Birmingham Moms Blog :: Introducing Lori

Birmingham

I’ve lived in Birmingham for 40 years, and it’s taken me nearly this long to figure out Birmingham is home. Actually, it took moving to Houston for five years and then moving back to realize it. After living in such a huge city, I now consciously appreciate the beautiful mountains and the vibrant green everything turns after a spring rain. I love the crisp snap in the air on late September nights that smell like football (just me?). I love the friendly people, my short commute, and the fact that summer here is only three months long (it’s closer to nine months in Houston). I love all the cool restaurants and microbreweries that popped up while I was away and the fact that, despite all the change, it still feels like Birmingham.

Moms

My husband Michael and I were high school sweethearts and just celebrated our thirty-second anniversary. We are parents to one adult daughter, and believe me, we got here the hard way. Adoption was a long, hard road for us, filled with stops and starts. But at the end of a two-year wait, we knew it had been worth it. Our beautiful baby girl could not have been more physically different — a tall, blue-eyed Goldilocks to our brunette, brown-eyed, short duo — but we definitely click as a family. We share a sense of humor and an optimistic view of life that makes it easy for us to enjoy each other’s company . . . now. 

I’ve always been a working mom — and now a working grandma — and while it was challenging, I never doubted it was the right choice for me and my family. Some days, I even find myself missing those crazy drop-off-to-work-meeting-to-pick-up-to-volleyball days, but not very often. We’re empty-nesters now and enjoying it much more than we expected. We love to travel, especially on a good road trip. Of course, a two-year-old granddaughter around doesn’t hurt either. She’s a rambunctious, amped-up version of her mother, and we love having her around!

Blog

I’ve been writing since middle school — typically notes to the girls behind me in algebra class — and work as a writer now. It’s my favorite way of communicating my thoughts and ideas, and I’m so excited to be part of  the Birmingham Moms Blog community. Mothering — parenting — is hard, and this diverse group of moms who are willing to share their stories is a great source of guidance and comfort. Though my child is “grown and flown,” I think I have stories to share with younger mothers. Not because I think I have ancient wisdom to impart (definitely not the case!), but because sometimes just hearing, “See, we’ve all been there!” is a huge relief.