How Bee does Motherhood: At Home
One year ago I packed up my desk and quit my job. It was a big step and one that I did not plan to take but God told me to do it. Over the years God has asked me to make some big moves and time and time again I say yes to Him and He continues to bless my obedience. This step of leaving my job and becoming a stay at home mama involved more than just me. It was a leap of faith that both Fabian and I had to take together. I can still remember the night I told Fabian that God told me to quit my job. It was dark and we were both just laying in bed. I figured I couldn’t see his face when I told him so it was kinda a now or never moment. I’ll never forget his response, “I mean, if that’s what God told you, we gotta obey.”
Now looking back to that moment a year ago it is oh so clear why God was asking me to quit my job. I think the overall lesson was to trust God no matter what. Isn’t that always the lesson we need to be learning? But also during this time we got pregnant! I remember telling my boss on my last day of work, “I wasn’t pregnant when I told you I was leaving but I am pregnant now.” We had talked about adding a second baby to the family but were planning to start trying during the summer. Turns out all it takes is a marriage series at church during February to surprise you with a baby! I think God knew I needed to be home with Jax during my pregnancy in order to rest and especially soak up the time just with Jax. Those months to me were special. No real agenda and no real routine, just him and I.
I think God was also challenging us to trust Him with our finances in this big leap of faith. I was only working part time when I quit my job and we had been practicing living on one income for a few months and each paycheck I received went right into our savings account (after tithing of course.) Despite us “practicing” for this moment it was still a little scary to take this step. But now after a year of having one income and Fabian solely providing for our family I can tell you we have never been more blessed financially. And I don’t say all of this to brag at all, God tells us to count our blessings and this is one of them. We have never been a family that has stuck to a budget. We give, we save, and we use wisdom in spending our money. If you follow me on social media you know how much I love to shop, how much Fabian and I both love to shop. We’ve never really had to tell one another no when it comes to purchasing something. Fabian always says, “why have all this money if you can’t ever enjoy it.”
Becoming the sole provider for our family Fabian at times felt pressure to meet financial goals and we always did our best to talk through those moments together. More than anything as his wife I am his biggest cheerleader. I cheer him on in his business and challenge him to make big moves. This past year he made a big move and purchased a trailer. Adding this to his roofing business meant that he was going to be able to do more full roofs rather than only focussing on roof repairs. This has always been the goal, Fabian running his own crew and growing his business. It just kinda all happened naturally. Like I said, once you take the first big step of faith, taking the next step is a little easier. I am so proud of all he has accomplished and we continue to see his business grow and be successful.
In continuing to count our blessings, this past year we’ve been able to paint the outside of our home, re-do the roof and carport, and finish the landscaping. We also purchased a used SUV and paid it off within that year! Jax and I flew to Michigan for a week during the summer to celebrate my Uncle’s birthday and Fabian went to Mexico to visit family right before Leo was born.
When I look back to that moment when God told me to quit my job, I now know there was so much more to it than I could’ve even imagined. I’ve been a full time working mama, a part-time working mama, and a stay at home mama. All come with their own set of challenges. This season that God has me in now, home with our boys has been one of the hardest but most rewarding season yet. Each day looks different, other than nap times we really have no routine. I continue to set new goals in teaching and training our kids while at the same time maintaining our home.
It’s not easy but I always tell myself to take it one day at a time, what doesn’t get done today can always get done tomorrow.
Looking towards the future, I don’t know if my stay at home season will come to an end and I will return to work or if we will continue it with homeschool or even adding a third to our family? Only God knows. And you best believe we will have our ears open to listen when He speaks.
I asked y’all on my IG stories if you had any questions about this whole motherhood at home season and y’all hit me with some great questions.
@katelynnhanshaw “How was the transition from 1 to 2 kids” Because Leo was in the NICU for a week before we could bring him home it helped us prepare just a little bit more for the transition from 1 to 2. Jax was aware that we were bringing home a baby but I don’t think he knew what that fully meant for him. During my Spring and Summer home with him I trained him to be as independent as he could be. My OB suggested that I do that in order to help the transition from 1 to 2. That way Jax wasn’t relying on me to do everything for him because most likely with a new baby, I wouldn’t be able to. That helped the transition BIG TIME!
@katelynnhanshaw “What’s your favorite routine and organization hack that saves you at home?” I’ve got 2 hacks for ya! 1. Put things away as soon as you’re done with them! This helps a lot when cooking. It also keeps the clutter at a minimum around the house. 2. When folding laundry, fold it in piles according to where it goes. So that you’re not double sorting when it comes to putting the laundry away.
@lovemeganarlene “Did you have to adjust your spending habits?” Yes, and mainly no. There were two moments where I did a month overview of where our money was going and I think that helped a lot. I highlighted things like food, misc shopping trips, and bills to see where we could improve. Overall we became more aware of where our money was going but as far as cutting back on trips to Target and eating out, we continued living life.
@cindyyymartinezz “What do you do when you just want to talk to someone while you’re home? Who do you call?” Amazing question and it got me thinking big time. Motherhood can be lonely and we all should have someone to call when we need to talk to someone other than our kids. For me, it’s my parents mainly my mom and also my husband. I would love to say that I have a standing weekly phone call with my bff’s but that is simply not the case. I have a handful of people that I know I can call at anytime of the day and they will answer, I just don’t call them as often as I should.
@mama_doobie_jo “Schedule!" How do you keep your day organized and everything you want done?” We don’t really have a schedule that we follow, more like an order of things that we do each day. Each day starts at a different time depending on when the boys wake up. If there are things that HAVE to get done that day I’ll make a list and find the time either during Leo’s morning nap when Jax gets some screen time, or while the boys are eating or having play time. I try to stay engaged as much as I can with them during the day but sometimes screens are where it’s at in order to get the floor mopped, emails sent, and this mama showered. I also, don’t put a huge amount of pressure on myself to keep the house spotless. If it doesn’t get done today, it can always get done tomorrow.
