Jodi's Current Playlist in Life

SAHM--The Announcement

Yes, the time has finally come and I've decided to stay home with the kiddos! Never ever (truly!) in my mind did I think I would opt out of my career since I took so much pride in being Little Ms. Independent.

One of my favorite books I read in my twenties is Sex vs. Power. It's all about women's struggle to catch up with men in business, politics, et al even in today's modern day society. Nature continues to hold us back preventing us from knocking down doors, breaking through glass ceilings and making the same amount of money as our male counterparts. We are risky investments when there is a greater than 50% chance we will opt out once the belly turns into a reproductive oven. I recall having the thought numerous times, 'no way...never me...I will always be financially providing for my family'.

Of course, everything changes when you start a family. Ahhhhhh, humility. I was at the peak of my real estate career and then I got pregnant. Once Emmett arrived, priorities changed. Summer 2007 in Seattle is when the market crashed and we didn't really start feeling the pain until 2008. Being a REALTOR was losing its appeal (more on this later) yet throughout this downward spiral my ego kept telling me, 'Jodi, this is what you do and you are going to continue doing it regardless of ups or downs.' Justin delicately asked me to reconsider my efforts multiple times and this conversation started sounding like a broken record. He was asking me to give up a part of myself and understood how much my professionalism meant to me, so the subject inevitably died. Once we found out about Anya's arrival, the conversation picked up in frequency and intensity. Many times we agreed to disagree and mentioned hiring a business coach.

So, I FINALLY called my wonderful friend, Tamra (www.tamrafleming.com), who has been coaching people for years. She is the most enlightened, grounded, non-judgmental friend I know. After 2 sessions with her, I knew this was the route I needed to go. For now, I am just enjoying the change and growth. It feels right. It's best for our kids. That's all I need to focus on for now. Anya. Emmett. Daddy. And we can never forget the puppies. Moi, too.

I am in this picture on daddy's chest!

My parents really like this photo! I love my family, but wonder, do they even know where we are in this shot? Are we lost?! What's next?

Oh, Anya, your mommy and daddy have lots of fun ideas planned for us in the future. You came to join us for the fun!

Is Anya destined to be a Cali girl?

With the warm weather in Palm Springs, I was so excited to pack cute, summery clothes for my daughter. I truly think I packed more clothes for her then me. No joke. Why this picture is precious to me is because it's Anya's first skirt ever to be worn. She looks natural in it, happy to be free with her cute, chubby legs hanging out. Mommy is really excited for the outfits in store...yippee!

We can't help but wonder if our precious daughter is going to be claiming her stake in The Golden State down the road. She is not even 5 months and she's been there twice. Who can blame her when the sun is always shining? Hopefully, it won't be in LA and as close as possible to the Pacific NW.

Palm Springs was the Best!

My first hike at Joshua Tree National Park! A great shot from daddy with the ubiquitous Yucca Tree in front!

My daddy and I have a special bond--he really loves me.

Here I am chillin' on the patio while the boys play hard in the pool. Mom, wanna hang together?

When daddy asked mommy, "what do you want for xmas?" her reply was "trip away just the four of us". Well, daddy sure did listen and pulled through BIG! He found a great deal on a swanky home that mommy was head over heels for, due to the mod factor and amazing outdoor space nestled up against the mountains.

Emmett loved the pool and hot tub, so much so he would swim multiple times a day. Daddy was simply happy to be away from the office. For me, it was heavenly to be in the warm water reminding me of long gone utero days. Oh, and Emmett was a lot nicer to me, too. I feel our sibling bond turned a corner and he no longer wants to eat me or pull my hair out. What a relief!

We experienced the desert like no other with hikes throughout Joshua Tree National Park, a visit to The Living Desert zoo, riding a tram up to 8500 feet (highest I have been at 4 months!) and most importantly, kicked back in the sun and swam our little hearts out. If I wasn't swimming, mommy and daddy had me lounging in my pack and play on the patio and covered from the sun. Happy happy baby and happy happy family! Let's go again!