As I say below, not much to say about me. I did think of one thing that is a bit unusual.
When my sister and I were born my mother gave us the same middle names - Lynna.
When my sister and I had dauaghters of our own we also gave them same middle name (Lynna).
We hope that when our daughters grow up and perhaps have daughters they will carry on the tradition.



Not a lot to say about me really, a pretty normal life.

I went to college and now "I'll have a career" thing, even achieved some modest success, finally making it to mid-management.

During all this husband and kids happened. I think, deep down, I always knew I wanted to stop working after the kids came along. But I felt stuck, after all we had a mortgage , car payments, etc. How could I be a "stay at home Mom"?.

Plus, I was vain, I was proud of myself in the work arena. I had worked hard and had allowed my job to become a big part of my "identity".

I didn't even realize that I was sacrificing time raising and nurturing my children. I thought I was a good Mom. I didn't realize I was neglecting my husband, not giving him the support and encouragement he needed from his wife.

However, some years ago, I had an accident, which put me on long-term disability through my workplace.

During that time I had an epiphany of sorts. I didn't know my children like I thought I did, they needed more of my time and attention.

My husband needed more time time to talk things out, he needed encouragement. I didn't realize that he had doubts about some of his abilities, he was worried he was not supporting his family the way he thought a "man" should. He had started working on his master's degree and wondered if he had what it took to make it through.

During my recovery, I developed new interests and activities. I joined a woman's prayer group, tried my hand at gardening, learned new recipes, spent more time getting to know my children's friends and their families, getting to know my neighbors better, lots of things. Not only did I discover I loved staying at home, I was good at it, just being a Mom.

I also discovered that where I had thought I was irreplaceable to my job. I was, in fact completely replaceable. My job didn't need me, I had needed it.

As luck would have it, part of being on long-term disability is that you must apply for social security disability benefits through the federal government. I didn't think much would come of it, but I was accepted. Now I could still contribute financially to the household AND stay at home. I jumped on it. Resigned my job in a heartbeat and became officially a "stay at home Mom". It was one of the best thing that ever happened to me.

It's funny, when people meet you, one of the first things they ask you is "what do you do?". If you say you are a housewife they always look at you with a bit of pity, like you are some kind of underachiever. I COULD CARE LESS.

Congressman Allen West.