I took this photo on September 13th, at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, where the flags were at half mast in honor of Charlie Kirk. Since I was traveling when this terrible tragedy occurred* and (purposely) did not have my Youtube login information with me, I was unable to acknowledge what happened in real time.
While I don’t have any brilliant or clever words that have not already been said, I will say that it was a deeply shocking thing to realize while I was visiting Omaha beach - the place where over 80 years ago my paratrooper grandfather was helping to deliver the crushing blow to fascism - that someone had been coldly assassinated in the United States for his beliefs.
We MUST be able to talk with one another. The exchange of ideas through civil debate is a core democratic principle. Regardless of one’s views, murdering someone because you disagree with them is utterly unforgivable and could not be more antithetical to these principles.
I try to keep my channel free from politics and other stressful topics in an attempt to keep it a peaceful and welcoming place… and I hope you understand why I felt I needed to acknowledge this event. May we all heal from this and find a way to come together instead of succumbing to the continual divisive messaging we are exposed to from all angles on a daily basis.
And on that note, thank you to my beautiful community for listening and for helping my sleepy channel wake up after a long break - the “Packing for France” Video is now live and I have SO much great footage to share with you all in the coming weeks!
~ Jenna
*videos were being released on my channel during that time but they were pre-filmed; today’s video about packing for France was also filmed before our trip but released once we returned. I did this because I didn’t want to announce publicly that we were out of the country in real time!
LIFE UPDATE: Where I’ve Been, HEART Failure, and RETURNING to YouTube 💕
Hello friends! I’m so happy to be returning to YouTube this week!
First, my deepest apologies for being absent so long. I’ve missed you terribly and want to give you a brief explanation/update about what has kept me away.
What I’m about to share is very personal and might be upsetting to some, but I hope that if you find yourself in a similar situation with an elderly loved one, you will not feel so alone.
Many of you have seen my beloved 82 year old Aunt in some of my videos. She and I are extremely close; in fact, from now on, when you hear “aunt”, think “mother” because that is more representative of our relationship for myself and my sisters. [If that sounds like its own complicated story, you’re right]
If you’re new here and just want the TLDR: my elderly aunt, whom I’m very close with, had a serious months-long health crisis that needed my full attention; at this time, we seem to have mostly come out the other side.
💖
For those of you who are my long time viewers or want more information, here’s a more in depth explanation if you’re interested:
This difficult saga began all the way back in February. A routine checkup revealed heart changes that, when explored further, indicated that my Aunt needed a pacemaker placed. She was otherwise in very good health, so we scheduled the procedure as a way to be proactive. Well, to keep it brief, what ensued was a cascade of complications and health crises that resulted in my spending weeks away from home and traveling back and forth as she went in and out of the hospital, icu, surgery, rehab, etc. I am not exaggerating when I say that we almost lost her multiple times. And with my sisters located across the country, the responsibility has rested squarely on me.
I am very grateful that being a nurse and having a flexible schedule meant I was well positioned to help manage the situation. And now, here in September, I am so deeply grateful that she is not only still here with us but is also nearly back to being herself.
For weeks it has seemed like every time we thought things were going well, another crises happened. And to make this whole thing even more emotionally charged, we lost my father (her brother) unexpectedly to a cardiac event when he was far too young, so of course this dragged up many of those emotions.
Thankfully, at this moment, the tempest seems to have mostly blown over. However throughout this whole process we came to learn that she is indeed now in heart failure. So, there are still undoubtedly difficult times ahead, but for now, I feel I can breathe again and I am welcoming the distraction and happiness of creating again for the channel!
In truth I could have come back a week or so ago but I took some time to get my life (sort of) in order and to think a lot about where I want this channel to go. I’ve got LOTS of ideas and a spark of inspiration that I can feel growing and filling me with excitement about where we’re gong together. Yes, that’s vague, but I want to stay focused in this post and will absolutely be elaborating more soon! I will let you know that I’ve already filmed several videos and I’m ready for a productive, creative, beautiful autumn season!
💖
Thank you so very much for understanding that family must come first, and at times of crisis this may mean that everything else must temporarily go by the wayside.
And, thank you for returning with me for this exciting new chapter at Wren Haven House & Garden! I think you’re going to LOVE where we are headed together!
But before I wrap this up... if you are caring for an elderly loved one - a parent, a friend, a family member - or have recently been through it, know that you are not alone. There are many others who understand how exhausting and stressful and distressing it can be. I'm sending you a huge hug.
Hi all, I'm so very sorry for my absence - my planned few days off was unexpectedly followed by a family emergency and health crisis... I had to drop everything and go out of town as I am the Health Care Proxy etc. and am very involved.
At the moment I don't know how long this difficult situation is going to occupy my time and energy. 😞 I sincerely apologize, and trust me I would so very much rather be making videos for you and sharing the truly exciting things I've got waiting in the "queue" than what I'm faced with right now!
Truly we have nothing without our health and moments like this really drive the point home. Thank you so much for your patience, I appreciate you all and can't wait to be back with you soon!
~ With Love, Jenna
ps - please know that while I may not respond to your comments right away I see them and appreciate them so very much!
🌷🐇 Hi everyone! No video this week, I'm taking some time to be with family and do a little spring cleaning catch-up, but I'll be back with you next week with exciting new content that I'm just so thrilled to share with you! See you soon and wishing you all a beautiful Easter weekend!
Surgery went well and I'm on the mend, thank you all! ♥️ Now Resting, Recovering, and Reading my little heart out with kitty company! Negative temps and wind howling outside but we're snug and cozy inside prepping new videos for you including a BIG spring decor haul, testing & comparing some faux eucalyptus garlands, Books that are inspiring my style, and a very exciting and important video about the future of our home and channel that I can't wait to share with you! ♥️
As the deep cold settles into the earth beneath the heavy snow and the days linger in quiet stillness, I’m honoring what's become an annual tradition of stepping back from social media for the rest of the month. Just as nature hibernates in the heart of winter and our gardens sleep deeply, I believe we’re meant to follow the same rhythm—resting, reflecting, and restoring our spirits during these quieter weeks. In fact, this is my favorite season. It encourages us to go inward, to be at one with ourselves, to embrace the quiet and the stillness - something that can be so difficult to come by in this modern world!
This yearly pause gives me space to recharge, indulge in some "light" reading (ha!), and nurture fresh inspiration for the year ahead. The stack of books below should give you a little tease about where my mind and heart are these days and where I'm seeking, and finding, my inspiration! I'll be working on garden plans, planning the year's projects, and filling my head and heart with incredible new ideas for my home and garden, all the while taking notes on all kinds of beautiful things to share with you, my lovely internet friends!
Thank you for being part of this journey, and I look forward to returning next month renewed and ready to share so much more with you in 2025!!
Wishing you all a truly Merry Christmas, from our home to yours! ❤️🎄 It's certainly a white Christmas for us today and the snow is still coming down thick and fluffy! Thank you all for a truly wonderful year on YouTube, I'm looking forward to a new year full of decorating, gardening, learning, and growing together in 2025! ✨
✨ On this, the shortest day and longest night, it is good to remember that there is no light without the dark ✨
"To go in the dark with a light is to know the light. To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings, and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings"
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
🍂.. Hello October! ..🐦⬛🍂
1 month ago | [YT] | 5
View 0 replies
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
I took this photo on September 13th, at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, where the flags were at half mast in honor of Charlie Kirk. Since I was traveling when this terrible tragedy occurred* and (purposely) did not have my Youtube login information with me, I was unable to acknowledge what happened in real time.
While I don’t have any brilliant or clever words that have not already been said, I will say that it was a deeply shocking thing to realize while I was visiting Omaha beach - the place where over 80 years ago my paratrooper grandfather was helping to deliver the crushing blow to fascism - that someone had been coldly assassinated in the United States for his beliefs.
We MUST be able to talk with one another. The exchange of ideas through civil debate is a core democratic principle. Regardless of one’s views, murdering someone because you disagree with them is utterly unforgivable and could not be more antithetical to these principles.
I try to keep my channel free from politics and other stressful topics in an attempt to keep it a peaceful and welcoming place… and I hope you understand why I felt I needed to acknowledge this event. May we all heal from this and find a way to come together instead of succumbing to the continual divisive messaging we are exposed to from all angles on a daily basis.
And on that note, thank you to my beautiful community for listening and for helping my sleepy channel wake up after a long break - the “Packing for France” Video is now live and I have SO much great footage to share with you all in the coming weeks!
~ Jenna
*videos were being released on my channel during that time but they were pre-filmed; today’s video about packing for France was also filmed before our trip but released once we returned. I did this because I didn’t want to announce publicly that we were out of the country in real time!
1 month ago | [YT] | 10
View 0 replies
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
LIFE UPDATE: Where I’ve Been, HEART Failure, and RETURNING to YouTube 💕
Hello friends! I’m so happy to be returning to YouTube this week!
First, my deepest apologies for being absent so long. I’ve missed you terribly and want to give you a brief explanation/update about what has kept me away.
What I’m about to share is very personal and might be upsetting to some, but I hope that if you find yourself in a similar situation with an elderly loved one, you will not feel so alone.
Many of you have seen my beloved 82 year old Aunt in some of my videos. She and I are extremely close; in fact, from now on, when you hear “aunt”, think “mother” because that is more representative of our relationship for myself and my sisters. [If that sounds like its own complicated story, you’re right]
If you’re new here and just want the TLDR: my elderly aunt, whom I’m very close with, had a serious months-long health crisis that needed my full attention; at this time, we seem to have mostly come out the other side.
💖
For those of you who are my long time viewers or want more information, here’s a more in depth explanation if you’re interested:
This difficult saga began all the way back in February. A routine checkup revealed heart changes that, when explored further, indicated that my Aunt needed a pacemaker placed. She was otherwise in very good health, so we scheduled the procedure as a way to be proactive. Well, to keep it brief, what ensued was a cascade of complications and health crises that resulted in my spending weeks away from home and traveling back and forth as she went in and out of the hospital, icu, surgery, rehab, etc. I am not exaggerating when I say that we almost lost her multiple times. And with my sisters located across the country, the responsibility has rested squarely on me.
I am very grateful that being a nurse and having a flexible schedule meant I was well positioned to help manage the situation. And now, here in September, I am so deeply grateful that she is not only still here with us but is also nearly back to being herself.
For weeks it has seemed like every time we thought things were going well, another crises happened. And to make this whole thing even more emotionally charged, we lost my father (her brother) unexpectedly to a cardiac event when he was far too young, so of course this dragged up many of those emotions.
Thankfully, at this moment, the tempest seems to have mostly blown over. However throughout this whole process we came to learn that she is indeed now in heart failure. So, there are still undoubtedly difficult times ahead, but for now, I feel I can breathe again and I am welcoming the distraction and happiness of creating again for the channel!
In truth I could have come back a week or so ago but I took some time to get my life (sort of) in order and to think a lot about where I want this channel to go. I’ve got LOTS of ideas and a spark of inspiration that I can feel growing and filling me with excitement about where we’re gong together. Yes, that’s vague, but I want to stay focused in this post and will absolutely be elaborating more soon! I will let you know that I’ve already filmed several videos and I’m ready for a productive, creative, beautiful autumn season!
💖
Thank you so very much for understanding that family must come first, and at times of crisis this may mean that everything else must temporarily go by the wayside.
And, thank you for returning with me for this exciting new chapter at Wren Haven House & Garden! I think you’re going to LOVE where we are headed together!
But before I wrap this up... if you are caring for an elderly loved one - a parent, a friend, a family member - or have recently been through it, know that you are not alone. There are many others who understand how exhausting and stressful and distressing it can be. I'm sending you a huge hug.
With love,
Jenna 💖
*edited for typo
2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 7
View 0 replies
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
Hi all, I'm so very sorry for my absence - my planned few days off was unexpectedly followed by a family emergency and health crisis... I had to drop everything and go out of town as I am the Health Care Proxy etc. and am very involved.
At the moment I don't know how long this difficult situation is going to occupy my time and energy. 😞 I sincerely apologize, and trust me I would so very much rather be making videos for you and sharing the truly exciting things I've got waiting in the "queue" than what I'm faced with right now!
Truly we have nothing without our health and moments like this really drive the point home. Thank you so much for your patience, I appreciate you all and can't wait to be back with you soon!
~ With Love, Jenna
ps - please know that while I may not respond to your comments right away I see them and appreciate them so very much!
6 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 17
View 1 reply
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
🌷🐇 Hi everyone! No video this week, I'm taking some time to be with family and do a little spring cleaning catch-up, but I'll be back with you next week with exciting new content that I'm just so thrilled to share with you! See you soon and wishing you all a beautiful Easter weekend!
💕 ~Jenna 🌷🐇
6 months ago | [YT] | 12
View 2 replies
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
Surgery went well and I'm on the mend, thank you all! ♥️ Now Resting, Recovering, and Reading my little heart out with kitty company! Negative temps and wind howling outside but we're snug and cozy inside prepping new videos for you including a BIG spring decor haul, testing & comparing some faux eucalyptus garlands, Books that are inspiring my style, and a very exciting and important video about the future of our home and channel that I can't wait to share with you! ♥️
8 months ago | [YT] | 14
View 0 replies
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
Hi everyone! Happy February!
New video coming on Wednesday!
♥️ Jenna
9 months ago | [YT] | 11
View 0 replies
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
As the deep cold settles into the earth beneath the heavy snow and the days linger in quiet stillness, I’m honoring what's become an annual tradition of stepping back from social media for the rest of the month. Just as nature hibernates in the heart of winter and our gardens sleep deeply, I believe we’re meant to follow the same rhythm—resting, reflecting, and restoring our spirits during these quieter weeks. In fact, this is my favorite season. It encourages us to go inward, to be at one with ourselves, to embrace the quiet and the stillness - something that can be so difficult to come by in this modern world!
This yearly pause gives me space to recharge, indulge in some "light" reading (ha!), and nurture fresh inspiration for the year ahead. The stack of books below should give you a little tease about where my mind and heart are these days and where I'm seeking, and finding, my inspiration! I'll be working on garden plans, planning the year's projects, and filling my head and heart with incredible new ideas for my home and garden, all the while taking notes on all kinds of beautiful things to share with you, my lovely internet friends!
Thank you for being part of this journey, and I look forward to returning next month renewed and ready to share so much more with you in 2025!!
~ Jenna
9 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 16
View 3 replies
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
Wishing you all a truly Merry Christmas, from our home to yours! ❤️🎄 It's certainly a white Christmas for us today and the snow is still coming down thick and fluffy! Thank you all for a truly wonderful year on YouTube, I'm looking forward to a new year full of decorating, gardening, learning, and growing together in 2025! ✨
❤️ With love, Jenna B
10 months ago | [YT] | 16
View 4 replies
Wren Haven House & Garden with Jenna B
✨ On this, the shortest day and longest night, it is good to remember that there is no light without the dark ✨
"To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings"
- Wendell Berry, "To Know the Dark"
10 months ago | [YT] | 15
View 0 replies
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