Jen
A born and bred Oregonian, Jen is a stay-at-home mama who hardly ever stays at home. She is married to her college sweetheart and mama of three: a spunky blonde, a sassy redhead and a charming little Thai cutie who joined their family through adoption in 2012. Jen is the co-founder of Called to Love, a faith-based non-profit that provides an annual retreat for adoptive and foster moms. You’ll find her sporadically blogging on parenting, faith, adoption and everything loud/messy/amazing about life at jentompkins.com.
Four Ways to Build Your Mama Tribe
A few weeks ago, I was chatting with a mom I had just met at a basketball game, when my preschooler ran up, chomping away on something I had not given him.
“Mom! I found...
Why I Won’t Tell You About My Son’s “Real Mom”
I have three kids, and only two of them grew in my tummy. Our youngest son, Asher, was born in Thailand and joined our family through adoption when he was 22 months old. Our...
28 Signs You May be a ‘BOY MOM’
We all know that every child is unique and special. It does no one any good to compare any of your children to their siblings or any other child, or to compare your parenting...
Nine Steps to a Child-Free Mini-Vacation
If I’m being completely honest with you, there are a lot of days in this “parenting three kids” gig where I find myself staring into space and thinking that I would really like to...
You’re a Good Mama
Have I mentioned I love my kids? Love ‘em. More than my next breath. But I hate grocery shopping with them. Bless their little hearts, I hate it. In the summer when they are...
Boogers, Barf, and the Real Baptism of Motherhood
There comes a day in every mother’s life that she would rather forget. That is the day you first read the word “mucous plug.” I say “read” because no one talks about it. If...
A Letter to My Pregnant Self…10 Years Later
Dear pregnant me in 2005,
First, I need you to walk to your closet and find the pink striped maternity shirt. Take it out of the closet, walk straight to the garbage can, and just...
Portland Timbers For The Win
If you want to experience the true spirit of Portland, skip the dinner cruise on the Willamette and get your family to a Timbers game. Whether you are a life-long lover of soccer, or...
To Princess or Not to Princess? That Is the Question
Before she was born, I had big plans to shield my baby girl from the pressures and dangers of this world. Of course, by “pressures and dangers” I mean Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel and Snow...
{Moms Who Inspire + Giveaway} How Rare Became Remarkable
I remember exactly where I was when my friend Kristen told me that she was pregnant with a surprise third baby. I remember our excitement when she told us that after two boys, this...