Encouragement

Our son William was baptized on Sunday. I was so excited. I had been planning it for weeks. My husband and I were hosting a brunch for our families at our house afterward. He had an adorable outfit picked out. A close family friend was going to baptize him. It was going to be perfect – my son’s first big event in his short three-month life. The day arrived and by the end of it I learned a valuable lesson: there are no perfect moments in life. At least, not the kind of “perfect” that you often hope they will be.  Having a child has redefined what having a meaningful experience is for me – and it doesn’t always involve everything...

Do you ever have those moments where you are weak, tired, and at the end of your rope? You just need that little boost to get you through the day? A few days ago, the girls and I were finishing up our last few errands on a very busy day. I was completely exhausted and dreaming about a nap! Emmeline was on day 5 of sleepless nights, Ava was bouncing off the walls, and Daniel had barely been home between working 2 jobs and going to school. While we were heading home, three devastating realizations occurred to me. 1. Emmeline was asleep in her car seat so she would likely not nap once we got home. 2. It was later...

So you've faced the big question in Part 1, you've faced all of the emotions in Part 2 , and you've decided to stay at home! Congratulations! You have joined in with a group of awesome women who love their families, who are hard-working, who are not afraid of challenges! Life from here on out will never be the same! But, how do you actually make it happen? Being a stay at home mom will be easy right? No planning required, it will just all come naturally and flow smoothly, won't it? If it does, then I need YOU to be the one writing this post instead of me (and to email me all your secrets)! I truly don't believe there is a...

So you've faced the big question, you've faced all of the emotions , you've decided to work! Congratulations! You have joined in with a group of awesome women who love their families, who are hard-working, who are not afraid of challenges! Life from here on out will never be the same! But, how do you actually make it happen? Childcare. The absolute number one necessity for every working mother hands down. This is not a decision to make on a whim or in a hurry. Research, talk to your local mommy friends, and go with your gut. Always go with your gut. If something feels bad, walk away. The one aspect of childcare that may be hard to say/hear, but needs to...

So we've talked about the big "question" in Part 1. But more than priorities and finances, what about our emotions? I feel like this aspect gets ignored in most discussions about working because we're too busy fighting about which is better and which is worse and where the "super mom" lies in the mix. But let's set aside the competition and be honest. Any decision is going to be a tough one. Any decision is going to have its challenges. Any decision is going to have opposition. So what is the decision that we want to make? This past week I had to work a 50hr week at a job I absolutely love for a company that I adore. It was way...