At least one night a week, the 4 Shulls head over to our country club pool to swim and eat dinner. It’s such a fun family outing and a nice break from cooking for Mix and Match Mama (she needs a break every now and then!).
Love him!
Love him too!
Those dimples courtesy of his mama!
It’s a shame we don’t like each other…
Kisses (well…kind of…)
The one and only picture I took of my daughter that night…don’t know why??? I love her too!
There is nothing better then hanging out with my family! XOXO
Erin @ Sassin' Southern Style says
What a great way to spend time together! =)
Anonymous says
Since you have such a larger following from Sean, I was wondering if you could sometimes share your trials of motherhood/marriage/etc rather than just successes. Your family and your strong faith is an inspiration to a lot of people and it would be nice to see that your strong faith is intact when things aren't all loving each other and fabulous trips and country clubs. I am a mom of young kids and I know there are challenges – no matter how great your husband is, how much money you have, etc…
Mix and Match Mama says
Hi Anonymous, I really appreciate your comment. I have to say…I'm really not a complainer about the ins and outs of my life. In general, I feel really blessed every single day that I live in the Lord's grace and abide in Him. If you go back through my blog…you'll notice that I did blog quite a bit about my infertility (it took me two years to get pregnant), I also blogged for 18 months about how miserable all three of my pregnancies were (I had a miscarriage and blogged about that too). I've been really open about the hard times but the truth is, I'm not going to focus on them. My blog has been around a lot longer then the Sean frenzy…he's been a part of it because he's my only sibling…but my blog has a lot more depth than just Bachelorette re-caps. For me, blogging is about sharing the special moments of my family's life. It's about the simple things…like going to the pool…and the big things…like when we travel. Trust me, my good girlfriends hear all about the really hard days (like when they have too many accidents, won't cooperate and whine constantly) but when I look back at my life (in blog form), I want to see the happy times. These are the moments I want to focus on. Much love and have a blessed weekend!
Anonymous says
Thank you for your response…I guess I need to remember that this is your blog for your memories and not something put on the Internet solely to inspire me!
Good luck to you and your family (love your brother – part of me selfishly wants him to do Bachelor to spread the Lord's word and be a positive example, but part of me is torn because the reason why I love and respect him is exactly the reason he would decline such an offer – he is a truly good person who isnt in it for the glam),
You have a beautiful family; you are very blessed.
Paula says
I like your positive attitude! Looking at the blessings instead of dwelling on the hard times. I have 4 kids, 1 which is severely disabled and twins on the heals of that. While it is hard, I won't lie, I choose to live in God's graces!! I applaud you.
Anonymous says
when I need a perk me up or just a smile on my face, I open your blog and look at your family pics…. I feel like God is using you to touch many hearts through your writing and pics. I always feel Him when I open your blog… 😀 ps: and I know you from your amazing brother ;-D
Anonymous says
I, too enjoy your blog so much. My question is how do you keep such a positive attitude? I love your comment about not complaining. But I really find it hard to put into practice. Some days I'm so run down from everything. Any advice? And totally different question, but what do you do for exercise? You talk a lot about going to the gym and I was wondering how you stay in such great shape post babies.
Mix and Match Mama says
Hi 3rd Anonymous (I really wish I knew you girls' names!),
Thank you so much for the comment. I do complain. I just don't complain on my blog :). I complain about the little things mostly…kids making a mess of the room I just picked up, hubby not putting his dishes in the sink…I complain about that stuff to them…I just don't complain about that to you blog readers. As for my life in general, I really do have a peace that comes from having a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Trust me, crappy things have happened (and will continue to happen) in my life. I've lost loved ones that were dear to me, I was diagnosed (and miraculously healed!) of cancer, I was told I probably wouldn't have any kids (and then came two…)…trust me when I say that I've had my fair share of bad days. But I always know that this world is temporary and that my hope, peace and joy comes from the Lord. I begin every day by reading my Bible and say a big prayer for the day ahead. I also try to remember and be grateful for every little detail in my life. I blogged about having a gratitude journal for 13 years. That really helped me put things in perspective. As for the other popular topic this week, me staying in shape…well, I'm a really active girl. Before I had kids, I ran marathons, I do boot camp classes, pilates, yoga…I still run and I lift heavy weights. I don't beat myself up about how much I workout, I just try and do it most days of the week and I also try to incorporate other physical activities into my day (like swimming with my kids and walking to the grocery store instead of driving). I'm not going to lie though…I have good genes. Have you seen my mom? And my grandmother? And hello?! Have you seen my little brother? Genetics plays a role in everything. However, I'm a strong believer in that diet does more than exercise. In the 10 years that I've been with my husband, we've only eaten fast food for dinner 4 times. That's it. And all 4 times were on road trips. We don't drink sodas, we eat real food (nothing frozen or really even processed). Real food. Even real cake and real cookies. Just real stuff (not the pre-packaged stuff). I guess I need to blog more about my bad days and my exercise plan. I'll do more of that for you ladies. Thank you for the comments. I love you all dearly!
Maureen W. (Maryland) says
Hi, Shay. Wow, your blog is hopping with comments! That must make you smile 🙂 I was first just going to say that this post was exemplary of the theme of your blog: the simple things (like a family night at the pool). It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from Mother Teresa, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." Then when I read some of the other comments I realized how our lives are flooded with a lot of negativity, people complaining, mostly through the outlet of social media. Keeping a positive attitude leads to a much happier life. What I love about you and your blog is that while you vulnerably share your struggles, you also inspire and remind me to enjoy the precious little moments. XOXO
Anonymous says
Hi Shay,
Thank you for sharing your life and loves with
the blog world. I think the Lord is using you for
His purposes, some of which you may never know. You have motivated me to start cooking more for my family, my husband and 2 little girls are picky but I have loved your recipes on your food blog and they have too. I love being able to see the pictures of the food I'm about to make, that really motivates me to cook! Anyway, I agree that you don't have to "complain" on your blog. The bible even says "Do all things without arguing or complaining." I just wanted you to know that through you I have been motivated to do more for my family. Thank you sweet Shay!
Anonymous says
Hi Shay
I love your blog and I admire you for how good of a mom and wife you are. I have a question that I hope doesn't sound rude because I don't mean for it to be at all… I just need some clarification. I am currently trying to cut back/out on processed foods for my family and I, which I feel is nearly impossible to do with little/Money/ideas to cook healthy, natural food and with a toddler whose favorite foods are Mac-n-cheese, chocolate, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets (luckily she loves fruits and veggies too!) So I am confused about how in one of the comments above you said you don't eat anything "really even processed," but I have glanced at your food blog ("which is fabulous by the way and I have already got a lot of inspiration for future dinners from it) and it is full of recipes that contain boxed cake mix, pillsbury crescent rolls dough, marshmallow cream…etc. Is that stuff not processed?!? I am just wondering because I am obviously confused on what the definition of processed food is and what I should stay away from, so any insight would be so helpful! Thanks so much! Oh, and I would love some tips on what your toddlers eat and tips with getting them to eat A variety of healthy, balanced meals 🙂 thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
Hey last comment! Good questions (not rude, don't worry!). When I say I don't eat a lot of processed food, what I mean is that you'll never see me open a box of Mac and Cheese and serve my family…we'll never have a frozen lasagna from the grocery store, we never eat Hamburger Helper…etc, etc. If my kids want Mac and Cheese, I'll boil some noodles, add a little milk and sprinkle on some cheddar…I prefer to make food that way. It's my cooking that's not full of a lot of processed foods but my baking is a little different. First, I never worry about boxed cakes mixes because all they are, are just pre-measured ingredients like flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. I never use "light" or "reduced fat" anything…I prefer real butter, real milk, real cream cheese, etc. When I bake, it's my time to indulge just a little. I'm definitely not a control freak about organic, natural, blah, blah, blah…I believe life tastes better in moderation and if that means eating some marshmallow cream, so be it. I always stand by the motto that making any of my dinners is a better choice for your family then picking up fast food. Not only is it quality time with your family in the kitchen but you have control over what you're serving. Thanks for commenting!