The Shumway Family

'10 Powell Pics

2010-10-01T22:41:00.004-06:00

Peaceful Chaos???

2010-03-30T14:18:00.009-06:00

After putting Brighton and Lexi down for a nap, I decided to lay down and rest for a minute. Taylor began to scratch my back and while doing so whispered "I love you, mom". It's moments like that, that make my whole soul smile. While laying down I began reflecting upon what a sweet age all my girls are at.

I am the first to admit that most of the time things at my house seem loud, chaotic, unpredictable, and FULL of emotion. There are plenty of days when I wonder what I was thinking having 3 kids so close together. Those are the days that make me appreciate what my mother went through with six of us.

However, there are moments that are so blissful I wish my kids would stay this sweet and innocent forever. Today I was trying to teach Brighton how to smell flowers. I would get close to them and sniff, and then let her try. Every time, she would just burst out laughing the most adorable giggle I could ever wish for. It was the kind of laugh that I wish I could push a repeat button to listen to all day long. This week she learned to say "uh oh" and how to wave good-bye. Just thinking of her makes me so happy.

Lexi is at the age most would call "the terrible two's". I would beg to differ. Yes, she throws the usual tantrum now and then as I would expect, but her pretty blue eyes make even her tantrums seem cute at times. Her angelic face and little high voice have a way of melting me. She LOVES to sing, and I am under the impression she may be musically talented. She is getting lots of practice belting her voice from yelling "MOM!!! I WOKE UP!!!" every morning over and over again in her crib. I can tell that having all boy cousins and friends is rubbing off on her a bit because today she drew a picture of a robot.

Taylor is getting easier to manage by the day. She is my little artist. She colors pictures like they are coming into style. It amazes me how emotionally intelligent she can be. She is always so quick to comfort anyone that needs some TLC . . . especially if it's Brighton. She talks about Jesus quite a bit, and often says pretty profound things. The other day she told me matter of factly "Jesus catches us when we fall". With her big brown eyes, dimple, and raspy voice, I worry about the dating years.

Keep in mind that I always seem to love them more when they are asleep . . . and right now 2 of the 3 are napping. So for now . . . I will just enjoy the very limited quite time I have to remind myself that I do love being a mother.

He liked it, and put a ring on it!

2009-06-09T14:20:00.010-06:00

Have you ever seen the movie Enchanted? Don't you think my beautiful little sister looks just like a Princess in her wedding dress? My sister Heather and Kellen were married on Saturday, June 6th at the Salt Lake temple. It was seriously so awesome to see her be sealed to her Eternal Companion, Kellen Pead. They have been dating ever since she was 16, which was 4 years ago. He is such an awesome guy, and we are happy to have him in the family!

Their reception was on Friday night at the gardens in Thanksgiving Point. It felt more like a big party because they had a sweet band playing and we just danced like crazy the last hour. It was seriously so much fun!

Burning one down

2009-05-31T16:41:00.004-06:00

We may not have grass in the back yard yet, but don't worry . . . we have a fire pit! Khyl made this magnificent rock fire pit about a week ago, and we have already had a few awesome fires in it. We do have plans to put some other fun things in our yard, but this will have to do for now. =)

This is Taylor, Lexi, and Hailey enjoying the serene warmth of the burning wood.

Brighton Kylee Shumway

2009-05-19T14:09:00.009-06:00

Brighton was born around 2 pm on April 21st, although she was not due until the 24th. She weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was 19 and 1/2 inches long. She has been such a precious addition to our family, and we are so grateful for her!

A cute girl from our Provo ward names Kaitlyn Janis took some awesome photo's the day before Brighton was born, then came to our house when she was 9 days old and took the adorable newborn shots. I am so happy with how they turned out! Thanks again Kaitlyn!

Halloween Fun!!!

2008-11-06T13:55:00.023-07:00

I love Halloween! I love the costumes, the decorations, the crisp fall air, and of course the candy! Here are a few photos of our celebrations . . .

My friend Kara through an AWESOME pirate party. She had bandanna's and eye patches for everyone, a fun drink bar, yummy treats, carmeled apple decorating, and every pirate decoration you can possibly think of! Thanks again Kara!

Khyl and I took the girls to the Barnyard Boo at Thanksgiving Point. I was definitely impressed! I think we will have to make it a tradition. They had tons of games, pony rides, a clown making balloons, and cookies. We even went on a wagon ride where we saw a headless horseman!

Khyl and I went to an awesome Halloween party at Jeff and Stacy Wilding's house. Khyl was dressed like Rex Kwon Do from Napoleon Dynamite, and I was Starla. I am always amazed at the awesome costumes that people come up with. We had a super yummy dinner, and the scariest scavenger hunt I have ever been on. The destinations were chosen from real locations of tragic and scary events. For example, we had to go to the spot where a teen girl's body was found after being murdered by Ted Bundy. A girl in our group had to lay down in the spot in the fetal position and we had to get a picture to prove it. Is that not the creepiest thing ever??? I haven't been that scared in a long time. It was seriously was tons of fun!

Translation

2008-11-06T13:47:00.004-07:00

Once upon a time there was an elmo seat it said "ha dee ha dee". It was singing crazy. And so he got into his red car and flew. And there was a ghost that saw Elmo and it said "ooo ooo". And it was so scary. He said "Oh no, I'm scared of the wind. Lock the door!". And so, the ghost opened it and it was just Eszmarelda. So he was saying "Oh, oh no. It's not scary". So he flew in his red car and he layed down, he layed down, and it was a Ghost. It was Santa. He found his pink pillow.

Taylorese - Taylor's Halloween Tale!!

2008-10-30T21:39:00.005-06:00

Can you speak Taylorese??? I am in my 3rd year of learning it, and still am not completely fluent. Go ahead . . . give it a try.

I'll give the translation for her scary Halloween story in a couple of days, but I'd like to see if anyone can even understand a portion of her story.

Good luck!

Inspirational Slideshow

2008-10-29T21:02:00.005-06:00

I thought y'all should check out this beautiful slide show while it is still online. I fell in love with the music, and bought the c.d (which is rare for me to do, but I love it!). Enjoy!

http://mabrystudios.typepad.com/reflections_of_christ/

"I WANT MY WIFE TO HAVE YOUR BABY!!"

2008-09-23T19:50:00.000-06:00

So, we love Jack Johnson.

We went to his concert last month and it was so cool. Getting general admission 'pit' tickets landed us front and center and about 12 people from the stage. Between songs I found myself really opening up to him. I yelled "jack, you own me," "don't quit now, jack," and other funny things that had the group around us chuckling and giggling - but no reaction from the band.

Well, I decided I needed to pull something out of my hat that would really get a reaction from jack himself. I opened up my mouth and it just came to me: "I want my wife to have your baby." It got a lot of laughs from all our new friends standing around us as jack johnson started into his song "same girl."

He was only a couple lines into the song when he quit, looked down, and said with a big smile on his face "I just messed up because of what you just yelled." It was so great!" Then he told the rest of the audience of 20,000 "so this guy up here just yelled 'i want my wife to have your baby,' and i was tryin' to play the song, but then i started thinkin' about it - and i messed up the words..."

At that point i grabbed shelly's legs at her knees and lifted her up so he could see her. Her new claim to fame is that, when he looked at her, he said "you're lovely." Isn't that awesome? He such an amazing guy. And he's a gentleman, too - if i were him I would've taken me up on the offer! Maybe he thinks we were in it just for the child support or something.

Anyway, in case you don't know us, it was a joke. AND, if you do know us and haven't heard, shelly is actually prego with baby number three for us!!! Due April 24th so if you're a guy that means we don't know if it's a 'princess' or a 'prince' in tay talk.

Lots of fun - life is great - we love all of you.

- Khyl

Viva Las Vegas!

2008-09-15T22:15:00.007-06:00

Every now and then Khyl has work conventions in Vegas. Sometimes I decide to tag along and take advantage of the free hotel stay. So, that's what we did last weekend. His employers always put him in the same hotel, which is, The Golden Nugget. My favorite part is that it has an amazing pool. It even includes a waterslide that goes through huge fish tank with shark! Taylor and Lexi absolutely LOVE it.

This was not a posed shot. Lexi had this smile on her face almost the whole 2 hours we swam!

This is the official 'Golden Nugget'. It's the largest golden nugget on display in the world.

Beauty and the Beast

2008-09-15T21:40:00.005-06:00

I have the coolest next door neighbors. Because we live in college town, we have singles on both sides. I have made good friends with the girls who live to the south of us. About a week ago, Daphni called to take Taylor on a date. I ended up going along as well because it was to see 'Beauty and the Beast' perform in a play on Center Street. It was seriously so much fun! Taylor absolutely loved seeing Bell perform in person. She sat wide eyed and amazed the entire time. At the end she told me she wanted to be freinds with Bell, so we took her up to meet her. I think it made her year!

September Fools

2008-09-04T21:46:00.005-06:00

Let me start by apologizing for the 2 year gap in blogs. I really have no good excuse . Let's be honest . . . is there a good excuse? Anyway, there really has been so much that has occurred since Father's Day. Lexi started crawling about a month ago. Taylor learned to ride her first bike. Khyl sold the website he built to the owners of the company he works for. Lexi got her first teeth (four of them!). Taylor really does have some nice bones in her body as she grows out of the terrible two's. I got a small job that I bring Tay and Lexi to. Khyl broke 3 ribs, and I am pregnant with twins!
Okay, so the last two were just to see if you were paying attention. They are false. However, I will strive to be much more diligent in my posts. Life moves to quickly to just skip over a few months!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

2008-06-15T16:34:00.004-06:00

Thanks for being the perfect Daddy that you are, Khyl! We love you!!!

So, lets be honest, we have all fallen asleep at church a time or two, but I feel this is crossing the line. Today in church Taylor and Lexi completely zonked out! I just had to get a picture of it because this has never happened before. Taylor was not feeling well, so she has a good excuse. But the fact that Lexi was out too just topped it all off.

Camping

2008-06-15T16:22:00.005-06:00

Friday we went camping with some friends up Spanish Fork Canyon and had a great time! Taylor even woke up crying "I like camping, I like camping" in the middle of the night. I don't know if she was just trying to convince herself, or what, but we really do like camping.

Baby Boot Camp

2008-06-15T15:50:00.005-06:00

Taylor is still in the process of putting Lexi through Baby Boot Camp. As you can see from this video clip, Lexi is completely desensitized to any type of fear or pain. She is such a good sport!

My claim to fame!

2008-05-09T14:38:00.009-06:00

This morning my siblings and I decided to go be part of the David Archuletta fan crowd at Gateway Mall- and ended up on the front page of myfoxutah.com! We somehow talked my little brother Nate into wearing the 'heart' shirt to be funny. He is such a good sport. The picture is of us and 3 of Holly's friends. Pretty crazy huh?

From left to right: Holly's friend, my sister Holly, my bro Nate, my sis Heather, Holly's friend, Me, my sis Steph, and Critter. Then in the front row: Lexi (no- she's not suffocating and that's not a diaper bag on her face), and Steph's baby, Phoenix.

The one and only . . . Bumbo!

2008-04-15T18:41:00.002-06:00

This is my latest favorite purchase. My sister Steph introduced the Bumbo to be and I have been in love ever since! It is like an extra set of hands. I think I have spoiled Lexi with how much I hold her, and setting her in this bad boy is pretty much the only way I can put her down. Highly Recommended!

He's like . . . this guy!

2008-04-15T16:32:00.011-06:00

I am told that when Khyl was a little boy he was always taking things apart to see how they worked or trying to fix something. As a result, the Shumway family ended up with many broken objects. Well, the tables have been turned and he can basically repair or do anything it seems. Here are just a few of the fun things that he fixed lately.

This is a vending machine that we acquired about 4 years ago from a Zions Bank that I worked at. It was sitting in the basement, and I was told that it worked, but the key was missing. They gave it to me, and I had a key made, but it just didn't work right. Then, last night Khyl fixed it! We are so excited to have this addition to our game room (actually the garage). Thanks to Matt and Amy Beatty, who helped make it possible, and Jerom who discovered that it was fixed after we thought all hope was lost.

Khyl also "fixed" my hair. Yes, that's right, he highlighted my hair last Thursday. At first it was against his will, but he did such a great job, he is my new hair stylist. Seriously though, is that not the prime example that Khyl really can do or fix anything? He is one talented guy!
Thanks for all you do Khy!

Tay grow up SO fast...

2008-04-06T22:31:00.004-06:00

You know what they say, right? Well, I'm beginning to realize they're right. "I know from first-hand experience - if you know what I mean."

Anyway, we had a great conference weekend and I got to spend some awesome time with the fam damily. Here are some of the highlights:

Tay & Lex's first sister bathtub pics:

Happy 6 months, LeXi!!!

Saturday evening Daron and I went to priesthood together. We may not be the most productive duo when it comes to things like that, but we sure did have fun! Daron found a woman's churchy levi jacket in the lost-and-found and wore that half the time. I took phone-video of a kid who kept falling asleep. His head bobbed up and down and up and down- prob. 5 times in the 30 second video (and for about 5 min. before and after that)! After, we went to eat at Macaroni Grill and I got in trouble with the waitress when I tried to mess up her handwriting when she wrote her name on the table. She was appalled.

On Sunday morning we had breakfast at Matt and Amy's. That was awesome because I ate soo much food and it was all delicious. (Thinking about it now makes michelle's mouth water.)

Sunday dinner at grandma and grandpa's:

We've actually got three daughters: Taylor, Lexi, and Madison- Tay's doll. Madison is like Tay's Amex: she never leaves home without it (TM).

And here is a sweet Shumway picture from a couple months ago when we hit up Cali with Ben and Steph:

(Shelly is an INCREDIBLE surfer)

Sweet Words

2008-03-26T15:57:00.008-06:00

It's crazy to me how much life seems to change day to day. It seems like I was a care free kid just yesterday. Yet, it seems like it would take a life time to incur all the things that have happened since then. Everyday I am amazed at how much Taylor learns and grows. She has been saying the cutest things lately. For example, here is a breakdown of a conversation I had with her today.

Me: Oh Taylor, why did you spill all your princess hairspray? (actually detangler)
Tay: Because I just love you
Me: Now it's all gone
Tay: Let's just say a happy prayer
Me: If you're really good today, maybe we can buy you some more. We need to buy you some new shoes today too. What store do you want to go to?
Tay: Ummm, a pink store.

Kind-of a random conversation, but it was something like that. I have to admit, they are not always that nice. More often than not, there is a temper tantrum thrown. But those aren't worth blogging about. Anyway, I could post a new conversation everyday.

Khyl's mom MADE Easter dresses for Taylor and Lexi this year, and they turned out so cute. Taylor just loved the fact that she matched her "baby sissa".

P.S. I would like to dedicate this song to the Snow Girls

My girls

2008-03-15T21:48:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I'll come home after a long (or short) day of work, see my wife, and just think to myself "damn!" Yesterday and today were both days like that. So, today i got the camera and started taking pictures.

It was funny because usually Taylor doesn't like us to take pictures of just her, but once she saw mom posing for the camera, she was all about it.

Then Tay wanted to get Lex in on the action, too.

Lex wasn't too stoked about that until Tay gave her some treats. Then she was good to go.(She has a big grin between her fat cheeks here.)

Anyway, I sure do love my girls. Check out Taylor's smile (below and in the first two pictures). I don't know where she got it, but anytime we tell her to smile, this is what she comes up with!

I've been trying to get a good picture of it for quite a while now. It's actually more like a 2-year-old's best impersonation of a Chinese person than it is a smile. So she'll have that face for about 1 or 2 seconds, then she'll slowly open one eye and see if the picture has been taken or not (I've got a bunch of those). She's a weird one but hey, what did you expect from shelly and me?

Then here I am smiling like Taylor - this is our best family picture, yet (Lexi loves me best if you can't tell). We need to get family pictures soon so throw recommendations our way if you can.

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

2008-03-05T15:47:00.003-07:00

Yep . . . It hit us. We had a very unwanted visit from the flu that has been hitting everyone so hard. Last Thursday I was the first in the Family to get it, and it has now spread to both Taylor and little Lexi. It is so sad to see my sweet little babies so sick. At one point we tested Taylor with a fever of 105.5. So, the moral of the story is, if you have not caught this flu yet, do whatever you can to avoid it, because it is definitely something.

Five Stars

2008-02-20T15:45:00.005-07:00

I finished this amazing book about a week ago, and want to recommend it to anyone that is looking for a good inspirational read. Rarely am I able to finish a book, but I want to read this one over again! I love the way she adds so many supporting scriptures and quotes from General Authories and cool people like that. It definitely inspired me to be a better person.

Wish we all could be California girls!

2008-02-17T16:40:00.009-07:00

One thing Khyl and I have in common is that we are very spontaneous. The only way we know how to travel is spur of the moment. So far it has actually worked out pretty well for us. I remember growing up that is always how my dad loved to travel as well. He would sometimes tell us just hours before we left for vacations. I had packing down to under 10 minutes. Toothbrush, underwear, and a change of clothes.

You can imagine how much convincing it took to leave to California when Khyl came home from work last Saturday after a long, freezing cold day with the kids. Absolutely none. We left after church on Sunday the 10th, and returned home last Wednesday morning. It was alot of driving in such a short period of time, but as soon as I walked out of the hotel room Monday morning to see palm trees and feel the warm sun beat on my bare feet, it was all worth it. First thing in the Morning Taylor wanted to put on her swim suit and go swimming in the cold hotel pool. She ended up getting in the hot tub, which was actually leuk warm.

We then drove to Huntington Beach and hung out all afternoon while we took turns trying to surf on boards that we borrowed from my sister Stephanies Father-in-law. I seriously got wasted by the waves. It was Taylors first time seeing the ocean, and it was adorable how much she loved it. We told her that was where Ariel lived.

On Tuesday we went to Disneyland. We couldn't resist. Our hotel lobby had a big Micky Mouse in it, and as we were driving right by the borders of "It's a small world" ride, the temptation became too great to resist. The truth is, I think I enjoyed it more than Taylor. I thought she would go nuts when she saw all the Characters and stuff, but I think most of it was too over stimulating for her. Poor girl. I think it may have been a combination of being exhausted from the day before and feeling a little overwhelmed. She had a hard time getting over her fear of the Snow White ride and Pirates of the Caribbean. The last few hours of the day she enjoyed more as we sat together and watched the parade. She does still talk about it often though, so I like to think she really enjoyed herself. I know I did!

Discovery Gateway

2008-02-08T22:14:00.001-07:00

Yes, fake mucous really is coming out of that giant nose! After hearing nothing but great things about the Discovery Gateway Museum, we decided to try it out. Let's just say everything everyone said was right. It is absolutely incredible! We have been going about once a week for a few hours, and still have not seen it all. A six month pass for a family of 4 is only $60, which I think is a great deal. I love having a positive way for Taylor to get her energy out and learn so much at the same time. Sometimes I feel like I am just as entertained as her! They just opened a Sesame Street exhibit that is all about the body. Here are a few pictures from that section of the museum.

Tagged!

2008-01-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

I've been Tagged!!! A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. B: Each player answers the questions about themselves. C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 years ago - It seemed there wasn't a care in the world. I don't know if I knew what stress was. Speeding tickets and car crashes happened like every other week. Khyl and I met for the first time at one of my parties. =)

5 things on my to do list today - 1. Get Lexi and Taylor and Me dressed (check). 2. Work Out (no check). 3. Brow Wax Apt. on client (check). 4. clean (half check). 5. Post a Blog (check!!!)

Snacks I enjoy - Hot Cocoa (honestly, like 5 cups a day), Dreyers sugar free ice cream, CHOCOLATE, soda

What I would do if I was suddenly a billionair - pay alot of tithing, higher house cleaners, go on every vacation you can think of, leave annomous envolpes enclosed with $10,000 on really crappy cars.

3 bad habbits - chewing WAY too much gum, finishing peoples sentences, wearing flip-flops in the snow.

5 places I have lived - Alpine, Ephraim, Logan, Hawaii (twice), Provo

5 job I have had - hhmmmm . . . which ones should I choose? Abercrombie and Fitch, Cold Stone, Car salesman, Server at Chili's, golf cart girl at Thanksgiving Point, Math Aid for Timberline Junior High, Substitute Teacher, Zions Bank, Server at the PCC, Skills Trainer for Autistic kids, or Rocky Mountain Day Spa?

5 things people don't know about me - I love math and dancing crazy, I am a Royal Aggie, I dream of starting a sucessful business, I have been to jail.

Five people I am tagging
1. Natasha
2. Kara
3. Britney
4. Hallie
5. Julie

5 Years - Happy Anniversary Michelle!

2008-01-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Shelly,

Happy anniversary! That's right, I said it first this morning at midnight. I always do.

5 Years ago - right about now, actually - we were getting hitched. My, oh my, how time seems to fly. Last night I read some of my journal entries from when we were dating. I can't believe that you got cold feet. Thanks for taking a chance on me! I'd venture to say that your gamble has paid off. I mean, I haven't been the perfect husband, true, but we've had some good times, no doubt. Last night you said to me "think of all the stuff we've been through together- we've had so many changes." I thought a lot about that. Many of the biggest life changes we'll go through here in life have occurred in the 5 years since we wed. We've had a chance to experience so much together - good AND bad...

We had a baby
We climbed Mt. Timpanogas
You read the BOM for the first time
You got your first root canal
I finally quit a job using the whole two weeks notice thing
We lived in Hawaii
We bought a house - and refinanced it
We got into an intense lawsuit
I got promoted
You became a master esthetician
We lost our virginity
We've moved 6 times
I got in my first fender bender
We lived in a mansion
We surfed!
You lost your dad
You lost your brother
We fell in love
We became landlords
We had our first domestic dispute
I went on my first helicopter ride
I flipped a house
We sold that jeep
We lived in your mom's basement
We got married
Taylor said her first prayer
You went brown
We lost over $10k in an investment
I finally got over Nicole Hansen
We had another baby
I was in a plane crash
I survived a plane crash!
We had our first Christmas morning at home
We became parents
We started a business
I was in a bishopric
You started your first business
We sold that Camry
We went to Disneyland together
I cut my finger up really bad on the table saw
I built a website
We read the BOM together for the first time
Taylor broke her arm
You bought something on eBay
We went on our first cruise

Like two different-colored globs of Tay's Play-Dough, we've been , rolled, pulled, yanked, dragged, stretched, mashed & smashed into one. But we've been molded into something beautiful (that's mostly you).

I love you so much, Shelly. I can't imagine going through so much joy ever again. With you, though, i don't doubt I'm in for a surprise. I'm seriously excited to become famous country music stars. Once we've got our recording studio finished there'll be no stopping us!

5 Years and ready for 5 million more...

Make-up Artist?

2008-01-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me begin by apologising for my lack of posts lately. I really have no excuse. I am just going to leave it at that and repent by writing more often. I really am a big fan of this whole blog epidemic. It really is a great way to express feelings, share experiences, and view in on the lives of loved ones. Thanks to all of you who share your lives with us.

I have to share with you so of Taylor's latest pieces of Art. I really do believe in letting her express herself, even if it means having more things to clean up. Of course I have to draw the line somewhere, and sometimes she crosses the line when I am not paying attention.

Taylor got some make-up for Christmas from her cousin Ty. She absolutely loved the gift, and has already almost used all of it! It was just a few days after Christmas when I turned around to check on why Taylor was being so quiet in the car that I found this . . .

I try to let her know that she is beautiful the way she is, but she saw it fit to apply base all over her body to hide all her blemishes. I decided to let her finish her masterpiece, and cover her car seat too.

Then a few days later I found her practicing on Lexi. I ended up throwing the make-up away, but she somehow found it in the trash can, and repeated the make-up session just a few days later. Lexi actually seemed to like it. It was really cute watching her grin from ear to ear as slowly her face was almost completely covered in thick glittery goo. Little did I know that she would be sporting the glitter for the next few days.

Although there are some days that by the time evening comes, I feel like I have run a marathon, and about to have an emotional break-down, I really do love being a mom. All my work seems like nothing compared to the joy that I feel when my sweet little Taylor hugs me and says "your a good mommy" (as she has done a couple of times in the last few days).

Overflowing Blessings Bucket: Yo Gabba Gabba!

2007-11-18T22:29:00.001-07:00

Of all the blessings we've recently received, Yo Gabba Gabba! greatly engulfs the lot of them. Here's a teaser for those whove not tasted of the goodness:

Taylor is crazy. Previous to the blessing of Yo Gabba Gabba! being bestowed upon us, I would not hesitate to say the the longest she'd ever paid attention to the TV was 37 seconds max. I want to make it clear that we aren't really big fans of our kids being really big fans of TV; however, every parent deserves a bit of a break every now and then. This is honestly the only true break we've ever had. Taylor is nuts.

Anyway, for all you parents out there who have not had a chance to kick it with DJ Lance Rock and his five friends, I would really encourage you to tune into Nick Jr. every week day at 12:30 MST to partake of the goods.

I love fall!

2007-11-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

One thing Khyl and I often discuss is our love for the fall. There are so many wonderful things about it, and so many memories of it that have made me, well . . . fall in love with fall. I love the colorful leaves, on the trees, and on the ground. I love pulling out warm sweaters, and being able to wear my favorite hoodies again. I love Halloween, and watching how much Taylor now loves Halloween. I have also noticed how much love seems to always be in the air in the fall. Maybe it is because that is when Khyl and I fell in love 5 years ago. Whatever the reason, I will always love the fall.
Tay has an undying love for Lexi. I think, or at least hope, this is the start to a great friendship!

Tay was a big help in gathering leaves.

She smashed them in the trash can for me so they could all fit!

We love going to feed the ducks at the pond by BYU.
She loves chasing them around. It is soooo cute!

We went Trick or Treating with her cousins Seth and Jonah.

Little does Taylor know that I already ate half of her candy! =) Little Lexi was Arial for Halloween. Here you can see she is singing some of Arials hits.

Taylor loves her cousins!

Lexi Marie is Born

2007-10-08T22:35:00.000-06:00

October 3rd at 10:41 am, weighing in at 6 lbs. 14 oz. after 2 hours of effortless labor:

Donut Falls Hike

2007-09-05T16:28:00.000-06:00

This story dates back to August of 2003 when Khyl and I were in that completely "whooped" stage of dating. It must have only been like our 3rd date that we hiked Donut Falls up Big Cotton Wood canyon. Knowing there was a water fall at the top of the hike we packed our swim suits and washed our hair in the waterfall. The crazy things love makes you do, Ay? I will never forget the couple that we met at the beginning of the hike that asked "Are you guys married?" and Khyl's response of "not yet!" that hinted that he had already considered it. The man then said that he and his wife went on this hike when they were dating and now they had 4 boys together. So, if you are looking to jinks someone into marring you . . . this is the perfect date!

You may be thinking "This blog is soooo 5 years ago", but we actually do this hike every August as a tradition. Okay, so we missed one year, but don't you think that living in Hawaii is a pretty good excuse? So, here are the pictures of our latest venture.

Canyon Glen "JUICE AND JAM!"

2007-08-19T09:54:00.000-06:00

Come to Canyon Glen around 8 on Friday night.
The amphitheatre is at the north end.
Stay until 9:30 (or 10) and if you stay later it will be offensive.
We'll have drinks- or you can bring your own if you want to be picky like that.
Come prepared (or unprepared) to share your talents (or lack of talent) in the form of music, poetry, or a comedy bit.
Yes, you can dance if you want to.
Kids are welcome - everyone is welcome.

Friday night was the first ever JUICE AND JAM! (I thought of maybe naming it 'Singing and Soda' but that sounds even lamer that JUICE AND JAM! And yes, JUICE AND JAM! must always be in all caps followed by an exclamation point.)

On Friday evening Me, Shelly, and Tay went up to Canyon Glen park with Joe, Sienna, and River. When we were leaving to go up there I put a guitar in the car but had no idea how signifact an impact that single move would have on my life - and your life.

Me and Michelle and Sienna took turns getting up on stage at the deserted amphitheatre. We performed for eachother in an "open mic." fashion and it was freaking awesome. Then, revelation hit us like a serious 'smack-down:' do this every friday and invite everyone to come, too.

This Friday night (and every friday night until it gets too chilly, probably) we'll have an amp. and an open mic. with a light and we are going to have a butt-load of people there.

Finally potty trained!!

2007-08-17T23:55:00.000-06:00

Taylor is now "potty trained," but not in the traditional sense. What is that supposed to mean, anyway? I mean, are we not all pretty much trained to go potty from the moment we are born - or maybe even from the moment we're conceived! Tay has always know how to urinate; I have always known how to urinate. I can think of few things more primitive. Can't we call it toilet trained?

Tay isn't toilet trained. When I say she's potty trained I'm just saying that she knows how to go pee really well in the pool.

Bad hair days have never been so good

2007-08-12T10:23:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I went with Ben to drop off his motorcycle because he sold it to some chubby dude who we could tell had never been on a motorcycle in his life. I'm glad he insisted on test driving it then and there because it was the source of some good laughs.

As I was in Ben's car waiting for him to find the title to his motorcycle, I picked up his most recent read - The Secret Life of Bees. As I read the first few pages it was obvious that this was actually probably Steph's book (but for the purposes of this entry lets not rule out that Ben is a fairy-boy and really does like chick-books like "Twilight"). One sentence in particular stood out: "Little girls with messy hair don't have mothers" or something like that. I firmly disagree because Tay's mom probably does Tay's hair like 50 times a day. Regardless of how it gets messy, the fact still remains that lil TayTay has some of the wildest hair I've ever seen. This post is to highlight some of the hair that has produced some good laughs and some red faces for both me and shelly.

Sisters Weekend 2007!!!

2007-08-01T16:40:00.000-06:00

This story dates back to Fall Semester 2002 at Utah State University. It was my last semester of unmarried college life, and I must admit, my favorite. I felt like the luckiest girl ever to be living with such amazing roommates. Three of them were returned missionaries from the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania mission, namely Marie, Steph, and Brook. Well, I some how managed to squeeze my way into their friendship circle, and life has never been the same since!

Last year we decided to start what we call "sisters weekend". A tradition where once a year we get together for a weekend and reminisce of the good ol' days, and create new memories together. Last year it was held here in Provo, and this year we held it in L.A., where Brookie is currently living with her hubby Mike. Here is just a taste of some of the events that took place . . .

On Friday July 27th we went to the Jay Leno show shortly after arriving in L.A. and eating lunch at Taco Bell. It was so awesome to be so close to someone that always seemed so far away on T.V. I enjoyed seeing Jay more then his guest stars (Kevin James from Chuck and Larry, and some guy who swam long distance in the North Pole). Before the show it was fun to watch Marie who was one of about 6 people picked from the audience to do some dance on stage to kill time before the show started. She was one hot tamale! We were not allowed to take pics in there, so sorry for the lack of. After the show we went to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner, then walked around the beautiful City Hall. We then retired for the evening at Brookies beautiful home after chatting the night away.

The next morning we did a little (o.k., alot) of shopping at some of those stores that Utah seems to have neglected. I found a few fun things, including a skirt that I wear at least every other day.

After lunch we checked into our Hotel room, compliments of Marie. She had enough travel points to score us a room in the Marriott Hotel on Huntington Beach. Aaaahhhh, those beds are wonderful! After a little reeelaxation, we headed down to the beach where we roasted hotdogs and of course, made s'mores. mmmmmmmm. This was probably my favorite part of sisters weekend. Everything about it was perfect. It was so surreal to just sit on the sand next to our little camp fire eating gooey s'mores as the moon light shined down and the ocean serenaded us. Later that evening we went swimming and hot tubing at the hotel and had a Birthday celebration for Brookie. It was the type of day that could have been ended with "and we lived happily ever after".

Sunday morning we caught a 9:00 sacrament meeting at some random California ward. They actually served wine instead of water! Haha, but it was a pretty cool ward. We then decided to take full advantage of the free buffet breakfast back at the Marriott. Don't mind if I did make a perfectly crisp Belgian waffle topped with strawberries and syrup! My mouth still waters just thinking about it.

The rest of the afternoon we spent walking along Huntington Beach where there was actually a huge surf competition. If I would have known, I totally could have entered. I guess I will have to gain my fame and fortune some other way. But seriously, I just loved spending time with the sista's. They are always so fun and uplifting to be with. I feel like we are all a match made in Heaven. I am so grateful to have such inspirational friends. It was sad to see the vacation come to an end as we said our farewells at the airport. Now I can only dream of what fun adventures we will have at the next sisters weekend! Thanks girls!!!

Taylor Swift Shumway

2007-07-20T14:28:00.000-06:00

The Rocky Mountain Review

2007-07-20T14:24:00.000-06:00

The all-stars of the Utah Jazz and the Seattle Sonics came together for a clash of the titans. We were there: The Rocky Mountain Review.

Some say that Kevin Durant is the next Michael Jordan. Pfffttt - maybe a lazy Michael Jordan.

The Ref. really had it in for the Jazz so we were heckling him. "I HATE YOU REF! I WANT TO SEE YOUR BRAINS SMASHED ALL OVER THE COURT," I yelled. Some were appalled, most laughed- one girl peed a little bit in her pants.

Midnight Showing of Harry Potter

2007-07-11T15:27:00.001-06:00

I honestly planned to go to take pictures of all the OTHER people there who would be dressed up all crazy. As it turns out, Kellen dressed up in a Spiderman costume and it totally made the night unforgettable.

THANKS SPIDERMAN!!

Independence Day (no, not the movie)

2007-07-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

I've been waiting for Michelle to blog July 4th but she is just so lazy! Just kidding, sweetie!

I thought I'd copy Lauren on the photobucket slideshow thing -

In the morning we went to the parade and found a spot that was supposed to be reserved for the parade volunteers but nobody was there so we sat there. The parade was boring this year and our camera battery died so we only got like one picture.

In the evening we went to a bbq at my moms - she is a crazy good cook and this year she got so crazy. See the picture of my finger? It's looking pretty good, huh?

After we ate we just chilled for a little bit then headed over the THE CULDESAC OF FIRE!!! This is an annual celebration in my mom's neighborhood - it's pretty much the sickest block party around.

After dancing we watched the fireworks from the field. It was probably the most emotional fireworks show I've ever been witness to (except for Jackson Hole '03 - Dang, that was good).

Happy Birthday Marie!

2007-07-04T13:36:00.000-06:00

Intense Real Estate Dispute

2007-07-03T12:16:00.000-06:00

Every year the 4Th of July rings in with an incredible parade in Provo, Utah. It seems like every year the fight for a spot along old center street gets more and more intense. This year, my frustration has heightened.

We first tried to designate our spot in front of the old printing museum. We came back later that night and our blankets had been folded up and placed aside. Next, we tried on the corner just at the end of our street. The next morning, we found our blankets folded up and placed aside. At that point I wasn't too frustrated because there were still a few places remaining. Kudos to Michelle for going to extra mile so that the third time, nobody would steel our place. She went and bought string - red - and stakes, and hammered them into the ground in front of Far West Bank. The next morning, the stuff was still there. "It worked!" we thought. Later on this afternoon, however, the stakes had been removed and replaced with a 'customer appreciation' sign for Far West Bank - below it was a sign that said "this spot reserved for the [loser-face] family.

I can't begin to describe how angry I am at this whole situation. Am I just way off base here or is this something that would make most of you mad, too. I mean, come on, where is the decency, here? Could any of you justify removing somebody else's stuff and replace it with yours? That's the kind of thing that will send a man straight to Hell, in my opinion.

Shame on you, Far West Bank - shame on you everyone else who has ever stolen someone else's spot.

our first video blog post

2007-07-03T08:58:00.000-06:00

Taylorsville Days - Yes, we're white trash, too.

2007-07-01T15:40:00.000-06:00

I told .Michelle that out of all the summertime festive carnivals we could attend, its interesting that we never fail to make time for the most ghetto of them all- Taylorsville Days.

At one point I went to get a drink at the drinking fountain and got in line behind who I can only assume was a mother- with her two little girls. When they couldn't figure out how to turn on the dinking fountain, the mother pointed it out for them: "Right here, you bumsh-ts!" It was then that i realized I was in the company of giants- about 4000 of them.

Each year, Michelle's Aunt Marge has a 'come one, come all' celebration at her house. She lives right next to Taylorsville park where all the fun takes place. The evening begins with Sloppy Joes. Mmmmmmm (I put potato chips on mine). We were supposed to bring our own drinks but didn't. I was so grateful to Grandpa Dee for bringing a cooler full of grocery-store-brand sodas - I grabbed a grape! I'm guessing he got them at Kohlers because I'd seen him there earlier that day. I avoided him, then, which I should've done when we got to aunt Marge's because I was holding Tay when we saw him and she has never squeezed me so tight! She wrapped her arms and legs around me and scrambled to somehow get closer to me and far, far away from this man who could not have been scarrier had he been dressed in a wasp costume.

At nine we walked over to the park with everyone and layed out our blankets in prep for the fireworks. A lot happened in the hour prior to them beginning but it'll be enough for me to just say that I honestly think that Kellen is on cocaine (not that I was ever on cocaine, but i told Michelle that's exactly how I acted before my mission) and that Texas Twister has iced tee in it.

The fireworks began and it was a glorious show. We danced and had a blast!

This was typed with the five fingers of my left hand and my right-hand thumb.

Taylor is attacked by KILLER BEES!!

2007-07-01T10:15:00.000-06:00

Khyl and I were enjoying a lovely luncheon after my cousin's baptism yesterday. We thought lil' Tay would be fine on the gigantic playground in my uncles yard, but with Taylor we should have known better. We heard her crying excessively hard and went running to find she had discovered a wasps nest under a slide. She had been stung by the little devils 8 times!

She was such a good sport as we covered each sting in mud to soothe the pain and draw out the sting. Poor Taylor!