Simply Shelby

New Years Eve more than any day of the year makes you really reflect on your life, at least that's how it seems to be for me. You reflect on the year you've just had. You wonder if you've done something memorable in the duration of the year. This year you've experienced a birthday, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now you've made it to New Years Eve. People are making resolutions (you'll get to hear mine tomorrow), people are spending time with those they love, and everyone is celebrating surviving 2012 because many people thought that we wouldn't, thanks to the Mayans. Now I'd like to share a few memories of my 2012 because it was one of the biggest years of my life. During 2012 Shelby Jean Forsyth: 1. Worked 2 jobs at once (thankfully not for very long). 2. Turned 19. 3. Passed Statistics with an "A." 4. Decided to move to Utah. 5. Drove across the U.S. with my mother. 6. Moved to Utah. 7. Lived in my first ever apartm...

I've been seriously slacking on my blogging lately. It's probably because since Thanksgiving my mind has been no where but counting down to my trip home. Words cannot express how excited I am to be home, to be where people say "ma'am" and "sir." There is something special about the South and being raised there. You never fully appreciate it until you step outside of that Southern comfort zone. I fly home Sunday and it could not come fast enough. In other news, I had a fantastic weekend at my grandparents last weekend. They are the greatest and I am so lucky to have the relationship that I have with them. When I make trips to their house I usually take my laundry and do my laundry there. This weekend, I was carrying my heavy laundry basket downstairs to the laundry room, and managed to fall down at least 5 stairs. Needless to say I have a nasty bruise on my bum and there is no fun in that. It was painful at the time, but made a good story at work Mond...

Well Folks, it's been exactly 102 days since my car left home and headed out west. Each day that I'm away from home I discover more about myself, my relationships, and my Heavenly Father. It's hard to place a time or a date to your life changing especially when it happens over a period of time and through many hard lessons. Now more than ever I realize the importance of relying on my Heavenly Father in all times, in all things, and in all places. I have such a testimony of the love my Savior gives me. He is my constant companion and he is my everything. At times things can get dark and things can get lonely. During these moments of trial we too often forget our divine worth. We were all sent here with a unique and special plan. We were destined for greatness and we were destined to allow ourselves to achieve that divine potential. I have learned to never give up on my Savior, because when I don't give up on him I don't give up on myself. These past 102 days have...

It has been one of those days. I got off work, had to go grocery shopping, realized I left my grocery list at work, and ended up buying basically everything I wanted instead of everything I needed. It really goes to show you that sometimes you just have to go with the flow. I got home, unloaded the groceries, ate dinner and discovered that I had the motivation to do absolutely. .nothing . After watching the latest Nashville episode (which I highly recommend watching) I realized I better do something productive. For about two weeks our bathroom sick hasn't been draining the best. Living with 5 other girls I was honestly surprised it hadn't clogged up before now. Girls tend to lose lots of things in their sinks. While grocery shopping I decided to be proactive and buy Drano (which from far away looks like Draco..Harry Potter nerd for life, yo) for our sink. I was just about sick and tired of the draining being slower than a sailboat on a wind-less day. So I put the Drano in t...

What a surprise it was to wake up one morning last week to snow on the mountaintops. Coming from Florida, I never have really gotten to experience the change of seasons. I became overwhelmed by the love I felt from my Savior. What a beautiful world our Heavenly Father has created. It makes me sad to think that people can deny his existence when they see things such as a fall day and the leaves on the trees change colors. When I was up in the mountains (see pictures above) I felt as if I have never lived before that moment. The beauty of this world is breathtaking. I am so blessed to live in this magical place. Over the past few weeks life has taught me lessons that I wasn't quite expecting. Living away from home for the first time brings challenges such as not being able to control what others do/don't do in our apartment, learning that the apartment will never be as clean as I expect it to be, people will do things for their own reasons and not yours, and many more. I...

          Every now and then when I find myself with enough collected thoughts to talk about, I blog. I normally start it off with something in my life, relate it to something that can uplift someone else, and sometimes end with something to challenge whoever might be reading this (that sentence had a lot of "something" in it..oops). So today I will start off by saying how much I love Sunday naps, except today when I fall asleep with headphones in my ears and wake up with them swallowing me. It was..odd and uncomfortable. Any who, Today obviously was a Sunday. It was our regional conference which means my roommates and I drove to the Marriott Center along with about 20,000 other Young Single Adults to hear talks about Christ and to learn more of the gospel. Coming from a town where the members of the LDS faith are small and minuscule, being surrounded by 20,000 people around my age that shared my same beliefs and values was simply breathtaking and a te...

Bad days are bad and bad weeks are even worse. I think i'm at this point where I'm really starting to miss home so everything else seems to be falling apart. Things such as the bathroom door breaking off, hitting my head on the freezer door, having long days at work, and getting used to being around 5 other girls is a LOT of work. Okay, don't get me wrong. I LOVE my roommates. I adore each and every one of them but my whole life I've grown up with brothers so being around this many girls all the time is an adjustment for sure. So even though things aren't going the greatest, I still am so lucky. I feel like these trials are strengthening my testimony of Christ each and every day because I know he is always there for me and he has been through much, much worse. The fact about trials is we don't get to choose them. Sometimes we bring them upon ourselves by the decisions and choices we make, but most of the time trials hit us and it's hard to understand wh...

My new life motto is, "As long as no one sees it, it never happened." Want to know why? Well, I moved in Friday to my lovely new apartment. I happened to have a three-shelved plastic container where I keep my "underclothes" (to put it nicely). I was joking with my aunt how I would just die if I dropped the container and all my underwear and bras fell out as I was carrying it from my car to my apartment. Next thing I know, the top of the container pops off and the shelves go crashing to the ground and all my underwear and bras were scattered on the middle courtyard thingy. LOVELY. Here's where my new motto comes into play, thankfully no one saw my accident. At least the next time someone asks me when my most embarrassing moment was i'll finally have a funny story to tell. On to my next example.. Ever since I got to Utah I have been trying to make sure to eat some-what healthy so I can stay fit. I have been doing SO well. Today I had half of a king size Milky ...

                   My new life has begun and it has already shown me in so many ways how truly lucky I am to be on this adventure. At first being over 2,000 miles away from home was an adjustment. It's been 2 weeks since I left little ole' Lake City and started the journey west. Although I'm not completely adjusted to my new surroundings and atmosphere, I am truly happy with the decision I've made. I have started my new job at Pinnacle Security as an Inside Sales Scheduler, which basically means I schedule the appointments for the technicians to go and install the security systems into peoples homes. I love my job and I have been blessed to be trained by great people. The atmosphere is a positive environment and I am constantly learning something new. My aunt and uncle have so graciously let me stay with them until I move into my apartment next week and I have felt so loved since I got here. They are such amazing people and their ...

For the next few weeks you're going to get lots of talk from me about ME! As I have already announced, I am moving to Utah August 3rd. Although I know this is a good step in my life, I have been a bit concerned that maybe, just maybe, I was making the wrong choice. One thing that scared me the most was leaving my wonderful job, and then moving out to Utah and not being able to find a job at all. Let's face it, Provo is a college town and there are always college kids thirsty for good jobs. I have been silently stressing about it, keeping it under the radar how concerned I was about not being able to find a job. Once I started working two years ago I knew that I would want to work until I started having kids, and from that point decide what I should do from there. Last night I was doing my nightly "creepin" on Facebook and happened to stumble upon a status that made my ears perk up. It said, "If anyone is looking for a job in the Lindon area please let me know,...

It's funny how a smell, song, or even a piece of clothing can bring you right back to a memory that you had long forgotten. When I started this blog 2 1/2 years ago I was looking for an escape from all the chaos of every day life. I was struggling with High School, boys, family, and all the unnecessary things a teenage girl deals with. Along this journey I have realized the divine potential of following your dreams and believing in your heart. Although, at times I have learned that following your dreams can either break your heart, or keep the belief growing stronger. As a child we were all taught about love. First, you learned how to love your family, then you learned how to love your friends, and at the right time and with the right person(or the wrong one..haha) you learned how to fall in love with someone of the opposite sex. What a beautiful thing it is to love. I am single right now, but love has taught me some things about following your heart as well as your dreams. So here...

        There's a famous scripture that reads, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." Just like a lighthouse, your light can bring hope and strength to those who may be lost at sea. Sometimes it is hard for me to imagine this world in its whole entirety. I am one soul, one girl, in the midst of billions of people. How can I possibly make a difference? I'm sure you have already heard the story I'm about to share, but it's a good reminder of how important we as individuals are.          There was this rich man who had everything he wanted in the world and one day he was walking down the beach. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of starfish washed up along the shore. As he continued his walk he noticed a simple boy picking up a starfish one by one and throwing them back into the sea. Considering how there were so many starfish, the man thought the boy was foolish. He reached the boy and asked him ...

The fact of the matter is that some days just stink(I would rather say "suck" but my grandmother hates that word so I'm trying to stop using it). You could say that today was a mountain that got bigger and bigger as the day went on. Picture me climbing up this mountain(no really, picture it), and it just getting larger by the minute. I am taking a four hour stats class twice a week. I needed the class, so I took it. It hasn't been that hard for the most part, but today we had a test that was hard.  I thought I failed it. To make matters worse, mother nature decided to visit(sorry, guys who might be reading) in the middle of class. I go on telling you about how I got rained on the ONLY 5 minutes it rained today as I was walking to my car, forgetting to shave last night and then packing a skirt to wear to work today without realizing it, not being able to hear out of one of my ears due to unnatural and unknown reasons, or even how my fingernail polish is chipping. Today...

I've never been much of a risk-taker. Anyone who has ever known me knows that my life has order and I really like it that way. Recently I have been pondering the next phase of my life. I will finish my AA degree at the end of the fall and the next step was to decide where to go from there. Stay at home? Find a college in Florida? Apply to BYU and try to live out of state? Well, after much prayer and support I have decided the next step on my journey is to move out west. On July 28, 2012 I will begin my 2000+ mile journey to Utah. I could not be more excited and scared at the same time. Basically my whole life I have lived in little 'ole Lake City. I attended elementary school, middle school, high school, and part of college here. This is the place I know, this is the place I will always call home. I have applied to BYU to start in January 2013. I will not find out if I get in until the end of October. Like other Universities, I am not 100% sure to be accepted. I hope and pray...

Some memories are haunting. It's the memory of things that you wish you would have done differently. It's the memory of wishing you had said how you felt when you had the chance. It's the memory of it being cold outside  and then waking up to find your skin with a touch of summer glow. Time flies by faster than you could ever imagine. In many lyrics from so many songs you here the word strength in some sort of form . For example, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and, "Even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger." The fact of the matter being that everyone has those times where they need the courage and the desire to somehow be stronger than they were before whether it be physically, mentally, or my favorite: emotionally. Life is so challenging and the hope we receive from those kinds of songs can be comforting. I wish I could say that a song could fix everything, but it doesn't. I saw a quote recently that said, "There co...

One day, this day will be a celebration of me. Mother's Day. It's the one day of the year where mothers are celebrated and honored. I like to think that every day is mothers day because I owe everything I am to my mother. If you're reading this and you are a mother I want to thank you. I have been blessed with the goodness to have many "mothers" in my life. You have shown an exceptional amount of virtue and kindness. Being a woman is something I never take lightly. Through the cramps, the shaving of the legs, the blow drying of the hair, the giving birth, the cooking, the cleaning, the nurturing, the cheering, you have done all with beauty. Okay, I know it's hard to imagine "shaving of the legs" done in beauty, but it takes a lot to be a woman. Some of the most influential people in my life are woman and they have impacted my life in so many ways. I have been taught to love and I have been taught how to heal because of those who have come before me. ...

A year ago I would have told you my life was perfect. I had everything going for me. I was a senior in high school, I would be graduating, and I was planning on going to prom. I had the perfect dress, the perfect hair, and that night I felt like a million dollars. After prom came graduating, something that every student dreams of. On that night when my name was called and I walked towards the stage I had no idea where I would be standing one year later. I had endless possibilites and dreams high as the sky. Well, it's been almost a year since all those events occured. Is my life where I thought it would be? Absolutely not. In my opinion if I could sum up this past year I would put it as simply as saying, "If you're not growing you're not learning, and if you're not learning you're not growing."  I have learned so much this past year. Life after high school isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's full of responsibility, finals, college, jobs, fami...

                                Day at the BEACH!                                  Besties for LIFE.                             Chalk ART.           STRESSED is just DESSERTS spelled backwards (:                  ROADTRIP to South Carolina!        Another BEACH shot. Gotta love the floppy hat.    Late night FACETIME with the best friend for some laughs.

"In your life you are going to go some great places and you're going to do some wonderful things. But no matter where you go or who you become, this place will always be with you." I have grown up in a town where most people feel like it's the worst place ever, like it's a place where no one would ever want to go. I think differently. I have grown up in a town where I have felt the majestic qualities of a southern town at its finest. Tonight was the final episode of One Tree Hill. Many of you have probably seen one or two episodes but this show has been my favorite for the past 9 years. I can remember watching it with my mom and my brothers every week and it is a memory I will cherish forever. The majority of this story line are teens in high school and their lives after. Of course memories of my high school days came flooding back into my head as quickly as I heard the theme song to my favorite show. Columbia High School. My high school. This was the place where ...

The bigger picture. People have used that phrase for years. People will use that phrase for years to come. Honestly though, does anyone really understand the bigger picture? What is it exactly? Lately I have struggled with the bigger picture; I needed a new perspective. I found myself in a place where that perspective I have been searching for was found. Almost a month ago my best friend and I took a trip to St. Augustine. After a lovely dinner we drove to the beach. It was dark, and the beachfront was closed but we still were able to see the water and feel the ocean breeze. Through the frizzing of my hair I realized how truly small I am in this world. What is my bigger picture? How am I supposed to know at almost 19 years old what the bigger picture was? I was faced with this vast open water that never ends. That's the beauty of the ocean, it makes you realize how lucky you are to be alive. Surrounded by the most magnificent beauty I counted my blessings and realized that I have ...

Hello and welcome to reality. Here the grass is greener if you water it, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is empty, and breaking a leg actually isn't a sign of good luck. Today I reflected on the person I was two years ago. It's amazing to me the people I hadn't met two years ago. Two years ago I never would have imagined falling in love with the people I did, getting broken by those who broke me, working in the places I have worked, and rebuilding myself after all the storms were over. Even though these past two years has NOT been the easiest, I am beyond grateful for the lessons I have learned. I have grown up a tremendous amount lately. I have started working, I have been fully working on my degree, and I am growing spiritually in my relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I could go on and on for days about the differences between that girl I used to be, and the woman I am today. The main reason I blog is for my future children. I want them to know ...

An hour. Maybe it was a little less than that. A matter such as this cannot be timed exactly. In the space of an hour I found myself again. It had to have been the weather. As a matter of fact I know that is was the weather. When the weather is like that you can't help but be overwhelmed by the goodness of life. I think it was the way the sun felt on my face. Or the way that the wind made perfect timing of intricate rhythm as it rustled the leaves on the trees. Maybe it was the feeling I got when I actually started reading a book for the first time in a long time. I know that it was a mixture of all of those things. You see, life is not always like this. Life for me lately has been a pretty dark place. When someone tells you that you don't even know who you are, that comes as a slap of extreme reality right in the face. Did I really not know who I was anymore? Had I lost all sense of my "Shelby?" I started to believe that I had. It was gone and honestly I didn't w...

A lot of people may wonder why I blog. You might think it's lame, a waste of time, not worth it, or even silly. For all of you thinking that, you might as well stop reading now. When I blog I write a small piece of my heart. Most of the time this is a part of me that doesn't seem to make sense anywhere else except when I type. Tonight I am going to be real and really honest with each one of you, including myself. Life is constantly changing. No two days are exactly the same even though you may feel like your life is just constant repetition. In the world today people are faced with temptations and challenges daily. You may find yourself praying and pleading with God and you may feel like you are not receiving any answers. You may be struggling with the future, with your job, with your family, with sickness, with your friends, or even with your faith. I am speaking today to all religions. No matter who you are, no matter what your circumstance, no matter what church you go to, n...

You you remember that road I talked about before? That old country road that tells the stories of many years? I found myself faced with that road again today. As I stood in that road and looked both ways all I saw was nothing. I felt the asphalt beneath my feet and I could hear the simple sounds of the birds around me, and yet I felt nothing. I used to have a plan for my life. It was all so clear. Reality finally sets in and it makes that plan seem not so important. You turn off that road and head down new ones. Those roads for me have been love. I have always been willing to take those roads that I believed led me to love, and most of the time they have. I have been happy, I have been blessed, and I have had so much experience from these roads. All of them have been bumpy and sometimes I have been blindly led to a dead end. I am then forced to turn around and head back towards that road that it always there, that road that will always be there. Someone once told me a quote that has fo...

My room is a mess. I have a cough that is taking the life out of me. I am tired. I am stressed. I am lost in love. I am perfectly okay. There is simple beauty in knowing that tomorrow is a new day. I am just beyond thankful that I have many more tomorrows. I am thankful that there are 365 new beginnings in a year, and that there are 7 new beginnings in each week. Each day is a brand new day. Each day is the day where I could become that person I am supposed to be. The same goes for you. You have 365 chances to get things right. You have 7 opportunities during the week to wake up a whole new person. Whoa. Is your mind blown yet? It takes courage to be the person you are destined to be. Whenever I think of courage my mind goes back to the Wizard of Oz. What a gift courage would be for the lion. Lions are supposed to be strong, talented, fearless, and courageous. It never ceases to amaze me that a girl in a blue dress with sparkly red shoes could rise up to the challenge to lead the lost ...

Life is a hard battle. Every single day is filled with the constant turmoil of things like: "What comes next?" "Am I good enough?" "Is my future going to be filled with success?" " Is my faith strong enough to withstand the evil of this world?" I wish I had all the answers for you, but I don't. Most of my blogs are filled with my love of the Savior and the blessings he has brought into my life and how he has gotten me through some rough times. Sharing my love for our Savior is easy, telling you my weaknesses and struggles has been the hard part. Today I saw a picture of an anchor. You might be asking yourself what point am I going to make dealing with the anchor and here's my answer. Recently I have struggled with keeping my relationship close with God. I, like a boat, have been tossed and thrown like a boat during a storm. Every single day we are all faced with worldly things. We hear hate in the music on the radio, we see filth in shows...

Today has been a day where I have done a lot of reflecting on 2011. Yes, I know it's over now, but looking back I would have to say 2011 was one of the most memorable years of my life. Some of those memories were good like graduating from High School, spending my summer in Utah, falling in love, trying sushi, buying a leather jacket, starting college, and watching time fly by. Some of those memories are hard to talk about like losing my grandma, suffering from a terrible broken heart, watching my first job close down, and learning that life gets harder the older I seem to get. Last year was a year full of growing up, becoming tougher, finding that all my strength lies in Christ, learning to love myself, and forgiveness. As I reflected I found myself becoming sad and confused for some reason so I did what I normally do when life doesn't make sense and I turned on my laptop and started writing this. Goodbye, 2011. Hello, 2012. Now is the time where I make those resolutions I make...