Speaker 1: Have you ever had one of those weekends where, when
Speaker 1: it's finally over, you sit down on Sunday night and
Speaker 1: realize your heart feels completely full. Not because everything went perfectly,
Speaker 1: not because the house stayed clean, not because there wasn't
Speaker 1: laughter echoing through every room, dishes piled in the sink,
Speaker 1: or someone making a mess that you'll be cleaning up
Speaker 1: for days, but because every single moment reminded you how
Speaker 1: blessed you really are. This past weekend was one of
Speaker 1: those weekends. It started with celebrating two people we love
Speaker 1: as they prepare to begin one of the biggest chapters
Speaker 1: of their lives. It turned into a Fourth of July
Speaker 1: filled with family, friends, food, games, fireworks, and one unforgettable
Speaker 1: yogurt fight that had everyone laughing until our stomach's hurt.
Speaker 1: Then it ended with one of the greatest birthday gifts
Speaker 1: I could ever ask for, not presents or cake, but
Speaker 1: simply being surrounded by people that I love most. When
Speaker 1: life gets busy, it's easy to forget these moments matter.
Speaker 1: But someday these ordinary weekends will become the stories our
Speaker 1: family tells for years, and this this is one of
Speaker 1: those weekends. Welcome back to we are the Hansen. I'm
Speaker 1: Maya Hanson, and if you're new here, welcome to our family.
Speaker 1: We're a big family that believes life's greatest adventures usually
Speaker 1: don't happen on expensive vacations, are perfectly planned trips. They
Speaker 1: happen around the dinner table, around the backyard barbecue, around
Speaker 1: a card game, around fireworks lighting up the summer sky. Today,
Speaker 1: I'm taking you along for one incredible weekend that reminded
Speaker 1: Jeremy and me just how blessed we really are. So
Speaker 1: grab your favorite drink, pull up a chair around our
Speaker 1: family table, and let's relive the amazing weekend together. Friday
Speaker 1: morning felt different. There was excitement in the air from
Speaker 1: the moment we woke up. This wasn't just another Friday.
Speaker 1: We were getting ready to celebrate Kate. Her bachelorette party
Speaker 1: was happening at our house and we couldn't wait. Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: Logan and the boys had their own plans. Their bachelor
Speaker 1: party was taking them to the casino for a night together.
Speaker 1: It was funny thinking about how the weekend was beginning,
Speaker 1: with everyone splitting off into their own celebrations before we'd
Speaker 1: all come back together the next day. Jeremy laughed as
Speaker 1: everyone started talking about their plans. The guys were already
Speaker 1: joking with each other before they even left. You know
Speaker 1: how that goes, Lots of teasing, lots of laughs, probably
Speaker 1: a little too much confidence about who was going to
Speaker 1: come home a winter. The girls, on the other hand,
Speaker 1: were focused on making sure Kate had a wonderful evening.
Speaker 1: Watching someone prepare for marriage is always special. There's something
Speaker 1: beautiful about seeing two people surrounded by friends and family
Speaker 1: who are excited for their future. Kate has become such
Speaker 1: a wonderful part of our family. Seeing her smile throughout
Speaker 1: the evening reminded us just how quickly life changes. It
Speaker 1: feels like yesterday everyone was younger. Now we're celebrating weddings,
Speaker 1: building new families, creating new traditions. The house quickly filled
Speaker 1: with laughter. Music played softly in the background. Conversations happened
Speaker 1: in every corner. People caught up on life, wedding plans,
Speaker 1: funny memories, stories from years ago. Every now and then,
Speaker 1: someone would burst into laughter so loudly everyone else would
Speaker 1: stop and ask what happened. Half the fun wasn't even
Speaker 1: the answer, It was simply watching everyone enjoy being together.
Speaker 1: Those are the moments I treasure, not the decorations, not
Speaker 1: the snacks, not whether everything looked pinterest perfect. It's watching
Speaker 1: people relax enough to simply enjoy one another. Meanwhile, somewhere
Speaker 1: at the casino, I'm sure Logan and the guys were
Speaker 1: creating stories of their own. If I know that group,
Speaker 1: there were probably plenty of competitive moments. Someone probably claimed
Speaker 1: they had a winning strategy, someone probably lost faster than expected,
Speaker 1: someone probably blamed the slot machine. And someone definitely came
Speaker 1: home with stories that got bigger every time they told them.
Speaker 1: That's just how family works. Everyone remembers the same event
Speaker 1: just a little differently, and honestly, that's part of what
Speaker 1: makes those stories so much fun. Friday came to an
Speaker 1: end with smiles all around. Kate had been celebrated, the
Speaker 1: guys had enjoyed their night together, and we all went
Speaker 1: to bed excited because we knew Saturday was going to
Speaker 1: be even bigger. As the house settled down Friday night,
Speaker 1: Jeremy and I did what we always seemed to do
Speaker 1: after a busy day. We looked around at the aftermath.
Speaker 1: A few cups still sitting on the counter heres that
Speaker 1: needed to be pushed back in little reminders that people
Speaker 1: had been there laughing only a short time before. I
Speaker 1: smiled at Jeremy and said, tomorrow's going to be a
Speaker 1: busy one. He smiled back because he already knew. Fourth
Speaker 1: of July at our house is never just another day.
Speaker 1: It's one of those holidays that seems to bring everyone together,
Speaker 1: and honestly, that's exactly what we love about it. Saturday
Speaker 1: mornings started early before the first guest arrived. There was
Speaker 1: already plenty to do. The kitchen became command central, counter
Speaker 1: slowly filled with food. Serving bulls came out of the cab,
Speaker 1: Drinks found their place in coolers. The smell of summer
Speaker 1: cooking started drifting through the house. Jeremy was already getting
Speaker 1: everything ready for the grill. If you've listened to our
Speaker 1: podcast for very long, you already know Jeremy loves being
Speaker 1: behind the grill. There's just something about cooking outside that
Speaker 1: feels like summertime. Every flip of a burger, every laugh
Speaker 1: from the backyard, every kid running through the grass, it's
Speaker 1: the kind of scene that reminds you why holidays become tradition.
Speaker 1: One by one, everyone started arriving. Morgan Madison Horn Annlin, Tristan, Keenan,
Speaker 1: Sophie Colin, Kate Logan, Johnny Connor, Ailey, Dan, Aaron and
Speaker 1: his girlfriend, and of course Jeremy and me. Every arrival
Speaker 1: brought another hug, another conversation, another It's funny how quickly
Speaker 1: a quiet house becomes filled with life. One minute you
Speaker 1: can hear birds outside, the next you can't hear yourself
Speaker 1: think because everyone is talking over each other. Honestly, I
Speaker 1: wouldn't trade that noise for anything. It's a sound of family.
Speaker 1: The grill fired up, and before long the smell of
Speaker 1: food filled the backyard. Everyone naturally found something to do.
Speaker 1: Some gathered around Jeremy while he took Others caught up
Speaker 1: with people they hadn't seen in a while. The younger
Speaker 1: ones laughed as they wandered in and out of conversation.
Speaker 1: The best family gatherings don't usually have a schedule. They
Speaker 1: simply happen. Someone starts telling a story, someone else joins in.
Speaker 1: Before you know it, ten people are laughing over something
Speaker 1: that happened years ago. Those moments can't be planned, they're
Speaker 1: simply created by spending time together. That's one of my
Speaker 1: favorite things about holiday. Nobody is in a rush, nobody
Speaker 1: is watching the clock for just a little while, life
Speaker 1: slows down, and that's something we all need more of.
Speaker 1: Isn't it amazing how food becomes the center of almost
Speaker 1: every family gathering. Someone always asks, so, what's ready? Someone
Speaker 1: else sneaks a bite before everything is finished, and there's
Speaker 1: always one person who insists they were just checking if
Speaker 1: it was done. We all know what that means. They're
Speaker 1: taste testing. Every family has that person. The backyard smelled incredible,
Speaker 1: flights started filling up. Everyone found somewhere to set Some
Speaker 1: stayed outside, some wandered back into the house. Some plates
Speaker 1: on their laps. While they kept talking. The conversations bounced
Speaker 1: from weddings, vacations, to work to funny memories from years ago.
Speaker 1: It's amazing how one story leads to another. Before long,
Speaker 1: someone remembers something completely different, then another person adds details.
Speaker 1: Soon everyone is laughing because nobody remembers the story exactly
Speaker 1: the same way. Those conversations are priceless. They're impossible to recreate.
Speaker 1: They're the moments that happen naturally when people simply enjoy
Speaker 1: being together, and honestly, those are my favorite kinds of memory.
Speaker 1: Sometimes people think memorabilia. Weekends have to be extravagant, you
Speaker 1: have to travel somewhere, spend a lot of money, plan
Speaker 1: every minute. But weekends like this remind me that isn't true.
Speaker 1: Some of the best memories are made in your own
Speaker 1: backyard with people you love, sharing simple food, playing games,
Speaker 1: laughing to tell your face hurt, watching fireworks together. None
Speaker 1: of those things are expensive, but together their prices. Jeremy
Speaker 1: and I spent several moments just looking around, watching everyone interact,
Speaker 1: watching conversations happen between people of different agents, watching cousins
Speaker 1: laugh together, watching friendships continue to grow. Those are the
Speaker 1: moments parents never forget because one day the kids grow up,
Speaker 1: schedules become busier, life changes. So whenever we have weekends
Speaker 1: where everyone can simply be together, we soak up every second.
Speaker 1: As the evening got closer, someone asked the question everyone
Speaker 1: had been waiting for, so what are we playing? Immediately
Speaker 1: the competitive side of the family woke up. Everyone suddenly
Speaker 1: had opinions. Someone wanted card games, someone wanted board games,
Speaker 1: someone wanted team games. One thought their idea was the best.
Speaker 1: Eventually we settled in and started playing. The area filled
Speaker 1: with cheers, groans, friendly trash talk, people celebrating victories that
Speaker 1: really didn't matter except in that moment, and somehow those
Speaker 1: little victories became legendary family stories. You know exactly what
Speaker 1: I mean. Years from now, nobody will remember who actually won,
Speaker 1: but everyone will remember how much fun they had. That's
Speaker 1: what matters. And before we knew it, the funniest moment
Speaker 1: of the entire weekend was about to happen. The laughter
Speaker 1: around the table was getting louder with every game. At
Speaker 1: this point, nobody was really worried about who was keeping
Speaker 1: score anymore. The conversations had become just as entertaining as
Speaker 1: the games themselves. Someone would make a funny comment, another
Speaker 1: person would try to top it, and before long the
Speaker 1: entire room would be laughing so hard that the game
Speaker 1: had to stop for a minute. Those are the kind
Speaker 1: of nights I love. Nobody was looking at their phones,
Speaker 1: nobody was in a hurry to leave. Everyone was simply present.
Speaker 1: In today's world, that's becoming more and more rare. It
Speaker 1: felt like we had all pressed the pause button on
Speaker 1: life for just one evening, and honestly, that's one of
Speaker 1: the greatest gifts we can give each other our time.
Speaker 1: Then come the moment that nobody saw coming. If you've
Speaker 1: ever spent time around our family, you know things can
Speaker 1: go from completely normal to absolutely hilarious in about three seconds. Somehow,
Speaker 1: some way, yogurt became involved. To this day, I don't
Speaker 1: even know how it escalated so quickly. One minute everyone
Speaker 1: was talking and laughing. The next minute, Tristan and Maddie
Speaker 1: were looking at each other with those things Russians that said,
Speaker 1: are you really going to do that? You could almost
Speaker 1: feel everyone else stop and wait. Then it happened, a
Speaker 1: little bit of yogurt flew. That should have been the
Speaker 1: end of it. It wasn't, not even close. Before anyone
Speaker 1: knew what was happening, the two of them were in
Speaker 1: a full blown yogurt fight. People were laughing so hard
Speaker 1: they could barely catch their breath. Someone yelled, not in
Speaker 1: the house. Someone else was laughing too hard to say
Speaker 1: anything at all. Jeremy just stood there shaking his head
Speaker 1: with that look every parent know, that look that says, well,
Speaker 1: this wasn't on today's schedule. Even Tristan and Maddie couldn't
Speaker 1: stop laughing. It wasn't about being messy, it wasn't about
Speaker 1: who started it. It was simply one of those completely
Speaker 1: unexpected family moments that become part of the family history forever.
Speaker 1: Years from now, someone will casually say the word remember
Speaker 1: the yogurt, and every single person who is there will
Speaker 1: immediately start laughing all over again. Those are the memories
Speaker 1: you can't buy. You couldn't script them if you tried.
Speaker 1: They simply happen, and they're usually the stories everyone remembers
Speaker 1: the longest. As the sun slowly began to disappear behind
Speaker 1: the trees, everyone started making their way outside. There's something
Speaker 1: magical about the Fourth of July. Once the sky begins
Speaker 1: to darken, kids get excited, Adults suddenly become kids again.
Speaker 1: People gather together and look toward the sky, waiting for
Speaker 1: that first firework. Then boom, the first bright furst lit
Speaker 1: up the night almost instantly. Smiles spread across everyone's faces.
Speaker 1: Red white, blue, gold, purple. Every explosion painted the sky
Speaker 1: for just a few seconds before disappearing into the darkness.
Speaker 1: It's funny how fireworks never seem to to lose their magic,
Speaker 1: no matter how many years pass, no matter how old
Speaker 1: we get, watching fireworks still brings out a sense of wonder.
Speaker 1: Everyone stood together, pointing out their favorite. Some were loud
Speaker 1: enough to make everyone jump, Others sparkled quietly before fading away.
Speaker 1: The younger ones watched with wide eyes. The adults smiled
Speaker 1: as they watched both the fireworks and the reactions of
Speaker 1: everyone around them. Sometimes that's even better than the fireworks themselves.
Speaker 1: Watching the people you love experienced joy that never gets old.
Speaker 1: Standing there beside Jeremy, I couldn't help but take a
Speaker 1: mental picture, not with my phone, with my heart, because
Speaker 1: those are the pictures that last forever. Our family, our friends.
Speaker 1: Everyone gathered together, laughing, talking, watching the skylight up. It
Speaker 1: reminded me that the greatest blessings in life aren't things.
Speaker 1: They're people. People who choose to spend their time together,
Speaker 1: people who show up, people who become family, whether they're
Speaker 1: related by blood or simply by love. As the final
Speaker 1: firework faded into the night sky, nobody rushed inside. Everyone
Speaker 1: lingered for a little longer. The conversations continued, the laughter continued,
Speaker 1: because deep down, I think we all knew this was
Speaker 1: one of those evenings we didn't want to end. Eventually,
Speaker 1: hugs were exchanged, goodbyes were said. Hearse slowly pulled out
Speaker 1: of the driveway, the house became quiet once again. Jeremy
Speaker 1: and I looked at each other and smiled. What a day,
Speaker 1: I said, it really was, he responded, Little did I know.
Speaker 1: The weekend wasn't finished blessing us just yet, because Sunday
Speaker 1: would become the perfect ending to an already unforgettable weekend.
Speaker 1: When we woke up Sunday morning, the house felt different.
Speaker 1: Not quiet in a lonely way, quiet in that peaceful
Speaker 1: way that comes after a weekend full of laughter. You
Speaker 1: know the feeling, the kind where you walk through the
Speaker 1: house and you can almost hear the echoes of the
Speaker 1: conversations from the night before. You see a stray game
Speaker 1: piece on the table and smile. A lawn chair still
Speaker 1: sitting outside, a cooler that hasn't quite made it back
Speaker 1: to the garage, little reminders that life happened here. Those
Speaker 1: little reminders have become some of my favorite things. They
Speaker 1: tell the story of a home that is lived in,
Speaker 1: a home where people gather, a home where memories are made.
Speaker 1: As I poured my first cup of coffee, I found
Speaker 1: myself thinking about everything that had happened over the last
Speaker 1: two days. Kate's bachelor at party, the guy's heading off
Speaker 1: for Logan's bachelor party, the cookout, the games, the fireworks,
Speaker 1: and of course the yogurt fight that I'm pretty sure
Speaker 1: will be talked about for years to come. I couldn't
Speaker 1: help but smile. What a weekend it had already been.
Speaker 1: Sunday wasn't just another day. It was my birthday. As
Speaker 1: I've gotten older, birthdays have changed. When I was younger,
Speaker 1: birthdays were about presents, parties, and wondering what surprises the
Speaker 1: day might bring. Now, the greatest gift is something completely different.
Speaker 1: It's time time with people I love. Time around the table, time,
Speaker 1: hearing everyone laugh, tim making another memory together. Our kids
Speaker 1: came over, along with our nephew Johnny and our friend Dan.
Speaker 1: Before long, the house was full. Once again. There wasn't
Speaker 1: anything extravagant about the day, and honestly, that's exactly what
Speaker 1: made it so special. Sometimes the best birthdays aren't the
Speaker 1: ones filled with big plans. They're the ones where everyone
Speaker 1: simply comes together because they want to celebrate with you.
Speaker 1: Those moments mean more than any repped gift ever could.
Speaker 1: We spent the afternoon talking about the weekend. Everyone had
Speaker 1: their favorite moments. Some laughed about Friday night, others couldn't
Speaker 1: stop bringing up the games, and every single time someone
Speaker 1: mentioned the Oogre fight, the room erupted into laughter all
Speaker 1: over again. That's the beauty of family stories. The more
Speaker 1: they're told, the funnier they become. At one point, we
Speaker 1: started talking about summer foods and I shared one of
Speaker 1: my favorite simple recipes. If you're looking for an easy
Speaker 1: snack to bring to a cookout or family gathering, this
Speaker 1: one is always a hit. You will need one baguette,
Speaker 1: one block of cream cheese, softened, one packet of ranch seasoning,
Speaker 1: one cucumber. First, slice the baguette into thin rounds. Lay
Speaker 1: the slices on a baking sheet and bake them until
Speaker 1: they are lightly crispy. You don't want them hard like crackers,
Speaker 1: just enough to give them a little crunch while still
Speaker 1: staying soft in the middle. While the bread is baking,
Speaker 1: mix the softened cream cheese with the ranch seasoning until
Speaker 1: it's smooth and well combined. Next, heel the cucumber and
Speaker 1: slice it into thin rounds. Once the bread has cooled
Speaker 1: just a little bit, spread the ranch cream cheese mixture
Speaker 1: onto each slice and top it with a cucumber slice.
Speaker 1: That's it. A simple fresh summer snack that's perfect for cookouts, holidays,
Speaker 1: or just sitting on the porch with family. Sometimes the
Speaker 1: simplest recipes are the ones everyone asks for again and again.
Speaker 1: I think food tastes even better when it's shared with
Speaker 1: people you love. As the afternoon slowly turned into evening,
Speaker 1: I found myself taking one last look around, the conversations,
Speaker 1: the smiles, the people gathered in our home. I realized
Speaker 1: my birthday wasn't really about me. It was about gratitude.
Speaker 1: Gratitude for Jeremy, Gratitude for our children, Gratitude for family
Speaker 1: who continue to show up for one another, Gratitude for
Speaker 1: friends like Dan who have become part of so many
Speaker 1: of our memories. Gratitude for another year of life. When
Speaker 1: you have a large family, life is rarely quiet. It's busy,
Speaker 1: sometimes chaotic, sometimes exhausting. But weekends like this remind me
Speaker 1: that all the noise is worth it. Every laugh, every conversation,
Speaker 1: every hug goodbye. Those are the moments that make a
Speaker 1: house feel like a home. As we wrapped up another
Speaker 1: incredible weekend, my heart couldn't have been any fuller. We
Speaker 1: celebrated a future bride, We watched family make memories together.
Speaker 1: We grilled good food, played games, laughed until we cried,
Speaker 1: watched fireworks light up the summer sky, celebrated another birthday,
Speaker 1: and thanked God for every single person who walked through
Speaker 1: our front door. Life moves quickly, the kids grow up,
Speaker 1: schedules get busier, the weekends seem shorter every year. That's
Speaker 1: why we've learned to hold on tightly to these moments,
Speaker 1: not because they're perfect, not because they're real. They're the
Speaker 1: moments we'll tell stories about years from now, the ones
Speaker 1: that remind us just how blessed we've been. Thank you
Speaker 1: so much for spending part of your day with our family.
Speaker 1: If this episode reminded you of your own family traditions,
Speaker 1: your own backyard cookouts, or those weekends you wish you
Speaker 1: could relive just one more time, we'd love to hear
Speaker 1: from you. Until next time, Keep making memories, keep loving
Speaker 1: your people well, and never underestimate the power of gathering
Speaker 1: around the table. From our family to yours, have a
Speaker 1: wonderful week. We'll see you next time. On We Are
Speaker 1: the Hansens.