Birmingham
My roots run deep in this beautiful, magic city as I am a Birmingham native, born and raised. I grew up in Homewood and graduated from Homewood High School in 2009. (Go Patriots!) With graduation approaching, I felt my heart being called to a different place. I had a strong urge to step out of my comfort zone and an itch to spread my wings elsewhere. Luckily, I found my home away from home in the small town of Berea, Kentucky, where I attended college for the next 4 years. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Sociology. After a summer-internship-turned-job-offer at Children’s Hospital here and a new-found love with my husband Taylor, Birmingham reeled me back in.
Fast forward eight years and we are two babies plus one local independent pharmacy in. We plan to call Birmingham our home for the long road ahead! We are an outdoor-loving family and we try to spend most of our free time exposing our boys to all of the beautiful things nature has to offer. On any given weekend you can find us in the woods, exploring dirt roads and hiking new trails. For that reason, one of the things I love most about Birmingham is the plethora of outdoor opportunities here! From parks to hiking trails, nature centers to camp grounds, rivers to lakes, mountain biking trails to the botanical gardens, our area has a wide variety of spaces that welcome time outside.
Another appealing Birmingham quality is its community support of locally owned and operated businesses. From clothing boutiques to independent pharmacies, book stores to coffee shops, plant nurseries to restaurants, and local farmers markets to ice cream shops, I love witnessing how the “shop local” movement continues to make waves here. It also provides the support my family needs to help our small business stay afloat.
Mom
Mama—It’s perhaps my favorite, most important role in this season of life and one that I do not take for granted. We have two sons, Franklin (4) and Amos Jon (17 mo), who keep us on our toes, laughing, and humbled to our core. (Since parenting doesn’t come with an instruction manual!) We constantly find ourselves embracing the challenge of figuring it all out as we go along. Navigating motherhood can be such a beautifully challenging task, especially when trying to balance working full time with the daily demands of family life.
Thankfully, we have a huge village of friends and family here in Birmingham. They play a vital role in our boys’ upbringing by constantly pulling together to provide a safe and encouraging environment for our them to thrive. Our tight-knit community here is another reason that Birmingham holds such a special place in my heart.
Birthing and raising two boys is one of the best and hardest jobs I’ve ever had, and it has been such an honor to parent and watch them grow. I’d be lying If I said that I didn’t fail every single day at being their mother. Yet, there is beauty in learning from mistakes and clinging to the hope of a fresh start with each sunrise. This sense of redemption and grace, along with the will to hold on tight to the good that each day brings, consistently carries me on this winding rode up and down the hills of motherhood.
Some of my favorite things about being a mom are having the opportunity to speak truth into my sons’ hearts, fostering a love for learning and exploring, and celebrating their differences. I hope to always teach them the value of kindness, respect, hard work, and the importance of believing in themselves.
Collective
I have always felt a sense of peace when getting my swarming thoughts and words down on paper. Throughout many seasons of life, writing has provided me somewhat of a therapeutic outlet for expression. I have never been a blogger or connected with other moms through writing, so I am very excited to be a part of this team! Motherhood can be extremely isolating at times. It has been important for me to surround myself with other moms who understand the ever changing seasons of parenthood. My hope is that my words and experiences as a full-time working mother will encourage others. I want to make them feel more connected to other moms here in Birmingham. I truly believe it takes a village to feel supported, encouraged, and understood. So, I am very grateful to be a part of this tribe of Birmingham moms.
