Operation stay at home daddy in FULL effect!

My family is in a new season of our lives as operation SAHD is in full effect! I started working full time again as a teacher last Tuesday. If this is all news to you, check out my previous blog posts both here and here about how we came to a decision for my husband to leave work and stay at home full time. This means that we are down from two incomes to one. We had a bit of a savings to help us get through the summer and so we have been able to make it work. Our thought frame now is –

ok, what next?!

Some of the things we are considering – having my husband work part time, having him go back to school full-time/part-time, and also continuing to launch his photography business . These are all exciting possibilities and ones that we are trying to consider very prayerfully. In my heart, I would love for my him to go back to school for something ministry related because I know that’s where his heart is. Because of my firm belief in this, today I surprised him with a ticket to Dallas, TX to check out an amazing school of ministry during their “Campus Days” in October. I registered him for the event, bought the ticket, and told him all about it today! This all happened this morning and he’s still in shock but so excited. I think it will be an amazing opportunity for him to truly check out this school. He’ll also have a chance to spend time with his sister and my niece (remember – I road-tripped out their this summer with them to help them move!) so it’s a win-win all around. Being a SAHD provides for lots of moments like this –

My boys loveeee having their daddy with them all of the time. It’s a true blessing and honestly – a true sacrifice…but the benefits are worth it. It’s especially been such a major help because this year has been particularly overwhelming so far. I live super close to my job and have been staying after work for hours and hours every day just because it seems like there isn’t enough time in the actual day to get things done. It’s been helpful to have my husband home with the boys because it gives me the time I need at work and most importantly, I know the boys are in the best hands possible. This season in our life has felt a bit isolating as well. My friends are in their spending money glory and I’m over here penny pinching and trying to live on a super tight budget. I’m not going to pretend it’s easy…it’s not! But it also helps me put things into perspective. What’s TRULY important to me?

Is is having the latest Coach purse? The trendiest clothes? The fanciest home?

No. For awhile, those things were important to me, I’m not going to lie. It’s very easy to get caught up in the comparison game of who has what, especially when not everyone sees things the way that you do. I do work with people that are, in fact, extremely materialistic. I know for a fact that in the eyes of some people, we would not be considered “successful” because so many people define success by how many things and material possessions you accumulate. Having things is wonderful, but I can’t put a price on what I have right now – my boys have their daddy with them ! That’s pretty precious.

My husband has been really wonderful. When I come home from work, there is usually dinner in the works. The boys are bathed, fed, and happy. The house is tidied up. Basically, he makes it easy so that when I come home I can focus on spending 100% of time with my boys and family. He knows that it’s not easy being away from them for the majority of the day. He knows that I’ve been really stressed out because of work. He knows that the last thing I want to do when I get home is have to do another zillion things so he makes it easy for me. I’m really blessed in this way.

Things have not been absolute perfection though. We both have to check ourselves inwardly every day. We don’t want to develop resentment, unrealistic expectations, or anger towards one another. That can slip in easily. I don’t ever want to feel superior to him or vice versa. I don’t want to place all of these demands on him either. I still want to help out…so we do our best to keep the lines of communication open. There have been tense moments (not going to lie!) but we’ve worked through them and continue to talk everything out. We are open to whatever it is God has for our lives. It’s just such a new season all around! We are also still in the process of trying to find a church to call home.

In the end though, the song that keeps resonating in my heart is:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.It is well with my soul,