HGTV Star Jenny Marrs Reveals the Surprising Reason Her 15-Year-Old Sons Were Once ‘Kicked Out' of School
HGTV star Jenny Marrs has confessed that her now-teenage sons were once 'kicked out' of school after the 'Fixer to Fabulous' host made the decision to take them with her on a monthlong trip to Africa.
Jenny, 46, made the candid admission in an Instagram post, revealing that her 15-year-old twins, Nathan and Ben, suffered a fierce blow to their early education when they were ejected from their former school shortly before entering the 2nd grade.
Although Jenny and her family are based in Arkansas, she and her husband, Dave, maintain close ties to Africa, having done a great deal of nonprofit work in the country, while also adopting their daughter, Sylvie, now 13, from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The on-air starlet did not share the circumstances of the trip that took Nathan and Ben away from school for a month; however, the family's blog reveals that they all paid a visit to Zimbabwe for several weeks in early 2017, when they spent time volunteering at a local children's home.
In her post—which has since been edited to remove the detail about her children's removal from their school—Jenny insisted that she has no regrets about the decision, writing that it gave the family the perfect opportunity to find a school where Nathan and Ben would be able to flourish in all the ways that really mattered
'I know I'm not the only mom who has prayed for their beloved babies to be surrounded by good friends as they grow,' she wrote alongside a video of her sons leaping from a rock face into water alongside several pals.
'I remember making the decision when the boys were entering 2nd grade to, after much prayer, move them (and their sister who was about to start kindergarten) to a new school.'
In the original version of the post, which has since been edited, per TV Insider, the mother of five added: 'Granted, we had been kicked out of our old school because we spent a month in Africa during the middle of the year, but I regret nothing. They were little and it was the best thing for our family at the time.'
That incident gave Jenny and her husband the time to figure out exactly what their priorities were when it came to picking a school for their kids, with the HGTV star explaining that they ultimately decided on a school where their children wouldn't be 'shuffled' around and could focus on building a community.
'We chose a school where they wouldn't be shuffled around year to year because of rezoning. We knew we wanted a steady group of kids who would be with them each year and we prioritized friendships over the 'best sports' or 'academics' or whatever other thing seems important these days,' she explained.
The HGTV icon revealed that she was grateful she was able to 'watch' her sons 'play sports alongside and walk through life with their best buds.'
'Now that they're teens, I can honestly say there is no greater gift we can give our younger kids than the gift of friendships,' she continued.
She then offered advice to other moms, suggesting, 'Young mommas: Pray for friends, foster those relationships with play dates and time together and sports and adventures. It isn't easy and it requires sacrifice but I can tell you that it's going to be worth it.'
'This year, my boys have both walked through deep heartache and these friends have walked with them and prayed for them and have showed up for them in ways that I never could have expected of 15 and 16 year old kids.
'Teens often have a bad reputation but I believe they were born for such a time as this. This next generation is brave and God is on the move in and through them,' she said at the end of the caption.
Jenny and Dave tied the knot in 2005 and now share five kids: Nathan, Ben, Sylvie, Charlotte, 12, and Luke, 6. The family—who hails from Florida—moved to Bentonville, AR, and 'fell in love' with everything the town had to offer.
'We were just going to be here for a couple of years and go back to Florida. I think, like a lot of people do here, we came for a stint and realized how great a place it is. This is home,' Marrs told fans in 2018.
She previously revealed in an Instagram post that their home underwent numerous renovations.
'During the remodel, we relocated the sink onto this wall and I can't tell you how much joy it brings me to look out at the animals in the pasture or watch the sun set over the horizon as I do the dishes,' she wrote. 'For a mundane task that truly never ends (with seven people, there are ALWAYS dishes to be washed), this view makes it fairly enjoyable.'
'Much like my new laundry room, this space is a necessary and functional part of our home that now makes me very happy. I'm truly thankful for all of these dishes and clothes to be washed as they are evidence that we have a home brimming with life and the people I treasure most in the world,' she revealed.
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