EP 60 – The Memories That Changed Us: A Thanksgiving Look Back at Our Family Journey

Podcast: More Than Reality with Adam and Danielle
Hosts: Adam and Danielle Busby
Date: November 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt Thanksgiving episode, Adam and Danielle Busby reflect on their journey as parents to six daughters—including America's first all-female quintuplets. With their trademark humor and authenticity, the Busbys dive into the importance of cherishing family memories, the joys and challenges of parenting, and how their unique life on (and off) reality TV has shaped them. They share behind-the-scenes stories about capturing special moments, discuss the tension between documenting life and living it, and encourage listeners to practice gratitude in everyday chaos.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Thanksgiving Reflections & Gratitude

• The episode centers around gratefulness, with Adam and Danielle expressing thanks for their family, supporters from around the world, and the extraordinary experiences of their journey.
• Danielle marvels at people tuning in globally, saying, "That's pretty weird to think about—that people listen to us around the world and like...I still think that's interesting." (02:25)
• The couple jokes about their Louisiana roots, teasing each other about “white trash” stereotypes, but ultimately celebrate humble beginnings and family quirks with laughter.

2. Busby Household Holiday Traditions & Decor Debates

• Danielle has taken charge of transforming the house for Christmas, describing a new theme for decorations. (04:46)
  • Adam admits he hasn’t helped much, poking fun at himself and teasing Danielle about her evolving tastes:
    “She keeps buying, like, all these old antique pieces with, like, really dainty legs...this ain't my grandma's house.” (06:13)
  • Danielle counters, “You’re the one who married this. That’s all I’m saying.” (09:21)
• They discuss blending vintage with modern styles and the creative friction it causes—a metaphor for their teamwork in both home and parenting.

3. The Push and Pull of Capturing vs. Living the Moment

• Adam is pursuing tech upgrades to organize family memories—setting up a network-attached storage (NAS) to archive thousands of home videos and photos. He shares the emotional process of reviewing old footage:
  • “I don’t know how many times I cried in my office by myself because...you get all the feels whenever you start.” (19:09)
• Danielle wishes she could access more baby videos:
  • "My phone doesn't go back to the baby years...my smart husband didn't set my phone up right back then." (20:39, jokingly)
• Both stress the power of revisiting home videos and mementos—Danielle mentions a tub of NICU photos she wants to look through with their girls. (21:35)

4. Behind the Scenes of OutDaughtered: Filming Family Memories

• Adam explains his insistence on filming family life in addition to the TV crew:
  • “I would always argue…I'm gonna capture these moments because these are awesome moments with our kids…I'll never see [the producers’ footage] again other than the three minutes on TV, but…maybe like an all-day event.” (29:08)
• Danielle says they preserved camera-free days, making a conscious effort to "live in the moment" on family vacations and at special milestones. (32:00)
• The couple candidly discusses the tension between remembering and experiencing, with Danielle admitting, "A lot of my time is in mom mode...I was never really, really present unless the kids were not around." (32:17)

5. Technology & Memory-Making

• Adam talks about keeping up with the latest gadgets to make documenting life easier, recommending compact action cameras to avoid missing moments without intrusive setups. (38:33)
• Danielle recalls documenting Blake’s first year with daily photos using a forgotten app, illustrating how technology and motherhood expectations have changed over time. (37:39)

6. Sending Messages of Thankfulness

• Both Busbys emphasize gratitude for their upbringing, faith, community, and each other's strengths:
  • “We’re so grateful to have the support of one another, but also, you know, church family, our family and our friendships with others and just each other to encourage one another and push each other down the path…” (42:22)
• Danielle calls out to listeners to find meaning in small moments and use everyday technology—like iPhone notes and photos—for journaling “life moments.” (41:49)
• They close by expressing hope and encouragement that “God can still do miracles…don’t give up hope.” (46:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Danielle: “Nothing’s perfect. Like, it looks good if you got old with new. It makes the stuff look lived in…makes it have character.” (07:26)
• Adam: “I recommend it as a mom or dad to just…go back through old footage, old photos, old videos… be thankful.” (20:00)
• Adam, on OutDaughtered: “It wasn't for us. Yeah, it was for you [the show]. It wasn’t for us.” (29:50)
• Danielle, on technology and memories: “Your iPhone can be used…not just for technology to call someone…but it can be used to document life moments too, you know, simple things.” (41:46)
• Adam: “I want to be able to go back and look back and potentially like later on go back and make videos of these things also…sometimes it’s like home videos instead of just a television show.” (31:06)
• Danielle, on gratitude: “Being obedient is not always easy, but we’re so grateful to have…the support of one another…to encourage one another and… go down the path we know we need to.” (43:10)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------| | 01:55 | Thanksgiving introduction, global listeners | | 06:11 | Decor debates and vintage vs modern style | | 13:52 | Adam’s hard drive crisis & new NAS setup | | 19:09 | Getting emotional revisiting baby videos | | 25:18 | Adam’s favorite parenting stage—toddlers | | 26:22 | “Pop on you!” – Iconic Busby family water balloons | | 28:53 | Filming for the show vs. filming for themselves | | 32:00 | Keeping some family days camera-free | | 36:23 | Project: Baby-to-kid video montage idea | | 37:39 | Danielle describes early use of daily photo apps | | 41:46 | Capturing life through photos & digital journaling | | 42:22 | Gratitude for faith, support, and each other | | 46:41 | Encouragement & Thanksgiving farewell |

Tone & Takeaway

The conversation is warm, playful, and deeply authentic, alternating between light-hearted jabs and sincere moments of vulnerability. Adam and Danielle’s relatable banter brings laughter even in discussions about clutter and tech woes, while their introspection on memory, parenting, and gratitude invites listeners to reflect on their own family journeys. The episode is as much about cherishing the present as preserving the past—with an open acknowledgment that neither is easy, and both are worth the effort.

Final Message:
Be thankful for your memories, live in the moment, capture what you can—and never give up hope for what's next.