Part-Time!!!

This week begins a new chapter for the Startup family. I’ve gone part-time!! This was a goal Blake and I had set and been praying over for quite some time. I officially work Tuesdays and Thursdays. While I work Camp attends Mothers Day Out at our Church.

Like many, this was a huge decision for our family. Blake and I realized that with me working there was no “real” organization/structure within our home nor quality time for us to be with each other and Camp. Our mornings were filled with basically “tossing” Camp from me to Blake to get everyone ready. Then when we came home every single minute and hour was accounted for with dinner, feeding Camp, bathing Camp, putting Camp to bed and then preparing for the next day. Blake and I had about 30 minutes to ourselves before I was off to bed. We spent our weekends cleaning, grocery shopping and doing laundry.

We both knew that the above is not what we wanted for our family. We both were convicted daily it seemed about our "home" life. I knew in my heart wholeheartedly that as a wife I want to enrich, support and not hinder Blake. As a mother, I want to raise Camp and watch him grow every step of the way. As a homemaker, I want to create a nurturing home filled with stability, organization and peace.

At this point in time, I want to work some and take care of Camp.We began praying for an opportunity for me to go part-time if that was God’s will. Through the process, we prayed, read scripture and articles written by Christians about “the home,” and sought out our friends who were either stay at home moms or part time workers. We picked our friends brains about why they did it and how. Much to my surprise they had all experienced what we were experiencing. Every single person/couple we talked to voiced the same sentence to us, “The sacrifices are so worth it.”

We are here. Ready to make the sacrifices we need to. We’ve made some "lifestyle" goals to live financially the best we can in order for me to work part time and/or stay at home. We both know that we will be going against our “world culture” yelling at us to have the best and biggest. I think there will be times Blake and I know that we would be better off financially if I worked, but we value making the sacrifices for less for me to be able to be at home.

I want to end this entry by providing words of wisdom that were provided to me. “As moms we can allow ourselves to feel guilt very easily for different reasons. If working is the best option for your family, then you are still a great mom! Being a SAHM or part-time worker is not the BEST or ONLY way!” Numerous moms are fantastic at working and creating an organized household.

This blog entry, of what our family is doing, is not the "only" or the "best" way, it's just what we have worked towards.