More BBQ stuff...

I got to hang out with some of my favoritest peoples in the whole world recently.

It had been over a year since we had gotten our families together.

My husband likes getting a chance to hang out with other men folk so it is always fun for him. Of course I think I only have pictures of the kids though. Sorry. And not even of all the kids!!!

Our kids played soooo well together that day. No arguing or fighting or anything it was great! Casey let us OVERTAKE their backyard. Roger (her lovely husband) manned the hot grill and cooked up hot dogs and brats and hamburgers for all of us. They set up a Slip - n - Slide (which I seriously think was a MAJOR hit) and a pool and the kids found worms and just had so much fun.

Sarah and Will were there with their amazingly pretty red headed children :) and Leanna and Lily and Mia dug for worms and let them swim. It really was a super fun time!

Some pictures from our days adventure...

Leanna having some slip-n-slide-fun!

Hudson playing in the pool.

Eva oh how this little girl makes me laugh!

Nolan and his make-shift swimming bucket.


The end of a very HOT, Sweaty, Water Fun, Friend Filled Morning/Afternoon.


So thankful for friends whose children are now my children's friends too. It was a great time! And here's hoping Will and Casey (my amazingly talented photographer friends {seriously A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. let me know if you need/want info} who also took pictures that day) got some better photos than me :)

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

BBQ OVERLOAD!

We have had so much fun the past couple of weeks. We have had swim overs, Birthday BBQ's, Park dates, Get together because it has been over a year BBQ's, you name it we have done a BBQ for it.

We have had lots of fun with everyone at each so the next few posts will be dedicated to those super fun events!

I can't remember which came first now...

So we will start with Matt's Birthday BBQ. (Because I didn't take a single picture at Rachel's Graduation Party...oops)

Matt and Heather invited us over for Matt's Birthday (He is oooollllddddd don't tell him I told you okay?). The kids had a ton of fun. Plus we got to hang out with some really awesome friends too. Kenny and his wife Megan were there (super nice and their girls are soooo stinking cute), Emma and Shannon were there too (they are expecting a little boy in August!!!), Paul (that guy is a riot!) and Andy and Angela and the Revisky's were there. It was a great time. I only post pictures of those I know I can though so unfortunately not everyone mentioned will be pictured!

Oh his smile!

And this is Owen he is such a cute little guy!

Our happy little man Nolan.

Splash Down!

This little girl is Olivia and I just love her! She smiles every time I see her and it makes me happy!

The obligatory food eating picture. Hudson was starving after wrestling with sissy in the pool.


Heather set up a pretty sweet kiddie pool area and they grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. It really was a nice relaxing time and the kids were asleep before we hit the highway (DOUBLE BONUS)! Thanks Matt and Heather for an awesome time!

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

Some summer fun so far...

It has been CRAZY busy with things going on lately. I can't believe how swamped and busy it is! This week is no better. Hopefully I will be blogging some fun stuff as catch up in the next few weeks. But for now...

Some pictures of our summer fun so far....
Our very own Crocodile Dundee ladies and gentlemen!

Some cute girls who were traumatized because I asked them to stop and smile for just one second!

Hudson and his friend Allyson isn't she cute?

Leanna and Madelaine.

Leanna dumping ice cold hose water on her brother and his reaction :)

Lots of fun stuff has been going on. Just not so much down time to get it posted here. But I will! Promise!

Upcoming awesomeness? The Muny with friends to see Beauty and the Beast, a Dance Recital, MOPS KICK OFF and a post about my new Sign Language Class I am taking. Sheer craziness!

Happy Monday!

Momma to 3... The one the only the CRAZY,

*Shay B*

Teddy Bear Picnic

If you go down to the woods today you're sure to get a surprise.
If you go down to the woods today you won't believe your eyes.
For every bear that ever there was is gathered there together because
Today is the day the Teddy Bears have their picnic!

Leanna has been learning all about camping in summer school this week. Hudson being the "manly" boy he is has been upset that he can't go to school this week.

So the other day she came home with some Teddy Bear binoculars. Hudson wanted them immediately. So we talked about how sissy is going to do some cool stuff at school but that we can do cool stuff too. Still together and at home.

*Cue inspirational heavenly music and light*

I started singing that song on the way home and got a great idea!

We had a Teddy Bear picnic. Complete with blanket on the floor. And appropriate snacks in my living room. Yeah non-believers I ALLOWED PEANUT BUTTER IN THE LIVING ROOM!!! I have pictures to prove it. Nolan was napping which helped this be a success I must admit.

It was a ton of fun and hopefully will be memorable if nothing else. They even brought "real" play food for their stuffed animals.

Some pictures of the event...
The first arrivals were Hudson (his name seriously is Hudson even written on his TY tag) and Eagly (I know Hudson is sooo orginal) and yes Hudson chose a chicken leg as Eagly's sanck.

This is the crew we ended up with. Elephants and Bears and Eagles OH MY!

They really got into it! They played for about an hour while eating apples and peanut butter and pretzel sticks to dip too.

The binoculars that started said picnic? Yeah he watched from the table for the entire shin dig!

I have to admit it was pretty fun! Plus it gave us a great activity that they had a blast with and we had some fun family time too. Sometimes great ideas come to us in the form of "Bear Binoculars" who knew?

Definitely a Finer Thing Friday even if it happened on a Wednesday afternoon right? I love making memories with them.


Keepin' It Real,
Momma to 3
*Shay B*

Ummm so yeah....

It has been an emotional couple of weeks at the Brewer household. Crazy and emotional and busy and crazy.

I am a momma to an ALMOST kindergartner cause yeah that post earlier??? There will be another on her actual first day of kindergarten because well I have to write it. So I can have it. So I can remember the feelings and the crazy that go with being a momma...Not gonna lie I want to have it in writing so when I print this book for this year I have it all!

My days now are filled with just my boys. It is fun filled and a little crazy and a little weird. The dynamic has shifted. Hudson is the oldest at home now. Nolan still my baby.

Activities have changed from playing house and tea party ('cause well Leanna was pretty darn convincing) to... boy things like shoot 'em up bad guys and cars relay races in the kitchen and Spiderman instead of Little Mermaid (did I mention Leanna was convincing?)

I am so thankful to be a momma to such different and exciting personalities. God sure knew what he was doing when He gave me all my small people.

This guy here...

He knocks my socks off ladies

and this guy here...

Well I wouldn't trade him for a million bucks...

But this girl here....

I kinda miss her. In all of her awesome bossy and "convincing" ways.

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

The wedding of the Cousin...

My cousin is now officially married. She said, "I do". It was a balmy and hot Saturday afternoon. Thankfully God held the rain off for the ceremony that was OUTSIDE...

It really was a great day and hopefully everything the bride wanted it to be.

Now I am in no way a professional photographer. However these are Straight Out of the Camera, not edited and taken with a complete beginners knowledge of my camera (working on learning it) but I think I got some pretty decent shots...

Some pictures from their big day...

My cousin (the sister of the bride) and the flower girl (the niece of the bride)

This lady here is my Nana. My cousins Nana too I guess. She is 98 years old. I love her. In this picture she is telling Tess that she better behave and then two minutes later she told Bryan she would have a beer with him at the reception.

This picture makes me a little sad. Only because I don't have one from my wedding. Nana was very ill when I got married and couldn't make it. It is five generations. Alive and kicking it yo. Not many people can say that. I really need to get my generation picture taken for my daughters sake if nothing else. It is such a special thing.

And because when they are together they are like peanut butter and jelly. Airyana and Leanna. The two prettiest "little" girls at the party for sure!


All in all a beautiful day and I was glad to be there to celebrate a great beginning to a pretty awesome couple. Here's hoping this is just the beginning to your... HAPPILY EVER AFTER. Congrats Tess and Bryan!

When God says "Hey what's up"

I am always asking God to help me understand to... "Show me the bigger picture".

I don't think I can handle the bigger picture. He knows that because, I think the small piece he is showing me right now feels like more than I can handle sometimes.

I love my life I do. There isn't to much about it (okay nothing actually) that I would change except for perhaps an extra hour or two in my day. But here lately the "EXTRA" has been HARD.

I cried into my pillow about all the "EXTRA".

I know I know... "God never gives us more than we can handle". Or "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it", or a thousand other cliche crazy things we say to someone when we just don't know any other way to help them cope.

I know this is just a season and that things will get calmer and more normal and back to a "reasonable" level.

But I can't help but feel like God is saying to me right now in this season of my life... (I hate that phrase and term "season" but it fits and my brain can't make a better word right now and I have been using it a lot lately sorry) God is saying to me, "Hey what's up? Oh that is a lot I know... lean on me. Let me walk in front of you. Let me carry that." I feel him tugging at my soul, "Shay let it go, let me control that, let me do it..." and I am fighting him and telling him I got it and then my day gets crazy or my week gets hectic or the "EXTRA" starts to overwhelm my world.

God is there he wants me to let it go. He loves me and all of that "EXTRA". God's saying, "Hey What's up? Want some help?" and starting today... my answer? "Yep I sure do. Thanks!"

Momma to 3
*Shay B*

She went to school today....

I am so on an emotional roller coaster of crazy right now. I am unfortunately going to have you take a trip down memory lane with me today. I am sorry for any misty eyes or sadness.

My baby went to school today. Summer school but her first day of any kinda school besides Sunday School ever.

She is being taught by someone that isn't mommy. She is playing with (or I hope so anyway) new friends. Learning new things. Off on her own without me there to hold her hand or kiss her boo boos or make sure she can get off of the monkey bars herself.

It was one of the most awesome days of my life. While at the same time one of the saddest days too.

7 months old here...


Not quite 2 (I was a very pregnant momma at this party get together)


with her brother...just before he turned 2 and she turned 4...

her first bubble!

Our friend Casey took this photo last October when she had just turned 5...

With her brotherS (plural) here...


And today before I sent her off to school...





Tell me where it went ladies? Where has the time gone. She went from baby to big girl and I swear I didn't even blink. I am so thankful she is independent and strong and smart. I am so thankful God graced me with this little amazing person. I am so thankful to be her momma.

I am so a little sad today.
A thankful and tearful
Momma to 3
*Shay B*

the KIDS in my life brought to you by the MAN in my life...

I know I blog about my kids A! LOT! However those three beautiful babes didn't happen magically. There was another partner involved this guy...



He may leave me over this picture being posted by the way :) He HATES having his picture taken and was being sarcastic to me so he totally deserves this.

He is pretty good guy. I love watching him with the babies. He is so funny with Leanna her know it all attitude completely comes from him right down to the smirk of AWFULNESS! Hudson gets his hands on behavior and want to "fix" things from him. So far Nolan just has his Dad's rugged good looks.

I love watching this man with our children. He is so good with them.

Some examples...






I am so thankful for a man who loves his children the way my man does. He works hard and comes home and tries to work hard again! So glad God gave me him. Such a great worker and daddy and husband.

Have an awesome Friday everyone!
Momma to 3
*Shay B*

Burden of Proof...

Why do we as Mom's feel the need to prove ourselves?

Proof: evidence sufficient to establish a thing as true, or to produce belief in its truth.

We have to have proofs of purchase, proof of payment, proof of residency, proof of identity...

That is why we feel we have to have proof of how our days are spent. How we are raising our children what we are doing all day long, proof of a clean house or a well behaved child. We stress ourselves out so much on things because we worry about "PROVING" ourselves, our decisions, our parenting, our life to others.

If we are living our lives pleasing God. Who else do I have to hold myself accountable to? NO ONE!

I need to remember that sometimes a dirty house means loved on kids. I need to remember that scrapped up knees means one gnarly adventure for my little man. I need to remember that muddy laundry means a treasure digging adventure. I need to remember that a sink full of unwashed dishes means a day where the food was plentiful and bellies were hungry and gracious enough to eat it (A LOT OF IT)!

Yes a clean house and tidy rooms and well behaved children are important. Absolutely. But NOT if they are the mean to proving myself as a mom, teacher, wife, friend or any other role in my life. If they are because I worked hard AND had a CHEERFUL and THANKFUL attitude about doing them ABSOLUTELY.

God sees me working hard. God sees my struggles and hears my prayers to make sure I am making the right and hard decisions for my kids. God knows my head and my heart and my fears. If I am living right he sees every diaper I change, every boo boo I kiss, every dish I wash (AGAIN) and every attitude I correct INCLUDING MY OWN!

Just needed this to remind myself and thought it could be something someone else needed to remember too.

Momma to 3
*Shay B*