Cabin Weekend

Since I can remember, every summer we spent weeks at my parents' cabin in Huntington Lake.  Besides being a lovely place in the mountains to encircle you, I have always felt a sense of connection with my grandparents there.  The cabin was passed down to my mom from her parents.  They both passed away at early ages, and my siblings and I never got a chance to know them.  Although there has been much remodel in the past few years due to snow damage, there is a little sense of connection knowing that my grandparents also spent so many summers there vacationing as a family.  It is my pleasure to now be able to vacation every summer with my little family to carry on the Shelman traditions.  The cabin is a bit far from us, 7 hours give or take, so we have just been able to go once every summer.  This year it was over Labor Day weekend and with Rob and Felicity and their kids.  As I was uploading my pictures from the weekend I was shocked at the number 231!! A bit camera happy are we Tiffany??? I will try to pick a few of the best :)

 The lake, Pb & J, and Dino trunks...what more does a boy a need?

 Along with the cabin is a private dock in this little private cove.  Even with the kids, it was so peaceful and serene.

 Bryce was one with the mini sailboat :)

 Notice the grown man in a full wetsuit and the little ones in just bathing suits :)  The water is literally melted snow so it is FREEZING!!  But somehow as kids it doesn't bother you as much.  I did show their Daddy up and jumped in with no wetsuit, Maddy wanted to show Daddy up to...brave little girl down below

                                                   Good work Maddy

 We actually got to layout...it was awesome!!!

 This is how Becks preferred his travels on the paddle board.  PS...my sister's hot :)

 Love Them!!

 B man giving Mads a ride.

 Ballet on the boat????  That's what they told me they were doing.

 This pretty much sums up the weekend of these two boys.  Show me your best T-Rex you dino lovers!!!

 Beyond cuteness!!

 THE Rob-daddy :)

 Play-do sesh...always a must on vacation

 My lil man...I give him two years before he's taller than old mom :) We all took a little hike, yes I really do mean little.  The first slight incline Kaden started to complain about his legs being tired. You need some muscle on those little chicken-legs boy!!

                                                                                BFFs

Twins?!!?

We had such a fun weekend!!  Kids keep asking when we are going back...that's always a good sign :)

Today

I will start from today. To catch up is way too much, so I will start from today.

Kaden James

My little baby turned into a boy. All four and a half years have felt like a blink. He is a smart kid. He retains information like a sponge. His knowledge of dinosaurs is even more unbelievable. Can you pronounce Quetzalcoatlus? Dinos are his forte but he loves all animals. Kaden went to preschool this year and loved it. His preschool was everyday, so morning cartoons became a luxury on Saturdays. He is amped for Kindergarten, but happy for summer break. Kaden has a strong personality; full of energy. His passion is refreshing. He loves his sister, she is his buddy. Nothing is sweeter than seeing them play together in their own make-believe world. He can't live without his daddy but has a very special place in his heart reserved just for mommy. Today, he is still my baby boy.

Madison Joy

Not sure how my baby girl is three and a half. She is one thousand percent girl, but can hold her own with rough boys. She is a smart cookie. Her eye to detail is astonishing and will basically notice a new freckle on your face. Her vocabulary is impressive for just three years old, which means she rarely stops talking. Maddy loves dressing up and clicking around in her or my heels. She also loves playing "mom" with her babies or stuffed animals. I hear her mimicking me as she parents her babies which is sometimes eye opening. Madison loves to sing. She shares my love of music, but maybe she will have a good voice :) She reenacts singing time from primary every Sunday when we get home. She is excited to start preschool next year and has been paying attention and learning right alongside of Kaden this past year. Madison is a lover. She shares a very sweet bond with her daddy, and has him wrapped around her little finger. Teenage years will be interesting. Today she is still our little Maddy-girl.

Bryce.

Several changes have graced our lives. Bryce is part of the Harris Personal Injury Lawyer family as a case manager and lien specialist. He is working his tail off. He enjoys the challenges his job brings to expand his knowledge. He works in Oceanside so we all have adjusted to the commute. We are enjoying him home on weekends. The Macgregor 26 Sailboat is still his dream that he is bringing Kaden a part of now, his first mate. As the water warms up, his itch for scuba diving is evident and will drag anyone who wants to tag along. Amazing husband and daddy defines him these days. He rocks at both. Today, after seven years, he is still my best friend.

Tiffany.

My educational goal has been realized. I am a Registered Dental Hygienist. Yeah, finally! I am also a wife and mommy again, which I missed more than I realized. I am no longer a slave to my books. I work one day a week and the occasional extra job, but still looking for more. I love it! I am also enjoying waking up with my kids, play dates, and freedom four days out of the week. I enjoy cooking dinner most days, but still not a fan of deep cleaning. I do crave all the "girl" time I had with 28 other girls and the constant mental stimulation while in school. A bachelor's degree is in my future, but distant for now. I'm really enjoying the free time to work out, and want to run in a race soon. I am enjoying actually having a summer this year, hence our frequent trips to the pool :) I don't feel like our family is complete yet, but not quite ready for #3. Today I am a wife and mom and I love it.

Summer Vaca

I finished my 2nd term last Wednesday so I have had this past week off. It has been great to feel like a Mom and wife again, to slip right back into all the things I used to do when I was at home. It has gone by pretty fast, but has been great!!! Finishing this term marks me half way through Hygiene school and I am now a SENIOR!!! I worked really hard and finished the term with straight A's so I have felt this week was much deserved. I tried to document with pics all I could since this is my summer vaca, until the end of September. My kids ask me everyday if I have to go to school tomorrow and I can happily say NO!! (for a few more days atleast)

My time off so far...

We enjoyed a movie night with the kids...Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (a new favorite of theirs)

Memorial Day...
Bryce happened to have the day off so we braved the beach...not as crowded as I thought it would be. Bryce was able to scuba dive with our friend Brant and brother Justin so they were happy campers. Andrea and I enjoyed the sun and kids on the beach, also happy campers :)
If you can't tell he has a ladybug at the end of his finger, not a usual hand gesture of his :)
McKenna also showing off the ladybug
Kaden is not a real fearless kid, but when it comes to the ocean for some reason he is, it's great! He got toppled by a wave at one point and just got back up and continued to play.

Always fun to bury your legs, and get sand in EVERY single spot imaginable

Corbin also enjoying being burried
We also went to Oceanside and spent a day with Harmony. She graciously let me get pampered and get my hair done while she watched my kids. She is awesome!!! Also, we celebrated Andrea's birthday on Saturday with a yummy BBQ and the Laker game, but sorry no pics from these days, I was slacking. We have been able to see all of our friends and family that are forced to take a backseat while I'm in school. It has been really fun!

Temecula Berry Co.
Today I took the kids to a blueberry farm in Temecula to pick our own berries. We had so much fun and the weather was perfect! The kids have told everyone they have seen including strangers!
They gave the kids their own little buckets and instructed them to only pick the ripe "blue" ones not green or purple. They were very careful to stick to the rule.







Farmers are done, now time to devour!!
This weekend we get to see some our friends from Newport that now live in Utah. Haven't seen them in so long...I can't wait!!!

Happy 28th Birthday Bryce

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!! I hope you have a great day! Thanks for being such an amazing husband and daddy. You make our family so fun and are always making us laugh. Thanks for working so hard for us and being the rock in our family. We Love You!!!! Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

Love,
Tiff, Kaden and Maddy

Beach Day at Laguna

We had a fun day playing at the beach yesterday. Bryce and our friend Brant went diving and the kids and I played. They are at such a fun age to play in the sand and the water.

What have we been up to?

Scooter rides with Dad...
Picnic lunches...
Playing in the pool...
and Shalaxin'!!!! (thanks for the new word in our vocab dad :)
I live for my Fridays!!