Photoumbra Seniors-Taylor the Model ;)

THIS PASSED WEEK I GOT SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS! I am a Photoumbra Studios Model Representative. I've been given a chance also to win other prizes. I have wanted to be a model forever! Now is my chance.

If everybody that reads this could click the link below and vote for me --Taylor Shepherd-- I would forever appreciate it!

INFO:
This year we decided to treat one guy and one gal to one awesome Rock Star Session! Our Rock Stars will enjoy the royal treatment while our team of 2 photographers, a stylist and videographer are there to create a photo shoot you will never forget. We will start by picking you up in our tricked out SUV and taking you to a few locations, including our studio to create some really unique portraits of you. You will enjoy plenty of good music, food and drinks while you are with us. After your session you will receive a video of the experience, a glossy magazine style album of the shoot, 5 of your favorite images all touched up for you to use online however you would like, a custom metal dog tag or charm necklace featuring your favorite photos, a set of 100 rep cards that you can pass out to friends and classmates and we are working on a deal right now with a local clothing designer to get you some more swag! So follow this link http://www.misterpoll.com/polls/442165 and to vote! Get your friends to be fans of our facebook page and they can go vote for you too! Don't wait though, voting ends next Sunday night (July 19th)!

GOOD LUCK!

Utah Boy's State 2009

I had to opportunity to go to Boy's State this year as a graduating junior. It was up at Weber State University and I'll have to say I was pretty stoked! I love to meet new people and learn new things, so this was the perfect opportunity for me. At Boy's State, we get to learn about how our government works. It is kinda like a simulation of government. There was around 250 boys that attended from the state of Utah. About 30 kids were put into each of 8 cities. We ran for city, county, and state positions as well as 2 National Senate positions. Now this experience felt like the real deal. There were elections, campaigning, and debates. I was so eager to learn all this new information.
Utah Boy's State started on Monday the 8th and ran until Friday the 12th. I was lucky enough to drive up to Ogden on Sunday evening so I wouldn't have to wake up at 5 AM on Monday morning and drive all the way up to WSU.
The first night was a little rough. I hadn't met many friends. The next morning was much better. I met most of the kids in my city. ENGELBRECHT! as they checked in. I felt a little more comfortable. Now the food was okay, but the rooms were freezing! They gave us one blanket each and this blanket was more like a garbage sack! I mean, It was thinner than a towel! Luckily I took my own blanket too and I and a few others snuck some more blankets from the basement ;)
Monday, we ran for county and state delegates. I made both :) as well as State Delegate Chairman. We decided our party platforms and our city candidates.
The rest of the week went on. By Tuesday, I was totally homesick. I hadn't really made close friends. I had some really funny people in my city though. They were all so smart and talented in their own different and quirky ways. I enjoyed them, but I still didn't have anybody that I was really close with. I missed my family and my 2 dearest friends back home. I ended up running for State Senator, State Representative, and County Attourney. I didn't make any of them, but I did go to the General Elections for State Representative. I was pretty excited about that! Also, my city won the Athletic Activities of the week. It was set up like the Amazing Race. There were all sorts of athletics that we had to do.
One thing I did not like so much was the time management. We would wake up at 6:00 AM every morning and then we wouldn't get to bed until 12 AM! We had seminars all day long...which I couldnt stay awake during most of the time...and then we had meals, and more seminars! :) all in all I had alot of fun.
Thursday was our last night at Boy's State. We ended up getting our graduation slips that evening. Our two counselors, btw, were THE COOLEST! Clint, who was a police was the coolest guy I ever met. He was extremely funny and very motivating. Gary, was an old fart, but I loved his dear heart. He was extremely funny also...in his old-mannish ways. Thursday Night, we all wanted to do something outrageous. A bunch of the boys in my city, including me, stripped down to our nickers and tied our bed sheets around us like togas! We were having a toga party! It was hillarious and super fun! We ran on all 12 floors, except 10 (they were onery), and we yelled, "TOGA! TOGA! TOGA!". Man, It was great fun! We went outside and ran around a bit. We then found out that the supervisors were after us so we snucky up the stairwell. We made it to our floor, hurry threw on some clothes, and pretended it was us. :) well it was :) That was so much fun! We then started telling jokes. We told some many jokes, some dumb, some hillarious, and some just plain stupid (which we laughed at anyways because of other people's laughs). Then we were delighted to watch our friend Suit's monologue, which was extremely awkward and very professional at the same time. It was on Homosexuality. Very Hillarious haha! Then everybody simmered off to bed. Except a few of us. Me, Alexander, Dillon, Suit, and Kalon. We started telling jokes like you never believe! I was laughing so hard. Harder than I've ever laughed before! I swear! It was so much fun. Kalon, who was in my city, but I never had the chance to talk to, became my friend. haha. We stayed up and talked and laughed and joked until almost 3 in the morning! It was ridiculous! We also had to wake up at 6 AM for graduation practice and all...but we didn't care. "helen keller is awesome" by the way ;) We still didn't even go to sleep until 4 because we were still laughing so hard! It was super fun!
I ended up recieving a $1300 scholarship to WSU. Graduation went super! It was kinda sad to leave. I really did make some new friends up there that were the greatest! I encourage anybody to go to it! It is so amazing!

Engelbrecht

Alexander, Me, Kalon

3 AM Jokes with the pals

~Time Craze~

Well, SO MUCH has been going on with me. I've had to defy science and be in more than one place at once! It's been crazy!...and yet, I have had fun! :) I'll try to update you as much as possible beginning with December-Winter. lol.Christmas was great! I got so much this year from the 'Big Man' lol. Tonz of clothes, accessories for my car, PTO tickets for a real theatre show!, some video games, more clothes, and a WII (technically, my family's). I love Christmas time! It is wild in my family, but it's great to see everybody come together! Next, is January. January whizzed by....basketball proceeded. I'll say, this basketball season was not great at all! I had fun, but we just couldn't pull together as a team. I'm crossing my fingers for next season. February.The month of Love! haha! Basketball went on....I was tied up between School, Basketball, and Work. Blah. Blah. Blah. haha! Honestly, I don't remember February :S Is that a sign of early Alzheimer's? Oh-SO-Busy MARCH! Our Junior Prom was the 20th of March. Time's were crazy because our junior officers-(Korey, Me, Kelsie, and Kinzie)-wanted our Prom to beat out any body's. You see, our two high school rival's Proms were the same weekend as ours. ;( So we were planning the most SPECTACULAR Prom ever! By now, Basketball was done with. However, Soccer had started. That means practice from 3:30-5:45 every day after school plus games every Tuesday and Thursday! My Time was just disappearing from me. The first week of March was especially busy with soccer, promenade practice, and the Upcoming Preference Dance (which I was chosen as one of the "most" preferred contestants). This was difficult! I had to be in a kinda-"male-beauty pageant"...all while keeping up with promenade, soccer, my school work and my actual job at Gatorz. I overcame Preference, had fun doing it, and went on with my busy schedule. Prom was 2 weeks away and I had to get busy, along with a lot of others! I got work off for those two weeks so you would think that I wasn't so busy....well I was even BUSIER! Now that I think of it, the week of prom was a blur. Haha! Too many details!
Prom night came :) It was actually here! The night everybody had been waiting for! My dance partner was Kelsie. :) She look Beautiful! We had lots of fun! And I'll tell you, we can dance :) We want to take ballroom dance lessons in the summer.
My actual date was Chevia Gates--a lifelong friend of mine. We've been friends for about 11 years now. She was gorgeous! We matched in olive green attire :) SEXY! I know ;) Prom was Amazing! Everyone enjoyed themselves. Did I mention that I won Prom King! I Know! It was awesome. I actually told people not to vote for me for obvious reasons, but they did and I'm so glad :) My Queen was my good Friend Korey "Barn". She was beautiful also.
The mothers had put together a slideshow of our class through the years. It was alot of fun! We also had a pro videographer there to record our whole night! It was amazing! After Prom was over and everybody left, My group and I went to Oak's house hot tubbin. Felt very good! A stress-reliever! :) We got hungry and went to the all-famous Denny's! What other place would be open at 2 am ;) haha. We all were sooo tired! and we had a BIG day ahead of us! I took Chevia home--no kiss goodnight! haha and to Bed I was! The next morning, my group set off on our day date to Ogden to go..(drum roll)..INDOOR SURFING! It was so much fun! It was hard to stand up for long periods of time but I would love to go again! Afterwards, we went to Applebees and drove home. :) I had a great time and it was such a great "Prom" experience. It would have even been better if I had gotten my "goodnight" kiss lol Everything was alright though.
Now...Its coming on April and I have lightened my load. I am still busy with soccer, school, and work, but I have made my schedule more flexible. I will be going on the famous Band Tour of North Sevier soon and I cant wait. Who knows what will happen? I'll try and keep you updated! ---Forever and Sometimes Taylor Shepherd

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays! With all the family coming together and all the catching up. The passed few years, we have gone to my grandpa's house in Salt Lake. We've made it into a tradition now. :) But this year was a bit different. Ya see...I've never driven up north by myself and this year, I decided to take my own car up so I could run to the mall and do all that good stuff while my parents were Christmas shopping. I did very well and I'm glad too cuz I want to live in the city once I graduate from High School.

And O! I got a chance to go to Pennsylvania in the Spring for a Leadership conference...However, I was so caught up in all my Thanksgiving Plans, that I forgot to send in my papers and get my letters of recommendation. I was pretty disappointed because I would have loved to go with my friend Kelsie there. But there is no reason to look back...I missed my chance. Better Luck next time.

Twilight Movie

O my gosh! I went to the Twilight Movie with my two best friends....WOW! It was so amazing. I didn't know what to expect when I sat down, but I'll tell you that I loved it. The book and movie were right in sync, although the movie had to cut back on some parts--The meadow scene was slaughtered and Bella's Lullaby wasn't what I thought it would be. But other than that, I wish I had gone and seen it more than once.

Basketball

Basketball Season is finally here! Tryouts were in the middle of November. I practiced hard and I made the team. I am on the Varsity 2 team and plus I start JV. It is very exciting to be playing two games every night. Our team is one of the best teams in our region. I know it. But of course, our record doesnt show it. Out of the 8 games we have played (Varsity) we have lost all 8, but the region games do not start until January 9th. We have been practicing hard during the Christmas break and I know we will prove ourselves once we come back off the break. Teams will overlook us and thats when we will take the game from them. I'll try and keep you updated throughout our season.