Birmingham
As a small-town girl from rural Livingston, Alabama, I grew up in a slow-paced, ride your bike to town, climbing trees, wide-open spaces, know everyone, and listen to the crickets at night kind of setting. Even though most of the time there wasn’t anything going on, there was always something to do if you were creative. My friends and I spent countless days wandering through trails we made through the woods, playing shark or doing tricks off of the now-removed diving board at the country-club pool, or just spending entire days outside with nothing more than each other and our imaginations. I have always known that I wanted to plant my roots and raise a family in the hospitable and charming South so that my children could hopefully experience similar warm memories.
After living in Tuscaloosa for 12 years, my husband got a new job offer in Sylacauga, which meant we would need to move. I was initially anxious; we were leaving the first house we bought together, our church, neighbors we absolutely adored, long-time friends, and would be a little farther from family. The thought of starting over in a new place with new jobs and two babies felt a bit daunting but a little exciting, too. I had been praying for big things in our life and was seeing those prayers answered one by one.
We were so thankful that of all the places we could have relocated to, we ended up here. Birmingham provides the perfect balance of adventure and comfort; we are able to constantly find something new and fun to do as a family or for date night, while still having the laid-back life of just sitting quietly on our back porch enjoying the cooler night air. While The ‘Ham has only been home for us for eight months, we have settled in and know that we are right where we are supposed to be. I am so thankful for all of the fun memories we are already making in the Magic City!
Moms
In 2006, my husband and I were just neighbors in our small, college apartment complex in Livingston. Upon everyone else’s departure for the summer, we stayed put for work and school. What began as a fun friendship of shared meals and movies eventually led to the blessing of being able to marry my best friend in my dream beach wedding in October 2011. Together we love traveling, trying new activities (he’ll never admit I’m better at kayaking, but I totally am), and trying new restaurants. I’m just going to go ahead and tell you we love food; we are a family full of champion eaters.
We are parents to Marin, an expressive and sassy Disney-loving three-year-old girl, and Meyer, a curious and fearless one-year-old boy. They are total opposites of one another, just like my husband and me, and are the joy of our lives. Each of their entrances into the world was a beautiful and empowering celebration of faith and strength, and they inspired me to start a business to support other mothers and families wishing for similar experiences. I founded By Design Birth Doula Services in 2017 with the belief that childbirth is perfectly and wonderfully designed, and that it is an opportunity for mothers to discover and use their innate strengths and abilities to achieve their best and most positive birth possible and carry that confidence into parenthood. It is a great honor to be trusted to walk alongside these mothers and families as they prepare to meet their babies and transition to life at home, and I have been blown away and incredibly blessed by the opportunities here in Birmingham.
Blog
I have always enjoyed meeting and sharing stories with others, and I believe that every person has a story to tell, and something to learn. I don’t know that I’m the greatest writer, but I am truly thankful for the opportunity to contribute to Birmingham Moms Blog. It is such a great platform and resource for encouragement, local information, support, and good old-fashioned fun.
Uplifting others is what I was created to do. I’m also blunt to a fault, and sometimes a bit silly. I like to share everything from personal stories to DIYs and how-tos, and I enjoy passing on great deals, fun treats, and life hacks. I could probably be described as both hyper-focused and all over the place (thank goodness for my ever-growing pile of lists). So although my topics may have a wide range, I intend to always represent sincerity while celebrating joy and holding space for the hard things, too.
I am so excited to be a part of a community that honors every season of motherhood, and I am looking forward to learning more about our city and connecting with all of you!
