Hey, hey, hey, it’s a THREE POST TUESDAY!
Today, I have MEAL PLANNING TUESDAY plus I’M ANSWERING THE TOP 5 TRAVEL QUESTIONS IN OUR DMS along with a little look back at THE FIRST AND LAST DAYS OF SCHOOL.
I typically include the pics from our first and last days of school on my Friday Favorites, but this year, my kiddos ended school at three different times, so I wasn’t able to snap that last “last day” pic until Friday morning. So, I thought I’d just give these four pics a post of their own 🙂 .
This year has been a HUGE one for the Shull six.
We had two high schoolers, a middle schooler and one in the fourth grade.
Our high school kiddos elected to go to different schools, so we not only had two in high school, we had two in two different high schools.
Ashby started middle school and dominated. So far, she’s been the easiest Shull kid to transition from elementary into middle school.
Mades started out at our much beloved neighborhood elementary school, but in October, we decided to make the switch, and she moved to a small private school.
Four kids, four schools, lots of prayer, and perhaps our VERY FAVORITE school year to date.
There was tremendous growth by each kiddo in every sense of the word…
We commuted A LOT (which meant we all got to spend extra time in the car together), we got a brand new driver in our family in September (with another one on the way in January!), we watched A TON of high school football, traveled all over to watch even more cheer, started wearing contacts on the regular, made new friends, learned so many new things, studied quite a bit, laughed a ton, and wrapped up the year feeling extremely blessed.
I’ve said this before, but there have been several years where we limped to the finish line, felt defeated, exhausted and burned out…but this, our craziest and busiest year, left us feeling excited about what’s to come in the fall. Should you be in a “limping to the finish line year”, please know that I feel for you. Those years are HARD.
It’s officially summer over here, and we could not be more excited.
Sending so much love to all of you educators who pour into kiddos. We certainly love all of you over here at our house.
Cheers to a new season! xx
Elspeth Mizner says
I can’t believe how much your kiddos have grown! Thank you for sharing with us!
Have a great summer!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Dawn Timmons says
Congratulations on a successful school year! I am excited for all of you starting summer knowing as a teacher, my finish line will be coming soon…June 13th. Looking forward to savoring the summer season!!! We know you will enjoy each memory-making moment! 😊☀️❤️🏖️
Beth Knecht says
Love the look of the new door from the inside out to the steeet! Great backdrop for first/last day pics!
K.K. says
Love that they are thriving!!!
Paula Hobbs says
The smiles speak volumes!! Also, the new door is perfection! I have to admit I was worried and sad, but I love it!! Just goes to show that change isn’t always a bad thing. Have a great week!!
S.M. says
Beautiful photos. Your new front door makes them look extra awesome.
I’m so happy that you all had an excellent school year.
Have a wonderful summer. Ours begins June 10th at 10:00, but as a teacher, who’s counting? :o)
SS says
Shay… I know you posted about the door, but it still threw me off until it hit me! 😆
I love that you are willing to try things to make it a better educational experience for your kiddos!!
Happy Summer!!!!
Hanna Humphreys says
Not sure they’d be into it, but it’d be so fun to have your kids make a blog post of their own! Or do a response like Andrew sometimes does (top 5, bottom 5)!
Mix and Match Mama says
I love this idea!
Lori says
I’m glad you had a successful year and hope the next ones are too. Happy Summer!
Karlee says
I love seeing how your kids have grown, matured, and flourished!! Thank for sharing! Have a blessed summer! May you have lots of sunshine and lemonade days!
Jami Romano says
AMEN to all of this 🙂 Cheers to Summer! XO
Julie says
Wow!! So much growth, and so beautiful!! Yay Summer! ☀️☀️☀️
Natasha says
We are in a “limping to the finish line” kind of year for both kids (and for me as a secretary) and we STILL have four weeks left 🙁 Please send some prayers (and summer warmth) our way.
Mix and Match Mama says
Those are HARD years!!! I’m sorry you’re in one right now. xx
Laura Holmes says
They’ve grown so much! Happy summer to you. Bring on Nantucket!!
Karah Stracener says
Woohoo I am so glad your kiddos had a great school year. They sure grow up fast. I hope y’all have the best summer Shull Family.
Marisa Patel says
Ours was definitely a limp but high hopes for next year!!!! I will have a high school senior and a 7th grader so it will be an exciting year I am sure. I cannot believe how fast this has all gone, the time just disappears!
SNICK says
We have definitely had our share of the tough years as well as some pretty incredible years as well. This past Friday the baby of the entire family graduated high school and closed it out with one of her best years yet…
The feeling of joy, pride and gratitude are overwhelming! But quite honestly so is the sense of loss and heartache as she will be moving four hours away to cheer in college…
The days are long but the years are short. SOAK IT UP!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh goodness, my heart! Ugh, this just pulled right at my heart. Sending YOU so much love! xx
Becky says
I have been watching cheerleading on tv and can’t believe how much it has changed since my time. Does Kensington have to do all the full twisting back flips and all the things that seem to be shown now? I could have never made it:) Did she take gymnastics at a young age?
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s CRAZY to see how athletic everyone in cheer is today. It’s really so cool! Kensington does some tumbling (and has been taking tumbling classes for years), but she’s certainly not a gymnast. Some of the girls on her squad are though, and they’re unbelievable!
Sharon H. says
Giving thanks with you that your family had a great year. Enjoy every moment of your summer making more family memories.
Karleigh Johnson says
Shay — you just do it all and with such a positive outlook. Such an inspiration! Can’t wait to hear about y’all’s awesome summer, too!
Jeanette says
I just think you and Andrew excel in parenting. Your children are growing and thriving, b/c you met their needs even though there would be inconveniences and/or complications w/ 4 different schools. Most parents would most likely stick to the one school in their district and that’s that! Well done!!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well thank you and you are certainly being way too kind. We try our hardest to do what’s best, but some days, we’re utter failures. Your sweet words are so encouraging though! xx
Kristy says
We moved to a new city, so a new school for everyone and we all felt like we thrived. And it was hard! God is good. All the time. And we graduated our second son! What a year. Bring on summer and camps! Happy end of the school year and end of May!
Mix and Match Mama says
Wow! What a huge year and transition for your family! I am thrilled to know they all thrived. God is in the details! xx