Hi Waco Moms! I am honored and ecstatic to join Waco Mom’s Blog!
My name is Natalie and I’m originally from Kerrville, Texas. I love ALL of Texas, but my heart lies in the hill country! There’s something about the rolling hills, the Guadalupe river, the bluebonnets (I promise they are bluer than you have ever seen anywhere else), the sunsets, good Mexican food, and southern charm that melts my heart! However, I adore Waco and love calling central Texas home.
After leaving Kerrville to begin my college career, I landed in Belton at The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor where I received my Bachelor’s in Psychology and Exercise Physiology. My senior year I met my husband, but if I’m being honest I wasn’t his biggest fan- ha! He waltzed into UMHB from Baylor to start his Master’s in Exercise Physiology and I was skeptically, intrigued by this mysterious green and gold bear. We had quite the adventure together in the beginning, but I soon grew to love his brown eyes and sense of humor. The rest was history! We had a long distance relationship for 2 years as he pursued his dream of becoming a physical therapist in Arkansas, while I moved to Denton to obtain my Master’s in Counseling at Texas Woman’s University. We were engaged in 2011, married in 2012, and I moved to Arkansas to cheer him on in completing PT school. Taking a girl out of Texas is almost torture!! We enjoyed our time there with new friends and Arkansas accents, but were happy to return back to the great state to be closer to family.
We wrestled with where we wanted to live; he and I both could practice anywhere but with many conversations and prayers, God led us to Woodway! My husband grew up in Waco, but never thought he’d move back and I certainly didn’t know much other than when I had visited. We nestled in quite nicely though and are unbelievably thankful for our community here. The thought of moving now makes me cringe honestly! In 2016, our daughter gave us the title of “mama and daddy” and we’ve been smitten ever since. She will be 3 in June and keeps us on our toes daily with her feisty, energetic, outdoor-loving self. She has such a tender heart and we are eternally grateful for the blessing of her life. Being a mom has grounded me, changed my perspective on life, and has added beauty in ways I never imagined. Each day is a new adventure with her; from new achievements to life lessons and complete “mom-fails”, it’s worth every second to be her mama! This past year I grew even more as a mom. We lost our son at 19 weeks gestation. While miscarriage is such a sensitive, sorrowful subject in our society, I have learned that there can be SO much beauty intertwined. I chose to FIND joy in the midst of our heartbreaking situation and lean completely on my faith. I am forever proud of the little life my son had and that gives me so much hope to move forward in being a mom to our daughter!
When I’m not “mommy-ing”, I am in private practice at Waco Psychological Associates as a Licensed Professional Counselor. I LOVE my job and the wonderful people who surround me. It’s always been a passion of mine to help others and while there are some very taxing days, it’s a joy to see my clients’ successes. I work with all ages in individual therapy starting with the “itty bittys” (as I like to call them), to tweens, teens, and adults. I also enjoy administering career assessments to students who need further guidance on a college major or specific career.
The most important things in life for me are God, family, friends, and being a M-A-M-A! Some of my favorite things are summer, gooooood music (you know, the kind that speaks to your soul), Dr. Pepper, chips and salsa, family breakfasts at George’s, running at night so I can see the stars, anything sport-related (former soccer player here), devotionals, sunsets outside city limits, Colorado, and watching my little girl grow! I’m excited to connect with other mamas through a world of blogging, (which quite frankly I am completely a novice to) because some days you just need help, advice, validation, support, to rant, or to laugh hysterically until you cry. Why not achieve that through the wonderful world of technology?!