05 May 2025 Mom, the original superhero

By Judy Riley

Two childhood friends, inextricably bound by time and space, but more importantly by the three children they bore together — that’s Morgan Yates and Katie Zehr. Little did they know when they were kindergarten buddies that their lives would intersect in the most selfless way. Morgan and Matt Yates had tried unsuccessfully to have children, but with the selfless help of Morgan’s friend Katie, they gave birth to three babies. Morgan carried Remi, born on May 24, 2020, and Katie carried Mac and Maverick, born on June 6, 2020.

Nothing could have prepared either young woman for their futures involving three adorable, soon-to-be 4-year-olds. “Seeing Morgan, my friend of almost 30 years, being a wonderful mother to her children is incredibly rewarding,” Katie said. “The experience brought my husband and me closer together. I had to learn to depend on him. [It was] difficult for me to accept, but it ultimately strengthened our relationship and partnership.” 

Morgan is quick to give her husband, Matt, kudos for help with dinner, baths, story time and playtime with the triplets.

“Truthfully, nothing could have fully prepared me,” she said. “Each of my kids is wildly different with their own personalities, needs and quirks. Some days, I feel like I’m parenting three ‘only children’ at once, who all need something different at the same time. It’s a bit like trying to juggle flaming swords while riding a horse, which, ironically, I do on weekends, minus the swords. Between sleep deprivation, pacifier removals, potty training, pre-K prep and the ongoing war with the 5:30 a.m. wake-up club, we’ve had our fair share of chaos. I’ve learned to find joy in the small wins and the precious little moments they sneak in on me every day.”

A self-described hardcore type A personality, Morgan has learned to let go of perfection and embrace the unpredictability, realizing that some seasons are just plain hard, but also filled with the sweetest, unexplainable kind of magic. “Our daily routine is a mix of structure and controlled chaos,” she said. “Everything is harder with three. I knew parenting would be tough, but I did not expect how logistically complicated life would become. I’m extremely organized and a major planner, so that worked in our favor. Simple outings require strategy, and I don’t ever feel like it is safe to just wing it. Everything happens in threes: diaper changes, feedings, and baths, taking three times as long and sometimes three times the patience.

“One of the biggest, unexpected challenges has been meeting three very different emotional needs at once,” the mother continued. “They each have their own love languages, personalities and triggers. When one needs cuddles, another needs independence, and the third is crying because the sock feels weird. It can be overwhelming. We’ve had to get creative, stay flexible, and laugh or cry through a lot of chaos. Every hard thing has been matched with something sweet.

“We keep them active and learning through books, as much outside playtime as possible, lots of make-believe fun and tons of conversation. Honestly, sometimes a few minutes of a Disney movie before bath time helps. I am intentional about building routines that give them stability, but I also give myself grace on the hard days. Our goal is always the same: keep them safe, loved, learning and occasionally in pants!”

Morgan is a successful mentoring specialist for the Educational Cooperative in Beebe, helping novice teachers, no doubt using the skills developed in raising her children. 

What keeps the busy mother going? “Prayer, caffeine, working out and riding horses has helped,” she said. “My coping mechanism has been community – my village of people who have shown up in the most beautiful and selfless ways since day one. The heart of that village is my mom, Dawn Verkler, who lives next door and helps with daily pick-ups and drop-offs, doctor’s appointments, spontaneous playdates, and giving what she calls the ‘treasured gift’ of alone time. Her patience with our kids and love for them and us is something I could never put enough words around.”

Morgan also gives huge praise to her biggest “answered prayer,” Ashlee Langston. During the kids’ first year, she prayed every day for God to send them someone who would love their kids like her own, and He delivered in a big way. “Ashlee’s presence has not only given me sanity but likely saved my marriage,” she said. “We truly consider her part of our family; our kids call her ‘aunt’ and she is, hands-down, their favorite person on the planet. She takes them on adventures, spoils them with love and brings joy into our lives in ways I could never repay.”

Others in the Yateses’ village of support are Donn Ann Crumbly; Matison Yates, her 22-year-old stepdaughter; and Noah Yates, her 19-year-old stepson, and his girlfriend, Calyx Stewart. “These four have been part of our journey, praying for us, loving our babies, and giving us the gift of rest through countless sleepovers and support,” Morgan said. “Watching my kids grow up surrounded by people who love them so deeply has been one of the greatest blessings of the journey. Parenting three toddlers is a lot. I’m never doing it alone, and that makes all the difference.” 

But at the center of the sacrifice for these three children is Katie Zehr, according to Morgan and Matt. “What Katie did for us is not something I can put into words when portraying the amount of selflessness, sacrifice, love and goodness in the gift she gave us,” Morgan said. “Not only is her heart pure gold, but she is incredibly intelligent, hardworking, resilient and hilarious. She is a rare human, and I was blessed enough to have her as a childhood best friend and then the one who made my dreams come true, plus!”

They are two special Wonder Women in the 501!