Shell's Diaries

Fourteen years ago, in May, my husband and I moved from Ogden, Utah to our present location of Oregon City, Oregon. I was pregnant with my 2nd child, due September 24th. This boy would be my first child to raise (as my first born died at nearly 4 months old). I remember when he was born and thinking of the many milestones that lay ahead, such as his baptism when would turn 8 years old. I remember then thinking when he turned 8 that in the not too distant future he would be a teenager.  He will be 14 in a few weeks. As each child has come along, I have had similar thoughts.  Josh, my 11 year old, has started middle school, and will be 12 in a few months.  Reagan is 9 and in the 4th grade.  I have no choice but to already be thinking about when she becomes a teenager because she is already wishing she was there. I, on the other hand, could wait a tad bit longer. My youngest, Hailey, just started Kindergarten...... today. She is my last. She has been home with m...

Recently I took my children to the local community swimming pool for family swim.  While my older children wanted to swim inside in the big pool, my younger two daughters opted to stay outside and play in the wading pool.  My girls hopped in the pool and started playing in the water as I settled into the lawn chair I brought and pulled out my math book to start studying. Not two minutes later a young boy, about 8 or 9 years old, stepped out of the pool and approached who I believe to be, his mother sitting on a bench holding another small son about the age of 2.  My head turned as I, and the other few adults and children who were in ear shot of the argument, heard this young boy screaming at his mother and using foul language at her, all over a piece of gum, from what I could tell.  Now, being a mother myself, I can empathize with any other mom who finds herself in such a situation where her child has become irrational, especially in public. I immediately say to mys...

I came across a post I wrote last year about being a mom. I needed the reminder, as being a mother is the hardest thing I've ever done, yet the most rewarding. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there!

Has there ever been a time in your life when something happened to you that you felt was unjustified? Has someone ever said anything to or about you that was knowingly false? Have you just felt that sometimes you get the raw end of the deal?  I imagine all of us have experienced one or more of these scenarios at some point in our life.  I know I have.  It is at times like this that can define our character and show to all around us what we are made of. And sometimes, our reaction TO the false accusation or unjustified behavior towards us is more of a problem (if not dealt with in a mature manner) than the actual issue at hand.  An incident recently happened to our business that I allowed to fester inside me; something that I chose to be upset about.  Was the incident unfair? Absolutely. Do I have tangible proof that what was inflicted upon us was unjustified? You bet. Was there dishonesty towards us in this recent experience that had a negative af...

I've been trying to catch up on my scrapbooking lately, trying to get it all done by April, before I go back to school.  I decided to re-do my daughter McKenna's scrapbook that has been falling apart the past couple of years.  McKenna is my first born child who passed away just shy of 4 months old.  You can read more about her short time here on earth and the circumstances behind her passing here and here . As I was going through her pictures and other items I saved, I came across all the sympathy cards John and I received, and the poems given to us after she died.  The tears started flowing as I reminisced of her short life and the many wonderful people who supported us during this very difficult time of our lives. While I was reading through everything, I was thinking about the recent shooting in Newtown, CT, of the 20 innocent beautiful children whose lives were taken early; thinking of the many parents who were still mourning the loss of their dear sw...

When I turned 40 last November, I wasn't  thrilled about it.  Just ask my husband, he can vouch for that.  I felt like there was so much I wished I would have already accomplished by the time I reached that dreaded age. I felt like I had just entered the "old people" group. I wished I was healthier, physically more in shape.  I wished my home was in more order, so to speak.  I felt like I hadn't accomplished what I should have academically.  I only had an associate's degree after all, and that was only in Professional Preschool Education..... not something I could make big bucks at, nor anything to glory in by the world's standard. I simply felt unaccomplished in so many ways.  And that kind of thinking is dangerous.  What starts out as a simple evaluation of  ' what have I done in my life for the past two decades ', can easily turn into, ' I'm of no worth, I have nothing to show for the last 20 years of my life of any value, I can't d...