Homemade Ice Cream

About a year ago, I begged Scott for an old fashioned (actually has the wooden bucket) ice cream maker. I think there are a few reasons...

1. I absolutely love ice cream! L O V E I T!!! I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

2. It reminds me of those Sunday afternoons at my Grandma Cheney's house when lots of Cheneys could be found eating, talking, and enjoying good stories. And in the background, we could all hear the ice cream maker working hard to provide a tasty desert for us.

As much as I love ice cream, I think I love that memory more. I love remembering my Grandma and the wonderful woman she was and the wonderful family she raised.

Tonight, we're making homemade ice cream, and I hope, that maybe just a little bit... I am becoming a little bit like my Grandma.

Fire

Yesterday we went to Houston and had a busy day of tutoring, going to the temple and getting a first class tour of the fire station. My cousin's husband Mike is the fire chief and two of their kids, Erica and Aaron are firefighters in the same station. Our friends Lee and Sherrie and their two kids got to come too.

We got the royal treatment. We got a tour of the station, including the "fire house" where all the firefighters hang out. We also got to spray water all over the parking lot with the big hose. Erica dressed up in her fire outfit for us to see... and the best part... we got to ride in the fire engine with the lights going and the siren blasting!!! It was way cool, for the kids as well as the parents.

This morning, the excitement continued. I was cooking some hot cereal on the stove and then had to run upstairs to make sure Jeff was getting ready for church. A few minutes later Scott came in and told me he had... caught on fire. What!?! Yeah, really. He had his back to the stove and it felt so good and warm, he just stood there for a minute. Before he knew it the back of his shirt had caught on fire.

Thankfully, our fire training the day before must have paid off... or maybe it was all the time in grade school we learned about how to deal with fire...

Anyhow, Scott did what he was supposed to do. He did the "stop, drop, and roll". And people, it actually works! Aside from burning his shirt, undershirt, and part of his pants... Scott only has a little blister on his pinkie. I have no idea how that happened.

We are thankful today that everything turned out so well... and ... it gave me something to blog about. :)

Marriage

I got to go to my little brother's wedding on Thursday. It was great. Bride and Groom looked very handsome and happy to be starting their lives together. And of course, it made me remember my own wedding.

Scott and I have been married for four years. I was terrified. The kind of terrified that makes you lose ten pounds and throw up on a regular basis. I have no idea why. Scott has obviously been a superb choice. Maybe I was afraid that after a few months I wouldn't like him anymore. Maybe I was afraid after a few days, he wouldn't like me anymore.

Thankfully, we still like each other. In fact, we like each other a lot. I can't think of anyone I would rather spend my time with than Scott. I think that's a pretty amazing thing. We meet, get to know each other, and before we know it we are married and our lives revolve around each other. The very fact that two people fall in love, get married, and build beautiful families together is simply a miracle in my mind.

It was wonderful to witness one such miracle this week.

Try something new

I never played volleyball in junior high or high school. I either played soccer or ran cross country during that season. I'm not sure why, but I never really had any interest in playing volleyball. Maybe I thought it was too much of a sissy sport or something. Maybe it had something to do with it being a no-contact sport as well as all the cheers they did between plays...

Despite my previous ideas about volleyball, I have now become a huge fan. I've been playing on our ward volleyball team in our stake volleyball season. Week one, it was fun. Week two, fun. Week three, AWESOME!!!

What made the difference? My friend, who played for BYU-Hawaai, taught me how to play. She taught me how to serve, bump, set, and spike. Now I love it!

I remembered that this same sort of phenomenon happened to me in college when I started playing flag football. All of a sudden, I loved watching football games because I understood it. Previously, football had always made little sense to me. Why do they start and stop so much? They say go, dog pile, then start over again. Again, and again, and again...

Both of these things taught me something, when we take time to learn a little bit about something we don't necessarily like, we might end up loving it.

While I'm pretty sure this is true in many cases, I still don't think I'll ever get all that into watching paint dry.

What do you have under your driver's seat?

I decided to clean out the van after a week of it becoming the catch-all. What did I find? Here's a list to entertain ya...

sippy cup with stale water
balloon
pieces of sticker all over the place
plastic fire engine tires
small nails
sippy cup with now yogurtfied milk
measuring tape
stuffed animal
coupons
shoes
watch (been missing that one for a week)
boards for decorating
sewing machine
diapers and wipes in a grocery sack
long lost diaper bag
pistol (aka, a gun... aka, a killing device...)

Yikes! WHAT!?! Scott and I don't own a gun. We don't even have fake toy not real gun. I'm terrified of guns. I looked again... yep, still a gun under my seat.

We just bought our van from a guy in Utah and apparently he forgot a little something when he cleaned it out to sell it. Apparently the guys at Toyota didn't notice it either when they shampooed the carpets. Apparently we didn't notice it when we became VERY familiar with our van as we traveled for a week from Utah to Texas. Apparently Scott didn't see it as he stuffed our shoes into every crevice of our van that wasn't occupied by kids. Apparently... okay, I'll stop. :)

I didn't touch it. I didn't even want to look at it all that much. I hate guns, unless my older brother or my dad is there to make sure I don't accidentally point it at myself. I know, I'm an adult... but I still don't trust myself.

I called my dad as soon as I could to see what I should do. Thankfully he's coming to visit in a week so he can take it out of my minivan and find it a new home that won't make me cringe every time I hit the breaks. So glad he's coming.

I know Scott and I could probably get it out of the car and into the house, but I think the only thing more scary than a gun in my van is a gun in my bedroom.

So, clean out your car. you might be surprised what's waiting for you under the driver's seat.

Texas A&M Football

Saturday night Scott and I went to our first Texas A&M football game. If you have never been to one of these, it is an experience!

We got there late (ten minutes before kickoff) so we missed some of the festivities. They actually start getting the crowd ready with lots of activities an hour before the game starts.

We got there just in time to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" and "Oh Texas." I've got to learn the words to "Oh Texas" before we go to the next game. They also sing the "Aggie Fight Song" which everyone knows and sings as loud as they can. The words consist of claiming that Aggies are the only true Texans and that T.U. (aka, University of Texas) is going to have it's mascot's horns sawed off. I've got to learn that one too. The best part about the fight song is that at one point the entire crowd (thousands of people, seriously) put arm around shoulder and sway back and forth singing the song. I stood next to the most die hard Texas A&M grandma who was not bashful about making sure I was loyal to the Aggies.

During half-time the Cadet Marching Band performed and they have all kinds of cool formations. Absolutely amazing!!! I almost cried... really. I know, I'm lame.

There are all kinds of yells, woops, and hand gestures that you have to do at certain times. If the refs do something you don't, you put your hands together and hiss. It all seems pretty crazy, but don't ever mention that to an Aggie fan, they are the most loyal I have ever seen.

We had a few Utah State friends sitting by us, at one point they were cheering and I seriously thought they might take 'em out back and string 'em up to a tree. They take their football very seriously.

All in all, it was a great night. Our Aggies didn't play too well, but you would never know that by the support of the crowd. In the end, Texas A&M only be Utah State by like eight points. At least they beat them so I still have something over my little brother (who is starting at Utah State next semester).

How to say no

I'm trying to learn how to say no. I'm also trying to learn how to say no without lying. I know this sounds like a simple thing... but its really hard for me.

Now before you start thinking, "Wow, who knew Sadie was compulsive liar?" Please let me shed some light on the situation.

I moved into a new neighborhood that is... let's just say, a rough part of town. From what I can gather, most of the people in my area are on public assistance. Many people are home during the day, and do not have jobs. I don't know all the circumstances of these people, but I just know that there isn't a lot of money for many of my neighbors.

There is one neighbor in particular that asks daily for one thing or another. Don't get me wrong. I like to give. I like to help others out. However, I'm trying to decide at what point I need to say "no".

It started with dish soap, then my phone (this one is several times a day), laundry soap, a gallon of milk, money (another daily one), a ride somewhere, a pot, a cigarette... there is always something.

I've decided I will let her use my phone when she asks. It doesn't cost me anything. I've decided I will not give her money. Beyond that, I still don't know what to do. I don't carry cash anymore, thus allowing me to say (in truth) that I don't have any money to give her.

I've tried not answering the door, but she is very persistent (knocking and ringing the bell several times). I start to think that maybe there is an emergency and I could be the reason why her son dies... I know, not too rational, but I'm a mom and I think of these things.

So, here cyberworld, is a question I need help answering. How do I say "no". And please, keep in mind that I am trying to reconcile the story of The Good Samaritan into this whole equation. I'm a people-pleaser... and I'm trying not lie. Let the advice roll in...