2 of a kind

Kensington at 9 months

Smith at 8 months

My mom thought it was hysterical to take a picture of him in his sister's diva glasses.

Me in Boston, them at home

You didn't think I would go an entire season without seeing the Red Sox play at home did you?

However, this time, it was a bonus trip. Instead of just my dad and me (like last year), we surprised my mom and then their best friends came too. So, five of us headed to Boston for three wonderful days.

Please look at my boarding pass? What do you see wrong with it????? Hello! My name hasn't been Shay Lowe in almost 7 years. However, when my dad made these reservations, he also traveled back in time and booked the ticket under my maiden name. Luckily, he realized this error about 15 hours before our flight, so I had time to grab my marriage certificate for the airport. (Note, airlines will not let you change the name on a ticket that close to departure. I had to present them with my marriage certificate at every security check point and when getting my boarding passes...both going and coming).

My mom, Bree and I checking into our hotel

We headed for the shopping right after checking in.

I adore Roy and Bree Massey!

Me and my parents (if my brother wasn't a stinkin' Ranger fan, he might have been invited on this trip too).


Do I look ready to eat that lobster or what? Nothing is better than New England lobster!


Dad and Me at MIT. Last year, I stood on these same steps 6 months pregnant with Smith. Thank goodness that's not the case this year :).

Look what I found (and purchased) for Smith's room!! It's the best thing I bought this trip (and I bought several more Red Sox shirts).

Lunch at John Harvard's

Dad, Roy and I toured the JFK Presidential Library. It was very interesting. I had never been in a presidential library before.

The entire gang at the game. Gotta love Fenway Park!

Thank you Mom and Dad!!!

BUT, while I was away, Andrew and the kids got to play. What a sweet daddy he is! He took off of work for 3 days to play mom to our kiddos. I love you Andrew!

He even went to Baby Boot Camp with the other moms :). Thank you Helen and Sarah for taking pictures of the first daddy at Baby Boot Camp McKinney.

Ok, so he might be a retired pro-football player, but can he handle working out with his kids???

Yes! He had fun and Kensington loved having him there. And now, he knows what I do every day.

While Kensington was in pre-school, Andrew took Smith to the office for a few minutes. Andrew texted me this picture of Smith looking out the window.

And he texted me this picture of silly Kensington!

Didn't he do a good job of getting her dressed and ready for school?

Whew! I'm tired! It's been a busy and super fun week!

Kensington's Cider Mill

The first year that we were married, Andrew and I lived in Michigan. Cider Mills are a huge deal up there and we frequented them almost every weekend. At a cider mill, they make fresh cider and you drink it along with a hot donut. It's simply fabulous. Every time September rolls around, we think back to our days in Detroit and the cider mills. This year, for Kensington's second birthday party, we decided to host our own cider mill.

Welcome to Kensington's Cider Mill

My dear friend Andrea at Slightly Askew Designs created the invites, banner and food tags. Contact her for your next party...she's fabulous!


The favors for all of the girls were Apple Strudel Circle E Candles (of course!).



And the boys got to take home apple butter


All of the food and drinks had little name tags stuck into apples.



The best part of the party...her WONDERFUL birthday cake. It was spice cake with English buttercream. I thought it was beautiful and delicious.

Isn't it pretty?

All cider mills have donuts. Cider and donuts are a classic combo in Michigan.

Applesauce, of course!

Papa Jay and Kensington

Most of the food out on the table

Posing a two year old is so tricky.

Posing two is impossible. (This is Landry.)

Opening presents

Everyone is singing Happy Birthday to Kensington (and Snow White).

Diving into her birthday cake

Doesn't it look divine? Look at all of the buttercream on the inside!

Thank you Kara and Landry for celebrating with us!

And just for kicks, look who has decided to pull up and stand?

Just as a sidebar to these pictures, I was sitting here blogging when I heard all of this racket going on in the other room. I went in there and saw Kensington banging on Smith's door (who is asleep napping), saying "where are you Smith, I miss you" over and over again. That just melted my heart. (Another sidebar, her daddy was suppose to be keeping an eye on her while I blogged these pictures but instead he was so wrapped up in the Cowboy game that he didn't notice her banging on the sleeping child's door.)

On her birthday...

We had such a wonderful day celebrating Miss Kensington's second birthday!

Andrew brought her a donut home for breakfast.

We surprised her with a new bike (which instead of riding, she spent the majority of the day pushing it into Smith and making him fall down...then laughing her head off...then getting in trouble for pushing it into Smith...and so on and so on and so on).

She wore her Happy Birthday to Me shirt all day (I did wash and dry it while she napped).


Here she is riding her bike (probably toward sweet Smith's vulnerable body) and reading her birthday cards she received in the mail.


We went to the grocery store where she rode in the little car/cart.

We went to the park to eat lunch with a few friends after everyones baby boot camps. I arrived first with my kiddos and pushed them in the swings. I know this picture is dark but it is very special to me. I was alone in the park, pushing my two babies, thanking God for how he's blessed me. After so many failed fertility treatments and a discouraging diagnosis, I was in that park with my two babies...two babies that God gave me.

Look at that face? I'm in love :).

This is Kensington kind of hugging Ebby Lee...they decided to just lean in from 12 inches away.

Two best buddies...Nixon and Smith

Nixon decided this party was a drag, so he napped.

Thank you Molly and Ebby Lee for playing with us today!

Kensington LOVED her new step stool! My super creative friend Nancy sells these custom stools online. Go buy one! Now, I don't have to hold K up to brush her teeth and wash her hands.

We headed to dinner with Papa Jay and Lovie at The Rainforest Cafe. Here is Kensington looking at the big alligator at the entrance.

Papa Jay and Kensington watching the monkeys

He's ready to color...too bad he's only 8 months old.

You can't tell from this picture, but this is a souvenir cup we bought her that lights up. You press a button on the bottom and it was lit up and flashing all night.

I brought a few little things for her to open.

The wait staff singing Happy Birthday to her. Do you see the chocolate lava cake we're about to eat? It had sparklers on top.

Then we "capped" off our night...

Happy Birthday Kensington Kate!