from our garden

Every year I enjoy planting a garden. This year wasn't any different, although the strange weather did some unexpected things and what my garden produced this year was quite different then years past. Nonetheless, we did benefit from many different things. The kids especially love the garden, and it is always hard to keep them out of it. Usually I just let them eat whatever they pick, as long as it is ready to be picked. We enjoyed blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, basil, zucchini, crook neck squash, 1 pumpkin, mint, onions, shallots, peppers and a few more things. Tanner planted sunflowers and out of all the years that I have attempted this feat, he by far grew the tallest, strongest we have ever has. Our beans and peas didn't fair too well as well as a few other lost plants to animals or poor weather, but it is always fun and rewarding.Above, Ella running to pick and eat as many things as possible before I get to her. Below, a close up of one of Tanner's sunflowers just before it opened to a huge flower. Looks kind of like it could eat you, doesn't it? "Feed me Semour, feed me... wa, haa, haa!"
A few early tomatoes and other things. The tomatoes that we harvested in the last few weeks have been huge and very delicious! :)

oh, did we tell you we love you?

For Devin... we miss you!!!


p.s. watch Tanner and Anson... they're the real entertainment here. :)

A Camping We Will Go...

So, straight and yes I mean straight from the ocean, the kids and I headed off to our ward camp out. We set our stuff up in the A frame, started hunting for kindling, gathered fire wood... then I started a raging camp fire. Soon Devin met us there with Aunt Jaqui & Uncle Travis.

We finished setting up camp then we went on an adventurous walk around the property.

After dinner with the ward, we headed back to the campsite for s'mores
and more fun. Didn't Jaqui take a cool pic?

More sparkler fun...Travis & Jaqui

My Family

Anson found this cute little tree frog

Ella enjoyed stealing her friends stroller.
Her friend didn't seem to mind.

To my Pittsburg hubby...

Hubby Tag

So I was tagged by my friend, Laura, to play hubby tag! I rarely do these, but since Devin is away on business, I thought it might be fun since he's not here with me. Here it goes....

What is his name? Devin Palmer Shumate

Nicknames? Dev, devey devers (his mom loves calling him that) D40, D-shizzle...

How long have you been married? 8 wonderful years

How long did you date? well... we were "just friends" for a good portion of the time (at least that's what we told everyone) but from the first time we went out to our wedding... about 11 months.

How old is he? 30!

Who eats more sweets? depends... we both have sweet teeth... (not just one) but probably me... although he generally eats more ice cream than me

Who said I love you first? he did

Who is taller? he is

Who can sing better? me

Who does the laundry? depends... usually me, but he is definitely better at getting it all folded and put away after he washes it... I get distracted.

Who pays the bills? me

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? me

Who mows the lawn? usually Devin

Who cooks dinner? me

Who drives? he does

Who is more stubborn? hmm, I'm not sure, he'd probably say me... but I'm not stubborn, am I? :)
Who kissed who first? I think it was a tie...

Who asked who out first? I asked him out :)

Who proposed? he did. all alone in a wide open field at night, music playing, slow dancing... then he gets down on his knee... good memories

Who has more siblings? I do. he has 3 brothers, I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters

Who wears the pants? We each have a leg in there.

TAG.... Dani, Adrianne, Gina, and Jaqui

Better LATE then never?

SO it's been a long, long, long time since I have posted... let's just say,
life has been busy... but you all already know that!
Since I didn't post much of our summer I thought I would start there.

The week after Jacob came home from Korea, we all headed to a family reunion at the ocean.
It was a lot of fun, even though we had some rain and a few sunburns too.

The kids were often like this... al covered with sand. And yes, they went in

the water whether it was cold or hot outside... brave, very brave kids.The best octi-castle you ever will see... winner of most creative
and most effort in the sand castle building contest.

Yummm... s'mores. Golden marshmallow, chocolate and
graham all in an edible little piece of heaven.

Devin was almost always sporting these fancy boots... very cute! :)

The babies... Ashton and Gabriella

My mom took this picture all the way from the big house...

One of the cold, but non-rainy days. We flew kites this day.
It was almost too windy for kites!

Sweet baby Ella. She loved the ocean, she loved the sand.

Oh beautiful day!

Freezing after taking a dip in the ocean

The kids LOVED playing in the sand. I have to admit, it was a lot of fun!

At the big house there was enough space for us all to sit around the table together to eat,
it was great! One big happy, and often hungry family!

It would not be an event with Grandma Heather without a pinata. All the kids had there chance... here's Ella trying to stab the donkey rather than hit it. The pinata had broken from the string after the first round, so the kids continued to just swing at it while it was sitting on the ground... I think they almost liked that more. (and it was a little safer for the person that was previously holding the stick with the pinata hanging from it... those older cousins can be dangerous! :)


Well, it was a great week filled with lots of memories. It was great to have everyone together again. It was wonderful that Lauren & Brandon were able to come all the way from Oklahoma. Dave was able to take a little time off from the campaign, Devin was able to take a little time off from work and the rest of us were there for the duration. We played, boogie boarded, body surfed, flew kites, built sand castles, took long walks, ate, stayed up late playing games, watched movies and so much more... it was great!

annyong haseo!

home again, home again, jiggity jig...
After 2 hard working years, my beloved brother Jacob has returned from faithfully serving the Korean people. It is so nice to have him home. I love Jacob and it's great to be able to talk to him and hang out with him. I am so proud of him and all the work that he did in Korea. He has grown up a lot in the last 2 years, but he is also still the same old Jacob. Great job little bro and welcome home! Love ya!

The kids posing for mom... we have to
remember the sign we made, right?All the grandkids waiting patiently with their signs, thanks to
a bag of mini oreos from Grandma Heather.
(that's what Cora is sneaking in her mouth in this pic)
The reunion... I just couldn't help but share this sweet picture.
Love you Mom!

Apparently this is how Korean's pose for pictures.

The Fam (minus Dave, Lu, Brandon & Ash)

It was so fun to meet him at the airport!
Anson insisted, "This bag is too heavy, I need to carry this for Jacob"
Apparently after you have been serving as a missionary a 4 year old is
stronger than you and must carry your bags. Depending on where you
served I suppose this could be true?

Jacob with President Call (aka Dad) just after his interview
and heading in to be released as a missionary.

a girl of little words... or so we thought.

although I have many things that I need to update you all on, I wanted to take a moment to talk about this little miss. Anyone of you who have spent any good amount of time with Ella knows that, even though she is a girl of few words, she is a communicator. You know what she wants, and she knows how to get what she wants without many, or any words. This can be attributed to many things...
-her brother's desire to do just about anything for her, including talking (anything but
diapers, darn)
-her ability to sign her favorite words (especially more, hungry, please and drink... who needs
any others?)
-the fact that she is a girl?

there are many factors and she has a way of communicating what she wants. She knows some words, but chooses very carefully when and if she wants to use them. (and she understands everything)

Well this past week she has been adding to her more established vocabulary with leaps and bounds. It is always fun when a child learns to speak and this week she has been shocking us left and right (and since I was at a family reunion I have many witnesses.) Her favorite word is of course Ella. Second favorite has to be cracker and yes, much to my dismay yesterday while feeding her a s' more, she said chocolate (I am sure she is going to love chocolate, I can tell by the way she snatches it and quickly says mmm.) There are many more and if you say something she always tries to repeat it. I sure love my baby girl!

Stay tuned for more on our summer adventures!