This month’s MOTM will say it best in her own words (read below), but F4MLOU is all about community. We are here for you in all stages of your life. Whether it be with or without kids, morning or night, in person or virtual - we have your back. Our October mama does a beautiful job of articulating how life has adjusted for her over the years and how the Village has been there to support that. Thank you Liz for being an integral part of that Village - it takes all of us to make it amazing!
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Tell us about your family: I grew up in Louisville and went to Collegiate from Kindergarten through 12th grade. I have 1 older brother, 1 younger brother and 1 younger sister. I have 3 kids: Lucy (6), Audrey (3) and Dylan (1). My husband's name is Jonathan and he is from Gadsden, Alabama. We met in college at the University of Alabama - ROLL TIDE!
Current/Previous career: Spanish Teacher at Collegiate. I also have worked in Spanish Advertising.
What was your childhood ambition? I wanted to be a teacher like my mom.
What does motherhood mean to you? Being a mom is something I had always looked forward to. I never thought that it would be so challenging for me to become a mom. I went through countless fertility drugs, 7 IUIs, 4 IVF procedures and a lot of emotional, physical and mental struggles. We were finally able to get pregnant with a frozen transfer for Lucy and later for Audrey. Dylan is our "Ray of Hope" (that is what his name means), because I was able to get pregnant with him on my own after many years of infertility. I never thought that it would be possible for me to get pregnant without IVF help. Motherhood is something that I will never take for granted. It can be challenging but also rewarding. Being a mom is my number one job and the struggles to get there were totally worth it.
What is the furthest you have been away from home? Spain
What is your favorite thing to do as a family? Watch Alabama Football games together and play outside together
What is something about you that someone may not know? I am bilingual
What is your favorite healthy and unhealthy food? healthy - oatmeal bites from the BW cookbook - unhealthy - ice cream
What is your favorite color? red
What is your favorite song or artist? Juanes
What TV shows are you currently watching? I just finished Virgin River over the summer and can't wait for the next season!
Proudest moment: Giving birth to my children.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us: I love wakeboarding, wakesurfing and sailing!
How did you find FIT4MOM? I had just had my first daughter Lucy and wanted to start working out again but I knew that I needed to find a workout that I could bring a stroller to. So I did a Google search for stroller workout or something of that nature and up popped the F4MLOU page! I went to my first workout and was hooked and the rest is history. This was when we still had classes at Seneca park - I miss those days!
How has FIT4MOM changed your life? Fit4Mom has always been my "mom group". The group that I go to for any advice or recommendations. It is my community of friends to lean on. We all love and support each other so much. It is amazing how easy it is to find someone in our group who is currently going through the same struggles as you or has been through them and can offer advice. The F4M community takes care of its people and is so welcoming. I joined F4M first with Stroller Strides and loved being able to workout with moms like me, have my baby with me and enjoy social time with great friends. Then I got pregnant with Audrey and joined Fit4baby, which also proved to be an amazing program. I loved having a group of women to go through pregnancy with and lean on when I had any worries or questions. I also loved the workouts too which kept me active during pregnancy. I did Fit4Baby again with Dylan and even though it was virtual, I still greatly enjoyed the experience. This past summer, I joined Body Well for the first time ever and I can't believe how amazing it was! I had a wonderful group, instructor and partner who all encouraged me to get back to my consistent workout schedule. When I had my third child, it was so hard to make time for a workout because I couldn't pop all 3 kids into the stroller and hit stroller strides. Body Well helped me set time aside for myself early every morning so that I could have some "me time" to give me energy to start my day.
Favorite exercise: High knees and anything involving the ladders or hurdles at 360!
Favorite virtual class: 360
October questions:
Pumpkins - carve or paint? Visit the patch or pick up at the grocery store? carve, pumpkin patch
Best Halloween costume you ever had? Dracula's wife
Scary movies or Halloween cartoons? Scary movies
What’s your favorite Halloween candy? Reese's pumpkins
Quick 5 with the kiddos:
How old is mommy? 27
What is something mom always says to you? "Buckle up Duckle up"
What is mom really good at? Cooking
What is mom's favorite thing to do? Snuggle
What makes you proud of your mom? When she makes Halloween cookies!