Meet Sarah Palmersheim:

Hello everyone!  I am so pleased to meet you and contribute to Cedar Rapids Moms Blog!  My name is Sarah Palmersheim and I have been living in the Cedar Rapids area for the past 9 years with my family.  Steve and I have been married for over 10 years now. I was only 19 when we were wed, so I do not really have a pre-baby “me” to share with you.  We met online and dated for 3 months until he proposed, and then we made it official about 4 months later.  There wasn’t a long newlywed phase because our family started shortly after that.  Our lives together have been touched by miscarriages and infertility (not the getting pregnant kind, the staying pregnant kind), birth defects and medical obstacles, a husband in school (literally for almost the entire time, it is ridiculous), being foster parents, etc. and I am excited to share my heart with you!

I spend my days (every day, all day basically) with my three kiddos.  Isaac is 9 years old, Levi is 7, and my little girl, Hazel, will be 6 pretty soon.  We homeschool and have been since pulling Isaac out of preschool and we never looked back.  Sure, sometimes I longingly stare at the school bus driving by, curious what it would be like to be alone all day in peace and quiet; but I would not trade our lives for anything!  We spend our days learning and having fun! Homeschooling is definitely a lifestyle choice for us and is something I really enjoy talking about.  Consequently, it is a big part of my life and something I hope to share here on Cedar Rapids Moms Blog.  

When I am not wearing a “mom” hat, I consider myself to be a fairly outgoing person who loves to meet people and talk.  I am pretty open and love conversations that skip the superficial and go right for the good stuff and really getting to know a person.  I have also struggled with clinical depression for as long as I can remember, so that is something I have had a lot of experience with.  My favorite food is pizza and I have never really tried a pizza I did not like, but Chicago deep dish and Pagliai’s in Iowa City are the two that hold a special place in my heart.  I enjoy video games, primarily Sims 3, Minecraft and Pokemon, as well as board games (and I am admittedly competitive).  

Well, that is me in a nutshell.  I am really looking forward to writing and sharing what I know, sharing about things dear to my heart, and getting to know all of you in the process! 

Meet Paola Ayers:

A decade ago, if you would have asked me where I would end up, Iowa wouldn’t have even made the list. Fast forward a few years and here I am married and starting a family. I left my warm and sunny island of Puerto Rico to study landscape architecture at Iowa State University. I had not expected to fall in love with the calm and easy-going way of life here. Winters on the other hand… 

I met my husband, Ryan, while in college and we married in 2013, a few years after graduating. We moved to the Corridor area, living in Iowa City and North Liberty, before buying our first house in Cedar Rapids. 

Shortly after, we welcomed Olivia in February 2016. I remember thinking when we brought her home that it felt like she was always a part of our lives, she fit perfectly into our family. Olivia is spunky and a very happy baby. Even though she doesn’t have any teeth yet, she’s starting to take her first steps! I love that about her, she just does things her own way, not afraid of anything. Ryan and I definitely look forward to the end of our work day, as landscape designers at Country Landscapes in North Liberty, when we get to spend time with our precious little girl. 

In my spare time, if I can find any, I enjoy all things crafts. I’ve always been a pretty creative person and as a child had my little craft corner inside my closet, probably to get some privacy from my three sisters. With the help of books and now the internet, I’ve taught myself how to knit, make jewelry, sew, cook, bake, and anything else that gives me inspiration. About three years ago, I started sharing my projects on my personal blog, Do It With Heart, in hope of helping others find their inspiration. I also enjoy being active, mainly with yoga and running. As a matter of fact, I found out about my pregnancy a few weeks after running my second half-marathon! 

I love writing and sharing the ins and outs of life as a working mom. I’m excited to be part of Cedar Rapids Moms Blog and connecting with more amazing women in the area!

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