Rob and Shanel Talbert =)

So it has been to long since I have written on here but I will sum it all up to get you to know! My family and I work hard to put the reception and plans together, so that Rob and I would not have to stress to much. And all of our hard work paid off because Rob and I had a wonderful day and I can say everything went very well. Then after the wedding Rob and I headed of to Florida for a week and enjoyed every minute of being a newly married couple and enjoying our time together. We really enjoyed going to Disneyland and having a blast together. Then when we got back we had a reception that Deb (my new mom) put together so nicely. Rob and I now live in the basement with Rob's parents just till the end of Aug. Rob has an internship he is finishing up. We enjoy it and we both have jobs that pay so we are very blessed and saving to start our life at school. We have done some exciting things like go to Kings Island and ride scary roller coaster, and also go to the water parks. We hang out with lots of other married couples who have 3 to 5 kids haha but we enjoy every minute of it. We are now adopting 4 kids this week to house sit for one of Robs priesthood leaders from when he was a teen. They have two girls who are 16 and 14 and then two boys who are 11 and 9. So basically I'm the soccer mom this week =) We are very excited and ready to see how challenging it is to have an up and running family 24/7 haha. I hope to update you on some fun and exciting things as Rob and I live our new journey together =)

Charmed or Blessed?

So recently I have had a few of my friends tell me that they are jealous of my life and happiness.. Ha when I hear that, all I can think is wow they really don't know me... However my mom has always said I have had a charmed life and I feel that I am not charmed but that I am blessed for my actions. Some struggles that I have seen my friends struggle with I have not had to struggle with but that is because I do everything I can to follow the gospel and to do what I know is right. I just happened to find a young man that is the same way. Believe me I have a had my fair share of trials, more like each and everyday, but my fiance taught me something last month that will always stick with me.. HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE, it's an action that we must show or try to do. So as I have gone through these past stressful months I truly try to keep that in mind, even though it it's so hard. I feel that if girls/women could see the reality of the world instead of a fantasy life would be some what easier. I will remember going to see the movie, The Vow, with my mom and sister and when we came out my sister said that she didn't like it, however my mom and I loved it! We saw the reality of life through the movie. It is not like most love stories because it didn't make it typical or into this love fantasy.. It was a real story of how the world works, its hard to make hard decisions.. However we make hard decisions everyday! I feel that youth and a lot of women forget that we chose to come to earth to make hard decisions that sometimes we don't like. Also compromise is huge, I can say from experience that it is hard to compromise, however with Robbie we have worked on a lot of this. I guess I always have to think of the talk Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave in 2010 at a Young Women's broadcast http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/your-happily-ever-after?lang=eng&query=happily+ever+after I remember how I had a fantasy in my head how life should be, but when he spoke about having my own happily ever after! And wow I have worked really hard for this moment in my life to get married in the temple! I want people to know that life is hard! But we can have our happily ever after! Shnel

Planning a Wedding

So there is nothing like planning a wedding... This is why, there is so much going into a wedding and so much to think about.. First you have the prep work, which consists of you and your fiance figuring out the basic information such as date, colors, when and where.. Thats the easy part.. Then you have to prepare yourselves for marriage before you even get married and think about everything after the wedding however that comes a little later.. Second you have the wedding planning, this consists of talking with your mom and soon to be mother-in-law about what you want to do and how everything is going to look. This also all comes don to the dress, bridesmaid, grooms men, family(on both sides. How you are going to decorate, what food you are going to have, how much money you have to spend, how you want the reception to look, what you can compromise on.. Where the honeymoon is going to be.. Third what the plans are after the honeymoon, where are you going live, who is paying for what, are you getting joint accounts, and the list goes on and on... However even with the stress of planning everything and hoping it all goes well.. It all boils down to one thing.. You and the person standing next to you! If you can both compromise and come to conclusions on things life will all work out. If anything I have learned is that Robbie and I can talk to each other even if we upset each other.. However always ALWAYS REMEMBER that you always love each other, you just don't have to like them for that moment! Because those little things that bug us and drive us crazy end up making us a couple and we learn from each others mistakes. Also never have expectations for one another! If you do talk about them and see if they are rational! Robbie and I talk about this a lot.. because you think you don't have expectation however after LOVE LAND has disappeared you come back to reality and realize things that you never have. Rob and I are both LDS (Latter-day Saints) we live to the standards of the church and we both have never done anything with another person! That is amazing to me that we both have the self-control and mind set to do that.. But that also brings concerns and possible expectations.. Talk to each other about it even if you are living together or so forth.. It never hurts to have communication on everything.. It maybe awkward at first but I can tell you hard things to talk about become easier! I'm not married yet but these are things that Rob and I have done and gone through so far.. Its great to know that I am not scared of my fiance judging me and not loving me for giving my opinion or thoughts! Just thought I would give you all so updates and advice.. =)

New Job!!

So lets just say I have never really worked in a office before, and Cathy Diuguid is giving me the opportunity to get the experience I need for future references. It's great because I get to sit in front of the computer and do what I want until dan dan dan.. the dreadful phone rings... Then it's business time! It's really not that bad but I always get nervous. The first time I answered the phone I said the business wrong, and when they asked for Cathy, I paused a little... Then they said they needed an appointment and I said "Oh that's what I am here to do =)... and of course Cathy, Taylor and Megan just laughed. But I am getting there a few more days and I should be pro! I already got most of the MACBOOK skills down and now its that darn phone! haha Its great to be in an environment where I know people and can laugh a lot. It's never a dull moment in the Diuguid's house! Got to love your job. Shanel =)

When You Know, You Know!!

So these past couple weeks people have asked me about myself and when I say I'm engaged they always say your only twenty... I have let that get to me a little until I talked with my wonderful fiance today! We started talking about us and somethings that we have noticed that have changed about each other since we have been together. I told Robbie that he has really grown up a lot, and has become so open and has taught me things about myself! He told me that he has noticed the patience I have with him and how understanding I am with him. Well lets face it guys usually don't have a clue on what to do or say sometimes.. However Robbie now always knows whats to say to make me smile or comfort me. I always tell him we are crazy for getting married!! But I think we are crazy not to! I have talked to friends that haven't gotten married and they say what they thought they would miss out on a lot of things by getting married, they realized they haven't missed much. Rob and I both realize that marriage isn't something just to do, but that we will work together and become one. Of course we will not always get along but we will love each other and grow together! We have become great a compromising so far! Which I fill is a big deal! We also both realize why we are together and why we are getting married, and that is we are helping each other grow and become closer to our Heavenly Father, we want the same things in life and strive to have a righteous family. How grateful I am to have a relationship with my heavenly father that allows me to know that I am making right decisions! I am so excited to see Robbie in 3 weeks!!! I can't wait! It will be wonderful! -Shanel

Sunday inspiration

Well I haven't done one of these in a while and because I had such a great day at church I thought I would talk about it =). So today my family and I went to church and sacrament was great because it gives me the time to think about the sacrament and what I should be working on. I love Sunday school, the adult Sunday school teacher is amazing and we always talk about aspects of the gospel that open my mind to greater things. Today we talked about the prophets in the Book of Mormon, who "DREAMED", and what those dreams interrupted. We talked a lot about Lehi and Nephi's dream. We talked about the tree of life and what it takes to obtain the fruit. As we talked about having the love of God with us and to have a desire for that love; we found that it helps us to want to make right decision. As I was thinking about what everyone was saying I couldn't help but think what got me to this very moment in life to where I was heading to the temple! My goal since I was little was to get married in the temple. However I really looked at all the decisions I made that got me here, these decisions consisted of not dating till I was 16 and also not dating non-members (don't get me wrong I may have thought about it once or twice but it never felt right. I went to a church school at BYU-Idaho which I was surrounded by many saints. We all had similar goals and are aiming to do what is right! It was hard to get to this point but how grateful I am that God shared his love for me and I listened. I have had great friends, my parents, and leaders who have taught me well and I decided for myself from a small age what I wanted and now I am so close I can't wait! I feel that we should always look at life in an exciting way! Yes it has been hard and not easy to see the "bright side" sometimes. However when I see the plan unfold as it is a little at a time I am grateful! and hope to strive for righteous blessings my whole life to achieve the greatest gift of all ETERNAL life and to live with my dearest and Heavenly FATHER!

A Little Girls Fairy Tale

I can remember growing up and always looking at wedding magazines imagining what kind of dress I would wear, what colors I wanted, my theme and even my future prince charming.


However as I have grown up and gone to college I have soon realized the difference between Fairy Tale and Reality! My dream wedding has turned into priority and Elegance. I have realized that I will not end up with this outrageous glamorous wedding reception. However I have realized that I am about to take the biggest step in my life. I am about to get married to my best friend who has seen me at my worst and still loves me. I am going to be getting married in the Houston Texas Temple.


I am accomplishing my own dreams and doing it with Robbie by my side. I am doing what my Heavenly Father wants me to do. I am excited to embark on this journey of marriage and cant wait to see what happens! Now off to the stress of planning a wedding!