Hubby ended up getting a new job where he worked 7pm-7am on Fridays-Sundays – 36 hours but got paid for 40. This worked out great, because he ended up spending a lot more time with his family. We took a paycut then too, because there was no overtime. So, we went down to about $42000 a year. We were still ok though. We cut costs, learned to be frugal, and it was good.

In March hubby was laid off. He has been looking since then but there really isn’t much around here for him. He’s a cnc and manual machinist and right now companies just aren’t hiring for this. So, a few weeks before my classes ended for the semester in May , I started sending out my resumes. I swear I sent out more than 50 of them, and only got interviews for about 6. It really is a tough time to be looking for a job. I was qualified for most of these, if not over qualified.

So, I finally did land a job and it pays decent. It really is something that should be very interesting. I will be communicating with teenagers with disabilities by using social media like blogs, twitter and facebook, who are transitioning into the workplace or to college. They also made it a fulltime job and I will also be working with their new database. It will be an adjustment I am sure, but a necessary one. At least one of us will be with the kids at all time, and if he does get called back to work, we will only need a sitter on Fridays to watch the kids while he is sleeping. And the kids are now almost 3 and 2 (also have an 11 yr old), so it’s not like they are little babies anymore and I will be missing their firsts.

God had different plans. Three months before receiving notification that we had a 7 months old daughter waiting for us my company closed the office in my city.

I didn’t return to work right away because I didn’t think it was fair to start a new job and then take off a month to go to China and then settle home. Once returning home I knew that I would never return to work.

There have been many sacrifices. We rarely eat out, shop for groceries with coupons and sale flyers. Most of my daughter’s clothes are hand me downs or from consignment shops.

All the sacrifices are worth it with every kiss I receive all day long.

Yes, we had to go down to one car and have been that way since. Yes, we had to re-assess our “ideal” housing situation. Yes, I had to “super” coupon in order to eat. Yes, I had to learn to cook from scratch in order to further eat when my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac. Yes, I had to get creative to find ways to save money by line-drying, using up everything we could, buying thrift, consignment &/or garage sales. Yes, I started using cloth to save money; and even making some of them myself.

Every sacrifice we have made has been worth every minute I’ve got to spend with my children. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Amy

Well, the tug of home pulled at me since I was a teenager in high school. I always wanted to be a homemaker — always. As a result, even though my former career was very lucrative and my co-workers wonderful, I hated my job. It didn’t fulfill me at all. I couldn’t wait to finish the day and come home. After I had children, these feelings were amplified and I would actually be in tears after work some days. It was so clear to me that home was where I was supposed to be. Being a homemaker is the only career I want or need.