OH what a weekend! {reds game, boat, & putt putt in Cincinnati)

Get it? Cause it's Cincinnati Ohio? I crack myself up sometimes;)

We took a super quick trip up to Cincinnati this past weekend and it was a blast! Super duper quick, but super duper fun:)

Day 1: I took barely any pics this day, but we basically shopped most of the day in Florence (we were staying right outside of Cincinnati at my grandparents). It was kind of refreshing since my hometown isn't exactly shopping central, I mean I actually found some cute stuff which makes shopping a lot more fun:) At night my dad arrived and that's when the fun really began. He took us to a super old putt putt golf course that he used to go to all the time as a kid. My mom got quite competitive, I learned I need to practice a bit, I got 2 hole in one that I was insanely proud of (lets not talk about how despite this my score was still above 40....i'm just...uh..inconsistent with my talent? haha), and the parents totally whooped me & nate. After that we went to a pretty fun Chinese restaurant where my dad used to work when he was in high school. Orange chicken is pretty much my favorite food ever so that was definitely a win. We got home super late, really full & tired, but also really really happy.

(see i told you..pretty much no pics..or is that the amount a normal person takes?)

Day 2: We took the boat out onto the Ohio River in the morning to soak up some sunshine and man was it nice. Really hot, but really pretty and fun. At night we went to a reds game. We sat in the nose bleed seats and i'm kind of convinced that those are the best seats because you can see the whole field. The stadium was really pretty, you could see the river in the background and these pillars shot fire out whenever an inning was over which was pretty cool. I snuck away for a bit in the middle to take a walk and see the beautiful bridge across from the stadium. Typical shelby, watching the sunset instead of the sport. haha, but it was a really good game and the reds pulled out a win. plus i got a free hat... and a pretzel..it was definitely a win:) We drove back to my grandparents late that night and the lights of the city were gorgeous. 

(finally got a teva tan, not as cool as a chaco tan but still #goalachieved)

look at the river.. all heart eye emojis

and all heart eye emojis once again haha

what's been your favorite summer adventure so far? this has been the summer of small adventures for me & i've pretty much loved it.
xoxo shelby

cool to be kind

I was sitting outside the other day when Ri ran out. She had changed into cuter clothes because she wanted to do an photo shoot. And as any good photographer knows when a kid asks to be photographed YOU DO IT! Because that is a pretty rare opportunity;)

She's pretty much a natural model. I told her to do whatever and she told me to style because I was the photographer. I mean how can you say no to that? So I posed a few shots, but by the end she was doing her own thing periodically smiling when a good shot came. And man is she good at coming up with these things. I loved the climbing tree pose because it was all her idea. It had to be a little uncomfortable, but she just kept sitting there smiling away. Gosh I love that girl:)

I'll stop gabbing now and get on the pictures......

Ok, one last thing. I just wanted to point out the message of her shirt. I love it. Cool to be Kind. SO so cheesy, but so so true. It is always better to be kind. And while it might not always be the "cool" thing to do, it will always pay off in the long run. You will never think back and think I wish I was more unkind. And about the cool thing- are you ever really going to catch up? Don't take this in a bad way, but no one can ever really catch up with what is "cool." When you master one thing than it will change to another. It is exhausting and frustrating. So just give up on being cool and be you. Make kind the new cool:)

“We can all be a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more thoughtful of one another. We can be a little more tolerant and friendly.." (Gordon B Hinckley)

 Love the 2 different socks:)

 That pose cracks me up. She's ready to take one the world;)

The crossed legs are killing me- she did that on purpose. 

Gotta love this amazing girls spunk and sweetness. She's pretty amazing and I feel so lucky to call her my sister!

I'm dreaming of the beach...

I am in full countdown to the end of school mode. It's almost over!!!!! Ahhhhhhh! So as I daydream of things to come and think about trips past I want to share some pics. I barely posted anything about any trips over the summer, but I just uploaded all my phone pics so now they are super easy to get to. So yeah, there's not much more to it. I don't know if anyone will be interested but I want a distraction from homework to visit a little bit of memory lane.

So first up on the docket: Rosemary Beach Florida, Fall Break 2014

All iPhone pics because I forgot my camera. SERIOUSLY SHELBY?!? You forgot your camera on vacation?!? yes I will admit it. Actually thinking back I could have brought it but the sand made me so nervous! So thanks for being there for me old iPhone..... And don't worry most of these pictures are pretty ok. I've weeded it down a lot!

My dad grew up playing baseball and my brother is a baseball addict. And I guess it's some rule that you should bring your baseball glove to the beach. Whoops I forgot mine.... but it's probably okay since I haven't touched it in like 3 years or something like that;) Anyway we were stopped at a gas station after a few hours of driving and they went to edge of the parking lot and starting tossing. 'Cause like what else would you do?

 This was me pretty much everyday (except usually in my bathing suit and coverup) We rented bikes which was super fun. Also those sunglasses were my favorite. These are my only pair now- summer goal get some more;) These are like my favorite ever and they were a super deal because I got them for like 3 dollars. Idk if they actually protect from the sun, but they look cute and haven't broke so they work in my book;)

 Beach volleyball is my new favorite. Just not sure how to move the beach to ky haha. Anyway it was super fun because you could dive and it doesn't hurt at all. I look really unprepared but I promise I got that one:)

 The sunglasses again....take me back to the beach!!!

 Fall break fell over conference weekend (posts about past conferences here) so we got to listen to it on the beach! It was so spiritual to hear God's prophets surrounded by the beauty of nature. The beach was pretty empty that Sunday morning so it was mostly the sound of the waves and seagulls, warm sun, and spiritual goodness.

 This was the coolest pathway thing. It was so cute. I should have gotten a better pic, but I took this while riding my bike past so I consider it pretty good;) I got teased a tiny bit for "texting and biking" but really I'm only addicted to pictures not texting haha

 I think this is what I looked like.

 "Let's touch all the palm tree plants while we bike! Can you do it B?)

 Perfectly lined up palm trees. This makes me happy. Took it while biking...I've got skill ;)

 We biked to this donut truck that was adorable!

 The sun was really in our eyes.

 Sorry about my finger. But color makes me really happy so these blue chairs and everyone playing in the distance brought a smile to my face.

it was pretty adorable and yummy and how can you not take a picture infront of it? Especially when you are on a bike and have on pink sunglasses? 

 This was the ceiling in a tent/store thing and it was so cute! The adorable garland thing is made of string with ribbon tied around it! When you go there you can tie a piece on and it is so cute! Totally on my bucket list!

 Sorry for this super blurry picture but it only lasted a second and it was super fun. I absolutely love renting one of these and trying to stand, riding the waves, and going out super far. We started to go out to this sandbar thing but then we started seeing weird things and chickened out:)

Little girls in tutus on bikes in cobblestone streets. SO. MUCH. CUTENESS!

 The last pics are super blurry but we went to the beach one last time. And it was exhilarating to go at night. The wind was blowing my hair in circles and the ocean was pounding in majestic power. It seemed to go on forever and ever. As we said our last goodbyes you could feel the power that nature held. It was almost sacred in a way. On both sides as you looked along the coast you could see millions of tiny lights. But as you looked out at the ocean it was pitch black. A never ending darkness. Crashing and roaring. Under the peaceful and tiny, yet peircing light of billions of stars. It was indescribebale. The power of nature and it's creator stood out to me and made me feel tiny in a glorious way.

 The next morning we left. We left the ocean and the sun and the beach. We left their power and their peace and the joyous memories they bring. We left a little bit of the wonder, wimsy, and laidbackness you save for the beach each year.

(I think I'm going to end this like you would end a book. it just sounds kind of dramatic but I like it:)

And we returned to this. A different kind of beautiful. An ordinary beautiful filled with vibrancy and the fabric that makes life life. A this filled with happys and sads and frusterations and joys. But a this that was amazing still the same. A this that we tried to find the happy in. A this that was normal, but good. A this that seemed to become dull but then threw surprises like crazy. I this we sometimes hate but really love. A busy this. A crazy this. But we brought some wonder back. We brought some happiness back. We brought some amazing memories back.

And all of that from every trip, everyday, every little thing, is what makes my now.

And I love it