Omaha
I grew up in Blair, NE about 20 minutes north of Omaha. I loved living in a small town, but came into the “big” city whenever I had the chance. Omaha has culture, life, excitement, and still feels like a close-knit community. My husband grew up near Chicago. When he arrived in Nebraska, he was shocked by how genuine and friendly the people were. One of the first things he ever asked me was, “Do people really hold the door for you all the time?” The people of Omaha smile and wave at strangers. They hold the door open for people who don’t even have their hands full. They offer to help a mother carry groceries to her van when their toddler is having a meltdown. The people of Omaha are kind. I love raising my children to respect and care for others. I want my kids to put others first. Growing up here they can witness this first hand.
Moms
My husband, Jonathan, and I have four kiddos. Isaac is five. Isaac is the most determined person I have ever met. He has this passion and fire that I pray becomes a motivator for him to do good in the world. If he finds something that he believes in, that child can move mountains. Elijah is three. He is the quintessential middle child. Eli loves to antagonize, joke, and follow his own set of rules. He takes after his daddy in that way. Eli loves his siblings and would spend all day snuggling his sister, despite her desire to sleep and eat. Elizabeth (aka Cutie Pie) is our angel baby. We lost Elizabeth at 16 weeks gestation. Losing a child is something I would not wish on my worst enemy. Anna is almost 6 months. She is our rainbow baby. Anna was due a year to the day of when we lost Elizabeth. She is a blessing to everyone. Anna is calm and sweet. She is patient with her in-her-face brothers. Her smile can melt the heart of anyone.
I love being a mom. I love the bond that I have with my children. To have someone that you would literally walk through fire for is astounding. Growing up, I think I always assumed that when you had kids you had no freedom, no friends, no fun. It almost seemed like you lost your life. Now that I have kids, I know that not to be true. I had no life before my kids because they are my life. They are my everything. Yes, there are days when I wish I could just have an hour to myself. But, I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my time.
Blog
I have always loved writing. I remember as a child sneaking notebooks into my room at night in the hopes of writing the next great American novel. I am an introvert in person, tending to put up walls between myself and others. Yet, when I write I don’t hold anything back. It is my way of expression – sometimes sarcastic, sometimes teaching (I’m a speech pathologist by trade), sometimes genuine, sometimes just conversational. I am excited to share my experiences and myself with the Omaha Moms Blog community.
