Status Update: Stay-at-home Mom

I've been encouraged by so many women who have plodded through these "long days and short years" ahead of me. Reminding me to enjoy every moment, to not worry so much about having a clean house, but instead on making memories with Annelisa....despite the voice inside my head that keeps telling me "I've done nothing today!" I've done a lot of memory making with Annelisa. And perhaps more importantly, I've grown up some (mmmm, maybe a lot!)

I dare say that I've begun to find a rhythm amid the chaos that is Annelisa's "schedule." I know what to expect of most days, and weeks, and I'm slowly learning how to make the most of nap time to do things I need to do...and even realized that some days naps won't happen (don't judge!!) so we can get out of the house to do other important things.

We now sit in the middle of the what I found to be the most emotionally challenging month of the school year...October.

October is hard on lots of levels as a teacher...mostly in you know your students, the newness has worn off, you know how much each needs to learn, you know which pet peeves are going to be irritated daily, you know how tired you already feel, and how far off Thanksgiving is...October is hard.

I'm thankful that I'm not missing all of that, as I feared I would. I've found other things to occupy my time and days. Don't get me wrong...I thoroughly enjoyed teaching, my students, and especially all of my teacher friends! I don't miss the challenge of the job daily and especially the strain it placed on my marriage and family. I am finding my way into stay-at-home mommy hood...it's a slow process for me....Annelisa is almost seven months old...

I've realized, or better yet, God has shown and taught me some of his truths again in the new light of motherhood that have helped me embrace this new position I have as mommy in the home full time. Galatians 5:22-23 was the memory verse this past week in our ladies Bible study...I memorized it long ago, yet it had a whole new meaning to me this week...

"But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..."

As a stay-at-home mommy, I have found myself more able to tap into the life-source of these characteristics to show them in my home. To be a better helper to my husband...both I lacked in earnest as a working wife...I was too tired, or too focused on my job, to live out these things to my husband and to fulfill God's purpose for marriage.

I am thankful for these days: some hard, some joyful, some lonely, some chaotic, some simple to love my Savior through serving and loving my family. I'm thankful to be here...to show up daily for work and not know what I'm really doing, and be molded and shaped into a vessel for Him.