I really don't think I say it enough.
I am so grateful for this life.
I have an extremely hard working husband who does everything he can to support and provide for our little family. He goes to bed late every night just to get a little bit of family time in before another long day of work. He has continued his career in the military, and put his dreams to the side more times than I can count, just to keep a roof over his family's heads. I know that he is stressed out most days, but he is (usually) pretty good about not letting anyone know it. I don't know what we would do without this guy!
We have three AMAZING kids! Yes, two of them are covered in fur... but we love them just the same! Even on their worst days, I wouldn't even dream of trading them in! ;) G will be 2 in just a few short months and I can't believe it! He has grown so much and is so incredibly smart. Even smarter than me sometimes, I think! He is always learning something new and is constantly surprising me with what he is capable of. That little boy can put a smile on my face like no one else.
I get to be a stay at home mommy! Staying at home is by far the hardest job I have ever had. But in so many ways, it is also the most rewarding. I haven't missed out on a single thing in our child's life. Not one missed step...not a single word unheard. For that, I am extremely lucky. Of course there are days when I would sell my left arm just to finish a cup of coffee. Days when the laundry is coming out my ears. Days when I can't remember if I've showered....But I wouldn't trade a single one of those days knowing that I might miss out of watching my little guy grow up. There will always be chores left undone and I am okay with that because my baby will only be a baby for a short while.
I have turned my favorite hobby into a small business. I love photography! It brings me so much joy to know that I get paid to do something I love. No, I could not survive off of this income, and that's okay with me! I love being available for the people who cannot afford $300+ for a photo shoot. The people who are just like me. Who STILL don't have a family photo hanging on their wall because $300 just isn't in their budgets. I like knowing that my clients are happy. That I am providing them with a good deal. And at the end of the week, I get to take my little guy out for a special Mommy-Son lunch. THAT'S what I do this for.
I have the most amazing family! My parents and my in-laws are so fantastic. My life has certainly had its ups and downs...especially since becoming a military wife! Things are not always easy. I don't always have an answer. Sometimes I think I have a plan, but as my fellow military wives know, that plan is never guaranteed until the military says it is. (and even then...who knows!) Moving away from my family has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. I miss them more and more each day that I am away. I hate not having them to lean on when I have had a hard day. I hate that G asks for them on a daily basis. It's hard...very hard.
My friends are no longer just friends...they are my chosen family. I only have a few, but they're all I need! One text can brighten my whole day. We can go days, even weeks, without talking and yet it's like no time has passed at all. They are my favorite people. They complete me.
The secret to having it all, is knowing that you already do. And boy do I have it all!
