On the surface, I can see how today’s Gratituesday post might seem a little self-serving, since I plan to talk about my business, but I promise it’s not meant that way at all.  Ok, with the caveat out the way, here’s what I’m thankful for today…

Over a decade ago, I decided I wanted to be a Stay At Home/Work At Home mom.  (Ok, that’s not true – I basically decided that like 20 years ago, but it wasn’t until a decade ago that it seemed like it might really be a possibility).

At the time, my then-husband and I began talking seriously about adoption, and as we began the long arduous process that THAT became, I also began creating a small home-based web design business.  My goal was to build the business to a point that by the time we were able to adopt, I would have something already in place, going strong, providing a good second work-at-home kind of income.

And that worked out really well!  I developed relationships with quite a few web design (and hosting) clients and by the time Samuel came into my life in 2002, I was a successful business owner.   I was lucky because a good many of my clients had become friends, so working around the demands of first-time motherhood wasn’t TOO traumatic for my business.

Fast forward a decade, through a divorce, a re-marriage, and two more kids being added to the mix – I still have a work-at-home business… and I’m still successful.  As a mom AND a business owner.

Now, some days I don’t feel like I’m succeeding at anything.  Orders are low, clients don’t pay, the kids are sick and I’m three days behind on laundry and dishes.  The last two years (ok, actually four) have been particularly difficult for me as a business owner (and human being!), mostly because the demands of pregnancy and babies meant something had to give.

I’ve managed to hold on to most of my most favorite clients and added a few more… and along the way, I’ve changed my focus almost entirely.  In fact my business today looks NOTHING like it looked in the days before and after Samuel’s arrival seven years ago. Instead of web design, I do mostly digital design… and in the last six months I have opened THREE (yes, three) etsy shops.

But CHANGE is a good thing.  And it was necessary… because being a work-at-home mom to one kiddo is VASTLY different than being a work-at-home mom to THREE.  For those of you who do it with MORE than three… my Mommy and Business Owner hats are off to you!

Anyway, I started this post to say this – I’m SO thankful to be doing what I’m doing.  To be designing… to be creating… to be “working” from home, with my children all around.  Most of the time it doesn’t feel much like work (well, the HOUSEwork always feels like work, but my BUSINESS is pretty fun).  And more and more, I’m figuring out how to manage all the plates I have spinning in the air.

And to be HOME, with my kids, every day.  Teaching them, reading with them, hangin’ with them, napping with them – it doesn’t get much better!  And as the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  Samuel is already making plans to be a big-time author and illustrator, and lil Allan thinks he wants to be one too.  They both love to get on my computer and “draw” and create, and I am looking forward to the day that they can create their OWN digital designs and pages, with no assitance from Mommy.

Pardon me while I channel Martha (Stewart, not my daughter) for a moment and say… “it’s a good thing”.

What are YOU thankful for today? Please consider clicking over to Heavenly Homemakers and adding YOUR gratitude to the list!