Best Trade of My Entire Life

On August 25, 2010, I begin my first ever school year of being a stay at home Mom to my favorite little girls in the whole wide world. Which means. . .

This year instead of sneaking around quietly to get myself ready for work before my girls wake up, I will greet them each morning with a fluffy robe pulled right from the dryer so they can roll out of their warm beds directly into a warm hug.

This year instead of ironing and coordinating my own outfits for whatever meetings I face during which I need to appear "professional" ;-), I will match bows to girly clothes and make sure athletic shoes are worn on P.E. days.

This year instead of stocking my office with relatively healthy items I could eat at my desk on busy days, I will stock my pantry with everything I need to provide nutritious, fun lunches for Macy, Gracie and Jared.

This year instead of struggling through a few more dozen emails and one more meeting each afternoon, I will greet my girls with a healthy afternoon snack M-Th and something a bit more indulgent on Friday. :-D

This year instead of fighting traffic that kept me away from home until I had just enough time to feed my family and tuck them into bed, I will help 2 little girls finish up homework right after school so that they still have time for an adventure before dinner. ;-)

This year instead of business trips, I will go on field trips.

This year instead of reports and spreadsheets, I will prepare home-cooked dinners.

This year instead of planning Christmas in July and stressing over reports throughout November and December, I will savor every second of the holidays--every bite of festive food, every Christmas song, every room lit by nothing but Christmas lights and candles, every snuggly red sweater, every mug of hot chocolate or flavored coffee.

And because I'm a sinful human being, I know I won't do it perfectly, but to the very best of my ability, I will rejoice in each moment and never take it for granted. I am so grateful to God and my amazing church family for the life-changing opportunity we have been given to simplify our lives and re-focus on Christ and our family. Beyond awesome.