Checking In . . . . .

Hello, my peeps! Had a fabulous weekend!! Saturday was spent touring Route 66. Yes, I said touring. That's exactly what me and 4 of my friends did. It took us 12 hours, yes folks count them, 12 hours to get from Catoosa to Arcadia. The most fun 12 hours I've ever had in a car!! :) Why did we spend 12 hours in a car touring along Route 66 you ask? Because my sweet friend, Nellie, had on her list of things to do before she turns 30 to take a trip along Route 66 and I was lucky enough to be invited along for the ride. I will post pics later of our adventure and our encounter with "Madge."

Looking forward to Thanksgiving and having my family to my house for a change. Totally digging that. Abbey really wanted to have Thanksgiving at our house since we've never had it at our house before. Then, of course, the traditional movie theater trip after the big meal. Not sure what we'll be seeing this year.

Totally gearing up for Christmas right now. Having the best time making gifts. I've already made quite a few and can't wait to start a project for someone special on Saturday. Would love to have all my gifts made by mid-December. We'll see. Being very inspired by the November issue of Country Living and the December issue of Home Companion. So many gift ideas and eye candy to look at!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Isn't all just so lovely???

Also, looking forward to baking with my sweet daughter this year for the holidays. We haven't baked together since she was little. So, this year we will be making swedish ginger cookies, cranberry orange bread and who knows what else.

Well, that's about it for now. Have to go and take my darling daughter and her friends to the midnight showing of Twilight. On a school night no less. Unbelievable. Am I a cool mom or what???

M.I.A.

Yes, I know. I've been {Missing In Action} for a month now. Wow. A month. Where did that month go??? I needed to take a break from the computer. I've been feeling frustrated and unproductive and I just needed to take time and accomplish {SOMETHING}. Anything. So, I did. I had a very long list and I've been slowly marking things off. I still have quite a list of things to do, so I probably won't be updating every day, but I will try to at least once a week share something. In light of how I've been feeling the last month, this quote really spoke to me and I would like to share it with you.

“I beg you to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves...Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now...the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926), excerpt from Letters to a Young Poet

I've had so many things undone or not in focus in my life that I really needed to read this quote and remind myself that it's okay to not have all the answers right now and that I need to find my {joy} in the journey again. I've been letting things and others steal my joy. And, because of that it has robbed me of my energy and my focus. No more. I will find peace within any situation and I will not let others steal my joy. E reminded me of a verse that is so true.

"A heart at peace gives life to the body......" ~ Proverbs 14:30

So, here I am getting closer to that heart of peace. Working on it every day. Focusing on what is important to me. Asking God to be with me on this journey and trying to get closer to Him each day because without Him there will be no peace or joy in my {heart}. That, my dear friends, is why I have been M.I.A. for a while.