I am thankful for Julie's words because it highlights some of the difficulties of motherhood: how it changes your life, how it changes the pace of your life, how it can be isolating and how birth can go differently then you hoped or plan. Along with touching on why it is a beautiful experience: learning to care for someone, how you change for the better and how a slower pace can show you who you truly are. Please read her words below: "Motherhood has been the greatest gift.

I am excited to highlight this mama today for many reasons. Kristen has been a doula for many years in the Spokane community and she was the first person I contacted when I realized I needed a good childbirth class and a doula. I contacted her again after I had my daughter when I realized I wanted to pursue being a doula myself. And I contacted her a third time when I wanted to look into learning to teach childbirth classes. I say all of this because she is a woman we can all

Sara is a mother I have learned so much from. My husband and I were blessed to see her and her husband raise their daughter, Lana before we got pregnant. Both Sara and Adrian's ability to be completely present as parents and trust that they are exactly where they are supposed to be taught my husband and I so much and I think paved the way for us to begin our parenting journey. Sara and Adrian are dear friends are are raising their daughter, Lana and son, Zeke. Be encouraged b

Scotty and Juliann are some of the most intentional people I know - they both give so much to their family, their gifts and talents and to the community of Spokane in general. I love Juliann's story because she shares so many things that I think a lot of us as mom's have thought about - she touches on subjects of being fearful of being a mom, allowing new things to blossom in us and some old things to die, realizing our kids bring out the good and the bad in us plus so much m

Mindy is one of those people who has been through a lot of hard things, continues to endure and finds a way to see the joy in the midst of life's difficulties. Mindy works for Youth for Christ in Spokane full-time while loving hard on her two little ladies, her husband and their dog. I really love her words today because a lot of the time, motherhood isn't glamorous - it's messy and scary and intimidating. We are raising humans for goodness sake! Please read her words and be