The good life

I posted a status the other day on facebook askin for ideas of things I could do to earn money from home.  I said the reason I can't really have a traditional job out of the home is because of our schedule with Gavin.  I've had people ask me about that, and so I thought maybe I'd elaborate a little.  While I figure most people shouldn't care, because we are of course adults, who can make our own decisions, I know other people (family included!) who have expressed concern over us not making very much money, yet still living on only one income. 
In today's world, material things seem to be a high priority.  People think they need things to survive that really, if you took a look at it, are definitely luxuries.  I know there are people who absolutely need to have both parents working full time jobs to make it day to day, and these people are awesome -- because I can't imagine doing this full time job of being a stay at home mom on top of a full time (or even part time for that matter) outside the home job.  If it was necessary, I would do it.  But since I'm not in that situation, I can't imagine what it would be like.  Being a mom is tough. 
If our situation was a little different, who knows what I would be doing.  If we only had Sophie, maybe I'd be working.  Even then, as Ernie and I have discussed, the majority of my salary would most likely be going toward daycare for her.  Something that doesn't seem to make all that much sense...seeing as how neither of us has a college degree, we don't have unlimited earning potential (kids, stay in school!!!).  However, we don't just have Sophie.  We have Gavin, too, who is a huge blessing but also takes some juggling with schedules. :)  We have Gavin 5 days at a time, which of course includes some school days.  I drive out to pick him up, and on school days, I take him to school and pick him up when school is over.  This has me driving around at different hours, and its a good thing I can because Ernie wouldn't be able to do it with work.  If I were to get a job outside the home, where would that leave us with Gavin?  Sure, Sophie could be easily covered in daycare during working hours (not an attractive option, but not impossible).  But the reality of the situation is that we would be reduced to having Gavin every other weekend, and that is it. 
That's not acceptable to us. 
We do struggle to get by...as most people seem to be doing.  While some people have acted as if we are poor decision makers for living on a small amount and letting me stay home and "do nothing", I just say we have far different priorities.  Are our priorities different than others in this 'day and age'?  Probably.  In order of importance to Ernie and I are:

1) God
2) Spouse
3) Children
4) Others

Material possessions and money are much farther down the list. :)  Is it hard to go without some things? Yeah, definitely.  Our culture shoves so much in your face that its easy to think "oooh, I want that".  But would it be harder to go without such a huge part of our family (our sweet little Gavin)? 100% yes!  I will take penny pinching and coupon clipping and going without 'necessities' like fancy phones, and TV, and new cars, and vacations, etc. to have our family be able to spend time together. 
No amount of money in the world would make it okay for us to give up the life we have now.