Hi there!
I’m Erin, a soft-spoken Southern belle, Catholic mother of five, homeschooler, and proud driver of a huge 12-passenger van…because we’re that family now. And why yes–I do have my heart and hands full as wife to Michael (37) and mom to Gabriel (10), Faith (8), Gianna (7), Roman (3), Aidan (2), and one sweet baby already in Heaven. We also have an enormous Pyrador named Annabelle who fits right in…because she loves to snuggle. Some call it chaos, we call it family.
I’m an introvert who took 32 years to figure out she hadn’t gotten the short end of the stick. I like my coffee iced, my clothes pretty, and my fiction Jane Austen. I’m also a recovering spiritual perfectionist with a deep devotion to the Sacred Heart and to Divine Mercy. Two things I’ve done that you’d probably never ever guess? I competed in dressage for years on my 1,300lb Oldenburg gelding, Orion, and I spent time in college modeling in New York City after being scouted in a shop in London on a high school trip.
I’ve been married for 12 years to my husband Michael, who can build anything, carries the Fun Parent card full-time, and has bad luck with arm injuries. He also has the most incredible work ethic of anyone I’ve ever met. Michael and I love being in a Catholic marriage and family lay movement called Domestic Church. We’re living proof that your marriage has as much potential as God has power.
In 2009, I was a new wife and mother living hundreds of miles away from family…so I started a blog. Over the years, Humble Handmaid has given me incredible opportunities to minister through writing for online publications, speaking, podcasting and also Catholic radio. You can pop over to my Speaking page to see a list of my upcoming speaking events. If you live in Baton Rouge or New Orleans, you might catch one of my Catholic Mom Minutes.
Have I mentioned that I have five children under 11, and that I’m homeschooling three of them? Or that my two youngest boys are just shy of Irish twins, and are a double-handful of knife stories, escape attempts, and weird things I’ve had to disinfect? Or that just a few years ago, we had to live with my parents for two years while getting back on our feet financially? My life hasn’t been smooth sailing, and just about every day I’m overwhelmed by how crazy things can get. But I’ve learned that part of the Good News is that the mess doesn’t mean I’m doing it all wrong.
Because God is good. Because He didn’t make a mistake giving me to my people. Because He works with me, through me, and in me especially in the mess. A big part of my own story is that when God hasn’t provided me with something that I thought would make the mess go away, it’s because a barn is best.
That’s the story I love to shout off the rooftops here at Humble Handmaid: Hope, solidarity, and peace.
If you’re like me, and you’re always sometimes in need of a shot in the arm involving one of those three things, I’d love to connect with you! You can find me on Facebook and Instagram, and to stay updated on new blog posts, just shoot me your email here.
And please don’t worry–I promise not to flood your inbox anytime soon (at least not until everyone is in college and/or sleeping through the night, which feels like…never).
Because I’m not Superwoman over here. It’s all just Jesus and coffee. 🙂
