Birmingham
I grew up in Birmingham, and I absolutely loved our neighborhood. I have always enjoyed dancing, singing, and running, and our school system provided plenty of opportunities for those activities. I moved to Tuscaloosa in 2008 to attend the University of Alabama. After graduation, my heart longed to return to Birmingham, but my husband had a great job in Tuscaloosa. 11 years later, my husband’s job transferred us back to the Birmingham area, and we were thrilled!
I anticipated an easy, smooth transition since I had lived here for 15 years, but I quickly learned a lot had changed in Birmingham over the course of 11 years. (Hello Highway 280!) Moving into an older home that needed more work than we anticipated was not easy. Throw on top of that a nine month old who had just mastered crawling. Let’s just say it took some time to adjust, but we know this is where we are meant to be!
I have been back in Birmingham for four years now, and I love Birmingham even more than I did when I was growing up. Thanks to Birmingham Mom Collective’s guides, I am continually discovering new parks and amazing outdoor spaces in the Birmingham area! Being outdoors is one of my favorite activities, and the kids love it just as much. Birmingham truly is a beautiful place to live, with plenty of activities to do and great people to meet.
Mom
Do not let my head shot fool you! My everyday attire is messy hair, yesterday’s makeup, and athletic clothes. I stay at home with our daughter Lily Grace (four years) and son Isaac (23 months). Lily Grace is my firecracker, always loud and full of life. Isaac must think her spunk and confidence is the standard, because he is just as adventurous and joyful. I love seeing their personalities grow as their bodies do. I cannot help but laugh when I hear their catchphrases and think, “You got that from your mama!” or “That’s definitely your daddy.” They bring so much life and noise to our home that it’s hard to fathom our days any other way.
I have wanted to be a mom since I was a little girl. My mom still has a picture of my five-year-old self lying in bed asleep, surrounded by baby dolls. Nurturing and loving people is so fulfilling to me. Now that I have my own babies, I can attest there is no other place I would rather be than with my family.
Goodness gracious though, some days are just hard! I truly believe that God uses our nine months of pregnancy to help us realize we are capable of unimaginable, hard, amazing things. We experience what seems physically impossible, so that later we can remember that what seems impossible in motherhood is possible. My current seemingly-impossible challenge is trying to keep all of us healthy. My children absolutely love each other, and they love to share their germs, too! Between childcare and a teething toddler, we are continually navigating sickness in our home. It can be so challenging to adjust expectations, schedules, and childcare. (I am sure you can relate!) Though sickness is never fun, I will enjoy all the snuggles while I still can get them.
Collective
I am passionate about creating and living a life that I love with people that I love. I want my home to be a place that friends and family enjoy, somewhere they find refreshment amid busy schedules. I look forward to sharing motherhood tips and tricks, making our homes fun places to be, and bringing joy back into motherhood with you all.
Being a mom can be the loneliest job sometimes, which is why we need to be part of something bigger– like a collective. We are not the only ones wiping snotty noses and packing school lunches while navigating our everyday lives. I look forward to reminding all of us that it is absolutely possible to thrive in this chaotic thing called motherhood. I cannot wait to meet you, even if it is just on the pages of the internet!
