Birmingham
Birmingham has been my home for the last 14 years. I moved here from Montgomery as a 20-year-old to marry my husband while he attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After he graduated, we chose to stay in this city we fell in love with because of its rich history, fantastic food scene, plethora of activities, and the friends we have made. This city is full of people and places that all enhance my experience as a mom through the community I have established and the family-friendly activities we enjoy.
I love to spend time with my family exploring our city! Whether we are seeing animals at the Birmingham Zoo, enjoying parks and creeks around our community, playing sports, or exploring a new bookstore or coffee shop, we enjoy the endless opportunities for family time and adventures. And with Oak Mountain State Park literally in our backyard, we have tons of opportunities for many outdoor adventures available any time. We also love to try new local restaurants and support the small business community however we can.
Mom
Becoming a mother rocked my world in ways I never imagined. It’s the most rewarding, as well as hardest, job I’ve ever chosen to take on. I’m so thankful to God for my three blessings. My kids are now 9, 6, and 3 years old, and they all bring such joy, happiness, worry, laughter, stress, and love in their own ways. Motherhood is full of many emotions and it’s hard to keep up with all of them. I enjoy the love my kids all have for one another and pray it continues throughout their lives.
Motherhood continues to show me so many ways in which I fall short of perfection. I am someone who always wants everything to be a certain way and for nothing to be out of place. And oh boy, babies definitely taught me that wouldn’t always be happening! Even now, after three children, I’m still learning that it’s okay if I don’t look as put together as another mom or my home doesn’t look like it should be in a magazine. My children are happy, healthy, and lack for nothing when it comes to a loving family life. Challenges of motherhood will always be present and I strive to remember that with my faith in God, the love of my husband, the joy of my children, and the support of my friends, I can make it through anything that comes my way.
Collective
I wrote for the Birmingham Mom Collective (BMC) about 2 years ago and loved the experience. After stepping away for a while to focus on my young kids, I wanted to begin writing with BMC again because I love the encouragement and support I have been given through this community and want to pass it along to others. In writing for BMC, I truly hope that my experience as a mom to multiple children, being a two-time overcomer of postpartum depression, my journey of learning to care for me so I can care for them, and my love of books and organization will somehow aid another mom in her motherhood experience. No woman should ever feel alone in navigating the role of mom. I’m hopeful that my story and contributing posts can help at least one other woman out there as she lives out her own motherhood journey.
