Speaker 1: Life has a funny way of making us believe the
Speaker 1: biggest moments are the ones that matter most. We celebrated graduations, weddings, birthdays, vacations,
Speaker 1: the milestones that fill our photo albums and calendars. But
Speaker 1: if you stop and ask someone about their childhood, it's
Speaker 1: usually not those big events they remember first. They remember
Speaker 1: the smell of dinner cooking after a long day outside.
Speaker 1: They remember laughing so hard they couldn't catch their breath
Speaker 1: while sitting in the living room with their family. They
Speaker 1: remember late night drives with the windows rolled down, swimming
Speaker 1: until their fingers were wrinkled, stopping for ice cream because
Speaker 1: someone had a random idea that turned into everyone's favorite
Speaker 1: memory of the weekend. Those are the moments that stay
Speaker 1: with us, not because they were expensive, not because they
Speaker 1: were perfectly planned, but because people we loved were there.
Speaker 1: Jeremy and I have learned something over the years raising
Speaker 1: thirteen children.
Speaker 2: Life will always be busy.
Speaker 1: There will always be another load of laundry waiting, another
Speaker 1: bill to pay, another room that needs cleaned, another project
Speaker 1: that needs finished. Those things never really disappear, but childhood.
Speaker 1: Childhood doesn't wait. One day you're helping your little girl
Speaker 1: tie her shoes. The next you're helping her shop for
Speaker 1: cowgirl boots before she heads off to a concert with
Speaker 1: her friends. One day, your house is filled with toys,
Speaker 1: the next it's filled with conversations about jobs, relationships, and
Speaker 1: future plans. It all changes so quickly. That's why we've
Speaker 1: become incredibly intentional about our weekends. Not because every weekend
Speaker 1: has to be packed with activities, not because we feel
Speaker 1: like we have to constantly entertain our kids, but because
Speaker 1: we've learned that relationships grow through time, through conversation, through
Speaker 1: shared meals, through laughter, through ordinary moments that slowly become
Speaker 1: extraordinary memories. This past weekend reminded us exactly why we've
Speaker 1: chosen to live that way. It wasn't filled with grand adventures.
Speaker 1: There were no expensive vacations, no elaborate plans, just family,
Speaker 1: just laughter, just slowing down long enough to enjoy people
Speaker 1: God has blessed us with, and honestly, those are usually
Speaker 1: the weekends that become our favorites. Hello everyone, and welcome
Speaker 1: back to We are the Hansen If you're new here,
Speaker 1: my name is Maya Hansen and on behalf of our
Speaker 1: entire family. Thank you so much for spending a little bit.
Speaker 2: Of your day with us.
Speaker 1: For those of you who've been with us for a while,
Speaker 1: welcome back to the kitchen table. That's really what this
Speaker 1: podcast has always been about, pulling up a chair, sharing stories,
Speaker 1: talking about parenting, family life, recipes, adventures, and all those
Speaker 1: little moments that remind us how blessed we really are.
Speaker 1: Our family is a little bigger than most. Jeremy and
Speaker 1: I are raising thirteen amazing kids, and life is rarely quiet. Actually,
Speaker 1: who am I kidding? It's never quiet. There is almost
Speaker 1: always someone laughing, someone asking where their shoes are, someone
Speaker 1: looking for a phone charger, someone standing in the kitchen
Speaker 1: wondering if there's anything to eat, even though they just
Speaker 1: had a snack twenty minutes ago. If you have a
Speaker 1: big family, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Our
Speaker 1: house has always been full of movement, full of conversations,
Speaker 1: full of life, and while there are certainly moments when
Speaker 1: the noise can feel overwhelming, I've come to realize something
Speaker 1: over the years. One day I'll miss every bit of it.
Speaker 1: I'll miss hearing footsteps running down the hallway. I'll miss
Speaker 1: everyone talking over one another at the dinner table. I'll
Speaker 1: miss the laughter echoing through the living room while everyone
Speaker 1: watches a movie together. Those sounds are the heartbeat of
Speaker 1: our home. That's why Jeremy and I have become very
Speaker 1: intentional about protecting our weekends whenever we can. The work
Speaker 1: will still be there Monday morning, the laundry isn't going anywhere.
Speaker 1: The grass can usually wait another day. But opportunities to
Speaker 1: build relationships with your children, those don't come around forever.
Speaker 1: As parents, we only get so many weekends before those
Speaker 1: little kids become adults with families of their own, and
Speaker 1: believe me, that happens much faster than anyone ever warned you.
Speaker 1: This past weekend was one of those weekends that reminded
Speaker 1: us exactly why we do what we do. Nothing spectacular happened.
Speaker 1: There wasn't a huge family vacation, no amusement parks, no
Speaker 1: expensive attractions, just ordinary moments. But sometimes ordinary moments become
Speaker 1: the memories our children treasure. Most so, grab a cup
Speaker 1: of coffee, find a comfortable chair, and let me tell
Speaker 1: you about one of our favorite weekends of the summer.
Speaker 1: Friday afternoons always feel different around our house. There's something
Speaker 1: about knowing the work week is coming to an end.
Speaker 1: That changes everyone's mood. The pace slows down just a little,
Speaker 1: the conversations become a little longer. Everyone seems to breathe
Speaker 1: a little easier. This Friday felt even more special because
Speaker 1: Morgan and Ty were coming to spend the weekend with us.
Speaker 1: I don't care how old your children become. The excitement
Speaker 1: of knowing their coming home never goes away. There's something
Speaker 1: comforting about hearing a vehicle pulling to your driveway and
Speaker 1: realizing your family is all together again. When Jeremy heard
Speaker 1: them pulling in, he looked over at me with a smile.
Speaker 2: They're here.
Speaker 1: It's funny how just two words can instantly brighten an
Speaker 1: entire evening. The front door opened, hugs were exchanged, and
Speaker 1: within minutes the house felt alive. The younger kids were
Speaker 1: excited to see them. Everyone started talking at once. Questions
Speaker 1: flew across the room. How have you guys been, how's work?
Speaker 1: What have you been up to? Before long, the conversations
Speaker 1: were flowing so naturally that it felt like they'd never left.
Speaker 1: That's one of my favorite things about family. You don't
Speaker 1: have to impress each other. You don't have to pretend
Speaker 1: everything is perfect. You simply pick up right where you
Speaker 1: left off. Jeremy settled into a spot on the couch
Speaker 1: while Morgan and Ty started telling us about everything that
Speaker 1: had been happening in their lives over the past couple weeks.
Speaker 1: Maddy joined right in torn had a dozen questions, Anelin
Speaker 1: wanted to tell everyone about something exciting before any anyone
Speaker 1: else had a chance to talk.
Speaker 2: It was loud, it was chaotic, It was.
Speaker 1: Impossible to follow every conversation happening in the room, And honestly,
Speaker 1: I sat there smiling because that's exactly what home sounds like.
Speaker 1: Sometimes people ask Jeremy and me what it's like raising
Speaker 1: thirteen children. I usually tell them it's beautifully loud. There's
Speaker 1: almost always someone laughing, someone asking for help, someone looking
Speaker 1: for a charger, someone trying to convince their siblings to
Speaker 1: play a game, someone standing in front of the refrigerator
Speaker 1: hoping something new magically appeared since the last time they
Speaker 1: opened it. Our house has never been quiet, and I
Speaker 1: wouldn't change it for anything. As I looked around the
Speaker 1: room Friday night, I found myself thinking about how quickly
Speaker 1: life changes. It honestly doesn't seem that long ago that
Speaker 1: Morgan was one of the little kids running through the house.
Speaker 1: Now she's sitting in our living room with Tie, spending
Speaker 1: the weekend with us. As adult, watching your children grow
Speaker 1: up is one of the greatest blessings you'll ever experience.
Speaker 1: It's also one of the most emotional, because while you're
Speaker 1: incredibly proud of the people they're becoming, a little piece
Speaker 1: of your heart still remembers the little boy or little
Speaker 1: girl they used to be. And that's why weekends like
Speaker 1: this means so much to us. They remind us that
Speaker 1: even though life changes, home is still home. Friday evenings
Speaker 1: like this always remind me that the greatest gift we
Speaker 1: can give our children isn't necessarily something we can wrap
Speaker 1: in a box. It's our time. Over the years, Jeremy
Speaker 1: and I have learned that children spell love a little
Speaker 1: differently than adults do. Adults often think love looks like
Speaker 1: expensive vacations, the newest gadgets, or giving our kids everything
Speaker 1: they ask for. Kids don't usually remember those things as
Speaker 1: much as we think.
Speaker 2: They do.
Speaker 1: Remember sitting around the dinner table laughing until milt comes
Speaker 1: out someone's nose. They remember movie nights with blankets scattered
Speaker 1: across the living room floor. They remember Dad making everyone
Speaker 1: laugh with one of his terrible jokes. They remember mom
Speaker 1: asking about their day and actually listening to the answer.
Speaker 1: Those are the things that become part of who they are.
Speaker 1: Those are the things they carry into adulthood. As everyone
Speaker 1: continued talking Friday night, I quietly looked around the room
Speaker 1: for a moment. Jeremy was smiling as Ty shared a
Speaker 1: funny story from work. Morgan was laughing so hard that
Speaker 1: she had tears in her eyes. Maddy was already talking
Speaker 1: excitedly about the concert she was going to Saturday night
Speaker 1: in Branson. Torren kept interrupting every few minutes because she
Speaker 1: was so excited to tell us her own stories. Annelin
Speaker 1: had somehow managed to convince someone to play a card
Speaker 1: game with her while she listened to everyone else's conversation
Speaker 1: at the same time. It wasn't organized, it wasn't peaceful,
Speaker 1: It certainly wasn't quiet, but it was perfect. There are
Speaker 1: moments when I wish I could simply press pause, just
Speaker 1: stop time for a little while. Not because life isn't
Speaker 1: good tomorrow, but because I know these seasons don't last forever.
Speaker 1: People used to tell us when our kids were little,
Speaker 1: enjoy every minute because they grow up so fast. At
Speaker 1: the time, I remember smiling politely. I understood what they
Speaker 1: were saying. At least I thought I did. Now I
Speaker 1: truly understand. One day, you're teaching your little girl how
Speaker 1: to tie her shoes. The next ye're watching her search
Speaker 1: for the perfect pair of cowgirl boots before heading off
Speaker 1: to a concert with her friends. One day, your some
Speaker 1: wants you to push him on the swing, the next
Speaker 1: he's taller than you are. It happens so quietly you
Speaker 1: don't notice it from day to day, but suddenly you
Speaker 1: look around and realize everyone has grown up just a
Speaker 1: little bit more. Maybe that's why weekends have become so
Speaker 1: important to us. Life has a way of stealing our
Speaker 1: attention if we let it. Monday through Friday always seem
Speaker 1: filled with responsibilities. Jeremy is working, I'm working. There are
Speaker 1: appointments to keep groceries, to buy laundry that somehow multiplies overnight.
Speaker 1: The dishes seem to reproduce themselves. The grass needs mode,
Speaker 1: the house always needs something repaired. There's literally always something
Speaker 1: demanding your attention. The work never ends. But one thing
Speaker 1: we've realized is this, if we aren't careful, life will
Speaker 1: always convince us. We're too busy to spend time together.
Speaker 1: We've made the decision that we're not going to let
Speaker 1: that happen. Will every weekend be perfect, of course not.
Speaker 1: Sometimes plans fall apart, sometimes the weather changes, sometimes someone
Speaker 1: gets sick, sometimes everyone is tired. But even then, we
Speaker 1: try to gather together somehow. Maybe it's watching a movie,
Speaker 1: maybe it's cooking dinner together. Maybe it's sitting outside talking
Speaker 1: while the sun goes down. It doesn't have to be complicated,
Speaker 1: it just has to be intentional. Eventually, the conversation slowed
Speaker 1: down just enough for everyone to start thinking about getting
Speaker 1: some sleep. Saturday was going to be another full day.
Speaker 1: I had plans to head out to play off with friends.
Speaker 1: Matty had been looking forward to her concert for a week,
Speaker 1: and before that concert could happen, she needed one very
Speaker 1: important thing, the perfect pair of cowgirl boots. As everyone
Speaker 1: started saying todnight, Jeremy looked over at me and smiled,
Speaker 1: this is nice. I smiled back, it really is. He
Speaker 1: didn't have to explain what he meant. I already knew
Speaker 1: he wasn't talking about anything special that had happened. He
Speaker 1: was talking about the feeling the feeling of having your
Speaker 1: family together, the feeling of hearing laughter echoed through the house,
Speaker 1: the feeling of looking around and realizing how blessed you are.
Speaker 1: That night, as the house slowly became quiet, I found
Speaker 1: myself thanking God for another ordinary Friday, because after all
Speaker 1: these years, I've learned something. Ordinary Fridays often become extraordinary memories.
Speaker 1: Saturday morning arrived with sunshine pouring through our windows, and
Speaker 1: before long, the familiar sounds of our house slowly came
Speaker 1: to life. The coffee maker was one of the first
Speaker 1: things to announce that the day had finally officially began.
Speaker 1: I don't know about your house, but in ours, the
Speaker 1: smell of fresh coffee somehow tells everyone that it's time
Speaker 1: to start moving. Jeremy wandered into the kitchen his usual
Speaker 1: sleepy smile, and poured himself coffee. Morning, he said, Morning,
Speaker 1: I answered. As I looked out the window. The sky
Speaker 1: was bright blue, not a cloud in sight. It looked
Speaker 1: like it was going to be another beautiful Missouri summer day.
Speaker 1: Before long, the kids slowly started making their way into
Speaker 1: the kitchen. Some were still rubbing sleep from their eyes,
Speaker 1: Others were already wide awake and talking a mile a minute.
Speaker 1: It's funny how every child seems to wake up differently.
Speaker 1: Some need twenty minutes before they're ready to have a conversation.
Speaker 1: Others wake up talking as if they'd been awake for hours.
Speaker 1: Torren definitely falls into the second category. She came bouncing
Speaker 1: into the kitchen with enough energy to power the entire house.
Speaker 1: What's everybody doing today, she asked, before she'd even finished
Speaker 1: saying good morning. Everyone laughed. Mattie grinned we're going shopping.
Speaker 1: Her eyes lit up immediately, and I, of course, I said.
Speaker 1: Within minutes, everyone was talking about the day's plans. Ty
Speaker 1: had left to head out for golf. Jeremy asked him
Speaker 1: where they were playing and joked that he expected to
Speaker 1: hear about at least one incredible shot and probably a
Speaker 1: few he'd rather forget. Ty laughed, that's usually how golf works.
Speaker 1: Jeremy nodded. We all laughed because it was true, no
Speaker 1: matter how good someone's round is, golfers always seem to
Speaker 1: remember the one shot they'd like to take back. After breakfast,
Speaker 1: we all hung out for just a little while. Maddie
Speaker 1: had one thing on her mind, finding the perfect pair
Speaker 1: of Calgirl boots. She had been looking forward to this
Speaker 1: concert in Branson for a week, and if you've ever
Speaker 1: known someone getting ready for a concert, you know that
Speaker 1: finding the right outfit is all part of the experience.
Speaker 1: It's not just about looking nice, It's about feeling confident,
Speaker 1: feeling excited, feeling like the day you've been anticipating has
Speaker 1: finally arrived. Morgan was just as excited to help. I've
Speaker 1: got a feeling we're going to find exactly what you're
Speaker 1: looking for, she said. Maddie, of course smiled.
Speaker 2: I hope so.
Speaker 1: Jeremy looked over at us as we started gathering our things. Well,
Speaker 1: you girls have fun, he told us. We will, I answered,
Speaker 1: you boys don't have too much fun without us. A
Speaker 1: few minutes later, Morgan, Maddie, Torren, Anelin, and I climbed
Speaker 1: into the truck. One thing I've always loved about road trips,
Speaker 1: whether they're two hours long or just twenty minutes across town,
Speaker 1: is that conversations seem to happen differently inside a vehicle.
Speaker 1: Maybe it's because nobody is distracted. Nobody is folding laundry,
Speaker 1: nobody is staring at the television, nobody is walking off
Speaker 1: to another room. Everyone is simply sitting together. Sometimes the
Speaker 1: best conversations happened because there's nowhere else to go. As
Speaker 1: we pull out onto the road, Maddy pulled out her
Speaker 1: phone and started showing us different pictures of boots that
Speaker 1: she liked. What do you guys think about these? Morgan
Speaker 1: leaned over to look.
Speaker 2: I like those? What about these?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 2: Those are cute too.
Speaker 1: Before long everyone had an opinion, even Torn, I think
Speaker 1: the black ones look cooler. Annelin immediately disagreed. No. Everyone
Speaker 1: looked toward her. I think she should get sparkly ones.
Speaker 1: We all burst into laughter. Sparkly Maddy asked with a grin, yep,
Speaker 1: why because sparkles make everything prettier. Honestly, that's pretty solid
Speaker 1: logic when you're eight years old, Morgan laughed. I think
Speaker 1: you're starting a new fashion trend. The ride continued with
Speaker 1: everyone laughing and teasing one another. Those are the conversations
Speaker 1: that never make it into photographs. Nobody records them, nobody
Speaker 1: writes them down, but years later, they're often the memories
Speaker 1: you remember the most. Eventually we pulled into the parking
Speaker 1: lot of gates. The summer heat hit us the second
Speaker 1: we opened the doors. Missouri summers have a way of
Speaker 1: reminding you they're in charge. You can feel the warmth
Speaker 1: rising off the pavement before you've even taken three steps.
Speaker 1: We hurried inside, where the cool air conditioning instantly felt wonderful.
Speaker 1: As soon as we reached the boot section, Maddie stopped
Speaker 1: for just a second. Her eyes grew wide. There are
Speaker 1: so many, she wasn't kidding. Everywhere we looked there were
Speaker 1: shelves lined with boots. Tall ones, short ones, brown leather,
Speaker 1: black leather, simple, classic designs. Some looked like they'd be
Speaker 1: perfect for a country concert. Others looked like they'd belong
Speaker 1: on a ranch somewhere in Texas. This might take a while.
Speaker 1: Morgan joked, Jeremy always laughs at shopping with women is
Speaker 1: an adventure all by itself. He wasn't wrong. Mattie started
Speaker 1: trying on pair after pair. She looked amazing until she
Speaker 1: stood up. Others fit perfectly, but just weren't her style.
Speaker 1: Morgan became the official second opinion, What do you think?
Speaker 2: I like those? What about these? Hmm? I like the
Speaker 2: first pair better? What about these?
Speaker 1: Maddie looked at them and laughed, I don't think those
Speaker 1: are really mean, but they're pretty. They are They're just
Speaker 1: not her style. Horn had become fascinated by the rose
Speaker 1: and rows of boots. I didn't know they made this
Speaker 1: many kinds.
Speaker 2: Neither did I.
Speaker 1: Honestly, watching everyone in her act reminded me that shopping
Speaker 1: trips were never really about shopping. They're about being together.
Speaker 1: Some of my favorite memories with our kids have happened
Speaker 1: while running ordinary errands, buying school supplies, picking out Halloween costumes,
Speaker 1: finding winter coats, stopping for lunch afterwards. It's funny how
Speaker 1: the most ordinary moments slowly become the stories you tell
Speaker 1: years later. Finally, after what felt like trying on nearly
Speaker 1: every pair, after what felt like trying on nearly every
Speaker 1: pair in the store, Mattie stepped in front of the
Speaker 1: mirror wearing one particular pair. Nobody said anything for a second.
Speaker 1: She looked down, turned sideways, took a few steps, then
Speaker 1: looked up at us with the biggest smile. I think
Speaker 1: these are the ones, Morgan smiled. I think you're right.
Speaker 1: I could tell immediately she wasn't just looking at the
Speaker 1: boots anymore. She was picturing herself walking into that concert
Speaker 1: wearing them. Sometimes confidence shows up in the simplest ways.
Speaker 1: You could see it all over her face. As moms,
Speaker 1: moments like that are bittersweet. Part of me was looking
Speaker 1: at the beautiful young woman standing in front of the mirror.
Speaker 1: Another part of me was the little girl who used
Speaker 1: to walk around the house wearing plastic dress up shoes
Speaker 1: that were three sizes too big. It happened so quickly.
Speaker 1: One season quietly turns into another before you realize it.
Speaker 2: Your little girl.
Speaker 1: Isn't little anymore. She's becoming an incredible young woman. I
Speaker 1: couldn't have been prouder. We headed to the checkout, still
Speaker 1: talking about the concert. The cashier smiled as she rang
Speaker 1: up everything special occasion. Maddie nodded, I'm going to a
Speaker 1: concert tonight. The cashier looked down at the boots and smiled.
Speaker 1: While you picked a great pair. You would have thought
Speaker 1: someone had just confirmed she won the lottery. Mattie's smile
Speaker 1: somehow got even bigger. We thanked her, grabbed the bag,
Speaker 1: and headed back outside into the summer sunshine. As we
Speaker 1: climbed into the truck, nobody was in a hurry to leave.
Speaker 1: The excitement had shifted, The mission had been accomplished. Now
Speaker 1: it was time to talk about the concert. Itself, what
Speaker 1: songs she hoped they'd play, who was writing with her,
Speaker 1: what she was most excited about. Listening to everyone talk
Speaker 1: reminded me once again that parenting isn't really about the destinations.
Speaker 1: It's about walking beside your children through every season of life.
Speaker 1: One day you're helping them pick up their first pair
Speaker 1: of tennis shoes for kindergarten. The next you're helping them
Speaker 1: choose calgirl boots before they head off to make memories
Speaker 1: with their friends. Life changes, but one thing never does.
Speaker 1: Every season is worth slowing down enough to enjoy. As
Speaker 1: we pulled back into the driveway, Maddie carried that shopping
Speaker 1: bag like it contained something priceless.
Speaker 2: In a way it did.
Speaker 1: Sure, it was a pair of boots, but it was
Speaker 1: also excitement, anticipation, a memory already beginning before the concert
Speaker 1: had even started. I couldn't resist opening the bag one
Speaker 1: more time before we even made it in the house.
Speaker 1: I just want to look at them again, Morgan laughed.
Speaker 1: I don't think those boots have been in the bag
Speaker 1: for more than two minutes. I know, Mattie said, with
Speaker 1: a grin. I just really like them. Watching her excitement
Speaker 1: reminded me of Christmas mornings when the kids were younger,
Speaker 1: that same genuine happiness, that same inability to stop smiling.
Speaker 1: Sometimes joy really is found in the little things. As
Speaker 1: we walked through the front door, Jeremy looked up from
Speaker 1: the living room well without saying a word, Matty held
Speaker 1: up one boot. Jeremy smiled. I'd say, you found them.
Speaker 1: She nodded proudly. I love them good, he said, That's
Speaker 1: all that matters. For a few minutes, the house became
Speaker 1: exactly what I love most. Three different conversations happening at once.
Speaker 1: Someone talking about golf, someone talking about concerts, someone asking
Speaker 1: what we were doing for dinner or later, someone else
Speaker 1: wondering what movie we should watch. It was wonderfully chaotic.
Speaker 1: There wasn't a schedule, Nobody was checking the time, nobody
Speaker 1: was rushing somewhere else. We were simply enjoying being together.
Speaker 1: Those moments have become incredibly valuable to Jermy and me.
Speaker 1: When our children were younger, weekends sometimes felt like organized chaos,
Speaker 1: football games, school events, birthday parties, running from one place
Speaker 1: to another.
Speaker 2: We loved those years, but.
Speaker 1: Looking back now, I realize how often we were focused
Speaker 1: on getting somewhere. These days we've become much more intentional
Speaker 1: about slowing down. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give
Speaker 1: your family isn't another activity, it's permission to simply enjoy
Speaker 1: one another. Jeremy eventually looked around the room and asked,
Speaker 1: so movie. The answer was almost immediate yes. Within a
Speaker 1: few minutes, blankets started appearing from every bedroom. Someone grabbed pillows,
Speaker 1: someone else headed for the kitchen looking for popcorn. If
Speaker 1: there's one thing our family has mastered over the years,
Speaker 1: it's turning movie time into an event. Before long, the
Speaker 1: living room looked exactly the way you'd expect with a
Speaker 1: big family, Blankets everywhere, people stretched across couches, someone sitting
Speaker 1: on the floor because every spot had already been claimed.
Speaker 1: The coffee table quickly filled with snacks, popcorn, chips, a
Speaker 1: few pieces of candy someone had hidden away and finally
Speaker 1: decided to share. Jeremy laughed as he looked around. I
Speaker 1: think we've officially ran out of seating. Horn smiled. The
Speaker 1: floor is comfortable, it is now, Jeremy joked. Everyone laughed again.
Speaker 1: The movie started, but honestly, half the fun wasn't even
Speaker 1: watching it. It was listening to everyone's reactions. Someone would
Speaker 1: laugh before anyone else. That laugh would make some one
Speaker 1: else laugh. Then Jeremy would quietly throw in one of
Speaker 1: his famous one liners that somehow made the scene even
Speaker 1: funnier than it already was. Before long, the entire room
Speaker 1: was laughing together. There are certain sounds I hope I
Speaker 1: never forget. One of them is the sound of our
Speaker 1: family laughing together. Not polite little chuckles, the kind of
Speaker 1: laughter where people can't even finish talking because they're laughing
Speaker 1: too hard. The kind where someone rewinds the movie because
Speaker 1: everyone is laughing too much to hear what had happened next.
Speaker 1: Those are the moments that fill home with life. As
Speaker 1: I sat there looking around the room, I quietly thanked God,
Speaker 1: not for anything extravagant, just for this a Saturday afternoon,
Speaker 1: everyone together, nobody in a hurry, nobody looking at their phones,
Speaker 1: nobody worrying about work, just family. It's amazing how peaceful
Speaker 1: life can feel when everyone's simply decides to be present. Eventually,
Speaker 1: the movie ended, but nobody got up right away. Instead,
Speaker 1: conversations naturally started again. Morgan talked about memories from when
Speaker 1: she and Maddie were younger. Jeremy started telling an old
Speaker 1: family story that had everyone laughing before he even got
Speaker 1: to the funny part. Tristan joked that his dad somehow
Speaker 1: tells the same stories every few months. Jeremy looked offended
Speaker 1: for about two seconds before smiling. They get funnier every time.
Speaker 1: I don't think that's how it works, Morgan laughed. I
Speaker 1: think it is, Jeremy said. The room erupted into laughter again.
Speaker 1: Those little conversations are impossible to recreate. You can't schedule them,
Speaker 1: you can't force them. They simply happen when people spend
Speaker 1: enough time together. And maybe that's the biggest lesson we've
Speaker 1: learned after raising such a large family. Relationships aren't built
Speaker 1: during the big moments. They're built during afternoons like this,
Speaker 1: watching movies, sharing snacks, laughing over old stories, simply enjoying
Speaker 1: each other's company. As the afternoon slowly turned in the evening,
Speaker 1: Mattie disappeared into her room to start getting ready for
Speaker 1: the concert. A little while later, she walked back into
Speaker 1: the living room, wearing her new cowgirl boots. She didn't
Speaker 1: have to ask anyone what they thought. The smiles around
Speaker 1: the room answered that question immediately. Jeremy looked at her
Speaker 1: and smiled proudly. He looked ready for a concert. She
Speaker 1: turned around once, laughing, I think the boots were definitely
Speaker 1: the right choice. Morgan nodded to her. They're perfect. I
Speaker 1: looked at her for a second and couldn't help but smile.
Speaker 1: She looked happy, confident, excited, and as parents, that's really
Speaker 1: all you can hope for. Before long, it was time
Speaker 1: for Mattie to go. You could feel the excitement in
Speaker 1: the house. She had spent the after and getting ready,
Speaker 1: making sure everything was just right. Hare was done, outfit
Speaker 1: picked out, and of course, those brand new Calgirl boots
Speaker 1: completed the whole look. She walked into the living room
Speaker 1: one last time before leaving. So what do you guys think?
Speaker 1: Jeremy smiled immediately. I think you're ready. Those boots are
Speaker 1: definitely the right choice. Turn looked at her and said,
Speaker 1: you look like you're supposed to be at a country concert.
Speaker 1: Everyone started laughing. Maddie replied, I'll take that as a compliment.
Speaker 2: You should.
Speaker 1: As parents, there are moments that catch you by surprise.
Speaker 1: Watching your kids head off to events with their friends
Speaker 1: is one of them. You realize your role is changing,
Speaker 1: not disappearing, just changing. Years ago we packed diaper bags
Speaker 1: before every outing. Then it became backpacks, then sports equipment.
Speaker 1: Now we're hoping our kids get ready for concerts, jobs,
Speaker 1: and the next after of their lives. It's amazing how
Speaker 1: quickly those seasons change. Before she walked out the door,
Speaker 1: Mattie gave everyone hugs. Jeremy reminded her to be careful.
Speaker 1: Have fun, he said, but don't stay out too late.
Speaker 1: She laughed, I'll do my best. I hugged her and whispered,
Speaker 1: take lots of pictures I will. Then just like that,
Speaker 1: she was out the door. We all stood there for
Speaker 1: a second, watching her pull away. I smiled. Jeremy wrapped
Speaker 1: an arm around my shoulder. They grew up fast, they
Speaker 1: really do. He didn't need to say anything else. We
Speaker 1: both knew exactly what the other one was thinking. It
Speaker 1: feels like yesterday they were learning to ride bicycles. Now
Speaker 1: they're making memories of their own. With Maddie gone for
Speaker 1: the evening, the house settled into a slower pace again.
Speaker 1: Jeremy looked around the room. So what does everyone want
Speaker 1: to do now? Morgan voted for another movie. Nobody argued,
Speaker 1: Sometimes the best weekends aren't the ones packed with activities.
Speaker 1: Sometimes they're the ones where nobody feels rushed, where everyone
Speaker 1: simply enjoys being together. Jeremy found another movie, and before
Speaker 1: long everyone had reclaimed their favorite spots in the living room.
Speaker 1: Blankets came back out, the lights were turned down. Someone
Speaker 1: grabbed another bowl of popcorn. I don't know why popcorn
Speaker 1: always tastes better during movie nights, but somehow it does.
Speaker 1: As the movie played, conversations came and went naturally. Sometimes
Speaker 1: we'd all become completely focused on the screen. Other times
Speaker 1: someone would remember an old family story, and before long
Speaker 1: everyone would be laughing instead of watching the movie. Johnny
Speaker 1: started telling a story from years ago that somehow reminded
Speaker 1: Jeremy of another story. Now, if you know Jeremy, you
Speaker 1: know he loves telling stories. He started laughing before he
Speaker 1: even reached the funny part. Halfway through the story, everyone
Speaker 1: one else was laughing too, not because we'd never heard
Speaker 1: it before, because hearing it again somehow made it even funnier.
Speaker 1: Morgan shook her head. Dad, I think this is the
Speaker 1: fifth time you've told that story. Jeremy looked completely serious. No,
Speaker 1: I think it's only the third. The room exploded with
Speaker 1: laughter again. Jeremy laughed. Maybe, but it's still funny. Those
Speaker 1: little moments are impossible to recreate. Nobody plans them, nobody
Speaker 1: writes them into a schedule. They're simply the result of
Speaker 1: people spending time together. As that evening continued, I found
Speaker 1: myself sitting back and simply watching everyone. Jeremy was laughing,
Speaker 1: Morgan was smiling. Torn and Annelim were curled up under blankets.
Speaker 1: Johnny kept adding funny comments every few minutes. The room
Speaker 1: felt peaceful, full, comfortable. That's when I realized something, This
Speaker 1: is exactly what we hope our kids remember years from now.
Speaker 1: Not necessarily what movie we watched, not what snacks we had,
Speaker 1: not what day it was, but the feeling the feeling
Speaker 1: of being together, the feeling of belonging, the feeling that,
Speaker 1: no matter what happened outside these walls, home was always
Speaker 1: the place filled with laughter. Eventually the movie ended, the
Speaker 1: younger kids were beginning to yawn. Jeremy stretched and looked
Speaker 1: at the clock. I suppose we should probably think about
Speaker 1: heading to bed. Nobody wanted the evening to end, but
Speaker 1: everyone knew Sunday was another day to enjoy together. As
Speaker 1: everyone started saying goodnight, Morgan smiled, this has been a
Speaker 1: really nice weekend already, Jeremy nodded, Tomorrow's going to be
Speaker 1: even better. At the time, none of us realized just
Speaker 1: how right he was. Sunday mornings have always been my
Speaker 1: favorite mornings of the week. Everything feels different. The pace
Speaker 1: slows down. There isn't that rush to get everyone out
Speaker 1: the door. Instead, the house wakes up, one person at
Speaker 1: a time. The smell of coffee filled the kitchen. Jeremy
Speaker 1: wandered in first, still waking up, pouring himself a cup
Speaker 1: before leaning against the counter. He looked out the window.
Speaker 1: Going to be another hot one. He wasn't kidding. Even
Speaker 1: early in the morning, you could already tell it was
Speaker 1: going to be one of those Missouri summer days where
Speaker 1: the heat settles in before lunchtime. Little by little, everyone
Speaker 1: else started making their way into the kitchen. Morgan smiled,
Speaker 1: morning I wasn't far behind. Soon torn and anline appeared,
Speaker 1: following behind Tristan and Colin. The kitchen slowly filled with
Speaker 1: sleepy smiles and quiet conversations. Jeremy looked around the room
Speaker 1: for a second before asking one simple question, who wants McDonald's.
Speaker 1: There wasn't even a moment of hesitating, every single person
Speaker 1: answered at once me. Jeremy laughed. I figured that might
Speaker 1: be the answer. But the minutes everyone was getting dressed,
Speaker 1: finding shoes, grabbing sunglasses, and somehow asking the same question
Speaker 1: every large family asked before leaving the house, has anybody
Speaker 1: seen my shoes? I honestly don't know where shoes disappeared to.
Speaker 1: With thirteen kids, you'd think we'd have developed some kind
Speaker 1: of system over the years. Instead, somehow there's always at
Speaker 1: least one person looking everywhere for one missing shoe. Jeremy
Speaker 1: laughed as everyone searched. I think shoes grow legs overnight.
Speaker 1: I'm starting to believe that, I answered. A few minutes later,
Speaker 1: everyone was loaded into the vehicle and we were headed
Speaker 1: towards McDonald's. There's something about family breakfasts. The conversations seem lighter,
Speaker 1: the laughter comes easier. Maybe it's because the whole day
Speaker 1: still stretches out in front of you. Maybe it's because
Speaker 1: nobody is in a hurry. Or maybe breakfasts simply tastes
Speaker 1: better when it's shared with the people you love. As
Speaker 1: we pulled into the parking lot, everyone was already deciding
Speaker 1: what they wanted hash browns, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, orange juice, coffee.
Speaker 1: Jeremy smiled, I already know someone's going to change their order,
Speaker 1: sure enough, Right before it was time to order, someone did.
Speaker 1: Everyone laughed. Jeremy just shook his head.
Speaker 2: I knew it.
Speaker 1: After breakfast, we climbed back into the vehicle and headed home,
Speaker 1: full of good food and even better conversation. There's something
Speaker 1: about Sunday mornings that just feels different. Maybe it's because
Speaker 1: the whole family is together. Maybe it's because there isn't
Speaker 1: a long list of places everyone has to be, or
Speaker 1: maybe it's simply because Sundays give us permission to slow down.
Speaker 1: As we pulled into the driveway, nobody was in a
Speaker 1: hurry to get out. Jeremy turned off the truck, looked
Speaker 1: over at me and smiled, that was a good breakfas
Speaker 1: it was, But I have a feeling everybody's going to
Speaker 1: be hungry again before too long. Everyone laughed, because with
Speaker 1: our family that statement is almost always true. It doesn't
Speaker 1: seem to matter how much food we eat. Somebody is
Speaker 1: always hungry. Back inside the house, everyone settled into another
Speaker 1: slow morning. Morgan and Ty relaxed in the living room
Speaker 1: Tristan and Colin started talking about everything they'd been watching lately.
Speaker 1: Jeremy grabbed another cup of coffee and sat down beside us.
Speaker 1: We talked about how nice it had been having Morgan
Speaker 1: and Tie spend the weekend. I always enjoy when everyone
Speaker 1: gets together. Always, home has always meant more to us
Speaker 1: than simply the place where we sleep. We've always hoped
Speaker 1: our home would become the place where our kids wanted
Speaker 1: to come back, not because they had to, but because
Speaker 1: they enjoyed being here. Watching Morgan and Tide laughing with
Speaker 1: everyone throughout the weekend reminded me that maybe we had
Speaker 1: done something right. Not perfectly. No family is perfect. We've
Speaker 1: made mistakes, we've had difficult seasons, we've had disagreements, we've
Speaker 1: had days when nothing seemed to go according to plan.
Speaker 1: But through all of it, we've tried to make sure
Speaker 1: our kids always knew one thing. Home is where you belong.
Speaker 1: Home is where you're loved. Home is where you'll always
Speaker 1: be welcomed with open arms. That matters more than a
Speaker 1: perfectly clean house. It matters more than expensive vacations. It
Speaker 1: matters more than having everything figured out. People remember how
Speaker 1: you made them feel and We've always hoped our children
Speaker 1: felt loved every time they walked through our front door.
Speaker 1: Around lunchtime, Jeremy looked outside again. The sunshine was almost blinding.
Speaker 1: The temperature had climbed quickly, and you could already see
Speaker 1: the heat rising from the driveway. He smiled, I think
Speaker 1: it's officially too hot. Torn looked out the window, so
Speaker 1: Jeremy continued with a grin, I think we need to
Speaker 1: go swimming. Before he even finished the sentence, the room
Speaker 1: exploded with excitement. Yes, I'll get my towel. I call
Speaker 1: the front seat. Can we leave now?
Speaker 2: I laughed.
Speaker 1: Some thing's never changed. No matter how old our kids get,
Speaker 1: the words let's go swimming still create the same excitement
Speaker 1: they did years ago. Within minutes, the entire house shifted
Speaker 1: into organized chaos. Hals started appearing from every bedroom. Someone
Speaker 1: couldn't find their swimsuit. Someone else couldn't remember where they
Speaker 1: left their flip flops. Morgan helped Anelin gather everything she needed.
Speaker 1: I carried a couple extra towels outside. Korn was already
Speaker 1: waiting by the door. Jeremy looked around and laughed, I
Speaker 1: think we're almost ready. Almost that's the keyword. When you
Speaker 1: have a big family, there's always one more thing, one
Speaker 1: more toll, one more bottle of sunscreen, one more person
Speaker 1: who suddenly realizes they forgot something. Eventually everyone was ready, Jeremy, Maddie, corn, Annling, Holland, Morgan, Ti, Johnny,
Speaker 1: Tristan and me. As we pulled away from the house,
Speaker 1: everyone was talking over one another. The excitement was contagious.
Speaker 1: Someone started talking about who would jump into the water first.
Speaker 1: Someone else announced they were definitely winning every swimming race.
Speaker 1: Jeremy smiled, I have a feeling I'm about to get splashed.
Speaker 1: You probably are, I laughed, You definitely are, torn corrected.
Speaker 1: Everyone burst into laughter. The second we arrived, the kids
Speaker 1: could barely wait. Shoes came off, tills landed on chairs.
Speaker 1: Within moments, everyone was racing toward the water. Watching your
Speaker 1: family run towards the creek is one of those simple
Speaker 1: joys that never loses its magic. It doesn't matter if
Speaker 1: they're eight years old or twenty eight years old. Everyone
Speaker 1: suddenly becomes a kid again. The first splash echoed across
Speaker 1: the creek, then another, then another. Within minutes, laughter filled
Speaker 1: the air. Jeremy tried to stayed dry for approximately thirty seconds.
Speaker 1: That plan didn't last very long. Horn splashed him first.
Speaker 1: Pretty soon everyone had decided Dad had officially became the target.
Speaker 1: Jeremy looked at me with a grin, so that's how
Speaker 1: it's going to be. Before anyone could answer, he splashed
Speaker 1: every one of them. The water fight was officially on.
Speaker 1: For the next two hours, nobody cared about the outside world.
Speaker 1: Nobody talked about work, nobody worried about laundry, nobody thought
Speaker 1: about Monday morning. There were swimming races, splash contests, games
Speaker 1: to see who could hold their breadth the longest, marco
Speaker 1: polo cannonballs that weren't nearly as graceful as everyone thought
Speaker 1: they were. Jeremy insisted one of his jumps deserved a
Speaker 1: perfect score. Johnny laughed, I think the judges disagree. I
Speaker 1: think the judges are wrong, Jeremy answered. Everyone laughed so
Speaker 1: hard they could barely stay afloat those moments, those are
Speaker 1: the moments.
Speaker 2: I wish I could bottle up forever.
Speaker 1: At one point I watched quietly for a minute, simply
Speaker 1: just watching. Morgan was laughing with Maddie. I fit right
Speaker 1: in with everyone. Colin couldn't stop smiling. Anelin was proudly
Speaker 1: showing everyone how much her swimming had improved. Torn had
Speaker 1: enough energy to swim for another five hours if we'd
Speaker 1: let her. Jeremy was exactly where he'd always been, right
Speaker 1: in the middle of the fun, never sitting on the sidelines,
Speaker 1: always making memories alongside the kids. Watching all of them
Speaker 1: together filled my heart with gratitude. This, this is why
Speaker 1: we protect our weekends, not because we have to spend money,
Speaker 1: not because we need exciting plans, because time together matters.
Speaker 1: Children grow up, schedules become busy, life changes, But afternoons
Speaker 1: like this somehow become the stories everyone tells years later.
Speaker 1: After nearly two hours, everyone slowly climbed out of the creek.
Speaker 1: Hair was dripping, faces were sunkissed. Everyone looked tired, but
Speaker 1: it was the best kind of tired, the kind that
Speaker 1: comes after a day filled with laughter. As we gathered
Speaker 1: our towels and headed back towards the cars, Jeremy smiled,
Speaker 1: I don't know about you, guys, but I'm starving. I
Speaker 1: think we all are. Morgan laughed. Swimming has a way
Speaker 1: of making everyone hungry. Luckily, dinner was already waiting in
Speaker 1: my mind, and I knew exactly what I wanted to
Speaker 1: make for everyone when we got home. By the time
Speaker 1: we pulled back into the driveway, everyone was smiling, the
Speaker 1: kind of smile that only comes after spending a couple
Speaker 1: hours in the water with the people you love. The
Speaker 1: younger kids were carrying their towels over their shoulders. Jeremy
Speaker 1: was joking that he had thought he had swallowed half
Speaker 1: the creek during one of the splash battles. Everyone burst
Speaker 1: into laughter. Jeremy pointed at everybody and started laughing, I
Speaker 1: see how it is. The teasing continued all the way
Speaker 1: into the house. One thing I've noticed over the years
Speaker 1: is that laughter has a way of making everyone feel
Speaker 1: at home. Some families bond over board games, others bond
Speaker 1: over camping trips. Our family, we bond by laughing, sometimes
Speaker 1: at each other, usually with each other. And thankfully, everyone
Speaker 1: in our family has learned not to take themselves too seriously.
Speaker 1: As soon as we walked inside, I could already hear
Speaker 1: someone asking the question I knew was coming, what's for dinner?
Speaker 1: I smiled, I think I've got something that'll make everyone happy.
Speaker 1: Immediately I started pulling everything together. Steaks, chicken, macaroni and cheese.
Speaker 1: It wasn't a fancy meal. It wasn't something you'd find
Speaker 1: in a five star restaurant. It was simply comfort food,
Speaker 1: the kind of meal that fills both your stomach and
Speaker 1: your heart. Turned on the deep frier and I got
Speaker 1: to work. One thing we've always enjoyed doing together is
Speaker 1: cooking for our family. There's something special about prepping a
Speaker 1: meal when you know the people sitting around the table
Speaker 1: are the people you love most. The smell of steaks
Speaker 1: cooking drifted through the kitchen while the chicken is being
Speaker 1: fried slowly in the deep frier. Macaroni and cheese bubbled
Speaker 1: away on the stove. Before long, exactly what I expected
Speaker 1: started happening. One by one, everyone wandered into the kitchen.
Speaker 1: Is it almost ready? It smells amazing. Can I taste something?
Speaker 2: Jeermy just laughed.
Speaker 1: I think everybody suddenly became hungry at the exact same
Speaker 1: time I smiled. I think swimming does that? Definitely does.
Speaker 1: Morgan agreed. A few minutes later, everything was finally ready.
Speaker 1: Jermy carried the steaks to the table while I placed
Speaker 1: the fried chicken and mac and cheese on the table.
Speaker 1: Almost instantly, everyone gathered around, looking around. That table never
Speaker 1: gets old. Personalities, different ages, different conversations, all happening at once.
Speaker 1: Someone was talking about the funniest thing that happened at
Speaker 1: the creek. Someone else was laughing about Jeremy getting splashed.
Speaker 1: Johnny had everyone laughing again with another joke. Morgan talked
Speaker 1: about how much fun the weekend had been. Ty smiled
Speaker 1: and said, this has been exactly what I needed. Jeremy
Speaker 1: looked around the table before anyone started eating. I know
Speaker 1: I don't say it enough, but I am thankful for
Speaker 1: every one of you. For just a second, everyone became quiet,
Speaker 1: not because nobody had anything to say, but because moments
Speaker 1: like that matter. I reached over and squeezed Jeremy's hand.
Speaker 1: I think we all are Then, just like that, the
Speaker 1: conversation started again. Laughter returned, plates were passed around. Second
Speaker 1: helpings appeared almost immediately. If you have teenagers, or have
Speaker 1: ever raised teenagers, you know exactly what second helpings look like. Actually,
Speaker 1: sometimes third helpings. Watching everyone enjoy dinner together reminded me
Speaker 1: of something we've always believed. The dinner table has never
Speaker 1: just been about food. It's where stories are shared, where
Speaker 1: problems are talked through where victories are celebrated, where laughter
Speaker 1: fills the room. Some of our greatest parenting moments haven't
Speaker 1: happened during vacations or holidays. They've happened sitting around at
Speaker 1: an ordinary dinner table. By the time dinner was finished,
Speaker 1: the dishes were cleaned up, and everyone had changed into
Speaker 1: comfortable clothes, the house settled into another peaceful evening. The
Speaker 1: younger kids stretched down on the couches. Jeremy flipped through
Speaker 1: the television channels. Morgan and Ty were talking with Johnny
Speaker 1: and Colin. Everything felt calm, relaxed, comfortable. I honestly thought
Speaker 1: the weekend was beginning to wind down. Then Jeremy looked
Speaker 1: over at me with that smile I've come to know
Speaker 1: so well over the years, the one that usually means
Speaker 1: he's about to suggest something spontaneous. He looked around the room.
Speaker 1: You know what sounds really good? Right now? Everyone stopped talking.
Speaker 1: What he smiled? How about Andy's? There was about two
Speaker 1: seconds of complete silence. Then the room exploded. Yes, let's go,
Speaker 1: I've been wanting Andy's.
Speaker 2: Can we really? I laughed.
Speaker 1: He would have thought he had just announced we were
Speaker 1: leaving for Disney World. Jeremy looked over.
Speaker 2: At me, what do you think I think we should?
Speaker 1: Within minutes, the peaceful house had turned into organized chaos
Speaker 1: once again. Someone couldn't find their shoes. Someone else couldn't
Speaker 1: find their keys. Jeremy laughed, I guess everybody wanted frozen custard.
Speaker 1: The drive across town felt completely different than it had
Speaker 1: earlier in the day. The blazing afternoon sun had disappeared,
Speaker 1: the sky had turned into beautiful shades of orange, pink,
Speaker 1: and deep blue. The windows were rolled down just enough
Speaker 1: to let the cool evening air drift through the vehicle.
Speaker 1: Music played quietly while everyone continued talking. Sometimes the simple
Speaker 1: days are the best days. I couldn't have agreed more.
Speaker 1: When we arrived at Andy's, there were several other families
Speaker 1: enjoying the evening too. It made me smile. Maybe they
Speaker 1: were celebrating something, maybe they'd just finished a baseball game,
Speaker 1: or maybe they were simply making memories, just like we were.
Speaker 1: Everyone studied the menu, even though most of them already
Speaker 1: knew exactly what they wanted. Jeremy laughed, I always tell myself,
Speaker 1: I'm going to try something different. They looked up and
Speaker 1: somehow I ordered the same thing every single time. I
Speaker 1: think that's called having a favorite, I teased him, I
Speaker 1: think you're right. A few minutes later, everyone had frozen
Speaker 1: custard in their hands. For the first minute or two,
Speaker 1: nobody said much. Everyone was too busy enjoying their first bite.
Speaker 1: Eventually the conversation started again. Tristan joked that Andy should
Speaker 1: sponsor our family. Jeremy laughed at this rate, maybe they
Speaker 1: should torn announced that frozen custer somehow tasted better at night.
Speaker 1: Aneline proudly held up her cup. Look I haven't spilled
Speaker 1: any Everyone cheered for her standing there on that warm
Speaker 1: Missouri summer night. I quietly looked around at everyone, Morgan, High, Jeremy, Tristan, Torn, Aneline,
Speaker 1: the smiles, the laughter, the conversations, and I realized something this,
Speaker 1: This is exactly why we protect our weekends. Not because
Speaker 1: we need expensive entertainment, not because we're trying to fill
Speaker 1: every minute with activities, but because memories are built one
Speaker 1: ordinary moment at a time, trip, a movie, breakfast together,
Speaker 1: swimming on a hot afternoon, a home cooked meal, a
Speaker 1: spontaneous ice cream run. Those ordinary moments slowly become the
Speaker 1: stories our children will someday tell their own families. Maybe
Speaker 1: years from now, one of our kids will look at
Speaker 1: their own children and say, you know what sounds good,
Speaker 1: Let's go get ice cream. Not because they were craving dessert,
Speaker 1: but because somewhere deep inside, they'll remember how it felt
Speaker 1: to be together. And maybe, just maybe that's the greatest
Speaker 1: gift Jeremy and I can ever leave behind. Not possessions,
Speaker 1: not perfect houses, not perfectly planned weekends, but a family
Speaker 1: that genuinely enjoys spending time together, because at the end
Speaker 1: of the day, that's what life is really about. Before
Speaker 1: we wrap up today's episode, I couldn't let you go
Speaker 1: without sharing one of our favorite easy summer Dessertsery cheesecake dip.
Speaker 1: You will need one eight ounce package of softened cream cheese,
Speaker 1: one container of marshmallow fluff, one teaspoon vanilla extract, one
Speaker 1: cup whip topping, one cup dice, fresh strawberries, cram crackers,
Speaker 1: vanilla wafers, pretzels, or fresh fruit. For dipping, beat the
Speaker 1: cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the marshmallow fluff and vanilla.
Speaker 1: Fold in the whip topping until light and creamy. Finally,
Speaker 1: gently stirn the fresh strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for about
Speaker 1: an hour before serving. It's cool, refreshing, incredibly easy to make,
Speaker 1: and perfect after a long summer day with family. As
Speaker 1: we wrap up today's episode, I hope one thing sticks
Speaker 1: with you. Life isn't measured by how busy we are.
Speaker 1: It isn't measured by how many projects we complete or
Speaker 1: how many chores we check off our list. Life is
Speaker 1: measured by moments. The moments when everyone is gathered around
Speaker 1: the table, the moments when laughter echoes through the house,
Speaker 1: the moments when your children know they belong, the moments
Speaker 1: when you choose presents over perfection. Jeremy and I know
Speaker 1: our kids won't remember every conversation this weekend. They probably
Speaker 1: won't remember exactly what movies we watched. They may even
Speaker 1: forget what day we went swimming. But I hope they'll
Speaker 1: always remember how they felt loved, safe, welcomed, accepted, Because
Speaker 1: if they remember that, then we've done something right. Thank
Speaker 1: you so much for spending another weekend with our family.
Speaker 1: We truly appreciate every one of you who choose to
Speaker 1: spend part of your week with us. Until next time,
Speaker 1: slow down, put the phone away for a little while,
Speaker 1: gather the family around the table, go for the spontaneous
Speaker 1: ice cream, run, watch another movie, take the extra swim.
Speaker 1: Laugh a little harder, because the greatest memories in life
Speaker 1: are rarely the ones we spend the most money on.
Speaker 1: They're the ones we spend the most time together creating.
Speaker 1: From our family to yours, thank you for joining us
Speaker 1: around the table. We'll see you next week. And we
Speaker 1: are the Hansens.