What have you learned about yourself through motherhood?
Maria: Sometimes, I get caught up in the little things while parenting. Am I good enough to accomplish this with one precious chance? But then, I focus on the simple things that reward my life as a mother. Their tangled, frizzy hair, the feeling in my body when we laugh until dizzy, and how messy, loud, and beautiful my children are. All the back and forth that is consuming some days of motherhood taught me that time is not the thief I like to make it out to be. Tomorrow is a new day and an opportunity to empty myself and give. It’s because of what God has done for me in my life.
How did you encourage your daughters to embrace playing volleyball and soccer?
Maria: We seek out the opportunity to build each other up. Even during challenging times, I teach my daughters to encourage each other. They may try it, hate it, fail, try again, love it, put it down, or pick it back up. We keep it about joy, grit, and heart, but mostly how we show up for each other. In the proud moments and poor choices, we are in their corner. We can always pivot, re-focus, re-adjust, and fall forward.
How do you balance being a full-time administrator and mom?
Maria: I wouldn’t be within reach of balance without Lucas, my constant supporter, and the gain in my slack. We are very intentional when we’re home. We also drain our PTO to its tethered ends. When we look back in twenty years, perhaps, we will remember little fists clutching dandelions, loud togetherness, and the way the girls make everything so much more chaotic.
What types of home projects and crafts do you enjoy?
Maria: I enjoy anything that allows my creativity to run free. My mind is always racing with a project and anything that gives function and personality to our home. We want to fill up our space with purpose and memories. I especially enjoy a project that Lucas and I can draft up and work on together. Currently, we’re building out a coffee bar from a dismantled built-in 70s desk nook in our kitchen.
How do you encourage your daughters to stay healthy and active at ages five and 12?
Maria: Truthfully, we love to be indoors and must work hard at pushing each other out of our comfort zones and into walks, workouts, and scooter rides. We discuss what our bodies can do for us and what honors that. We talk about how different foods make us feel sluggish, energetic, or frantic (no coffee for mom on stormy days), and we get competitive with our water consumption.
How do you and your spouse stay connected with busy schedules?
Maria: We work hard on always rooting for each other. We are there to support each other no matter what. At the end of the day, once the kids are in bed, we each take an hour to ourselves before hanging out together. We then catch up, decompress, and make small and big plans to support each other and have great fun together. When you have a partner to depend on and who rallies with you, it makes life so much sweeter.
How does your book club impact you as a mom?
Maria: I have an opportunity to disconnect and pour over a book and then connect with women in the community. It pulls me out of my tunnel vision. It is incredible how much perspective you can gain from those in different walks of life by reading the same book.
How do you lean on other moms for support during challenges?
Maria: I lean on other moms to help me re-focus. I’m grateful for moms who won’t allow me to believe I’m an island, who pray with and for me, talk me down off my ledges, and step in to give us date nights. I hope to be anywhere half as good as them. The cake can burn, the kids can act wild, and the dishwasher can tear up–but we can still rejoice when things go unplanned because we stand together on that firm foundation.
Rapid Fire Questions:
Favorite food? Any pasta.
Dining at home or dining out? Dining in.
Favorite book? The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
Favorite outdoor activity? Going for a walk.
Planner or go with the flow? Go with the flow to a fault.
Maria has been married to her husband, Lucas, for eight years. They have two daughters: Paisley (12) and Nova (5). They enjoy living in Wetumpka.
