I had completely forgotten that I had a blog. A quick click on the link took me on an hour long journey down memory lane. Things I had forgotten had even happened; funny things the kiddos did at such a young age; vacations we took and most importantly, my thoughts and emotions shared in these posts.
I love to post on FB and Instagram to preserve my family memories and though a picture "tells a thousand words" I haven't shared enough of my thoughts the last 4 years. So... I am back to blogging. Not for the general public but for me, my family and those who may find this "hidden up" many years from now.
Writing is not a favorite thing for me to do and I am realizing that as I struggle with Ethan in his 7th grade writing assignments. It is tough exposing yourself and putting thought and emotion to paper. But what I need to remind myself is someone will enjoy this one day and who cares what people may think in the here and now. I am throwing caution to the wind and just going to be real.
I am sorry to my future self for all the posts I failed to write. Please forgive my grammar and punctuation errors. Hopefully the computer catches the spelling mistakes as I go (which I just learned grammar does not end in er.)... I am a college drop out so you get what you get.
Our family has now been living in our 250 N. home for 11 years. Things are starting to fall apart and so Ryan and I are starting to fix it up. We started yesterday with re-painting the office. I re-learned that I HATE painting! Though I love the brightness of the new color, I am in no rush to start the daunting task of painting the main living area and vault.
A good purge was needing as we put furniture back in place. As I was re-organizing, I came across my old check register of my lia sophia business days. This discovery made me think about my friend, Whitney. She is a business woman herself, nannying by day and spray tanning by night. I feel I have a pretty busy, time-demanding, life right now with all the kids activities. I often debate education or job opportunities since all three of the kids are in school all day and it'd be great to feel like I am contributing financially. But the debate always ends with me being an unpaid taxi driver, scheduler and cheerleader.
The envying goes full throttle at the mention of Whitney's cleaning ladies, nail and spa appointments, birthday getaways, clothing splurges and home textile improvements. Whitney has yet to hit the big 30, which she looks forward to excitedly- weirdo!) I am nearly 10 years older than Whit and my check register reminded me of what I was doing when I was her age... so many years ago...
I was in the height of my jewelry selling carrier, managing a large team of lady entrepreneurs. I had 2 littles underfoot. I was traveling and making enough money to splurge. The reminders in my check register prove it.
I was paying my sister #1 to organize my office and sister #2 to do a little cleaning. I was able to pay my cell phone bill 4 months in advance, buy an abundance of crafting supplies and fine linens, go on girls retreats, and treat myself to a massage.
Wow! How did I so quickly forget the life I was living? Because, things can change and get better! I traded in my work from home career for full time soccer mom. Instead of being my own boss, hanging out with girls playing dress up, I now spend the majority of my day in the car transporting the kids to practices, games and activities.
I just added up Ethan and Stockton's soccer expenses for this year playing competitive soccer. Ethan's total is at $1,598 and Stockton has racked up $998.27. Ryan figured in another $442 in gas for the year making the total dished out over $3,000.
I may not get paid for my "job" but it does have some pretty great perks. Loosing my voice from screaming as I watch them outrun and outscore the opponents is exhilarating. The kids are good travelers and this past year we went to Mesquite twice, West Jordan and Park City for tournaments. It has been fun spending this extra time with them. Ryan hasn't been able to get work off to go so it has been mommy and me mini vacays. I have met some pretty remarkable soccer moms too. I'd say it's been worth every penny!
We wouldn't be able to do these fun things without Ryan. He is such a hard worker and will work extra hours seeing patients after work so I can have the life I have. We are blessed to have the income which allows me to be able to stay home and also gives the boys the opportunity to participate in sports at this level. I love being the one to take my kids to school each morning and be home ready for them when they return. We may not get to have many meals together at the dinner table but we make up for it with creative eating on the go. Our vacations are now planned around tournaments and that is actually something I look forward to! Tournaments are generally the first thing on my calendar each year. It has been wonderful seeing the growth and development of the boys. Not only as players but as individuals as well.
So today I can say I LOVE MY LIFE! I've been there and done the "Whitney" phase of my life. I am sure this phase won't last forever but for now I am going to love every moment.
