So our camera is el sucko.  So I’ve been using my inlaw’s camera to take a couple of pics here and there.

So as I was uploading them tonight I found some old pics on their computer and thought I’d share some :)

Dallen in Dec 2006 (almost 4yrs old) He wanted to wear his Darth Vader helmet for his snow hat.

my 3m old baby Kate!!!!

Since most of my family and friends in Utah haven’t seen our house yet.  Here’s one taken by Sally when she came to visit.

Kate giving daddy an eskimo kiss on Pioneer Day 2008

Dallen aka “Cody” Surfing penguin from the movie “Surfs Up”

It was a really cute movie and we had to call him “Cody” for the rest of the night. He also wanted to pretend that our dinner was all fish. So we had Fish Rice, Fish Watermelon, Fish Meat, and Fish Peas.

Kate and Mommy after Sunday dinner. 7/2008

Chad was in an ATV accident.  He is doing okay.  He doesn’t have any broken bones, just scraped up real bad and pretty sore.  oh and he’s loving that I’m taking care of him… I helped him go to the bathroom, take a shower, eat, put him to bed, dressed him, and rubbed his head and said “Poor Little Bunny”

  I am really really hoping that we have enough money to put him in an elderly home when he gets old.  Doing all that stuff is very draining. 

The best VERY best thing of it all was this morning (I WISH I COULD TAKE A PICTURE!!!)  

Last night before I got to the Instacare that Chad was at, Chad received a shot of very strong pain reliever because he was in so much pain.  He received that shot in the behind.  By a male nurse. AKA … Steve.  No big deal.

But this morning after I helped Chad get undressed to get in the shower I saw the band aid that Steve had applied after he gave Chad his shot.  It was a Tiger Print (see middle band aid) 

Seeing that on Chad’s cute little bum just made me laugh so hard. 

at least my eyebrows look like they’re in tip top shape

This weekendwe’ve been at Bear Lake with my Dad, my stepmom, her family, my brother Austin and his family, and my sister Stephanie and her family.

We’ve been having a great time and its fun hanging out and joking around.  Today I’m going to learn how to drive a motorcycle.  Don’t worry I’ll try to get it all videotaped for your enjoyment :)

The only drawback is the mosquitos.  I’ve gotten bitten over 1000 times.  and the worse part is that I got bit on my eye.  its not so bad that its swollen shut.  its in the half way between stage… basically I look dopey.  and I got a bite on the tip of my nose.  I look real cute.

So back to college years.

Love my college years.

They extended from Aug 1999 to May 2002 (when I became an old married woman)

Something that wasn’t uncommon for my roommates to hear from me was this “If someone calls here looking for Bridget/Colette/Megan the phone is for me.”

See I had a little “problem” well I don’t know if it was really a problem so much as probably more like “crazy” or “phsyco” but I loved to introduce myself to guys I met at parties with a really exoctic name.  Keep in mind… that my name was SHELLIE LONG.  Like as in the 50 year old actress on cheers.  I mean Shellie is a cute name and all… but I just thought if I gave myself a really cool exotic name that I would just be so cool and exoctic.

the beginning of my fake name giving was at the first byu game I ever went to in Sep 99… meaning I had been in utah for like a month.  I went with my brother.  We were having fun and all… but than I saw all these guys a couple of rows down.  and I wanted to go stand by them. 

so I walked down to them.  and stood next to them for awhile… by myself.  (seriously what is wrong with me!!! I had some major kahonies or something)  (ps… oh man I wish you could see a picture of what I looked like back then… a little chubby, short brown hair, and braces) 

 so these guys were all abercrombie fitch models (you know the type… cargo shorts, leather cord necklace with a conch shell, leather flip flops, tan, white teeth, dark hair, smelling like a abercrombie and fitch store) 

so finally one turned to me and said “uh hi”

and I was like “hiiii”

and he was like “uh hey”

and I said “I’m macy”

and he started laughing “Like the grocery store?”

“hey guys this is macy… like the grocery store”

and they all looked at me and stared and a couple of them laughed.  I didn’t know what to say.  So I turned around and walked the walk of shame back to my brother.

But did I learn my lesson?  No!  I kept gave fake names when I had the chance.  Basically it was at parties when I knew I would never meet these people again.  But then sometimes it followed me home  when at a party they’d ask for my number.  and I would give them my real number and I’d see them punching it into their phone under my “name”…

“how do you spell bridget?” they’d ask

“B- R- I-D-G-E-T-” I’d spell

One time I had it going for like the whole night with this one guy named Ben that my name was something else.  I don’t even remember what I said… when Holly and our crazy roommate aka “shockhead” ran into me at the party “SHELLIE!!! HI!!!” 

dang it!

“Oh hey guys”

“Wait is your real name Shellie?”  says Ben

“Uh yeah”

“okay? talk to you later then” ben exits scene

dang it holly and shockhead! why!!!!

so that whole name thing ended when I eventually made up a fake profile on ldsmatchmaker and had a fake name (Kirsten) had a fake photo (I had blonde hair, and blue eyes, and beautiful) and here’s the kicker…. I was from SWEDEN!  oh my gosh.  and I had a little relationship with a guy named Matthew225.  he was real and he wanted to meet me.  well… as you may know…  I’m not blonde, I don’t have blue eyes, and I don’t speak Swedish.  So I had to shut down the operation.  all fast like.

Okay so I just re read my post and I’m hoping that it is a funny story and not so crazy as I think it reads.  In my defense it was just a phase.  Like how some college kids smoke pot.  I’m rather normal.  and my real name is Shellie. 

I would go back to my college years in a heart beat.  in a millisecond.  in the blink of an eye…. no wait! in the twinkling of an eye… (I lived in utah county yo) 

First off I lived in the coolest condo in the world.  We were all cousins.  We were all hot.  Well then Holly moved in and stole all our thunder.  Damnit Holly!  WHY! WHYYYYYYY! (Holly is our cousin who can wear sweat pants, an old tshirt, and hair in a pony tail but pull off looking like Heidi Klum)

(quick story about holly)

I remember this one time when our singles ward had an activity at one of the counselors of the bishopric.  It was a pool party. 

Holly was there.  Looking as fine as ever in a blue one piece.  Seriously Holly can look amazingly good looking even in a one piece.  I too was in a one piece.  Me not lookey so good though.

So Holly was in a hot tub.  Surronded by about 100 guys. No joke.  Hot guys too.  Andy (now her husband) was in that hot tub too.  I don’t think they were dating yet but I’m sure if anyone would have made any moves he would have punched someone in the face. 

So I’m watching Holly getting her flirt on and looking so beautiful and all the guys drooling… and it got the wheels a turnin. 

I look over and see this guy that I kinda had a crush on.   emphasis on kinda.  basically he was just a warm body.  poor kid.

“Hey Tyler” (that was his real name.  this is a real story)

“Hey Shellie”

“Wanna go down the water slide with me?”

“Uh okay”

I grab his hand.  and pretty much pull him towards the slide.

He goes up first.  I go up second.  RIGHT behind him.  He’s probably thinking he’s going down by himself.  I on the other hand wanted to be all cute and flirty.  So as he sat down on the slide I sat down right behind him and wrap my arms around him.  And off we go… together… wheeeee! how romantic!

Then we hit the water together.  and… I didn’t let go.   Then I could feel him fighting against me and trying to pry my arms off of him.

We swim to the top and he’s just staring at me and shaking his head.  “Like are you messed up in the head girl?  Are you crazy?”  and I’m just trying to be all cutsey and smiley. Like “wasn’t that the best ever!?”

We swim to the side and he looks over at me and says

“I can’t even swim that well!”

climbs out and never looks back. and for the rest of the evening stays far far away from me.

I climb out and look over at the hot tub.  Holly is still there… shaking her blond hair, sparkles and glitter floating around her, Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” playing in the background.  It was like a scene out of a movie I swear :)

I slumped over to a lawn chair curled up on my towel and waited to die.

the end.

Well that was going to be just a quick story and I was going to continue with the real story.  but now we are starting a movie so I’ve got to go.

More tomorrow!

Coming soon from the Vault of Shellie….  Poopy Parfume Story!!!!

I know you guys love when I open the vault and pull a wonderful story from my past out to share. 

Back in 2001 I worked at Deseret Book with a lot of BYU nerds.  Remember the couple that got married, the ones who both dressed up as Harry Potter for Halloween?  Those were just 2 of the nerds I worked with.  How did I even get the job because clearly I am not in the same catagory.  I mean back in College I was so cool.  I drove a little white Jetta, lived in a super cool condo, dated some really cool guys (have I ever told you the story of Seth?  I’ll have to get on that.   or the guy I dated that brought over George of the Jungle and quoted the entire movie…. yes every single line… even the girl lines… even the monkey that talked lines!!!!) 

But anyway so among all these uber nerds at Deseret Book there I was wrapping hymn books, engraving names on scriptures, and reading as many Jeanette Oke books that I could get my hands on.  During this time I started dating Chad.  (Every one at Deseret Book thought he was stalking me… because thats what I told them)  I did some very nice things for Chad while I worked there.  I made him a leather key ring “The Chad” engraved in gold leaf.  I called him on my breaks to see what he was up too.  and I also said “I love you” for the first time to him while I was on the phone there. 

as we were hanging up I said “I love you goodbye”  and he just said “uhhhhh…” and I was so embarrassed that I hung up the phone on him.  Oh and we also got a free book as our christmas bonus and I ordered a church book in portuguese for him.  I was the best girlfriend.  Well except for the fact that I told everyone he was stalking me.  So everytime he left the store after visiting me my little friends would come up to me and be like “oh my gosh he’s so creepy and I can’t believe he’s stalking you!!! what are you going to do!!!” and I would be like “I KNOW!!!! I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO”  sorry honey :)

Okay so to the whole point of the story…. Poopy Parfume Story

So I wore this perfume called “Lucky Brand Perfume”  yeah you know made by Lucky Brand Jeans (I still wear it… so good)   and I had a brilliant idea one day at deseret book while stocking necklaces, tie tacks, and oil viles.

I’ll get an oil vile keychain and put my perfume in it and while Chad and I are out on a date I can descreetly dab some perfume on while he’s not looking.  That way I’ll always smell good.  So I bought a little blue key chain oil vile.  Went home and put some of my Lucky Brand perfume in it.  When ever chad and I were together I would go to the bathroom and put some on.  Well after a couple of weeks I had lost my keys with the blue oil vile keychain… so I used my back up key set for a couple of more weeks.  Then one day I found my original keys with the “perfume vile” (the pefume had now been in there for at least a month or two) and I went with Chad on a date.  So I go to the bathroom to go potty and reapply my lip gloss and was like Sweet!  I can put some pefume on.

So I dabbed some on and went back to Chad.  When I sat down by him his face got all scrunched up.  He looked like he was going to throw up.  Like he just smelled the worst shiz in the world. 

“What?” I asked

“That SMELL!”

“What Smell?”

“I’m sorry but something smells so bad!”

“What me?”  “I smell bad?”

“yes like poop”

“Really?”  I couldn’t smell it.  Maybe I had a cold or something for real I couldn’t smell anything.

Chad leaned in closer and smelled around my neck.  He immediatly pulled back. His eyes were watering.

“Did you put something on?”

“I put on some perfume.”  I start going through my purse, trying to get my key ring out.

“See!  its just perfume”  I showed him the oil key chain vile… opening up the lid… and then I took a big sniff…

BARF!  IT SMELLED LIKE A ROTTEN TURD. 

It seriously smelled so awful.  I started to gag.  I don’t know why I couldn’t smell it when I had put it on.  Maybe because I was in the bathroom and it already smelled like rotten turd in there.  or something.

anyway I high tailed it back to the bathroom and scrubbed away at my neck like a madwoman.  My neck was pink and raw after I was done.

Then when I got back to Chad I felt pretty stupid but he was cool about it and was trying hard not to laugh.  I guess the metal that the vile was made of chemically reaccted with the perfume to make it smell like donkey barf turd. 

so lesson learned.  don’t put pefume in a metal oil vile.  but I bet the wooden ones might be okay.  I’ll have to try it out and let you know.

at blogging.

sorry guys.  Its hard to do on vacation.  A) because I don’t have a camera (I mean I’m sure ya’ll would love some pictures… like where I sleep. what I eat.  what I’m doing during my day)  Answers:  On a blow up mattress, food, hang out with fun people. 

B) Because I don’t have time to read people’s blogs.  So then I feel like I shouldn’t write in mine.  Because I feel bad for writing stuff about me and wanting ya’ll to come visit when I don’t have time to read yours. 

C)  Because I’ve been in a crappy mood.  It must be jet lag or something.  Or maybe postpartum depression rubbing off from Lisa onto me. 

Here’s some things that have been going on though… My sister in law Lisa had her baby.  His name is Colton Joseph Kendrick and he is sure cute.  I got to hold him and was reminded how much I want another baby.  When I was holding him I honestly felt the “let down” feel.  I think my body keeps telling me that its ready for a baby because I also feel phantom baby kicks too. 

I went swimming with my neices the other day.  My cool nieces who say the funniest things.  So I taught them a new dance and played a hilarious game with them where I would ask them “Would you rather eat crusty meatloaf and peas or go to the movies with your Aunt Shellie?”  or “Would you rather be put in time out forever or go to the park with your Aunt Shellie?”  They would laugh and laugh and then of course pick me.  Then we would do a little dance and say “Ohhhh yeah”  it was really fun and cute.

I went to dinner with my dad and sonia and kathy and my brother and his family.  We went to China Light Cafe in American Fork.  It was very good.  We talked about our upcoming trip to Bear Lake and started making plans for that.  Sonia also told us her poem that she wrote in France.  It was really cute and funny. 

Hanging out with the kendrick’s is always fun and I also got to hang out with my Aunt Marianne and my grandma one night also.  So that in a nutshell is whats been up.

oh and georgia peeps- thanks for keeping Chad entertained I love you guys and miss you all!

We flew into GA last Wednesday.  The plane trip was fine.  There was definatly times the kids were acting up (i.e. hitting each other, whining, spilling food every where, kicking the back of the seats in front of us) and between gritted teeth I swore to them “If you don’t stop you will get the biggest spanking when we get off of this plane”  which would stop them for about oh… 2 seconds.  It felt like it was never going to end :) 

On thursday we drove up to Wyoming to see Marcella, John, and their two kids McKenna and Grant.  We stopped in Laramie and spent the night and John’s parent’s house.  Their whole family was there.  Like a million kids and I have to say the Shumway family is a very cool family.  I’ll have to give you guys a link to Codee Shumway’s blog which is John’s little sister.  She is 13 years old and honestly one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.  Her blog is hilarious and one of my favorite reads. 

So then we drove over to Cheyenne to stay with Marcella and John.  Their house is very cute.  Cheyenne is beautiful.  Dallen and Kenna played very well and would spend hours playing in a sandbox in the back yard.  Marcella and I had a good time catching up and doing stuff with the kids.  Marcella and I went to the gym on monday morning.  I have been working out but I’ve been afraid of lifting weights because I don’t know what to do and how many reps… so on.  Marcella showed me a routine and it was Awesome.  I loved it.  This morning I can barely move.  My abs hurt, my butt hurts, my chest hurts.  :)  in a good way.

I love talking with Marcella for major reasons.  First because she has a lot of drive in her.  She always has goals in mind.  Talking with her makes me want to accomplish more in my life.  Its fun to feed off of each others ideas and think about new things. 

I had a great time and was grateful I got to spend time with them.  The one thing that made me very sad was that I didn’t bring my camera and I don’t have a single picture to remember it by.

I will be leaving for Utah tomorrow. To my Homeland. To the mothership.

I would like the party planning commitee to have the following

• A group of 5-10 people at the airport to greet me.
• 2 poster boards with “Welcome Home Shellie!!!” on one and “Dallen and Kate We Heart You” on the other.
• Balloon Bouquet
• Someone video taping the whole thing
• Cake
• Ice Cream
• Woman in Carman Miranda Outfit holding a Large Check made out to me “Shellie L. Kendrick” in the amount of $50,000,000

I am going to miss Chad like crazy.  Miss you like crazy… miss you like crazy… ba dah dah dah daaaah and aaaaalways…

While I’m gone I would like my Georgia Amigos to do the following

• At Bunco- If there is a ghost player refer to the ghost as “Shellie” not as the “ghost” 
• Go to Nursery and help out.  I installed a nanny cam and if I see any of you sitting around chilling and chatting up I’m going to be ANGRY. None of you are allowed to grow and cultivate friendships if I’m not there.
• Take minutes at any girls nights out.  Also record Carmine Smith if she does any dancing.
• Chad needs to be fed.  Because if I leave him on his own he’s like one of those kids who gets left alone in their house for a couple of days and only consumes dried pasta and mustard.  Please invite him over for dinner. 
• Eat at Zaxby’s for me. 
• Keep me in your prayers.  Specifically that all the “non diet” foods I will be eating will keep me healthy and strong.

P.S.

I will need three cases of Dasani Water, 4 packages of Mini M&M’s and the DVD collection of the Office season 4 at any house I will be staying at.

Love,

Shellie