Since starting Henry Duvall in the Spring of 2022, I've had the pleasure of meeting so many incredible families, with such amazing stories to tell. I have been so inspired by them that we decided to start sharing their stories with all of you!
Families That Inspire: The Jones Family
Meet the Jones Family
Get to know The Jones Family…
5 Questions with Mom Jennifer
Tell us a little bit about your family – how many kids do you have, where do you live, what is everyone up to these days?
We call ourselves the Jones party of 6, because it is always a party around here. My husband, Ryan, and I are both from Jacksonville, FL. We have 4 children; twin daughters, Claire and Caitlyn, who are 18 years old and in their first year of college; a 15 year old daughter, Caroline, in her first year of high school; and our little caboose, Hudson, who is 4 years old and living his best life. My husband is a financial advisor with Raymond James and I stay home and chase Hudson around all day.
Tell us a little bit about your motherhood journey. What was it like finding out you were pregnant again after the girls, and what did you think about having a little boy after three girls?
Finding out I was pregnant in my 40's was quite the shock. After three girls, everyone was sure the 4th would also be a girl. Honestly, my husband and I thought that would be perfect. We knew all about raising girls! So finding out we were having a boy took some time to digest; But not as much time as it took to digest the suspected Down syndrome diagnosis we also received the day we learned baby number 4 was a boy. That revelation took nearly 8 months to digest.
Tell us about Hudson’s style. We can tell how much you love to dress him because he always looks absolutely darling!
I loved dressing my girls in matching smocked and southern traditional styles, but those days were long gone. So having a sweet baby to doll up and dress again was so much fun! Raising girls, I had always heard moms of boys complaining that there weren’t as many options for little boy's clothes as there were for girls, but I didn’t realize how true that was until I had my only little boy. I would walk in these darling children’s boutiques on our travels, ready to splurge on my boy, and walk out empty handed. They had racks and racks of girl's clothes, but very little to offer boys. I finally understood the frustration! We do have a couple of darling boutiques in my hometown here that I frequent, but I order most of Hudson clothes online. I love the southern traditional look for him, and also many traditional European styles. When I found out about Henry Duvall - a brand just for boys - I was ecstatic! HD has quickly be an absolute favorite and takes up quite a bit of space in Hudson’s closet.
Tell us a little about your journey after discovering that Hudson has Down Syndrome, and the ways it has enriched your family’s life. It’s easy to tell just from watching you that it has!
The Down Syndrome diagnosis pretty much terrified me. I was certain the good life we had been blessed with would end, and raising a child with special needs would be a burden for the rest of my life. Well, I was completely wrong about that. Hudson is the BEST thing that has ever happened to us. He has Down Syndrome and he is amazing. He is funny and smart. And when he smiles or gives you a hug, it's just pure magic. He really is the surprise delight of my life and I will never stop thanking God for this precious gift.
What is your charity of choice for our Giving Tuesday campaign? Tell us a little bit about their mission and why you chose them.
I’ve selected the Down syndrome association of Jacksonville as my charity of choice. Not only have I had the honor of serving as a board member, but I've had a front row seat to the countless ways they help and serve people with Down syndrome and their families. From offering support to new and expecting parents, to helping financially with the costs of therapies, to providing education and workshops for our teens and adults, to job training and placement, and even advocating in Washington for more funding, research and inclusion. I could go on and on about all of the amazing things this association does for the Down syndrome community, but to sum it up, they are leading the way to a better, more inclusive world for people with Down syndrome.