Summer '11

I am finally able to sit down for a few minutes, so I thought that I would put a post on this dormant blog of ours. Funny how life has a way of getting away from you. I am shocked that our lazy summer has come to an end. The boys are back in school and the race has begun.

The first stop on our summer vacation was a trip down to Alamosa, CO to the Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park for some R&R. We camped with three other families. We had a great time until the wind picked up and tore out campsite apart. It was fairly difficult to enjoy the enormity of the sand dunes while the wind whipped and sand blasted out legs. The little girls didn't have fun....at all. The most exciting part was when we took a road that had a sign with a gentle suggestion on it. "Point of no return" should have been a clear statement that vehicles without 4x4 should not venture down. We ended up getting stuck in the sand. I jumped out and began jumping on the back end of the pickup to aid in traction. It only helped for about 50 yards. After about 20 minutes of work and sweat and maybe some cussing, we were able to get up and out without needed to walk to get the ranger to winch us out. Best memory of the trip by far!!

Next, we we able to have a fun addition to our family for about 10 weeks to share our summer with. Our nephew, Bryce, moved out here to kill some time before he shipped off on his mission. (He reported yesterday in Provo and will then go off to Oklahoma City, OK for 2 years!) Bryce arrived on June 6th and June 7th he had a full time job detailing cars at the Dodge dealership down the road. Bryce was an instant celebrity around here and the kids' favorite two words were, "hey, Bryce!" He was a good sport and played with the kids whenever they called for him.

Twice in July we ventured to Elitches in Denver, which is an all in one water and amusement park. We went up with our good friends, the Welch's. The first time we went the clouds came in, as they tend to do here in CO, and the lightning began. We ended up leaving the park but were reimbursed by the park to come again for free. The kids were thrilled that we decided to go up the next Monday. We conquered some fears and I for one realized that my tolerance for roller coaster isn't great. I never lost my lunch but came close several times.

Barry was able to hit the links quite a few times this past summer. He was even able to improve his score and come out with a decent amount of pars.

Our summer ended on Aug 2 when the boys went back to school. Every year I have mixed feelings about how short the summer is. The kids are usually ready to go back to school, but it's still so darn hot that I feel like we should be out playing in the water and having no cares, like homework. However, it is nice to be back into routines, though we still live in organized chaos.

On Aug 9, Bryce and I flew to Oregon for his mission farewell and his sister Danielle's wedding. It was a blast to be there for such fun milestones in the Shumway family's life. Barry and the kids were terribly disappointed that there weren't able to go as well, so in an effort to have our family represented, the burden fell on my shoulders. Bryce and I had way too much fun on our "world tour" as we called it. We left from Denver to Salt Lake to Portland to Medford. We laughed till we cried and I'm sure other people thought we were bananas.

While in Ashland I was put to work on wedding preparations. There were lots of chores to complete before the party and when it was all said and done the wedding and reception were beyond gorgeous. It resembled something from a wedding magazine done by a famous designer. The other part of the trip was to support Bryce as he went through the temple prior to leaving on his mission. It was a wonderful night and I'm grateful for Barry in allowing me to have that opportunity.

All in all it was a fantastic summer and we look forward to what this year has in store for our family and the growth it brings. Each of the kids are doing great and such a joy to us.

Liza turned 4!

Payton turned 7!

Taking the sign more seriously now!

Briley and Sienna after a fresh haircut

Wrestle time with cousin Bryce

Payton and Jared on their first day of 2nd and 4th grade

During a rain storm. Normally we can't play in the rain because of lightning but there was none today!

The last night with Bryce

Looking like a missionary

Andrea and Danielle Cordani at the reception

Potty Training

After one week of encouragement, treats and dedication the twins are potty trained!! It was pretty amazing how quickly they caught on and love wearing panties. They cheer for each other when they go and even give naked hugs when they both finish. I was always a little scared of training two at a time but they have been really easy and in fact, I think that having two is more beneficial than one.

I'm also thrilled that I'll never have to purchase another package of diapers!! YIPPEE!! Way to go, twinners!

Super busy!

We've had a busy end of 2010 and an even busier start to 2011. Just before Thanksgiving, I was hired at AAHS to be a cheer coach. Liza, Sienna and Briley love going to practice and getting to hang out with the cheerleaders at games. It's been a crazy schedule to keep with practices but games are a cinch because we are always there anyway for Barry's basketball games.

The twins turned two! It was a day celebrated in spurts with only one parent in attendance at a time due to basketball and cheer practice. Briley and Sienna are so much fun! They have fantastic personalities and talk....a lot! They are independent and love to do everything on their own. Their favorite food is bananas, to which we go through about 36 every 2-3 days. They love to play dress-up with Liza and hide closets and cupboards throughout the house. My most favorite thing is when they are sleeping and I check on them before I go to bed, and they are snuggled up to one another. They have a great love for each other but can also get mean too.

Jared and Payton are in their second season of basketball at the YMCA. Jared's team went undefeated last season and are on course to do it again this season. Payton is loving playing as well and has made quite a few baskets for his team. He gives a celebratory fist pump each time! They are both excelling in school and becoming more and more responsible each day. Jared is a great help with the girls while Payton still tends to live in his own world most of the time. Jared has been reading the series of books, Percy Jackson and the Olympians and can't wait to get started on Harry Potter. Payton is reading the Junie B. Jones books and blazing his way through them. Jared is also a Bear in cub scouts and loves going to den/pack meetings, Payton loves it too.

Liza is our little ballerina. She takes lessons out of the lady's basement and loves to dance and twirl. She tells me that she wants to play basketball also. We will have to wait a while for her coordination to mature a bit.

Barry and I are now serving the Primary at church, teaching the 8-9 year olds. They are a great group of kids with lots of difficult questions. I am also serving in the Cub Scout program, making sure all the leaders are in the know and up to date on their training.

Recently my computer crashed and we thought that it was most likely a virus and that it needed to be cleaned and put back together. Our friend took it to a computer shop in town to which we later found out the hard drive fused together, the fan quit working and the power source was dead. I lost all my pictures, music, documents, videos and recipes. Luckily, I have the pictures from this blog and I also made a book last fall with a year and a half of pictures in it. I decided that with my new paycheck I'd upgrade and get a laptop instead of a desktop. I love it! I got it from the dell outlet online and saved over $100!

Now you're all up to speed on our family happenings. I know, you are wondering about us, we're still here, living the dream! Here are a few pictures for your visual dessert! (I know Wendy will esp. love the dessert!)