My favorite question from someone new is, "So, do you work?" There are so many ways to answer this question. I wonder which job they would like to know about. I could say, "No." But it would be false. I am at home most days, all day. And yet, I hold several diverse and interesting positions in this work place I call home. <br /><br />For starters, I am a teacher, and I choose to homeschool my children. This job takes a few hours each day, and some days I feel it is not my calling, and it is certainly not my favorite job. But those moments where I see the beautiful character traits my children have developed, it becomes WORTH IT. I do adore being with my two boys each day, and I can say that they are truly MY best teachers.<br /><br />I am also a cook. While I preferably cook from scratch, 3 times a day, 7 days a week, there are days I can't wait to rip open that box of easy mac-n-cheese and put a smile on my boys' faces! Cooking is a passion of mine, and I have been blessed to grown in this gift, as my children grown an inch a day! <br /><br />Another hat I wear is that of a nurse. I have never received a degree, though I come from a long line of "RNs". I could never bring myself to endure the sight of blood, until it came to my children's many "boo-boos". Just today, my youngest son came to me with 9 tiny splinters in his littlest finger. MOM TO THE RESCUE! I put on my Superwoman cape, grabbed my tweezers and a needle, and went to work. Our makeshift ER/Living Room was the perfect setting for my son's quick surgery, as he giggled to his favorite Disney show (part of my "distract-the-child" plan).&nbsp;<br /><br />My most favorite job, if I could even call it that, is helping and supporting my adoring husband. For 12 years, he worked countless hours, drained of sleep, to support our little family. Now that he is a full-time student for the 3rd time in his life, I am getting the opportunity to follow some of my dreams, while helping to carry the financial load. So, I get to write for a living. I could never see that as a job, as it truly is something I have always loved to do. I wrote my first book titled, My Life as a Pig, when I was in 5th grade. I even illustrated it! At the time, my family raised hogs for our 4-H projects, and you have never known love until you have loved a pig.<br /><br />From the beginning of time, I was a writer. I am a word-wielder, a dreamer, a life-lover, a lovely fighter. I am a woman who has learned some hard and beautiful things about life, and I absolutely love to help others see the hidden beauty. I believe words can transform lives, can free us from heavy burdens, can bring people together and make us feel that we are not alone in this great big world.&nbsp;<br /><br />I am an artist. I am an imperfect expression of a perfect love. My hands are my favorite way of expressing this love. My favorite days are the days I get to let my finger fly, like birds escaping a metal cage. Those days, I am truly free, and I am truly me.<br /><br /><br />