Hi, there! My name is Kaylee, and I am a proud member of Indianapolis Moms!
I grew up in the small town of Pittsboro, Indiana, where I attended St. Malachy School. My Catholic school background has become one of the main-stays of my identity and would later impact my career. I grew up reading (Harry Potter fo’ life), boating, camping, vacationing in Florida, and playing all the sports (my one true love being softball). I played on travel teams from the time I was in early elementary school and carried on through high school. I was able to travel all over and come away with memories that will stick with me forever. I attended and graduated from Tri-West High School, and from there went on to Marian University and IUPUI.
I’ve always had a deep passion for learning and knew that teaching was where I wanted to take my career. I graduated from IUPUI with a degree in Elementary Education and Reading and have been able to teach and grow with the most amazing students and colleagues. After teaching for a year, my then-boyfriend Cody decided to attend graduate school at IU in Bloomington. We got engaged shortly before in May and got married five months later at the chapel on IU’s campus, where he had proposed. I began teaching middle school at a Catholic school in Bedford, and the people I met and students I taught are still some of my favorite people in the world. It was a time of great struggle and triumph, change, and growth all around.
A year later, my husband and I went on our honeymoon to England and Ireland. While I seriously considered moving to Europe after this trip, we came home and vowed to continue traveling any chance we get. We want our children to experience and value the culture and history of the world as we do.
Speaking of children… after moving back to central Indiana, we started our family. We’ve started with one bullmastiff and have since added two beautifully flawless boys to our team. Lewis is three, and Sheamus is one. After teaching for two more years at another top-notch Catholic school, I decided to stay on the home front with my boys. Toddler-mom life is always a beautiful mess. We spend our days shooting hoops and hitting baseballs, attending art classes, visiting local parks and spots like The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and the zoo, reading books, baking gingerbread cookies in 70-degree weather, and dancing to Koo Koo Kanga Roo.
My husband and I also love to partake in date days/nights at local coffee spots and watering holes, browsing book stores, cheering for IU basketball/Notre Dame football/the Colts, and eating far too much delicious food around Avon and Indy (or, if we’re feeling wild, we binge-watch a show until 10 pm).
Writing has always been a big part of my life, and I’m ever so thankful to be a part of the Indianapolis Moms community. I love to research and gain understanding and discover new things, and my fellow Moms help me do just that. Read their stuff, and you’ll feel enlightened and connected, too!
My family and I have big plans for the future while still taking it one day at a time. In the in-between, I’ll continue to eat my Oreos with my organic milk, throw on a homemade face mask, pour a glass from my growler, and throw up a prayer of gratitude for this awesome life!
Photo credit: Amy Phipps Photography
