Well, after this weekend, we will be true 'empty-nesters'. My son has started a new chapter of his life as a married man, and my baby girl will be off at her last year of college. We've never been 'without' a child at home, filling our home with love, laughter, (and a little chaos)! First Ryan went off to school, leaving us with a deliriously happy 'only child', who no longer had to share a bathroom and deal with her brother's 'messes'. Then two years later, Lauren went off to college, and Ryan came home to finish school and work locally. Our other 'only child' was also excited about having his own bathroom and space without his pesky, high-maintenance sister to deal with. Now, three years later, he is on his own, she is going back for one final year, and we will have to make ourselves content with tidy rooms, a clean guest bathroom, and a lot less chaos. Oh, how we will miss them! But oh, the pride and joy they bring us as they make their way in the world! We have loved and nurtured our children as best we could. We worry that we may not have done enough to make sure they know how cherished they are to us. But in the end, their love of life, service to others, and strength of character will show us that they know and will carry on our legacy. We done good, honey!

And Thanksgiving is just around the corner...

I've found that summer is a really good time to reorganize and reprioritize. I've spent the last two weeks trying to make some sort of order out of the chaos that is my office. After all the paper shuffling, drawer emptying, tool sorting, and video/dvd numbering, I've come to a conclusion.

Only so much 'stuff' will fit into an 11' by 12' room with no closet.  

Now, this is a huge step for me. When I look around, I think I have more storage containers and shelves than I have stuff to put in them!  For me the answer has been 'More storage = more room'.  Not once did I consider pruning and weeding 'stuff' I haven't used in years. All my 'stuff' was important... I couldn't make my cards and splashbooks or scrapbook without my 'stuff'. I kept scraps of paper 2" by 2" in the most gosh awful colors thinking "I may need that color some day".  Dried up markers, empty glitter bottles, punches that don't cut clean anymore, and stacks of printed scrapping paper I wouldn't use for my dog's pee pee pad!

As I look closer, I realize that's what my life has become. I've taken unimportant 'stuff' and made it my focus. My treasures are buried under all the trash that I've embraced. It's time to ditch the trash and focus on the treasures. Turn off the TV and get into God's Word.  Put down the computer games at night and visit with my daughter while she is still home. Cook a meal and invite my son and new daughter-in-law to eat with us. Take my dog for a walk. Get on the bicycle (if the rain ever stops!) Go to a movie with my husband. Eat lunch with Mom. Volunteer somewhere.

Make a change. It's not too late. It's a new day.