You know the saying, "It takes a village" right?  Well Katie is part of my village and she's just the best.  She is such a dedicated mother and is always striving to be better for her children.  She is an amazing friend and my kids love her too so I'm pretty grateful she is part of my village.  I hope you love her story as much as I do. 

BRITTANY: Describe one way motherhood is different than you expected it to be. How is the reality better? Not easier...just better.

KATIE: I naively thought my kids would have similar personalities to mine and I would know exactly how to raise them. The reality is that they are so, so, so different from me, and I don't always know what they need. I don't know if the reality is better, haha! But it has forced me to seek help outside of myself. It has allowed me to reach out to other moms and forge friendships and support. I feel that I am a more empathetic and humble person. I am learning to embrace my children's differences and celebrate them instead of fight them.

"...it has forced me to seek help outside of myself."

BRITTANY: What are 2 things that bring you joy in your motherhood?  

KATIE: There is nothing sweeter to my ears than my kids belly-laughing. I love when we can all laugh and play together. It makes all the hard moments worth it.  I also love seeing my kids make good choices, especially when they don't know that I'm watching.

BRITTANY: What is the number one thing you hope your children learn before they are grown?

KATIE: They are filled with goodness, and the world needs them to spread that good.

BRITTANY: What is one of the hardest aspects about motherhood for you right now?

KATIE: Feeling inadequate and overwhelmed. Being a parent is an overwhelming responsibility, and we live in a time where there is a flood of outside voices telling us what motherhood should look like. It's hard not to compare what I'm doing to what others are doing. I have days when I feel like I'm not doing enough, saying the right things, feeding them the right foods, using the safest products, putting them in the best schools and so on. I have to take a step back and accept that my best looks different from everyone else's, and I pray that it will be enough for my kids.

BRITTANY: If you could only use 3 words to describe motherhood what would they be? 

KATIE: love, hard, personal