Let's Celebrate Zackary!

 

Hello everyone! 

I hope you are recuperating from all of the time spent in the kitchen preparing meals for your families. What a great time was had! What was your favorite dish of Thanksgiving dinner? Mine was the turkey and the dressing, for sure! I think the time we spend with our families is what sets the example for generations to come that our children will spend with their grandchildren one day. I hope that the time that I set for my children will be enough to have them understand that I love them always. As mothers, we love our children unconditionally and will be proud of them. We teach them to do right, but sometimes they may choose to not listen. This is the love that when we try to point them in the right direction it doesn't go as planned BUT tough love isn't always the easiest. At this point, whether good or bad, it is our duty to love them and help them grow. We push them, so they can continue to learn from their mistakes. 

So now, I want to share a little bit of the glory of my middle grandchild, Zackary. He has struggled in the past with his speech and other things however, we still help him grow every single day. My daughter does a great job with him and supports him continuously. Well, with that he received the title at school of "Student of the Month" for the month of November! We are so proud of his accomplishments! He knows his ABCs, sings in such great pitch, and is a sweet boy! He looks up to his sister Natalya and loves school! This is such a prime example of why we should continue to support the children of the next generation. They are our future! His teacher let us know that he is such a great helper in his class and is so sweet to his classmates. What a fantastic boy! 

I believe teaching children at a young age discipline and deep core values are crucial to their success in the future. Discipline means explaining to them why they are getting in trouble and explaining to them how they can do better. Kids do not get enough credit these days and they are really smart. As parents, it is our job to show them and be the example they are meant to see. 

Have a great day! 

Love Shell

A Time of Thanks

Hello Everyone,

I want to wish you all a "Happy Thanksgiving!" This is one of my favorite holidays, because we get to spend good quality time together as a family. Time to eat, watch football, pray, and just be grateful for having each other as a family. We love just eating and lounging around together in a place we call home. I hope this is the time you get to enjoy your family and love on each other. Tomorrow is not promised and we need to make sure we enjoy this precious time. 

This year I have planned a wholesome meal for us all and each family member will bring a dish that we all get to participate in cooking for each other. Our dinner will be a fantastic Turkey and Ham with dressing and gravy, Homemade cranberry sauce, Homemade mashed potatoes, Green bean casserole, Waldorf salad, Classic fruit salad, Mac n' Cheese, Garlic Herb Cheese Bombs, and a Thanksgiving Punch added garnish with oranges and apple slices, and cranberries. I am so excited! What have you planned for your family? Please share with us. 

Have a great Thanksgiving from our family to yours! 

Love, Shell

"Sometimes Distractions are a Gift from God..."

Distractions are always happening. It is like someone always told me, "Life happens." But, who knows distractions better than myself? But here is my question, is it really a distraction? Or is it God preventing harm or keeping me safe from something coming up? Well, this is not easy to just allow what is coming and say I will leave it to God to put me on the right path. As I have endured life experiences, I have allowed myself to leave it in his hands. It is not easy, but what can I really control? I know that I can only control myself and this is something that I have learned to just allow. Distractions are usually illnesses that pull you from your daily routine when we least expect it or when things are building momentum at work or a business, a death in the family or a loved one, an accident that you did not plan, and when you get that call from the school of how your child is acting up. 

I can remember a time when JT and I  were on our way to a show in Fredericksburg. As we were driving there, it seemed we were in a time crunch to be there soon. But, it seemed that life was about to happen whether we were ready or not. It was stressful but the wreck we were going to come up on was about to change our perspective about the situation. As we were in our cars, the line of cars down the highway was like playing a waiting game that would put us into a stressful situation. So let's talk about this...was this really happening? Was it a safety move on God's part? As we grew near the accident moving slowly in our car, someone's life had been taken at this time. It was such a sad scene to be experiencing! This was a moment of relief and a moment of gratitude. God is good and God is good all the time! 

Sometimes when I am taken off track on my goals, I try to say, "It is time for a small break." God is saying, "Go, now! Do something for yourself!" I have to set smaller goals on a daily, even weekly basis. This allows me to stay productive and to be more accomplished. Another tip to keep in mind is to practice being grateful. We have to be grateful for the small things in order for God to bless us with the big things. I am still learning this one to this day. And lastly, I have to make sure I get enough rest every single day. This helps me stay focused and it helps me improve my overall health. If I feel good, then I can help others to do the same! 

I hope this helps someone and if you feel that you know someone it can help, please share with one person. Thank you! Have a blessed day! 

Love ya! 

Shell

Daily Grind, Goals, and Depression with Ermie

 

These past few weeks we have been talking about purpose in life, goals, how things can interrupt our routine, and how these can impact us regularly. Today, I want to talk about my dear friend, Ermie Garza Madrid, RN, and how life interfered with her daily grind, goals, and the toll it took. Here she is my friend, Ermie! She graduated in 2008 and began her journey as a Critical Care Nurse, and has worked as an Emergency Room Nurse. She currently works for a Fortune 500 company doing many things that she loves. We'll talk about her goals and how it could affect the people in the community that deal with diabetes and educating them in selfcare. Ermie talks about her daily grind, and one of the things that I love is that she gets the opportunity to work from home. One thing people who work from home forget is dressing appropiately not pajamas, LOL! But, she tells her secrets as she gets up and gets herself ready even putting on her makeup. I LOVE THIS! I asked her about what has interfered with her life most recently. She tells me that she was recently in a terrible car accident in Colorado, rolling over on an icy day, and that Monday is the one year anniversary of her nighmare. It touches me to hear the details of her accident as she fought to keep her eye and learned to walk again. She doesn't realize that she has already impacted, inspired, and given people hope. She feels this humbling experience helped her grow, develop, and overcome, through grace and her support system! Wow! What an experience! She is forever grateful for all the things that have lead her to who she is today! Thank you for sharing! You can hear our interview in the link below: 

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/listenwithshell 

Ep 3 Daily Grind, Goals, and Depression with Ermie

          Here are some photos of her road to recovery and the process.