"Travelin' light, is the only way to fly, yeah travelin' light, just you and I"

Great news on the traveling family front...... David and I bought our truck last night. We bought a Ford F250. I am so excited. We have been looking ever since we made the decision to get rid of everything and travel. We finally found the perfect truck. So now we are on to phase 2: finding a camper. We are looking for a 5th wheel. Hopefully thus won't take as long. I am so ready for this next adventure to happen I can't stand it!! I think mostly I am ready to continue on my path of soul searching, and figuring out what is in store for my family. I'm ready to drown myself with nature, peacefulness, and ridding myself of distractions. So, needless to say we are excited that we have one phase down, and on to the next. Until next time. Peace.

Letting Go

Wesley takes about an hour and a half nap every morning around ten thirty, eleven o clock. I decided about a month ago that I was claming that time as mine. I have chosen to not do anything house related, mommy related, or wife related during that time. Out of 24 hours a day, I think I can have about an hour to do whatever I want. I think that as a mom, wife, housekeeper, bill writer, accountant, etc. that every woman needs time to themselves every day. Now i know that moms with multiple kids it gets tricky, but hopefully you guys can find maybe 10 minutes to just stop and breathe. Anyways, while I have he opportunity for an hour, I am taking it! So during that time I take a shower, get ready, and I meditate for 30 minutes. A lot of people disagree with meditating. When I meditate, I don't pray to gods or anything, basically I clear my mind. I don't think about bills, appointments, agendas, or anything else going on in my life. I release my stress for those 30 minutes. I let go. It takes a lot of practice. I still sometimes will find myself thinking about something, and I have to tell myself to just breathe and let go. I love it! It really helps put things I to perspective. I have really bad anxiety. I have panic attacks a lot, I have found that by meditating it really helps me with my worry. So I challenge all my fellow moms to try and take some time out of every day for yourselves. Whether it is 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour. Take that time and just breathe. It's good for the soul. Peace.

A little Soul Cleansing

As I mentioned before, David, Wesley, and I went home for Thanksgiving and finally moved out of our house in Effingham. We decided that instead of selling all of our things, that we would donate them to Goodwill instead. So, we rented a Uhaul and packed up our house. It is such a cleansing experience for the soul, and so freeing when you go through your house and throw away junk that you kept, because "I might need this one day" and donating clothes that fit you when you were like 12. I was so humbled and ashamed in myself when I saw all the bags of shoes, clothes, toys, pots, pans, and other things we gave away. Americans as a society think that we need the newest and latest "thing" to make us happy. We get caught up in the latest trends and fads, and lose sight of what is really important. I mean I worked as a fashion consultant and buyer for a high end clothing store. Believe me I was DEFINATELY caught up in all the hype. Anyways, the only things that we didn't donate were a few antique pieces, that were handed down from my mom, and Wesleys baby furniture, swing, and exersaucer. Hopefully there will be a new Willingham bambino in the near future. After we dropped everything off at Goodwill, David and I could fit all of our clothes in one lawn trash bag, Wesleys clothes and toys in a suitcase, and all of our earthly possessions in the smallest storage room they had. I know this lifestyle isn't for everyone, and we probably won't live this way forever, but right now it fits, and I am loving every minute of it. It feels good to strip yourself down to the necessities and find peace in other areas of life. I am so excites about our journey and I can't wait to share our life experiences with you. Peace!!

My Thanksgiving lesson

This Thanksgiving was a thanksgiving I will never forget. Wednesday when David, Wesley, and I were packing to go back to South Carolina to visit my family, I told him that I had a weird feeling about this thanksgiving. He told me that everything would be fine, and that I was probably stressed because we were finally moving our furniture out of our house. Well, we were really donating all of our furniture, most of our clothes, and a ton of other things. Anyways, I just had a weird feeling. If I only knew what was coming. So we started the drive home, and we hit the traffic. It was bumper to number for miles and miles. What was supposed to be a 3 hour drive turned into a 5 and a half hour drive. Wesley did really well until the last 45 minutes, but who can blame him? We did purchase some awesome cowboy boots for him before we left. They are the most awesome boots I have ever seen. (I would post pics, but I am currently blogging from my phone bc my laptop died. Santa I really need a new one!) once we made it home we crashed for the night. So thanksgiving day we all wake up and cuddle in the bed and get ready to go to my moms. We arrive, my brother and his family arrives, and for the first hour everything is great. Then the war breaks out. Without getting into to much detail bc it's personal, I have never been so blindsided by meanness ever. Needless to say my intuition came true. David, Wesley, and I left my parents early and had thanksgiving lunch at Golden Corral. Now before you feel sorry for me, let me tell you the awesome lesson I learned. At first when all this went down at my parents, I was upset. But I realized I am no longer the person that I was even a year ago. By the grace of God I am changed. I am a mother, and a wife, I am no longer the selfish, rebellious, brat that I used to be. Thank God for that. I also learned that my family is now my amazing husband and my beautiful son. It doesn't matter where I live, or where I eat my Thanksgiving meal, I am with my family and that is all that matters. My husband and son love me for who I am, and they think that I am the best wife and mother ever. And you know what? That is good enough for me. So what started out to be a crazy thanksgiving turned out to be one of the best thanksgivings. I learned a valuable lesson that I will take with me forever. I hope you all had a great thanksgiving, and ate way to much turkey! Peace!

The Willingham's Lately

So it has been awhile since I last blogged. I have decided since David and I have made a serious life change, that I will start blogging about our adventures. What is this life change you ask? Well, we have decided to sell pretty much all of our earthly belongings, and travel around the US with David's job. He is a pipe welder and has this amazing opportunity to travel all over the country. We both love traveling, and since W is little, we thought why not? So I am going to revamp my blog, and blog about all of our adventures that we encounter. I guess you could call us your modern day vagabond. Also, I want to share with you guys our granola way of parenting. What is granola parenting? Well, basically, David and I cosleep, babywear, and cloth diaper Wesley. We dont babywear as much anymore because Wesley can walk, but when his little legs get tired, we babywear. So, this blog is my way of keeping my family and friends up to date, and anyone else who cares to read. Peace.

My Adventure in homemade baby food.

I decided along time ago that I was going to make Welsey's baby food. I figured it would be healthier, cheaper, and I love a challenge! So, a couple of weeks ago, when he was about 5 and a half months I started my adventure. Before I started, I did a lot of reading. After all, I definately didn't want to feed him something his little tummy couldn't handle, feed him too much, and mainly, just poison the poor guy. I found that wholesomebabyfood.com, for me, was the best website. I also asked several of my friends who made their babies' food some pointers as well. (Thanks Karen Bryant and Elizabeth Robinson!) So I went to the store with my list in hand ready to embark on my journey! I decided that I was going to make brown rice cereal, apples, bananas, carrots, and sweet potatoes first. (FYI - Do one at a time to make sure they aren't allergic.) I also decided that everything I was going to make for him would be organic as well. It is a little more expensive, but you still save SO much more in the long run. I mean one carrot is like 2 days worth of food at first. I was scared when I first started making his food, but you know what? It is incredibly easy. It eases my mind knowing what is in his baby food. There are no preservatives, dyes, or crazy ingredients in it that I need to be worried about. I wasn't able to nurse Wesley as long as I had planned, so making his food makes me feel less guilty. So, so far my adventure is going ok. I'll keep you updated as he starts to eat more challenging things!

Hold on to every minute and everyone, because you never know what tomorrow holds

What is going on? So much heartache is surounding our Florence community. With in a matter of days, a girl from Florence went missing in NC, and a great guy was murdered! I didn't have the privilege of knowing Kristy, but from what I hear she is an amazing girl. I did have the privilege of knowing Chris Deaver. He was an amazing guy who smiled all the time, was kind, funny, loving, a great father to his little girl, and a talented musician. He was murdered in vain by a 17 year old punk for absolutely nothing. My heart aches so much for his family, as well as, Kristy's family. To all of my friends who were closer to Kristy and Chris than I was, I am praying for you and love you, and just know that with time you will be able to smile again.

It's Amazing how something so unexpected can change your life for the good!

David and I have been dating for 2 years this July. We started dating July of 2009. In March of 2010 we found out that we were expecting a wonderful, bundle of joy. It was very unexpected for several reasons. One- we definately weren't trying to have a baby. We knew we were going to get married and that we loved each other. We just wanted to get married first. Two- I have a lot of health problems and the doctor told me that I wasn't able to have children. Before I met David I had a good run of about 3 or 4 years where I went off the deep end. I made a lot of mistakes, bad choices, and bad decisions that I am not proud of. I decided I was going to what I wanted to do, and no matter what that was the way it was going to be. I took my relationship with my parents for granted, and lost that closeness with them for awhile. When David and I met, I had just moved back in with my parents, and I was trying to figure things out and change my way of living. So fast-forward to March 2010. That was one of the best days and scariest days of my life. When that pregnancy test said positive, I didn't know how David would respond. He responded with "I love you and I couldn't be more excited!" Wesley is now 6 months old and let me tell you...He has changed my life. He is the absolute best, unexpected joy that I have ever had. I realized after having him that all those "independent" decisions that I made were so stupid. Living my life the way that "I" want is absurd. I want to be the type of mom that he is proud of. I know that I am going to make mistakes a long the way, but my decisions are no longer selfish ones. He has changed me for the better and I am so grateful that God allowed me to have him. I love being a mom so much that sometimes my love for him overwhelms me. David and I are more close now than before. I can't wait to marry him and have more kids one day if God allows. All I can say is that Wesley is one loved little man, and I am so fortunate to be his mom!

The Very Best Weekend

Friday is my birthday and David has National Guard Drill so we decided to celebrate it this past weekend. It was the best weekend that I have had in a long time! We went out to eat one night at Southern Hops and it was amazing! The customer service was fantastic! One of the owners came by our table several times and talked to us and answered a ton of questions that David had about all the different types of beers that they offer. My parents were nice enough to watch Wesley so we could have a date. I love date nights, but I couldn't get home quick enough to see my baby! Saturday all three of us went on a picnic and it was so much fun. Wesley sat in his Bumbo (which I LOVE!) and played like a big boy, and then we pushed him in the baby swings at the park. It was so cute. I started off pushing him really slow and then pushed him just a little bit faster (don't worry it was still really slow). He still hasn't quite figured out if he likes it or not. Then we went to the beach and that was awesome! It was Wesley's first trip to the beach and let me tell you, he LOVES the sand!!! He dug his little toes in the sand and squished it between his toes! It was so cute! We walked around Barefoot Landing, and Broadway at the Beach and just had great quality family time together. It was so special and sweet, and I loved every minute! We ate lunch at River City Cafe and I had the best turkey burger (and I splurged and had onion rings. Totally went off my P90X diet, but hey, it's my birthday!) We also went to this store called Retro Active at Broadway at the Beach. They sell 80's and 90's t-shirts and things, and we got Wesley the cutest onesie! It says "B is for Bob" and has a picture of Bob Marley on it. I love it! We came home Sunday really late and poor Wesley was so exhausted! He was out of his routine, but he had so much fun walking around in my baby sling (which I love love! Rebecca Phipps made it and it's the best thing ever!) I am so thankful for my birthday weekend and the fun that I had with my wonderful family! I will try and post pictures tomorrow!

The Joys of Mommyhood

13. Appreciating YOUR mom. You never know how much she sacrificed for you until you become a mom. I always hated it when she said, "Wait until you have kids one day Heather." It is SO true! Thanks mom for being an example of what a true mother is. You sacrificed so much for me without me even knowing it at times. I hope that I am half of the mother that you were and are!

The Joy's of Mommyhood continued...

8. While Wesley sucks his thumb he proceeds to put his enitire hand in his mouth.

9. Watching him splash his little feet and hands in the bath tub.

10. Knowing that I get to love him and take care of him for the rest of his life.

11. Realizing everyday that I am so blessed to be able to share this journey with David.

12. Also realizing how selfish and immature I used to be and now it's not about me, but about my family.

The joys of mommyhood

Over the next few days I am going to start listing every thing that I love about being a mom. Here are a few that I have come up with so far....


1. Wesley's smile

2. Smelling him after he gets out of the bath

3. Hearing him laugh

4. Watching him sleep

5. Watching him soak in ever little thing

6. The way he grunts when he is trying to fall asleep

7. Cuddling him before he goes to bed

"There is no greater love that a mother's love for her child."

They grow up so fast!

I can't believe that Wesley is going to be 4 months old next week!! This weekend I was going through his drawers and I had to put some of his clothes in storage! Every time that I have to put clothes away it makes me cry. He is growing up so fast and learning so much. Everyday he is becoming more and more of a little person with his own little personality. David and I think that he is getting a tad spoiled, but that's ok for now. He is such a joy and I am so fortunate that we can take him places with us. We can go out to eat and he will just hang out in his little carseat and play. To all of my friends that have just had babies our are about to have a baby.... Cherish every single second and love it! I can't tell you enough how awesome it is being a mom! Every day is a new adventure. On another note.... I am looking into making my own baby food. Has anyone done that and what are your thoughts on it? I have heard such good things about it, but it would be nice to get some input from people that I know.

It's the weekend! WOOP WOOP!

Is anyone else as excited about the weekend as I am? This has been one crazy week! David, Wesley, and I are going out to eat tonight to celebrate David's new job! Yay! I hope you all have a great weekend!

It's the little things

It's the little things that mean a lot
whether you think so or not
Taking out the trash and doing the dishes
You don't even know that you are fulfilling my wishes
I love it when you try and help me cook
Most of all I love watching you read Wesley a book
You are there for me when I need a hand
But most of all you are my best friend.


I know that this poem is cheesy and elementary, but I wanted David to know how much I love him and how proud of him I am. He started his new welding job today which is such a blessing! I am so proud of him for not giving up and for always working so hard to provide for me and Wesley! Happy first day of work baby!

It's Amazing!

I tell you, I knew that  being a mom would be amazing, but I had no idea that it would be this wonderful! I LOVE being a mom. No matter how bad of a day I have at work, or what type of a mood I am in, I go home and say hey to Wesley and he smiles this incredible smile and it makes everything better. It melts my heart. I love watching him everyday and see how every single day he learns something new. He is a sponge that absorbs everything. He is so innocent and pure and sometimes I wish that I could have some of that innocence. We get so wraped up in our day to day lives that we forget to just sit back and enjoy the little things. Our lives are ran by watches and clocks and meetings, and "oh I have to do this errand and go that place", that life just passes us by. I think the thing that I am struggling with the most with being a mother is that since I am working, I don't want to miss the little things with Wesley. I hate that for 8 hours of the day I am not with him. I want to see everything that he does and soak in every minute! I feel like sometimes I'm missing out on his life because I am not with him. I wonder- does he know that I am his mom? Am I spending enough time with him when I get home? I know that these all sound silly, but it's hard juggling work and mommyhood. I know that tons of women work and raise kids, but I desire to be 100 percent involved in his life. I mean it's up to me and David to raise him the right way. So, as I embark on this journey, I LOVE every minute of it, but I also am afraid to at times. But....I know that when I get off of work today my little boy is going to greet me with a HUGE smile and all my worries will go away!

YUMMY!!!!!!!!

Like I said in a previous blog David and I are trying to eat healthy. We both want to lose some weight and get in shape so we can look good when we get married this summer. So I have been on the internet a lot trying to find recipes. Well I found an awesome recipe for honey and ginger mahi mahi!!!! I made it last night with some sauteed zucchini, squash, and asparagus and it was AMAZING!!!!!!!!! The fish literally took like 5 minutes to broil in the oven. I found mahi mahi fillets on sale at Food Lion this week and was scared because I have never made them before. Mahi mahi is my favorite fish so I decided to buy them anyways. Well, they turned out really well. The recipe calls for low sodium soy sause, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, and scallions, and you toast sesame seeds to put on top. Each fillet only has 150 calories! I was so excited!
Let me just say this too~ David is the most awesome man ever! I can try new things and experiment in the kitchen and he NEVER complains. I love to cook so I am all the time trying out new recipes. I hate making the same thing over and over. Well, my sweet David will eat whatever I make and if he doesn't like it he won't actually say he doesn't like it. He will say, "It's not my favorite thing you have made." Isn't that cute? So anyways, I am excited about my fish recipe. I definately will be making this again!

TGIF!!!

This has been the LONGEST week! It's weird because it was actually shorter by one day because of the snow. I am so glad that it's going to be warmer this weekend. I got one of those jogger strollers for a baby gift so I am going to put it to good use this weekend. Wesley and I are going to run! Yay!!! I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys some sunshine!

UUGH!!!!! I HATE BABY WEIGHT!

I am so upset with myself! I had this idea in my head that by month three after having Wesley that I would be in great shape and have lost all my weight. Ummm...could I be any less realistic? I gained 40 pounds with Wesley (I know I KNOW!!!!!) Well, I have lost 30. But, I want to lose like 30 more to be where I want to be. I am frustrated because I can't afford a gym membership, but it's so freaking cold outside! I couldn't possibly run outside! (Am I making excuses or what?) So needless to say, my unrealistic goal of being in this fantastic shape after three months of having him has not been met. Wesley turns 14 weeks on Friday. Another thing that frustrates me is that everything shifts after you are pregnant. I don't think that anything will be the same again. It's true when they say that your body is never your own once you are pregnant. But, the end result is well worth it!

My best friend

I realized the other day that I really haven't posted anything about David. So I decided that I would today. I have known David for like 10 plus years. We went to the same church and he played in the youth orchestra and I sang in the choir. I always thought he was really cute, but was shy at times because he is 3 and a half years older than me. Anyways after awhile we tried dating several times in the course of the ten or so years and it never worked out until July 4th weekend 2009! Woop Woop! We went to the lake and it's history from there! The great thing about David is that he loves me for me. I don't have to pretend to be someone that I'm not. I can be my silly crazy self and it's ok. He is an amazing dad and a hardworker. Most of all I love that he is my best friend! I have never had as much fun with someone as I do with him. When I'm not with him I wish I was and when I'm with him I don't want to leave. He treats me the way every girl wants to be treated. I am so lucky to have David in my life! I love you babe!!!!!

New Year/ New Me

Thank God it's a new year! I love new years because we have a whole year of new beginnings. I just hope that I stick with all my plans that I have mapped out for myself. I don't necessarily have "new years resolutions", but I have lifestyle changes! I know, they are prob the same thing, but lifestyle changes sounds a lot better. First off I want to take better care of my body. Now that I am  a mother I want to be healthy for Wesley so that: A- I can be active with him and B- Be able to set an example for him. I really want to try this year to eat everything as organic and fresh as possible. I also am going to get my butt back into gear and start doing yoga again. I love yoga! I love the stretching and meditating and the way you feel when you practice it! You just feel so fresh and renewed! I just got off track when I was pregnant. (I seriously got super lazy while I was pregnant with Wesley) So I am super excited about this year and what is to come. Oh yea! Another exciting thing about this year is that I think David and I are going to finally get married! So that is definately something to look forward to! I hope you guys had a great new years and that you stick with your "Lifestyle Changes". I like to remember this too- if you fall short one day you always have another day to start over!!!!