Dear Family and Friends, January 2009
Happy Valentines Day! It’s been a couple of years since we’ve written, so here’s an update, including summaries of our kitchen remodel, open-heart surgeries for our son, and a study abroad to Spain.
January 2007 started out with Timothy’s 2nd open heart surgery when he was 4 months old. He was born with a serious heart problem (hypoplastic left-heart syndrome) on September 6, 2006 and had his first surgery at 5 days old. In the summer of 2007 Kathy’s brother, Alan Shields and other family and friends, kindly helped enlarge and remodel our kitchen. We also added a basement bedroom and storage room under the remodel. The process pretty much destroyed our back yard so we had to redo the grass and sprinklers. It was quite a job, but it was well worth it. We now have a permanent guest room, so come and visit us any time.
In early 2008 we all spent four months in Europe while Jeff directed BYU’s Study Abroad in Spain with 37 students. We were going in 2007, but Timothy’s surgeries prevented that, and we were blessed with another opportunity a year later. We lived in Alcalá de Henares (near Madrid) and traveled extensively throughout the country with the students. After Spain we spent a week and a half in Austria with our friends and former ward-members, Philipp and Kehau Malzl (he’s from Salzburg and she’s from Lai’e, HI). They were so nice to put up with our invasion (literally). Both Spain and Austria were absolutely wonderful. The kids still beg for Spanish pastries, fresh bread, drinkable yogurt, paella, and the gelato from Vienna (among other things). In fact, the kids want desperately to go back to Spain. Now here’s a quick person by person update:
Spencer (17): A junior at Timpview who is now six feet tall (leaving Jeff behind), he drives everywhere in our 1994 Plymouth Grand Voyager. He was on Timpview’s football team that took its third straight state championship. He plays the bass in the school Philharmonic Orchestra. He still loves reading and enjoyed the unabridged Don Quixote while in Spain, but his all-time favorite is still the Harry Potter series. He has recently re-started piano lessons and is learning "Claire de Lune" and aspires one day to play "Dance of the Gnomes" by Liszt.
Eric (Rickey) (15) A freshman at Timpview, he is also taller than his dad. He loves playing the acoustic guitar and playing football and basketball. He was injured for much of the football season but still managed to catch some touchdowns. In basketball he is averaging about 20 points per game on his freshman team. He’s very close to receiving his Eagle Scout Award!! (yippee!) Rickey thoroughly enjoyed his 3 week trip to visit Jeff’s parents in Tonga with Spencer and his cousin Isaac. Thank-you Grandpa and Grandma Shumway!
Mikelle (11) Is excited to enter Young Women’s this summer and join girls camp. She loves piano and her piano composition, Joy, won the "Reflections" contest at the school, district, and regional level, and is now at the state competition. Plays on a AA soccer team and a community basketball team. She also stays busy with flute, pre-Algebra, and voice lessons from her aunt Jennifer Shumway.
Trevor (9) Loves school and sports and takes piano lessons. Played quarterback for his flag football team and currently plays basketball on a community team. He likes drawing and building things at home, like card-board armor suits, or dragons made out of paper and sticks. He’s very determined and always finds a way to accomplish his ambitious designs.
Aaron (7) Is taking off in his reading and other school work. He loves basketball, football, and soccer, and is quite the acrobat. A few weeks ago he stood on his head for 33 minutes, breaking his old personal record of 30 minutes (he was a bit disappointed to learn the world record was 12 days). He is a pro-bowler on the Nintendo Wii.
Sarah (4) Is s a great sister and a wonderful helper in the kitchen. She’s discovered that she doesn’t have an "official" night to cook like the other kids and is pretty bugged about that. She has been the best helper with Timothy through all of his surgeries and is "still addicted to her thumb and blankie" as she put it last night. She still gifts Kathy with naps most days.
Timothy (2): Timothy had the final (hopefully) stage of his open heart surgeries on December 4, 2008 (thus the Valentines letter instead of Christmas). He is a delight and charmer to all he meets. He prays for all the babies in the hospital, for Grandma and Grandpa Shumway in Tonga, and he has a special love for his Grandma Shields. He always watches out for her and scolds us if we forget to pray for her. He loves riding his scooter and trike in the kitchen and playing with the toy animals he got for Christmas (he even blesses them in his prayers). He is still on oxygen at night time, and has been since 3 months old.
Jeff hit the big 40 last August. He spent last November in Argentina researching his current book project. He is usually coaching one of his kid’s teams and is also the second counselor in the bishopric. He tries to play basketball 3 times a week during his lunch hour. He will return to Argentina in April and May as the cultural advisor to BYU’s dance group, Living Legends, on their 3-week tour of Paraguay and Argentina. He is especially excited because Kathy will join him for the last 10 days of the tour (she’s never been to Argentina).
Kathy is just grateful to have survived the last two years. Some of her great accomplishments include: enduring all the emotions and various displacements of Timothy’s three surgeries and a home remodel; teaching a heart baby to nurse, (so much work); getting 9 people across the ocean and safely home, (can you say way too much luggage?!); managing Spanish busses, trains & subways with strollers and young kids; home-schooling 5 different grades while in Spain; and working with the Bear scouts.
We are grateful for the many blessings the Lord has bestowed on us and we hope His blessings will be upon you in 2009 and always. Love the Shumways.
