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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

Smith, Travel ·

Weekend Recap {LUBBOCK EDITION}


Happy TUESDAY, friends!

Okay, if you were too busy enjoying your Labor Day to pop over here yesterday, it was MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR!

And you know what we always do to celebrate my favorite day…

…we have a GIVEAWAY!

If you missed yesterday’s post, make sure you head back there now to enter to win!

Okay, this TRAVEL TUESDAY we are going to take a little trip over to Lubbock, Texas 🙂 .

On Friday night, the Lovejoy Leopards had a game against Lubbock Cooper High School.  Last year, Cooper made the trip to Lucas to play us at home which meant that this year, we made the trip to see them.

If you’ll recall, when we went out to Midland, TX for a playoff game in November, we thought it would be fun to ride the bus with several other families…

…it was fun…but it was reallllly long.  We had several bus ‘mishaps’ that made the trip last a lot longer than it needed to and we ended up not getting back to Lucas until about 6:00 AM.

Since Lubbock is even further than Midland, we decided this time to skip the bus and fly from Dallas and spend one night.  Who doesn’t love a little overnight trip in Lubbock?!

Neither Ashby nor Mades had school on Friday, so the four of us arrived at DFW around noon and headed on a short flight to the Texas Panhandle.

Hello, West Texas 🙂

We arrived, rented a car, checked into our hotel, and immediately met up with other families (those who had been on the buses, others who had driven in and more who had also flown) for dinner.  It was so much fun taking over a restaurant with a bunch of Lovejoy families!

After our early dinner, we all drove to Lubbock Cooper High for the game…

…how sweet are these two?  She is his mini me, and she is SO PROUD of it!

The weather was actually pretty darn perfect for kickoff.  We were SUPER proud and excited to see Smith play football.  He waits all year for football season and was PUMPED that the first game had finally arrived.

It’s go time!

Love that #75 🙂

I love this girl too!  She’s always up for a big sibling event.

My little guy has turned into a big defensive end…just like his dad 🙂 .

While we were in Lubbock, the McKinney Boyd High School team was ironically in…

…Lucas at the Lovejoy stadium 🙂 . My dad and mom sent me this pic from the Boyd game where Kensington was cheering.  Boyd was supposed to have played on Saturday at 11:00 AM but due to weather, they moved the game to a “neutral” site so that it could be played in the evening (and not be so hot).

The neutral site that was selected was ironically Smith’s school (who wasn’t playing there that night because they were playing in Lubbock).

My parents cheered on our cheerleader while we cheered on our football player…

…our hearts and our schedules are full.  Football season around here is just our favorite.  All six of us were so excited for this big day!

The scoreboard at the end of the game.  The best way to kick off the season for the Leopards (and the Boyd Broncos won too!).

All of these students (players, trainers, band, drill team, and the cheerleaders) had bused all day to Lubbock and were about to bus back through the night.  Busing 6ish hours back is much more fun after a win.

Smith’s first varsity game!  We were so proud of our boy.

The team showered and headed back to Lucas (they arrived back around 4:00 AM) while we spent the night in a hotel and flew home the next morning.  An easy little 45 minute flight from Lubbock to Dallas turned into circling DFW for one hour before being rerouted to land in Abilene, TX due to storms.  At one point on Saturday, our family and the Slaughters were eating vending machine food and watching college football on Andrew’s iPad inside the teeny tiny Abilene airport.  It was a very unexpected way to spend our Saturday, but there is no one else we’d rather be on an “adventure” with than our “framily”.  We laughed A LOT as we chaotically made our way back to DFW.

After we got home, we unpacked, did a few chores, showered and cleaned up…

…and decided to spend our Saturday night in downtown McKinney.

Ashby and Mades asked if they could go to Mom and Popcorn for a goodie and my heart melted when…

…my sweet Ashby brought me back a pumpkin macaron because “I just knew you would love it”.  Geez…

…I sure do love my kids.

Okay, guess what I’m doing today?  I’m decorating my house for FALL!  Yay!!!!  I am so so excited!

Off I go to put up pumpkins.

Don’t forget, if you missed yesterday’s post, make sure you head back there now to enter MY FAVORITE DAY GIVEAWAY!

I’ll see you all back here tomorrow. xx

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Comments

  2. Amy H says

    I’ve been ready your blog for 10 years❤️ I found it thru adoption. Our daughter is from China also. She is 12 now! It has been a joy watching your family grow along with mine. It is so true, babies don’t keep. You inspire me on many levels, thank you for a daily dose of “happy.”

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Oh goodness, this is just the sweetest comment to read. Sending you guys so much love! xx

  4. Nicole says

    Sounds like a great weekend to me!! What is your go to lunch lately? And also! Do you have electrolytes every day, if so – when? Thanks!

  5. Mandie says

    So fun to read!! I was raised in Lubbock and lived there for 18 years. I haven’t been back in sooooo long( I now live in Cincinnati) so it was fun to see you travel to Lubbock!

  9. Caroline says

    I went to school in Abilene!! Shout out Hardin-Simmons. Ive never been to the airport there, but i can imagine how tiny it was 😊

  11. Carrie Martens says

    I did the same yesterday. I “pumpkinfied” my house! Felt very good putting summer away and taking out fall. It sounds like you had a busy but wonderful weekend. Those are the best kinds of weekends! Have so much fun today with all of you pumpkins 🎃

  12. Elizabeth C says

    How fun that you visited my neck of the woods! Where did you stay and eat? Y’all enjoy it? A local must know ☺️. Have a blessed week

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      We stayed at the Aloft and the team ate right by the Tech stadium. Salt something? We had the best time!

  13. Diane Moore says

    What a full weekend you had!
    It’s fun to see all the football pictures!
    We watched our Ohio State Buckeyes beat Texas (sorry to rub it in😉) on Saturday.

    Enjoy all your pumpkins!

  15. SS says

    Shay,
    Did Smith beat you home??? 😆
    Kids up here have Friday before Labor Day off…they actually passed a bill in our state ..since our state is so dependent on tourism, they passed this years ago to encourage last long weekend of camping for families!
    How fun football and cheerleader. Our local school has homecoming already this weekend. We will go see our cousin in the parade and play Powerpuff!!! I remember when I played we played at night under the lights now they play as like a prep rally!
    We brought in the -Ber months with bonfire and s’mores!!! Happy 1st week of September!!!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      He totally did! Who would have thought the bus would be the “better” option this go around. Bahaha!

      • SS says

        I wasn’t trying to be nosy… but I just had to know who had the “better” transportation home. LOL!!!
        Glad it was a good trip and everyone made it to where they needed to be safely!!!

        • Mix and Match Mama says

          Of course! I would never think that of you at all. They certainly beat us home 🙂 .

  16. Julie says

    You guys are living Friday Night Lights!! So fun! I can’t believe how quickly they’ve all grown up since their appearances on the Bachelor years ago. Such a sweet family! ❤️

  17. Sarah DeWald says

    Me over here googling all the towns in TX realizing how giant the state is! I can make it from one side of PA to the other in about 5 hours so this is totally foreign to me. Have a great week!

    • Bren says

      Sarah, I have to do the same! I’m from teeny-tiny Iowa so I’m always intrigued with traveling in other states! The farthest our teams go during regular season is maybe 1.5 hours so I’m fascinated by other states/schools schedules and where they travel to! LOVE this time of year, Shay, so very fun following along with your family’s adventures!

  18. Angela says

    What a fun football weekend!! And a six hour bus ride back…?! Whoa! That’s a road trip, for sure! Up here in Iowa, we had an awesome Friday Night Lights with a win. too! I love watching our son start Varsity… we just love football season!!!
    Also, your makeup is looking so fresh and amazing… that first picture w you and your family before the game and the pic with you and Mades… you are so pretty, Shay! I especially love your mascara & eyes!! I think you should do a video sharing your latest makeup finds and tips!!

  19. Lindsey says

    How fun! I am just getting used to the commitment that is high school sports. At the end of the day, it’s all totally worth it to keep my kids doing what they love and learning so many life lessons along the way! But I’m curious how you and Andrew handle/divvy up booster board involvement, etc. It can be a lot!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      We try our best to divide and conquer. Since cheer is all school year long, there are many more opportunities (which I always take), but coincidentally, tonight is an opportunity at Smith’s school (and then again next week!), so this time of year, we’re busy bees.

  21. Elizabeth B says

    Your weekend makes me feel nostalgic! My kids are in their 20s now but it seems like just last fall we were running from stadium to stadium every weekend! Looks like so much fun! Happy September 🙂

  22. Erin says

    Football road trips are so fun and exhausting at the same time, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything!

  23. Elizabeth Feldpausch says

    Just dropped my (four year old) baby off at her first day of school so I might just grab my fall decor out too!!

  26. Kerry says

    Oh my goodness Smith is the biggest kid there. All of the work and time he has put in has him in tiptop shape. I know you guys are proud!!!

  27. Beth Knecht says

    Oh my! What an adventure! Do your schools typically play teams several hours away? I can’t imagine being an athlete and riding a bus to and from that long!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      It is not typical at all. This was a “one and done” thing for our school before the district games begin. It is bananas to go that far for a high school game.

  28. Rhonda Graves says

    I live in Abilene! We love our teeny tiny airport. It’s so easy to get in and out of. I wish I could have come to say hi!

    Also, went to Texas Tech in Lubbock. It’s a long drive from Dallas.

    • Jody says

      I’m an Abilene girl too and I agree….flying out of our airport is the best. So easy. No lines. No stress. Dallas airport nearly kills me. haha!

  29. Ellen says

    Wow, Texas! I live in a small state, so I am curious … is it typical to play five hours away? Or is it like most of their games are closer to home, and they just travel once or twice?

    Glad they won!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      No, it is not typical at all! The first two games of the season are always teams outside of your district. A few years ago, the Lubbock Cooper coach and the Lovejoy coach thought it would be fun to have a little “cross state” play. Last year, Lubbock went to Lucas, so it was our turn to reciprocate. Our coach has already said we will never do that again, bahahaha!

  30. Debbra says

    Fall/Football season is the best! Both of my sons played defensive end. Smith sure has grown and looks strong lined up against the o-line in your pictures. I hope he has a healthy season. Enjoy!!! 🙂

  32. Jen W says

    My sister’s husband was stationed in Abilene, TX for a few years and it was one of those, when she saw our plane land at the airport and fly overhead she could then head to the airport haha.

  34. Dena Argerson says

    Did I miss it, but did you give an update on how Andrew is doing with your light up alarm clock?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Well, it’s in Kensington’s room now. With our alarm set for 4:00 AM, it started chirping and lighting up at 3:40 AM and well, that was a bit too early for birds. Bahaha!

      • Dena Argerson says

        Ha! It probably needed more of an owl sound at that time of the morning. I thought of this when my husband got on his phone at 4am the other morning with his brightness all the way up. Even with my eye cover it woke me up.

  36. Dana J says

    What a fun start to SEPTEMBER and all of the “ber” months!! Lubbock is fun to visit…my son went to TTU and we miss going to LBK!

  38. KM says

    I’m from a small town in Maine and I’m so shocked at how far trans travel for sports games. How fun and amazing!

  39. Karen in VA says

    Shay… I live in the Washington DC area and our football season starts this coming Sunday! Go Washington commanders! But I’m also hoping I can watch the first Dallas cowboys game. I got addicted to the Dallas cowboys cheerleaders documentary and now want to watch their games as well!

  40. Robyn says

    Absolutely nothing better than watching your children do what they love! Add in some Friday Night Lights and you’ve got the perfect situation.

  41. Deb says

    What a busy and fun weekend and love your always great attitude even when there are bumps in the road on the road!

  42. Margaret says

    Oh i loved this post and made me miss our high school football days. They are so fun! We recently finished our college field hockey days and now are in college men’s lacrosse days and our son loves it, but he still says there is just nothing like his high school football years! Tell smythe to soak in every moment with his guys – they are memories he will have forever!

  43. Jaimee Shaffer says

    This whole post made me smile. My 7th grader won his first middle school football game last night and I am super excited for the rest of the season and to see where football takes him/us! Happy fall, Shay! 🩷

  44. Kristen says

    My oldest is a sophomore and a cheerleader and this is our second year enjoying high school football season! It’s so much fun!! Our first game is Friday. Although we’ve never had to travel so far, we had to fly! Sounds like a great weekend!!

  45. Heather says

    Gosh! I LOVE (and miss) Friday Night Lights! My son has played football since he was 5 and plays in college now. However, there is nothing as fun as FNL and I miss it so much! Thanks for sharing!

  46. Heather S says

    My gosh, Smith surely is Andrews twin now! Love that they play the same position. That must mean the world to both of them🩵

  47. Marisa Patel says

    I was in Midland for a bridal shower (my cousin) at that time. I have family in pretty much all those cities (Lubbock, Midland, Odessa)… Not the most scenic places 🤣

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