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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThey took that message to heart. John joined the church where Jenny and her daughters were already members, and together, they formed a blended family, much like The Brady Bunch. The couple mutually adopted their three younger children, while the two oldest were already adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe adopted each other\u2019s kids to make sure there were no steps or halves,\u201d John said. \u201cThey\u2019re just our kids, plain and simple.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their three youngest children were close in age, born in 1978, 1981, and 1982. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you see pictures of them, you\u2019d think they were natural siblings,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cAnd they\u2019ve always acted like it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John and Jenny believe raising a family on a farm taught the children important life skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve traveled with our children as well as worked on the farm and taught our children<\/p>\n\n\n\n
needed life skills,\u201d said John. \u201cWe\u2019ve done our best to teach them honesty, integrity, and the value of family and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, with their children grown and scattered across the country, Jenny and John cherish the times when everyone comes home. \u201cHolidays are our big gatherings,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing better than having a house full of kids and grandkids.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Jenny retired from nursing eight years ago, she wasn\u2019t sure what the next chapter would hold. But John had an idea. He handed her a new career \u2014 a house to remodel. Thus, another season of teamwork began, continuing the partnership they had shared since their marriage in 1988.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Situated on the farm they decided to keep after selling Jenny\u2019s family property, the house has grown and changed along with their family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The family has remodeled their home three times since their marriage. \u201cWe built a sunroom after a mission trip to Puerto Rico in 1991. That trip taught us a new construction method, and when we got back, I knew exactly how to build it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After returning from a mission trip to Puerto Rico in 1991, they built a sunroom, which is settled on a bond beam foundation, overlooking their pool, a perfect spot for grandkids to splash during the summer. Beneath it, there\u2019s a covered porch where Jenny and John sip coffee on crisp mornings. Over the years, they\u2019ve added a bedroom, converted part of the basement into a den (now a storage room, as life often demands), and, most recently, replaced their kitchen countertops \u2014 a project three years in the making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the house isn\u2019t their only canvas. Since Jenny\u2019s retirement, the couple has flipped 10 houses together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n John shared that Jenny didn\u2019t know much about construction at first, but she learned quickly and became a natural. They\u2019ve since hung up their house-flipping hats, focusing their energy on their own home and helping others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Jenny and John, staying busy is the secret to their vitality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI worked 50 years in nursing,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cWhen I retired, I promised myself I\u2019d age gracefully, just like my mama. She worked until the day she went to meet the Good Lord. I think the secret is keeping active and not thinking about your age but what you can do for others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their days are compiled with projects, farming, and community service. John recently helped build a new Masonic Lodge, a labor of love that kept him busy for months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe like to help others when we can,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cIt\u2019s how we\u2019ve always lived.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the couple, faith and teamwork are the secrets to their prevailing partnership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve faced our share of challenges,\u201d said Jenny, \u201cbut we\u2019ve always leaned on each other and the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n John agreed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe just go with the flow and enjoy what we have. We’re blessed as a couple and a family, and we\u2019re blessed to do the things that we do together.” GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There\u2019s magic to John and Virginia (Jenny) Smith\u2019s story, the kind of charm you only find in a Southern home with a porch swing that\u2019s seen many sunsets and family gatherings. For over 30 years, they\u2019ve shared both a life and purpose and have created a heritage of love, laughter, and strong partnership here in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":23722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23720","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/franklin-county\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2025\/02\/1-3-1024x683.png\")
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