Little glimpses of July

another priceless reunion pic from the cabin. strawberry shortcake



mom and me at mimi's
seriously you get a buy one get one free "just enough lunch" and get the soup and salad for like $5. best deal of my life.


Gina's concert where she blew everyone away but this old man took the prize. I have never wanted to hurt someone so badly in my life.


Oh this is just me on tibble lake or whatever. just rafting. Refused to button my lifejacket and my aunts got mad. Yeah I'm so living on the edge.

Arizona for my Gramma's 81st is bringing out the best in me

I drove half-way. As we were finally pulling up to Gramma's, my mom and sister were finishing their discussion on my driving performance. Like I have some kind of sign on my forehead that says "How's my driving? Discuss it while I listen!"
I ended up sort-of agreeing with what they were saying and said: "driving on this trip helped me realize that maybe I should not have been issued a license."

You know what I hate? Shopping lists. You write up this list (or in this case your mom gives you a list) and it has no organization to it. And if you are not familiar with the store's floor plan, you find yourself walking the length of the store at least 6 times before checking out with everything you need. I can't think in my brain "ok so the cookies are going to be in the back by the milk then the dressing is going to be on the same isle as the pimentos which THEY DO NOT CARRY then the bread will be right next to the ice cream!" UGHHH.

Then there is the diving board. It's real fun for the short moment between jumping off and water-contact. But how am I supposed to know how to form my body in a way that no surface will get a giant SLAP? And my sister swears I "skipped" like a rock when I tried to do a long-distance dive. And don't ever try the "lean sideways and see how far you can go without breaking your fall." I swear my face will never feel the same again.

It's nice to be out of provo though. and utah. you do have it hot but you don't even know what you're talking about until you come down here. I kind of like it though. murder-hotness.

Oh and Gina started our stay off right with our Barbie head wars! We had just walked in and I went to the bathroom. As I opened the door, I saw Gina's shadow fleeing the premises. I looked down and saw what I thought was a furry animal. No. It was my good friend Stacy Barbie Head. Startling.

4th Annual Shumway Reunion

The last two weekends I have been at reunions. The first was with my immediate fam. There are 18 of us! I'll talk about the second reunion later.

This year's reunion was a really fantastic one. It was Gina and my turn to take charge and we mostly played it by ear. Whatever we felt like doing we just did it! Like the...
Talent Show
little tods dancing

Ranger rides!
Pool in Kamas


Everyone arrived on Thursday afternoon and I wanted to go to the Heber Farmer's Market. So I took the two boys pictured above.
It was a blast to walk around the little shops with them. We held hands and stuck together through the tight crowd and because they were so good we got kettle corn!
On our way back my mom called and asked that we drop by the grocery store to pick up a couple needed items. So we went. And of course we got the cart with the play car attached to the front.
Well as we were checking out the boys were playing tug-of-war with the steering wheel. Little did I know how far they took this.
Walking out to the car my sister called, needing one more thing. So I wheeled back around to go back in the store and saw Jonah (pictured left) biting Ty's cheek (pictured right). Then Ty bit Jonah's shoulder. Large welts emerged. So I wheeled around the store looking for an awkward item that I didn't want to ask anyone for with two bawling little boys. When people would give me various faces I'd respond with "nephews."
We had a good chat on the 20 minute drive back to the cabin, with the boys retelling the story, changing it each time. We decided it hurts less to be nice and that biting is not nice.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE!

So good. Like incredible. I laughed. Didn't cry but wanted to.

Harry Potter looks like my friend from high school, Sean. He is wearing my cardigan. I'm letting him borrow it for a little bit because I encourage the male population to wear cardigans.

Well we met up with 6 others at the theater and waited in line. which was the biggest line ever but totally worth it. We sang "Puppet Pals" and this kid we were with kept putting his face right next to mine every time I would turn away. So that when I turned back his face would be right there. Yeah I think the realness in people comes out after midnight and it's awesome.

Here's puppet pals:

cheese and pimento

my dad has an obsession with pimentos
you mix mayo, shredded cheddar, and pimento. (what is that sick black liquid is pictured above? ink?) Then you put a dollop on white bread. I have to admit, it is tasty. but whenever my mom goes to the grocery store he makes sure she gets some. and this has happened 3 times within the past few weeks. wow dad.

running out of gas

I ran out of gas yesterday coming home from work. I coasted down a hill and ended up just a quarter mile from a gas station. well the gas station didn't have a gas can seriously Chevron? SERIOUSLY? You've got to be the worst excuse for a gas station this town's ever seen. K I'm not that mad but come on. Think what you represent and how not having a gas can really messes that up for you.

And P.S.: if you are a resident of that apartment complex by the chevron on canyon road. Canyon Terrace is it? And you don't lock your bike up? Well I almost borrowed your bike for a few minutes. So thanks for tempting me to steal and next time just lock it up.

Well I was on my way to do water aerobics so since I was missing out on my exercise I just decided to walk the three miles home. I felt silly because I was in work-out clothes but I had my purse...I could totally see myself as an old lady and carrying my purse everywhere even to exercise.

So the moral of the story is that I really enjoyed the situation because I got to walk. I am really trying to be more self-sufficient.

If you want to keep reading it gets better.

So my mom dropped me off later and waited as I filled up my tank with my dad's gas can (thank you dad for always having a full gas can) Well there is this metal flap that a gas can straw won't open. So I stuck a sundance pen to keep the flap open while I filled up. Notice that I got three interviews from sundance, applied to 8 jobs with sundance and they never called me back and I hate sundance. So there's my revenge. And I left that gas-soiled sundance pen in the GUTTER! I don't often litter so this was a big deal.

Well the car wouldn't start. Well it would and I went to the middle of the road then it died and it wouldn't pick up any of the gas I gave it. And we stopped traffic. So my mommy pushed my car with her car and went super fast then let me soar kind of like teaching me to ride a bike, just pushing me off and I didn't have much control over how fast I hit that curb. Actually I guess I could have used the brakes so never mind.

I said the d word 4 times trying to fill up at the gas station. "Please put the pump back and wait while we lower you gas price." then I forgot to fill up the gas can. And it wouldn't accept my card so i had to walk over to the other pump. I felt like my dad for some reason. And my mom was watching me and her window was down and she was just cracking up the entire time just watching me. I love my mom she could have been totally ticked because I wasted a half hour of her day but she just made it funner.

I want to be a trekkie now

I know this is old news to all of you since you've already seen it but I saw this last night and I liked this movie a lot and Spock (blue box) is hotter than Mr. I think I'm hot main character (yellow box)

Cupcake Party!

For my nieces and nephews i made rainbow cupcakes! This party was promised before viewing the movie "Up." I told them if they sat through the whole movie, we'd have a cupcake party! I'm a really nice aunt.

We decided to throw in a pizza as well.

The moms! Shelley came later...

Ty practicing his modeling. He is such a cutie!

The two baby boys! Shawn can slide down the slide and suck his thumb at the same time.

So...I guess all the cupcake icing was pretty intense on the tongue. We had to give the babies the lighter colors...just in case.

water fountain fun! Taylor (female, left) got a paper towel and wiped off everyone's dirty face.

Then I got them all sitting in a row. I really love all these kids. Living with the parents is nice because I get to see them more often. I'll take them all home with me and keep them forever, please.

4 movies I've seen recently

Oh by the way my job is really cool. I like the work. And I have a cool area with lots of windows. The hours...um...I am going to experiment and find a sleeping schedule that suits me. I am thinking midnight to 4am then 8:30 am to noon? Is that bad for you? (not you but me?)

Before I started my job I would watch a couple movies a week.
I don't give the plot or any significant information away for any of the following movies.
Reader's Discretion is advised.

Wolverine.
Filmed in New Zealand.
Fun Fact: The motorcycle scene was filmed in the Elf Forest of Lord of the Rings.
I loved this movie! But even if it was not a good movie I would still love it! Because I went to some of the places where Wolverine was! And duh. It's Hugh.

UP!
I saw this one TWICE last week.
It is very entertaining.
I love the silent parts where there is no dialogue.
Beautiful movie, not just a kids movie.

State of Play.
It's at the DOLLAR theater! So we went on Tuesday night for a dollar.
I didn't lean back in my seat once. It just pulled me in, every second. Just good stuff.

Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian.
Almost fell asleep. And I don't know if that is because we saw the midnight showing or if it was really boring.
You decide.

I got a job

as a custodian. 4:30-8am. Hey. It's a job.

200th post

yay!

What do you think?

I am opening a booth for the Provo Farmer's Market. I have my ideas but I'd like to hear yours too! What should I sell at my booth that people would purchase?

You know what is worse than having a cold sore?

having a cold sore during a job interview and not getting the job...probably because of the cold sore.

I probably won't take your advice

but what the junk should I do?

Twenty Two

I guess Forever 21 was wrong.
Memories of my first day of being 22:

• Waking up at intervals beginning at 6am to the several phone calls and voice message alerts from my brother Daron. He wanted to be the first to wish me happy birthday. His messages are priceless, I'll save them forever.
• "Hallie...I woke up at 6am just to wish you happy birthday and you didn't even answer your phone"
• "Wow. 19 years old."
• in a warning tone: "Hallie"...5 seconds later..."Hallie" breathing...hang up.
• temple
• an interview for the tree room at sundance. And even if I don't get it, I got to sit in a chair there. So I can honestly say I've been to the tree room.
• Lunch at Blue Lemon
• 9th & 9th in SLC. Go. Cute boutiques and antique shops. I just love shops that end in "tique"
• Les Madeleines
• The Sweet Tooth Fairy
• Color-me-mine
• Papa Johns in the movie theater parking lot with Katherine while my dad made aside comments as he was peeling an orange, throwing the peelings on the asphalt. And I carried four pieces of pizza and two peeled oranges into the theater.
• Angels & Demons
• Writing in my journal

Baby Brighton!

Happy Mother's Day!

Thanks for birthing me even though they had to cut open your stomach. I hope I was worth it, raising me. All that energy and emotion it took to deal with me. Wow. I can't even imagine what that would have been like! Thanks mom! Hope I'm something like the mom you are when I grow up!

Old Friends

Today I went to a bridal shower for my childhood friend Alisa. I haven't seen her since junior high! But she has always remembered to call me on my birthday and we've kept in touch. I admire people like that. They don't forget their good old friends. I wish I was more like that. I get so caught up in life and the people I am currently with that I think of old friends as unreachable.
I'm going to try and be like Alisa.

Since I've been home

Recovered from jet lag
painted a wall in my parent's family room
babysat a bunch of kids for 8.5 days
applied to like 11 jobs
saw a couple movies
One of which was the ghost of girlfriends past. I don't recommend it.

Just look at this picture. It deceives you to think that he only has had a few girlfriends. Lies. But the last half is good. So maybe go an hour late. Yeah. Do that.

First day of class

Well I'm officially back to real life since I've been home to New Zealand. How do I measure real life? I don't really know. But I am beginning real school again. Like hard classes. Unlike the fantasy school of New Zealand.

So for my New Testament class our teacher is really cool. And he opened the class with a few questions.

1. Has anyone ever lived in a different country?
-Of course I raised my hand. I lived in New Zealand...for a few months... I know a lot of people don't think that counts but it totally does.
2. Can anyone do an impression of a famous person?
-No one volunteered.
teacher: "You guys are a bunch of mormons" (making fun of us for not sharing)
3. Can anyone here do a weird body trick?
a couple of people raised their hands. One guy just made a popping sound with his supposed "double jointed jaw" what does that even mean? All jaws have two joints. duh. the other person just put her hand behind her back and waved. I can totally almost do that.
Well at first I forgot my special talent. But then I remembered. But I hesitated. Then I thought of the aforementioned stargirl and what she would do in this situation. So of course I raised my hand.
"I can flap my left nostril"
A sound of surprise from the classroom
So I did what no one else can do and I breathed in really hard through my nose. As I do this, one nostril flaps open and shut open and shut. They had me turn do it again and face all directions so everyone could see it.
thank you stargirl for not only reminding me who I am but to not be afraid to BE who I am.
lol.

bookworm

So as I said before I am watching these kids and sometimes I find myself bored. Like when they watch the same spongebob show for the millionth time. (I am doing better about not letting them watch tv...playing is so much more like real life)

Well I read. I have averaged a book a day. Just like 200 page chapter books for elementary school kids.

• Tuck Everlasting
• The Black Cauldron
• Stargirl
• Frindle
• Skinnybones
• Wait Till Helen Comes

K Stargirl is officially my favorite book other than harry potter books. It is amazing. This girl is absolutely everything I want to be - she only cares about others and she is crazy and totally herself no matter what.

Frindle and Skinnybones make me laugh out loud.

Wait Till Helen made me really scared. That author just sets this spooky mood that freaks you out. and it's a kids book!

All I'm sayin is that if you have nothing better to do and you are watching tv, which is so dumb, you should just read some of these books.

babysitting

I am babysitting my cousins (shown via picture) in SL for the week. I've been here since Friday morning.

I wonder if I am going to be like this when I'm a mom. Always wanting to die half the time and thinking "this was fun at first but now I just want to go sleep." And I realized that this may be what my life will be like starting sometime in the next decade and ending in like 20 years. so yeah. the next 30 years of my life are going to be like this. Waking up. waking others up. Getting others dressed and lookin good. Not getting myself dressed and lookin good until like 3pm. If at all.

So right now in my life (aside from this glipse of mommy-time) I am living the most selfishly that I will ever live. And I will enjoy this time enourmously.

But I guess as a mom you start with one and build from that...instead of having all of em at once. then there's the fact that they are from you, which has also boggled my mind. Of course I will lick the chocolate off their hands because it's like my own hand...Yeah I think being a real mom will be cooler. all that special love that I don't really know about yet and stuff I hear about is part of the deal too.

But I really love these kids a lot too. Just look at them they are so darling.

Jet lag

It's 3 am and I have been lying in the dark with my eyes wide open trying to fall asleep. No use. I am officially diagnosing myself with jet lag.

Here's a movie:

See ya later alligator

right after getting Kissed by brothers...camera wasn't quick enough!
Tim tam slams - it's a new zealand thing
And my favorite girls!

Alright
I'm all packed! I leave tomorrow for the airport at noonish.

I'll be a day ahead and 4 hours behind. So right now it's Monday at 8pm. I will be facebooking blogging, and webcaming. You just let me know if you want to be a part of that and I will let you know!

If you want any gifts let me know.

Farewell!

My New Zealand Blog is: KiwiHal.blogspot.com

We'll miss you, barbie heads

Gina and I spent our last night in Arizona with our best friends, stacy barbie head and barbie barbie head.
It all started when I was first introduced with Stacy barbie head. I was putting clothes in the washer. In my peripheral vision I saw someone standing next to me. I looked over. Stacy barbie head's face was 3 inches from mine. I screamed bloody murder, I was so startled. Gina was holding her. Little did I know that this would be the beginning of a ruthless barbie head war.

I was on my computer sitting on a chair next to my couch bed. My dad needed to use the computer so he sat on my couch bed. He sat on something hard and pulled it out from beneath my pillow. It was Stacy Barbie Head. Whew. Thanks dad. That stinker Gina was going to get it.

She caught me in her room trying to hide stacy barbie head. Failed attempt.

Several minutes passed and I heard that Gina was in the shower. I slowly turned the knob to the unlocked door. Stupid girl forgot to lock it. I quietly entered and held stacy barbie head just below the shower head as I stood on the other side of the shower curtain. It took a few seconds, Gina must have been closing her eyes. Then she SCREAMED and it was so satisfying. Strike one.

Barbie Barbie head said she felt left out. So I fastened my bra to the door of the bathroom and hung barbie's head on one of the straps. When Gina opened the bathroom door, barbie's head swung around. But Gina was scared out of scares. Dang it.


Luckily stacy had little suckers on the bottom of her stand. So I licked them and put her on the inside of Gina's bedroom door. Kekehehehehe

when I had gone to bed and all the lights in the house were out, I heard gina creep up to my bedroom door. Then I got a text from her with this picture and a recording of Gina's voice saying "sleep well, Hallie, sweet dreams" in a creepy whisper. so we tied, fair and square.

Shumway Christmas Reunion

We only got together with my dad's side once. On Sunday night. But it was so great. Here are some of the cousins we chilled with.


Then the turkey was done and Gina got a turkey shot. It's tradition.

Then, oh my gosh what? The turkey was pregnant!?It was a joke my mom and I decided to play. We got a cornish hen - they look like little baby turkeys. And we put the cornish hen in the turkey's tummy before we cooked the turkey. Then when we pulled the turkey out we acted surprised and confused because the turkey was pregnant. We got those shumways so good!