The summer just flew by for us. Not because we did anything extravagant - no summer holidays here. Everyday was what some would call a 'perfect' summer day. No plans, no agenda, just hanging out and going with the flow. Most days, that worked in our favour. Some other days, our 5 year old reminded us that some structure is a good thing and that having a plan for the day isn't always bad.
Onto the big news I guess. We've decided that I will not return to work. I am joining the ranks of the 'stay at home moms'. While I will continue to nurse one day a week, the rest of it will be at home, with our now 15 month old (crazy!). I feel very fortunate that this opportunity is a reality for us and our children and know full well that a lot of people who would love to stay home, cannot - for various reasons. I will say, however, that if you are or have ever considered it, read the book "The Radical Homemakers" by Shannon Hayes. It's what got me started thinking about the reality of staying home - more so the financial aspect of it.
I also visited Gail Vaz-Oxlade's website. She's the 'Till Death Do Us Part' woman. On her website there are a ton of resources available, including budgets, dept calculators, etc, that I used when working on our budget. We know where every single penny (well, nickel I guess now) goes. While our budget is quite limiting, it is sorta fun seeing all the different ways you can save money.
I'll leave you with two of my favourite photos of the summer:
