working is hard work

This title comes from a woman who has worked at home for 28 years. There have been many, many hours spent homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, laundry, and everything else that goes along with having five children and teaching them at home. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

I started working part time last August as a Retail Merchandiser for Hallmark. I began on Rebekah's birthday so I can remember my start date easily. I service two grocery stores and I usually work 8-10 hours a week unless I have to put up or take down the seasonal merchandise. That requires more time right before the major holidays and always afterward as the new season and/or flex goes up. I really enjoy it; it is my own little thing and I make a little extra money doing it.

This past week however I worked 20 hours as I helped set up our section in the new Hobby Lobby that is opening soon. It was seven hours of hard work, but I enjoyed learning and meeting some fellow co-workers. It was amazing that in that amount of time five women could transform that section of the store. We had to unpack heavy boxes on pallets, put together the card displays along with the cards and signs. Every Hallmark card has a certain place on the rack. You learn to read and follow display directions! It was a neat experience for me. I also had extra hours at my two stores since it was the week of Valentine's Day. I spent three hours Friday night at one store just straightening and finding envelopes for the Valentine section. It looked ransacked! I had to work around all the people buying valentines at the last moment. It was fun to watch. The women spent more time than the men. I watched one man leave with the first one he picked up! That is just foreign to me.

This week I have already worked 10 hours and still have another call to make. All that said; my house has been sadly neglected. This weekend I slept in and bought groceries and took a nap Sunday afternoon. All that has gotten done has been done by others. So today I have been catching up on my "to do" list: phone calls, cleaning, do this, do that, etc. Plus laundry... and my ironing from last week is still waiting. When I finish all this laundry it will make quite a small mountain. Tomorrow I'm taking my mom to have some tests done that her doctor has ordered.

I am terribly grateful to Donald for allowing me to stay home all these years with our children and take care of things at home. I am enjoying this season of my life to be sure. I just don't know how I would have done everything I did and work also. I probably couldn't have home schooled and I'm pretty certain I wouldn't have time to work in our yard. All in all, I've had a wonderful life already!

Donald, I love you and appreciate you! You have always worked so hard to make our home situation possible. I think I'll keep you.