While I’m busy settling into life with a newborn, I’ll be sharing some of my lovely readers stories with you. First up is my lovely friend Jennie and her gorgeous family
Hello everyone, my name is Jennie & my blog is Posie Patchwork. I’m thrilled to be visiting retro mummy today, we met through our blogs a few years ago, with a love for craft & large families. Then we realised we had even more in common, our fathers were in the Navy together, so we actually met as little girls in the officer’s mess in the 1980’s!! My story . . . I married my teen love from University (I did pharmacology & psychology at Sydney Uni.) My husband is a handsome soldier in the Army . . . 18 years later . . . we’ve criss crossed Australia 6 times, he’s been to 5 wars & we have 4 children, now aged 8 to 13 (year 3 to year 8).
When I had twins in 2001, it was my ticket to become a full time mum & discover my talent for design could become an income. After 12 successful years of sewing, i’m closing down my business to focus on the children as their sports & social lives take over, not to mention high school homework. I grew up in Sydney (St Ives) & we’ve finally decided to settle in Canberra, with plans to buy a farm & build a homestead, so our children can have the healthiest life possible, with more homegrown produce & animals. Plus they can practise their athletics & horse riding at home. Right now, in Army housing suburbia, we have a thriving herb garden & take time to make our own pasts & homemade meals from scratch. We also have chickens, ducks & a German Shepherd. Most importantly, we have my husband recently home from Afghanistan, safe & sound.
Best “we are awesome parents” moment was taking the children to Disneyland – we saved for years & it was absolutely fantastic!! My parenting ethos is to make my children feel loved, wanted, accepted, included & a very welcome part of our lives. My husband has been living on his own in Brisbane for almost 3 years (with the Army), so if you want any positive tips on coping as a solo mother, I’m your gal!!
I absolutely love being a housewife, Ibelieve it’s a privilege & I’m very proud of my growing family. I find my children interesting & challenging, they are so much fun to hang out with & they enjoy so many of my interests, even my son does embroidery (only because I don’t let him play with electronic gadgets.) I’m now in my 4th year of having all 4 children in school 6-7 hours a day, I am NEVER bored & take time to relax – reading magazines, yoga, drinking tea – it makes the 9 month chunks of our lives with my husband away in war zones, bearable. All of my children speak Japanese so they talk about me behind my back. That is another thing about large families, we most often have large cars with 3 rows of seats, someone is always plotting mischief behind you.
Love Posie
Oh thanks Corrie, just cherish our friendship!! Such fun to appear on your blog, thanks honey, rest up & enjoy the last few moments alone with Emerson before yore home again & into the thick of it. Love Posie
Corrie, I just adore Jennie from Posie Patch and her family! I’ve been following her blog for ages and would love to meet her one day! It’s so lovely to share and connect with like minded mothers/crafter/wives and that we can celebrate being “stay at home mothers”!!! Lovely post and Congratulations on the birth of your son!
You are living my ‘dream life’. I would love to have had more children and been able to stay home with them.
As a solo parent (by choice) I work out of the home – mainly nightshifts so that I can spend time with my little person. I would like to be able to give her more.
Thanks for sharing
Beautiful story! This makes me want to pack up and move to the country (and I’m not a country girl AT ALL!)
Kimberley x
I love your comment about being a housewife is a privilege. I totally agree. I’d love to be able to eliminate the job that takes me out of the home.
Beautiful
What a lovely little post from Posie, I’ll be sure to check out your blog. Thanks for sharing!
Allison @ Utterly Organised
http://utterlyorganised.blogspot.com.au/
Thanks for posting Jennie’s blog! I have actually read it before and remembered the various names that her nearest and dearest call her. Gorgeous pics of her lovely children!
Wonderful post! I have an ex-military man who now travels alot for work so going to check out this ‘solo-mum’ blog for some tips for my three!! Thanks again.
Hi Jennie, what a lovely post. You are such a positive person which is to your credit. I am so pleased Corrie posted this for us to read. I must go and visit your blog.
Lovely to meet Posie! Thanks corrie for sharing, bron.
Hey Jennie (& Corrie)…great post! I love the “plotting” bit, I’m the youngest of five so I always up to my arms in plots. Such fun!!!
Well said lovely one. it is a privilege to be a stay at home mum to my three… hmmm.. can’t wait for the plotting in the back seat!!
Thank you Jennie for sharing your story
Gosh it must be hard having your husband away so very much (and living away!) but it sounds like you have a good, solid family life with great plans ahead!!
A fabbo guest post, Corrie, from one of my dearest bloggy friends with the hugest heart. J x
Aw shucks ladies, thank you so very much for the sweetest comments. Yes, we have big plans as a family with moving to a farm soon, we’ve long outgrown our current lifestyle!!
So many of you picked out one of the most important facets of my life – the privilege it is to be a housewife, truly it is, i treasure it. Love Posie
Thanks for sharing such a lovely life story.
I am lucky to have now met both the lovely supermum Corrie, congrats on your gorgeous Emerson and by the way on all of your gorgeous children AND have also met the equally lovely Posie and her gorgeous quartet – they are as good as they sound and an absolute credit to their Mum and handsome soldier father. Congrats and the very best of wishes all round!
Hey
retromummy
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It’s great to read more about you, Jen. x