The World I Know

It was a year ago last weekend that I attended Women of Joy with my mom and sister in Branson, Missouri. It was that weekend that God spoke to both Josh and me, and we decided to homeschool Caleb. We didn't know how it would go. We didn't know how long it would last.

We also didn't know that our lives would change drastically directly after I began teaching him.

Without going into detail, as it's quite personal (and I'm not a bold blogger I guess), our lives took a 180 degree turn in the fall. And by January 3rd of this year, I went back to work, we enrolled Caleb in school, and my two younger ones began going to an in-home daycare while I was at work.

Huge changes for me. Just huge.

It was not something I planned or had in mind. I had been a stay-at-home mom for four years, and it was something I had grown accustomed to doing. While there were hard days, as any mom would attest, the benefits outweighed the cost to me. The time spent with them - the giggles, the play time, the whimsical nature of it (I could go where I wanted, when I wanted), and the "mommy friendships" was just as it should be.

But sometimes things change.

When I decided to go back to work, I wanted more than anything to go back where I had worked previously. I still knew many people there, and I felt like the adjustment would be far less difficult if I felt like I was back home so-to-speak (as much at home as a person can be in a work environment...maybe you know what I mean). I was fortunate to receive an interview rather quickly, and I was hired into the Patient Finical Services department as a Patient Registrar at Phelps County Regional Medical Center.











I just love that place.

Has it been difficult sometimes? Yes. But there are several factors that have made it work for me when it may have otherwise had me uptight and in knots.

1. Caleb's personality lends itself to adjusting to new situations. He is the type that will play with anyone, introduce himself to anyone, and be around anyone. Very helpful with this change! His teacher wrote me a sweet letter by the end of the first week telling me that Caleb seemed to be adjusting very well and was more than ready academically. This helped me a lot.

2. Sarah and Gabriel are with the sweetest woman during the day. I was floored that she had an opening for not one but TWO KIDS! How amazing was that? She only keeps teachers' kids and does not charge us for days off including holiday breaks and summer break. She is a Christian and instills Godly values within her home. She is a blessing in my life.

3. Working where I worked previously allowed me to get back into the groove rather quickly. I saw so many people I already knew, and it always makes me smile when I see someone and they say, "Chrissy! You're back!"

Those three things have been nothing short of God's grace working in my life. I wouldn't be functional otherwise.

My world has changed. My first day of work was January 3rd, so I've obviously been avoiding this post. I'm not really sure why. I know that the world of blogging - especially the blogs I've read the most - tends to lean towards stay-at-home moms. What direction does this take me now? I still want to write, I just don't know where to find the time and what to include now. You were so used to hearing about me being a stay-at-home mom. What about me being a working mom?

Not to mention the "whys" of me going back to work. There are days when I wish I could be more real on here. I will never forget when I shared just a tiny bit with one of my readers, and their response was, "Wow, sometimes we forget that there are real people behind these blogs with real hurts and real issues." Yes. So true.


The world I know. So much different now.