A New Adventure for a New Year

Me and my sweetpea

Today marks my first official day as a full time STAY AT HOME MOMMY!! I couldn't be more excited! Last month, we were faced with needing to find yet another babysitter to watch our daughter. This would have made sitter number 4 for the year. We sat down and did a little math and discussed our goals etc and decided that it was better for all involved if I just stayed home. As much as I was excited to do so, I was somewhat unnerved to go tell my boss; it was the first time that I had actually chosen to leave a job that A) didn't make me hate my life and B) that I was not physically moving out of state and therefore could no longer work there. My last day was right before we left for the holidays so it didn't really sink in right away. Today was my husband's first day back to work and so I count today as "day 1". 

Although excited, I was afraid that I would be somewhat stir-crazy as I am used to getting everything done around the house in 3 or 4 days so that I can go to work for my 3 days/wk. So far, nada. Maybe I will get stir-crazy, but I get the feeling that I will have way too much else on my mind to sit around twiddling my thumbs. With staying home comes increased financial stress. While my income didn't contribute much to our overall household budget (aka mine was mainly in excess to our needs), it did cover some costs. Our budget is much tighter now. And tighter means more work for me when it comes to grocery shopping for example. 

Since getting home from my parent's house in NE, I have been pouring over recipes figuring out health and cost benefits. I already have some tasty, inexpensive recipes that I use but wanted to find more. BudgetBytes and Pennies&Pancakes are two sites that I visit often as they both supply yummy, healthy recipes with a cost breakdown per recipe and serving. Laura at HeavenlyHomemakers was my youth minister's wife when I was in high school and now has a flourishing website and COOKBOOK(s), which I was given over the holidays and have been going through and figuring out costs for all the tasty recipes. As I get accustomed to life at home 7 days/week, I will post some of my discoveries when it comes to cost/unit/serving of my favorite recipes so make sure to check back in a couple weeks :) 

This new year not only starts the beginning of my dream job, but it also marks the beginning of some other changes in my family's life. My husband and I have come to the conclusion that we don't want to be tied down anywhere; we want to be free to go where God sends, whenever that may be. We both want to do mission work someday but don't know where yet. We also want to be debt free before we start that so that we are not a burden to those who might support us on the mission field. That being the case, we are sifting through our belongings and selling or giving away things that we don't use. Basically its an early spring cleaning. Clearing house is our first step, and there are many more to follow but I will write on that another day. Our main goal for this year is to be able to listen attentively for God's direction; we know He has a plan for our lives together, but we don't know exactly what that plan looks like yet. 

In honor of the traditional "new year's resolutions", I have chosen goals for the year as the word "goal" means more to me. My personal goals for the year are: adjusting to my new role, learning how to better interact with my husband and daughter, being more intention about how I spend my time (Pinterest, don't worry- our time is sacred ;)), finding ways to grow my etsy business (BoundWithHope), and becoming a master at inexpensive, healthy living. What are some of your goals for this year? Hope you had a happy holiday season, and look forward to spending 2014 with you! 

-Ruth

Needles, Meds, and Blood- Oh My!

I never thought I would be a nurse. Never. Ever. When I was growing up I wanted to be a librarian or a cashier; mainly because they got to check things out and made wonderful beeping noises all day while they did it-ha! Honestly, that only lasted until about age 8, then I really didn't think about it. I guess I figured that the right profession would just come to me one day. However, I did have a toy medical kit when I was young and I remember having lots of fun with the stethoscope; it was a little muffled if you spoke right into it so I would pretend I was ordering at McDonalds. I had a big imagination.

During my junior year of high school, I realized that I actually needed to figure out what I wanted to do with my life as college degree choices were looming before me. I knew for SURE that I did not want to be in the medical world because I HATED needles. If I didn't like needles, I couldn't imagine poking anyone else. That being the case, I began to look for other options. 

My interests were mainly in the arts (sewing,crafting,cooking,etc) but deep down all I could see myself doing was being a wife and mother someday. But I decided that just in case I didn't find the "right guy", I should probably have a back up plan. I looked into home economics at multiple colleges but was not very impressed. I loved working with kids so I started looking in that direction. Seeing as I didn't want to be anywhere on the medical side of things, I decided that becoming a "Child Life Specialist" was the route for me. 

Basically a child life specialist is someone who counsels kids about different procedures and treatments while they are in the hospital. I would pretty much be a medical counselor; finding ways to help children understand what was happening/being done to their bodies (here is a link to more information about Child Life Specialists). Content with my choice, I proceeded to find the best college to suit my decision. 

Last day of my Pediatrics rotation in nursing school

In the spring of my senior year, I saw a documentary about Romanian orphans. The show documented how the majority of Romanian orphanages were overrun with orphans. The problem was so bad that the kids were not getting enough physical touch every day and therefore suffered developmental problems as they grew. Some babies were lucky to have a small amount of touch when their  bottle was propped in their crib, or when they had their diaper changed once daily. Needless to say, the show touch my heart and I hatched a plan. 

Many countries are closed to the Bible and visitors in general, however they welcome medical aid. My plan was to become a nurse so that I might get into such closed countries and help those suffering while also spreading God's Word. I had decided that although I didn't like the "blood and guts" side of nursing, I could stomach it if that meant that I could sneak my way around closed doors in the world. Due to my change of heart, I then also decided to switch universities a month before school started (sorry Mom!) but everything worked out.

Once I conquered nursing school, I worked for a year on a Medical-Surgical unit at a local hospital. I learned a lot, but mostly, I learned how I wanted to find a different area of nursing to pursue. I am now a Medical Supervisor (nurse) at a plasma clinic and love the daytime shifts and decreased stress level. My heart for overseas aid is still burning for an opportunity to go help the suffering in another country and deep down I still would rather be a stay-at-home momma to my little baby girl, but for now, I am still a nurse-outside the home :) 

Last day of clinicals for nursing school

I love the idea of nursing; caring for the vulnerable and suffering, advocating for wishes that would otherwise go unheard, and striving to ensure that all needs are met while you, the nurse, are in charge for a shift. I still have residual effects from "med-surg/night shift burnout", but I am slowly coming out of that. Nursing is a very challenging profession that requires a lot of stamina- emotionally, mentally, and physically. There are times where I wish that I still had the passion for nursing like when I walked across the stage to receive my diploma, but at this stage in my life all I can think about is how I want to stay home with my baby. My recent endeavors to reach my ultimate mommy goal has started with my other passion- sewing. 

From a young age I loved to sew and make things myself. A couple years ago I delved into card making and had many friends and family tell me I should sell them. I am not the business type and the idea of starting my own business made me very nervous, to say the least. I continued to sew gifts for family and friends and kept hearing comments about selling my creations. I was flattered but still balked at the idea of promoting myself. After having my daughter nearly a year ago and having difficulty with finding a family friendly job as well as finding a babysitter that we were comfortable with, my husband and I began truly searching for ways for me to be able to stay home. Once again, selling my handmade items was suggested. 

This time I had an entire plan to back me and up so I took the "plunge" and opened a store on Etsy (which is a very gentle way of introducing anyone to the business world, just by the way). So far I haven't sold much other than custom orders but I am excited for what it can become. I have learned that patience truly is a virtue, so I am waiting to see what God has in mind for my store and my profession.

~Ruth

PS: If you are interested in becoming a nurse - GO FOR IT! The schooling might be tough, but it is definitely doable. If you have questions, feel free to ask and I will try my best to answer them. If you are already a nurse but feel like you are drowning in the newness of it all, definitely check out the "Note to New Grads" post by Erica (who, by the way, is an awesome nurse with a passion for what she does- its so encouraging!). There will always be a need for nurses, so if you do decide to pursue that field, be the best you can be; learn all you can so that you can give the best care possible to your patients.