Cheney Family

Our X-Terra gets hit

2012-01-19T17:59:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago Louis got in the car to go to work when he saw a note. A guy in our complex had backed into the X-Terra. He was really sorry and gave us all his information. The damage wasn't bad at all but his insurance paid for it to get fixed. So we went from having 2 vehicles a month ago to nothing. Luckily they gave us a rental. It was a pain to go through all the work to get it done but am so grateful that the guy was honest. It is hard to find a honest person now-a-days. I sure hope things calm down here.

Our Car is Found!

2012-01-19T17:55:00.000-08:00

The cops found our car last Wednesday way down south in Tucson at an apartment complex. They towed it to a towing place and we got to see it. It was one of the saddest days of my life. The steering column was all broken up from the criminal hot wiring it. They bleached the inside and outside of the car. They poured the bleach in the middle console and used a rag to clean all the fingerprints with bleach. They stole everything out of it of course and even took the license plate. The smell was terrible and we of course couldn't start the car. We decided to put it on Craigslist to see what we could get for it and we also called a ton of places. Everyone was saying 2-300. One guy on craiglist met us down at the towing place right before we were about to leave to go visit for my Dad's 50th Birthday. He was a bit weary but bought if for 400. We needed to get it out of the towing yard before the weekend because we were being charged by the day to have it there, and yes we had to pay the towing and storing fee of $80. Before it was stolen it was worth 2,700 after 400. Some people are so selfish. It was really hard to deal with all this and a bit depressing but at least they found the car and we were able to get 400 for it.

In Remembrance of our wonderful Nissan Maxima

2012-01-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I went out to get in the car to go to my meeting and I couldn't find it anywhere. It was chilly and I was in a hurry so I though maybe I was just overlooking it so I jumped in the x-terra and went to my meeting. I was a little worried so I called Louis and asked him to see if you could find it. Unfortunately it was gone. Someone stole our car! The crazy part of it all is that we lived in downtown Tucson and nothing ever happened to us. We move up north toward the foothills and we get back from thanksgiving to a hole in our kitchen window. Someone fired a gun and it went through our window and into the drywall on the side window sill. We come home from the wonderful holidays and a week later our car gets stolen, just our luck. We bought our second vehicle the x-terra in July of last year so that I could have a little more freedom. We are now back to a one vehicle family and I am again stuck in Tucson in my apartment all day long. I hope we get it back and in good condition. I however have a feeling it's well into Mexico. I hope they look under the seat and see our book of mormon cd's and listen to them and that it will change their lives.

New Year's 2012

2012-01-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

We spent the New Year with the Cheney's

Jonathan brought his girlfriend and her cousin to Heber this year and it was fun to meet them. They loved Blake and he loved them. One of there traditions is to eat 12 grapes under the table. For each grape you ate you got to make a wish and it was suppose to come true.

We played games and had a lot of fun! Emily brought her friend Jeremy over

Top row: Veronica, Emily, Colette, Carla, Nicole, Blake

Bottom row: Jonathan, Louis, & Jeremy

December!

2012-01-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

My 26th Birthday. My favorite present was my K-Swiss 100-Tubes Running shoes. I'm not running at the time but they are so comfy compared to my other shoes. I also got lipstick, makeup, and an emergency flashlight. Louis took me to In-and-out and then we went to Winterhaven to see Christmas lights. We came home and watched Smurfs. It was a fun filled day.

A couple of days later my parents and Dakota came to Tucson to help me with Blake. I had my Sonogram to find out if the baby was healthy and to determine the gender. They could only schedule it during the day and Louis had to work. We went to AppleBee's and we ended up getting our soups and salad meals free! They say that if you don't get your meal within 14 minutes it's free. They left a timer and were a minute late. After we ate we went to my Sonogram and found out the baby is a boy. My Mom and I were really hoping for a girl but there are perks of having another boy. I hope that Blake and the baby will become best friends. Isn't that every Mother's dream. The good news is that he is healthy and we are so happy!

This is Blake and his cousin Abigail. They love that little bench!

Christmas! We spent Christmas in Thatcher this year and it was so much fun. I think this Christmas was one of my favorite. It was so fun to see Blake get excited about his gifts. We were all spoiled this year.Blake got a balance bike which he was really excited about until he found out he is a little short. It's for 2-4 year olds but Blake has short little legs.

Long story but one I want to remember. I got him a rock and roll Elmo. I debated it for a long time cause they are so expensive. Everytime we would go to the store Blake would always find Elmo and sit and play with it. I just couldn't get myself to pay $50 for it so I decided against it until one day I was reading Krazycouponlady and they showed how to get it for $12 at Target. I thought by the time I got there it would for sure be gone. I searched and searched and was about to give up when I started talking to an older couple and we were telling each other what we were looking for and the guy looked up and said you mean this. It was the last one on the very top shelf and he pulled it down for me. I could't believe it. I was super excited.It was on sell for $30 then I had a 20% off coupon and Target was a having a deal if you bought Elmo you got a $10 gift card. When I went to check out I gave the lady my coupon for 20% off and she said oh it looks like it is already on sale. I said it is and I have a coupon. She then scanned it and said oh you get a $10 gift card that is probably what it is. I said no I should get all three. She refused to scan my coupon and said it wouldn't work. I told her I wanted to take it to customer service. She finally decided she would call someone. They then told her that it was okay to use the coupon and she just couldn't figure out how to do it. I kept telling her to just try scanning the coupon and she kept telling me it wouldn't work. Finally after telling her the 3rd time she tried to (to prove me wrong) but guess what it worked. Imagine that! So it was a little work getting the deal but I am so proud!

My parents got us a flat screen LCD TV. Best gift ever! Braden and Emma got us a new TV stand. They found a deal in Flagstaff and hauled it all the way down to Thatcher. It works perfect with the new TV.

Grandma also got Blake a Tag reading system which he loves and so do we.

We got to visit with Grandma/pa Thatcher

For New Years we went to Heber. Blake had a lot of fun playing at the park and in the snow.

Relief Society Poster that I made

2012-01-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

I am a part of the Relief Society Committee and was asked to make the poster. It was really hard for me to come up with a poster because I am no artist. The older ladies appreciated it though because they could read it from a distance.

Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum

2012-01-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

For Veterans Day we went to the Sonaran Desert Museum with Chip. It was a lot of fun! Blake had a blast. Seeing all the animals. He got scared a couple of times but overall it was so much fun. The weather was Perfect and we were able to see many of the animals.

Blake was afraid of the cave and bat ears! That's what he remembers most though. He talks about the bats all the time.

The bear was my favorite. I was so glad it was out so we could see.

Javelinas

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

These first couple of pictures are just silly ones of Blake. Preparing for Halloween.

He put these pictures on the T.V. We also made a little witch that he loved and was so proud of.

This year we went to our ward trunk or treat on Halloween. Blake loved this game!

Look at that Bat's wing span! My Mom made this costume for my brothers when they were little. Blake fit into it this year and was so cute.

I just threw together a witch costume. A little girl came up to me and asked me what I was. I told her a witch, and she asked where my hat was. Sadly this was the best picture we got of me. Louis and I colored those glow in the dark pictures. It was fun!

Enjoying the nice weather!

2011-10-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Blake had been swimming the other day and he remembered Louis diving into the swimming pool and was trying to mimic that.

Puddles! Every time it would rain, which is only like twice, Blake knew exactly where to go to find the puddle.

We went on a hike at Sabino Canyon. I thought Blake would love to run around. Instead he wanted to be held the whole time. On the way back he walked for a little bit but most of the trip Louis mostly and I would carry Blake. We went to the dam. There were a lot of kids sliding down the rocks. I was nice to get out of the house but next time I will definitely think twice about not bringing a stroller or bjorn.

Our thoughtful neighbor brought Blake these balloons left over from work. There were 5 but 2 popped before I got a picture. They were so big and Blake loved them.

Blake is getting ready for Halloween and has been enjoying dressing up in Mommy's clothes.

Fun at the park! I have been trying to potty train Blake and his reward if he went potty 3 times was that he could go to the park. He is doing so much better now. It is still a work in progress but hopefully soon he will be potty trained. I have been reading a lot about how best to potty train and I kept reading that bribing was bad and that they should just feel proud of themselves for doing a natural thing like going potty. Blake however was not interested at all and every time I would put him in underwear he would cry for a diaper. Finally out of pure desperation I bribed him. At first I would bribe him by saying he could have a glass of orange juice if he went potty. It worked so well and he has been doing great, however we were going through a lot of orange juice so I started bribing him with ring around the rosies and the park and that works well too!

I looked over at Blake and he was giving crackers to his animals and then he sat in and enjoyed some himself. After they were done with crackers they all got a piece of candy.

We went to the river on Saturday and of course there was no water but we thought Blake would have fun playing in the sand. Instead we found a tunnel. It was really clean inside and we thought it would be an adventure to see how far we could go. Louis had a head lamp on we were about 200 yards in and I told Louis that I felt like we needed to start heading back. He agreed and we turned around and about 25 yards from the end we ran into a bat! It was trying to go the other way and we were so scared it was going to attack us. Louis threw what little rocks there were and the bat would follow the rocks. Eventually we scared the bat out of the tunnel and we ran out. Never to go in a tunnel again!

Louis' chili plant is doing so well!

My new calling

2011-09-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

When we first moved into the ward Louis got a information sheet that he was suppose to fill out. He filled it out and when we got home he told me that he wrote that I could play the piano. I was so upset with him. I can play but I don't feel comfortable playing while people are singing and I can't just play any song they throw at me. I need time to practice. So then I get a call from the relief society president. She asked me if I would give the lesson in two weeks. She actually left a message and it took me awhile to get back to her. I was terrified I didn't know anyone and I was just so scared. I finally told her I would do it. I have a hard time saying no. Then just before my lesson the counselor from the bishopric asked to talk to Louis and I. I told him that I had to give the lesson pretty soon. He said it's okay it won't be long. He takes us into the kitchen and asks if I would accept the calling of pianist for Relief Society. I told him that I wasn't very good but it that is what I was suppose to do I would. Again I have a hard time saying No. Louis was asked to speak in church. I have been playing for a couple of weeks now. The chorister gives me the music ahead of time which is really nice. I practice all week at home and almost every week I get there and they change the song on me. This terrifies me. An accomplisht pianst wouldn't have a problem. I wish so bad I could be that good. Then I find out the chorister is the organist in sacrament meeting and she is amazing at playing the piano. So now I get even more nervous playing the piano. I feel less than capable and I thought playing the piano would be an easy calling. I feel like the chorister is annoyed with me. This experience is good for me though and helps me grow in confidence and ability.

Nature Hunt

2011-09-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

I took Blake on a Nature hunt. He really had a lot of fun! The next day he brought me the container and said let's go outside Mommy. This is what we did while Louis changed the Starter in the X-Terra. Then the next weekend he changed all the brakes in the the car. He is so handy. I'm so proud of him for doing all that. It saved us so much money and he learned a lot.

Mt Graham

2011-09-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

We went to Mt. Graham on Labor Day. My Dad took us on a hike to the culvurt. I never did go through it when I was younger cause I was too scared. So Louis, Blake, and I made the trek. My Dad was smart and met us at the other end. I was so long and my legs were burning. Blake just walked through his height was no problem. He was scared cause it was dark and it echoed. I was proud of him though he did pretty good. Now I can say I've walked through the culvurt I overcame my fear!

This swing was actually really scarey to swing on because it was hanging from a pretty small branch. We were all scared it was going to break on us. Blake didn't like it at all.

The perfect storm

2011-09-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

On our way to Thatcher to visit. Just outside of Bensen we see a full rainbow. There was actually a double rainbow. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the full rainbow but we were in the car. It was cool because we are driving and pretty soon we can't see ahead of us very far everything was still and then all of a sudden it just starts pouring and the wind starts blowing and we can't see anything in front of us. It as so cool. Louis calls it the perfect storm.

The story of the 3 bears

2011-09-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

The story of the three bears is just a story I made up. It goes like this.

The story of the three bears

The first bear goes hipity hopity onto Blake's Head

The second bear goes jigity jogity onto Blake's toes

The third bear goes straight for Blake's Tummy, Roar!

He loves this story and asks me to tell it over and over again.

Swimming

2011-09-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Our apartment complex has a pool and we take full advantage of it. Louis and Blake especially like to go. I'm a little paranoid that something will happen to Blake. So many accidents happen at the pool that do not end up well. Louis ties swimming noodles around his waist and it keeps him above water really well. At first he didn't like to jump in but he is starting to warm up to the idea and it is fun for him now after the intial shock. I think it is wonderful for Blake and Louis to spend time together doing something they both love. Usually I go with them but now it's getting a little bit colder and I don't like to swim in cold water so I like to go the gym.

4 is for foursie

2011-09-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today I was helping Blake with his letters and numbers and I showed him the number 4 and he said oh yeah 4 is for foursie meaning horsie. He always says horsie like foursie. It was supper cute.

It's so fun when Daddy comes home!

2011-09-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Blake's been falling asleep alot lately is the postition

Reach so High so High

Ears

Chin

Ears again

Great Grandpa Cheney's Old Hat

2011-09-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

Blake found Louis' Grandpa Cheney's old hat and was wearing it so I snapped a couple of pictures. It was fun because he was actually excited to get his picture taken and was posing for me.

Old Tucson

2011-08-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

My Parents took our family to Old Tucson this summer. Emma wasn't able to come and we missed her. This picture was taken during at the Saloon. I don't think any of the boys felt very comfortable when the women came and flirted with them.

This Lady made Dakota come and dance with her and he was so sunburned. He was hurting pretty bad!

Blake really enjoyed watching the singing and dancing. He even joined in a time or two.

The carasel was one Blake's favorite things. He kept wanting to go back. This is Braden and Graham. It was so sad because Graham was a little sick and it was so hot. It was so good to see him smile. I think he liked the carasel as well.

We also got to see 2 stunt shows (one was a comedy and the other a dama) Blake got scared a couple of times we had to keep telling him it was fake, ride on the train twice, ride in the little cars, and go through the mine. I had so much fun. It's always fun when you get to spend time with family doing something new.

What's that you say

2011-08-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted to keep a record of what Blake is saying. It is so fun! He is speaking so well and I love to hear him say new things. It's funny/scary because I hear him saying everything I say.

I miss you.
I love you.
Squeeeeze (he says that when he is giving you a hug)
I need that.
That's mine.
Help me.
I need help.
I'm hungry.
Change me.
I"m poopy. ( I know he should be potty trained but we are having difficulties.)
Thank you.
It's yummy.
I eat it all.
I need more.
I watch...
Carry you ( He says that when he want me to carry him)

I go outside, swimming

I see...

That's cute.

I be nice.

Your nice

Be good

I'm a good boy.

Wake up.

Get up.

No sleeping in church. (He told Louis that last sunday)

I know I haven't listed all of them. It's so hard to remember everything he is growing up so fast.

Blake

2011-08-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Alicia Time!

2011-08-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

In June Alicia came down from Utah to visit family. We got to have her for a couple of days and we had so much fun! Blake especially had fun with Alicia and her IPad. He was learning so much on that thing. It made me want to get one. Lucky for her she won it but they are pretty pricey.

Alicia took us geo caching. We had never been before it was a lot of fun. We found 2! This one was pretty hard but Blake happened to stumble upon it and it caught Alicia eye!

It was such a beautiful night. It was stormy and had just rained. Alicia caught some pretty shots of the sunset.

We also got to go to the Temple!

Blake in his favorite froggy slippers.

Thanks Alicia for coming to visit. We missed Tino but hopefully one of these days we will get some Tino time!

Blake's Many Faces!

2011-08-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

I love asking Blake to show me his different faces and I'm so glad he let me take a picture. It has been so hard to get him to sit still long enough for a picture. We are all moved in to our apartment in Tucson! It was a long move but we are finally settled in and enjoying the swimming pool and fitness center.

Scary Face

Happy Face

Sad Face

Suprised Face

Louis Turns 25!

2011-05-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

This water gun was Louis' favorite gift!

I think Blake is a little iron defficient. This is the first time he just started eating dirt.

Louis got a tomato plant from my parents and it had tons of tomatos on it. We just picked 4 ripe ones today. although the plant looks a little sad it is still producing!

These are bean that Louis planted in the hard dirt outside our house with no soil. We didn't think they would come up but the did!

Bubbles!

2011-05-22T19:13:00.001-07:00