I Love To See the Temple

We had the opportunity to attend the temple today. It is sure nice to be able to go to a place where I can focus on eternal things and not be bothered by the things of this world. It is wonderful to be able to go to an oasis of peace and solitude to escape the loudness and confusion of the world. I have been blessed to have always lived near a temple. It caused me to think about all the temples which have had an impact on my life and the life of my family.

Logan Temple-where our family was sealed in 1958

Salt Lake Temple-first temple I went through


Ogden Temple-first temple Stella went through


Manti Temple-where Stella & I were sealed


Provo Temple-the temple we attended as poor students


Seattle Temple-our "home" temple

Portland Temple 1989


Seattle Temple 2002

Sound to Narrows

It's been kind of a tradition for our family to run in the Sound to Narrows every year, and although not everybody is able to participate every year, enough are there so that we can consider it an official family tradition. This year, Matt used his graphic design skills to design a logo so that we could all wear shirts proclaiming our pride and athleticism. Maybe that's overstating it just a little bit. We really loved the red color, as it helped us find each other with a minimum amount of difficulty. This was especially important because we all participate in indifferent events. Matt and Dacia took part in the 12-K run, Travis and Jaqui did the 5-K run, Reagan, Kelsey, Tanner and Anson (with Devin and Matt running as the support team) did the 2-K run, Ella and Gwyn ran the Diaper Dash, and Stella and I did the 5-K walk. Gina, who happens to be one of the more serious runners in the family, had to sit the race out, as she was feeling very ill before race time.

Reagan, Kelsey, Tanner, & Anson--The 2-K medal winners

One of the neatest things was that in the 2-K run, Reagan finished well ahead of the others. As the other three neared the finish line, Reagan ran back to be with them so they could all cross the finish line together. They have a very deep love for each other.

Team Shumate 2008

Gwyn & Ella--the Diaper Dashers

Anson Call Shumate--future Eagle Scout

Tacoma News Tribune, June 14, 2008, page A-12

We take a lot of family pictures and one of the things we do is bribe the kids by telling them that if they act good in a "normal" picture, we will take a picture of them making funny faces. We had finished taking our "normal" pictures and were taking the promised "funny face" pictures, when I heard somebody behind me taking a lot of pictures. I looked around and noticed it was a photographer from the Tacoma News Tribune (the local newspaper). After getting all of the names, he included this photo in yesterday's newspaper.

It is interesting to note that five years ago, Gina and Reagan had their picture on the front page of the News Tribune after Reagan had just finished running the Diaper Dash. Soooooo, if you want your picture in the newspaper, it may just pay to apply to be part of Team Shumate. Worse things could happen.

Walking together

Today Stella and I can say that we have walked the entire Scott Pierson Trail. It is an urban trail which begins East of the Allenmore Golf Course and parallels Highway 16 all the way across the Narrows Bridge. Recently, we have spent a lot of time walking various trails throughout the area and have enjoyed every minute of it. Most of our children and their spouses either run, bike, go to the gym, or work out in some way. Stella faithfully walks on a treadmill, but there are times when we go out walking together. Our contribution to fitness. Not only does it have health benefits, but it gives us the opportunity to spend quality time together. I have always enjoyed driving places with Stella by my side. I just love being with her and taking in the scenery. Walking together has added another dimension to that experience. As we walk, we spend a lot of time talking, enjoying nature, and just being with each other. We're also able to see a lot of things which we would normally miss in driving by. These are some of the places we have enjoyed walking. Bring on the Sound to Narrows! 5K that is.

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

Chambers Bay Golf Course

Tubbs Hill, Coeur d'Alene


Ruston Way


Narrows Bridge



Scott Pierson Trail



We just love walking with each other

Ten women

Today was Mother's Day; and what a wonderful day it was! Matt and his family were in town for the Tacoma Marathon. Matt had planned for a long time to run this marathon, but he hurt his back moving a piano, which threw his training schedule off, and made it impossible for him to run the marathon. However, he did run the 10K race with Gina. Although it was very easy for Matt (he ended up running to our house from the finish line), he enjoyed the very rare opportunity of running with Gina in a race.

With Matt's family visiting us, and Travis & Jaqui staying with us for a while, it was great to have the entire family here in town at the same time. It gave me a chance to ponder the importance of the women in my life. There are ten of them. A mom who trained me up in the way I should be. She was always there for me and sacrificed everything for me and my siblings. A wife who is, along with the gospel, the best thing that has ever happened to me, and to whom I owe everything. I can't imagine my life without her. It seems that we have been best friends as long as I can remember, even though it has only been 33 years. Four daughters-in-law, who are perfect complements to our sons. I love them as much as I love my sons, and consider them to be as my own daughters. I also appreciate the fact that I can enjoy them as grown women and didn't have to deal with them through those emotional teenage years. Finally, there are four grand-daughters, who are the cutest and most enjoyable girls in the world (at least to me). They are so sweet and innocent, and I hope and pray they will remain that way. With the parents they have, they have as good a chance as anybody.

The joy of the day was tempered, however, in the fact that dad went in to the hospital with congestive heart failure. That is a condition in which the heart is not pumping out enough blood as the body needs. Although he will most likely make it through this, it will only worsen with time. He has lived a good life, and he is one of the great ones to whom I owe everything.

Visiting Dad

I visited my dad on the way home from work yesterday. He fell a while back and had his hip replaced and has been in a special care facility since then. After wondering if he was going to even survive the ordeal (he just turned 87), he seems to be doing fairly well, although I'm not sure how mobile he will be. It has been very difficult for him to be away from his wife for this amount of time. The end of this year they will have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and I can't recall them being away from each other for more than a day. In spite of all that, he seems to be doing fairly well.

Dad's broken hip is made much more difficult by his dementia. Seven or eight years ago he started suffering from memory loss. About five years ago, mom started suffering from the same illness. It is now to the point that they can remember me and my siblings, but not much detail about our families. Or much of anything else. Since dad has been at Evergreen, Roger has stopped in nearly every day before work and I have stopped in nearly every day after work. Unfortunately, dad can't remember who has visited him during the day, so others may be visiting him, but he can't pass that information along to us. I have enjoyed my visits with dad. He knows he can't remember things, and he feels bad about that, but I am able to reassure him that it is not his fault. We are able to talk some about his life growing up, but even some of those details are getting fuzzy. I am so glad for the resurrection when his memory will not only be returned to him, but will be perfected in such a way that we can't comprehend. It will be fun to talk about these days with perfect recollection.

One thing which has affected me is that many years ago he wrote his life story. On a typewriter. And not a self-correcting typewriter, either. It took him years to do it, but it is a true 118 page literary work. It contains not only experiences from his life, but his thoughts and ideas. I am not sure what possessed him to write it, but I'll bet he was prompted to do it, even if he didn't know it at the time. I find it miraculous that he finished his history only about five years before his dementia started setting in. I know he wrote his life story not only for himself, but also for his children and grandchildren because he not only made copies for each of his children, but also made one for each of his grandchildren and gave them out as Christmas presents. It is a testimony to me to know that his legacy will live on for generations after his earthly life has ended.