Birmingham
One question I’m asked pretty frequently is “Do you like living in Alabama?” I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, and honestly never saw myself ever leaving the Pacific Northwest. That is, until I met Landon, my (now) husband – a travel nurse from Alabama who happened to end up on the other side of the country for an assignment.
We met on Valentine’s Day in 2015 at a young adult Bible study, and quickly learned that we had mutual friends through church. One of these friends had already filled me in on Landon’s situation, and despite the fact that I looked like a mega stalker who already knew his life’s story, he was interested in getting to know me. Three months later, he brought me to Birmingham to meet his family and to propose, and three months after that, we were married. Talk about a whirlwind!
That first encounter with the Birmingham area was quite memorable, to say the least. From feeling suffocated by the heat and humidity, to getting bitten by chiggers at a nearby Christian camp, this city girl felt completely out of her element. Yet here we are, nine years later, and I can’t imagine a better place to be raising our children.
We moved back to the area at the end of 2019 to be closer to family. Let me tell you, it has been the greatest blessing to watch our sons grow up around cousins their age. Over the past four years, we’ve built memories discovering our favorite parks to visit, splash pads to beat the heat, and even beautiful places to hike! So yes, I’d have to say I do like living in Alabama, and it has become home.
Mom
I am a proud (and exhausted!) stay-at-home boy mom to our two sons, Ronin (6) and Westin (3). We homeschool and are part of a wonderful Classical Conversations Community in Hoover, where I tutor the Abecedarian class. Did I mention this class is made up of seven boys? Apparently I’m equipped to handle all the extra energy!
While I always longed to be a mother, I never imagined how intensely sanctifying motherhood would actually be. If you have any attitudes that need to be worked on, areas of selfishness, or perhaps even impatience, your children will inevitably bring those traits out in you. I try not to pray for patience anymore because our boys seem to test me extra when I do! Rather, I pray for wisdom and the strength to be the mom they need me to be, and every day is a work in progress.
I am so grateful for our two boys and to have the opportunity to watch them grow in their brother bond. The brother dynamic is completely new to myself and to my husband, as we both grew up with sisters. They’ll pick at each other one minute, then join forces to destroy something for absolutely no reason the next. Plus, they’ll ask for food all the seconds in between! It’s constant. It’s chaos. I never know if I’m about to get a hug or a body slam. But I wouldn’t change a thing.
Collective
I’m excited to return as a contributing writer for Birmingham Mom Collective after a brief hiatus away. I originally joined as the Social Media Manager back in March of 2022, and enjoyed making connections with so many other local moms through DMs on Instagram, Park Hop events, and BMC get togethers. It was so encouraging to meet other women in a similar stage of life because we mamas need to know that we are not alone!
During my time away from BMC, I’ve engaged in a number of homesteading activities to create a healthier lifestyle for me and my family. My hope is to encourage other moms to also learn new skills through sharing my experiences and insight. I’m looking forward to writing about ways you can homestead in Birmingham (even if you don’t have land!), and highlighting opportunities to buy local and support our local farmers.
There’s no right or wrong way to homestead, and it’s not merely an aesthetic. You don’t have to do it all, and you don’t have to do it all at once. So whether you want to try baking your own bread, canning your own food, or growing your own veggies, I hope you’ll find joy in providing true nourishment for those you love!
