Welcome to Life’s Like This, formerly The Daily Echo.

I’m Echo, and this blog is written about me: my life as a mother, stepmother and wife, trying hard to balance the insanity with life lessons, and my life as a budding, but award-winning, journalist.

Life is obviously chaotic in our house with four children ages 3-7. We have a blended family (I have three from my previous marriage, he has one from his) and recently moved into our first home together in West Tennessee. We also have a chihuahua puppy named Pippa and a lab puppy named Maddi.

Darin and I met in the first grade in the late ’80s, lost touch and found each other again in 2007. We married in June 2009.

I’m also an auntie to three nephews and two nieces. I love those little people!

I became a reporter in February 2007, and I absolutely love what I do. Being at a community paper, I’m not just a reporter. I write. I copy edit. I take pictures. I chase emergency vehicles sometimes. I’m a columnist. I design graphics as needed. I help lay out the paper. Sometimes I do some IT. And I can even take out my own trash.

I began this blog in Sept. 2001, and it has followed me through three pregnancies, various attempts at earning a secondary education, a marriage, divorce and starting life again in West Tennessee. In this blog I express my personal opinions and while I may sometimes discuss my professional life, this blog does not represent the opinions of our paper or corporation.