How Much Is Too Much

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 3 Comments

Thanks for all your kind words about my photog business.  It has been in the making for a long time and I am happy to finally have it be “official.”  I certainly won’t get rich-as my availability is quite limited–as I have two kids, go to school, serve on the board of a non-profit, am learning how to write grants and serve as webmaster/designer for my mom’s website.  I swear that I also enjoy my husbands company.  It’s a shame we rarely get any quality time together. 

I was talking with hubby yesterday about my photog business and he quietly laughed and said that I must not think 5 jobs was enough.  I looked at him and he listed them….

“mom, wife, student, EOR board member/grant writer, webmaster, and now photographer.”

I had to remind him that I am not content unless I am doing all that I can.  I love being a wife and mother but neither of those things are fulfilling in and of themselves.  They bring me great joy but not enough to make me feel “complete.”  I love working with EOR and that is an awesome responsibility and pleasure.  It will keep me busy but there is more.  I don’t even want to talk about school.  It has become such a part of who I am as a person.  I have been in school the entire 12 years that my husband and I have been together.  I know he  is waiting for the day that he can know me as a non-student.  Webmaster for my mom is less of a job and more of an obligation.  But it’s really only something that I have to do two or three times a year.  So that’s not too bad. 

I think my hubby worries that I am taking on too much.  My photog business is going to be very relaxed and I only hope to do a few sessions a month.  Nothing major.  I know I don’t have a lot of time, but this is something that I have hoped and wanted to do since Noah came home and I really got back into photography again–I did go to school for it for a couple years.  I finally feel like I am nurturing my whole self. Like I have something for all the parts of me.  Maybe it will be too much.  Maybe I will become successful at it–I know I am already successful with taking pictures, but you know what I mean. 

I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I don’t want to wake up and wonder “What could have been.”  That would suck.

There Is No Relaxing When You Have Two Kids

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / 4 Comments

You must constantly be on your game and watching.  I love having two kids and those who know me well know that I want more, but today was our first activity outing with two kids and it really is different watching out for two–even though one isn’t really mobile. 

We had an awesome gathering of our St. Louis Ethiopian Kids Community.  We had a pretty good turnout–about 10 families and it was nice as all of our kids were relatively young.  Noah thinks he is older and enjoyed wrestling with the older boys.  We then went to the pool–one of our amazing families offered up their vacation home and the complex has a pool.  Noah and Zoë had an absolute blast.  Just so you know–Zoë floats. It was pretty cool.  Noah had such a great time jumping into the pool and putting his head under the water.  We moved back and forth between the baby pool and the big pool.  He is fearless and didn’t want to leave. 

We are really lucky to live in a place where we have a network of families with kids from Ethiopia.  It will be invaluable to our children and to us as our kids grow up. 

Who Doesn’t Like Discounts?

/ Dawn Kasal-Finley / Leave a comment

Some of you may already know about Macy’s Shop For a Cause.  It is a great program that allows non-profit organization (Like EOR) to raise money and for you–the shopper to get 20% off at Macy’s on Septembe 20, 2008.  We are selling these at our EOR store–the cost is a $5 donation to EOR and then you get a great coupon to use at any Macy’s for 20% off on Sept 20.  Aweomse, NO?

So head on over to the EOR store–or leave me a comment here with contact info (email addy) and I will sell one to you with all proceeds going to EOR.  Your donation will be put to incredibly great use.