mother's Day, and it was the sweetest thing:

I especially like the kiss right to me and his encouragement of his fellow students! :)

AND Max learned how to ride a two-wheeler without training wheels. Woohoo!

A big week for Dream girls

2009-05-18T00:17:00.004-04:00

This is an exciting week for India and our family. It is the week of her big Dream girls show. India's big show is this Friday at 7pm at the Hartland Music Hall, $6 a ticket. Here's the invitation. :)
Here are some pictures from their practice Saturday. Aren't the dresses all just amazing? I love that they all coordinate, but are not identical. Of course these were made by the amazing Jenni Jackson, from our ward. Please check her out. We are excitedly awaiting our first order from her!

Isn't India looking gorgeous? We did her hair with the most beads we've ever used before for the big show.

First Spring trip to the Millpond, and a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's

2009-05-18T00:02:00.006-04:00

This was one of our first Spring trips to the Millpond and Imagination Station in Brighton. Our family sure has a fun time there. We always find stuff to bring to feed the duckies and geesies, as we call them. :)

Max was invited to a friend Nick's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's! Boy he and Sidney were excited. They pretty much had the run of the place. Nick is from our MOPS group, and our friends Tanner and Logan Barb were also invited to the party. Yaay!

India's Fine Arts Festival and an April trip to Kensington

2009-05-17T23:45:00.003-04:00

We went to the Kensington Farm Center for a MOPS outing. It was fun. We got an annual pass to all the metroparks including Kensington for this year, and we are looking forward to using it. :)

Well, the Cheney household has been a busy one, as usual. India had her Fine Arts Festival a few weeks ago. India did great, but they sure make them wear a lot of weird stuff. She was almost completely blocked by the kid in front of her the whole time. I told her to stop telling her teachers she's tall. Obviously everyone else is taller! I was talking to my friend Heather about our kids Elementary School, Hutchings...it seems like every year is exactly the same tree-hugging songs; there wasn't one non-political song that they sang, talk about brainwashing. It was annoying to us as parents. The only song they sang that we liked the words were "I pledge allegiance..." We told India that was the best song we ever heard! India has a really sweet singing voice. We wish she had more of a chance to use it in her school music programs.

Spring fun

2009-05-06T23:14:00.004-04:00

I am a little behind in blogging, so I just wanted to post this picture of my sweeties. We have really been busy and had a lot of fun lately. This is pretty much our family's favorite place on Earth, except for home (at the Millpond in Brighton).

Guilty!

2009-04-23T23:03:00.003-04:00

Apparently Frank has a face for justice. He was picked for a jury this week here in Livingston County. The experience wasn't the best. He thought the whole trial was pretty much a mockery. Now that it's over, and he can read about the guy, he sees that no judge or prosecutor would try the guy because he's so "unbalanced!" They had to bring in an Ingham County judge even. He fired many defense lawyers and wanted to represent himself. He has had MANY run-ins with the law and is an all-around GREAT guy. They found him guilty but on a lesser charge. Frank was SHOCKED that his fellow jurors didn't want to find him guilty on the greater charge because the guy was obviously not a good guy, but others on the jury were more than willing to assume the cops were all out to get him! Anyway, I didn't put his name here because I don't want to come up on any search engines, just to be safe!

Sidney pictures

2009-04-15T14:10:00.005-04:00

Hi! We took Sidney to Portrait Innovations for pictures finally. It has been almost a year since he's had any professional pictures done and that's a long time for someone who is not quite 2 1/2. I love Portrait Innovations because they have a great package for only $9.99, and you get to pick whatever picture you want for it. They also let you bring more than one outfit which is cool. We didn't decide to change Sidney today because I knew we had great ones and it was just more of a hassle than I wanted to bother with. He looks so old in these pictures, and I was really happy with how they all came out. Click here if you would like to see all of the pictures.

The day...

2009-04-12T21:55:00.003-04:00

Hope you had a great Easter...after church, we went to my Dad's house. Aren't these sweet of the kids with their cousins, Jessica, Jackson and Cole? It was a fun day. We are all so tired now!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T15:11:00.004-04:00

I have not been a very good blogger lately, sorry. I'm still trying to get the hang of it. I guess this blog suffers just like all the unfinished journals I have lying around my house...

We have had a lot of excitement around here lately with all the Easter festivities. Here is a picture of the kids at Rollerama with the Easter Bunny. Then most of the rest are from the Primary/Corder family Easter activity at Epley Park in Hartland. It was FREEZING, but so fun. The kids loved it.

You've gotta love Max and Sid being rock stars with their shades and bobbing for peeps. :)

These last few are from our egg decorating exploits. We had fun.

I have to make a comment about Max's smiles. We finally got through to him that his fake smiles weren't cutting it, so we told him he has to be laughing every time we take a picture, and I think it's working! What do you think?

These are the haps...

2009-03-15T18:27:00.006-04:00

We took Max to get his 5 year pictures...the last ones before school pictures. Yes, we're a bit late. Actually, I still haven't done Sidney's 2 year pictures, but I refuse to take him to get pictures before he lets us cut his hair. It is so long and ratty, and he's hysterical whenever we try to cut it. We're not sure what to do. Isn't Max so big and so old? To see all of them, go to http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=e36fbf1e3d1d01ea2a944dfefaeb216b&sid=9QctWbdo2Y1M,

This one of Max and Sidney was while we were waiting to get Max's pictures done. I thought it was cute of the boys.

Yippee! Cheneys got a new camera!

2009-02-23T20:19:00.004-05:00

So, we have been needing a new camera. Our old one was about 6-7 years old and you couldn't use it unless you taped the battery door closed and kind of held it closed too. Anway, Frank came home with a Canon PowerShot A590IS. Frank really researched it and this is one of the most common cameras people buy and it gets really good reviews. It's so fun. Here are some pictures we took playing around with it tonight.
We decided we're going to do FHE tomorrow night because we kind of ran out of time tonight. :)

Our stay at the Castle...

2009-02-17T13:50:00.004-05:00

We went to Frankenmuth's Bavarian Inn Thursday to Saturday. Our kids call it The Castle. We love it there. This was our Christmas present from Frank's parents this year. It is so fun. Unfortunately Sidney was sick the whole time which made it not a fun time for him or either of his parents, but we think Max and India had a good time! We did enjoy swimming and playing games in the Fun Center and our yummy Chicken dinner, of course. I think we got some good pictures...

We have all been off work and school since Thursday, but real life returns tomorrow. It's been fun to have this little mini-vacation, even with Sidney sick.

The Little Guy shirts are from my mom for Christmas...aren't they cute?

I am ANGRY!

2009-02-12T13:56:00.008-05:00

I don't have time for this as I am trying to get us all ready to go out of town for a few days, but I can't find an effective way to channel my feelings right now, so I'm going to blog...feel free to take a pass.

I am ANGRY at cancer. I am angry that SO many people die of cancer of some kind. I am angry anew each time someone dies of cancer for all of those who died before them of the stupid disease. I keep a poem on my desk to look at when I think of my friends and loved ones who have died of cancer. It hasn't been out for a while; I had to dig under taxes, church stuff, etc. It says this:

Cancer is so limited

Cancer is limited
It cannot cripple love,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot eat away peace,
It cannot destroy confidence,
It cannot kill friendship,
It cannot shut out memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot reduce eternal life,
It cannot quench the Spirit,

It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.

I just want to say that I hate it. I hate that it takes away lives of good people that I miss. It sickens me all the people who have been affected by it.

I have pretty bad allergies, so I go to see my Allergist (We all affectionately call it The Allergy Shop, I don't know why) at least once, sometimes twice a week to get two shots. Most of the time I've been getting my shots, they're from a nurse named Barb Thomas. She is the sweetest lady (of course, none of the mean people die of cancer). She knows each of our children, goes really out of her way to find out little facts about them and learn the best way they can do hand shakes and their favorite suckers and how they're doing in school. She always greets all of us by name and takes the time to teach them little lessons and remark to the kids how well-behaved they are. Well, a few years ago, she was gone for a long time, like 6 months. We had just gotten to know her, but I just assumed she had gotten a new job. Then she was back after about 6 months. We were so happy to see her. She decided to tell us about her journey. She had brain cancer and had surgery and chemo, etc. She was in remission! We were so happy for her and appreciated her more now that she was back and so caring and kind always. A little less than a year ago, she told me the cancer was back and that she was going to fight it with drugs and things, but that she wasn't going to go through chemo or surgery again because it was inoperable. I have watched her since, always worried if her face was pale or she seemed tired. She was always sweet Barb, so thoughtful and kind. Well, I seemed to have been missing her the past 3 times in, so I was worried and all prepared to ask today if she wasn't there, but I was sure she WOULD be there because Thursday was her day to work always. Well she wasn't there and there was a letter posted about her, that she's gone to U of M and is there now till the end. It just saddens me so much. I know this is just the way her life was supposed to be, but I think of her family and how many times she told us about her son in college and her favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and how truly kind she always was, and it makes me sad.

Her dying reminds me of my dear cousin Ann who died of cancer this time of year a few years ago. I just want it to stop! Ann was the sweetest and most beautiful girl and cousin you would ever know. She is one of only 4 cousins on my Dad's side of the family and even though they live in Texas, we are all pretty close. I miss her so. I think of her so often. I count myself so blessed to have known her.

Thank you for letting me get my feelings out (like you had a choice) and have a good cry. Prayers for Barb would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Our list of 25's...

2009-02-06T10:01:00.003-05:00

Frank's 25 Random Things You May or May Not Know About Me.
1. I had a brief modeling career when I was 3 ish. I modeled my mom's stretch-and-sew line of clothing with my brother. :-)
2. When I was 4, my mom and I spun out in snowy weather on Old-23 in our fancy Chevette. My response to this was "Woo-wee Mom do it again". Somehow she has never let me forget.
3. I attended choir camp at what was then called Concordia College in Ann Arbor.
4. I attended basketball camp at what was then called Concordia College in Ann Arbor (I had to add that immediately to cancel out the choir camp thing to certain circles of friends!).
5. I have inside jokes with my dad about "Right over there on that bench" and the Ricola cough that I am deliberately being vague about so they stay inside jokes.
6. I went to 2nd - 8th grade at St. Paul's Lutheran School in Ann Arbor.
7. I have played the following sports on organized teams and leagues: Soccer, Track, Basketball, Baseball, and Football
8. I started off as a pre-med major at MSU and then realized that I liked software development after 2 years.
9. I went canoeing while it was snowing with 2 friends. We ended up tipping and thought we were going to die. Thankfully we had a tent and a change of clothes because it had to be single digit temps with the wind chill. Joe - I just remember you saying "I want my steak." Ha.
10. I am a proud Michigan State Spartan.
11. I married a Mormon.
12. I married a Wolverine.
13. I have only been married once, and I am married to the most wonderful woman.
14. I am a conservative Lutheran. Sadly, these days the conservative qualifier seems necessary.
15. Angie and I have far more Spartan-Wolverine conflicts than Lutheran-Mormon conflicts. :-)
16. The most alcohol that I've had at any one time was for communion at church.
17. My Mormon friends will find #16 ironic. :-)
18. My non-Mormon friends will say "Start living life already" to my answer to #16. :-)
19. Those that know me best will understand why regarding #16.
20. All 3 of our children were first our foster children before we adopted them.
21. I boarded a train once heading into Boston with no clue where I was getting off. I only had a promise from a friend that he would call when his plane landed to tell me where to get off. He did call (thanks Flem), and it was a good trip.
22. I've been schooled by my 5 year old son in Star Wars Battlefront (uh, and that was when he was 4). Ok, in my defense it was once out of a billion games, but I honestly tried my hardest and could not beat him.
23. We sometimes joke about our "mixed" family - Spartan/Wolverine, Lutheran/Mormon, White/Black - single-handedly bringing diversity to Howell.
24. My work friends joke about me having OCD. (Hey Chris and Jason - if you pay attention this list is darn near chronological).
25. I did this list to make Angie's jaw hit the floor. Mission Accomplished!

Angie's 25 Random Things You May or May Not Know About Me.
I have really enjoyed reading all your random facts! I've been tagged a few times, so I think I'll just steal the best ones from all of yours! :)
1. I do not like complaining about my husband, so I usually skip this part of female friendship rituals. I pretty much feel completely blessed to have him. He's a real jewel. I don't mind hearing all about your husbands, so please tell away...
2. I absolutely love living in Livingston County. I feel completely at home here and never want to leave. I wish it were a little more diverse.
3. I love doing laundry, not so much the folding and putting away, but the actual washing and drying is awesome. So much power to return things to normal and start again!
4. I don't like to talk on the phone and rarely answer my home phone and always check who's calling. If I answer the phone when you call, feel privileged. :) It's nothing personal. I just put off talking on the phone as long as possible, and if I can email instead, you know I will. I do however love to e-mail, get messages on my blog and facebook...and love hanging out with people in person when I want to.
5. I find it very difficult to find the time to take showers. I am not a morning person AT ALL, and it seems like if I can't get a shower in before my kids are awake, it doesn't happen. I am looking forward to when this isn't an issue!
6. I started out as a Chemical Engineering major at Michigan. I ended up with a political science degree. I've almost forgotten that in school, I never said, "political science" to describe my major. I always said "Polizei (an alternate German word that sounds like poli sci)!" to describe my "concentration."
7. I am such a night owl. I feel like the only time to myself is after the kids are asleep. I can get so much done for church, taxes, etc. after hours.
8. I wish I had done something like accounting in college because I LOVE LOVE LOVE taxes and everything about them. I do lots of peoples' taxes FOR FUN. Did you know some people won't take deductions that are totally 100% due them because they don't want to raise any flags at the IRS or take more than they feel is their due, even if they're completely legitimate deductions. It's so odd to me. It also takes the fun out of doing taxes when people won't "accept" all the awesome things you found for them to get more back from the government.
9. I love picking mutual funds and planning our investments. I admit things have turned not so fun in the past year or so, but it's still fun to do all my spreadsheets and go over the possibilities.
10. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have my whole life. I am a fourth generation Mormon. I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior. When others tell me the things they don't agree with about their religion, I feel so blessed to believe in a gospel that there is nothing I don't believe in or agree with. I have great respect for most other religions.
11. I have polycystic ovaries and endometriosis. These are reasons why we were not able to birth our own children. Some people with these conditions can have kids; some can't. We have 3 amazing children that were first our foster children that we have adopted.
12. We got a new van yesterday! I love it! It's a 2006 Buick Terraza. I feel like I just won the lottery. We had our old van 8-9 years, and it has over 148000 miles on it, yet I still feel guilty that we didn't run it into the ground. The Krispin in me.
13. We own two houses here in Howell, Michigan. We tried to sell one of them in 2005, but it didn't sell, so then we started renting it out. Having so many responsibilities is taxing and stressful, especially in these hard times. I know that without God helping us we would never have been able to pay all the things required for owning two homes, and every month we're grateful that we have enough again.
14. I love family history. I go in spurts where I do a lot with it and then nothing for a while. It's hard to find the time, but once I get into it, it's hard to resist doing more and more and more. I love helping others with their family history.
15. I love going to the temple. It is the place I feel closest to my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I wish I could feel that way 24 hours a day. I feel so peaceful and calm and so loved there. I went to help clean it last week, and I didn't even mind cleaning in there. I was hoping I would be able to clean my favorite rooms, but I got stuck in the bathrooms...I honestly didn't mind.
16. I'm a Republican, which is not a shock to anyone. I feel pretty strongly about my convictions and am a little "depressed" about the state of affairs in our country right now. That's not to say I hate Obama or anything. I just disagree with pretty much everything he stands for. I am happy that an African-American is our President and that people voted him there, but I wish he agreed with me more often or EVER.
17. I love snow, and I love that we have four seasons here. I love things growing in Spring, and I love to dig in the dirt. I LOVE Fall the best, and I really could do without Summer (but I am glad we have it).
18. I have a disease called Meniere's disease. It makes me have too much fluid in my left ear. I have hearing loss because of it and a constant roaring and buzzing and ringing. If I put my deaf ear up and my good ear into the pillow, I have a hard time hearing crying kids at night. :)
19. The worst thing about Meniere's disease though is the constant vertigo attacks. Oh what I wouldn't do to not have them. Vertigo is extreme dizziness, and they come on at any time.
20. I am proud to have attended and graduated The University of Michigan. I am more proud to have paid for pretty much the whole thing myself and to have been done paying off student loans years and years ago. More blessings from God.
21. I've always loved Frank, and I always knew I would marry him. Since Geometry class...
22. My favorite ways to relax are taking a nap, reading a book, getting on the computer, going anywhere without kids with Frank.
23. I love Bon Jovi! I think pretty much every song they sing is worthy of your time. I do think Jon lets Richie Sambora have a bit too much of a role in the band, interviews, songs because he feels guilty that Richie never made it when he went solo. I do find the "'s all right" over and over annoying by Richie Sambora in the "Who says you can't go home?" song.
24. If it were a perfect world, we would live in Hartland and not have to deal with such a frighteningly liberal school board here in Howell. But that would involve either driving my kids every day or selling two houses, and that's not going to happen. They're not just good schools because we both graduated from there. They're rare in this world we live in.
25. I count numbers and words whenever I see them, especially on tv screens and readouts like DVD players and things. I have my own little elaborate system of what each letter and group get counted as, and what the numbers are. Ever since everyone started putting the name of the show etched into the tv screen on the right corner and the channel name etched on the left, I can barely concentrate long enough on what's going on in the show because I am counting the same thing over and over and over and over in my brain. I know, sick!

Upper Peninsula Snowmobiling

2009-02-02T13:42:00.011-05:00

This past weekend India, Max, and I (Frank) went to my parent's house in Trout Lake, Michigan to do some snowmobiling. In truth it was really a trip for my dad and I to go out while the kids got some Grandma time.

Trout Lake is sort of a crossroads of snowmobiling in the eastern U.P. with 5 trails coming together. My dad had decided that we would head for Naubinway along US2 near the southern edge of the U.P. The trip normally goes west out of Trout Lake to Rexton, then northwest in the direction of Newberry before heading south to Naubinway. However, we took the wrong trail out of Rexton and ended up going south to Epoufette which was fine since that is one of our normal destinations to have lunch at the Cut River Inn. We decided just to eat lunch and then head back to Trout Lake by the normal trail (straight shot). In total the trip was about 3 hours and 60 miles with a large chunk of that inside the Cut River Inn waiting for our food.

Later we took India and Max out for ride "around the block". Basically this meant a short trail ride to the other side of the lake, then out on the lake to see Grandpa's ice fishing shanty that he shares with one of his friends. From there we went back around the lake to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Last year Max fell asleep on the snowmobile and this year India copied him. How do you fall asleep on a snowmobile? I'll never understand, and I'm a Cheney which means I can fall asleep almost anywhere. Oh, I should add a note about the shanty...This is a fully insulated and heated shanty complete with padded bench and battery operated lights. You kind of get the feeling that Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor made this thing.

Our trip also meant that Angie got to have good one-on-one time with Sidney and some much needed "Angie time" whenever he was sleeping. We all missed each other a lot, but it was a good shake up to every one's routine. However, Angie is thinking that Max's attitude toward her has been permanently changed. We'll see. I think he'll always be a mama's boy.

Max's birthday party at McDonald's

2009-01-21T09:33:00.008-05:00

I didn't get very many good pictures at Max's party. I think that was part chaos, part I need a new camera! My battery door won't stay quite closed enough, so you have to tape it or hold it (or usually both), but we are getting a new car right now, so a camera has to wait.

Max's party was really fun. I highly recommend McDonald's birthday parties. First of all, they are FREE FREE FREE. Secondly, you do not have to clean your house. Third, you have readily available cheap food that kids love with a special treat for every one. Fourth, free napkins, silverware, condiments, toys, garbage bags. Fifth, except for throwing things in the provided garbage cans, you don't have to clean up after the party either! Did I forget to mention the free entertainment of the play structure!? Anyway, here's one opening presents and one with the cake...a note about the cake...of course Max wanted his 5th Star Wars cake in a row, but NO ONE is doing them right now. I called everywhere. His 2nd choice was Incredible Hulk...also not available anywhere, so we went with Spiderman. He is very easy to please, thank goodness.

SO, did I mention we're getting a new car? It is a 2006 Buick Terrazza. We can't wait to pick it up. It has a DVD player in the back and remote start and lots of other fun, new things. Our Venture van is being traded in. It has almost 148000 miles on it. It's been a good van. We got it new, and it is over 8 years old! Max and I are a little sad about it, but only a little. Here's a picture:

Max got to bring home Traveling Teddy this weekend. I thought you would like to see our contribution to his journal...

2009-01-20T00:18:00.003-05:00

You can click above to read the words and see it better...

I have a dream...

2009-01-19T22:14:00.003-05:00

Today is Martin Luther King Day. The day before Barack Obama is inaugurated as our new President is a good day to remember one of the greatest speeches in American history and reflect on how far we've come. For Family Home Evening (FHE) tonight, we all listened to Martin's speech and talked about what it meant for our family and how he played a big role in bringing our family together. India said, "We have little black boys and black girls joining hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers IN OUR FAMILY!" We've come a long way, baby. Thank God! The full transcript is below the video.

The transcript:

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: “For Whites Only.” We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest — quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Max is 5. Today! He is so big.

2009-01-10T22:12:00.004-05:00

Okay, Max has decided that there are about a million things that he can't do anymore, now that he's 5. It's upsetting for a mom who doesn't like things to change. For example, we still have him put a big bib that Grandma Cheney made on when he's eating something super messy like soup, beans, ketchup. Well, tonight he looked over to me and said, "I shouldn't be wearing a bib anymore now that I'm 5." We also put a diaper on him at night just to be safe since he climbs into bed with us sometime during each night, and we don't want to get peed on. Well, he's put a stop to that. If he stops coming into our room, I'm going to cry. This is all TOO much all at the same time for little old Mom. Today we had our very own family party where Max got to do, eat, decide everything he wanted today. We are bringing treats to his school on Monday and then he is having a party at the Brighton McDonalds' playland next Friday. Max is such a sweet, thoughtful, special boy. He is such a blessing to me personally and to our family. Thank you Heavenly Father for MAX!!!

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-01T23:51:00.005-05:00

I'm sorry to have neglected this blog for a while...we've all been on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks (not over yet) and instead of getting lots done, I seem to never get a thing done! Oh well. Here are some pictures to catch you up. Frank's sister's family, Lori, Jeff, Trenton and Graham, came to spend a night with us the night before the Cheney Christmas in Saginaw...these are all the kids with their Grandma Cheney homemade pajamas, except Sidney (his were dirty!).

These are from the Cheney Christmas in Saginaw at Great Grandma Frank's house. Like the 30 year-old blue shag carpeting? Cheney cousins....Maddy, Sidney, Trenton, India, Bryce, Graham and Max.
This is the whole gang in Saginaw including our family, Paul and Sandy Cheney, Jeff, Lori, Trenton and Graham Holstege, Great Grandma Frank, Teresa, Al and Desha Frank (with Preston), Don, Nancy and Michelle Frank and Todd, Mikki, Maddy and Bryce Cheney.

Our kids in front of our tree before opening presents Christmas morning!

Linda, Jess and I at my Dad and Linda's house for Christmas afternoon Krispin Christmas celebration....
These last ones are from the Henry Ford museum...we went Tuesday. Max and India as a hot dog by the weenie mobile and then Out of this World space picture, not so good of Sidney but cool of Max:

Hope you are all on vacation too and get all the things you want to get done done! Best wishes for a great New year in 2009 to all of you!

The Twilight Before Christmas

2008-12-23T23:08:00.002-05:00

Okay, I haven't watched all of them, but this is hilarious! Found it on Shauna Pierson's blog...

Merry Christmas from the Cheneys!

2008-12-17T09:48:00.003-05:00

I don't know about you, but I just cannot get enough done in a day right now! I'm trying to get everything ready for Christmas, but I feel like I'll never get there right now! I know, just the stress of the holidays...I wish you all time to get everything done (for me too).

Frank and I were talking last night about Christmas letters, and a blog is like a Christmas letter all year through! That's probably why I'm loving doing this blog. Well, here's our Christmas letter (click on for viewable size) for this year (it is eating print cartridges whole!). Many of you will be getting one in the mail. If you haven't gotten one in the past and would like one, please email me your address. Thanks!

Tagged again! Thanks Priscilla!

2008-12-12T09:13:00.003-05:00

Tags are fun. Here we go...

SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks! Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things. Nothing made up! You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Angela/Angie
BOY NAME : Andrew
GIRL NAME: Allison
OCCUPATION: Accountant
COLOR: Azure
SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Angora sweater
BEVERAGE: Apple cider
FOOD: Apple
SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Alka-Seltzer? (by far, the hardest for me)
A PLACE: Alaska
REASON FOR BEING LATE: Accidents
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: ALL DONE!
I tag: Melanie (gotcha back!) and Helen

This was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

India is amazing! And Max and Sidney too...

2008-12-10T22:44:00.007-05:00

Okay, so lately we just can't believe our amazing daughter India! She came home today and said in the car that they had a spelling bee at school today. I was thinking of the right way to ask without making her feel bad if she didn't do that great...so I asked her how it went. She said, "I spelled all my words right, every one!" I said, "So, you were the last one? The Winner?" Then I asked if it was all the kids in her class, and she said it was both classes (her teacher team-teaches). And she won! She is just impressing us over and over this year. We are so proud of her.

Lately I've been feeling like poor Max and Sidney don't get enough time on the blog with all of India's accomplishments. So here's to the boys...Max is an amazing boy. He is so loving and caring and just special. His part in the Primary presentation this year was, "I am grateful to be part of a loving family." Well, Max really learned what this means and memorized it and now he's adding it to his prayers almost every time. "Heavenly Father, Thank you. Please bless us. I am grateful to be part of a loving family. We love you. Jesus' name, Amen." So precious. His good friend at school is Adam. I guess they talk about each other nonstop. He's growing up and will be 5 in exactly a month!

Sidney is a rambunctious 2-year-old. If Sidney was a first child, there might not have been more in our family. I've heard that a lot about 3rd children. But we love him dearly of course. He had to get a shot today, and he's been so brave at the Dr.'s office. Lately we love to listen to hear whatever Sidney says because he repeats what he hears right now. Today, Frank asked him if he wanted to watch some Dora on the wall (his favorite), and he held out both arms to his sides, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sure!" :) He charmed the pediatrician today. Have I mentioned how much I love our pediatrician!!??? Her name is Shanti Rao. She's a U of M pediatrician out of the Brighton office. She is wonderful. I HIGHLY recommend her. Whenever we see anyone else, we regret it (except Dr. Madison--we like her too). We saw another Dr. for a sick visit because Dr. Rao was out of town a few weeks ago, and Sidney was so traumatized by it. Dr. Rao was so gentle with him today because she could tell how upset he was. He was walking down the hall saying, "OWIE, owie, owie."

We've had such amazing, never melting snow here. It's been awesome. We get a pretty new coat every few days so it's never dreary and ugly and melting. I think it's going to be a great Christmas!

I saw a report yesterday by the Census Bureau that says the State of Michigan has been in a recession for 8 years! EIGHT YEARS! This is not news to anyone who lives here. It is so bad here right now. The whole country is freaking out over a few months, and we've been living in it for 8 years!

Christmas videos

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Sidney playing with his new birthday toy from Grama Judy:

The kids visiting Santa today...

"Santa wasn't the real one," India says.

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Our neighborhood had its Santa parade and visit today. Santa drives through the sub in a firetruck throwing candy and then we get to go and take pictures and share cookies and hot chocolate. It was fun, so low key, so free. We love it. "Santa wasn't the real one," India says. She whispers, "He told me he's one of his helpers and will tell him whatever I tell him."

I've been tagged!

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Thanks Melanie!

3 Joys

My wonderful husband, Frank

My extraordinary babies, India, Max and Sidney

Homemade brand cookie dough ice cream

3 Fears

Having vertigo attacks

Losing family

Family being hurt

3 Obsessions or Collections

Family History

Twilight series

My friends' blogs

Surprising Facts

I love Michigan.

I love snow.

I am not a big fan of summer.

I tag: Julie & Elizabeth

Dream Girls Christmas show

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Our resident Dream Girl, India, had her Christmas show tonight. They performed at a local senior citizen home and parents got to come and see too. They did so great! She was beautiful in her Jenny Jackson original outfit (which she gets to keep after her May performance). She had a solo in "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas!" Indie sure has come a long way. We are very proud of her.

I love these ones with her friends CiCi, Cora and Rebecca (how cute are they?):