I’m sure, just sure, you’ve been missing my thoughts around here, am I right? Okay, so maybe you haven’t noticed that I haven’t posted anything for a bit, but it’s because I’ve been busy with all kinds of fun crazy. I finished up my two big work projects for this year. Here is what I’ve been up to the last two months:

Loving My Actual Life. I turned in my manuscript for my second book titled Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment In Relishing What’s Right in Front of Me. You will hear lots more about this as it gets closer to release (May 1), but the title kind of says it all. I did an experiment. I wrote about it. The goal was to love today a little more and not wish my life away waiting for the next change or next phase. In the meantime, I’ll be using the hashtag like crazy (and you of course are welcome to too). #LovingMyActualLife

The Open Door Mastermind Retreat. In September my friend Krista Gilbert and I hosted a mastermind retreat at a lake house in northern Idaho. Ten other women came for three days and can I just tell you it was life changing? Not in a cliché way, in an honest to goodness, I came back a different person way. These women, most of whom I’d never met or only met once or twice changed how I see God and his work in this world. You will also be hearing more about this in the near future. Stay tuned. #TheOpenDoorRetreat (because I now hashtag everything. Some people monogram, I hashtag.)

Time With My Family. I turned in my manuscript a day early so I could on the kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch. The next day I went on the fourth grade field trip to the state capitol and governor’s mansion. Then Fall Break we did a mini-vacation to Boulder/Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park where we stayed at grandparents’ (thank you) and the YMCA of the Rockies camp where we roller skated, made mosaics and slept in our own bunk room. We went to Vail for a soccer tournament and brought grandparents along. All because I truly am trying to love my actual life these days.

So those are the biggies. Not to mention the crazy that is soccer season in general, feeding five other people on a regular basis and making sure they have clean underwear. Now on to Halloween parties, book edits, and speaking to MOPS groups around Denver. #LovingMyActualLife