{Baking . . . Emotional Rollercoaster}

One of the things I love about cool weather is . . . . . baking season. My very favorite cookbooks are 101 of Things . . . . .

I love these. And since my food storage has a very large amount of cake mixes that need to be rotated, this cookbook is my best friend.

I love to bake and so I made a huge batch of banana nut muffins and peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Made enough to share with the neighborhood (seriously - had to have Mylie come and grab a bunch)

Then last night we watched "College Road Trip" together as a family. I will admit the motivation behind renting this was "Donny" but he was a dork in the movie. But it was really cute. We laughed and cried. Cried because I know what it is like to have them grow up and go away and feel like you are loosing them.

Then I saw the song "slipping through my fingers" spotlighted on quite a few blogs lately and I must tell you - it brought me to tears. Because right now with Marissa so far away - I am missing her. You can check out the videos to the songs {HERE} on Heather's blog.

This was the last movie we saw before Marissa left for the Ukraine and I cried. Just because it brought up so many feelings and emotions for me.

Schoolbag in hand,
she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while

The feeling that I'm losing her forever
And without really entering her world
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter
That funny little girl

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Do I really see whats in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake,
I let precious time go by
Then when shes gone there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I cant deny

What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go
(slipping through my fingers all the time)

Well, some of that we did but most we didn't
And why I just don't know
Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see whats in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing

Slipping through my fingers all the time
Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time
Slipping through my fingers...
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Schoolbag in hand she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile...

Take it from me, time goes by so fast and then they are gone. Don't ever take anything for granted. I think when she returns home we are never going to let her leave. Sounds like a plan.