Introducing Jennifer McMinn

Hi. I am Jennifer McMinn, mom to 3 and wife to 1. I am a life-long Mid-Southerner. I say mid-southerner because there was a brief period in elementary school where we lived in the great state of Mississippi, just over the border in Southaven. On occasion, we could hear the cows in the pastures across the road. We spent a short two years there and moved back to Memphis after my father died. From that time until present day, I have lived in East Memphis. About 27 years…wow! I am feeling a bit old.

I met my husband Bo in high school. We dated off and on while I was in college trying to figure out my lifelong ambitions. We were married in August 2001. We had always talked about kids and decided that we would have 2. I am an only child and definitely wanted my kids to grow up with siblings. I had it all painted out in my head; just the way I wanted it to go. However, we struggled for a number of years before we were finally able to get pregnant with the help of modern medicine. Our first attempt failed so we went back a second time with a more aggressive plan and there began a new chapter in our lives with our daughter Marley (January 2009). Fast forward to 2011 and enduring the same struggles as we were previously, we went back to the doctor ready for baby #2. This time we were blessed with not just one, but two new babies. We had boy/girl twins, Dalton and Harper (August 2012).

Something else that my husband and I had talked about was childcare. My mom worked full time and raised me. The stay-at-home mom concept was something foreign and I always knew that I would want to work. My husband grew up differently. His mom stayed home. He wanted the same for our kids, but he knew it would not be “mom” staying home in our situation. We went back and forth on this for almost my entire first pregnancy. Then in December, shortly before Marley was born, his company was in the process of closing the doors. Well, there you go. Decision made. He stayed home with Marley for her first 2 years and it was truly a blessing for us. When I got pregnant with the twins he decided to do the same and is still home with them currently.

My weekdays are filled in the corporate 9-5 world where I work in IT for a large third party claims administrator. After hours and weekends are filled with my family, being a wife and mom. I am also a health and fitness accountability coach as well as a “wanna-be” chef. Those two passions can sometimes collide. My family would love for me to bake nothing but sweets.  I love trying new healthy recipes that don’t always impress everyone in the household. I try to squeeze in a sweet recipe now and then. It’s all about balance, right? And when all else fails, their Mimi bakes the best desserts of anyone I know. After all, she is the one who taught me how to cook.