~anybody out there?~

Well hello there my friends.....

it has been quite awhile

I am still here :)

how about a little bathroom eye candy

while I catch you up on life....

{photo credit decorpad.com}

it's been over 4 years since I posted last...

and honestly just about if not certainly

the hardest 4 years of my life

not to be too dramatic...

just honest....

{photo credit classyclutter.net}

...it has been several years of transition

for this mama....

children graduating high school

going to college

serving missions

aka leaving the nest....

wow...what a heart wrenching experience

it has been for me...

but I am learning to cope...

learning to let go...

and realizing they aren't gone forever...

let's go back to some eye candy before this gets too deep...

{photo credit French Country Cottage}

oh do I love Courtney's style at French Country Cottage...

its simply   a  m  a  z  i  n  g!

so if the kiddos growing up was the

(I have one kiddo still in high school...senior year....) 

only major life change

and upheaval I was experiencing,

I would say wonderful!

oh...loving the paint finish here...
{photo credit Tidbits and Twin}

but we combine that with going back to work

full-time....

to a very stressful job unfortunately

commuting an hour or more each way, in horrid traffic
dealing with Mr Ticking and Toile's career upheaval,

a couple major health challenges we won't go there now

and you have your ~general everyday

blogging disappearing act....

I tell ya....it's been one for the record books...
quite the challenging time in my life...

it has stretched me more than I 
thought possible...
and literally dropped me to my
knees ~ submitting to God....

knocking...pleading...
praying...
more than ever before...

He has been there...
He has lifted me...
and strengthened me....

because of Him I have been able
to get through these storms....

my faith is stronger
my marriage is stronger
and our family is stronger...

~*~

and I am on the upswing...

things are getting better...

and life is starting to even out a bit...

~*~

phew...time for a little more
eye candy....

{photo credit apartment therapy}

I am realizing I've never written any of
these thoughts down....
even though I have journaled in the past...
it's been a little too hard for me to even journal...

{photo credit Velvet and Linen}

none of us are immune from trials and challenges
in life...it's what we do when we're 
in the middle of them....

One of my favorite quotes....

so here I am...growing, stretching, and 
believing...

talking to my blogging buddies...

and resurfacing...

sharing the journey with you, my faith with you,

and my dreams with you... 

{photo credit Country Living}

I imagine us 
sitting at the kitchen table... 
flipping through decorating magazines, 

talking about life...laughing, crying,
and strengthening...

and in the middle of it...
getting distracted with eye candy...

and dreaming of what we're gonna do next...


what fun projects to embark on...

recipes to try...

gardens to plan...
and dreams to fulfill

{photo credit Werandacountry.pl}

so join me...
stop by...say hello
and sit for a spell...

let's reconnect...

thanks for stopping by...

see you soon...

xoxo,

Shellagh