Des Moines Moms Blog has added more voices to our amazing team!
In September we put out an open call for additional writers; and after a lengthy and difficult selection process, we are honored to introduce you to our newest contributors. These mamas have remarkable stories, talents, and passions to share; and we can’t wait for you to get to know them!
Meet Marti
I guess you could say I’m a work in progress. Aren’t we all? It seems like just when I’ve “figured out” what I’m doing, something changes which makes me second guess myself all over again. The tag line of my personal blog reads, “Living life precariously between wedgie wars and warrior training.” This means two things. First, I’ve become intimately familiar with the technical details of wedgies. Second, I’m attempting to influence the lives of three small humans. Hopefully for the best. I’ve quickly come to realize I fall very short of perfection and can only cling to the grace offered to me by my Savior, Jesus Christ, to help me be the best mommy I can to our three boys.
I met my husband Josh in 1999 at Iowa State University. He was the guy my friends and I decided looked like Matt Damon and who also conveniently lined up outside my dorm room window every day for food service. I snagged him. We got married in 2000 and are the parents of three sons, Caleb (11), Aiden (9), and Ethan (7). He’s now an architect with JCorp in Huxley and can bust out a sweet lick on the guitar. We’ve written a few songs together. He sings. I watch.
My degree is in advertising and I feel fortunate to have had freelance work I can do from home, in my pajamas. We also homeschool our boys which takes up most of my day and is always a convenient excuse for the dust accumulating on my shelves. I love all things baking and cooking. I inherited that from my Grandma June who could whip up a batch of cookies in the amount of time it takes you to read this post. I also enjoy photography and love sitting down to read a good book. The reading part comes from my Grandma Pat. I loathe dusting, see above.
My house is a breeding ground for testosterone-influenced experiments and noises. I never believed I’d be the mother of three energetic boys but, you see, this is what God does. He shows us how much better He knows us than we could ever know ourselves. He knew my funny bone would be tickled by all of the bodily noises, my heart melted by little boy squeezes, and my mind boggled by their never ceasing curiosity. (“Mom, can I use the extra trampoline bars to make a hang glider?”) I love these boys!
I’m honored to be a part of the Des Moines Moms Blog contributor team. I hope my thoughts will encourage you where you’re at, make you laugh a bit about my failures and flops and realize we’re all in this crazy adventure together. So moms across Des Moines, unite. We need each other to be successful in this escapade called motherhood!
Meet Mel
- I have 3 rock star kids: Olivia (10), Sophie (9), and Eli (3).
- I drive a mini-van, but proudly… it is also a cool tan color.
- My husband Steve and I have been married 11 years, which seems like forever and kind of is. We celebrate each year on our anniversary, if we’re lucky, with a date of some sort, and somehow always end up at Menards.
- I am a nurse. I love being a nurse and helping people wherever and however I can. I just finished my BSN at Grand View while working full-time and raising kids; this makes me c-r-a-z-y. But happy.
- I’m addicted to coffee. All kinds.
- I love to garden. Each winter, the kids and I plant our own seeds inside and grow seedlings to plant outside in the spring when it’s warm enough. This is my favorite hobby and slightly nerdy, but it’s so fun to eat our own food!!! This year, we moved to a little acreage outside of Granger, and the kids want to try to grow all of our own veggies next year. I’ll be learning how to can and freeze because these are skills I currently don’t have. I’ll let you know how it goes.
- I’m an amateur runner. I don’t go far and I don’t get there fast, but I enjoy it. My running friend and I trained for a 5K this summer and are gearing up for Dam to Dam this spring. I’m a little lot scared.
- I love to learn new things, try new things, meet new people, enjoy life, and write about it sometimes. I laugh a lot along the way. I’m so excited to start this new adventure with DMMB and excited to get to know all of you, too!
Meet Jennifer
Hello, Des Moines moms! I am SO excited to be joining this group of amazing moms and getting to interact with all of you this way. There are a lot of things I am passionate about as a mom and want to bring to this blog. The one thing that is nearest and dearest to my heart right now is reaching out to other single moms because of my own recent separation and divorce. For me, support from other single moms has been the key to my healing. It is my goal to be a resource and a light to help other moms out there who are somewhere on this single motherhood path. One of my biggest goals is that I can turn my season of darkness, my successes and failures, into hope for other mothers who are finding themselves in a situation that looks hopeless.
I grew up here in the Des Moines area but was living in Houston, Texas, for the past eight years until March, when my two boys, Spencer (8) and Elliot (4), and I moved back to West Des Moines to be closer to family. It has been a good move for us, but now that winter approaches, I am having second thoughts about moving back up north… southern winters are pretty amazing.
Speaking of my boys, they are so much fun! They are the reason I strive to be the best person I can be. My oldest, Spencer, loves reading, chess, martial arts, and baseball, but hates bathing. Elliott, the youngest, loves cars, Wii, gymnastics, and snuggling, and tries to avoid spicy foods. Together we enjoy playing outside, bike riding, LEGOs, and board games. I am looking forward to connecting with you all and getting to know you more!
I’m so excited to hear more from all of these new ladies! Woohoo!