Reader of the Month

This post is one day late due to the fact that we partied our pants off yesterday for Bean’s birthday.

Seriously.  He went through three pairs of pants at his party.

But I am no less excited about this month’s Reader of the Month!  This month, I asked Betty if she would let me profile her for two reasons.  First, she has been following my blog since, like, the beginning of time.  And second, she seems to go through major life events around the same time as me and that makes me feel like we’re real life friends and not just people who read each other’s blogs.  For example, Betty and her husband, Matt, were house hunting for their first house around the same time Chris and I bought our house.  And when they bought their home a little while later, I had just found out I was pregnant.  And now that Bean is one, Betty is about to pop with her own little bundle of joy right now.

See?  It’s like we were meant to know each other!

Anyway, Betty kindly agreed to my interrogation, so let’s get to know more about her…

What is your name?

Betty Ann (VERY Southern)

Who lives in your house?

Matt: 25, Me: 24, I am almost 7 months pregnant with Levi, Bandit (dog): 3, Jake (dog):2, & Zoey (cat): almost 1. The animals are outside, but still

How long have you been married?

3 years on July 14^th!

How did your husband propose?

Well, it was Christmas Eve Eve and we had gone to downtown Chattanooga (we are from a small town in GA nearby) for dinner with some of my friends and a walk on the bridge. And the WHOLE time I had a horrible attitude. I kept talking about how I wanted to go home, this was lasting too long, it’s too cold, etc. He finally talked me in to getting some hot chocolate at the Chattanooga Choo Choo and walking around the beautiful little garden they have there, all lit in Christmas lights. We had stopped to sit down in the gazebo and BOOM! He proposed! I found out a couple of days later that he had gone to the Choo Choo the night before and changed the light bulb in the gazebo because it was out! He was very thorough!

What is your favorite part about being married to your husband?

First of all, he loves the Lord. And Matthew is so good to me, better than I deserve. He’s kind, understanding, and has started helping around the house so much! And he is HILARIOUS. I always hate it when I want to argue but then he says something so funny, that it’s all I can do not to laugh. And then I can’t argue anymore!!

What is the hardest part about being married?

This is an obvious answer, but just the differences in him and me. I mean, OBVIOUSLY my way of thinking and doing things is always the best. So WHY would anyone think differently? Or do differently? That is one thing Matt has taught me (and will continue to teach me), there is more than 1 way to get things done. And really, it doesn’t matter HOW it’s done, as long as it’s done.

Also, I think marriage really shows us how selfish we are. And I don’t like that. I don’t want to find out that I can be rude, or selfish, or hateful. But at the same time, it’s so wonderful because Matt shows me my faults, loves me despite them, and helps me grow and become a better person.

What do you think is the “key” to your success in marriage?

These are hard questions! I know the main key is our faith. We both love and serve God, who is so much bigger than any problem we have. I also think the fact that we are best friends before anything else plays a huge role, as well as the fact that, while we both sometimes fight more/longer than we should, we don’t like to stay upset with one another.

How has being pregnant changed your marriage?

In SO many ways. First of all, I am the oldest of 8 kids, so the idea of a baby, and making our family bigger is, honestly, nothing new. I’m used to growth and change. Matt, however, is an only child (this could probably go up there in the hardest part about being married as well), has never held a baby, and (not because of any fault of his) has NO idea how the whole baby thing works. So, it has been a growing process for both of us. I have had to be more patient with Matt when he doesn’t understand WHY we are registering for a diaper bag I mean, really Betty, can’t you just throw a diaper in your purse and call it good?€ And I don’t understand how he could not know you HAVE to have a diaper bag! And, I have seen a WHOLE new side of Matt through this pregnancy that I am just amazed with. He has been SO sweet to me, so kind. Doing dishes, getting me food (and lately, LOTS of it), rubbing lotion on my belly. And he really is SO excited about being a dad. There are times when I just look at him and I am so thankful, because I know little Levi could NOT have a better earthly father. It just isn’t possible!

When did you start your blog?

I honestly don’t remember, a couple of years ago.

How often do you blog and how do you make time for it?

I try to blog 4 times a week, usually in the evenings after the kitchen is picked up from supper and we are relaxing. If I have a rough week, I usually make up my posts on the weekends.

Why do you blog?

When I started the blog I was in pharmacy school in Savannah and Matt was living in Birmingham (yes we were married, and yes it was hard). So when we did get together it was usually somewhere in the middle or on some trip. And while I wanted my family and friends to know about it, I didn’t want to write 18 emails with pictures about what we did, so the blog came about. Now, I do it for the same reasons. I blog because while we only live 2 ½ hours from our hometown (We live in Birmingham, AL), I still miss my family greatly. And ESPECIALLY now with Levi on the way, I want my family to be able to see pictures of the CUTEST outfits ever, or that bed we bought, or the funny thing the dogs did, you know

What are your top three favorite blogs (other than MC, of course!)?

The Lettered Cottage: She also lives in Alabama, and if I could somehow kidnap her and have her redecorate my whole house, I would do it!

$5 dinners: because, who isn’t looking to save some money on groceries, right?

Sharing Grace: This is a blog written by one of my very good friends (and is my cousin-in-law). I just think she is an excellent writer and her baby is ADORABLE.

What’s in your purse right now?

My wallet, iPhone, The DVD of the Beth Moore Bible Study on Daniel (I missed the 1^st session, so I am trying to catch up), gas receipt from yesterday, a post-it with some daycare info for me to call about, chapstick, camera, bobby pins, ponytail holder, and a sharpie.

See what I mean?  Don’t you want to be friends in real life with Betty and just go shopping with her one afternoon for baby things???

Thanks for sharing, Betty!

Learn more about Betty and her family by visiting her blog, The Morris Family.