Cookies, Cupcakes and Cheesecake

oh my! 

With all the kids moved out of the house I do not have as many opportunities as I’d like to, to bake. With it just being the two of us now, to do all the baking I used to when the house was full, would have each of us weighing over 200 lbs.. .. .. . however I really like to bake.

And so, when we have an opportunity to go and see our son, who lives in Orillia, I used that as an excuse to do some baking.

Boy, oh boy, did I bake! Cookies, Cupcakes and Cheesecake, oh my!

2 dozen Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, 1 dozen Chocolate Iced Vanilla Cupcakes and a Cherry Cheesecake later, the afternoon was spent. But that was okay - it was something I wanted to do.. … . I also ended up making a crock-pot of chili to take along for lunch.

We spent this past Sunday visiting our son and his girlfriend.  Spending time at the apartment, walking a nature trail, playing games, took time to wander through the shops on the main street and enjoyed the breeze as it came off the bay. Our time together was so wonderful, but it went by too fast and before we knew it we were headed for home.

Returning to the empty house is sometimes hard for me, especially after we’ve have a wonderful day or weekend away with our kids. While I am proud of the accomplishment of raising independent kids and I know we should revel in the fact that they are out on their own creating lives for themselves, after all that was the ultimate goal, there is a bitter-sweetness to it all.

Even though each of our kids have left the house, and are out on their own, I’ve come to realize that they still need our continued support and love for the rest of their lives ~ thankfully the journey of being a mom doesn’t ever end.

The sorrows of missing my children used to hit me in waves. I’d find myself wondering if everything is okay with them if more than four days went by without seeing or hearing from them. Maybe that old saying “out-of-sight out-of-mind” really is true. Or perhaps what you don't know won't hurt you, since I'm not given the opportunity to keep tabs on them as closely as I once could.

With all three of them gone now, we keep busy with our daily activities and realize that our children also lead full lives. Having family photographs sitting in view in our home are a gentle reminder of having my children near, and it warms my heart.

Blessings