A New Era

So . . . obviously I haven't been on the blog in a while.  The last post I did was in January it tells me.  Whew!  That was a while ago.  I'm not surprised.  At some point, I think not long after I did that post, I came to a conclusion about blogs:  family blogs are for women who work part-time or are stay-at-home moms.  They are NOT for full-time working moms.  I do not mean that as any kind of criticism on either side of the spectrum.  I suppose there are full-time working moms who keep blogs, and I'm sure there are stay-at-home or part-timers who can't find the time.  For my life--I had to decide that it just wasn't enough of a priority for me to make it happen.  It's hard enough just keeping your head above water when you're a working mom!  Honestly, after the last two years, I have a whole new respect for my own mother and my sister.  Both have/had successful careers while raising two children.  I am amazed at their perseverance and dedication.  However, after much prayer and consideration, Tim and I have decided (with a lot of guidance from the Lord!) that the working-mom life is not for me/us.  At least not while our children are young.  Which brings me to my next point . . . 


I am now officially a "stay-at-home" mom.  My husband has given me the title of "Director of Household Operations" (at Kelleher Enterprises).  You can refer to me as the DHO or as a Domestic Goddess.  I will answer to either.  :)  All joking aside, this has been a BIG step for our family!  It was an incredibly hard decision in many ways.  It was very hard for me to leave the job and people that I loved so much (Will I ever find another job that I like as much?  Will I ever find another boss that is as supportive and with whom I will have such a GREAT relationship/friendship?).  It is also a hard decision for us financially.  Don't get me wrong; Tim is perfectly capable of providing well for our family, of which I am so very thankful.  Yet we have become accustom to a two-income lifestyle and it will take some lifestyle changes to make everything work on one income.  There are a few sacrifices that we are going to have to make.  We are perfectly willing to make them, but that doesn't mean it won't be an adjustment.  There is a learning curve here, and we are going to have to bend quite a bit here and there to make everything work.  You know what?  We're kind of excited about that.  We believe it will be good for our family to learn to make do with a little less.  What a great opportunity for growth!


I'm not going to lie . . . thinking about being home day after day and year after year terrifies me a little.  But it also excites me a lot.  I am so glad that Ava had the time that she did in childcare.  She loved it and I believe that it has played a huge part in the social skills that she has and her amazing verbal ability.  But . . . I am excited about being home with her so that I can be the one teaching and training her.  The Bible calls us as parents to train our children in the way they should go.  Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against childcare (obviously, I worked at the best one in Fort Collins for over 5 years!), but I do believe that being able to raise my children day in and day out is an amazing opportunity.  It is not easy . . . so far she has really been testing me (especially since June came home), but I am determined to win her heart and keep it.  That is my mission field, the work God has given me with the two beautiful children with which he has blessed me.


I'm finding it a little odd to have such a shift in my priorities.  It is also really difficult to re-train my brain.  What?  I don't have to try to cram every household task into my much-too-short weekend, making myself and my husband crazy??!!  Tim and are hopeful that this change will allow us to spend more quality time together as a family, having fun and making memories.  I know that sounds cheesy, but I don't really want my children to grow up with memories of their mom and dad always doing chores rather than spending time with them.  It has already been a huge blessing to us all, and especially to my husband.  One of the benefits of this situation that I am really excited about is how it will make life easier for Tim.  He deserves it!


All this being said, I am hopeful that I will now have more time to keep up with this blog!  Obviously it is not all fun and free-time, being home with two kids.  I am finding that out quickly (not that I expected it to be a walk in the park).  Praise God that June is such a content little baby and a good sleeper!  :)  But I do want to make this blog somewhat of a priority now.  We will see how well I do.  Today I have shared with you my heart in becoming a full-time mom.  My plan is to post pictures from Ava's second birthday soon!  Check back when you get a chance, and please leave me a comment if you can!