Birmingham
I have lived here all my life. Born in Birmingham, I was raised in the small town of Alabaster where I currently reside with my family. I enjoyed my childhood of growing up in the south and love the fact that I get to share it with my children! We have so many places and things to explore with your kids, family, and friends. This city has history and has grown tremendously over the years. I consider Birmingham to be a great place to be a mom and raise your family. The southern hospitality and family oriented atmosphere brings a family feel. Between coffee shops, ice cream parlors, parks, restaurants, and entertainment, you can always find something to do in the city.
Mom
Mom life is the best life! I get the honor of being called “mom” by six beautiful children. Being a mom is definitely a part of my purpose! I am, by far, not an expert, but I like to say that “I am true to this, not new to this!” (Hah!) My oldest is, Arayna, she is 24 and full of life, traveling around the world. Next in line is my oldest son, Treyvin. He is 19, with lots of optimism and a big, kind heart. Then we had Trentin, he is 18. He’s very outgoing and ready to take on the world. I like to say we have two sets of kids; these three are our older kids, and then we have our younger set of kids.
Fast forward a big gap and we are on to our fourth child, my second daughter, Amirah. She is 11 years old and bright as a star. Then we have our third daughter, Aria. She is eight years old, full of love and joy, my sunshine. Last but not least—our caboose—my brave little man Trace. He is five years old and ready for adventure, with no fear. (He is definitely in the daredevil stage.) This thing called “motherhood” is a journey that I love and enjoy so much, but it could not be accomplished without coffee and a whole lot of Jesus.
Each stage of motherhood teaches us something while creating excitement for the next one. From late night feedings, to taking first steps, to starting kindergarten, to graduating, each milestone holds a special, priceless memory.
The “supermom” mentality was definitely a challenge for me. While I love being a mom and any act of service brings me joy, I would often find myself putting self care last. Over the years I have learned that in order to give my best I have to be at my best, mentality, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Collective
I am so super excited to be a part of Birmingham Mom Collective to connect, inspire and encourage moms through writing by sharing my story of motherhood. Writing is a way of expression, so, being a creative, writing is another form of art to me. I would even call it an outlet, and at times I would call it my therapy! Let’s face it, we don’t want to do this mom life alone. We all need that other mom to give a word of encouragement; we need to know there’s someone cheering us on.
My hope and prayer is that my story and years of motherhood will inspire other moms by giving them hope and courage. My experiences range from raising infants to parenting young adults, having a special needs child, and continuing to go after my personal passions. You are a mom on purpose. My motto is for every mom during any stage of motherhood is “Be bold and brave!”
