Omaha Moms Blog :: Introducing Audra

Omaha

I’ve lived in Omaha (Papillion) for almost one year. I love that Omaha is big enough that there are plenty of festivals, shopping, restaurants, playgrounds, and parks to choose from, but it’s still small enough that the people are friendly and community-minded. Our family has fallen into place fairly easily, finding a church we love, neighbors we can trust, and friends with relative ease. I tell everyone that if it weren’t for the weather, I’d think I was back in the South! (I’m a Tennessee girl originally.)

Moms

We are slogging through the tween years at my house. Our son, Aidan, is twelve and preparing to begin middle school in August, and our daughter, Neely, is nine — going on 25! When my children were younger, I spent a lot of time forward-focused. “If only we can get through ____, this will get easier.” Fill in that blank with whatever parenting challenge you’re dealing with right now —colic, breastfeeding, potty training, backtalk, refusing to do homework.

On the flip side, there is something wonderful to cherish about our children in every age — the two year old who wants to be held as she falls asleep at nap-time, the four year old who rules the roost in nothing but his underpants, the six year old who triumphantly reads the bedtime story to you for the first time. I’ve finally learned to quit wishing time away and enjoy my children, just as they are right now.

Blog

I have been searching for ways to further connect with my Omaha community, and I was thrilled to be chosen as a contributor for Omaha Moms Blog. As a military spouse, I have an interesting perspective on parenting, because sometimes, we operate as a two-parent team, while at other times, I completely empathize with single moms. 

In all the places we’ve called home, I have met a lot of mamas, all with different parenting styles. I have come to appreciate that none of our differences make any of us a more superior (or inferior) mom. Rather, we should strive to be better together. You’re a home-school mom, and I dig public school? Cool. I like homemade, and you prefer store bought? We can still be friends. I hear “Yanny,” and you hear “Laurel.” It’s not a deal-breaker. We need to stick together and root for one another’s success, because for this parenting gig, it truly does take a village.

Audra
A Tennessee girl by birth, Audra has been following a man in uniform around the country for 14 years. She’s a mother of two “tweens” – Aidan (12) and Neely (9) – who has now called six different states home, landing in Omaha in July 2017. If anybody knows how to get to the heart of a town and find all the best activities for her family, it’s a military spouse! Audra’s passion is for travel, and she works from home as a travel agent, specializing in Disney destinations, cruises, and all-inclusive vacations. Other hobbies include running, soccer mom-ing, yoga, cooking, binge-watching old episodes of Friends, and exploring her latest hometown!