Working from home

So as most of you already know, I work from my home. I do insurance billing part time for a home therapy business. This opportunity came to me at just the right time and it has been such a blessing in my family life. For the past year I have been able to work as much or as little as I need to or my family life allows that week.
It is so nice to not have to rush out of the house every morning to an office somewhere and be gone 8 hours a day from them. Although I had a fantastic home daycare that took such great care of Alyssa, I couldn't help feeling like I was paying someone else to raise my child. Being gone everyday from her, I didn't really feel like a full-time, hands on mother. Now that I have been home with my two girls for 1 whole year, I can honestly say that being a full-time stay at home mother is the best job I've ever had.
That isn't to say that it isn't hard work, or that I don't sometimes wish I had another adult to interact with. So, that is when I call the other young mothers in my church and we get together and do something with our kids. It is refreshing being around other young mothers of the same faith as me. We are all going through the same things and feel each others hardships and accomplishments. With who else would I be able to share the great news that my one year old FINALLY weened off the breast, and they would cheer for me like I just won a 25k marathon.(I guess in a way I kind of did!?) Who else would put up with my toddler when she is throwing a HUGE tantrum because she doesn't want to leave her friends yet, and they just smile and nod their heads like, "Yep...I've been there too!" I'm am grateful for these great young mothers who I have met and come to know as my good friends. They are such a great support group and not to mention, a lot of fun to be around.
Three to four days a week I go to my good friend, Cheryl's house. We work from home for the same company and we work together in the same room on a regular basis. Not only do we get a lot more done and think better when we are together, but we have a lot of great talks and a lot of fun. She has a great working space set up in her new home. We both set up our laptops next to each other and we go to town! In her office space, she has two doors on both side of the room. It is understood that when we are in their with those doors closed, we are in the vault. Whatever we saw or do inside the vault stays in the vault, and she is the kind of friend that I know that can happen. I am grateful to her for our friendship, our teamwork to get things done, and her wise advice when I need it.
Lately the mood in the Wallace home has been a little flat to say the least. It has been just one bad thing after another with our house. The hot water heater needed to be replaced, the air conditioning unit replaced, and peering put into our foundation. Our home is officially THE MONEY PIT! Has anyone seen that show? It is a great one, until you are actually in that situation. It is easy to get irritated and feel like the world is against you when things don't go how you'd like them to.
So I thought it would be a good idea, being that Thanksgiving is coming up, to focus on all the great things and people that I have in my life. When I let myself focus more on my blessings I can't help but feel full of gratitude. God blesses me in so many ways, and I forget that sometimes.


VIDEO: Bella's 1st birthday. She is learning to open up gifts, and as you will see, Alyssa is having a hard time not being the only birthday girl in the house anymore. She is learning to share the spotlight with her sister.