CSN Giveaway Winner
Thank you to all who entered the giveaway! It was fun hosting our very first one, and we hope we can continue doing them every once in awhile. The giveaway gave us the opportunity to hear from some of you that were reading that we hadn't had a chance to "meet" yet. So, welcome! It is fun to know who all is out there reading.
Alright, I know you didn't all come here to just read my random mutterings, so I will just get right to the point.
The lucky winner of a $35 gift certificate to CSNStores according to random.org is....
Congratulations Liz! I will be contacting you shortly with your prize. Happy shopping to you :)
If you didn't win, I am sad for you. However, I still think you should take a little gander at what they have to offer over at CSN. You may just find the perfect item to add to your home. Seriously, if I wasn't still on a spending freeze I would be glued to my computer buying things for every room of our home. That is, when I win the lottery....and that would only happen if I actually played. Darn.
We will be back later with a little Valentine's day love! Read more...
A Day In Our Life
As promised, I documented our lives all day yesterday. Honestly, it was a bit scary at first, but by the end of it I kind of started to like writing down everything we were doing and taking pictures of even the littlest of things. It is really pushing me to take photos of even the most mundane things we do each day. I honestly don't want to forget a minute of life with Eden Rae. Also, I almost gave up on this a couple of times yesterday. Not because it was annoying or anything, just because yesterday was NOT a typical day at all. However, Josh convinced me to keep going and by the end of the day I realized that there really is no "typical" day with us.
A Day In Our Life...Working Mom Style
**Silly me...the post that went out yesterday was supposed to go out today. So, when I mentioned doing a day in the life "tomorrow" it doesn't mean today, it really means on Friday. Can a girl always be perfect? Oh you can? Well then, good for you.
That about sums up what my days were like while I was a full-time working mom. Honestly, that month was TOUGH. Each day had its challenges. I couldn't believe how many tears I shed during that time...I can go months and months without crying and yet while I was working and trying to take care of my three month old I just couldn't hold it together. So to all of you working moms out there...YOU AMAZE ME.
*Did anyone notice that my child LOVES her fist. Seriously in two of her pictures she is staring intently at her fist. What a silly girl.
There are THREE days left in the giveaway! Don't forget to enter. Go here if you want to read more about the giveaway, read the rules, etc. Also, I added on there that you can be a follower OR a subscriber. I know I am bad at following, but always subscribe via google reader so whatever works for you. The rules aren't really that strict...come on...I am the number one rule breaker remember?
Confessions of a SAHM
SAHM = Stay at home mom (I am new to the lingo myself so don't fret...unless you all already knew what that meant beforehand, and well, then I just feel dumb).
I have officially been a stay-at-home real estate assistant for ONE WHOLE MONTH. Some days it feels like this is how it has always been. It is getting harder and harder to remember what it is like to have to get up at 5 a.m. for work each and every morning. Trust me, I force myself to remember so that I never find myself forgetting to be thankful for my situation. And I am. I am so very thankful for where I am in life. I never thought it was going to be possible, and we are certainly living MUCH differently, but it is right.
I have been reflecting on the past few months lately, thinking about who I am now. It is so funny to me that for years I have been trying to figure out why no job seemed perfect for me no matter what I tried. And trust me I tried lots. The thing was, I was never going to find the perfect job outside the home because my perfect job was waiting for me....INSIDE the home. I do have to admit something. Sometimes I feel guilty. Like, the kind of guilt where you don't even want to face the world because you don't want anyone to know how you really feel. Want to know why? The guilt is because I am happy. Blissfully happy. And I feel bad. Regardless of the fact that I can count on one hand the times where I have actually felt truly happy in my life, I still feel like I don't deserve it. I know I have so many friends that have to go to work everyday and leave their little ones behind. I have friends going through terrible things and yet here I am feeling so great and content with my life. I know this is not the way God intended for me to feel, but I just always have this nagging feeling every time someone asks, "how are things?" or "don't you love being a stay at home mom?"
My answer is always, "YES! But...."
If I were being honest, there would be no but. I love being with my baby everyday, I never get tired of her, I never sit there thinking, "I NEED to get out of the house." I love working with Josh. Is working together perfect every single moment of every day? Ha...are you kidding me?! Even if Josh and I think differently, we really are enjoying each other's company. Oh and no, I don't see him all day long. In fact, sometimes I feel like I see him less now that I am home all the time which is ironic.
You know what is even crazier? The fact that I actually am finding myself to be a better person for being at home. Before my job ended I thought I would go back to my usual ways which is to hide in my house all day with no desire to be social. Here's the thing, since being home I have found myself feeling confident. I enjoy going out to see friends or just exploring the neighborhood. My confidence has been boosted SO MUCH. You want to know why? Because I am doing what I am supposed to and because I TRUSTED. Was there lots of doubt in the beginning? You betcha! It took some serious amounts of prayer and discussion with some great friends to understand that I had to leap into this 100% or it would never work. Is it still scary living on Josh's commission only paychecks? Oh absolutely. However, we are surviving.
I'm debating posting this because I still can't shake the guilt. It should be okay to be happy, but it just feels so wrong. Please don't think I am trying to rub any of this in your face if you happen to be a working mom or are going through tough times. I have been there. It is hard. I feel for you. The thing is I have always promised to be honest and open, and so I am doing just that. Will every day be perfect? NOPE. Is any day ever really all that perfect? No sir. The thing is, I am okay with ordinary, I am okay with less than perfect, I am okay with okay. Maybe that's why this gig suits me so well...it may not be the most fabulously extravagant job, but it is just right for me.
Later on I will post a typical "day in the life" for us as I remember it when I was working. Tomorrow you can expect an actual "day in the life" just as we are living it! Here is hoping that I actually remember to record everything we do tomorrow. Mommy brain....gets me every time.
Oh and to ensure that I do not have a picture less post, here are two of the family members...Bella was probably sleeping, and I was behind the camera...of course.

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