Mom Salute: Jenny Trainor

Jenny with her husband Patrick and their children Levi, Luke, and Cambrie.

Jenny Trainor and her family live in a suburb outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she's made a big impression on her mommy friends. She's the type of mom we all aspire to be--the one who seems to treasure and soak in every moment of motherhood and who is content to selflessly put her family's needs first; the one who absolutely loves spending time with her kids. I always admire mothers who find true joy in motherhood and remind me that despite being difficult at times, there isn't much if anything that can bring more happiness than raising a family and watching your children learn, grow, and enjoy life. Jenny also recently began what I consider a superhuman feat when she started homeschooling her oldest son. Homeschool moms amaze me! To top off her homemaking feats, Jenny is a couponing extraordinaire, so maybe we'll see her on that crazy coupons go show on TLC one of these days.

One of Jenny's Minneapolis friends, Lindsay, nominated her for a salute and had this to say about the friend she admires so much:

Jenny has an enthusiasm for motherhood that is contagious. The first time I met Jenny she had just had her first first baby and one of the first things she did was show us her baby and with a huge grin on her face say, "And now I'm a mommy!" That same joy hasn't faded over the years. 

She is a fun mom and is constantly thinking of and doing fun things with her kids - drive in movie birthday complete with box cars - check, bring a water table into the gym at church to fill up those long winter days - check [remember warm weather friends, this is Minneapolis we're talking about!], chase all the kids around at the park while being the monster - check, and so on and so on. While I might be inclined to sit and talk to other moms at park days, Jenny is out chasing and playing with all the kids. 

Jenny is not only a fun mom, but also an excellent teacher.  She currently is homeschooling her son and you can see her taking moments to teach and train her children in all they do. Jenny is truly an example of someone who finds the joy in motherhood.

Jenny's mother shared these thoughts about her daughter:

Jenny Trainor is one of the most patient, fun loving mothers that I know. She is the only mom I know who will have a pirate birthday party and will build a slide out of an old refrigerator box, connect it to her basement staircase, and have kids slide down the stairs as they pretend to walk the plank. 

Another fun thing she has done to make one of her children's birthday parties more memorable is spending hours cutting out and making 23 box cars that were painted to look like the Disney Cars Mater and Lighting McQueen. She didn't have a lot of money, but she had a lot of imagination and desire to make her little boy's birthday party one that he won't forget! 

In addition to being a fun mom, Jenny is also a great mother. Jenny has the desire to raise her children to be good citizens. She home schools and takes every opportunity to introduce her children to new experiences. She expects them to be mannerly and respectful to others. She is firm, but loving, and never raises her voice to get her point across.

I always especially love reading what the husbands says about their wives when I put together salutes. Here's what Patrick said about his sweetheart:

Jenny is an amazing mother and a great example to me of what it means to be a good parent. When I think of Jenny, one of the first things that comes to mind is the unconditional love that she shows towards others, especially children. Not only does she show this love for her own kids, but this love extends to nieces, nephews, children at church, our kid’s friends and many others. The patience that she shows towards others is something that I strive to emulate.  

When I am left alone with our two sons and daughter, I consider it to be a monumental accomplishment if they are still alive when Jenny comes home, and that’s usually only an hour or two later. Somehow Jenny is able to not only keep our kids alive day after day, but also manages to homeschool, take care of the house, prepare meals, provide service, fulfill her church responsibilities, and complete many other tasks.  

Like most good mothers, she is constantly putting others before herself. While homeschooling our children she is able to turn almost anything into a teaching opportunity and can find ways to make most everything fun and entertaining. Her creativity never ceases to amaze me. Even with everything that she has going on, she often makes time to help me with my commitments. I often joke that you can find Jenny’s hand in anything that I do well, and it is absolutely true. 

Even though she displays all of these great characteristics, she remains humble. In fact, she is likely blushing as she reads these comments.

Blush away Jenny, because we've loved reading about you and are sending you a big old #momsalute from the rest of us moms in the trenches. You deserve it for giving motherhood your all and being someone your children and your whole family can rely on, learn from, and emulate. Thanks for being the type of woman who inspires all the moms around you to be better and to give a little bit more of themselves to their sacred role as mother.


P.S. Can I have an invitation to your next children's birthday party?