Shell's Diaries

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...

What is it about Christmastime that prompts us to give more freely to others less fortunate?  I think that desire is instilled in us all to some degree, don't you think? I love that Thanksgiving comes right before Christmas, because it provokes us to really ponder on our many blessings, and then influences us to act with compassion towards those that need a lift, a pick-me-up.  It causes us to reflect on how WE might be instruments in God's hand in helping His children here on earth. Although the following experiences I will share have a monetary value, it is not the money that mattered, but the heart of the giver. Many years ago while John and I were living in St. Louis at the Ronald McDonald house awaiting for a double lung transplant for our daughter McKenna, we were such recipients of love from others.  I remember coming home one evening from a long day at the hospital and checking our mailbox we found a Christmas card that simply said, "Merry Christmas" wit...

For the past few weeks I was hopeful. I tried to remain positive and have faith that Romney, a very decent human being, who gives 30% of his income to charity, would be our next president. I went to bed in despair, shedding tears mainly for my children who will most definitely not grow up in the America I grew up in. I shed tears because we are self employed and I now see how devastating the re-election of Obama will be to our livelihood. He said our health ins. would not go up. Ours just went up $200 a month. Thank you Mr. President. We are unable to hire any employees because of that law that was forced upon us. I shed tears because of the values of marriage and life I hold dear to my heart are compromised, as I do not see the leftist views of those social matters in alignment with what God wants for His children. That is my opinion, and I know I will most likely receive negative comments about it, but I will not shadow my beliefs because of what part of t...