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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Everyday Life, Life Lately, Shay ·

Life Lately.


Apparently, I was picture happy this last week because I took like 8 million pictures.  I apologize in advance for this lengthy life lately :).
We’ve been busy doing puzzles together…

…chasing bubbles together…

…Smith has been getting his strength training on at the gym…

…Ashby thinks it’s hysterical…

  

…we’ve watched Smith play baseball…

…and we had THE BEST time at Ebby Lee’s birthday party!  Erika gave Ebby Lee a set amount of invitations for friends and she insisted that Ashby get her own.  Isn’t that sweet?  She really wanted Ashby to know she was included.

My sweet Cinderella (looking up at someone else when I snapped the pic).  She had THE BEST time too!

Her fancy bow hair!

Ashby didn’t want to put on a costume but she loved making the jewelry.  She was really proud of her bracelets.

Love. Her.

Three sweet girlies!

Doing the Hokey Pokey!

I mean…come on…she was in heaven with these big girls!

At the end, they do a runway walk :).

Kensington slept in her fancy hair and wore it to school the next day.  Here we are walking to school.  I asked her to show me her TGIF face.  She nailed this one…and these too…
…if I could freeze time and live these days over and over again I would.  I just love my kiddos’ ages right this very minute :).

Kensington’s teacher texted me this picture that morning.  Apparently, they were learning about worms :).
Ashby’s first ponytail!!

On Saturday morning, the boys went fishin’, so the girls did some front porch sittin’.  The weather was just too nice to be inside!

Later, we attended our town’s Art Festival.  Smith got a glitter tatoo…

…and Kensington had her face painted.

So proud of their new body art :).

We left the Art Festival and went to Kensington’s school’s carnival.  See my kids racing to the top?  They had so much fun together!
I was proud of Smith because he really wanted to ride this spinning thing.  No one else wanted to do it with him (for fear of throwing up on that thing!), so he asked a first grader if he would do it with him and they did :).

Ashby was all about the fishing!

And the duck game…

…and the bowling…

And Ashby loved throwing the baseball with her Daddy.

Kensington’s teacher’s hubby made the kids balloon animals.  My girls had pink poodles.

This was lunch on Sunday afternoon :).

And late afternoon bike riding with my littlest.

My heart is so full when I look at this sweet girl.

The girls played on the playground until well past bedtime.

We have a creek that runs through our property and usually, it’s pretty calm and low.  Well, thanks to flash flooding and torrential down-pouring, it was moving the other day!  I took this picture out a window and then walked back across the house and saw this…

…Andrew in his business clothes with the pool equipment getting the neighbor’s chair unstuck from the creek.  Sigh.  I would have changed clothes first…but maybe that’s just me.

Tuesday was a full day!  Ashby and I had lunch with my oldest and dearest friend Kara :).

I’ve known Kara since the sixth grade and we went to college together.  Love her!!

And my night ended with dinner on our square with these lovely ladies.
Whew!  Love a full week like that with my babies, my hubby and my girlfriends!
And whether you need a recipe for breakfast. brunch or dinner…my Roasted Tomato Quiche will work!

Click here to see the recipe.

And hey, hey!  Look what I just saw this morning…

Eeks!  It’s Loft’s 40% off Sale!!  Everything in store is 40% off!!  Check out my three favorite tops (I bought smalls in all 3)…
1. Blue Floral
2. Sleeveless Stripe
3. Ikat Blouse

Happy Thursday!

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Comments

  2. Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says

    Lots to touch on……Smith and Kensington looked so much alike in the pic of them together on the square, K with her princess hair holding the worm is perfection, and I could eat Ashby with a spoon. When I think back to the pics of her in China and then compare them to now, it's so amazing to see how far she's come!

  5. Anonymous says

    Does the one girlfriend of yours on the right end of the dinner pic (wearing the scarf..) blog?! I'd love to read it! I recognize y'all in that photo as bloggers except her!!! 🙂 she looks so nice! Thx!

  6. Michelle's World says

    A little off topic but guess which one of your recipes my kids ask for all of the time? Chicken ceasar sandwiches! They love them and I am making them tonight. Thanks for posting this recipe even though you thought it was too simple it is so nice and easy. Love your blog 🙂 I have hooked a bunch of girls at work on it.

  7. TorontoSAM says

    So many things I love about this post – the way Ashby clasps her hands for a photo, the fact that Kensington's teacher texts you photos during the day, working out with Smith! Love it all!
    I referred a friend of mine to your site yesterday, she and her fiancé want to start the adoption process as soon as they get married (as well as try for their own kids). They are looking at Asia or Africa. We don't know anyone personally who has done international adoption, so she was interested in reading your posts about Ashby.

  8. Slightly Askew Designs says

    So that picture of Ashby on the bike??? I have a feeling that we'll be able to do a side-by-side of her senior pictures one day and it will be the same pose… PRESH!!! I loved K's "mirror pic" and Smith is always too cute in his baseball cap 🙂 Love y'all!

  10. Jersey Love says

    I love how much Ashbys personality has changed…seeing her so happy and posing for pictures now vs. when she was so scared and hiding in Andrews or your arms. What a sweet little girl. 🙂

  11. Erica says

    Hey Shay! I love love love your blog! So many things that are important to you (your family, staying home with your kids, your girlfriends, fitness, your faith, including your parents, etc.) are all so important to me as well, and since Kensington is about five years older than my daughter I really enjoy watching how day to day life is for you guys because it almost seems like a small glimpse into how things could be for us if we keep our priorities where they should be. 🙂 These "life lately" posts are definitely my favorite. Thanks for being an inspiration to every day mommas like me!

  17. Aubrey says

    Such a fun, busy week! When your life has been turned upside down and you're trying to get your three kids acclimated to a new continent, country, and culture it sure is nice to see someone else having a NORMAL week. 🙂

  18. Diana Holguin says

    I always look forward to your life lately posts on Thursdays…they are my favorite 🙂 Also, I really admire how organized you are!! Just curious as to how you organize and back up all your pics and videos?? My pics are everywhere and I would love to get your thoughts on how to get them all organized and in one place 🙂 Thanks, Shay!!

  20. colorsoflifeblog.com says

    Okay…Ashby doing the hokey pokey. Andrew with Ashby throwing the baseball. Smith at the gym. Kensington and the worm. You and your girlfriends. THE SWEETEST FAMILY! Also, don't apologize for a lengthy life lately – that just makes it all the more better 🙂

  25. GiGi says

    Please don't ever apologize for long life lately posts! I love, love, love looking at your pictures of your precious family! I look forward to your blog every day, hoping to see pictures as they always make me smile! My favorites today are Smith strength training, princess Kensington so proud of her worm, the Good Neighbor Andrew, Ashby doing the hokey pokey, and you and your girls on Saturday morning. Love your beautiful family!

  26. Erica Y says

    I had terrible bloody nose issues growing up. One suggestion is to put ice on the opposite wrist of the nostril that is bleeding (not sure why!) but it really does work! So if they are bleeding from the right nostril, put ice on the left inside wrist. Just make sure their heads are not tilted back because the blood will go into their throat! (yuck!) and avoid using water to rinse out there mouth because that just moves the taste of blood around in their mouth. Try using a little bit of milk or something with some substance to get the taste out. Hope that helps if Ashby or Smith have a nose bleed anytime soon!