Cheyney and Ryan's Blog

Our boys

2012-01-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

Luke has been an absolute dream boat. He hardly ever cries and mostly grunts when he is hungry. We think he looks a lot like Branagan when he was a baby, especially when he opens his eyes. We have loved having Mimzy and Pop Pop here. Thank heavens we get them for another week. Sam is getting used to having a baby brother. He has tried to feed Luke his beans and can be prompted to give him sweet kisses. Here are a few pictures of our boys and Luke's first week of life.

My mom knitted this darling bundle for Luke.

Our favorite pout!

Sam's attempt to be a baby.

He is simply delicious.

New Arrival

2012-01-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

Lucas Webb 1958 01/12/12 21 inches 8 lbs 8 oz. We love him!

Ryan's Reads 2011

2011-12-29T06:38:00.000-08:00

Time for my annual "What did I read and what do I recommend" post. Its been another busy year with work, Sam, and another little one planned to come into our life, but I still found a little time to settle down with a book. This year I averaged a book a month, and I hope to at least keep that up next year. This year I didn't read any fiction. The books with a star by them are the ones I especially liked and recommend if you are looking for a great read. Here we go…

Religious/Religious History:

Parley P Pratt: The Aposle Paul of Mormonism
The book is a new scholarly biography on Parley P Prattt put out by Oxford Press. The book follows the LDS Apostle to Europe, South America, and throughout the US as he preached the gospel, tried to manage his family, and adapted to the turbulent events of Church leadership during 1830-1857. The book is fine, but doesn't seem to illuminate the subject as much as it could. He wrote an autobiography in the 1850's that is full of adventure, humor, and faith and I recommend starting there if you have interest in LDS history.

Return
*Is a book of spiritual teaching and advice by current LDS Apostle Robert D Hales. It's not rehashed conference talks and was really a great book. Cheyney and I would read a chapter a week for FHE this year. Elder Hales talks about his time as a fighter pilot, CEO of Gillet and other experiences to teach insights in living he has learned.

American Grace
A sociological study on contemporary religious identification and adherence in US. Per booklist "The authors complement their statistical analysis with colorful vignettes, humanizing their numbers with episodes from the lives of individual Protestants and Catholics, Jews and Mormons." Fun to look at what people of many faiths report they believe, how they practise, and what they think in general about other faiths, politics, and other issues.

The Mormon Menace
Is a history of Mormons in the South from 1850-1900. I had no idea the amount of persecution going on then in that area. Four Mormon Missionaries were killed, harassment and mobs were rampant, and Mormons were kicked out of many areas and states in the South including being completely removed from Georgia in the 1890's. Luckily college football and Chick-Fil-A were invented soon after that and the South became awesome.

US Politics/US/World History:

Capitalism and Freedom
Milton Friedman's book of libertarian economic philosophy written in the 1950's. A lot of his ideas were adopted and others seem way out in left field, but thought provoking. I don't agree with a lot about libertarianism, but there are some good ideas. This book is especially great if you are into Ron Paul.

Plain Honest Men
*A tic-toc history of the writing of the Constitution over a summer in Philadelphia. Contrary to some popular belief that making of the Constitution seemed messy and involved a lot of arm wringing and compromising between competing states. It seemed at times more of a truce than a defining political philosophy. The seeds of modern political disagreement were all there between differing factions as the document was created. Interesting tangential fact: In order to foster compromise no one involved in the convention from any of the states could talk about what was happening in the convention and they even went so far as to keep all the doors and windows closed all summer to maintain confidentiality. Hot hot hot!

Lords of Finance
*This book won a a Pulitzer in 2010 and is excellent. It's a look at the history of international finance leaders and their policies and interactions from the teens to the 1930's. I'm no economist and this did a great job of explaining complex ideas such as the gold standard, Keynesian economics, and ways of controlling a complex and variable economy. I felt smarter after reading this about so me issues that are in the news with current international finance concerns

The origins of political order
A big book of political philosophy by a a leading intellectual on the subject. I'd read "The End of History and the Last Man" while in grad school and was amazed by the insight and fortune telling of future history by that book. This book was more of a set up of history from the beginnings till 1750 and the follow up book is the one I am really looking forward to.

A paradise built in hell
A so-so history of how people react during mass traumatic events. The thesis-that altruism often trumps chaos is interesting, but the author uses mostly conjecture and focuses to much on self, injecting herself too often in to the subject. A little too breezy and magazine article like for my tastes.
Poisoning the Press
*This book is a lot of fun. Its a book about Richard Nixon and Jack Anderson an investigative reporter and how they battled in the 1950's and 1960's. I always heard Nixon was nuts, but man I had to skip some pages when Nixon was really being his vile self. I was born post Watergate and missed a lot of the History on this. Great read.

The Aquariums of Pyongyang
*When I was in grad school my friend Julian who worked at an international relations think tank used to get drunk and talk about North Korea and Cuba, and it was always pretty fascinating and got me interested in totalitarian states. Since then I've made an effort to watch Documentaries on North Korea, and picked up this book.This book is a memoir of a guy who was in a Korean Labor camp for about a decade. I kept on thinking as I read this, "I can't believe this has happened and is still happening." North Korea is fascinating, weird, and evil all at the same time. A great transporting book to learn about a place you can't go and are lucky you aren't a part of.

The Emperor of All Maladies
*A history of Cancer that won the Pulitzer recently. Fascinating stuff as the book takes you through history to see how treatments and medical knowledge develops and changes. It's very well written and engrossing for such a difficult topic.

Now it's your turn. What have you been reading, and what do you recommend?

Last Hurrah as an only child

2011-12-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a nice getaway to Denver. We took Sam to the Children's museum and he had a blast.

We also went to the Denver Aquarium where Sam went berzerk pointing and saying, "Ha Da!" (which is his way of saying, "what's that?") Here are some pics.

We had a great time walking 16th Street and looking at all the shops and eating Vietnamese and Mellow Mushroom. We even did Priceline and stayed in a 4 star hotel.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

Merry Merry Christmas! We have had a great Christmas this year and feel very blessed. We stayed in Colorado as we are about two weeks away from baby boy #2 joining our family.

We went to the Electric Safari Zoo and saw a lot of lights, animals, and Santa.

They had the best Santa. Sam told him all the animal sounds, gave him high five, and told him he wanted a train but would NOT sit in his lap.
It was nice to split up our Christmas with church on the day we celebrate our Savior's birth. We got to split the presents before and after church. We had our traditional scones for breakfast and Sam was so worn out he took a 4 hour nap! We loved skyping with family.

Sam was very delicate as he tried to open the presents. He would tear a little and then say, "stuck!" He was thrilled with the little things like the slinky, toothbrush, and ball that lights up.

Festivities with the Matthews

2011-11-26T17:20:00.000-08:00

We have celebrated most of November with the Matthews. They joined us for our annual Turkey trot the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I did not run the 5k being 32 weeks pregnant and stayed back and watched the boys. Melanie rocked and was one of the first to cross the finish line.

Ryan won a turkey in the raffle!

We had the Matthews over for Thanksgiving dinner. I finally hosted Thanksgiving and it actually turned out pretty great. The weather was in the 60's so we started with a hike and then we were able to enjoy our meal while the boys napped. Everything turned out perfectly. We even followed my tradition and had a bonfire at the Matthews and sang Christmas Carols! I don't have any pictures of the day because I was too busy EATING!!
On a different day, we went to Santa's village with the boys. Sam would only ride the rides if Rivers went with him. Both boys cried when we introduced them to Santa. But we still had a wonderful time getting ready for the Christmas season!

Army vs. Air Force

2011-11-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

As you can imagine, there was a lot of hype for the Army vs. Air Force game around here. Once again, Ryan and I are rivals. He works for the Army and I work for the Air Force just like when I worked for UNC and he worked for Duke.

We went to the pep rally for Army and Sambo had a great time running around and signing "touch down!"

We didn't stay late enough for the bonfire where they burn an Air Force Eagle.

Air Force won 24-14!

Dallas Trip Part 3: Friends and Family

2011-11-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

We had such a great time with Branny and Claire. We went to the Dallas Arboretum where they had pumpkin houses and a fairy tale land. It was magical!

We also were lucky enough to spend time with Kari and family. Olivia was so cute with Sam and it was wonderful to meet baby Owen. What wonderful friends! Fun to be in the same stage of life and have our kiddos play together.

Halloween in Dallas Part 2

2011-11-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

We had a great time spending Halloween with Bran and Claire. Plus, Sam made it so much more exciting. We went to their ward party and Sam was a great Cat in the Hat. I tried to pull off Green Eggs with my baby bump and Ryan was the Grinch. Claire put Sam in the Primary Costume Parade and he won the "Cutest Costume" award. I think he loved being dressed up.

Our favorite Fairy and Pirate

Trunk or treat! It is great to have a kid that doesn't know about candy.

The loot was all ours!

On Halloween night, we went trick-or-treating with the Buchanans. They are one of our favorite families from Raleigh who moved to Dallas. We actually went trick-or-treating with them and the Willises the very first year we lived in Raliegh (4 years ago). It was so great to spend time with them.

My hubby

Dallas Trip Part 1-BYU Game

2011-11-08T18:50:00.001-08:00

At the End of October we got to fly to Dallas to be with friends and family. We'll post more on that, but I'll post on the Game.

BYU and TCU had a big Friday night game on ESPN in Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Going to the Stadium is worth the ticket price alone. It cost 1.3 billion dollars to build. Its got a giant video board that has to be close to the biggest in the world. It holds over a hundred thousand people.

The lobbys are posh and its a great stadium to walk around to just enjoy the opulence. It has a retractable roof that we got to watch open up:

It was fun to go with Branagan and Claire who we also stayed with in Dallas.

This is my lovely wife, and our boy In Utero.

Oh and there was a game. BYU opened up by giving TCU 14 points in the first quarter and they lost by ten.BYU has 3 turnovers and some really bad punting that doomed them. This is their 4th straight loss to TCU. I hope one day in my life time BYU can beat TCU again. TCU was unfriendly to BYU fans, didn't announce BYU at the beginning of the game and showed only TCU stuff on the jumbo tron. All the BYU fans started booing the jumbo tron when they showed the TCU cheerleaders tussle their pom-poms every 5 minutes in the 4th. Overall it just stinks to lose to a team that has been so good recently.

We ended up wandering around the stadium most of the third quarter. At least BYU scored more points than when we flew out for the 2008 game. Here is one of the last plays that ended up making sports center for BYU

I guess there is always next time...

BIRD

2011-11-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

Our neighbors are Egyptian and went to Egypt to visit for 6 weeks. At the last minute, they asked us to take care of their bird while they were gone. The bird was affectionately known as "Bird" during his/her whole stay. Sam would ask and sign for him all the time. We would let him fly around the room and let Sam chase him. Six weeks turned into 10 weeks and now Bird is gone. Sam still asks for "Birrrr" with the sign (he never says it without signing). I guess we will have to go next door to visit out little temporary pet.

Fall Photo Shoot

2011-11-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

I can't say enough about my friend, Melanie. She has truly been a godsend. Not only do we have a lot in common, enjoy spending time together, and our kiddos are best friends, but she is also a talented photographer. Here are some of the photos she took of Sammers in the fall leaves.

Marvelous Mimzy Moments

2011-11-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

Our babysitter got married and was going to be out of town. My mom didn't even hesitate when we asked her to come and help out for 2 weeks. Sam calls her "mama". He couldn't get enough of her chasing him and then hiding behind the counter or in the bathroom. She has so much more energy than I have. We had so much fun together. We spent a day at a pumpkin farm with Rivers and Melanie.

We had a perfect trip to the zoo. Sam was squealing about how

close he could get to all of the animals !

We skyped with Mom after she left. She and Sam had all of the same inside jokes and he still loved showing off for her and PopPop. Eventhough my Mom and Dad live so far away, they have basically been able to see him every 6 weeks or so of his life. He knows them and loves them so. He is so lucky.

Tank time with Daddy

2011-10-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Portlandia

2011-10-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

We are trying to fit in as many trips as possible to see family before baby boy is born. We had a great time with Jeff, Jenny, and kiddos in Portland. We went to a pumpkin farm and corn maze.

We also went to the Children's Museum where Sam learned the importance of dental hygiene.
And then off to the Portland Zoo!

Sam loved getting to know his cousins. At one point they were all around him chanting "Sammy". He was flexing his muscles and given them all knuckles. He was in heaven.

Super Quick September Utah Trip

2011-10-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

(Written by Ryan) The last week in September we made a super quick Utah Trip. We flew in on Wednesday Night and out on a Sunday Morning. On Wednesday and Thursday we spent time with Bick and Poppy and stayed at their house. The first night we had Sam sleep in a closet:

Visit with Deenie

Fun with Bicky

The next day we were able to get a great tour of the Conference Center by one of it's newest volunteer tour guides, my Dad. Dad gave a great tour and knew a lot of details.

On Friday we went down to BYU to see them win in the the last few seconds against Utah State. We had a great group: The Andruses, The Hills, and the Whitakers.

Lots of people rushed the field. We walked down a few minutes later and took this picture :

We spent the night and part of the next day with Craig and McKay and Eddie.
Sam spent most of the night before chasing the dog around the house and shrieking. This picture wasn't representative, but I love the look on both of these dudes faces.

We spend some more time with the Hills and Grandpa and Grandma Lindgren. They showered Sam with Elmo gifts and even dressed him up as Elmo. Sam is 100% obsessed with watching Elmo. Here is Elizabeth and ElmoSam playing the Piano:

And here is Sam and Grandma playing a tune:
On Sunday we spent some time with Gunnell's and then we were off to the airport.

7 falls with Renee and Kristen

2011-09-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Train ride with Rivers

2011-09-26T18:17:00.001-07:00

We went on a trip with Melanie and Rivers. We were hoping to go to a farm and pick raspberries and blackberries. Unfortunately, it was closed so we drove a little further and took the boys on a train ride to Royal Gorge. It was a beautiful day. We always have such a great time together.

Pagosa Springs

2011-09-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

We spent Labor Day weekend in Pagosa Springs at the Four Corners Folk Festival. The best part was spending time with family. We got to see aunts, uncles and cousins!

Here we are with my cousin Ken and his daughter Kinley.

Kinley and Sam both love "Melmo" and "Meows".

with Aunt Ruthie and Kinley

Singing songs with Franceen and Pop Pop

Sam loves MELMO

We had a great time at the Folk Festival. Here we are watching Punch brothers.

A 5 string band: banjo, mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and upright bass.

We are so glad that Kristen came with us. She is so chill and easy going with a crying Sam on the 5 hour drive home. Poor Sam got a fever the last night but was still a trooper.

Sam and more Sam

2011-09-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

We have been having a lot of fun with Melanie and Rivers lately. Here are a few pictures of our outings. Biking to the park!

Bowling and ski ball

The boys having a dance off

Our trip to Costco turned into lunch for the boys. They got filled up on all of the samples.

Splish splash Mohawk

Bug on the Windshield

BYU game day

Baby Boy Lindgren 2.0

2011-09-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that come January SAM will have a brother! Any name suggestions or requests?

Fall is Here!

2011-08-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

Every year I post about the upcoming football season for BYU, this year is no different. This is going to be a great year to watch as a fan. BYU starts their first year of independence with an established QB, and a lot of talent, and an invigorated coaching staff. Also they have a contract with ESPN and BYUTV so it will be easy to see them play on TV.

Last year I predicted 9-10 wins and was wrong. Usually I am within a game or two, but last year the wheels fell off. Lots of injuries and some flaws in coaching became apparent during the season. A demoralizing loss at Utah State, a last minute loss to Utah, and 4 other losses led to a 7-6 season. The Cougs rallied near the end and won their bowl game.

This is how I see it this year:

I think the team will be strong almost everywhere, except for the Defensive secondary. Their is an established leader and this team is young but talented. This year they will show sparks of greatness. The Offense will be fun to watch and the defensive line will be fierce. I divide the games up into three categories:

Games BYU will not be favored in:

Texas, TCU

I wouldn't be surprised if BYU beats one of the Texas teams, but expecting victories over both talented programs on the road is too much to ask. 1-1

Games that will be competitive:

Ole Miss, Utah, UCF, Oregon State, Hawaii. BYU will kill Utah at home this year. I'm a little worried about Ole Miss and Oregon State on the road. I expect 4-1 from this group.

Games BYU will win in their sleep:

San Jose State, Utah State, New Mexico State, Idaho state, Idaho. These games will be put away by half time, especially the revenge game against Utah State.5-0

So a fun season to look forward too. I'm calling for a ten win season and a bowl victory. This year we'll be at the Utah State game and the TCU game in Dallas. Cant wait.

Go Cougars!

Our Garden

2011-08-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hook 'em horns

2011-08-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

Ryan had a conference in Texas and we wanted to tag along and fight the 108 degree weather. We flew into Dallas/Fort Worth and had a wonderful time with Kari, Shaun and Olivia. Kari is going to have baby Owen any day now.

We spent our days in the pool, going on trips to Target and Petco (equivalent of a zoo for Sam), and taking naps.

It was a real treat to see Evan, Mary and Jack Rowley. We were great friends in Los Angeles and Mary was also 39 weeks pregnant. What an exciting time to be days away from an addition to their family. We had a wonderful time reminiscing and catching up.

Here is a picture of Jack and Sam; two blonde buddies.

We also got a quick trip to Austin, where we ate at the Salt Lick

and saw the bats take off at dusk from under the bridge.

Sam showed his Texas pride.

On the last day, we got to spend time with the Buchanans. They were one of our favorite families while we lived in Raleigh and have just moved to Texas. We had both Alisa and Aiden in our primary classes. They are growing too fast!

Quick trip

2011-08-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to Utah. We had a wonderful time with the Hills.

Elisabeth and Emilie babysat Sam and dressed him up like a girl. Wendy used to do the same thing to Ryan. Yes, he has on blush.
He still acted like a boy and went straight for the water.

Hair-do #2

Dancing with the Wii

Kazie and Craig came for 24th of July

Fireworks and sparklers

Kazie with Emilie and Elisabeth

We got to see the house they made that is

identical to the house on UP.

Time with Grandma Lindgren….peek-a-boo

We got to see my old patient, Josh, and his darling family. I took care of him when he was 14 and now he is a DAD!
We also got to spend time with Steph and Greg.
Time with Grandma and Grandpa Lindgren

We also got to see my family (Mimzy, PopPop, Bick, Poppy) and went to Cherry Hill with Anne, Hannah, and Isaac. Wish we took pictures. It all went by too fast!

Camping

2011-07-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

We went camping with Kristen and Renee for the 4th of July weekend. We were very lucky to have 4 adults to one rambunctious baby. Kristen and Renee got Sam to take his first steps! It was very momentous. We did have a few hiccups including not having all of the pieces for our propane stove, no can opener, and a screaming munchkin from 2-3:30 a.m. But these were all corrected with a run to Walmart and sleeping in the car.

Our campsite was near Salida, CO

which is a sweet hippy town on the river.

We toughed some hiking.

Ryan, Renee and Kristen were supposed to go white water rafting at Royal George but the water level was too high. They did a different section that had 4+ rapids and they flipped TWICE! I stayed back with Sammers. I get to go next time.

A visit to Royal George

Fun with Fam PART 5

2011-07-07T20:03:00.001-07:00

GARDEN OF THE GODS

Poor Benjo was throwing up all day. He is such a trooper.

MANITOU SPRINGS

The kids were off to the horse races.

Here they are with their arcade treasures. 400,652 tickets got them some candy and a plastic spider.

Fun with Fam PART 4

2011-07-07T19:50:00.001-07:00

Olympic Training Center

Introducing our future olympic athletes!

I took this picture for the Barbers. I have been to many of their national gymnastic meets and that was the first time I heard about the OTC. I am lucky to have such talented friends.

Fun with Fam PART 3

2011-07-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Hills came for a visit and we had a wonderful time. The first day we went to Santa's Workshop. It was a cute theme park stuck in the 1950's and set up like Christmas. Sam even rode some rides with his cousins. It was perfect for our nephew, Alexander, who is obsessed with Christmas! He would rather get a box of Christmas lights over legos or race cars.

Fun with Fam PART TWO

2011-07-01T13:12:00.001-07:00

Train ride to Royal Gorge

Fun with Fam Part ONE

2011-07-01T12:41:00.001-07:00

Seven Falls at Night

Sam's birthday

2011-07-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

It was so nice for my mom, dad and Brady to drive all the way to the Springs to celebrate Sam's first birthday.

Mimzy made him this vest!

Our babysitter, Ashley, and her husband, Kyle, came for the fun. Ashley recently got a new job as a recreational therapist. We sure do miss her.

Sam's first cake and ice cream. He got a brain freeze from the ice cream.

Happy Birthday Sam!

2011-06-19T20:05:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful year!

Bear themed

Smash cake pictures pending.

Memorial Weekend

2011-06-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

We love living near Kristen and Renee. We are also thrilled that snowboarding season is over so we can see them more often. We enjoyed Garden of the Gods, good food, arcades, graham cracker soda and hiking!

A GREAT AUNT and a GREAT GREAT AUNT

2011-05-31T18:38:00.001-07:00

Our babysitter went on vacation for a week. We didn't have to worry too long about what we were going to do with Sammers. Not one but two Aunts volunteered to fly in and spend time with us….. well, Sam. This boy is so loved.

Deenie bought Sam this 52 inch teddy bear affectionately known as "Bear Bear." I have never seen Sam more excited about anything. He squealed and hugged Bear Bear immediately. He always points to him and gives him a bear hug everyday. We might need a bigger house for Bear Bear.

Thank you Bicky and Deenie for a wonderful week!

Sneaky Stinker

2011-05-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

THE OBSTACLE

The attempt

SUCCESS

We are in trouble. Nothing is going to hold him back.

Happy Birthday Krista

2011-05-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Krista and I have been great friends since we were 19. Krista is a very established physician working for the CDC traveling the world for tuberculosis outbreaks. We were lucky enough that she had a conference in Denver and could visit us. We got to celebrate her birthday and catch up like the good ol' days.

The Musicians

2011-05-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

Since my dad's retirement, he has taken up a lot of hobbies. One is music. He wrote my mom a song called, "Sammy's Smile." Here are the lyrics: *Sung like Bob Dylan.

Sammy's Smile

Because of Sammy's smile

my gal is a goner

It takes Sammy's smile

to cast a spell upon her

Because of Sammy's smile

I can fly her to Paris,

take her to Peru

But whatever I try

it still ain't gonna do

Because of Sammy's smile

I can lavish her with lobster,

spoil her with a new car

Try to communicate more better

but that don't get me far

Because of Sammy's smile

Djyou know we've kayaked in Alaska

we've carnivaled in Belize

Snuggled in Moscow at midnight

But that don't raise her degrees

Because of Sammy's smile

Yeah Sammy's smile

I could valentine her with chocolate

Buff up at the gym

Anniversary her with poems

But I'm still ZIP next to him

Because of Sammy's smile

Yeah Sammy's smile

The guy really can't do nothin'

I've seen him barely crawl

But for my lifetime sweetheart

The dang kid is her all

Yeah Sammy's smile

Because of Sammy's smile

Mimzy, Pop Pop and Bradojets

2011-05-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

I am finally blogging about the wonderful week with my mom, dad and Brady. This was the first time Sam got to meet Brady. Brady was so cute with him. Brady has spent the last year and 1/2 in Central and South America.

(Note the cute alpaca wool sweater above and the jammin' pants below… both gifts from Mimzy and Pop Pop during their visit with Brady to Bolivia and Peru)

We also got to celebrate Brady's birthday while they were here. I asked Brady what he wanted to do for his birthday and he said, "Spend it with Sam." Sam is one lucky little boy.

Sam's room

2011-04-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

Fun with Steph and Aubrey

2011-04-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

We got a visit from my friend and her daughter, Steph and Aubrey. Steph and I have been friends since middle school when I would sneak fudge in my purse and we would pass it back and forth during English class. I have so many fun memories of her in middle school and high school. It was fun to make more with our kiddos.

Aubrey and Sam are both Georgia Bulldog fans.

Aubrey had never been in the snow before so we took them up in the mountains. It was a perfect day.

Sam LOVES dogs and he even barks at them.

HALF Marathon

2011-03-27T18:15:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I ran a half marathon in Gateway, CO (about an hour outside of Grand Junction). It was a beautiful race with lots of red rock. This picture is before the race. I am sporting knee sleeves and Ryan looks so hot with his pilot glasses and sweat band.
We made it! Ryan ran it in 1 hr and 52 min and I did it in 2 hr and 3 min. All the sweat evaporated leaving white salt crystals all over our faces. Sam, McKay and Craig were there to greet us at the finish line.

Winter Sports and a BEAR

2011-03-13T20:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, for my birthday, I got to go skiing with my two great friends, Renee and Kristen. We went to Beaver Creek and had a blast. I haven't been skiing for about 7 years! It was so beautiful and exhilarating to be on the slopes. I felt like I was on top of the world, even though my legs were screaming otherwise. Thanks to Renee and Kristen for being patient with me. I rushed back and got to spend the evening with my boys. It was a perfect day.

Last weekend, we got to go snowshoeing. Thanks to Bran and Claire for loaning us their fancy snowshoes.

Here are a couple of pics of our little bear.

Head banging 101

2011-03-06T22:09:00.001-08:00

Music Class

2011-03-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

We have loved going to music class every Monday. It is pretty amazing to see how much Sam picks up! He is bound to be a concert pianist some day.

Grandpa and Grandma Lindgren Come to Visit

2011-02-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

This past week my parents (Ryan's) made the drive from Utah for a visit. We enjoyed having them and exploring Colorado Springs together. It was fun seeing them with Sam. They were both so cute with him, making him giggle and adoring him just the way his parents do. Dad fixed some things around the house and Mom watched over and bonded with Sam. We had fun introducing the parents to Middle Eastern food and playing lots of Yatzee at night. On Saturday we went hiking up to Seven Falls:An elusive photo of my Father hiking, often hard to capture due to his trailblazing nature

And here comes Mom scaling the stairs

And here is our group shadow picture

Our baby is totally turning into a little boy and we love him so

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T20:25:00.001-08:00

From our little Cupid

This is the melt down of a silly photo shoot. Someday he will be upset with me for dressing him up like this. I am sure one day I will be showing his future wife these photos. We love our little guy and Valentine's day means so much more now that we have Sam in our lives.

The Jimmer Show Comes to the Springs

2011-02-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

Last night was a lot of fun. Cheyn and I got a babysitter and headed up to the Academy to watch some college basketball. It is something we had been looking forward to for months. BYU basketball has their best team in 30 years, is number 7 in the nation, and has the odds on favorite for the NCAA basketball player of the year.

Air Force's arena was small but nice. It holds about 6000 people. It's a lot like the old BYU field house if you have ever been there. They had great concessions including a place that sold rocky road covered caramel apples. We had seventh row tickets (the closest I've been in a basketball arena). BYU totally beat up on Air Force and it was great to be so close that you could yell at the refs when they were totally wrong on calls and see the frustration and desperation the Air Force players. Jimmer scored 25 points and was out with four minutes to go. There were some awesome threes and dunks by the rest of the team. Final score was 90-52, Air Force's worst home loss ever.

About 40 percent of the fans were BYU fans, and in spite of a loud AF cheering section, BYU fans had a lot to cheer for. Here is some video Cheyn took

We're excited to see what BYU can do in march madness. Go Cougars!!

Ryan's Atlanta conference goes from good to bad

2011-01-30T19:05:00.000-08:00

I (Ryan) had a conference in Atlanta a few weeks ago that I was totally looking forward to for months. I was looking forward to great food, fun places to visit, catching up with friends, and enjoying that nice southern weather. I landed at the airport and was given this sweet rental car:

I was able to meet up with the Thompsons and the Johnsons and play some board games which was great. Then as I got ready to leave for my hotel the snow started. I drove through the snow just as it was hitting and arrived safely at the hotel where my conference was held.

Atlanta has like one snow plow and a few inches of snow and freezing weather turned the city into a hockey rink for the next three days. Gas stations were closed. Grocery stores were close. Even Mcdonalds were closed. I wouldn't be writing this right now if it weren't for the determined management and workers at the Waffle House next to my hotel that provided sustenance. For you readers that haven't been to the South, Waffle House is a hybrid of a Dennys and tiled truck stop bathroom.

My Father in Law Stan stopped by for a night and it was fun to visit with him. WE made it out to a cheesecake Factory about a mile away that was still open for some reason.

The next day, just as the sun started to melt the ice I decided to go try some Georgia BBQ and use some per diem at Jim and Nick's. It was so tasty and I loved it but four hours later I was wishing I had eaten at the Waffle House again, because the next two days were spent trying to get over mild food poisoning.

The next day I tried to go to the Coke Factory but the roads were still closed in parts and the traffic was bad so after driving for an hour I turned around as the attraction had closed. By this time I was missing Cheyney and Sam, tired and cold, and sick. I made it through the conference sessions in the day time. I love you Atlanta but it was a rough week.

On the way home I did have a great 4 hour layover in SLC where I got to see my Parents and Wendy and Justin's family.

The Happenings of Sam

2011-01-29T20:28:00.001-08:00

Just a few updates and cute pictures and videos of our sweet boy.

He just started doing the army crawl. I love how he is so intent and his little legs kick, kick, kick.

Here he is making a funny "3 Stooges" face. He hasn't really done it since but he was doing it all the time that day.

He had bronchiolitis for several weeks so we gave him a nebulizer a few times a day. He was such a good sport.

My mom came to visit for 2 weeks while I started my part-time job and Ryan was away (for one week) at a conference (more on that soon). Mimzy taught him how to wave and clap. She tried to teach him how to crawl but mostly Sam just got a kick out of watching her crawl all around the room. While she was here we had a lot of fun shopping, making curtains for Sam's room, and visiting the sites. We saw the Air Force Academy Cathedral.

It was very unique. It looked like a plane and even the cross was made out of propellers.

We also went to Garden of the Gods.

We ended up taking more pictures of Sam than the red rock.

Father and son sporting their matching BYU sweatshirts.

Visiting Friends

2011-01-27T12:27:00.001-08:00

We were so lucky to be able to spend quality time with friends over the holidays. We went to the Giddens and all 6 kids were home! Thomas was home from his mission. Sally was about to pop with a little girl; Taylor just got engaged. Jamie was off to visit her boyfriend's family in California. April was just finished with a semester of nursing school, and John was getting ready for baby #4. Here are Ape and Jamie

April gave Sam this sweatshirt. She is making sure he knows his roots.
I can't let this shout out to the Giddens go by without posting their new music video. It has been a facebook sensation. They always keep us laughing!

Sam loved being with the Belisles. Anna and Tyler are such great big siblings.

Sarah styling Bruce's deer hunting hat.

Sarah shared the cool camo hat with Sam.

I am so glad I got some time with the Thompsons. Ruby made Sam laugh hysterically. We miss them so!
Another treat was getting to see Josh Hay and his family. I went to high school with Josh and now he lives 45 minutes away from us in Colorado. They came to Georgia for the holidays too. Sam gets to see Maizy and Andra every Monday in music class!

Chistmas 2011

2011-01-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

It is pretty late but worth documenting. Christmas was so great. Santa made it just like we when we were kids. Santa also knit stockings for all of the new additions to our family.

It is our tradition to line up from youngest to oldest before we see what Santa brought. Finally McKay has people in front of her… and Craig makes sure those behind him cant be seen.

Now you can see us.

Claire made Sam an alphabet book about each person in the family. It probably took her 400 hours. She is so thoughtful and talented. When I saw the page for "F" (Forever Family), I burst into tears.

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-01-22T16:16:00.001-08:00

Per tradition, on Christmas Eve we reenacted the nativity scene. Sam had to go to bed and missed his debut as baby Jesus. Dad was the traditional donkey and McKay was nice enough not to sit on him as his knees are getting bad. I am sure I don't need to point out who is playing what part, except for Branagan who was a great Inn Keeper.

Here we are singing and playing Christmas songs. Dad has a melodica, keyboard, and ukelele. He gave Mom a guitar and she gave him an amplifier and microphones. He is ready to turn us into a band.

The best Christmas tree EVER.

Family Forever

2011-01-16T20:56:00.001-08:00

It was so nice to be together (although we were missing Brady and Elizabeth who were in Chile and Thailand respectively). We made the most out of every moment….

Christmas Caroling at the Square

Hiking

Taking some family photos with Sam

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Canoeing/Kayaking with Cyprus trees and tree houses

The Harpers and TWINS!!!

2011-01-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

I (Cheyney) was lucky enough to get to spend 3 weeks in Georgia in December. I went early to be there to be there when my best friend, Jenny, had twins! It was so wonderful to get to meet these two perfect munchkins.

Sembler Ridge, 7 lbs 6 oz

Charlee Susan, 6 lbs 3 oz

I got to take her 3 other girls a few times to play and have sleep overs. So much fun! Here we went to our church Christmas party. Shelby and Coby James with Santa. Bay wanted nothing to do with Santa.

Here is a proud Papa and big sister with Charlee.

Ryan with Sembler. Sam was never that small.

Jenny does a great job with juggling many kids at once. She is such an amazing mother. If anyone can handle 5 kids with a set of twins, it is Jenny.
Sammy looks so big next to Charlee. This is his future girlfriend.

Brother and Sister

Missing Coby-James

Yearly Book Recommendations

2010-12-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

Time for my annual "What did I read and what do I recommend" post. Its been a busy year with moving and Sam coming into our life, but we still found time to settle down with a book. Here is what I read. I wont finish a book I don't like, and finished everything on this list. The book links with three stars by them are the ones I especially liked, if you are looking for a great read. Here we go…
US Politics/US/World History:
***Decision Points

I just finished George Bushes Presidential memoir. During his presidency he wasn't always the most expressive person, and this helped me understand how he thinks and what his reasoning was for his major decisions in his presidency. I came away with a lot more empathy for this man. He says the biggest success of his Presidency was funding Africa with 15 billion for HIV/AIDS treatment, and the biggest failure was his administrations response to Katrina.

The Politician
This book was a fun read. Cheyn read most of it to me. It is the memoir of John Edwards assistant, the one who claimed John Edwards love child was his own. John Edwards has to be the biggest political train wreck of the past 30 years and this was an insiders view of his downfall. It was fun living in the triangle and knowing where parts of the book took place. We even took a pilgrimage to John Edwards house earlier this year.
Game Change
This book was a inside view of the 2008 political campaigns. The reporters conducted tons of interviews after the fact to portray what was really going on during the presidential race. There were a lot of new insights and revelations. Sometimes the politicians potty mouths got to be a little much.
***Empire of Liberty
This is the most recently published book in the Oxford History of America Series. This covered 1789-1815. I loved it. If you like an in depth look 800 page book on a part of American History, this is for you. I wanted to learn more about how the government worked and what the points of contention were like for the founders after Independence and the Constitution. I also got to learn more about Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and George Washington. A great book, almost as good as the next book in the series What Hath God Wrought, that I read last year.
The Devil in the White City
A history of the Worlds Fair in the late 1800's in Chicago revolving around the lives of the chief architect and a serial killer. Our friend Jessica Bean recommended this to me. I'm not really into true crime stuff, but this book was pretty engrossing as it alternated between the fair and the super evil serial killer.
***The Dead Hand
This book won the Pulitzer last year. It is about the nuclear arms race and downfall of the USSR. I never knew there were so many nuclear weapons and how many brushes with near use of them there were during the cold war. the book also details the USSR's secret chemical weapons programs in the 1980's. There is a lot of scary stuff going on out there we don't know about at the time.
Restless Giant
Another book in the Oxford series. This covered 1974-2001. I was disappointed as it just read like a tic-toc of events and there wasn't a lot of historical insight. Maybe it was written too close to the time frame for the author to gain adequate perspective.
***Flags of Our Fathers
This book follows the son of one of the flag raisers at Iowa Jima as he retraces the events of the battle and the men involved. It shows a broader perspective on peoples lives than just the battle and the cost of war on those who survived and those who did not.
***The Death of Sigmund Freud:The Legacy of His Last Days

Frued is a person of interest for me, due to his influence in counseling and therapy. This follows him through his last days escaping Nazi's in Vienna and battling cancer while being the leader of the psychoanalytic movement. It's not to dense and goes through his family life and philosophy in less than 300 pages.

Religious/Religious History:
The Loser Letters
My Brother in Law Justin recommended this book to me. Its written in the style of the Screwtape Letters. The book is about a convert to atheism writing to prominent current atheist and reveals her reconversion to faith. It's short and has some fun banter.
Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament
Cheyn and I had a goal of reading the Old Testament this year and got this book to help us. This book was written by LDS academics to help the reader better understand the historical and cultural context of the Old Testament narratives. I learned a lot that I wouldn't have if I was just reading the Old Testament. The division of chapters in the book didn't always sync chronologically, so it wasn't a perfect companion.
***Great Basin Kingdom
This is a great book of economic and LDS history that I had heard a lot about in other books, but finally got up the guts to read this year. The main focus is on the the economic experimentation of the Saints in Utah from 1847 to the late 1890's. Many of the economic programs are an exercise in futility in the turbulent backdrop of the early pioneers. The minute that the United Order or other cooperatives are about to work, on cue something always seems to go wrong.
There is a great part that explains how the practice of fast offerings started in 1857. The crickets came back and the crops suffered, so that winter Brigham Young said the members should start a weekly fast offering: giving a part of their weekly food and going without that day. Brigham also directed anyone able should hire new arrivals to work and pay them in food, just to keep people eating and alive, and have them work to keep their dignity. Many of the same practices continue in some form at this time in the Church on a global scale.
***The Carthage Conspiracy
This was written by Elder Oaks (then a law professor) and a historian about the trail of the Mob that killed Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith and injured others. It shows how the politicking leading up to the case between different Mormon and Anti-Mormon elements set the precedence for the trial. Contrary to some urban legends the men who got off had for the most part long and interesting lives. I especially enjoyed this book after reading it when we got to go to Carthage this fall.
Army Related Reading:
On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society
The title pretty much sums it up. Reading it to better understand what the soldiers go through and hopefully be able to help.

***War
This is a great book. A journalist embeds with a unit in a remote Afghanistan location and goes through what life is like for the soldiers. I like this book because it is vivid and lets you into a place and situation I will never be. A soldier may not want to or be able to express the day to day experience of their deployment the way the author was able to.

Army Officers Guide
My Boss Recommended this to me as a book to read to prepare for Army culture. I still don't get a lot, but this was a good primer for military culture.
Fiction:
***The Power and The Glory
I usually only read one or two fiction books a year and this was this years choice. I had head Graham Green was a great author, but never gotten around to him. This book is excellent. It's about a backsliding Catholic Priest trying to survive in Mexico during a time of high religious persecution by a secularist regime in the early 20th century. Its less than 300 pages and I recommend it to anyone looking for great lit.
So now its your turn. What did you read this year that what you do you recommend?

Turkey Trot

2010-11-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I did a Turkey Trot 5k with our little Turkey at Fort Carson. They started the program by playing of the National Anthem. It was so impressive to see soldiers and their families pay honor to our country and flag. They are the ones who have truly sacrificed for our freedom and safety. It was pretty cold (in the 30's) so it pretty much kept our bodies numb while we ran. It was a wonderful way to start the day.

Visit from Kazie and Craig

2010-11-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

Aunt Kazie and Uncle Craigy made a spontaneous trip to see us this last weekend. They drove 8 1/2 hours one way for little Sam. He has us all wrapped around his finger. We had a wonderful time exploring Manitou Springs and Garden of the Gods. Manitou Springs has an area with tons of old school arcade games and rides.

Sam is not sure liked the elephant ride.

McKay and Craig read Sam a book before bed.

Two of our favorite things about living in Colorado

2010-11-01T10:55:00.001-07:00

We are so blessed to move to a place where we already have best friends. Our friendship goes so far back. Renee basically set up Ryan and me and Kristen threw me a lingerie shower when we got engaged. The three of us used to rock climb in Malibu. Now we have all of Colorado at our finger tips. We love Renee and Kristen.

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T10:46:00.001-07:00

I represent the Lollipop Guild and wish to welcome you to munchkin land. Ignore the Wicked Witch of the West.

Moving into the new place

2010-11-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Videos of Sam unpacking and playing

Part 5: Independence, Mo

2010-10-31T09:29:00.001-07:00

On our way west before the wasteland (known as Kansas) and the promised land (Colorado), we made a stop in Independence, MO to see more sites. The LDS Church was located in this area in the 1830's. Harry Truman also was from here.

We stopped at Liberty Jail where church leaders were held and sections of the D & C were revealed:
The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library:

The beautiful Temple of the Community of Christ Church:
And the camper of a man that has a lot to say and whose hypereligiosity is probably a sign of something for which treatment may be advised. He is in front of the Temple Lot:
We did a lot of driving on this trip and Sam was a trooper. Cheyn would sit in the back and try to entertain him while I drove. Cheyney took this picture of our little thinker as we drove out of town:

More Nauvoo

2010-10-31T08:54:00.000-07:00

One wonderful thing that worked out in Nauvoo was that we were able to meet up with Misty Lindgren, my (Ryan) cousin's wife and her children. They moved to Nauvoo about three years ago. She gave us an insiders tour of many places and even babysat Sam while we went to the Temple. It was great to get to know her better.

Notable places we went to in or around Nauvoo were:

Joseph Smith's residence:

The jail where Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered:

The graves of Joseph his Brother, and his Wife Emma:

The restored building where the Relief Society was organized and Temple ordinance were revealed:

The Nauvoo Temple:

The bakery (I included this because I like how Sam looks like a thug):

Before we drove out of town, we stopped off at the banks of the Mississippi, the area of the frozen river the pioneers crossed in 1846 as the fled for the West. Nauvoo was a historically fascinating and spiritually moving place. We loved our two days there.

Part 4:Nauvoo

2010-10-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

As member of the Church Nauvoo has special significance to us. From 1839-1846, the Mormons built up an area near the Mississippi River from little more than swamp land to a city of 12,000 with 2000 wood buildings and 350 brick buildings. Elements of the Church's Doctrine and organization were developed in Nauvoo. After the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844, residents faced increased persecution and were compelled to depart for the West under the direction of Brigham Young.

In recent years many buildings have been restored or rebuilt. The town has Church workers at each building explaining what the building's history and function were. It's a functioning historic village now, much like Williamsburg, VA or Salem, NC.

Cheyney has ancestors who resided in Nauvoo. We were able to visit sites that where important to the Webb family.

We went to the building where members were instructed on preaching and Sam gave it a shot:

We visited where the Webb's worked as blacksmiths for residents of the city and built the covered wagons for the upcoming journey West:

We also went to the Cemetery where two of Cheyney's ancestors were buried:

Part 3: St. Louis, MO

2010-10-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

We were so lucky to get to stay with my cousin Jared, Kirsten and family. They are now living in St. Louis and we haven't seen them for about 4 years! Their kids have grown so much. It was so wonderful to have quality time with them. We got to see them all play soccer games, eat St. Louis pizza and carve pumpkins.

At the St. Louis Arch

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Ethan, Adara and Zachy playing soccer

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Sam got lots of love and attention.

Royal pumpkin carving

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Sam during the pumpkin carving.

Awesome jackolanterns

Jared and I did the werewolf for Zach. I was pretty impressed!

Daddy and son bonding while watching BYU/TCU football game. Even though BYU is having a tough season, it looks like we have a new BYU fan.

From Collages

I love my cousins!

Part 2: Springfield Illinois

2010-10-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Next we headed to Springfield to visit Ryan's former supervisor, Christine, Bob and Will. The last time we saw her, she was 8 months pregnant with Will. Now we both have little guys that hit it off perfectly, as you can tell.

Then we went to the Lincoln Museum. It was full of artifacts, wax figures, and interactive movies. It even had the gloves he wore when he was assassinated (with blood spots). We also went to his grave site. What a wonderful president.

*please note Sam's onesie courtesy of Aunt Wendy

Road trip: Dayton, OH

2010-10-26T05:55:00.000-07:00

Our first stop on our trip to Colorado was to visit Logan, Patrick and Ayden. They have just moved there for Patrick's dentistry residency. It was wonderful to spend time with them and to go to the US Air Force museum

Ayden is 14 months older.

Sam was definitely flirting with her.

Here is Sam with Sam 26000, Air Force One. The plane served for Presidents from Kennedy to Bush (41). It was on this plane that President Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office following the assassination of President Kennedy.

Posing under a stealth bomber

This is the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. It flew from Salt Lake.

Thanks Reillys!

I Can Roll Over

2010-10-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Marbles with Gabe

2010-10-01T03:50:00.000-07:00

Gabe and Sam are like peas and carrots.

We always have so much fun with Christy and Gabe. Gabe is so sweet with Sam and gives him hugs and points to his stinky toes. The other day we went to Marbles Museum. The last time I was at Marbles, I was going into labor with Sam and went into the hospital that night. It is fun to revisit it with little Sammers not kicking me from the inside.

Outerbanks

2010-10-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

Since we will soon be moving to Colorado, we decided to fit in a beach trip while we still can. We finally made it to the Outerbanks at Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills.

We got to see where the Wright brothers (Orville and Wilbur) did the first flight.

Here is the 180 pound, 12 horse power engine.

This is a replica of the plane. It weighed 600 lbs and had a wingspan of 40 feet. They flew it on Dec 17th 1903 at a speed of 6.8 mph.

Orville and Wilbur flew it 4 times that day ranging from 120 feet to 852 feet.

This is the place of take off and it shows markers of where they landed.

Sam's future is so bright... he has to wear shades.

Then we let Sam dip his toes in the ocean.

We also went to Roanoke Island which is best known for its historical significance as the site of Sir Walter Raleigh's attempt to establish a permanent English settlement in 1585 and 1587. The fate of the final group of colonists has never been determined. Stories about the "Lost Colony" have circulated for over 400 years while archeologists continue to work to resolve the mystery.

Here are the remains of their fort.

To end the trip we went to a seafood buffet and had all-you-can-eat CRAB LEGS. YUMMMMM!

BYU FSU

2010-09-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

While down in Tallahassee Dr. DR (Cheyn's Dad), Ridge, and I got to go to the BYU FSU game. I have been looking forward to this game since 2007 when I found out BYU would be playing close to Cheyney's parent's home. Ridge hooked up us with some tickets that were right behind the FSU bench at the 40 yard line. Ridge was such a sport. He really didn't have a dog in the fight but wore BYU blue (...and Gator shoes).

We all went tailgating before hand with some FSU boosters. Everybody was really nice and friendly, except for the occasional weirdo. Alcohol helps in the becoming weird process with some. We sat in the FSU section and everyone was really nice there too.

The stadium was awesome. It had 88k seats. There was a giant bronze sculpture out front with real flames coming from the top of the spear. The stadium was huge with giant jumbo trons and lots of pageantry. The stadium was an awesome temple to college football.

Inside the FSU band, and the horsemanship of the mascot were great.

Now on to the game. Great second quarter, but BYU has a lot to grow and rebuild this year. The temperature was 95 degrees and just when I thought I couldn't take the heat anymore, shade fell on the side on which we were sitting. I was very glad we went; it was a fun experience.

Sam's adventures in Bainbridge

2010-09-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time with the Harpers. The girls adored Sam.

They are going to be such great big sisters to the TWINS !!!

It is so cool that Sam will soon get 2 new best friends!

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Coby-James tucked Sam into bed with all of his furry friends.

Shelby and Bay helped keep Sam cozy too.

Where's Sam?

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Sam also had a blast with my mom and dad.

Sam likes to show off all of his cute faces.

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One of Sam's favorite things to do is take a bath.

My mom and dad loved every minute.

And here is Sam with one of his girlfriends, Sara. She is 3 weeks older than Sam. I know they knew each other in heaven because when they first saw each other they just stared and then Sam smiled and Sara reached out and held his hand. Pretty sweet.

From Collages

Screaming Contest

2010-09-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

And the winner is.....

RYAN

Welcome Fall!

2010-08-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

One week till the start of BYU's football season. Every year I like to use a post to predict how BYU will do this year, and talk about the team we follow. I've loved BYU since I was a kid, Cheyn enjoys some games, and Sam is being raised right, so we got a family full of Cougar fans.

This year I am actually headed to a road game in Tallahassee, where BYU will take on Florida State. I have been looking forward to this for years and our friend Ridge hooked me up. Can't wait! Dr. Dr. (Stan) will also be in attendance.

This has been an interesting year for BYU. They are coming of their fourth season of being ranked in the top 25, and beat three ranked teams last year. Their top RB, QB, and All-American TE from last season all went to the NFL. The offseason has had some interesting twists and turns. The University of Utah has been invited to the Pac 10. Currently BYU has been mulling over going Independent, so the fans can actually watch more games and BYU can get more money and a better schedule.

This season's team should be young and talented, but a bit inexperienced. BYU is known for their potent offense and history of QB's, and there is competition this year to who starts at that position. This will probably be the main plot line this season. Most predict the Freshman QB Jake Heaps to be in charge of the offense by the end of the season. The Defense should be better than usual this year. They are well coached and BYU has an excellent history of consistent achievement, so don't expect BYU to fall off much this year.

Last year I predicted a 11-2 BYU and was right on. This year, I think BYU will still do well, but more in the neighborhood of 9-10 wins including the bowl game. FSU and TCU should be the toughest opponents and they may slip up somewhere else along the line, probably at the start of things.

So were ready for another fun season of following and cheering for our Alma Matter.

Sammy's trip to SLC

2010-08-21T06:49:00.000-07:00

Sam thoroughly enjoyed his travels because he got to get lots of snuggles from

FAMILY

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and FRIENDS

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Sam asked me to apologize to many for the accidental spit up or poop. Even though he is advanced, he hasn't quite gotten his bodily fluids under control as of yet.

2 month vaccinations

2010-08-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

OUCH!

A Few Baby Tricks

2010-07-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

for your enjoyment:

Paraumbilical hernia

2010-07-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a post that has HERNIA in the title?

Ryan has had a paraumbilical hernia for several months now. The downside of it was that it was slightly painful and it had a risk for infection. The upside was that he got out of moving families in and out of our ward with our church.

He went to the doctor who recommended surgery. I had the brilliant idea to wait until the baby was born so he could have more time off at home with our little Sam. Little did I know that I would be having surgery too (a C-section) and we would have similar restrictions with lifting and both be on pain medications. Luckily my mom would be coming to lend a hand to take care of me, the baby AND Ryan. We joked that we would have different sounding bells to let her know when we were ready for meds and lunch. She was game for anything as long as she got to be with Sam. Luckily for her, I healed quickly from the C-section.

My mom watched Sam while Ryan and I went to Duke Hospital for his out patient surgery. Ryan's main concern was getting his IV as he is very squeamish when it comes to needles. He did a great job and I got to kiss him in pre-op before he was wheeled away. As they were wheeling him off, the anesthesiologist gave him some medication "that was like Jack Daniels." Ryan said, "Well, I am Mormon and don't drink so this is the best I can get."

I waited patiently while he was in surgery. It was too small for it to be laproscopic but they did need to intubate him as the surgery was in the abdomen. He ended up with a few stitches and a new INNY belly button.

I came back to post-op room to see Ryan coming off the anesthesia. He was a HOOT. He was acting completely manic. He was yelling, "DUKE SUCKS. I know, I work here!" He was telling the nurse from Ohio State that she should have gone to BYU. He said, "What do you mean you don't know about BYU? It was #12 last year in football. Ty Detmer played for BYU."

When the docs made their rounds to see how Ryan was doing, I asked if he would be able to pick up the baby. They asked how big the baby was. Ryan said, "My baby is FAT. We need to put him on Adkins."

He was very entertaining. I wish I brought my video camera.

He has healed nicely and has returned to work.

Sam I Am

2010-07-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

This little munchkin is delicious in every way. Kudos to our good friend, Andra, who took these photos.

More Baby Pictures: One Month Old Edition

2010-07-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

Sam has been around for a month now and we sure are enjoying him. He's healthy and happy. He weighs ten and a half pounds now. He can turn around his head to follow his mommy's or daddy's voice. He can grab items. He also has learned how to punch himself in the face and pull his own hair until he cries. He loves taking a bath and we are starting to see what we guess are purposeful smiles. Miss Mindy (Cheyney's Mom) has been here and has been a real help.

Baby Pictures

2010-07-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

Were settling in to being new parents, learning to sleep when we can and loving to be around our little guy

Back Home From the Hospital

2010-06-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some more shots of our cute little guy. We came home from the hospital yesterday and is doing great. Mom is recovering and does a good job trying to keep up with his sleep schedule. Dad just tries to be useful.

Here is another shot of our guy happy to strech out at home:

Here is a video I took minutes after birth I was able to upload:

Video of Sam's first day

2010-06-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

We love our little boy! Click on SAM or cut and paste address.

Sam

http://animoto.com/play/CShmCuPYyD1TOC74cwRZUA

Thanks to Andra Willis!

Our New Blessing

2010-06-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

5:56 pm yesterday

8 lbs 12 oz

22.5 inches

Samuel Packard

Cheyney and Ryan love their son.

April's visit

2010-06-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, April Giddens, came to visit this last week. April and I have been friends since the beginning of time. My parents took us to her house in the middle of the night when my mom went into labor with Brady. April taught me how to drive a golf cart when I was 8. She let me borrow her brother in 11th grade when I didn't have a date for Prom. She was my roommate at BYU my 2nd year. Now, she drove to Raleigh to distract me during my last few weeks of pregnancy. It is so great to have such a wonderful life long friend with so many inside jokes. We had a wonderful time even though I am not very active (on the verge of disabled). This time last year, we were doing a triathlon together. Here we are in our matching shirts from the race. HAHAHA. YIKES. I am surprised I can still fit in mine.

Thanks for the visit, Ape.

Work baby shower

2010-06-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

It is really amazing to see the love and support we receive during this exciting time of our life.
Work threw a baby shower for us at Olive Garden. I got to bring Ryan so he could meet my co-workers.
Here are some pictures:

Goodbye Lost

2010-05-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

I started watching Lost before the second season started. This cute girl I went to church with recommended it and I got hooked on the the girl and the show. Our relationship won't end after six seasons, but we are sad that the television show will.

I have to say I just think it is an awesome show. It reminds me of other shows I loved as a kid like the Twilight Zone and Quantum Leap. It is a great a mixture on Action and Sci-Fi. It's not too deep and not to shallow. It pays off for those that watch it.

If I find a movie I like, it's only two hours of enjoyment, or maybe four or six if it has sequels. What's nice about Lost is that it's a 120 hour movie that I really like.

One day I will have to do something like this. Farewell Lost. Can't wait for the finale and you will be missed.

Nesting

2010-05-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

More baby stuff.
I am nesting and it is getting exhausting. Luckily, I don't do it as much on work days because I am too exhausted. But for the last three Saturdays, I have woken up from 4-6 a.m ready to clean, clean, clean.

I almost feel like it is a mental illness. I have been crawling around wiping off baseboards, moving furniture, dusting blinds, tidying closets, vacuuming and armor-alling cars. Not to mention, I make multiple trips to Target, Ross and Walmart every Saturday to make sure we have baby supplies. Ryan asked if he could help and I said, "SAVE YOURSELF!!!"

I have 5 more weeks and feel like I will be totally worn out if I keep this up before the baby. My plan for the next five Saturdays is to lay by the pool, read Entertainment Weekly, and drink some lemonade. Hopefully, I can stick to that.

New Mom Advice

2010-05-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

While at the baby shower, each person wrote down some new mom advice.

Some good ones included:

-Keep a journal

-Wash under fat folds

-Buy a good camera

-Whatever attitude you have (about anything) your children will mirror. So beware.

-The best parenting advice comes from the scriptures, Ensign, Holy Ghost and Heavenly Father so dont read Parenting magazines.

-Let it go. Just let it go, it's not worth it!

-If you need medication, use it.

-Beware of expectations, they only bring disappointment.

-Boys are hyper (usually)and it is normal. Dont worry too much about lost teeth, broken bones, and blood. It will all heal.

- Imagine your child as who he will someday become, even during tantrums.

- Triple paste- the best diaper rash ointment

I was hoping you could give me some New Mom advice too.

Baby Shower!!!

2010-05-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

A friend from church threw me a baby shower. She invited all of the ladies I knew and all of the girls I taught in primary. It was so fun having a baby shower with kids there. They have been such a big part of the excitement as one class of 8 year olds would pray and fast for me to get pregnant! They put on a skit at the end of the shower about us having our little boy.

Weekend with the Reillys

2010-05-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

If you really know me, then you have probably heard about the Barbers and maybe even seen one of our infamous Thanksgiving videos. Growing up in South GA, we didn't have cousins close by but we did have the Barbers. Last weekend, I made it down to Ft. Lauderdale for an overdue visit with Logan (now Reilly) and Jillian (now Talbot). It was so great to get to know their husbands better and meet Logan's now one year old, Ayden. Ayden melted my heart and made me excited to have one of my own.

Here are a couple of pictures. Ayden looks JUST LIKE Logan to me. I am unable to load the video of Ayden doing the hand motions to "Itsy Bitsy Spider". She is such a smarty. What a wonderful time! I just we still lived 45 minutes away like the good ol' days.