Meet the Best Mom Under the Big Sky
April 13, 2014
Posted By: Bozemama
The Gallatin Valley Mall's Cassie Michael give Timarie Meuchel her prize package Saturday
Meet Timarie Meuchel. She’s the 29-year-old mother of five who has been anointed the first ever Best Mom Under the Big Sky contest winner by Gallatin Valley Mall . When she got the call that she had won the contest, Timarie told her mom, “I didn’t even enter – I couldn’t have won anything!” Well, that’s because Timarie’s sister, Micaela, is the one who entered her in the contest.
“I didn’t tell Timarie that I submitted an entry for her,” Micaela explains. “But I did tell our mom. Then I said, ‘Please don’t be offended that I entered her and not you!’”
At this, her mother Connie Driscoll smiles and says: “Micaela is such a thoughtful, generous person. I have two very sweet girls. And I look up to them.”
Timarie invited her mom and sister to join her for her fabulous day at the mall Saturday, where she happily redeemed the prizes she so deserved: a manicure and pedicure at Le Nails; a gorgeous Vera Bradley tote bag from Schnee’s Sundance Shoes; a makeover by the beautiful Breanna from Estee Lauder at Macy’s; some new pots and pans (also from Macy’s) and some super cute clothes at Maurice’s. She and her husband, Rubin, will be coming back on their upcoming 11th wedding anniversary to redeem their dinner for two at the Bay Bar and Grille.
So, in honor of our Best Mom Under the Big Sky, here are 12 things you don’t know about the lovely Timarie Meuchel:
1. She had never had a pedicure before Saturday
2. Her adorable children are Lelia (9), Amari (7), Maria (4), Lorenzo (2) and Niia (1).
3. She has a blog called ThreeStrawberries. The name came to her during a prayer retreat. “If I take the good things in my life and I give them back to God, then he’ll make a big, fruit salad for everyone,” she explains.
4. On her blog she raises money and awareness for orphans with Down syndrome and other special needs through Reece’s Rainbow , which advocates and finds families for these children by fundraising for adoption grants and promoting awareness through an online community, media communications and other events.
5. She turns 30 in July
6. She and Rubin got married at 18: “I’m old enough now to know how young we were!” she laughs now.
7. She has always wanted to be a mom and tells her kids that they are her “dream come true.”
8. She studied pre-med and was on the Dean’s List at MSU before she decided to be a full-time mom.
9. When she was finally convinced that she’d won the contest, she told her mom that she wouldn’t be able to sleep.
10. She did a fundraising challenge for Reece’s Rainbow and, after exceeding her goal, ate an entire jalapeno and then posted the video on her blog.
11. She and Rubin were raising funds for a Ukrainian orphan with Cerebral Palsy named Royce before he passed away. His picture is now the lock screen image on her phone. It has always been Timarie's dream to adopt a child with special needs. She and Rubin are working toward that goal while raising awareness and funds for families with the same dream and the children who wait for them.
12. When asked to share some sage advice and parenting wisdom, she says: “If there’s any room in your life for you to slow down, then do it. Guilt is a mom’s enemy and anxiety always makes things worse.”
Spoken like the Best Mom Under the Big Sky. Congratulations Timarie; you are an inspiration!
