The Changes a Year Can Bring

Fast forward a year and I no longer have a kindergarten class but a 2 month old baby who takes every ounce of my energy and love on a daily basis. Yes, I made the bittersweet decision to become a stay at home mommy to my little mini and I’m loving every second of it.

How did all of this transpire in a year? Well, when you have a little baby growing in your belly, suddenly your perspective changes. I loved teaching and knew it was my calling, but deep down I knew that I would never be able to leave my baby with someone else to go to school and teach 18 other babies. I knew that I probably would have to battle the decision and tried to put it off as long as I could. I prayed about it all of the time and asked God to provide a way for me to be able to be home with our sweet baby. I also prayed that we would follow His will, whichever that would be. Maybe it wasn’t meant for me to stay at home but to continue working. 

When I was about 34 weeks pregnant, we began talking about the options as weighing them financially and emotionally. I was already so emotionally attached to this little baby we hadn’t even met yet. My husband was feeling the stress of not having my income and the insurance that my teaching job provided for our family. I was already dreading starting a new year at school while my baby was with someone else. All we could do was pray about it and ask for guidance. Finally, one conversation led to another and my husband said that if I could find something to do part time by July then I could stay home with her. I already had something in the back of my mind….

Jump back to 2010 right after Brett and I got married. My co teacher and friend, Linda, had just started a new business called Rodan and Fields and was interested in me becoming a business partner. It is a skincare line that the dermatologists of Proactiv made and are selling through direct sales. I had every excuse in the book…I didn’t have time…I had a lot of thank you cards to write in my spare time..I’m not a sales person…I don’t have the money. I had no real reason to join. I was so skeptical and totally against joining a direct selling company. All the while during those months of telling Linda “no”…I was becoming a little jealous of her trips to Napa Valley, earning her gorgeous Lexus suv, a trip to Maui…wow, did I make the wrong decision? Fast forward to 2013 when baby girl was about to be here…suddenly my “why” became real and I couldn’t jump on her wagon fast enough. 

When Brett said at the end of April if I could find something to do part time I could stay home, I signed up with Rodan and Fields Dermatologists the next day. You could imagine how happy Linda was for me to FINALLY be joining her team! I was hopeful that I would make a little extra money and started to talk to family and friends about it. I kept saying to myself…if only I could make enough to pay for our family’s insurance, since that was the biggest reason for me not to resign, that would be worth it to me. Brett is self employed and I would still need to carry our insurance through the school. Soon after signing, I became kind of addicted to the growth. I wanted everyone to know what I was doing and I wanted all of my friends to join with me! By the middle of June, I was getting my first paycheck. I still cry when think about this. My first paycheck was…get this….to the dollar the same amount as what I was paying for insurance! I was doing an event in Midland when I saw what my check was, and started crying! It was so fun to tell everyone what God had provided for me and my family! Seriously, God has built my business. If that wasn’t a “God Thing” I don’t know what is! The next month, the day I was in labor with Laikyn, I was promoted levels and given a bonus all while having a baby. And then my next paycheck blew my mind! It was 4 months into the business when I was beginning to think this was real! My 4th month paycheck was the same amount as I put into the bank every month as a teacher. We were beyond blown away! This same month, I promoted to level V and won a free trip to Napa Valley in the Spring! God has blessed us so much with this little extra side business!

So, as you can tell, I felt clear that God has paved the way for me to be able to resign from teaching this year. It was bittersweet as I told my principal that I didn’t think I would be coming back and so hard to tell my co teachers that I couldn’t teach with them. The sweet part is that I am not missing one single second of my little girls life! 

I’ve seen every first smile, giggle, coo and look. I’ll be able to see every first roll, crawl and step. I’ll be able to feed her and read to her and sing to her and take her on walks. I’ve cherished every second of being able to be home with her. I’ve thanked my husband endless times for working so hard and providing for our family. I’ve not stopped praising Jesus for the business He built for us and the time home with Laikyn. It’s truly because we believe in His will and His goodness that he favored our request, built a business and continues to do amazing work in our lives! He is so good!

This Labor Day, I am so thankful for His promises, new beginnings, babies and families! My heart is full and I am happier than I’ve ever been!

Who wouldn’t love seeing this face every second of the day!?!