Hi. My name is Shannon and I am a wife of over 22 years and a mom to 3 active boys (is there any other kind?!). I think you can sum up my life (and any parent’s life, really) with this quote from comedian Jim Gaffigan. He said:
“You know what it’s like having four kids? Imagine you’re drowning. And someone hands you a baby.” -Jim Gaffigan
I may only have 3 kids (and I hear Jim Gaffigan now has 5!!), but most days I do feel like I am drowning! Between the mess and the tears and the diapers and the homework and the sports and the Legos and how they always want things like breakfast and dinner, life feels pretty chaotic around here.
But you know what I have learned? There can be joy in the chaos. And even the hardships. I live with a chronic illness (as do my children) and I have struggled with anxiety and depression as long as I can remember. But I know there can be more to me and my life than that. I don’t have to live under the weight of life’s circumstances.
Everyone struggles. Everyone has hardships. But we can experience joy (and even laughter and fun?!) in the midst of all of that.
It’s not easy, but I am working on filling my life and my days with the kids with more joy and laughter. Whether that’s a family fun activity, an outing around the San Francisco Bay Area, a funny game that has us in stitches or a full fledged party for a birthday or holiday, this blog is a record of my attempt at making memories with my kids and my husband and helping us live above our circumstances. And who doesn’t want that? Who doesn’t want to be more fun and playful with their kids? Who doesn’t want their kids to look back on their childhood and say that their childhood wasn’t perfect but it was full of joy and laughter?!
So that’s the goal. But like my blog name says, I am (and my joy is) “in the works” because I am a work in progress. Thankfully, I am God’s work in progress and I know he isn’t finished with me yet.
So if you are “in the works” too and you are looking for more joy and laughter in your home (and life!), come along for the ride! You can sign up for emails on my home page (in the sidebar), you can send me an email through my contact page or you can follow me on social media (just search @joyintheworks on all of them!) I love hearing from people and hearing their struggles and how they are seeking out the good life! We can achieve it together as long as we are seeking it the right way! =)
P.S. The perfect family picture above? A total lie! If you look closely enough, you can tell the baby is screaming hysterically (as he and both his brothers did for the first few months of their lives) Just proof of our imperfection and my willingness to share it with the world! ;)
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