Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Officially a WFHM...

Yep. It's official. I'm a WFHM. Now, this is different than a SAHM. For some reason WFHM makes me think of waffles...I dunno, but I do like waffles. Everybody like waffles.

So, there you have it, I'm a Work From Home Mom! This is something that Dave and I had wrestled for quite a while during my pregnancy. Make that the entire pregnancy. I have always wanted my heart to be home-focused. A great book by Sally Clarkson (Mission of Motherhood) is letting me know that this is a God-given desire and not just something I want. But, then again, would it be so bad for me simply want to be at home? I think not, but that's a blog for another day.

Toward the end of Norah's in utero journey, Dave and I stumbled upon these teachings by Mark Driscoll, titled "Marriage and Women" and "Marriage and Men." (Marriage and Women and Marriage and Men) They were challenging for both of us and I have shared them with some of you.

They specifically challenged me in the area of trusting the Lord with our finances. I found myself praying for favor for Dave in his job so that I could be at home with Norah. But, more importantly, I found myself wondering if I were living outside of God's perfect design for the family if I were working for financial gain outside the home. (Pretty sure that statement would start a world war if mentioned too loudly...that's why its in small print! ha!) So, I sought Dave's wisdom first and then we sought that of our pastor.

Long story short, I think it goes back to a simple question. A question I need to ask myself on a daily basis. Where is my heart? And is it divided? Is my heart in my home, focused on caring, nurturing and instilling life into my husband and daughter? Or is it clamoring for recognition outside of that God-given responsibility? Could I walk away from the businesses I am currently involved in and be OK with what I do with my day, my time, and my energy? Or would there be a gaping hole that couldn't be filled?

In the end, here I am, a Work From Home Mom. And I can honestly say I. LOVE. IT. It started off a little rocky - figuring out schedules - mine, Dave's, Norah's - figuring out when I would work and from where in our home (the couch is NOT a good idea by the way...), how to work and nurse and cook and clean and go to small group and church and help lead worship and...and...and...you get the point.

But, here we are 6 weeks into the game, and it looks like this is a perfect fit for our family. I'm working as a independent contractor doing software testing and love the companies I work for: Toomah and ProjecTools. I thank the Lord everyday that I have this opportunity. He has truly been at work in bringing me to this place.

And hey...the view from my desk is pretty good too...



PS-- the baby couldn't roll, kick, or in any other way move herself in this picture. I assure you, she is perfectly safe. ;-)

AND...MAD MAD MAD PROPS to my sister, Emily Williams for her super crochet skills, displayed above in both the blanket and the elephant. heart. her.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

She's left her mark...

So, I promised myself I would blog more this year. And I have not done such a great job. But, I'm going to try harder. I think my amazing sister has more blog posts than I do and she just started hers a few weeks ago...alas. I will try harder, I promise!

For now, here are some snap shots of my life in the country with our sweet Norah Jane. I realized today how this little one has left her mark on every facet of our lives. The visual of this is displayed in every room of our home (and even our yard!) ...and here's the proof. What a joy, blessing and light she is in our lives.

I'm a cloth diapering mama! Love. It.

Her new high chair in our old kitchen.

Daddy's latest project. Trying to fix the light up star. It's beyond repair. Sad. Day.

Living Room = where Norah spends most of her days.

Remnants of a prune juice bottle and a stick on thermometer. Constipation and immunizations in the same week are not a happy combination!

 Her bear. Her bib. Our bed.

Her favorite seat in the house. 

Vanilla and Oatmeal baby wash. Not my fav, but still makes me want to eat her face. 

No. Words. So precious.

Told you it was her favorite seat!


And now the latest from our smiley girl... 





Can't resist those sweet little feet.