Shell's Diaries

I remember when Hunter was just a toddler, and we had just come out of either The Home Depot or some restaurant that gives you balloons to children as they leave, and he was given a balloon.  Probably blue.  I remember making it all the way home with child and balloon safely in the car until the door opened.  And then the balloon escaped, floating serenely in the sky taking its sweet time ascending up to the heavens.  As beautiful as that blue balloon looked making its way towards the sky, my sweet little Hunter wasn't as thrilled.  But then it came to me, or John, not quite sure exactly who said it, that THAT balloon was making its way to McKenna, his big sister who died just a few short years earlier.  So that is what we told him; that we were going to share the balloon with McKenna, that she would catch it and know we were thinking of her. Three children arrived after Hunter, and that has been the tradition, especially from Reagan and Ha...

In my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , we are given assignments, or callings, to fulfill to help run the various organizations within the church.  The callings change from time to time, and at the moment I am the Primary Music Chorister, for the children ages 18 months to 11 years old.  There was a time when I prayed I would never be asked to fulfill this role.  But when I was asked to do it December of 2010, I was excited. I was ready. There is plenty of music in the airwaves that can influence us for good or bad.  But what I appreciate most about the music found within our church are the messages of faith, hope, love of and from our Heavenly Father.  The music I am able to learn, study and then teach to these children each week can give them strength to choose the right, help them feel their Savior's love for them, appreciate the beautiful world God has created for us, teach us the importance and value of family.   ...

My blog is not normally dedicated to the happenings of my family; however, we have had some excitement in our home with Reagan turning 8 years old.   This particular party, however, I may have gone a little overboard. But it was fun to plan nonetheless. The theme was "I Am The Cake Boss".  I came across this idea through Pinterest, on a blog where I credit all the ideas.  I knew when I saw this I totally wanted to do this for Reagan. But, of course, it would help if she wanted it too.  She did, thankfully. It was so. much. fun. to plan. I've never spent so much time planning and preparing for a birthday party, and now need to repeat the same theme for Hailey when she turns 8 since I overheard her say to her big brother... "Reagan gets the best party ever."    She was content with that.  Gotta make sure we're not playing favorite's here.  A big shout out to my sister Emily who helped make the pink and purple strips for the apro...

Take a read..... I couldn't have said it better myself.  I will post again another time, from my own words, why I feel this man is set on destroying America.  But this is worth reading for now. (Snopes is claiming this was not posted in the Washington Post, however, it is still worth reading.  I'm not convinced  that Snopes has the answer to everything either.  So take what you will from it; it makes no difference to me where it was published,  what is said is more profound than where it was said.) By Matt Patterson (columnist - Washington Post, New York Post, San Francisco Examiner) Government & Society: Years from now, historians may regard the 2008 election of Barack Obama as an inscrutable and disturbing phenomenon, the result of a baffling breed of mass hysteria akin perhaps to the witch craze of the Middle Ages. How, they will wonder, did a man so devoid of professional accomplishment beguile so many into thinking ...

Today, in our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) we celebrate July 24th as Pioneer Day.  A day when men, women and children arrived in the Salt Lake Valley after months of traveling the plains by foot, pushing handcarts.    They took all they had, which wasn't much,  left their homes to be able to practice their religion in peace, after being driven out by mobs.  Thousands of them crossed the plains (and oceans too) to come to the Salt Lake Valley, pushing handcarts; some dying along the way, full of faith in God that he would lead them to a land where they could live in peace.  Their trials were many, their joys were sustained as they sacrificed time, health, and sometimes their lives to be able to worship how they may.   289 youth in the Oregon City  area from our church had the opportunity to experience a tiny fraction of what they went through, for us, for all of us, last week as th...

Yep.  That's right. It was nothing like what I had expected.  It was BETTER.  I had the privilege of being asked to speak to 130 young women age 12-18 at their annual Young Women's Girls Camp this week.  This is a time when the girls get to go camping for 5 days, each summer, with the peers in their church within their community, and are able to bond with one another, while at the same time, learn valuable skills of survival in the outdoors, as well as draw closer to their Heavenly Father while basking in the creation of this beautiful planet.  They are also able to have leadership responsibilities as well as opportunities to be an example to each other of Christ-like living.  It really is a wonderful opportunity for them to learn and grow and define who they are. And what they are, is amazing.  I witnessed that first hand. I was asked to speak on a particular subject, in what is called "Destiny" where the girls, in small groups at a time, come t...

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Oahu has nothing to do with the sun we soaked up on the sandy beaches, or the many beautiful sights we partook of. Strangely enough, it had to do with meeting a young mother of two small boys. It was also one of those instances where we realized, yet again, what a small world it truly is.  But meeting this particular woman, had a great impact on me and my husband. And she will forever be in our prayers, as well as the other many individuals out there who are now living the same life she is, who are dealing with the same cards that have been dealt to them. It was our last night in Oahu, the boys were swimming in the pool, which was about to close.  As we were about to leave, this young lady and her two boys were entering the pool.  My husband, the social bug that he is, introduced himself and asked where she was from. She replied, Northern, UT.  We said we had lived there too, and told her where.  John then mention...