Introducing My Whole World
My whole world is my family.
They give my life purpose, meaning, and direction. For much of my life, I was ambitious because I tied my worth to productivity. I chased accomplishments, checked boxes, and measured success by what I could achieve.
Over time, that changed. Today, my ambition is fueled by something different. I want to help build a world that is better for my children than the one I inherited. The projects I pursue, the causes I support, and the work I do are no longer about proving my value. They are about creating value for the people I love.
Innovation and efficiency without purpose eventually become just more work. Our grandparents didn’t build wells, roads, schools, and public water systems so future generations could spend their lives hauling water across the valley again. They worked to solve problems so those who came after them could focus on new opportunities.
I hope to do the same. Whether through family, community, education, health, or public service, I want to leave behind something that helps today’s children feel that the world is a little better than it used to be.
This story begins with the family that gave that mission meaning
How my husband and I met
We met at Southern Utah University where we were both enrolled at a Spanish class. When he walked in, I was blown away by how handsome he was and blushed when he sat down right next to me. Anyone who knows me knows I blush very easily – and my face turns bright bright red. He pretended not to notice. I didn’t know it at the time, but he was very very shy. I just thought he didn’t want to talk to me!
By a series of fortunate events we saw each other a couple days later where I ended up hanging out with him and his roommates until late in the night. I knew he was from Richfield and I needed to go visit my grandpa, so I asked if we could carpool one weekend. He asked me on a date. I remember intentionally touching his elbow three times because my psychology classmate said it would make a guy fall in love with you – well I guess it worked! We are now married and have three kids and beautiful life together!
What I Didn’t Know Then
I wish I could go back and tell younger me a few things:
- Lifting each other up is so much better than criticism
- You married a really good man, trust him fully that he loves you.
- Life is meant to be enjoyed – don’t forget how to play and laugh
- You’re going to go through hard times. Trust you’ll get through all of them.
- Kids are so much more demanding than you realize. Still, you’d never trade being a mom for anything.
- Your ambition doesn’t stop when you become a mom, it gets focused.
- Raising your kids is only part of the equation. They need a community to support them. It takes a village.
Becoming a mom
Motherhood was a rough transition for me. It wasn’t that I didn’t have good instincts. I knew how to take care of babies. It was juggling all the other things. Read more about that here. I wanted to quit my job so I could focus on just being a mom. I felt like I was failing in every aspect of my life. I had brain fog and wasn’t as good at my work as I used to be, and I couldn’t focus on my baby the way that I wanted. I felt pulled in every direction. In some ways, that still happenes, but now I’m able to say yes to what matters more clearly, and no to the rest.
The Three Little People Who Changed Everything
My husband is my partner in building a life, but my children are the reason I care so much about the future. Each of them is completely different. Adam works hard and cares deeply about doing things well. Abigail is a spitfire—stubborn, spirited, creative, and fun. Aiden is sweet, loving, and easygoing. They each reflect pieces of me, but what I love most is that they are becoming their own people.
One of the things I admire most about children is their ability to be fully present. They aren’t worried about building a résumé. They aren’t trying to optimize every moment. They simply throw themselves into whatever they’re doing, whether that’s creating, playing, exploring, or laughing.
They are some of my greatest joys and some of my greatest teachers. When people ask why I care about schools, communities, health, housing, childcare, transportation, parks, or any of the other topics you’ll find on this website, the answer is simple: Because of my triple A’s.
Every project, every cause, every question I’m exploring ultimately comes back to the same thing: creating a world where they—and children like them—can flourish. They are my greatest responsibility, my greatest adventure, and my greatest source of hope. They are my whole world.
