Hey, y'all--as we say in the South! I'm so glad you're here!
I'm Jennifer Dawn--Jenn to my friends and family! I'm just a girl who met the boy I wanted to spend my life with, fell in love, got married, taught for 7+ years, had three kids, and left teaching behind to be a full-time wife and mother. Although my life has taken some unexpected twists and turns, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. Let me introduce you to the rest of my family...
My family of five...
Tim: The hubby. We met my freshman year of college in Chemistry class. He jokes that we had "chemistry" from the start. Although we were friends for many years, we didn't start dating until my senior year of college while he was in grad school. God's timing is always perfect. You know in your vows when you promise to love each other "in sickness and in health; for richer or poorer; for better or for worse"? Well, we've certainly gone through our share of life's ups and downs together. With him I've learned that marriage is not a dreamy fairy tale. It's better! It's something worth fighting for.
Lydia Grace: Our beautiful girl. She's our living proof that God can work miracles and turn pain into beauty. Kids don't see themselves that way, though. If she were to tell you about herself she would say that her favorite color is blue (sometimes pink), she likes going to the zoo, crafting with mommy is always fun, and her best friend is Addy. She is strong-willed and independent like her momma. She is also gifted with such a caring, sincere heart.
Eli: Our handsome boy. After two heartbreaking miscarriages, Eli was born! What a gift! He is more cautious, sensitive, and quiet than my head-strong girl, but when he loves...it's with his whole heart. He's my budding artist with painting and music being two of his favorite things. He also loves cooking, especially when it's to bake something yummy to satisfy his sweet tooth.
Caleb: Our precious little boy. He shares a name with his Papa--a man he never got to meet. What a blessing this child has been! He is affectionate and loving and knows no strangers. Caleb has had some challenges during his short two years though. He has a severe milk allergy which is why you'll see a lot of dairy-free recipes on the blog. Some developmental delays and sensory processing disorder have also posed challenges and had us in loads of speech and occupational therapy appointments. Even with all of these difficulties, he never seems to loose the extreme joy he carries around in his heart. Yes, he sees and experiences the world a little differently than you and me, but that's alright! He challenges me to be a more patient, loving momma and experience this wonderful world from a whole new perspective right along with him!
Here we were two years ago!
Hold on... Eli is sticking his tongue out.
Let' try again. Oops...Caleb is slipping.
Oh, never mind. Eli is crying now. It's not a perfect picture, but life never is. It's messy, exciting, challenging, fun, sad, and joyous all rolled up together. I can be a perfectionist at times. My little blessings teach me a different way each and every day. They teach me how beautiful imperfection can be. My mom says I often tend to romanticize things. I prefer to see it as seeing the world through rose-colored glasses. No, let's call them pink-colored glasses since that is my favorite color, and it is a color that signifies JOY!
Here's a more current photo...
My Childhood...
Here's a more current photo...
My Childhood...
I grew up in the South with a hardworking daddy who nicknamed me Miss Priss, a momma who epitomizes the type of mother I want to be, and an amazing sister who used to blog here. My daddy was a successful businessman who lived for his family. My mother gave up a job writing for a newspaper to stay home with her girls. My sister and I got our love of all things crafty from her. She sewed, knitted, crocheted, painted ceramics... I could add several things to that list along with cooking and being a beautiful example of a godly woman. My faith is strong and rooted in Christ Jesus because of my mother. Never underestimate the power of a mother's prayers. Here's a picture of my momma with Tim, the kids, my sister, my brother-in-law, and me.
You may notice that my dad is missing from the picture. He traded his earthly home for a heavenly one on October 10, 2012 after a 5-month battle with pancreatic cancer. My heart still aches from missing him...
Tragically we lost my sister, too. She passed away on May 20, 2016. I don't even have words to describe the heartache we still feel over losing her. You can read more about that in this post...
Why do I blog?
Well, it started out as something new to try. I began with a point-and-shoot camera, a blogger template, and no idea what I was doing. Years later, I have a DSLR camera, my own design and domain, and still no idea what I'm doing. This is just my little corner of the world where you will find snapshots of my life and my family, an assortment of crafts and sewing projects, recipes and creations from my kitchen, and, of course, tales of motherhood. I share a variety of things on this blog and have often wondered if I need to break it apart into a craft/sewing blog, a personal blog, and a blog filled with the kid activities that the teacher in me comes up with. All of these pieces are a part of me though...
I'm a former teacher turned stay at home mom who homeschools my own children. That part of my life is shared through the printables and kid-friendly activities that I post. Every mommy needs a place to call her own, so I share personal aspects of my life too. I have many interests, and my posts reflect that. This has become a place for me to share my life--all aspects of it. That's why it's called The Life of Jennifer Dawn.
A Few Odds and Ends...
Want to know a few more things about me? Be sure to visit this post.
Thanks for visiting!
The Southern girl in me loves to entertain, so I'm delighted that you've decided to stop by. While you are here, pour yourself a glass of sweet tea (or coffee if you prefer) and plan to stay a while. I hope you find something that you like, something that makes you smile, or something that inspires you.
Feel free to scroll through this small sampling of my life and "chat with me" by leaving comments.
Be sure to come back and visit anytime.