Hi, I'm Jenny Sollberger. I live in Louisville, NE with my husband Jon and our 3 boys, Lukas (12) Joseph (8) and Nathan (6). We've been here in Louisville just over 2 years and we love it! Jon has had two very challenging calls previous to this one, the most recent of which resulted in quite a bit of mental, emotional and physical stress for our entire family. So, needless to say we are thankful to God each and every day for this call He granted to Jon, and to us.This next paragraph started out as the story of how Jon and I met and ended up at Seminary. It got WAAAY too long! That's a whole other story, girls. Short version? We met at college. I got a degree in ElEd, he got a degree in Broadcast journalism. We lived in MN. Found an awesome church whose pastor put the idea of sem in Jon's head and off we went. (I left out all the good stuff though. Maybe one day I'll share it all!)
This is the first year I am home alone all day as Nate started Kindegarten last fall. Nope I don't homeschool. I considered it for quite a while, especially in our former call. But we have a wonderful school here which I love to support. And God gave me the vocation of a mother who does not homeschool, which I have come to accept as noble rather than guilt-ridden. Yep, this was a struggle for me for a while. Although I am beginning to feel in the minority, I tell ya! Any other PW's who do NOT homeschool out there?? Helloooo!
So what do I do with all my free time? I enjoy it. I make myself available to help out in the boys's classrooms. I help with PTO activites. I scrapbook pictures and stamp cards, which I love and now have time to do it uninterrupted! This makes me happy. I love to cook and bake and search out new recipes. I also love trying them out on my family. Unfortunately the only ones who enjoy most of them are Jon and me. The boys are still in the hamburger/mac'n cheese/spaghetti/pizza/plain old baked chicken frame of mind.
I'm also looking forward to my first vegetable garden this spring/summer. Love to mess in the dirt in the warm sunshine. Love to go for walks. Love to camp. Love to play around with my camera. Love to hug my boys. Love to listen to music. Love to read Jane Austen (she's so funny!). Love to write. LOVE chocolate! Love to sing in church. Love entertaining friends on our back patio. Want to come over? My blender makes a mean margarita.
Oh and I LOVE Chocolate!
Ok, I just want to make sure everyone notices Joseph's (Jenny's middle son) face in that family picture. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteAnd on homeschooling, I too have wrestled with this issue for a while now but we have decided that we will put our children in our local public school. Our daughter will start preschool there in the fall. It's a short walk from our house, we know a lot of the teachers and believe it will work best for our family.
I would really like to hear why some of you have decided to homeschool and why others of you haven't. And if you homeschooling moms want to share resources here, that's great!
Thanks, Jenny, for your candor. While we'd wish no pastor and his family a tough situation (or more), we're glad to know you and yours are now in a better place.
ReplyDeleteWe're moving towards homeschooling. Even three years ago I would have thought it a distant possibility. Our schools here are probably average, but we've heard too many stories to make us comfortable to send our kids to them. That would probably be enough to motivate us to homeschool, but we're acquainted with several families who homeschool, and the resources for it in our relatively rural area are numerous. That's really tipped the balance. My husband went to a Lutheran grade school and I attended terrific public schools; we'd love either for our kids. But right now, neither are available.
I've gained a lot of respect for moms-who-stay-home-but-do-not-homeschool. I think our culture pressures moms to do it all, either outside the home or within it. Moms like you, Jenny, are providing exactly the kind of home your family needs: stability, support, and faithfulness.
Oh, and this is Emily O. :D
Oh, and I DEFINITELY want to hear the full story of how you met your husband! No matter how long it is! You've made me really curious!
ReplyDeleteJenny - I love your intro. You really do need to post the original "Jon and Jenny Story"; it's got some interesting parts.
ReplyDeleteI admire you, Jenny, for taking the time to do the fun-things in your life. You make time to scrap and stamp. I forget to do that at times, and I regret it. PLUS you get to help out in the boys' classrooms. I always used to think I'd be the world's best room-mom since I'd been on the teacher side of it. Well, that didn't happen. Good for you, though!!!!