5 Minutes with a Mom: Jenna Stubbs

Name: Jenna  Stubbs

Childrens’ names and ages: Weston-19 Months  Teddy (four-legged baby) 3.5 years

Where were you raised? Very southeastern tip of Arkansas in the small town of Hamburg.

How long have you lived in NWA and what led you to this area? Like a lot of people, I came to college here and fell in love with the area. After attending the U of A, going to UAMS in Little Rock for a few years, and living in Memphis for one year, my husband and I moved back here in the summer of 2006.

What has been your favorite thing to do in NWA this summer? Well it’s not actually an attraction or destination per se, but after dinnertime, my husband and I have made a habit of taking our boys for walks around the trail system in Siloam Springs (especially around JBU) and this has been a great way to enjoy the sunshine and have quality family time. We also enjoy taking them to the park to play Frisbee.

How long have you been married? Together for 6, married for 3 and a half.

How did you two meet? We were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend (Thanks Livi!) I was attending dental hygiene school in Little Rock while Scott finished dental school in Memphis. I was skeptical about a blind date, but I decided to give it a try. As it turned out, he was my perfect guy, and we’ve been together ever since.

Where do you work? I practiced dental hygiene for 4 years but decided to be a SAHM a little over a year ago.

How do you stay connected with your friends (besides Facebook)? We have a great group of friends that we stay connected with by doing a monthly supper club. At the beginning of the year, each couple picks a month to host it at their house. The hostess cooks the main course, while everyone else brings the appetizers, sides, and desserts. It is lots of fun for the adults and the kids and is a great way for everyone to set aside time for each other.

What’s your sure-fire way to relax? I can always clear my head when I’m running. Add an iPod and a great sunrise to the mix, and I am set for the day. 

What are a few of your favorite things? Photography, Running/Working Out, Coffee, my Google Reader full of new blog posts (of course I’m subscribed to NWA Motherlode), every show on Bravo TV (total addict and no, I’m not ashamed of it), vacations, cheese dip, camping.

What’s stressing you out the most right now? Fortunately, right now I would say I don’t have any stress in my life (knock on wood, don’t hate me) but I do always stress unnecessarily over things like something bad happening to my son/husband/mother/family/friends.

What’s your favorite part of being a mom? The simple things: hearing my son’s diaper swishing as he walks across the floor, hearing his laugh, all the “firsts.” In the last few months, he’s learned to give hugs and kisses and that just melts my heart.

What has surprised you the most about motherhood? That I’m actually good at it. I had never babysat even one day as a teenager, and my son’s diaper was the first diaper I had ever changed in my life, so needless to say, I had the least experience possible in being a mom. Another huge surprise for me was that I love being a SAHM. I was definitely in the “why-would–you-ever-want-to-do-that?” mindset before an issue at work caused me to suddenly decide to quit. Becoming a SAHM has BY FAR been the best thing to ever happen to me as a mother and a person. It totally changed how I view family dynamics. 

What is your favorite memory (so far) of your little one: My son is not the cuddly type at all. I can count on one hand the number of times has he lain his head on my chest and fallen asleep and those moments were so precious. Then he’d wake up and be going ninety to nothing again

One word to sum me up: Blessed