Reflections on a Year at Home

We returned last week from a six-day trip to Arizona to visit with Micah's parents and sisters. Since then, we've been trying to get back into our routine. (Funny how one week away can throw things off so much!)

Our home business(es) are a major focus right now. After a successful summer with some of our business ventures, we got too comfortable and busy with other things and let a few things slide as Autumn came on. So our New Years resolution was to get back on track and STAY on track this time! It's the only way to achieve what we're seeking...a nice supplementary income, and eventually--hopefully--our full income. As I've written about many times, we HAVE to make as much money as possible so we can get out of of our debt bondage! (a la Dave Ramsey) It's not an option...it needs to happen! So I've been spending a lot of my time trying to help my husband to this end. I'm so thankful that the internet allows me to be able to help make an income from home!!!

I've now (as of Christmas) been working at home for one year and feel so incredibly blessed to be here. It's all the little things that have made my work over the past year so worthwhile: When Micah calls from a job site and needs directions somewhere or other information, I am free to look up whatever he needs and give it to him. When he's home at odd hours (his job has a varied schedule), I'm here to greet him. Many days we get to have lunch together:o)

I love knowing that I'm not under the authority of any man (or woman) other than my husband. No one else is making the first claim on my time and energy! (I cannot serve two masters...) It's a wonderful thing to be free to serve the one person I love the most, and to also be accountable to that one person who loves me the most and has my best interests in mind and at heart. Micah certainly knows who I am, what I'm skilled at, what I love to do, and what I aspire towards better than any boss I've ever had. Over the past year, he's been so willing to support my career and give me room to grow and make mistakes. (I often marvel at his patience with me!) In return, I'm able to do the same for him. Much of my time is spent doing things that support his income-earning endeavors, from working with him on home business stuff, to packing his lunches, to keeping the house running so he doesn't have to worry about having clean socks in the morning.

Other blessings: My dog is not at home by herself all day! (I enjoy having her follow me around as I work:o) I am SO not missing commutes and rush hour traffic. I get to listen to stimulating talk radio shows while I work around the house! (Yes, I'm a talk radio geek. But not the screaming ultra-political sensationalist sort. I really enjoy cultural commentary/philosophical type shows.) I have more time to learn and study things I want or need to know about. I have the time to keep things around here a lot better organized now. (Some of my successes this year have been to develop a system--that has been working GREAT!--to keep track of our personal finances, and I just finished developing one for our business finances as well. I've gotten rid of most of our clutter, including the bane of my existence...paper piles! I worked out a system to organize or get rid of paper clutter and am now better prepared to deal with it before it overtakes our house!) I have more time to prepare homemade meals. The house (generally) stays cleaner than it used to. We spend less money now, because I have more time to be frugal and do more things on my own. I sometimes get to enjoy lunch dates with my mom, or days at her house working on projects together. I'm overall less stressed out and more peaceful. And last but not least, I enjoy my work SO much more now!!!

All this being said, I don't want anyone to get the impression that everything's always peachy keen. There have been MANY times over the past year when I've failed to manage my time wisely. I'm not always in a wonderful mood. Our debt continues to cause financial pressure (though not necessarily more than before!). My relationship with God still isn't everything it should be (I often struggle with trying to do things myself instead of turning to Him) In short, I'm as imperfect as they come, and I'm certainly no domestic superwoman! But still...it's wonderful to be heading in the right direction. I asked my husband if I've seemed happier since being at home, and he said, definitively, "yes." I then asked him if he likes my being at home better than when I was working away, and he said "yes!" That's good enough for me!:o)