To blog = To share To connect To create To inspire

Hello there fellow Steemians. My name is Shelby. Sometimes people ask me if I'm named after the high-performance Mustang, but I, in fact, am named after my dad Sheldon. My parents tell me that if I was born a boy, I would have been named Geoffrey (pronounced Joff-rey), so I'm glad I came out a girl. I never had any nick names growing up, but since entering adulthood, people now sometimes call me Shelbs. I am 1-part foodie, 1-part yarnoholic, 1-part wife, and 2-parts mom. Is that too many parts? I always have to sleep with socks on, I hate cleaning, and I love cooking.

I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania near Scranton. If you're a fan of the television show, The Office, then you know it well. I'm the middle child of a hard-working middle-class family. Growing up, my younger sister and I bickered daily, but now we are best friends. My mom always made us the best Halloween costumes. My brother is 11 years older than me, but he has taught me a lot. He is a great musician and has such a great heart. My childhood was during the late 80's and early 90's, consisting mostly of skip-its, Barbies, beanie babies, and ribbon dancers.

When I started college, I first decided that I wanted to be a Special Education teacher. My ideas of what I wanted changed after my second year. I knew I wanted to work with kids still, but my heart was somewhere else. I decided to change my major to Social Science and focus more on Children and Youth Services. I have my degree in Social Sciences, but soon after I graduated, my now husband was transferred with work so I moved along with him. We were just dating at that time. I know some people move oceans away from family, or many states away. We just moved slightly over an hour away. We mainly are the ones driving to visit family, but sometimes we get surprise visits.

We moved to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, home of America's Oldest Brewery, Yuengling! I didn't know what to expect moving to this area, even though it isn't too far from home, but I quickly found that it is a tight knit community in the coal mining region. I quickly learned a new language. Our church bazaars were now called block parties. Potato pancakes were now Bleenies.

Things didn't go as planned as far as my degree was concerned. I ended up becoming a department manager at Lowe's and also waitressing part time. I learned a lot about home improvement and I just love customer service for some reason. I enjoy getting to know the customers and having them return regularly and ask for me.

Fast forward two years, and we are now married, and wanted to start a family. In October of 2010, we had our first son. Being a new mom, I researched everything during the pregnancy and infant stage. Four and a half years down the road, I was longing for another baby to hold in my arms. I had to get my husband on board, and I think what convinced him was our son asking for a baby brother or sister. In May 2015, our second son was born. I no longer needed to read books on how to parent or what to expect. I just learned it's ok for them to eat a little dirt once in awhile, or to eat popsicles for breakfast. I am an advocate for normalizing breastfeeding and keeping your baby close by babywearing. My husband has even used our baby carrier a few times.

These boys of mine are the light of my lives. They bring brightness every single day. I never knew I had so much love to give. To see them love and play together is beyond amazing. They have a forever friend in each other. And I get to watch them grow every day. We decided that it was best for our family if I became a stay at home mom. We have made MANY sacrifices to make this happen, but it is so worth it.

I also taught myself how to crochet a few years ago, so be on the lookout for some posts about my projects. It's mainly a hobby but I do make made to order items occasionally. Crocheting is my stress relief. I make things out of string. I also just recently started the Ketogenic way of eating and I have been feeling amazing and losing weight consistently.

My goal in life is to just be the best me I can be and help others along the way. I am a great listener and always up for a challenge. I hope we can all be connected in this virtual journey in our lives. Follow me and I'll follow you. @steemitshelby

<3 Shelby