Happy Tuesday, friends!
On this edition of Travel Tuesday, we are heading to Harvard!
That’s basically exactly what I said when Andrew and Smith asked me to go with them last week. Ha!
Over the spring and summer, Smith attended a handful of football camps. Some were Ivy League and some were not. Andrew (and a few times Kensington too!) went with him. Dear old mom held down the fort at home each time.
At several of these camps (like Harvard), the coaches asked Smith if he could come back up to attend a game this fall. He and Andrew have been able to align their schedules to go to a few but when they saw that the Harvard game was on my birthday weekend, they insisted I go too. When am I ever going to turn down an offer to fly to Boston? Never.
On Friday night, Lovejoy played a team 1½ hours from our house which made for a very late night. We basically came home and took a nap before waking up again to catch the first flight out from Dallas to Boston. Since I was tagging along for this particular game day visit, I took pics and have details for the group…because I simply can’t help myself 😉 .
Here are a few pics from our Game Day visit to Harvard…
…how many times did I say the phrase “I never want to leave” before we even touched down?
At least fifty.
Look at the trees as we landed in Boston.
Goodness gracious, this place has my heart.
Boston, you are beautiful…even from my airplane seat.
The coaches have been connecting with Smith this season, so they knew we had a game the night before and were taking the earliest flight up on Saturday morning. This was the official itinerary…
…our flight didn’t land until about 12:05, and the coaches knew we were hustling as fast as we could to get there no later than 1:00.
We landed, we jumped in our rented vehicle, and drove straight to Cambridge. I ooooed and awwwwed the entire time at the foliage from the backseat of the car. My boys enjoy a good leaf peep as much as me, so they didn’t mind my enthusiasm.
I have been to Harvard’s campus many, many times on trips to Boston, but this was the first time for me to go into the stadium…
…it’s gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!
Andrew and Smith had already toured the facilities, met the coaches, and been inside on the field during Harvard’s camp over the summer, but this was a new experience for good old mom.
Of course, I like to take you ladies with me everywhere I go, so I have lots of pics…
After the tour and informational session, we went on the field for pregame warmups…
This picture is oh so sweet…
…this picture is oh so funny. Bahahaha! I say this all the time about Andrew, but I guess I need to start saying it about Andrew AND Smith. When I am with them and talking to them and living life with them, I never, ever, EVER think about the height difference. It’s only when I see photos that I think “dang, I’m small”. Bahahaha!
After pregame, they led us off the field and out to get food and then head to our seats in the stadium…
…it was the PERFECT day for a football game. The sun was shining, the air was super crisp, there was zero wind…it was simply GORGEOUS. I tried to soak it all in.
Because the stadium was built in 1903, it wasn’t build for concession stands. All of the food and fun is right outside and around the back.
We settled into our seats and enjoyed our fourth football game in five days 🙂 .
When in Massachusetts, you eat lobster at every opportunity. They had lobster rolls and lobster tacos as a snack. Yum!
Goodness, I love my boys.
We enjoyed every minute of the Harvard/Princeton game…
…and celebrated a big Crimson win!
When it was over, we headed to check in to our hotel, dropped our bags, and then…
…set out to walk to dinner in Boston…
There were some good football games on, so we decided to pop in to…
…Joe’s for dinner. We had a great table where we could watch the end of the BYU/Central Florida game and the first half of the Texas/Ole Miss game.
It was a fantastic way to end the day…and celebrate my birthday. The next morning, we flew back to Dallas, grabbed the girls from my parents’ house, and spent Sunday at home. Everyone was so nice to us at Harvard. Every single coach, administrator, team member, etc we spoke with on Saturday just could not have been friendlier and more welcoming.
It’s a wild time at the Shull’s house. We are in all sorts of unchartered territory over here. On one hand, we have a high school senior finalizing where she will go to college next year and then we have a high school junior who would love the opportunity to play college football…and both things are happening simultaneously. I have such a peace about all of it. God has a plan for both of their lives. The last thing I need to do is get in His way. I’m just going to pray, cheer my kids on, and take a few pics along the way.
Thank YOU for coming along on this crazy ride with us. xx
Susan Jeffries says
Such an exciting time! College visits were so much fun! And we enjoyed all of the college weekends with our daughter and her friends. She made the most amazing friends while in college and they still come to visit us – and we travel to watch them dance. Enjoy!
Emilee says
Goodness, I love that perspective: all we need to do is pray and cheer our kids on. Thank you for that nugget of wisdom this morning! Looks like such a fun way to celebrate your birthday. 🤎
Melissa Terry says
So, so fun! Although the college sports part is unique, I have sent two kids to college in the last five years so I know what that’s like on a mama’s heart. There are many great options out there, so my prayer was always the Lord would close every door except the one He wanted them to walk through and He has been so faithful to do that. Praying the same for your kids ♥️
Faith says
Wow! What a special blog post capturing this incredibly cool time in the lives of your teens! So many decisions to make ahead of your family! Exciting and exhausting, but I love your perspective to be at peace, knowing that the Lord is good, instead of allowing worrying to steal the joy in this season. I have littles, but pocketing this wise advice for later.
Also, Harvard, seriously! Smith would! Haha, so so cool!
Praying for your family, especially wisdom for your teens as they make big decisions!
Elspeth Mizner says
Cambridge is beautiful year round but especially in the fall! So glad you had a great time!!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Dawn Timmons says
Wow! What a whirlwind of a birthday, Shay! ❤️ I am praying WITH you for Kensington and Smith. You, Andrew and both sets of your parents have given them great roots to help them stay grounded but also wings to fly. It’s exciting yo see where life is taking them. I will be praying for their future roommates and friends because they say you become like the five people you spend the most amount of time with in life. I will be praying for their significant others who will influence their choices. Most importantly, I will pray WITH you that they will continue to seek the Lord and feed their spiritual walk with Jesus. I will pray that you will maintain that peace and see Him guiding all of your steps. 🙏🏻❤️
Alysa says
I enjoyed this post so much thank you for sharing and good luck to Smith in his recruitment journey! Hope you had the best birthday weekend!
Katie Compton says
What an exciting time! I love college football of any kind. Our one and only daughter is a junior at Virginia Tech, and my husband is an alum. He took me to my first Hokie game a few months after we started dating and I was hooked! We started taking our daughter to games when she was 5yr old and now that she’s a Hokie herself, it makes game days even more fun!! Now… a fresh lobster roll on college game day would actually just be perfection. 🥰
Can’t wait to see where your baby birds start their next chapter in life!
Katherine says
Such an exciting time! I have a HS Senior who plans to play college football, and the game day visits are so fun. Extra special for you to experience if with him in one of your favorite cities and on your birthday weekend! Wishing him all the best throughout the process!
Mix and Match Mama says
It was SO special.
Sheila says
We were in Boston this weekend as well and flew back Sunday morning! We may have passed each other in the airport! LOL
We went to Woodstock & Stowe, Vermont earlier in the week. After seeing you post about it in years past, I knew I wanted to go there at some point. We loved Woodstock so much…such a quaint, cute town!!!
Happy Birthday!!! 🎉
Mix and Match Mama says
Well, I am so jealous of YOUR trip!! I love Vermont!!
Liz Proulx says
Happy Belated Birthda Shay! 🎂🥂🍾
Allison says
So fun and exciting!!
Kara says
Thanks for sharing! All of us readers with younger kids appreciate glimpses into these next phases of life!! I hope Smith gets to attend an Ohio State Buckeyes game.. nothing like it! My Alma mater knows how to do a football game.. the band makes it so special! ❤️
Cindi says
Kara! O-H! Another Buckeye here! And yes, nothing like a game in The Shoe and TBDBITL’s script Ohio!
Shay, my daughter attended Harvard Business School, and Cambridge is indeed gorgeous, especially in the fall! Looks like your game day was perfection! And it’s so close to Nantucket, which I’m sure would be a plus for you, too! Excited to see where Kensington and Smith go to college-God does indeed work it out, for their good and His glory!
Sandra Roberts says
I think all the high school parents need to read that last paragraph. Let us let God have His way with our children. Amen.
Such a great weekend for your family. We are cheering all your kids on!
Lori says
Pray, pray, pray. That’s the best thing you can do in this season! Pray for wisdom and discernment. I leave every college visit thinking, “Yeah, my kid would do great here.” College admissions and coaches are very good at what they do. The most important thing is to pray for a school where your child can grow in their faith. How are the college ministries? Follow them on social media. Are there local churches with college ministries that pour into the kids? Here is a link to the college prayer points on the Moms in Prayer website. I pray with the mom of my daughter’s roommate every week! https://momsinprayer.org/college-praying-moms/
Tracy says
Thank you for this resource! I have a high school senior and have been praying for the Lord to lead him to the right school, as well as praying for his future roommate (whomever that may be)!
Kristen says
So exciting! Can’t wait to see where Smith ends up playing.
What hotel did you stay at in Boston? And how do you guys look so good after getting up so early!!??
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh you are too kind because by the end of the night, I was absolutely needing a Vitamin C Eye Patch under my tired eyes. Ha! This time, we stayed at the Four Seasons. It varies when we go to Boston.
Dana says
Shay,
I really appreciate your outlook on your kids’ futures. From everything I read about kids and their development I am finding the more I can get out of the way the better. They need us to step aside so they can build their own confidence and resilience and I appreciate your reminder. Such a great posture to have and so so helpful for your kids as they enter their next chapters. Thank you for encouraging and reminding us of that!!
Kay says
Too funny-I live :20 away in the suburbs but happened to be in Cambridge this weekend too! I have to agree, Boston and MA during this time of year WIN. The trees are in peak mode right now and it looks so beautiful everywhere you go! I never get tired of Fall here and I’ve lived here my whole life :).
I have a freshman and junior at college and my youngest is a high school junior. I totally agree with your philosophy of just being at peace and letting go. I’ve found the kids really do have a sense of where they want to study, what lights them up, etc and if you just listen and let them lead the way they will end up wherever is right for them! Good luck with the college process and so glad you spent your birthday somewhere you love so much!
Sarah DeWald says
What an exciting and special time for your family! Thanks for taking us along!
Paula Hobbs says
This is just the coolest!! How awesome for your kiddos to have such amazing opportunities. I know they have both put in such dedication and hard to to get where they’re at! It’s super sweet that they let you share a little of their lives with us! Thank you!!
Laci Murray says
What a beautiful day at Harvard!
Mix and Match Mama says
It was SPECTACULAR! I feel like that’s the exact temperature Heaven will be set on when I arrive 😉 .
Leslie S says
What a fun weekend! It’s a wild season to be looking at colleges but also such a sweet time enjoying teens and who they’ve grown up to be. My daughter keeps hoping every summer when we are in Nantucket she will get to meet Smith lol
Mix and Match Mama says
Awwww! He’s always out and about and now, he’s pretty hard to miss 😉 .
Renee says
So exciting! Oh the pride you must feel!! Any chance Smith and Kensington would share some of there training/study habits/life skills? I have a freshman football player who had a season ending injury, but is always asking and looking for ways to stay in the game even from the sidelines (in life too).
Thanks so much for all the “tools” you give to add to our “toolbox”.
Angela Jernigan says
My middle son played college football… those days of visiting schools and taking gameday visits are some of my very best memories. We had such a fun time together and I will always, always cherish those days. Enjoy every second, because it (like everything else) flies by! My son ended up going to Auburn, graduated in 2023. We just went back for the game there Saturday, but now we have his pregnant wife with us! I got a little teary thinking about next year when we visit, we will have their little girl with us! And the cycle starts all over again. Gracious, just know it all goes by so fast. Good luck to Smith (and Kensington) as they decide where they will spend some of the very best years of their lives!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh goodness, this gave me all the feels, Angela. xx
Dana Brohaugh says
Would love to have you guys in Oxford!! Hotty Toddy!
Arika says
Fun stuff! I hope you guys get to take lots of visits at different campuses and one will just feel right. For both your kids!
Laura says
It looks like you had a fun time. I love Boston, it’s such a great walkable town. And the weather looked perfect.
Jenn says
What amazing experiences for both kids! I can’t wait to see what your kids end up doing in the future, all four of them seem like they’ve got great heads on their shoulders with big plans!
Grace says
This was such a fun blog post about college game day at Harvard. The lobster rolls and lobster tacos looked really good! Such a sentimental post about when young people decide on their college choices. Thanks for sharing!
Jamie says
This is so amazing. I got chills reading all of it. I have followed your blog since 2013 and I’m just so in awe of how these kids are growing up. So happy for your family! Can’t wait to see what God has in store for everyone.
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you so so much for being here ALL THESE YEARS! I’m so grateful! xx
Melinda says
ALL of nephews are 6’3”-6’5” tall, including my grandson who is 6’5”. I am a measly 5’4”. Like you, I don’t think of them being super tall until I see myself in pictures with them…. I am short!! Enjoy the rest of the football season with your kids.
Mix and Match Mama says
It never registers with me UNTIL I see pics!
Rahel says
So exciting!
sandi says
Visiting a college as an alumni with your family is one thing, walking around with a child as a potential student is quite the other. Enjoy the ride, along with all the emotions too. We also have a height difference in our family… my husband is 6’5″ and I am only 5’2″. One of our daughters is 5′ even, the other two are 5’9″ and our son is just over 6′. I am so used to being around tall people but find it frustrating when they intentionally try and cover me up in pictures. A few weeks ago we were up in Hershey PA and noticed that the leaves were beginning to change. The drive was lovely.
Laura Fuller says
So fun! Time spent with my boys is the best.
Beth Knecht says
I love your sentences about not getting in God’s way – that you are going to pray and cheer them on! So sweet! I love this about you Shay! Thanks for being light!
Amy says
Yay! This is an exciting time! My son plays college lacrosse in North Carolina. You will love the season- you think high school games are fun- just wait for all the parent tailgates in college! SO FUN!!!
Heather says
The college football recruiting path is definitely a wild ride! My son plays for Tulsa and we have friends that play all over the US. One of his best friends plays for Harvard and loves it up there! Enjoy these last two years with Smith at home and for sure soak in ALLLLL the things about Friday Night Lights. Of all the things I miss, Friday Night Lights is one of the top things!
Kristy says
Happy Late Birthday! 45 is fun! We were in Boston this weekend too! The leaves and weather were perfection. I may have cried a little on our way back to Dallas. We did a whale watching tour on Saturday and it was spectacular! They took us almost to Cape Cod and we were around about 30 humpback whales! We stayed in Gloucester right on the water. It was a really fun weekend visiting our senior in college with the whole family! We also have a senior in high school and I am so thankful that I don’t control there future and I trust in a good God.
Mix and Match Mama says
That sounds like the PERFECT weekend!
Ashlea Patterson says
Hi there! I have been reading your blog since my kiddos were babies and I needed easy recipes! They are now in 8th grade headed to high school next year. I’m a high school counselor now, but I would love to hear more about your experience as a Mom navigating the college experience, and the recruitment process! Thank you for sharing!
Kristen says
yes , I would love the hear about this too since I have a jr right now.
Debra says
OMG – Boston is one of my favorite cities and I always visit Harvard when I am there. What an exciting experience for Smith and for your birthday – you will never forget where you were on your 45th.
Hope says
I loved this exciting post! Boston is amazing in the fall. Best wishes to both of your soon -to-be college students.
Margaret says
This is such a fun chapter you are entering! We had three children play college sports including and me and my husband as well – it is the BEST! We had one at the ivys and seeing all of those colleges and town was neat. Best of luck in this process and my best advice is to know your children will be happy wherever they choose – they will make the most of whatever path they choose. They have been raised that way. I miss those days but am now on the first grandchild which is fabulous!
Lyndsey says
This is so so neat. I tear up thinking about this being my own kids, which I know comes SOON! They are 9 and 4 now. It’s wild how at the end of this post (for me at least?), the “You’ll Also Love” section is two posts about Smith being a baby practically! Now, here you are! Whew!
Lauren Sheaffer Sims says
What an absolutely perfect weekend! And lobster rolls at a football game? HECK YEAH!
SS says
Shay, isn’t it a must do to quote that movie when ar Harvard? We kept saying different quotes, too! How fun to see the field! What an exciting time for your whole family and maybe a little bit bittersweet….
Thanks for sharing!
Amy Grace Duncan says
Thank you for sharing! Oh my goodness, this is such an exciting season for you!! My oldest is 10 and I think all the time about what the future holds and where she will go to college. I love your “don’t get in God’s way” idea. Prayers for all the kids!
Libby says
These are exciting times. My youngest is in her 1st semester in college. I told her & her sister when deciding that their decision was not set in stone. If they didn’t like it, we’d find another place for them, but they would need to finish out the semester. It really takes a lot of stress off of them when they know they can always change their mind. Throughout the semester I check in with them to see what their plans are. Before they get on the plane to go back to campus, I ask if they want to go back, especially if there are tears. Maybe it’s overkill, but I don’t ever want them to be afraid to tell me it’s not working for them. God puts them where they need to be for that semester.
Christie says
I was at the UCF V BYU game and it was so much fun. Glad to see it mentioned here!
Mix and Match Mama says
WHAT A GAME! Wow!!!
Becky Carl says
That peace that surpasses all understanding for your children is the best birthday gift of all. I’m so proud of your children, and you as a Mom. It’s the hardest but most blessed job in the world. Happy Birthday Love ❤️
Lindsey says
What an amazing experience! You got to watch one of our hometown players, Dorsey Benefield #34, have an incredible game! My son is a junior and plays football. He won’t play after high school, but we are watching several friends navigate the college offer process. You have such a great mindset for this next season! Praying God gives you all clarity for this next chapter!
Laurie says
What a fabulous post! I sent today’s post to my dear baseball mom friend who was also at the game because her son committed to Harvard for baseball for 2027. (I’ve also sent her various posts over the years because she’s also an avid ready like we are).
My friend called me immediately because you all sat next to each other at the football game on Saturday!!! This had be giggling and smiling this afternoon. Congrats on a great win and I will be praying for discernment in all these decisions.
Mix and Match Mama says
No way?! That is a REALLY small world! How fun!!
Karen in VA says
Happy belated birthday to a truly fabulous person! I am also from Boston originally. I miss lobster rolls, good chowder and decent blueberry pie!
What a great experience for Smith! I’m so happy you got to do this!
Birthday 💐 Blessings!
Karen
Kristy Moore says
Wow! How exciting! The equivalent of this type of trip in Canada is heading to a hockey rink! LOL Hard to believe Smith is at this stage of his life. I still picture his sweet little 2 or 3 year old face grazing your blog posts!
Laura @ Our Grand Lives says
What a fun experience to share with both of your “boys”! One you will always remember! Enjoy all the special moments to come!
Kerri says
Aw this was awesome! I live the next town over from Harvard. Drive by the stadium everyday on my way to work. Such an amazing opportunity for him! And it’s a great area of I do say so myself. My cousin graduated a couple years ago and played lacrosse at Harvard. The games were so fun and the tailgates too! Good luck with everything! I have a freshman at Providence College studying Nursing and it’s so exciting to see them really come into their own at college!!!! Enjoy this special time!
Cindy says
What a memorable weekend with your Guys. Such a sweet time of life with Doors opening and Dreams soaring. So happy for you and your family on the journey. Thank you so much for sharing. The smiles and the pictures are wonderful. Yes God has this and with continued prayers the direction takes shape and always walking with him. Our daughter graduated HLS . We really enjoyed Boston during her years there. Happy Belated Birthday.