Queen of the City

”Love begins at home”-Mother Teresa

By God’s grace, I have had the opportunity to reside and explore various major cities throughout the country.

After we graduated from Clemson University, my husband was drafted, and our lives changed forever. Living out my early/mid-twenties with no kids and a spouse who loved to eat good food, discover new places, and meet new people- in vibrant cities like Nashville, New York, South Florida, and Los Angeles was exhilarating.

But now, three kids and almost a decade later, the time has come for us to settle down and lay roots. We have transformed into super mom and devoted dad, sowing seeds into our children and living out the daily grind of raising three babies ages three and under. I am now a sexy soccer mom whipping an extended Escalade equipped with three car seats, a portable potty, disinfectant wipes, snacks, sight-word flashcards, and a misc toy here or there.

After the birth of our third baby, our lives drastically changed- again, and we found ourselves outnumbered by these cute little ninjas. During the past few weeks of adjusting to parenthood, again, we dug deep and take pride in the commitment and diligence required for us to level up and be the best versions of ourselves to properly care for these babies.

As this beautiful family has exponentially grown we desired a home to match this growing family. When selecting a location to build our “forever home,” we needed the comfort of city life amenities, ample space to host family and friends, a great school district, an easily accessible airport for the occasional couples getaway, and to be relatively close to Clemson, SC, to watch the Clemson Tigers. Since we are officially relinquishing our city love life and fully embracing our transition into the suburbs, we are excited to move into our dream home nestled in the outskirts of Charlotte, NC.

MEET THE QUEEN

For those of you that are unfamiliar with this southern oasis, I introduce you to Charlotte, North Carolina affectionately known as the Queen City.

Charlotte represents both adventure and serenity. A hidden gem, the QC yields the perfect balance for a young couple like us, with three kids, who are enjoying ebbs and flows of the parenting while still indulging in sexy moments and being a light in our community.

With beautiful skyline views throughout Uptown (a term affectionately used by natives to describe downtown because it is the highest point in the city), exquisite food with hometown vibes throughout the restaurants of Southend, artistic expressions found within the murals of NODA, or enjoy fresh air in Dillworth’s Freedom Park.

Charlotte is a city of duality. A place where my spouse and I can go watch a Hornets basketball game yet still make it home by bedtime to read stories to our babies.

A city where after church and before Sunday dinner, we can cheese like Plies with the new teeth, in a boat on Lake Norman.

A city where we take a quick drive down I-85 to Clemson, South Carolina, to watch the Tigers excel in the college football world and still make it home for a celebratory glass of wine or cold brew in Plaza Midwood.

Charlotte is the true definition of a diverse city with phenomenal southern charm, steadily changing, it is rated as one of the top five fastest-growing cities in the country. With its growing economy and reasonable cost of living, - people from all cultures and backgrounds are migrating here in drones.

BUILDING A KINGDOM

What I love most about this city are the opportunities to serve and uplift the under-resourced sectors of this community. The economic growth Charlotte has experienced is not equally distributed to all of its residents, and an issue of concern is the lack of economic opportunity for some Charlotte citizens. Sadly, Charlotte ranks last in the nation for upward mobility. A child born into poverty here has a greater chance of remaining impoverished than in any of the other largest 50 cities in the country. This is a challenge, but I view it as an invitation to serve on a deeper level. As we find our footing in our new home and settle into our life, Coty and I constantly discuss ways to infuse our talents and resources into this community. We look forward to future opportunities to work with different organizations dedicated to improve the quality of life of those in under-resourced communities and be a catalyst of positive change.

This is our home. This is the place we will build our life. This is the city that two country kid’s from South Carolina and East Tennessee love.

Stay tuned for more highlights of our life in the QC and dive into some of my favorite places and spaces throughout the #QueenCity