An Interview with Fab Momma: Becky

I don't remember when I started reading Becky's blog, "Stuck in Frump, Striving for Fab"; it just seems that I always have. She is a kindred spirit in so many ways. And I honestly love the name of her blog. Isn't that what we're all trying to do (at least at one time or another?)??? Becky is today's Erma. Really. And she's definitely a spiritual mentor for me. Lurve all these women who God has led me to who are really God's fruit and not nuts. Enjoy!


1. I love the names you have for your boys, Jericho and Judah. So strong and biblical. Are they pseudonyms, or are they their names? If real, how did you choose them?Thank you. Actually, those are their actual IRL first names. They are from the Bible, having been chosen because we have a very ordinary and extremely common last name and wanted something that would set them apart a bit. I remember sitting in a Bible Study when I was pregnant with Judah, and there was a Holy Land map on the overhead screen, and both Judah and Jericho were listed on the map. When I mentioned that one to Jeff he liked it. (Which was good, because the other name he was pulling for was Thor.) Sounds very Minnesotan--Thor, I mean. Funnily enough, my grandma named her kids with simple names (Richard/Dick, Jane and John) because they had a 100 syllable last name. Don't know if there ever was a Spot, but they did have a Chihuahua named Jose...I digress.

2. Where do you fit in the birth order of your family? Do you have any
characteristics of an oldest, only, middle, or youngest child which match your actual placement? I was raised as an only with my mom, but am an oldest where my dad is concerned. I’m very independent and some folks IRL would say I have leadership tendencies. I would peg you as an oldest, as well. Am I right?You have me pegged right, lol. Yep, definitely an oldest child. I grew up the oldest of four. I'm sure my siblings would say I was kind of bossy as a kid, but I did spend a considerable amount of time babysitting them and trying to keep track of their comings and goings, particularly after my parents divorce. Being mother-hennish, always 'advising' them kind of came with the territory. I think it served to grow me into a dependable, sensible and independant type. At 18, I moved far away from my childhood home in Western Washington, working and eventually attending college in Minnesota. It was during that time that my 5th sibling, my "baby" sister was born, and what a surprise that phone call was! "You might want to sit down for this..." LOL. My baby sister is in high school currently (and is only 4 years older than Jericho). We've only lived in the same town briefly when Jericho was a baby, and because of these things I feel our relationship leans more towards that of a distant aunt-niece type than a sisterly one. Any which way though, I'm proud to call her family. She's good people. Um...I have a 1/2 sister who is 14 years younger...same type of relationship. She's good people, too. Trying to figure it all out in the NAVY right now. Best thing she ever did.
3. You are extremely entertaining and Dave Barry-esque (or perhaps more Erma Bombeck-esque) in your writing style. You simply need to get a column. Gawrsh, thanks. I'm flattered that you would think so, lol. I've enjoyed both of their styles of writing over the years, and if mine even remotely resembled it, I'd count it a real honor. I do enjoy laughing and making other folks laugh,and if that comes through in what I blog about, all the better for us all. I come by it honestly enough...my parents and grandparents were all the same way.Are you a reader, too? If so, whom do you lurve? Why? I am an avid reader. As a kid, I always had the most carts behind my Train engine on the gradeschool classroom walls, and often won prizes in reading contests. The librarians at our local library knew me by name. I think the long, rainy winters in Western Washington and the fact that we didn't have a TV (on purpose) while I was growing up contributed to this love for books and reading (and storytelling). I especially enjoy Inspirational Christian and historical fiction and lurve Jane Austen, Laura Ingalls Wilder and L.M. Montgomery's works. I think because they whisk me away to another era that seems simpler, less complicated and with noble gentleman heroes. I'm also a big Jan Karon fan. Of course, my life wouldn't be what it is today without the bestselling book of all time...the Bible. A follow up…have you always written? I never kept journals as a kid, but I did scrapbook. Have you been a lifelong journal writer, or did blogging ignite that within you?I have always written. I kept journals all through Middle school and one day read through them and was embarrassed by all the angst and meloncholy things I poured out in there, especially the parts about my latest crushes, and so I threw them all out. And then was mortified to learn my grandma had been reading all that drivel out at our burning barrel in the back yard, lol. I was a frustrated writer, though. My thought process would spin ahead so much faster than I could write it out, and it wasn't until the personal computer came around that I began to find my 'groove'. It saved reams and reams of paper wasted on 'false starts' of stories I'd written. One day I do hope to get something of my own published.
4. My grandma always said that she loved her son’s wives as much as her own daughter, and felt so blessed by their choices. What are some must have attributes for the practically perfect d-i-l for each of your sons?Wow, I haven't really thought that far ahead. Why would you? I'm a bit cracked... My husband and I have often prayed for our future DIL's, wherever they are, that the Lord will bring them together in wonderful, memorable ways, and that they will go on to serve the Lord together wholeheartedly. Of course I'd like to see young women that respect my sons as the men God grows them into, and that together they will do a great job of raising our grandbabies to carry the torch for Christ in this world. Having sweet daughter-in-laws that I could regard as daughters and friends would be a huge plus.
5. Which of your 5 senses would you choose to go without if you absolutely had to? Why? Which of your 5 senses would you like to see enhanced? Why? Oh, man...if we were streaming live, this would be a huge stumblingly awkward sequence. I just don't know. I suppose taste, because being able to see and smell and hear and touch are so important to me, and losing my sense of taste would make food less important. If I couldn't tell the difference between chocolate and brussels sprouts, I'd just eat the latter for the nutrtional value. It would make it a lot easier to eat what's good for me. I suppose I would like my sense of hearing enhanced...so that I could be a better listener and less of a talker. Because combined with the obnoxious SAHM tendency I have (after conversing with 3-and-unders for most of the day), I get downright greedy about getting my 30,000 words out, and I'm afraid I can come on waaay too strong at times. And there you have it.

Well done, Chica. Well done. :)