I’ve been wanting to write a blog for years.  Always saying that I would “start one tomorrow” and never finding the time, or motivation, to do it.  Well, I’m motivated. I’m inspired. I’m ready to share the good, the bad, and the hilarious.

Why the blog name – daughter, sister, wife and mom? Well, it’s a pretty clear outline of my life’s sequence.

Daughter.  I consider myself blessed to be the daughter of Rich and Prue Richardson.  My parents shaped me, loved me and supported me into becoming the woman I am today.  My father passed away in a road rage car accident several years ago – my world as I knew it ended on June 24th, 2007 and a new world, without my father in it, began.  My mother is the strongest woman I know.  She is a mighty force in a little body and has taught me how to move forward in life with my head high, to be loyal to my family and to laugh at the ridiculous.

Sister.  About 18 months after I was born, my little brother Derek made his arrival.  (Clearly my parents were celebrating my birth and ended up with a gift that kept on giving!)  My brother is incredible – hard working, focussed, driven.  He knows what he wants and he goes for it.  He and I have a typical ‘brother/sister’ relationship.  We squabble, we push each others buttons, we laugh and we defend each other at no cost. (Remind me to tell you the story about flicking Adrian Henke’s ear, defending my brother from his bullying ways – it’s actually hilarious.)

Wife.  In 2009 I was lucky enough to marry my best friend – Ashley Allinson.  He challenges me, he supports me, he cooks me dinner, he makes me laugh every day, and he understands my crazy ‘type A’ behaviour – I really could not have found a better partner in life. Here is an example of the type of guy Ashley is;  Ashley is allergic to cats.  I had two cats when we started dating. Every time Ashley slept over, he would wake up with a swollen – yes SWOLLEN – face and a complete inability to breathe.  He knew that the cats were not going anywhere, so he suffered through it for about 6 months and then started to develop an immunity to my cats.  He always jokes that my happiness is secondary to his health – but seriously, his face was SWOLLEN.

Mom.  This is a new one for me.  Our daughter, Molly Piper, was born on May 1, 2013 and her arrival was the catalyst for my blog.  I adore her and fall in love with her more every day.  I also now realize that becoming a parent is not all roses, as much as people love to tell you it is.  Becoming a new parent is shocking, life altering, joy inspiring, insanity – and to be honest, someone needs to write about the truths and that’s what I plan on doing.

I love to chat.  I love to tell stories.  Pull up a chair and get comfortable.