Amazing Rocket City Moms: The Jill of All Trades
Meet Violet Edwards, Huntsvillian, married mom of three, 2 boys and 1 girl, former journalist, philanthropist, and now a fitness fanatic!
Her Passion
Turning 40 has not slowed down Violet – instead, she has come alive, embracing all physical challenges. Over the past year, she has been running and exercising regularly, running several 5K and 10k races, and even medaling once! She is currently training for a half marathon at the end of 2016 and taking swim classes. Her quest for fitness is less about weight loss and more about self-fulfillment. Her new-found passion for life has even seen her embracing challenges that are way outside her normal “lane” like performing in a step show, a form of percussive dance, with fellow alumni sorority sisters. On her list in 2018 is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with her husband. I can’t wait to see the pics WHEN she accomplishes it!
Her Journey
Violet describes herself as in her “Mommy” season. Her seasons have included a 13 year career as a journalist chasing the story; then working in non-profit-chasing funding and resource; then working on her MBA while being a stay-at-home mom. Like many of us, wisdom has taught her to embrace her current situation instead of always looking towards the future, and she is choosing to embrace the time with her children before chasing her next career challenge. So for now, her journey has led her to more days at the park, home-cooked meals, and family trips. That sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?
Finding Balance
Violet’s method for finding balance in life is to prioritize and be ok with letting some things go. Initially, she served on many boards, was a member of several community organizations, and served on several committees. But at some point, she realized that one person just can’t do it all. So now, she focuses her time only on the organizations that align with her current personal convictions.
Rocket City Favorites
Violet’s perfect Saturday involves doing anything with the family, but her number one date activity is dining out.
“I wouldn’t declare myself a “foodie,” however; there are not many restaurants in Huntsville that I haven’t tried.”
Funniest Mom Moment
As many moms recall, those first few weeks of having a new baby (or what I like to call the “baby coma”) can be hard and leave us exhausted. “Then one morning I felt like I had conquered fatigue and was thinking clearly, I looked in the mirror at school and realized the cute little satin belt that I had paired with my dress was actually the belt to the bathrobe.”
Violet’s Top Parenting Tip
“Who cares if the socks match?! I didn’t learn this lesson until my third child. You wouldn’t believe the hours I spent pinning socks, matching socks, and searching for the missing sock. It wasn’t about the socks. It was about me being in control of every detail. I mistook my children looking presentable with my children looking/being perfect. But your kids are not going to be perfect and neither are you. The imperfections don’t make us bad or wrong. They just make us human. So as you work on raising a well-rounded, civilized, law-abiding, hardworking, God-fearing person, no one gives a flying fig if their socks match.”
Name the song you think of when you need to:
- Get your Gameface on: “All I Do is Win” – T-Pain
- Recover from heartbreak: “Smile” – Kirk Franklin | “Strength, Courage and Wisdom” – India Arie
- Energize yourself: “Get Your Freak On” – Missy Elliott | “Mo Money, Mo Problems” – The Notorious B.I.G.
- Let loose and have fun!!: “Poison” – Bel, Biv, Devoe
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Katie Mullins Demirjian is a mom of 2 boys and a newly added baby girl, a wife, and a banker by day. She loves all aspects of food: eating it, cooking it, and baking it! She is frugal, but likes to splurge occasionally. She resides in Madison with her brood, back from a recent 3 year stay in London.