Speaker 1: There are certain birthdays that just feel different. The first birthday,
Speaker 1: the fifth birthday, the thirteenth birthday, the sixteenth birthday, the
Speaker 1: eighteenth birthday, and then there is ten double digits, that
Speaker 1: moment when your child looks at you and realizes that
Speaker 1: they are officially ten years old, and somehow, as their mom,
Speaker 1: you're standing there wondering exactly how that happened, because I swear,
Speaker 1: wasn't Torren just little? Wasn't I just carrying her around?
Speaker 1: Wasn't she just learning how to talk? And now suddenly
Speaker 1: we're planning a birthday party for a ten year old
Speaker 1: who knows exactly what she wants. And Torn definitely knew
Speaker 1: what she wanted. She wanted her friends, she wanted games,
Speaker 1: she wanted chocolate cake, and for her birthday dinner, chicken
Speaker 1: broccoli and right bake, not pizza, not hamburgers, not tacos, chicken,
Speaker 1: broccoli and rice bake. And you know what that's Torn,
Speaker 1: She knows what she likes. So we gave our newly
Speaker 1: minted ten year old exactly the kind of birthdays she wanted.
Speaker 1: There were three friends, there were games, there were presents,
Speaker 1: there was an electric scooter, there was money, There was
Speaker 1: a doll and doll stuff. There was chocolate cake, and
Speaker 1: when all the excitement finally started winding down, we ended
Speaker 1: the night together with a movie. Nothing extravagant, nothing complicated,
Speaker 1: just family, friends, food, laughter, and another memory added to
Speaker 1: the story of our family. And sometimes those are the
Speaker 1: birthdays you remember forever. I'm Maya. This is We Are
Speaker 1: the Hansens, and today we're celebrating Torn turning ten. Everybody,
Speaker 1: welcome back to another episode of We Are the Hansens.
Speaker 1: If you're new here, welcome to our family. We are
Speaker 1: a big, loud, busy family with thirteen kids, and around
Speaker 1: here there is pretty much always something happening. Sometimes it's
Speaker 1: a big family adventure. Sometimes we're cooking, sometimes we're celebrating.
Speaker 1: Sometimes we're laughing so hard that nobody can breathe. Sometimes
Speaker 1: somebody can't find their shoes five minutes before we're supposed
Speaker 1: to leave. And sometimes we're simply trying to survive another
Speaker 1: normal day in a very big family. But that's exactly
Speaker 1: why we started sharing these stories, because we've learned over
Speaker 1: the years that the ordinary moments are usually the ones
Speaker 1: that end up meaning the most, and today's episode is
Speaker 1: definitely one of those our torn turned ten ten years old,
Speaker 1: double digits, and I don't know why, but seeing that
Speaker 1: out loud makes it feel even more real. When you're
Speaker 1: raising kids, everybody tells you how fast it goes. When
Speaker 1: they're babies and you're exhausted, people tell you, enjoy it.
Speaker 1: It goes fast. When they're toddlers, enjoy it. It goes fast.
Speaker 1: First day of school, it goes fast. And sometimes you think, okay, okay,
Speaker 1: I get it. But then one day you're putting candles
Speaker 1: on a chocolate cake for your child's tenth birthday and
Speaker 1: you realize they were right. It really does go by fast.
Speaker 1: Ten feels like such an interesting aid. They're still your
Speaker 1: little kid, but they're also becoming their own person in
Speaker 1: such a noticeable way. They have opinions, they have favorite things,
Speaker 1: they have friendships that are important to them. They have
Speaker 1: their own sense of humor. They know what foods they like,
Speaker 1: they know what clothes they like, they know what they
Speaker 1: want to do, and they definitely know what they don't
Speaker 1: want to do. And that's something I've always loved about
Speaker 1: watching our kids grow. When you have thirteen children, you
Speaker 1: learn pretty quickly that there isn't one formula for raising
Speaker 1: a child, they're all different, every single one. They can
Speaker 1: grow up in the same house, eat at the same
Speaker 1: dinner table, go on the same family trips, hear the
Speaker 1: same family rules, and they still become completely different people,
Speaker 1: different personalities, different interests, different strengths, different dreams. And I
Speaker 1: think that's beautiful. As parents, Jeremy and I aren't trying
Speaker 1: to create thirteen copies of the same person. We're raising
Speaker 1: thirteen individuals, and Torren is torn. That's what makes celebrating
Speaker 1: her birthday so special. This wasn't about creating some picture
Speaker 1: perfect party. It was about celebrating her. And when we
Speaker 1: started figuring out what she wanted for her birthday, Torren
Speaker 1: had ideas the first important decision food. Now, if you
Speaker 1: listen to this show regularly, you know that food is
Speaker 1: basically a character in our family stories. Something is always cooking,
Speaker 1: there's always somebody asking what's for dinner. There's always a
Speaker 1: gathering where we're trying to figure out how much food
Speaker 1: we're going to need. And when you have a family
Speaker 1: our size, you don't make a tiny little casserole. You
Speaker 1: make enough food to feed an army. Sometimes literally it
Speaker 1: feels like an army. So I asked hoorm what she
Speaker 1: wanted for her birthday dinner, and this girl chose chicken,
Speaker 1: broccoli and rice bake, and I thought, okay, that's actually
Speaker 1: a really good birthday dinner. Warm, cheesy, comforting, easy to
Speaker 1: feed a group, and something she loves. Perfect. Then came
Speaker 1: the cake, chocolate. There was no complicated debate there toorn
Speaker 1: wanted chocolate cake, and honestly I respect that decision. Chocolate
Speaker 1: cake is hard to beat. So the birthday menu was set.
Speaker 1: Chicken broccoli and rice baked, chocolate cake and a house
Speaker 1: full of people ready to celebrate. If you've ever hosted
Speaker 1: a birthday party at your house, you know there's always
Speaker 1: that period beforehand where you look around and suddenly notice
Speaker 1: every single thing that needs to be done. Why is
Speaker 1: that your house can look completely normal all week? Then
Speaker 1: you realize people are coming over and suddenly you're like,
Speaker 1: what is that sitting there? Who left this here? Why
Speaker 1: are their shoes everywhere? Whose cup is this? Why is
Speaker 1: there a blanket in the middle of the floor. And
Speaker 1: in a family with thirteen kids, there's always evidence that
Speaker 1: people actually live here because they do. This isn't a showroom,
Speaker 1: it's our home. But we still want things picked up.
Speaker 1: We want the food ready, we want the looking nice,
Speaker 1: we want everything prepared so when people arrive, we're not
Speaker 1: running around like crazy, well not too crazy anyway. So
Speaker 1: we're getting everything ready. We're making sure Torren has what
Speaker 1: she wants, We're preparing the food. And while I'm doing
Speaker 1: all of this, I keep thinking about the fact that
Speaker 1: she's ten, because birthdays do that to me. They make
Speaker 1: me feel sentimental. Every year represents another chapter, and when
Speaker 1: you're in the middle of parenting, sometimes you don't notice
Speaker 1: the chapter's changing. There's no announcement, nobody says, attention, your
Speaker 1: child has officially moved into the next stage of childhood.
Speaker 1: It just happens. Their shoes get bigger, their clothes change,
Speaker 1: the toys they used to play with disappear, the shows
Speaker 1: they used to watch aren't interesting anymore. Their conversations change,
Speaker 1: they start understanding jokes they didn't understand before, they become
Speaker 1: more independent, and then one day you look at them
Speaker 1: and realize how much they've changed. Ten years a whole decade.
Speaker 1: Horn has been part of our lives for a decade.
Speaker 1: That's incredible. One of the things Torn wanted most was
Speaker 1: to have some friends over She had three friends come
Speaker 1: over to celebrate with her, and if you've ever had
Speaker 1: a group of ten year olds together, you already know
Speaker 1: the energy level immediately goes up. One kid walks through
Speaker 1: the door excitement, another arrives, more excitement. By the time
Speaker 1: all three friends are there, the party has officially started.
Speaker 1: There's something so fun about watching your kids with their friends.
Speaker 1: As parents, we know one version of our children, but
Speaker 1: then you watch them with their friends and you see
Speaker 1: another little piece of their personality. The jokes, the giggling,
Speaker 1: the games, they invent, things they think are absolutely hilarious
Speaker 1: that make absolutely no sense to adults. And honestly, that's
Speaker 1: exactly how it should be. They're kids. They should be laughing,
Speaker 1: they should be playing, they should be making memories. And
Speaker 1: that's what they did. They played a bunch of games.
Speaker 1: One game would start, then another, then somebody would have
Speaker 1: another idea, and off they would go. That's one thing
Speaker 1: I love about this eight They can still entertain themselves.
Speaker 1: Give kids a little freedom, some friends and a safe
Speaker 1: place to play, and suddenly they've created their own little world.
Speaker 1: There was laughter coming from one room, then footsteps, then
Speaker 1: somebody yelling something, then more laughter and you just knew
Speaker 1: they're having fun. As a mom, that's one of the
Speaker 1: best sounds kids laughing in your house, because someday the
Speaker 1: house gets quieter. That's another thing nobody really prepares you for.
Speaker 1: When your kids are little, sometimes you dream about quiet.
Speaker 1: You're thinking, can I please have five minutes where nobody
Speaker 1: needs me? Can I go to the bathroom alone? Can
Speaker 1: everyone stop yelling my name? Mom? Mom? Mom? Mom? And
Speaker 1: then they grow, the house changes, schedules change. Some kids
Speaker 1: are working, some kids are doing their own thing, some
Speaker 1: have relationships, some are building lives, And suddenly those loud
Speaker 1: moments become something you appreciate differently. So when I hear
Speaker 1: Torn and her friends laughing and running around and playing games,
Speaker 1: I'm not thinking about the noise. I'm thinking, remember this,
Speaker 1: because this is childhood happening right in front of us. Eventually,
Speaker 1: all that playing makes everybody hungry, and it was time
Speaker 1: for Torren's birthday dinner. Chicken, broccoli, rice, all baked together
Speaker 1: in that warm, comforting casserole. There's something about castrole food
Speaker 1: that just feels like home, especially when you're feeding a
Speaker 1: bunch of people. You put that big dish down and
Speaker 1: everybody starts scooping out their portion. People are talking across
Speaker 1: the table. Somebody needs a fork, somebody needs a drink,
Speaker 1: someone wants more, someone is already asking when we're having cake.
Speaker 1: That's family life, and there in the middle of it
Speaker 1: is our birthday girl ten years old. I think food
Speaker 1: has this incredible ability to anchor memories. Think about your
Speaker 1: own childhood. You probably remember certain foods connected to certain people.
Speaker 1: Maybe Grandma made a certain pie, maybe your dad grilled
Speaker 1: something every summer. Maybe your mom had a casserole she
Speaker 1: always made. Maybe there was a restaurant you went to
Speaker 1: for birthdays. Those foods become more than food, They become
Speaker 1: memories years from now. Or might make chicken, broccoli and
Speaker 1: rice bake and remember her tenth birthday. She might smell
Speaker 1: chocolate cake and remember sitting around with her friends. That's
Speaker 1: why I love including recipes and food on this podcast.
Speaker 1: Food is part of our family's story. Not fancy food,
Speaker 1: not perfect food, family food. Food that fills people up,
Speaker 1: food that brings people to the table, food that says,
Speaker 1: come sit down, stay awhile, tell me what's going on.
Speaker 1: And birthday dinner was exactly that. Then came one of
Speaker 1: the most important parts of any birthday cake, chocolate cake.
Speaker 1: The candles go in, everybody gathers around, someone turns the
Speaker 1: lights down, and there she is torn. Ten candles, ten years.
Speaker 1: Everyone starts singing Happy birthday to you, and for those
Speaker 1: few seconds, the whole room is focused on one person.
Speaker 1: That's something I love about birthdays. For one moment, we
Speaker 1: get to tell someone today, we're celebrating you. We're glad
Speaker 1: you're here, We're glad you're part of this family. You matter.
Speaker 1: I watched Horn sitting there with that cake and thought
Speaker 1: about ten years of memories, ten years of hugs, ten
Speaker 1: years of laughter, ten years of growing, ten years of learning,
Speaker 1: ten years of being her mom. There are difficult days
Speaker 1: in parenting, of course, there are. There are days when
Speaker 1: you're tired, days when you're frustrated, days when everyone seems
Speaker 1: to need something at the exact same time. But birthdays
Speaker 1: remind you of the bigger picture. What a privilege it
Speaker 1: is to watch a human being grow. We get to
Speaker 1: know them from the beginning, we get to watch them
Speaker 1: become themselves, and I think that's one of the greatest
Speaker 1: in life. Then Torren blew out her candles and everybody
Speaker 1: knows what comes next. Chocolate cake. Now everybody is happy.
Speaker 1: Then it was time for presents, and Torren got some
Speaker 1: pretty exciting things. First, an electric scooter at ten years old.
Speaker 1: That's a big gift. You could see the excitement. An
Speaker 1: electric scooter means freedom, it means adventure, it means going
Speaker 1: outside and riding around. And it also means mom is
Speaker 1: probably going to say be careful approximately four hundred times,
Speaker 1: because that's what moms do. You can be forty years
Speaker 1: old and your mother will still tell you to be careful.
Speaker 1: It's basically built into us. She also got money, and
Speaker 1: money is always exciting at that age because now you
Speaker 1: get to decide what you want. Do you spend it immediately?
Speaker 1: Do you save it? Do you start calculating what you
Speaker 1: can buy? It's fun watching kids learn that. She also
Speaker 1: got a doll and doll stuff. And I love that
Speaker 1: because ten is that wonderful age where you're getting bigger,
Speaker 1: but you're still kids. There's plenty of time to grow up.
Speaker 1: There's plenty of time for adult responsibilities. There's plenty of
Speaker 1: time for bills and work and schedules and all the
Speaker 1: things that come later. Right now, play with the doll,
Speaker 1: ride the scooter, Laugh, with your friends, eat chocolate cake,
Speaker 1: be ten. I wish we could protect that feeling forever.
Speaker 1: I think as parents we sometimes put way too much
Speaker 1: pressure on ourselves when it comes to birthdays. Especially now
Speaker 1: you open social media and see these unbelievable parties, huge decorations,
Speaker 1: balloon arches, perfect desserts, custom everything, and those parties are
Speaker 1: wonderful if that's what somebody wants to do. But you
Speaker 1: don't need any of that to make your child feel loved.
Speaker 1: Your child isn't going to measure their childhood by whether
Speaker 1: every birthday look like something out of a magazine. They're
Speaker 1: going to remember how it felt. Did people show up,
Speaker 1: did people laugh? Did mom make my favorite dinner? Did
Speaker 1: I get to invite my friends? Did everyone sing to me?
Speaker 1: Did we play? Did we sit together? Did I feel important?
Speaker 1: That's the stuff, and that's what Torren's birthday was. It
Speaker 1: was simple, it was comfortable, It was us. Her friends came,
Speaker 1: her family celebrated her, She got gifts she loved, She
Speaker 1: ate the food she requested, she had her chocolate cake,
Speaker 1: and she spent the day surrounded by people who love her.
Speaker 1: What else do you really need in a big family?
Speaker 1: Are special with thirteen kids, there are a lot of birthdays.
Speaker 1: There are a lot of celebrations, a lot of cakes,
Speaker 1: a lot of candles, a lot of presents, a lot
Speaker 1: of happy birthday songs. And every birthday reminds us how
Speaker 1: much our family has changed over the years. There was
Speaker 1: a time when Jeremy and I were younger parents trying
Speaker 1: to figure everything out. Then more kids came, Then more
Speaker 1: and more our family grew. Our table got bigger, our
Speaker 1: grocery bill definitely got bigger, our calendar got crazier, our
Speaker 1: hearts got fuller, and over the years we've created traditions
Speaker 1: without even realizing they were traditions. Cooking together, gathering around
Speaker 1: the table, birthday dinners, cake games, movies, just being together.
Speaker 1: That's our family culture, and it's something Jeremy and I
Speaker 1: have always wanted. We want our kids to grow up
Speaker 1: knowing that family is a place you can come back to.
Speaker 1: You can go build your life, you can chase your dreams,
Speaker 1: you can grow, you can become independent. But this table,
Speaker 1: there's still a seat for you, this house. You're still welcome,
Speaker 1: this family, You're still part of it. And I think
Speaker 1: birthdays reinforce that no matter how old you get we
Speaker 1: celebrate you. Something else I appreciated about Torren's birthday was
Speaker 1: watching her friendships. Three friends, not fifty people, not some
Speaker 1: enormous event, three kids she wanted there. Sometimes smaller gatherings
Speaker 1: are the best. They actually get to spend time together.
Speaker 1: They play, they talk, they laugh. Everybody gets lost in
Speaker 1: a crowd gets lost in a crowd. And these kids
Speaker 1: had fun. They played game after game, and there were
Speaker 1: those moments where you could hear them laughing and think,
Speaker 1: what in the world are they doing? But you don't
Speaker 1: even need to know. They're having fun. That's enough. Those
Speaker 1: little friendships matter so much when you're ten, friends are
Speaker 1: becoming part of your world in a different way. You're
Speaker 1: discovering who you connect with. You're learning how to be
Speaker 1: a friend. You're learning about disagreements, compromise, sharing, kindness, boundaries,
Speaker 1: and belonging. Those relationships are teaching new things you don't
Speaker 1: even realize you're learning. As a parent, you hope your
Speaker 1: children find people who are kind to them, people who
Speaker 1: let them be themselves, people they can laugh with, and
Speaker 1: you hope they learn to be that kind of a
Speaker 1: friend in return. Okay, we have to talk a little
Speaker 1: bit more about the electric scooter, because this was definitely
Speaker 1: one of the exciting presents when you're ten. An electric
Speaker 1: scooter isn't just transportation, it's basically a vehicle. In your mind,
Speaker 1: you're thinking, I have arrived, you're cruising. You've got places
Speaker 1: to go, important ten year old business to conduct, and
Speaker 1: meanwhile mom is watching like helmet, slow down, watch where
Speaker 1: you're going, don't do anything crazy, stay away from the road. Careful, careful.
Speaker 1: That's parenting. Your child sees adventure. You see seventeen possible ways.
Speaker 1: This adventure could end with a trip somewhere you don't
Speaker 1: want to go. But you also know you have to
Speaker 1: let them grow. That's the balance. You protect them while
Speaker 1: giving them space. You teach them safety while letting them
Speaker 1: experience things them roots. Then slowly you start giving them
Speaker 1: wins or in Torran's case, wheels. Birthdays also make me
Speaker 1: think about motherhood. Every child teaches you something different about
Speaker 1: being a mom. You think you understand parenting, and then
Speaker 1: another child comes along and says, actually, we're doing things
Speaker 1: differently over here, and you adapt. That's one of the
Speaker 1: biggest lessons I've learned raising thirteen children. Parent the child
Speaker 1: you have, not the child the book says you should
Speaker 1: have not the child. Social media says you should have
Speaker 1: not the child. Someone else thinks you should have the
Speaker 1: actual human being standing in front of you. Some kids
Speaker 1: need encouragement, some need structure, some need extra patience. Some
Speaker 1: are naturally independent, somewhat reassurance, some talk constantly. Some need
Speaker 1: time before they'll tell you what's wrong. Parenting isn't one
Speaker 1: size fits all. And Torn has taught me things. He's
Speaker 1: made me laugh, she's tested me, she surprised me, she's
Speaker 1: made me proud. And for ten years I've had the
Speaker 1: privilege of being her mom. That's worth celebrating too. Eventually,
Speaker 1: the energy started coming down. The games had been played,
Speaker 1: dinner had been eaten, chocolate cake had been eaten, presents
Speaker 1: had been opened, the excitement of the day had filled
Speaker 1: the house, and we ended the night with a movie. Honestly,
Speaker 1: it was the perfect ending. There is something cozy about
Speaker 1: everybody settling down after a busy day. Lights lower, people
Speaker 1: find their spots, blankets come out, everybody relaxes. The house
Speaker 1: that was full of running and laughing becomes quiet, and
Speaker 1: we watched a movie together. Sound like the least exciting
Speaker 1: part of the birthday, but I loved it because sometimes
Speaker 1: the best part of celebration is the moment after everything
Speaker 1: slows down. You're sitting there thinking about the day. Everyone
Speaker 1: is tired, everyone is content, and you realize that was
Speaker 1: a really good day. Nothing needed to be bigger, nothing
Speaker 1: needed to be different. Towarren was happy. Her friends had fun,
Speaker 1: we had good food, we had cake, we had laughter,
Speaker 1: we had family. That's enough, more than enough, Tarren. Someday
Speaker 1: you might listen to this episode when you're much older.
Speaker 1: Maybe you'll be fifteen, maybe twenty, maybe thirty. Maybe you'll
Speaker 1: have kids of your own someday and suddenly understand why
Speaker 1: your mom got emotional about you turning ten. So there
Speaker 1: are a few things I want you to know. You
Speaker 1: don't have to rush. Being old will come soon enough.
Speaker 1: Enjoy being ten. Play, laugh, ride your scooter, play with
Speaker 1: your dolls, hang out with your friends, watch movies, be silly,
Speaker 1: ask questions, learn things, make mistakes, try again. You don't
Speaker 1: have to have everything figured out. You don't have to
Speaker 1: know exactly who you're going to become. You're still becoming
Speaker 1: her and whoever you become. I hope you're kind, I
Speaker 1: hope you're brave. I hope you stand up for yourself.
Speaker 1: I hope you stand up for people who need someone
Speaker 1: beside them. I hope you work hard. I hope you
Speaker 1: understand the value of family. I hope you know that
Speaker 1: success isn't measured by how much stuff you own. It's
Speaker 1: measured by the life you build, the people you love,
Speaker 1: the people who love you, the way you treat others,
Speaker 1: the memories you create, and the person you are when
Speaker 1: nobody is watching. Most importantly, I hope you always know
Speaker 1: how loved you are, not because of what you accomplish,
Speaker 1: not because of grades, not because of trophies, not because
Speaker 1: of anything you can give us your love because you're
Speaker 1: torrn are torn, and nothing changes that. Happy tenth birthday, sweetheart.
Speaker 1: Before we finish today's episode, you know I have to
Speaker 1: leave you with something good to eat, and since this
Speaker 1: episode is all about birthdays, family gatherings, and easy comfort food,
Speaker 1: I wanted to give you something incredibly simple that kids
Speaker 1: can help make. We're making easy chocolate cake batter dip.
Speaker 1: This is great for birthday parties, movie nights, family gatherings,
Speaker 1: or those evenings when everybody wants something sweet but you
Speaker 1: don't want to spend forever in the kitchen. Need one
Speaker 1: box chocolate cake mix, one eight ounce block of cream
Speaker 1: cheese softened, one container whipped topping, about a third cup milk,
Speaker 1: mini chocolate chips, cram crackers, vanilla wafers, strawberries or pretzels
Speaker 1: for dipping. How to make it first, because raw flour
Speaker 1: and cake mix shouldn't be eaten on treat it. Spread
Speaker 1: your dry cake mix on a baking sheet and heat
Speaker 1: treat it in the oven at three hundred and fifty
Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheit until the mix reaches one hundred and sixty
Speaker 1: five degrees fahrenheit. Let it cool completely. Then take your
Speaker 1: softened cream cheese and beat it until it's nice and smooth.
Speaker 1: Slowly mix in the cool chocolate cake mix. Add your
Speaker 1: milk a little at a thyme until you've got a thick,
Speaker 1: creamy dip. Then fold in your whipped topping. Once everything
Speaker 1: is combined, sprinkle many chocolate chips over the top. Put
Speaker 1: it in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes, then serve
Speaker 1: it with whatever your family likes, gram crackers, vanilla wafers, pretzels, strawberries.
Speaker 1: You can even put several different options around the bowl
Speaker 1: and make a little dessert board. It's easy, it's inexpensive,
Speaker 1: the kids can help, and most importantly, it's chocolate. So
Speaker 1: there's that. As I sat here thinking about Torren's birthday
Speaker 1: after everyone had settled down, I kept coming back to
Speaker 1: one thought, these are the days we're going to mess
Speaker 1: not because life won't continue to be wonderful. It will.
Speaker 1: There are so many good chapters ahead. There will be graduations, jobs, relationships, grandchildren,
Speaker 1: new adventures, new traditions. Our family story will keep growing.
Speaker 1: But this exact version of our family, it only exists
Speaker 1: right now. Turm will only turn ten once, her friends
Speaker 1: will only be this age once. That chocolate cake will
Speaker 1: only have those ten candles once. That's why I'm trying
Speaker 1: harder to appreciate these moments while they're happening, not just afterward,
Speaker 1: because life doesn't always announce which moments are going to
Speaker 1: become precious memories. Sometimes it's obvious a wedding, a birth,
Speaker 1: a graduation, and sometimes it's four ten year olds playing games.
Speaker 1: It's chicken, broccoli and rice bakes sitting on the table.
Speaker 1: It's chocolate cake crumbs on plates, it's wrapping paper on
Speaker 1: the floor, it's a brand new electric scooter. Waiting to
Speaker 1: be ridden. It's a doll sitting beside a little girl
Speaker 1: who is growing faster than her mom would like. It's
Speaker 1: everyone settling down to watch a movie after a long day,
Speaker 1: and you don't realize until later that was the good stuff. Actually,
Speaker 1: that was the great stuff. If you're listening today and
Speaker 1: you're raising kids, I want to remind you of something
Speaker 1: I've had to remind myself many times. You don't have
Speaker 1: to create a perfect childhood. You couldn't even if you tried.
Speaker 1: You're going to have bad days. Your kids are going
Speaker 1: to have bad days. Sometimes dinner will burn, sometimes the
Speaker 1: house will be messy. Sometimes birthdays won't go exactly according
Speaker 1: to plan. Sometimes vacations will have problems. Sometimes you'll lose
Speaker 1: your patience. Sometimes your kids will lose theirs. That's life.
Speaker 1: But you can create a childhood filled with love. You
Speaker 1: can make your home a place where people know they belong.
Speaker 1: You can celebrate them, you can sit at the table,
Speaker 1: you can listen, you can laugh, you can apologize when
Speaker 1: you're wrong, you can show up, and you can make
Speaker 1: ordinary days matter. Our kids don't need perfection, they need connection,
Speaker 1: and that's what I want. We are the hansens to
Speaker 1: always represent We're not showing you a perfect family, because
Speaker 1: one doesn't exist. We're sharing a real one, a big
Speaker 1: one and sometimes chaotic one. A family that laughs, a
Speaker 1: family that argues, a family that eats a lot, a
Speaker 1: family that celebrates, a family that keeps showing up for
Speaker 1: each other. And I wouldn't trade it for anything. So
Speaker 1: here we are ten years old, double digits, Jearn. I
Speaker 1: hope your tenth birthday is one of those memories that
Speaker 1: stays somewhere in your heart. Maybe you won't remember every present,
Speaker 1: maybe you won't remember every game. Maybe someday you won't
Speaker 1: even remember exactly what movie we watched, But I hope
Speaker 1: you remember the feeling. Your friends came because they wanted
Speaker 1: to celebrate you. Your family gathered because we love you.
Speaker 1: You picked your favorite dinner, you got your chocolate cake,
Speaker 1: You opened an electric scooter, you got money, you got
Speaker 1: your doll and doll stuff, You played games, you laughed,
Speaker 1: You ended the night watching a movie, and your mom
Speaker 1: sat there wondering how did ten years go by so fast?
Speaker 1: Happy birthday, Torrent. We love you more than you could
Speaker 1: ever understand, and we're so excited to see what this
Speaker 1: next year brings, but don't grow up too fast. Okay,
Speaker 1: mom isn't ready. And that is where we're going to
Speaker 1: end today's episode of We Are the Hansense. A chocolate cake, chicken,
Speaker 1: broccoli and rice bake, three friends, a bunch of games,
Speaker 1: an electric scooter, a doll, a movie, one very love
Speaker 1: ten year old. It wasn't about throwing the biggest party,
Speaker 1: it wasn't about making everything perfect. It was about celebrating
Speaker 1: Torrent and we did. It was a wonderful day. There's
Speaker 1: one thing I hope you take away from today's episode.
Speaker 1: It's this celebrate the ordinary. Take the pictures, make the cake,
Speaker 1: cook their favorite dinner, Invite the friends, play games, sit
Speaker 1: down for a movie. Because one day you'll look back
Speaker 1: and realize those weren't ordinary moments at all. They were
Speaker 1: your family's story and were incredibly thankful that you allow
Speaker 1: us to share a little piece of ours with you.
Speaker 1: If you enjoy spending time with our family, make sure
Speaker 1: you're following We Are the Hands and so you don't
Speaker 1: miss what's coming next. Come find us on Facebook and
Speaker 1: join our growing community. And while you're there, make sure
Speaker 1: you subscribe to the Hand Hants and Family Table our
Speaker 1: newsletter where we share more of our family life, recipes, stories, ideas,
Speaker 1: and all the things that happen between podcast episodes. You
Speaker 1: can also visit our website and keep up with everything
Speaker 1: happening with We are the Handsome and please hear the
Speaker 1: show with another family. Send an episode to a mom,
Speaker 1: a dad, a grandparent, a friend, anybody who understands that
Speaker 1: family life isn't always perfect but it can still be
Speaker 1: pretty incredible and touring one last time. Happy tenth birthday,
Speaker 1: Welcome to Double Digits. We love you big until next time.
Speaker 1: Keep showing up, keep gathering around the table, keep making
Speaker 1: the memories, keep loving your people, because at the end
Speaker 1: of the day, family isn't about having a perfect life.
Speaker 1: It's about having people to share the imperfect one with him.
Speaker 1: Maya this is We are the Hansens.