Getting to know YOU!

Today we are getting to know Debra over at Our Imperfect Life.

How long have you been married? We just celebrated 12 years last month.

How many children do you have? ages? Two children. Our son Brendan is turning 11 soon & daughter Ashlynn is 8 1/2.

What is the one thing that if nothing else "sticks" you want your children to learn from you? Compassion. When growing up, I was picked on because I was poor & had horrible clothes. I had one sweet friend who always showed compassion towards me. She did her best to give me clothes when she could. She listened to me when I was hurting. Her compassion helped me stay strong through those tough times. I want my kids to share that same compassion with others.

Are you a stay at home mom or a work at home mom? I am a Stay at home Mom/housewife for as long as my husband allows me to.

Do you have any hobbies? Yes I do. I absolutely love to read, scrapbook, photography and I am trying to learn how to edit photos with Photoshop Elements 8.

What is your best memory you have of your family? That is difficult. I have a lot of fond memories. We are a military family so I will say that my favorites are seeing my kids faces when my husband returns home from deployment. The joy, the tears, the smiles all make this life worth while.

What is your favorite family vacation? We have not taken very many family vacations. We've taken the kids to both Disneyland & DisneyWorld as well as a few other places such as Laguna Beach, California, The Outer Banks in North Carolina, etc. Any trip with a beach is a favorite of mine. I love the beach! 

What are some ways you practice frugality? I like to make homemade laundry detergant but I have been slacking on that lately. We have paid off all of our credit cards debts so that saves a ton of money right there. We have cut down our eating out & spending habits. And I look forward to moving back to the States so we can get into couponing. Doing that here isn't worth it since we don't have the different grocery store options.

What is your most embarrassing moment? I can't think of any moments that really stick out in my mind as the most embarrassing one. I get embarrassed easily & quite often so it is normal for me. ha ha!  

What surprised you the most about marriage? That I would actually get married. Growing up I always swore I would never get married or have kids. I grew up with divorced parents & then saw the pain my Mom & stepdad put each other through. I never wanted to experience that or risk having kids. But that all changed after I met DeWayne (my husband).

What surprised you the most about being a mom? Honestly, I think how hard it actually is is what surprised me. I always heard that it would be difficult but I never imagined it would be like this....having to take my kids in for shots, sending them off to school, exposing them to this world, etc. Much more difficult than I thought it would be!

What is the hardest part about being a mom for you? Allowing my children to make their own mistakes. I hate seeing my kids stumble or fail. I don't like the pain they feel when they do so. I would love nothing more than to do everything right for them & shield them from any pain but obviously, that would not be a wise thing in the long run.  

What is the most rewarding part? That sure is a tough one. I think for me, seeing the love shared between my kids. They fight often, well like....brother & sister. ha! But when one of them is hurt or upset, seeing them care for each other just melts my heart.

 

What is your dream job? If you could do absolutely anything...

I would love to be a photographer or a Forensic Pathologist. Could those be anymore different? How about I combine the two? Uh, nevermind! ha ha!

 

How long have you been blogging? I originally started on a social media network in 2008. But then switched it all over to an actual blog a year ago.

What is your reason for blogging? I started out as it just being an online journal & then it gradually progressed. Being a military family, we often live away from friends & family, so now I like to share what it going on with our lives especially now that we live in Japan.

 

Can you leave us a link of your  favorite post from your blog? http://ourimperfectlife.blogspot.com/2010/03/testimonial-tuesday-pt-1.html This is where I start sharing my testimony. It was such a neat experience to share that with others when I had always been so afraid to share those struggles with others. 

Be sure to check her blog and leave some comment love. Thanks Debra!