I’m Jenna. This is me over the past decade. That Girl, That Bride, That Wife. I think this collage shows why food and weight loss related posts pop up so frequently on my blog. Other popular topics? Photography (I am also known as Jenna Cole), adventures in the kitchen, Mormonism, places I travel, and my attempts to dress fashionably using thrifted items and hand-me-downs.
I grew up in a tiny farming town in the middle of Washington state. My dad is a farmer and business owner, my mom is a photographer, and I have one younger sister who happens to be a photographer as well.
In 2008 I married my favorite person in the entire world. I use my real name online, but I never use his, so you’ll know him as That Husband, or TH for short.
That Husband happens to be Polish. Between 2008-2011 I somehow managed to make it over to Europe 4 times, something I didn’t even dream of while pulling weeds and driving tractors on the farm as a teenager.
In 2010 I gave birth, at home, to a son we’ve nicknamed T1. We don’t use his real name on the blog either. We plan on having more children, but we’re waiting until the time feels right to have the next one.
Right now we live in Chicago, with some pretty amazing views outside our living room window, in a high-rise south of downtown just a few blocks from the home of President Obama in Hyde Park.
That Wife, That Husband, T1. We are very blessed, and very happy.
FAQ
How tall are you?
5’2″
How many children do you want to have?
More than 1. We haven’t decided on a number past that yet. We’ve had one, now we’ll have some serious conversations about when we should have another, and so on and so forth.
What does T1 stand for?
That One
How much did your home birth cost?
About $4000, including supplies, tests, and midwifery care.
Who is Jenna Cole?
My full name is Jenna Nichole Andersen. Jenna Cole is my photography business name.
Blogger or wordpress?
Use Blogger if you want something free and easy to customize. Use WordPress if you want to choose the name of your URL (like www.thatwifeblog.com) and you would like the flexibility to use HTML and craft a personalized website.
How did you grow your blog?
I wrote for Weddingbee as Mrs. Avocado, and when I left the site they let me link to this blog, which gave me a boost but isn’t the only reason. I would not have built up the readership I have without commitments like posting every day for a year, using lots of pictures, and being willing to write honestly about things like my marriage, pregnancy, and parenting, which often bring both praise and criticism.
How did TH find the church?
In high school when he visited America. He considers that story to be a very personal one and doesn’t talk about it online.
How do TH’s parents feel about his decision to join the LDS church?
Then, they were unfamiliar with the religion and didn’t know what to expect (though they’ve always maintained a good relationship with each other). Now, they are happy with the direction his life is headed.
Where is your post on budgeting?
Here.
Did you go to college to become a photographer or are you self taught?
Self-taught. You can see my first photo shoot with my friend’s baby here. A recent wedding I shot can be seen here. I’ve come a long way!
What camera/lenses do you have?
Canon 5D Mark II
50mm 1.2 (my favorite)
50mm 1.4
35mm 1.4 (my other favorite)
135 2.0
16-35 2.8
Canon 50D (backup body for weddings)
What editing software do you use?
Lightroom and Photoshop
Do you drink caffeine?
Things you might not know about me
I could not function without Remember The Milk.
I load the utensils in the dishwasher sorted according to type. Forks with forks, spoons with spoons.
I like to eat my gummi candies/gummi adult vitamins stale.
I am incredibly passionate about donating my body to science when I die.
I like the room where I’m sleeping to be kept cool BUT I like to sleep with several layers of blankets because I like the weight.
I like staying in and being productive more than going out.
When I was little and wet my underpants, I’d flush them down the toilet instead of telling my mom.
I like my clothes to match, even my workout/lounge/sleepwear.
I pick my zits.
I never can spell sandwich correctly. Thank goodness for autocorrect.
I don’t like the way anyone looks wearing just socks and underwear. Not even babies.
I used a PowerPoint presentation to convince my husband to start dating (me).
I can’t wear turtlenecks. It feels like my neck is suffocating. It’s only very recently that I’ve been able to tolerate wearing scarves.
