Hello

Been a while!

Recent Happenings

So,
    We're busy winding down the school year, prepping for our 2 months of summer vacation and looking forward to VA and NC 1 week from today. This year Zoey was in ballet class through the YMCA. She had a performance at the Poppy Festival. She did really well. Her dance partner was often absent from class so Zoey memorized moves with and without her.  Here are the videos.





Here are the pictures:

As I said before the school year is wrapping up. The kids had the end of the year awards assembly. They both earned 4.0 principals honor roll. Zoey worked hard to pick her grades up the second semester and did a great job. Aiden started out the year not really fond of his teacher but he came around and ended the year loving her. He had a great year.

Monday was Zoeys birthday. She got gift cards for shoes and clothes from G+GC and a foot bath from G+GG She got a soccer ball and net from us and an appointment to get her hair highlighted with blue and a Caboodle to store her makeup collection.

It's been a fun few months since Spring Break.

Til Next Time-

RTSZAW

Spring Breaking

So this year we decided we needed to get away.  So we packed up the family car and drove to New Mexico. Our goal was to see White Sands National Monument and Carlsbad Caverns, 2 places that neither Ryan or Teresa had ever gone to.  Day 1 we drove from home to Tucson since the hotels were way less expensive there than Phoenix (go figure??).  We swam in the pool that night, went to dinner, and then had the free breakfast at the hotel (the kids LOVED this) then drove onward to Alamogordo, N.M. 

Day 2:   We arrive in Alamogordo.  Small town. They were having a rare wind storm, and the sands from White Sands were blowing everywhere.  You could hardly see across town.  Apparently in this small town things close REALLY early on Sunday.  So instead of eating at a nice local restaurant we ended up at Chilis for dinner (1 of only 2 places open past 6pm). 

New Mexico is also known for their pistachios.  So we went to a couple of gift shop places to sample their many varieties of pistachios....and to take a picture with a large pistachio (of course).

Day 3:  Visiting White Sands
We went to a local sandwich shop and picked up some food for lunch.  Then drove over to the park.  It was only 10-15 min away from town.  The visitor's center sells sleds for sledding down the dunes, so we stopped there first and got our needed materials for shredding the dunes.

We stopped at the boardwalk (the first pull off on the loop drive around the park) and checked it out.

The sand was so soft.  If you dig into it, it is cold underneath.  

Making a sand angel. 

At this point, there were till some shrubs in the sand.  When you drive further back, you get the larger dunes and the shrubs go away.

Some of the dunes looked so big when you stood at the bottom and looked up.

SLEDDING TIME!!!!!

These can be hard to climb up.

I found it best to go as far as I could standing, then crawl the rest of the way.

When we bought the sleds, they said to find gentle dunes at first, but those don't work at all!  So after lunch (they have these awesome shelters to eat lunch in...see behind me in this picture) we found the biggest and steepest hill we could.  It worked much better.  Also, having a sled made of harder plastic works much better.  A nice family that was there with us let us borrow their extra sled, and we got some good speed (finally).

Lunch time in the shelters.

We stayed at White Sands for about 4 hours and then had to start the 3 hour drive over to Artesia, N.M.  where we were staying to see Carlsbad Caverns the next day.

Day 4:  Visit Carlsbad Caverns

Our hotel gave us free breakfast, this time however it was in the restaurant attached to the hotel, and it was actual hot food, not just the continental breakfast stuff we had before.  So again.....kids were excited!  The hotel also had an indoor pool so we took advantage of that the night before as well. All were pleased.  However, what the brochures don't tell you about Artesia is that it is an oil town and there is literally an oil rig and plant in the middle of town.  The whole place smells AWEFUL!!

Anywho....we drove down to Carlsbad after breakfast.

Obligatory family portrait at the entrance to every National Park

We got our tickets for the self guided tour and headed down to the entrance.  During the summer the bats fly out of the mouth of this cave in the thousands.  Not during the spring though....it's pretty awesome anyway!

Going down into the belly of the beast. Here it's still light from the opening.

Once down inside (it takes about an hour to go down) you enter this area before you go see the "Big Room".  There is a small snack stand, souvenirs, and even bathrooms with flush toilets.  All under ground!  Crazy!!!

The lines there are for the elevator back up.  Apparently during their busy season you can wait upwards of 2 hours for an elevator back up.  There are sign all over the lobby at the top trying to persuade you to walk back up the steep main entrance instead of waiting in the long lines.  Fortunately we were there on a day that was not very crowded....but I was still a bit nervous.  We went through the Big Room a little faster than I would have liked to be sure we didn't have to wait 2 hours.....and the kids were getting tired by then.  

But, the Big Room is really the highlight of the trip!

The temp down there is a constant 56 degrees and very humid.  So naturally my hair started to go curly.  Zoey says "Mom, we better leave soon or you'll have an afro".    Love you too kiddo!!

Day 5 and 6 were spent driving back to Lancaster.  We stopped half way again in Touson and ate at the highest rated Mexican Food place in town.  45 minute wait on a Wed. night.....it was good, but I really didn't think it was anything really special.  Oh well!   We always prefer to eat local when we can. 

Mi Nidito Restaurant-  Bill Clinton ate here :)

it's their big claim to fame....

Another Cheney trip in the books.   Long driving days, but the 2 destinations were really worth it!

Next trip- Charlottesville and North Carolina this summer. 

Christmas time is here..... 2017

Before Christmas break the 1st graders put on a performance.  Teresa took the day off work to go watch and papa Grover was able to come since he lives up here now.  After the performance the kids were allowed to leave early, so we got to spend the afternoon with just Aiden until it was time to pick Zoey up from school.

Can you spot an Aiden??

This is our 2nd Christmas in our new house and our tradition that we started last year continued this year. We started off Christmas morning (being awakened at 6:30) at our house.  The kids came out and saw their Santa presents and looked in their stockings. Then we made coffee (for the adults....because it is 6:30 after all) and hot chocolate for the kids.

Santa did a joint gift this year for both kids since it was a pretty large request....an Xbox.

The haul.  Santa brought the x-box, mom and dad got the tv to play it on. 

Coming out to see the loot. 

After some beverage was consumed we moved back into the living room to do the rest of the presents.

Zoey got make-up, hair coloring wands, nail polish pens to make designs, new boots and a Barbie vet center from Grandma and Grandpa Cheney, new Pj's, Dork Diaries book, a flip a zoo from Aiden, and a gift card for an Xbox game.

Aiden got a Green-Bay Packers hat, a remote control helicopter, a Pokemon book, a gift card for an x-box game, 2 xbox games and a Snap Circuits Jr. kit from Grandma and Grandpa Cheney, and a Hot Wheels Monster Slam track from Zoey.  They both got the Simon game.

Ryan got an REI gift card from Mom and Dad Cheney, a new grill brush from Aiden, a new flashlight from Zoey, Possum down gloves and a Madden NFL X-box game from Teresa. 

Teresa got 2 new trash cans from mom and dad Cheney, a new refillable water bottle form Aiden, 2 new shirts and hand made coasters from Zoey, and 2 picture frames from Ryan that she can put the kids school pictures in as they grow. 

After presents we made our traditional big Christmas breakfast.  Bacon, Creamed egg, and waffles for the kids.....yum.......

In the afternoon it was time to move the party over to the new Grover residence (only 15 min away!!).   We had a 2nd Christmas over there and ate dinner.

Even Sammy got a new toy!

From Grandma and Grandpa Grover and Aunt Cori Aiden got a Star Wars light saber set, a new fishing pole and tackle box, a pokemon extension pack, a set of Magic Tree House books, a new Pokemon shirt, beanies, gloves and slippers. 

From Grandma and Grandpa Grover and Aunt Cori Zoey got a Barbie limo and 4 new Barbies, a flower crown making kit, a new fishing pole and tackle box, a set of Diary of a Wimpy kid books, a new shirt, beanies, gloves, and slippers.

It was a great Christmas.  It is so nice to have mom and dad so close. It makes holidays so much easier to have together. Cori is now also only about an hour and 15 min. away which makes seeing her more often easier as well.  The kids like Aunt Cori's new apartment in LA so much that they even helped pick out her Christmas present .......new PlayStation games so they can play with her when they go to visit :)

Merry Christmas from our crew to yours!!!!