Getting to know YOU!

Today we have Heather from Life with D and H. She has a great blog about her life and photography! Be sure to check it out!

How long have you been married? 

I have been married to David for 5 years. Our anniversary was April 9th. Interesting fact: our wedding date, April 9th, was the day that General Lee walked up the Appomattox Court House (in 1865) to surrender, which ended the Civil War. 140 years after to the day. Our honeymoon was in South Carolina and we visited Fort Sumtner, the fort where the Civil War started.

How many children do you have? ages?

We have one child so far, Bradley and he is a year and a half.

What is the one thing that if nothing else "sticks" you want your children to learn from you?

Well, first and foremost I want Bradley to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I would love for him to grow up to be a strong Christian man that has a tender heart for others while being strong and independent at the same time.

Are you a stay at home mom or a work at home mom?

I am almost done working part time. I only work 3 hours a day while my mom watches Brad. Monday will be my last day at work and then I will be a full-time stay at home mommy. I cannot wait!

Do you have any hobbies?

I dabble in many things such as crafts, sewing, gardening, cooking and baking. I feel like my main hobby recently is photography. I bought my first DSLR this past Fall and have really enjoyed taking pictures with it. I love looking at other people's photos and seeing the beautiful people and things they capture.

What is you best memory you have of your family?

My best memories of my family is when we are working together as a team. I wrote a post a while back about David and I working outside together and taking care of Brad. We just clicked that night and it was so wonderful.

What is your favorite family vacation?

Well, a favorite family vacation is our only vacation we have taken with Brad so far. We went to a John Deere tractor show last summer and took our camper. It was really fun getting away from everything and just hanging out as a family. I can't wait for our next trip together, this Fall.

What are some ways you practice frugality?

I go to a children's consignment clothing sale twice a year for Brad. Also, I buy sale and clearance items from Gap and The Children's Place. We have been doing really well with the consignment sales, though, so I don't have to shop much for him. As far as grocery shopping I clip some coupons and try to buy the best deals.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

One moment that comes to mind, my friend Lindsay will remember. We were shopping at a mall and in one store she went to another section and we were separated. While she was in the other part of the store I was browsing through the glass section and when I went around a corner my big purse swung into a glass piece (I honestly don't remember if it was a bowl, vase or pitcher). Well, it made a big crash and I told the store clerk that I would pay for it but she said not to worry about it and cleaned it up. I was quite embarrassed because the noise was very loud. I went to go find Lindsay and told her what happened and she said "I thought that was you." I had to laugh at that because I tend to have quick movements and she knows me. I am much more careful carrying my purse around breakable objects now. :-)

What surprised you the most about marriage?

Honestly, how hard it is in the respect of getting used to another person's quirks or even just normal things that they do differently than you. It is really hard not letting something bother me that David does and then giving into my selfish nature and letting him know about it. I think that before marriage I didn't truly understand there will be many times I will be annoyed but I need to let things go.

What surprised you the most about being a mom?

How naturally the role of mommy would come to me. I am far from the perfect mom but honestly I thought I would need more help than I do. I love being Brad's mom and am so thankful for this little life that God has entrusted in my care.

What is the hardest part about being a mom for you?

Worry. I am a worrier by nature and my main worries are him choking and suffocating at night. I am fine with him exploring and falling down a little or bumping his head (not too hard though) but when it comes to eating and him sleeping at night, I have a hard time. I am better now with him sleeping at night, now that he is obviously older and moves himself around in his crib. I still have problems when he eats and I think maybe I don't let him try to chew bigger things enough. Maybe he's not getting enough practice because I still cut things up really, really small for him. Not all the time or with everything but with a lot of things.

What is the most rewarding part?

I LOVE when I pick him up from my mom's house and he has a big smile on his face when he sees me and runs to me. Also, he is now putting his head on my shoulder and wraps his arms around me when I hold him. It's so cute when he gives me kisses too, especially between the crib slots when he is in bed when I say "goodnight" to him.

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

I wish that after high school I got a degree in dental hygiene. I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career- I always knew I wanted to be a stay at home mommy some day and be a housewife. After high school I started Culinary school, just to learn how to cook, not be a chef, and at the same time picked up a job at a dental office part time. Well, I already was in the culinary school and finished that. By the time I finished and had some other jobs I felt it was too late to get my degree as a dental hygienist.
I figure that when my kids are out of high school and David is ready to retire (he's 7 years older than me), I'll go to school and be a hygienist. :-)

Share with us 3 interesting facts about yourself that others may not know about.

-I have my motorcycle license but have no desire to buy or ride a motorcycle anytime soon. My husband had his and his mom, dad and brother were getting theirs after we had just gotten married. That was when the gas prices were going really high, so our thought was we would get a bike to save on fuel. Well, I got my license but we never got a bike. That's OK, I'll always have it at least if I ever want to ride, which I don't think I ever will. :-)

-When I was younger I did not appreciate country life and wanted to live in the city. My mom even had goats, chickens and sheep at one point and I rebelled and didn't want to have anything to do with them. Well, as I got older I learned to appreciate country life and I married a country man that loves John Deere tractors and harvesting hay on the side. And I even learned to not mind farm animals so much and I want those some day, too.

-I am not very creative though I aspire to be. My mom and her family are creative and can paint and my dad can be creative when he is working outside or fixing things. David is certainly creative when he fixes things. But me, not really. I try. I took art classes all through school into 12th grade, even when it wasn't a mandatory class. I went to Culinary school and took an extra class I didn't need for my degree- cake decorating. I have painted a couple decorative things for my house, with my mom's help, and managed to sew some curtains, but none of that came easy to me. I love creativity and seeing others works but I need to learn to be content with what I come up with when I am trying to be creative. Also, it doesn't help that I am a little bit of a perfectionist and am hard on myself. But I suppose any creative person has that to deal with. We can be our own worst critics.

How long have you been blogging?

I have been blogging since September of 2009. 

What is your reason for blogging?

A few weeks before I started blogging, my friend Lindsay from Snap Shots of Happiness started blogging. At that point it was my first encounter with the blog world and I didn't even really know much about it. I had so much fun reading her posts and then the other blogs I found that I wanted to join in, too. I do it to have fun and also to remember memories that we create as a family. It is amazing to me to look back at my first posts and see how much Brad has grown. 

Can you leave us a link of your  favorite post from your blog?

This is one of my favorite posts- 

http://lifewithdandh.blogspot.com/2010/02/day-i-became-mom.html
I loved how Bradley's birth went and am so thankful to God for that experience. I was very happy with it even though I really wanted to try a natural birth. I cannot wait until the next time I am pregnant and I hope that birth goes just as smoothly. 

If you'd like to be apart of "Getting to Know You" send me an email.