House of Haggard: Realizing how blessed our family has become.

I was eating dinner with my family tonight and I was hit with a great wave of happiness. I realized how blessed my family is. I made the choice almost two years ago to become a stay at home mom. I was tired of only seeing Jae for a couple of hours each night Monday through Saturday. I usually only had Sundays to really spend time with her. Lonnie had went to working weekends back in 2011, so we didn't have to have a sitter anymore and he spent the majority of time with Jae. When Jae was about two and a half years old she started begging me to stay home with her and crying every morning when I left the house. I was always so exhausted from working 48-58 hours a week and having a 35 min. commute each day that I felt as though I was felling a Mother. All I had ever wanted in life was to be married and have a child. I wanted to cry every day, because I had my child and I couldn't even be there for her. So, Making the decision to quit my job ( and I had a very good paying job) was a GREAT decision for my family! Lonnie and I are both able to spend quality with both kids. Jordan has never had to be left at the baby sitters or had to be left with someone over night due to me working late one night and being back at work at 4:45 am the next morning. I had to do that with Jae when she was about 5 months old. I cried when I picked her up the next day after work. That was the first time she held out her arms for me to pick her up. My kids don't have to worry about daddy being gone all the time due to work either. They both know daddy is at work Sat, Sun, and Monday. On Tuesday they are both ready to see him and do stuff with him. Jordan is usually saying Dada, Dada and Jae is usually asking if she can watch something with him or if he can fix something for her. He is known as Mr. Fix it around here. We may not have a whole lot of money because of the choices we have made; but we have a lot of time with each other. Something that me and Lonnie never got to experience with either one of our dads until we were much older. My dad was always gone working, fishing or hunting. Lonnie's dad was always on the road as a truck driver. It is the greatest feeling knowing that we will be able to be a close family. We do everything as a family from grocery shopping to going to sporting events. I realize not every family is the same, and what works for our family my not work for yours. Every family is different and functions in their own way. But I must say that the way we live now for the most part is less stressful,and I feel like a much better mother. I am liking living more simplified.

Now, I need to get back to my family and watch our Duck Dynasty Marathon we have going on.