BIG Changes - Comin' Right Up!

I know. I haven't been around much lately.

To be completely honest, between working 50 hours a week as a Nanny and trying to keep up with my ever-growing photography business in the evenings and on the weekends, life has been...well...just a wee bit crazy.

In addition to the everyday craziness around here, there are some BIG changes coming up that I've been processing and evaluating. I've been trying to find the right words to explain how I feel about it all, but there just aren't any. There are just lots of jumbled and mixed emotions, so I'll just give it to you straight.

The Wallers informed me last Monday that they won't be able to keep me on as their Nanny in the Fall. After crunching numbers over and over and over again, they just couldn't make it work with their budget for this coming year. Mike and Liz made it clear that their decision was completely professional and not personal. They're just in a different season of life and had to make the best decision for their family. And I respect that. But it still makes me more sad than words can express.

I was stunned when they gave me the news. I was prepared to meet with them about the boys' changing schedules for the coming year (since Sam will be starting Kindergarten and Toby will be starting some form of preschool), but I wasn't expecting to be laid off. Laid off. That sounds so weird.

To be honest, I was looking forward to working fewer than 50 hours as a Nanny each week because it would potentially give me time to schedule photo shoots and edit photos during the week instead of after work and on the weekends. I've been working so much over the past few months that I was starting to feel the strain...physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. In my heart of hearts I knew that I wanted something to change this coming fall, but I didn't know this was what the Lord had in mind.

In the past week, I've been contacted by 4 different moms who want to talk with me about a part-time Nanny position with their family (which would leave me the rest of my week to build my photography business). God is good!

I'm not yet positive what the next step for Aaron and me will be (as far as my career is concerned), but God is working in and providing for us...and that's enough for now.

My official "last day" with the Wallers will be Friday, August 28th. I already told Liz and Mike that they're stuck with me forever and they can expect me to come get the boys frequently on the weekends to go on fun adventures with Aaron and me. And, after all, Sam has already promised me a job in 25 years or so, remember?

The next 5 weeks will continue on just like the past 97 weeks have...making lots of memories, sharing lots of love, and having lots of fun :) This chapter of our lives isn't over quite yet...