Hi friends! I’m glad you’re here. My name is Shanelle and I am just going to tell you straight up, I became a wife at 18, mom at 19 and divorced in my mid-20’s (I know, shocking!). My current marriage can be described as rocky at best and most of my life (like so many others) has been a lesson in grit, self-love, and finding humor in some very challenging circumstances. Rosswood Lane is a place where I share the tools, mindsets, and camaraderie I wish I had many years ago.

BEST TRY-ER

The number one thing I want my readers to know about me is that I am a perfectly put together train wreck. As vain as it may sound, I very desperately want to show up in the world as someone who is composed, capable, and chill. And I truly believe I embody these qualities most of the time. But under the composure, capability, and chillitude (its a word because I say so) is a procrastinating, insecure, sarcasm monster who needs a snack and nap. Part of my journey in this life has centered around showing up as who I want to be, rather than letting my dark side run amok. And for someone like me this takes consistent effort on a daily basis.

OKAYEST MOM PARTICIPANT RIBBON

I had my daughter Ryleigh a month after my 19th birthday and a large part of who I am comes from the experience of being a young mom. As I write this, she is 13 years old and is a far more grounded person than I was at her age. I look forward to sharing what I’ve learned about raising an awesome, kind, funny, and talented person.

BONUS PARENTING

When I talk about my current marriage, my favorite topic by far is my bonus children. I LOVE being a bonus mom. Yes, I am serious. No, I am not exaggerating. It’s not always easy, but I love my relationship with my bonus boy and bonus girl. I’ve learned so much about family in order to be in their life. Check out my posts about how to bring out the best in your bonus kids.

ADVENTURES IN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE

A few months after I had Ryleigh, I was diagnosed with a severe case of Graves Disease. Anyone who is diagnosed with an autoimmune disease as a teenager knows it seriously sucks. In my case, not being able to hold my infant for long stretches of time because my muscle had wasted away and I become prone to random black outs, made me feel immensely pessimistic about my future. I’d love to be able to tell you all that I immediately sought help and cared enough about myself to take my health seriously. However, I am going to be honest, it took many years before I took my self, let alone my health, seriously. As one of my greatest lessons of self love, I persisted and I healed. I go into detail about my health and healing journey in other posts. My autoimmune disease journey did not end with the Graves Disease diagnosis, unfortunately.

HAPPY TO BE ME!

At Rosswood Lane, I will share with you what I’ve learned as a young mother trying to balance every day life with mental and physical wellbeing. A person who has had to reparent herself so that she could be a better parent to her child and bonus children. I want to give my readers the kind of content I needed when I felt alone, misunderstood, undereducated, and was desperate for a good laugh and anybody who could possibly understand me. I hope Rosswood Lane is where you’ll come to find the tools and laughs you need to thrive.