I've been bought up in a 'religious' household. Mostly my mum practiced mixed up with traditional practices, so I grew up not knowing much in the way of fiqh outside of immediate fard requirements.
But we had stacks of books and I loved reading.
I think I consciously came into Islam during my marriage, I'd spent my life with Islam being in soft focus in the background of everything, then when I was married it started slowly coming into focus.
First it took me forever to conceive, ex of course blamed me and I had to face the gamut of tests as he point blank refused insisting he was fine. I remember vividly being booked in to see a consultant (male) and making dua to Allah that if it wasn't written for me to have children for Allah to remove the yearning from me that I would not have to unnecessary uncover my awrah as Id' spent my lifetime covered and I find medical procedure so so so invasive. After seven years on the day I was meant to have my first consultation about fertility I found myself having my dating scan instead.
Then right before my marriage ended and I couldn't take anymore, I actually prayed salat ul hajjat the prayer of need and for the only time my life I prayed for death, I prayed that my little baby have a better mother than me and she be loved and protected and never feel my loss. The very next morning ex got himself arrested and I was able to start divorce proceedings.
Since then my build up of iman has been slow and steady alhumdulillah, I've looked for and found prayers for ease, I have tried to build up my fard so it is steadfast and built on that by adding supererogatory worship. I do dhikr a lot I keep prayer beads in my abaya pocket so I automatically start doing dhikr when my hands touch the beads when out and about.
When I can't sleep I watch lectures on YouTube or pray salat ul tahajjud.
And slowly as my knowledge has increased Alhumdulillah my family has changed too, my mum has started increasing her knowledge so we have a lot less of the non Islamic stuff happening at home, one of my sisters has started observing niqab altho her husband is utterly against it so they've compromised where she wears the niqab when he's away from home. I've never said or done anything to encourage or discourage their practice or behaviour.
For me the change has been very gradual it's almost seven years of small changes, and they've been such that it's become part of me as a person so I hope I will not stop no matter where I am in life.
It affects everything, my girls are used to making duas for what they want and need, and we have a rule in our house if we want barakah and suqoon we do not fight and argue.
It's part of me as a parent, if I learn anything new I tell my girls, I told my girls about the dhikr angels, there are angels who's sole purpose is to seek out those doing dhikr and they stay with them till the dhikr ends. If we're walking to school in the morning and my girls get too chatty or argumentative I remind them of the dhikr angels and they immediately start doing dhikr (blissful silence for at least thirty seconds at a stretch). My eldest is hoping to see an angel (or a bunch of them) I think!