Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off to Work I Go....

Matt & I have been struggling financially for some time now.  I attempted to go back to doing hair in February and I just didn't have the drive to make it happen.  I was renting a booth and many weeks it was costing me to be there.  I hated being away from the kids and in order to have any shot at being successful financially, I was going to have to up my hours and find someone to watch them.  I had already started having a friend sit with them one afternoon a week, which wasn't the original plan.  I had said from the beginning that the job needed to be a blessing to my family, not take from it and so I decided to cut my losses and go back home.

Well, we found ourselves back in the same place.  We live very simply so that I can be home with the kids and there really isn't anything we can cut out.  The doors on Matt's car hardly even open and he's okay with that.  He is the best dad ever and spends tons of time with the kids at night.  This is a blessing to them, but also to me, since it gives me the ability to have down time after he gets home.  We considered him getting another job again at the place he was working prior to Rachel's diagnosis. But we all need his night time routine, him included.  And I started thinking about what I could do with my very little 'free time'. 

Then it just 'fell in my lap'. (aka: was handed to me from God!) 

I have been bringing the kids with me to the YMCA to their "Kid Zone" almost every morning for months so I can exercise.  I love everyone there and have come to LOVE the Y. (Which ironically was my first job ever)  I looked on-line one night to see if they were hiring and nothing showed up that would work for me.  A few days later, I asked the girl working if it would be on-line if they were hiring and she said "We were just talking last night about needing someone for the fall, you should grab and application." 

So, the Friday before our vacation, I got hired at the Kid Zone for 3 mornings and 1 afternoon a week.... and my kids are coming with me!!!  It's not a lot of pay, but honestly, I feel like the trade off to not have to find and pay for someone else to watch them is a huge benefit worth more than gold in my book.  I was able to pick my days based on my homeschool schedule and the shifts are just 3 hours at a time.  I'm pretty excited to work with these girls who are all so awesome and ridiculously eager to get a paycheck - and thrilled that it will be a consistent one!  I pray it will lessen Matt's burden and that God will multiply my efforts and help us to use the little bit of money wisely.

I start this afternoon.  I have a crock pot meal going... Matt is going to come workout after work and then grab the kids and come home, so dinner will be waiting.  The kids are super excited to be coming to work with Mama and to be working together as a family to help Daddy with bills.  And my heart can rest assured that this will be a job that will bring to and not take from my family.

And did I mention my boss's name is Rachel? :o) Yep, signed on every application paper next to each other... Stacy & Rachel ♥