And how was your day?

So today marks my 1 year anniversary of working. I hate working. I want to be home full-time. I want to snuggle with k after the boys have gone to school instead of taking her to babysitter.

However...

Since I do have to work, I have to tell you how much I love my job. My job has been constantly evolving since I started.

When I was going to school to get my degree in Accounting, I discovered that I really didn't want to do accounting, I wanted to do bookkeeping. But I was a year into school and only had a year left, so I stuck it out and got my Bachelor's in Accounting. I graduated in 2000 and never used the degree. Until...

Our car broke down last June and we didn't have the money to replace it. So it was either go without a car that would hold our entire family, or me go to work. Crap. So after worrying about how I was going to get a job and what kind of job would it be, I was inspired to talk to Liz about her job. Liz is an accountant and recently adopted a baby, so she quit work. I called her after a while and talked to her about getting a job. I asked her if the place where she used to work was ever looking for part time help. Liz got really excited and said that Karin, her old boss, had just called her yesterday and asked Liz to work on a couple of files because she was so behind. Liz said that she would call Karin and tell her about me. I told her to be sure and tell her that I had no experience, but I did have my Bachelor’s degree. Liz called me back later and said that Karin is definitely interested in me and wants me to call tomorrow and set up an interview for probably next week.

I called the next day and they wanted me to come in that afternoon for an interview. That was good because I didn't have much time to freak out. I went in (completely nervous) and walked out 15 minutes later as a working mom. Not only that, but she wanted me to work afternoons, which is what I wanted, and she would pay me double what I was hoping for. It was the answer to so many prayers.

So Karin does taxes. I felt like a fish out of water for weeks. Everytime I thought I was getting it down, something would come up and I just wanted to cry. But Karin was so good to me and patient and understanding. Like when my brother-in-law Andy fell 75 feet and I just stood up and told her what happened and that I was leaving. She said okay. No questions, no repurcutions.

Anyway, I digress (not that you would know, but I just spent the last 1/2 hour reading my sister's blog from Andy's fall...he has come so far! You have to go read it!).


So, Karin shares an office with Delayne, who runs Small Business Connection. They do payroll and bookkeeping for small businesses. One day, after 1 1/2 months of working just for Karin, Delayne asked me if I wanted to help her do payroll. I had made it clear that I would love to do work from home, and Delayne told me that payroll is something I could definitely do from home. How cool is that? So I started doing payroll for Delayne, and gradually I started doing more work for her and less for Karin.


Around the end of August I started working 2 days a week from home. Even better! Then around the end of October, taxes totally dropped off and I was really concerned with how we were going to make our car payment. But Delayne talked to me about doing even more for her and that saved us.


So by the end of 2007, I wasn't doing much for Karin (and that's okay because I discovered that I really hate doing taxes!) and mostly working for Delayne (and that's okay because I discovered that I love doing payroll and bookkeeping!).


And now, I am only working 2 days a week away from home. I work Monday in the office, and on the same day I go to a client's business and do his bookkeeping. On Friday, I go to another client and do their bookkeeping. And on the other 3 days, I am kept busy with doing work from home. I really love what I do. I have 36 clients that I do all their payroll, plus doing bookkeeping for a bunch more.


Oh, and I have to mention the 2 wonderful women who are making this possible for me. My wonderful sister-in-law and my Bishop's wife, both of whom I trade babysitting for piano lessons. They are angels to me to watch k, because I know both of them have the means to just pay for the lessons outright, but are willing to serve me. Also the other two women who have helped me out. Thank you to you all!


I also have to mention my Heavenly Father. Everytime something has come up and I don't know how to handle it (a babysitter can't sit anymore, etc.), I just have to cry for a few hours, then turn it over to Heavenly Father and he will help me find a solution. My mother told me the following and boy, is it ever true:


"Heavenly Father can't take our trials away, but he makes them as easy as possible on us."


I could be working a much crappier job, with horrible work conditions, awful hours, and sucky pay. But I work at a great job, with a great boss, funny and smart and incredible co-workers, super hours, and better pay that I could ever have imagined. I still have days that I cry on my way to work, because I want my life back to how it was. But I try to remind myself that's not how it works. I can't look back. I have to look forward.