A little over a year ago, Ryan was let go from his job in a shocker that we later learned was in preparation for the start-up's buy-out. Add to that stress the hottest couple of weeks of the summer with our A/C quitting on us! It was a horrible, miserable time of life and I couldn't help but count my blessings these past couple weeks, especially when hearing of a couple friends being laid off! Now Ryan's been in his job at EDS six months, loves it, and I'm able to be back at home full-time and work a bit from home for NRLC handling press calls and special projects. Seems like life is finally getting back to that ever-elusive "normal."
Two weeks ago, on separate occasions, I was chatting with friends I hadn't really seen in some time. They both had asked what I'd been up to and it completely stumped me! Not a hard question really, but I'd really just been relishing my lack of a schedule and couldn't account for the time. Of course, we'd had events like the NRLC convention, Girls Camp program, 4th of July, and a few camping trips - but that wasn't my day to day life. So I spent a few days chewing on the question and what I "should have" said - something I do a lot. It came down to just being able to enjoy being a mom, play with my boys, and get reacqainted with friends I missed while working full-time. I had to sadly admit that my house was still in various stages of mayhem because I'd rather shoot hoops in the playroom with my boys or head to the pool than scrub bathrooms or tackle piles of stuff, but who wouldn't?! Last week, I even told a few people and Ryan that I'd answer that initial question with "I'm being a great mom, but not a great homemaker." I just can't seem to get excited about doing the same thankless chores over and over again! For many I know, its an all too common stay-at-home mom dilemma!
Then last night I read a July Ensign article about building a sacred home. "Mundane activities can have a higher purpose and must not be disregarded; they give us opportunities to develop and practice character virtues and ethical behavior. By doing these everyday activities, we can learn about moral truths and practice honesty, patience, and brotherly kindness. Everyday work and recreation in the home provide rich contexts for children and adults to make choices and learn from them." Hmmm . . . I've got my work cut out for me! I realized I had been dismissing the higher purpose because it seemed so inconvenient to what I wanted to do each day. I felt impressed to once again do better at helping Easton learn to help with chores and take the opportunity to chat with him in the process so it was time we got to spend together. I still haven't figured out how to get everything done AND include the boys, but it was great food for thought!
Not to validate my summer thus far (hahaha), but in his breakfast prayer this morning Easton said, "And thank you for Daddy being a good daddy and 'aKay' being a good baby, and thank you for Mommy being a good mommy." Ahhh, life is good!
