Work Hard, Play Hard

My family's motto has always been "work hard, play hard". I know lots of people have that motto and I think it is a good way to live your life.

Three years ago, our family life was turned upside down and we had an in your face reminder about the play hard part. Our oldest son, Michael, was diagnosed with a rare and almost always fatal cancer called Sarcoma. You can read his entire story at www.michaelschriner.com if you are interested. One month after his diagnosis, we found out I was pregnant. It came as a big surprise because we had long since decided that our three boys were enough for us. At this time, our youngest son was already 12 years old!

We went through 9 months of very strong chemo sessions and 9 months of morning sickness and sleeping in hospital chairs being very pregnant and fat! Michael is a walking miracle in the sense that the two tumors he started with were inoperable, but after the chemo, they shrunk to the size that could be removed with surgery. He was told he was in remission in January and in February, Miss Hannah was born. Finally a girl! Yeah!

I had become a work-a-holic before all of this happened. I would work evenings, weekends...all of the time. Now, a baby and trying to get Michael back to being healthy was going to be my full time job. How would I switch gears so dramatically? For me, it was a hard thing...I liked my life before all of this happened. What would the future be like? Michael had lost a lot of pounds dropping to 119 from 180. He needed constant care to get his white blood cells up as well as his weight. Hannah, of course, took all of the energy any new baby needs.

In June of 2007, we decided to take a 10 day family vacation to Disney World. This is where the play hard part comes in. Boy, we had a great time together!

Then back to work...Michael gained his weight back (and a little more)...Hannah is so cute and isn't taking quite as much work (sleeping all night at last)...

I have found a balance in all of this. I am going to school, something I have always wanted to do. I am only taking one class at a time, but it is what I can do! I have always wanted to do interior design, so I started my own interior design firm last year. I went into the business backwards! I hired 3 ladies that have been doing this for years and in exchange for marketing them, they give me a cut of their fees and teach me about what they are doing! What a deal! I am getting paid to learn!

I also run our Water Garden Center. We are reopening this March as a full showroom! I am very excited about that.

I also found I have a knack for marketing ideas for small companies. So, I started a marketing consultation business. I only take on a few clients at a time and bill by the hour. Some weeks there is more work than others, but it fits perfectly into my schedule with Hannah. She goes to daycare 3 days a week for only a few hours. That is when I take meetings. I do the rest when she sleeps or is playing in her new kitchen.

I think it is good to keep busy and it is really fun to spend time with the kids. I love the way things worked out!