((Brian's Note: I have known Jennifer Upmeyer since the 7th grade. She says some of her fondest memories are of the two of us laughing our way through literature class in high school. Jennifer is a stay-at-home Mom to her two boys. She and her husband Shane live in the Washington, DC area.))

It's 7:00am and like clockwork, I am jolted awake by a blonde 3 year old starring me in the face asking for pancakes.  As I lay there for a moment going over my day ahead, I am reminded of the tasks ahead of me.  Get up.  Get ready.  Get the boys ready.  Breakfast.  Bus stop by 8:15am.  Preschool by 8:30am.  The gym.  Grocery store. The cleaners. Pre-school pick up by 11:30am.  Lunch. Laundry. Balance the checkbook.  Vacuum the carpets. Check e-mails.  Bus stop by 3:45pm.  Soccer practice. Dinner. Family time.  More laundry. Get school bags ready for the next morning. Bedtime for the kids by 8am.  Then, I am off the clock as I jokingly tell my husband, Shane.  Its then, from 8:00pm to about 10:00pm that I recharge my battery from my mundane day…whether it be talking with Shane, watching some mindless TV, chit chatting with friends online, or just losing myself in a good book.    As I recharge during this time, I am already planning my next day, which consists pretty much of the same routine.  

Ever since I had my first baby, Joshua, 6 years ago…my dream was to be a stay at home mom.  At the time I was working full time and commuting 45 miles one way to work.  I was gone by 6:00am, home by 5:00pm, and my baby was in child care 10-11 hours a day at private childcare.  We didn’t have a choice back then.  My dream come true at the time was to be a stay at home mom.  To live the good and easy life (for those of you who are stay at home moms, we can start laughing together now).  No driving, no dressing up.  I could sleep in, keep laundry caught up, make homemade baby food from my garden that I would grow and weed religiously.  I could partake in baby gym activities, host play groups and lunches, all while having my husband’s clothes ironed for work every day and a lunch packed for him to take to work.  The house would be spotless when he came home at night along with a made from scratch meal on the table and waiting for him each night.  All with a smile on my face, because face it…my dream would have come true, I was a stay at home mom and wife.

Now that I am a stay at home mom,  I reflect back on the past 6 years.  As I think about where I was then and where I am now, I often find myself thinking that I live the “out of the work force, stay at home mom mundane life”.  The same schedule every morning, where sleeping in is a thing of the past for me. Laundry that is never caught up.  The house that is always a mess with toys, shoes, school bags, and Joshua’s inventions made from toilet paper rolls, scotch tape and scrap pieces of paper.  The meals aren’t always on time or necessarily healthy for that matter.  The beds aren’t always made.  Some days, its 4:00pm before I realize I haven’t showered yet.    I chuckle at how I used to think the stay at home mom job was the simple life.

 
Just when I get too caught up in the idea that my life so mundane, God reminds me of the many blessings that come with the mundane life.  I am thankful for a messy house because that means we are not homeless.  I am thankful that my husband isn’t always here to help me with the difficult situations because that means he is employed.  I am thankful for my children fighting over a toy because that means we have two beautiful children to fill our home with love, laughter and happiness.  I am thankful for the laundry because that means we have clothes to wear.  I am thankful for the meals that need to be made because that means we will eat today.  I am thankful for the beds that didn’t get made because that means we have a warm, safe place to sleep tonight. I am thankful for my children’s inventions made from foil and toilet paper all over the house because that means my children are creative and learning.   Finally,   I am thankful for my recharge time in the evenings because that means my entire family is safely home from the day,  and it gives me time to be thankful for the many “mundane” blessings I have in my life. 

((Brian's Note: Jennifer is a hoot. She has one of the best sense of humor of anyone I have ever met. From knowing her, I KNOW how much those boys of her's must be loved. Feel free to leave a comment below or send in an e-mail by clicking here.))