My last day

I remember talking to this young mom in the nursery at church one Sunday when I was pregnant with my second child and she was nursing her third and youngest. She was in her early 20s and I was in my late 20s.  I was struggling with the fact that my baby would be born in a couple months and I'd have to leave him just like I had with my first born to go back to work. I hardly knew this girl and it wasn't like me to just pour my heart out to a stranger but I'm so glad I did. She urged me to consider my options of staying home and spending the first precious years of my baby's life with him and his brother. I thought she was out of her mind but obviously she knew what she was saying because she was doing it. I longed to be at home with my kids but how in the world could it possibly happen?! I went home from church that day and told my husband about the conversation and surprisingly he wholeheartedly agreed that I needed to quit my full time, well paying job to be with our kids. It was the biggest leap of faith of our lives at that point and the biggest blessing in our lives too.

My last day of work was about six weeks before my baby was born. He'll be five years old in a few short months and I'm returning back to work in a few short days. The past few years have brought the greatest joy I could ever imagine. There have been hard days. There have been days that all I wanted to do was crawl in my bed and not come out. I have longed for the day that my own butt would be the only one I would wipe.  These days have gone by so fast. I have also witnessed his first steps as well as his baby sister's first steps. No amount of money would have been worth missing those milestones.

And so today, as my last day as a stay at home mom, I had planned to spend it on a 3rd grade field trip. The rainy weather postponed that so instead I have stayed in my pajamas all day, put puzzles together with my babies, snuggled on the couch and done pretty much nothing but so much at the same time. I'm going to miss days like this but I think since I've had them I won't take them for granted when they come along again.

As for that crazy 20-something that talked me into being a stay at home mommy, she's now my best friend. She's inspired, challenged, encouraged and prayed for and with me over these past 5 years.  We've spent hours on the phone and together talking about being a better wife and mom. I can't imagine what my life would have been like had God not crossed our paths that day. He definitely had a plan and I thank him every day for it and for Liz Webb.