Tay grow up SO fast...

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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.