Recognizing Stay At Home Moms.....

This is to honor and recognize Stay at Home Moms!! This job i did not know anything about, until I had my second baby where God blessed our family where I could now be a Stay at home mom.  Before I became a stay at home mom I had several different jobs: I worked in several different law offices as a legal assistant/paralegal.  I then played college tennis and actually was able to become a national champion in 2008 with our amazing tennis team.  I then worked as cancellations processor at another company.  So i understand the pressures and stresses of office jobs, training hard for tennis on and off the court, etc.  I was blind to "what being a stay at home mom is."  This job has been the most challenging and the most rewarding.  The most rewarding part: to spend every moment with your children and see all of their "firsts." They are able to have their mom at all times to where a very strong bond can be established, you get to play a key role in molding and shaping their beliefs and values.  The challenging part: that "alone" time you get when you take a lunch break at a job, or breaks, say bye bye to them. Sometimes they nap and you get a break and sometimes you don't.  As for having smooth quiet car rides, that goes bye bye, but the good news is that you get used to it, so it becomes the norm.  The house is always needing to be picked up from all the toys around.  My husband and I have had many nights where we are walking through a room and we step on a toy or a car and it jams into our foot or a noise starts going off.  :)  You are constantly washing bottles and sippie cups, changing lots of diapers,etc. You may or may not have a good visit at a store or running errands, it is the luck of the draw, there may or may not be a tantrum. :)  To finally be an official stay at home mom, I am so much more appreciative of how much God has blessed our family to where I am able to be home with my children.  It has helped me become more creative to where I am finding new things for us to do each week, and new adventures to go on. I am more creative with learning new dishes to cook, I am not so OCD with having the house clean all the time, because I enjoy seeing there things around.  My patience has gotten so much better because I am learning it through them, and also I have developed a new sense of humor.  I now learn to find joy and laughter in everything.  Before I became a stay at home mom i used to think that title meant:  sitting around all day watching tv, eating,, etc.  Wow was I wrong!!! This job is constant, no breaks, and always serving your children, you can no longer be selfish and focus on yourself and your needs.  I love this!!! I am so greateful to add this to my occupations, and this by far would be at the top of my list.  This job isn't respected enough or appreciated. It can be overlooked when someone hears that you are a stay at home mom.  But if you are in this industry, then you know how important this job is.  I feel like I am part of a secret club now, and it is special because not everyone is blessed enough to be a member of this club.  So Stay at Home moms, enjoy every moment, everyday, and just hug and kiss those children!!! Children are a gift from the Lord, so raise your children up in the lords ways and raise godly kids.  This world needs godly people!!! Keep up the amazing work, and know that you have a new member in your "club"  me!!!! ;)  God bless, Katy Rose