Working Mom - Balancing Family & Work

I am linking up with Kelly's Korner today for SUYL - Working Moms.

I actually enter this "mom" category as a full time step mom. I do not look at myself any different as any other parent except that I did not birth these two precious kids. I say I am full time because we have full custody of both of the children. I am however expecting my first child in June so the mom role will just get even bigger! :)

I am the mother to two wonderful children. Donovan who is our 12 year old 7th grader and Alyssa who is our 7 (going on 16) year old 1st grader. I am a wife to a wonderful and hard working husband. I am a full time, 8 to 5, employee to our family business which I love.

I admire stay at home parents both moms and dads but I know that is not my calling. I enjoy working. I enjoy being able to have extra money to spend on our children. I enjoy a break from both my husband and our kids to have different adult conversations. I know our children enjoy getting to have a time with friends after school and during the summer also. They have made wonderful friends with these kids.

We make it work and will figure out a new schedule when the baby gets here. We have very busy evenings when we get home between homework, dinners, baths, and getting ready for the next day. One thing we try and do every night is pray and eat dinner as a family. Some days that's the only time we get to all sit down together and talk about our day. I enjoy this time so much and know the kids will look back and be thankful we did that together.

I consider myself lucky because we have the majority of our family in the same town as us. If one of our kids are sick or has a doctors appt. that we are not able to make their grandparents are always willing to step in and help. Also, since I work for the family I have a little bit more flexibility with things like that.

These same grandparents are also willing to watch the kids on the weekends that we might need a date night. I still consider us newly weds and we do need our alone time... not that non newly weds don't! :)

Jason and I working is a choice but it's one that was a no brainier for us. We enjoy our jobs. We enjoy spending time with our family. We do what is best for us and in that end... that's all you can do!