Inauguration.

Hi, I'm Jenny. In three months, I become a stepmother to three boys. One is a teenager who gets his learner's permit on my watch. One is in the throes of puberty. One just turned 5. And I'm clearly out of my mind.

I met their father exactly four years ago on this very date. I didn't know he had children, and wouldn't know until six months into our relationship. There are two ex-wives, and both of them live thousands of miles away (which is something I highly recommend if you're going to become involved with someone who has an ex-spouse. Or several). The oldest, Joey*, currently lives in a suburb of Phoenix. I say "currently" because he has decided to live with with his father and will be moving in with us in mid-July. The other two, Liam* and Aiden*, live with their mother in North Dakota. Their dad (Steve) and I live in West Virginia. It's not an ideal geographic situation, but we make it work the best we can. Joey and Liam have spent the past two summers with us, and we're looking forward to the time when Aiden can join them.

Some background on me. I grew up in a small town in north-central West Virginia. I have a bachelor's degree in journalism and am two weeks shy of completing my master's degree in integrated marketing and communications. By day, I work as marketing director for an electric cooperative. I'm one of those rare people you meet who loves her job. My life right now is consumed with finishing my capstone project, planning my August wedding, and coming to grips with Joey's arrival and everything it entails, including getting him enrolled in school and getting his bedroom set up. Oh yeah, and working on the house Steve and I bought last year. We're trying our darndest to get grass growing in our yard.

I didn't mention that my baby brother, Matt, also lives with Steve and me. He's staying with us while he completes his college degree at a school in this area. My friends tell me there's too much testosterone in my house ... I'm inclined to agree!

My intent with this blog is to chronicle this aspect of my life. I'm looking forward to having these fellas in my life. I also know it's going to be a challenge of ginormous proportions. It's not going to be easy. But I hope that sharing my experiences will help others in similar situations, just as I hope those people will share their ideas and struggles with me. Thanks for stopping by, and please come back again soon.

*For the purposes of this blog, I've changed the names of the children. They're not my children, and I felt uncomfortable with splashing their identities all over the Internet. While they're an integral part of this blog, my writing will focus on my experiences as a stepmother. I'll take every precaution to protect the boys and respect their privacy.