Simply Shelby

It's been 216 days. In those 216 days I have finally and fully felt what it means to be homesick. I just googled the definition of "homesick" and then I realized that the term is more complex than I thought. I feel a little concerned that I googled the word, so I won't bother to tell you my findings (plus if you really want to know you can google it yourself). I might not even be that homesick. Maybe I just miss certain things about my old life. I miss my kitchen and how I knew where everything was and where everything went. I miss the vacuum my parents got when they were married that they still use to this day. I miss my primary kids at church and how much they made me feel loved. Most of all, I miss the way I used to feel. My poor mom has received countless phone calls these past week (more than our usual daily conversations) where I have cried (hard to admit) because Utah hasn't really felt like the home I expected it to be at this point. I have been living...

My day started off great. I was ready to go to school in my Charlie Brown sweater (he's been with me the past two Valentine's Days) and my red glitter vans. I was excited. I had my roommate take a picture of me to send to my mother, then I decided to share it with you. I went to my first class and then I was waiting on my second class when I received this text: I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up a bit. I truly am so lucky. I have the best older brother ever. I miss my family a lot, especially on holidays. I miss the silly traditions and the way my mom would always get so excited about half-off candy the day after Valentine's Day. It's the small things like that text (and the $20 dollars) that really make a difference. It was a random act of pure love and kindness and I felt so loved. I love my brother. He made me feel like the luckiest girl on the planet today. Thanks, Cal! 

  I searched and searched for some fancy little picture to put at the beginning of this post but came up empty handed. Sorry for the lack of artistic ability, my Pinterest must not have been working properly. Everyone knows what tomorrow is. Everyone has seen the floods of pink and red in every shopping market, the cute ads on TV, and felt the nervous excitement that has filled the air. Tomorrow is Valentines Day. I'm sure someone will get engaged, someone will receive flowers, someone will eat lots of chocolate, and I'm SURE that many people will sit around and feel sorry for themselves and then complain about it on Facebook or Twitter. Some things never change. Where do I fit in, you might ask? Well, I happen to LOVE this holiday. Yes, I am single. No, I am not married or even close to being engaged. How on earth could I love Valentines day? Here are my reasons: 1. The people who have a "special someone" are happy. They laugh, cry, and smile at the gifts they rece...

Woke up. Got ready. Walked to class in the rain. Went to class. Watched people slide all around campus. Check email. Last class has been cancelled. Go home. Get text. Pinnacle Sales have been ceased immediately. Lost job. Cry. Call mom. Call cousin. Cry. Go to aunts. Find relief and comfort. Leave. Go to other aunts. Get comfort and dinner. Drive home. Cry while driving. Get home. Cry more. Call mom. Cry even more. Take shower. Cry while in the shower. Get dressed. Put on favorite pajamas. The ones with the turtles on them. Sit on the couch. Open laptop. Start this blog. I woke up this morning and my life was perfect. I am attending BYU, I had a great job that I loved, and I had ice cream in the freezer, Really, what more could a girl want? Then the news came that Pinnacle Sales have been ceased and that I should not go into work until further notice. Basically, I have been laid off with no warning. The shock of all this was more than I could seem to handle. I cried in front of m...

It's hard sometimes to just step back and see your life the way it actually was. There are moments of weakness where you realize that your past is something that you can never go back to, your decisions in life are solid, and your pathway to where ever you may be going is something that you wanted more than anything at one point. Your life, and my life, tells a story of a person who has lived on this Earth and who has felt things. The greatest thing about being human is our ability to feel. We can feel happiness, we can feel sadness, we can feel pain, and we can feel the tender mercies of love. We too often take this experience for granted, at least I know I do. There are times where you may feel like your life is hard. The challenges that you have been given are too much, and the physical circumstances you have been placed into are unfair. Let me tell you something: You can do ALL things through Christ. I am sure you can quote the scripture or remember a time when someone has...

I love to fly. Seriously though, ever since I can remember I have LOVED to fly. There was/is something magical about an object so large carrying so many people soaring through the air like a bird. Thursday, I made my long journey back to Utah. My lovely mother the night before I left had left treats on my bed for my traveling (see picture below). She is such a doll. I just love her. Anyways, my trip to Florida went fine. Easy day, easy flights. The trip BACK, however, was just plain interesting. First, I flew to Atlanta. During that flight there was some turbulence which made me a bit uneasy.  I survived and landed in ATL on time. We flew into Gate A and I needed to get to Gate F. Gate F was on the complete opposite end of the airport. I had to take the train, which was fast and kind of a nightmare for someone like me with terrible balance. I proceeded to my Gate, grabbed some food, and went to wait to board the airplane. Here is the best part of the story.. Yes, th...

Every year I've been blogging I've made a list of New Years Resolutions. Some of them I keep, but like most people I stick with them for about a week and then forget all about them. This year, I had the bright idea to make a Bucket List instead. When most people think of a Bucket List they think of things they want to do before they die. I've decided to not wait until I'm nearly dead to do some of the things I've always wanted to do. So without any further delay..here are my 13 Items on my 2013 Bucket List. 1. Train and run a 5k. 2. Climb a mountain. 3. Take a dance class or go dancing. 4. Save a decent amount of money to buy something useful. 5. Read a classical book. 6. Go on a road trip. 7. Floss every single day (365 days, ya'll). 8. Help someone in need. 9. Surprise someone. 10. Learn to cook something new. 11. Go skiing (Yep, never done it). 12. Do a craft project that will benefit someone other than myself. 13. Be a volunteer. As I mark ...