Meet Amanda, a New Contributor from St. Clair County!

Hi! I’m Amanda, a new contributor and stay-at-home-mom from Riley {in St. Clair County}! I love to read, journal, go camping, and go up north to my grandparent’s cabin. I’m obsessed with ice cream and a lover of coffee and unsweetened iced tea. I’m a loyal, generous, and shy at first kind of gal who will do anything for anyone. I volunteer far too much and fill my schedule to the brim, but I love it. I love being a wife and a mom; it’s been the greatest blessing. 

I met my husband in 2007 at a Figure 8 {it’s like a demolition derby but racing is involved}. He asked me to be his girlfriend four times before I said yes and I’m so glad he was persistent. We got married on June 10, 2011 – I’m pretty sure it was the coldest day in June’s history. It was 55 degrees and we were married by the water so it was frigid. Regardless of the weather, it was an absolutely perfect day. We have officially been together 10 years as of September 3rd and while it’s been a roller coaster ride, it’s been one of the best rides of my life. 

 Our son, Joey, was born in October 2013. After 24 hours of labor, four hours of pushing, and ending with an emergency c-section, our handsome son entered this crazy world. And on my birthday, no less. He’s truly the biggest blessing we have ever had and the love that we have for him is immeasurable. He’s a funny, sweet, kindhearted, rambunctious and at times, a stubborn almost four-year-old who never fails to bring a smile to my face. Joey is obsessed with cars, trucks, demolition derby {my husband does them & he wants to be just like Daddy}, and trains. And at any given time, you can be sure to find Paw Patrol, PJ Masks, Team UmiZoomi, or Bubble Guppies on the television at our house.

Aside from being a mom and a wife, I am a volleyball coach for a local school district. I coach freshman girls in the fall and middle school girls in the winter. I absolutely love it. It’s such a great experience being a mentor for the younger generation. Whether I’m coaching them about volleyball or just giving advice about situations going on in their lives, it’s awesome being able to make a difference. I am also a substitute secretary for the same school district on occasion & I love being able to interact with all the students. 

Needless to say, I keep my schedule pretty busy. It does get overwhelming but I really enjoy everything that I do and I believe that it all contributes to the person that I am. I want to teach my son that being a generous, kindhearted person is just what this world needs and that his kindness can go such a long way. I also try to instill in him to not be afraid of sticking up for the underdog and to do the right thing even if it’s not the “cool” thing. Those lessons start with me and how I treat people, so I need to be the best person I can be for him.

I am so excited to join in as one of the new GCMB contributors and I look forward to this amazing opportunity!