Happy What’s Up Wednesday!
You guys, half of us are home and gearing up for school and the other half…are still enjoying Nantucket 😉 .
Kensington, Smith and I came back on Monday afternoon with two of the dogs, and we’ve already checked off the dentist, the orthodontist, football equipment pickup, the grocery store, and we’ve gotten everything those two need for back to school which is next week. What in the world?! NEXT WEEK!
Andrew and the littles stayed with the other two dogs a few extra days and will be coming home soon. We have exactly one more week left of summer break, and then we’re off and running to school.
Alrighty, as always, on the last Wednesday of every month, Sheaffer and I host this little linky party where we share what’s going on with us right now. It’s a little food, a little family, a little what we’re wearing, a little what we’re doing, a little what we’re watching and a little bit of everything else all in one post.
IT’S THE LAST DAY OF JULY!! This month just flew by. Happy last day! xx
On Monday night, we arrived back home at 7:00 PM, so we ordered take out.
Last night, we grilled chicken with sweet potatoes in the air fryer.
Tonight, my family is coming over for…
…TACO RICE BOWLS (so easy when feeding a crowd!).
And then tomorrow…
…I’m making our CHICKEN & BROCCOLI FRIED RICE.
Oh well, this last weekend, of course!
Kensington and I left our house at 3:00 AM on Saturday morning, arrived on Nantucket at 11:30 and had a fun, fun and fantastic 48 hours with the family before heading back out with Smith on Monday afternoon…
Andrew picked us up from the airport, we put on our swimsuits and headed to Something Natural to grab sandwiches for lunch before…
…heading to the beach 🙂 .
Beach days are the best days.
We stopped for snacks at the Sandbar before heading home.
Showered, changed and back in town for dinner…
…this was my own personal “farewell to summer” tour…
…which, of course, landed us at our favorite watering hole, The Nantucket Hotel & Resort.
Man, I love this little town. After saying goodbye at the hotel…
…we had dinner here, The Nantucket Tap Room (located at the Jared Coffin House), and it was, per usual, really delish.
The next morning was gorgeous! Bikes, scooters…life at our house.
Smith and I went for our last bike ride and breakfast together. He told me I couldn’t cry…so I didn’t…but I wanted to. We spent about 2.5 hours together just us eating, talking, walking and biking. I tried SO HARD to just soak it all in. How long will my boy do this with me? I don’t know, but it’s just one of my favorite blessings.
We walked down to the harbor and looked at the boats in the marina. This is the peak season for boats and yachts to be moored on Nantucket.
We love looking at the boats!
After that, we went on a five mile bike ride and checked out some beautiful Nantucket spots including…
…the oldest house on the island…
…with its beautiful gardens and…
…goats. They are named Lucy and Ethel…that is a fact 🙂 .
We also biked over to…
…the old jail as well. It was such a fantastic morning with my boy.
After we were finished, we picked up the other peeps…
…and headed to Sconset for lunch at one of our favorite spots, Claudettes :).
We were laughing because this girl is AWLAYS up for a pic…
She was just standing there letting her siblings take silly pics of her. She is SUCH a good sport.
I walked out of one of the stores there in Sconset and saw this…
…all four of them talking and laughing. Mades immediately saw me and struck a pose. Hahahaha! Geez, I love these kids!
We took our lunch to our favorite spot in the world…
…the most eastern end of the island. The plan was to enjoy the sunshine except…
…it ended up being 68 degrees, and I was cold! We ate, we laughed and then we headed…
…to Cisco Brewery because it was too cold for the beach. Clearly, this was the day we ate our way through Nantucket.
It started pouring rain, so we bailed on the brewery, headed home and watched the Olympics then cleaned up…
…and had one last family dinner at The Sea Grille. It was the best weekend 🙂 .
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TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!!
I don’t know…now that I’m back in McKinney and my inbox is flooded with school emails and my calendar is full of “fall” things and the kids are excited and we’re t-minus seven days away, I’m not dreading the end of summer. I was before I left Nantucket, but now that I’m back…I’m excited about this next season.
Speaking of which…
First day of school last year…
…was so much fun! I am so very excited about the first day of school this year too!
Kensington and I started binge watching…
…together over the summer, and now, I can’t quit. I had already watched many of these episodes while it was actually on TV, but this is the first time that I’ve watched it in order. K and I were both watching on the flight home Monday on our phones…two different episodes, and we both kept laughing out loud at different times. This show cracks me up!
My JULY BOOK REVIEW will be out soon, but in the meantime, if you didn’t read…
…my JUNE BOOK REVIEW you should! I read SO MANY cute books in June!!
Also, if you missed this on Monday…
…I read THE HORMONE FIX this month and shared a little book review about it!
Honestly? Right now, I’m listening to two teenagers watching The Office with the volume turned up WAY TOO HIGH downstairs. I’m biting my tongue and trying to let it go, but for the love, why do they turn the volume up SO HIGH?!
It’s 95 degrees, and I’m running around getting my life together before school starts. I’m living in athleticwear…
THIS TANK for the win! It’s quick dry and comes in a lot of colors. I bought THESE SHORTS and loved them so much that I bought them in a second color (old rose) too!
I love that they cinch tie for a great fit plus…
…there are pockets on both sides AND they’re lined. #winning THESE SHORTS come in so many other colors too!
Yes, Frenchie is sniffing my SLIDES (a great Amazon ‘dupe’!). Sigh. BUT the focus is on MY TOP!!
THIS TOP is so soft, so comfy, and will work so well with both shorts (mine are HERE) or leggings. I am obsessed! I will be buying it in a second color too! It’s just so soft.
And one more look at MY SLIDES from Amazon 🙂 .
Andrew and the littles will be back, Smith and I have a volunteer thing to do on Saturday morning, we’re excited to be back in person at church on Sunday…it’s our last summer weekend!
And amen.
That wraps up this month’s What’s Up Wednesday!
Don’t forget, if you blogged along with us today, please link up below.
I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday! I’ll see you back here IN AUGUST 😉 ! xx
Elspeth says
What a fun month and recap! So glad you got to enjoy your time on Nantucket!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Poppy says
Do you have any plans to visit China Again with the girls? Ashby and Madeley have any interest in going to china one day to see where they came from?:)
Mix and Match Mama says
Ashby has been back (when we went to bring Madeley home), and yes, one day, we hope to take them when the time is right/they’re in a emotional place that would allow it to be a really positive experience. It would be a blessing to go back with them.
Bri says
We’re having taco/burriot bowls tonight too! I can’t believe that school is already right around the corner. I was just talking to a friend who still lives & teaches in Texas (which is how we originally met our first year) & the teachers go back next week already. Here in MN kids don’t start until after Labor Day!
Katie says
I love that Smith and you eat breakfast together. I only have one son going into 4th and I often wonder how long he will hold my hand in public still! Ha
Erika Slaughter says
Summer 2024, thank you for being so good to us! XOXO
Sheaffer says
I need your enthusiasm about school starting to rub off on me. I AM NOT THERE.
K.K. says
Love all of it!! Love that those goats are Lucy and Ethel!! 🙂
Kristen says
Luckily we have the month of August left before school starts.. anyway you can link some of K’s back to school clothes? My daughter is around same age.
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! I’m working on it now! Make sure you check my LTK as that’s where most of the items will be linked!
Therese says
When someone asks my teenagers what I say to them the most it’s going to be “I love you” and “TURN.IT.DOWN!” 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
I literally just lol at my desk!
Adrienne says
What a fun summer! Curious when your football season begins? My son is Smith’s age and they have been practicing since mid July! Would love to travel more but this limits us!
Mix and Match Mama says
Their first practice isn’t until August 5th. It’s so darn hot here, I cannot imagine how miserable they’ll be in that equipment.
Monique says
It is so nice to hear that you enjoyed a nice bike ride with your son. I can tell you that as they get older it actually becomes better than you had thought. My son is 21 and our relationship is wonderful. We have truly meaningful conversations and it’s been a joy to watch him grow as a young man. Every season has plus’s and minuses, but I can tell you that it’s been a wonderful and bittersweet experience for me. Enjoy all the moments.
Mix and Match Mama says
Well, I could just hug you. Thank you for sharing this.
Lisa N says
And then when you think I sure miss them being little they give you grandkids and you get to revisit that sweet time in a different way🥰
KimberlyM says
Shay! Thanks so much for sharing your summer with us! After reading your posts, my husband and I decided to save up for the next couple of years and go to Nantucket for our 25th anniversary! I can’t think of anywhere else I would love to experience more! I will definitely be referring back to your posts as it gets closer to plan and it also gives me something to look forward to!
Best wishes for a great end of your summer and school year ahead!!
Mix and Match Mama says
An excellent idea!! Please please email me when the time comes! I would love to give you pointers/tips/ideas 🙂 .
KimberlyM says
Oh thank you so much!! I certainly will!!
Faith says
What a wonderful full summer! I secretly cry just watching my girls pack up to move back to school. I always try to think of the positive that comes out of it. Hope everyone has a great last week and a great first day of school!!
Jen says
We started back to school TODAY! I can’t believe it…summer seemed so short! With all of your flying back and forth, I was wondering if you have a favorite brand of compression socks or anything similar to help prevent blood clots? I’m gearing up for a heavy fall travel schedule for work and am a little worried….
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh goodness, today?! What a day!! Okay, I do not have a preferred brand of compression socks, but I bet someone reading the comments will! Please share if you do!
Jen says
Thank you! I’ll keep checking back!
Joanne says
I have never commented before, but I have been reading your blog for years. You bring so much sunshine to my day, and I look forward to reading it every single day. You have given me so many ideas for gifts for my grandchildren and other family members, packing cubes, jewelry, etc. I have tried your delicious recipes and read many of the books you suggest. I’m on my third year of The Bible Recap. I’m not on instagram so I use the YouVersion Bible App. Next June my husband and I will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary, and we hope to make a stop in Nantucket. Thank you for all you do!
As someone who wears compression socks every single day, I highly recommend Dr. Motion knee-hi socks. You can buy them on Amazon.
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh my gosh, THANK YOU for commenting and sharing and helping this reader and for just being a wonderful part of this community. I am SO thankful for you!!
Karah Stracener says
I am in denial that school is about to start. We have 1.5 weeks left and I am not ready 🙁 Your last weekend on Nantucket looked like so much fun. Enjoy your last summer weekend.
Kelly Olson says
What color are the Amazon slides? I love the price point! 😍
Mix and Match Mama says
They are the ones in “pink”. They’re a brighter pink than in the website photo.
Kacy M says
That pic of you and Madeley on the beach chair is the cutest!
Margaret says
I love hearing about all your kids going back to school, high school football, sports, school supplies I miss those days! We have 4 kids also and yes keep being excited for each year and stage. We were so sad when high school sports ended but 3 of our 4 played college athletics and our baby boy who is almost 21 has two more years of college lacrosse. And he calls me all the time from college and we have had so many special moments this summer – Smith will be riding bikes with you for years to come! I am looking forward to hear about his football journey and can imagine how excited Andrew is – it is so fun for the whole family! It was some of our most fun years. Happy pre pumpkin month – haha and I am so glad Ashby is doing well and no surgeries for awhile!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh this comment just gave my heart all the feels. Happy August! xx
Paula says
Do neither of your highschoolers have summer practices? Here in Tennessee, they only get 2 weeks, state required, all summer off. It is such a bummer and truly too much.
Mix and Match Mama says
The public schools in Texas have an organization called the UIL that regulates every club/sport/activity to make sure they’re not over practicing/abusing the rules/players/etc. K had two things to attend this summer (which she did) and football doesn’t start until Monday for Smith. It depends on your sport the calendar/schedule/dates allowed, but for those two sports, the summer schedule hasn’t interfered much.
Arika says
Shay, do I remember you saying recently that you’ve started using a new fitness app to track your workouts? I’m looking for something to help stay organized/provide guidance with strength training. Somehow I thought I remembered you talking about an app you’re using?
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes!! I really like it! It’s the app Fitbod 🙂 .
Liz Thorson says
What an absolute dream summer you have enjoyed on Nantucket, your family travel and your beautiful home/garden on the island! I love the time you and Smith have shared! What a gift to cherish forever!❤️