Our origin story, marriage advice, & 2026 resolutions

Summary

The Unplanned Podcast with Matt & Abby

Episode: Our origin story, marriage advice, & 2026 resolutions

Release date: January 2, 2026
Summary prepared for: Non-listeners seeking a comprehensive, lively overview

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and humorous episode, Matt and Abby Howard—high school sweethearts, now married with two boys in Phoenix, AZ—reflect on their shared history, the evolution of their family and relationships, and hopes for the future. This episode launches "Always Here," a sister-focused spinoff segment highlighting authentic conversations about marriage, family, and personal growth. The pair explore their origin story and blending of families, tackle current social debates with a fun new segment, divulge their resolutions for 2026, and share advice in a warm and relatable tone that strikes a balance between honesty and encouragement.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. Origin Story: From Awkward In-Laws to Close Sisters

[00:00–08:12]

• Meeting as High School Sweethearts: Both Abby and Abigail (clarified for the podcast) started dating brothers (Caleb and Matt) in high school but attended different schools and lived in different cities.
• First Impressions:
  • Abby: "I have distinct memories of you from the beginning. I was really scared of you." [03:20]
  • Abigail: "You are so cool. I was never cool." [03:24]
• Becoming Family & Friends: Early relationship included shared holidays, engagement parties, and even slightly awkward double bridal showers.
  • On showers: "Everyone thought we both were child brides." [06:07]
• Turning Point: When Abigail visited Abby and Matt in Springfield, staying in a one-bedroom apartment, real friendship blossomed: "You can't, you get close with someone when you share a one-bedroom apartment." [06:52]
• Blended Families: Now bonded as sisters—with Addie joining as another sister-in-law—they reflect on the fluid titles of 'sister' vs. 'sister-in-law' and the blend of found and biological family: "Now we can just say sisters and we all know." [08:52]

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2. Segment: "Wow, That’s Crazy"

[09:10–19:50]
A lighthearted recurring segment where the co-hosts discuss trending or surprising news.

• Youngest Self-made Female Billionaire:
  • "The world has a new youngest female self-made billionaire...Luana Lopez Lara...29 years old." [11:20]
  • Discussion on event-based trading platforms and underlying issues (taboos of gambling/betting).
• Viral "Hair by Chrissy" Drama:
  • TikTok drama over a $4,000 salon visit sparking a wider debate: transparent pricing vs. paying for a celebrity stylist’s “brand.”
  • Memorable quote: "If you're paying thousands of dollars for the 'Chrissy experience,' I kind of see where she feels misled by that." [16:41]
  • Observations on social media snowballing and followers making merch from the drama: "Now this just feels like a circus..." [18:18]

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3. 2026 Resolutions & Goal-Setting

[19:51–52:22]
Both hosts (with Addie chiming in) reveal their goals and intentions for the year, balancing marriage, motherhood, and self-care. The discussion is candid and practical, reflecting both ambition and the messiness of family life.

Marriage & Friendship

• Regular Date Nights:
  • "I want Caleb and I to do one planned date out a month at least." [25:01]
• Physical Affection & Love Notes:
  • "Kiss more and write more love notes...my husband is a words of affirmation man." [25:42]
• Couples and Friend Travel:
  • "I want to travel with friends, specifically with kids the same age as ours." [27:43]

Family & Parenting

• Library Visits & Reading:
  • "Check out books from the library...I feel like the kids could pick it out on their own." [36:16]
• Early Learning:
  • "Work on letters and numbers with the kids more." [37:24]
• Quality Time:
  • "I want to do 10 minutes a day of uninterrupted play with the kids." [38:19]

Health & Wellness

• Fitness Goals:
  • "I do have a goal to run a half marathon...with every baby to try to do a half marathon within the first year postpartum." [29:01]
  • "Go on more walks...I started that after the loss and I was like, I just feel so much better just being outside." [30:17]
  • "Get a pull up...I want to get back that was something that I never envisioned for myself ever in my entire life." [31:34]
• Oral Health:
  • "I need to schedule a dentist appointment...I have not been to the dentist not long, but after I turned 26..." [33:46]

Personal Development

• Bible Study:
  • "I want to get back into regular Bible study routine and read at least four times a week." [44:19]
• Volunteering:
  • "Volunteer more. I think I've made every excuse in the book...I just want to be more involved in our community and serving more..." [51:39]
• Dopamine Fast:
  • "Caleb and I...we're gonna do a dopamine fast in the new year. No sugar for a week, no screens, no TV..." [49:11]

Home & Organization

• Organizing Home "Pain Points":
  • "I need to organize the pain points in my house...not just organize it, but create a system so it doesn't happen again." [39:39]

Light-hearted/Skill-based

• Photography:
  • "I want to take more pictures...our kids are only little for so long." [32:33]
• Cooking:
  • "I want to learn how to make a good steak...I really, really love steak." [45:54]

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4. Mission of "Always Here"

[21:28–24:27]

• The co-hosts articulate their vision for the podcast: a positive, hope-filled, and honest space.
  • "Always here to share the hope and the hard with heart and humor." [24:16]
  • "We want to laugh a lot...we're both going to be laughing." [24:29]

They stress the importance of real talk about motherhood, marriage, and friendships without resorting to negativity or gossip.

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5. Community Q&A: Ask Abby Segment

[52:45–68:44]

Overview:

• Call-in segment with questions from friends, family, and listeners.
  • Number to call: 602-456-9690

Selected Highlights:

• How was the name "Always Here" chosen?

  • Team brainstorming sessions, aiming for initials "A" and "H" (Abby Howard).
  • "Always Here was on that list...we’re always here for each other...and we’re always here for you guys, our community." [55:46]

• Best Advice for a New Wife?

  • Abby: "Remind yourself to be kind to one another...just respond kindly." [57:14]
  • Abigail: "Say sorry often and quickly...if you're winning or they're winning, you're both losing. Just quickly say sorry and keep life moving." [57:50]
  • "Don’t be stubborn and don’t keep score." [58:13]

• Moving Back to St. Louis?

  • "For right now, I don't ever see that happening, but sorry, Mom. I love you so much." [59:16]

• Childhood Christmas Traditions to Continue

  • Abby: Weekly and family traditions deeply shaped her sense of security and joy:
    • "Every Friday night...Eggo waffles and hot chocolate with my grandparents." [60:00]
  • Abigail: "Putting cookies out for Santa and carrots out for the reindeer... St. Nick on December 5th, putting our shoe on the fireplace." [62:19]
  • Both reflect on the importance of small, regular rituals in building lasting family bonds.

• Husband Questions

  • Caleb asks what he should do more often:
    • Abby: "He should write me more love notes...they’re getting a little stale, babe." [65:59]
  • Matt asks how to help his wife feel adored daily:
    • Abigail: "When he makes my coffee in the morning, I'm like, oh, that just makes me feel...taken care of." [67:04]
    • Also: "Acknowledging efforts...just acknowledging it every single time—or a lot of the times—makes me feel really seen and ultimately adored." [68:14]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Adult Friendships Evolving:
  • "It's crazy how long we've known each other...Ten years. But to be fair, the early years—We were not friends." [01:56]
• On Shared Awkward Beginnings:
  • "We both were child brides." [06:07]
• On Transparency in Relationships:
  • "If you're paying thousands of dollars for the 'Chrissy experience,' I kind of see where she feels misled by that." [16:41]
• On Family Tradition:
  • "Weekly traditions truly shaped my childhood...that nostalgic feeling of being a kid takes me back to Friday nights, those Sunday afternoons, those weekly things." [60:00]
• On Practical Marriage Advice:
  • Abby: "Just respond kindly." [57:14]
  • Abigail: "Say sorry often and quickly." [57:50]
• On Sisterhood:
  • "Now we can just say sisters and we all know, yeah, we're not trying to overstep." [08:52]
• On Lifting Each Other Up:
  • "Always here to share the hope and the hard with heart and humor." [24:16]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time (MM:SS) | Segment | |--------------|---------| | 00:00–08:12 | Origin Story: How Their Family Blended & Friendship Formed | | 09:10–19:50 | "Wow, That’s Crazy"—News & Social Media Roundup | | 19:51–52:22 | 2026 Resolutions: Marriage, Parenting, Wellness, & More | | 21:28–24:27 | Mission Statement for "Always Here" Segment | | 52:45–68:44 | Ask Abby: Live Listener Q&A | | 60:00–63:44 | Family & Christmas Traditions |

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Tone & Style

• Warm, conversational, and self-deprecating: Full of personal anecdotes, gentle teasing, and unfiltered honesty.
• Supportive and uplifting: Focused on encouragement, kindness, and community-building—not drama or complaint.
• Balanced with depth and silliness: Ranges from deep (loss, marriage) to playful (dental hygiene confessions, steak-cooking flops).

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For Listeners & Non-Listeners Alike

This episode is the perfect introduction for listeners seeking friendship, marriage, or family insights with laughter and real-life relatability. You'll walk away feeling invited into the Howard family's warmth, reminded of the importance of small moments—both in daily life and long-term relationships—and inspired to approach your own goals with hope and humor.

“Always here to share the hope and the hard with heart and humor.” [24:16]

Transcript

[A]

I was really scared of you.

[B]

We're not friends. I just didn't know you were.

[A]

You always felt edgy to me.

[B]

Oh, wow. I need to schedule dentist appointment.

[A]

Oh, no.

[B]

I don't even want to say how many years.

[A]

Wait, years? Since before you had cj? I don't know if this is inappropriate for the podcast, but I put kiss more. Matt will kiss me. And sometimes I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa. We do that like a smooch kiss.

[C]

What is your best advice for being a wife?

[A]

Always here to share the hope and.

[B]

The heart with heart and humor.

[A]

Welcome to Always Here.

[B]

We're your hosts, Abby Howard and Abby Howard.

[A]

Wow, this is crazy.

[B]

I feel very nervous.

[A]

Really?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I have butterflies mostly just because I'm excited. But I have full confidence in this being really natural for us because we talk all the time.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

We got Addie here on the production mic.

[D]

Hello.

[A]

It's a family affair.

[D]

I know. It's fun to just watch you guys in the studio on the outside. It's kind of weird.

[A]

I like it. I like it.

[D]

Less pressure on me to look good every episode.

[A]

True, true.

[B]

I feel like we just filmed our announcement video right before this, and it was like a scripted, fun thing. And I feel like I'm talking like I'm on a script. Like I have to turn off my acting brain because I've never had an acting brain.

[A]

You. You're natural, though.

[B]

I appreciate that.

[A]

We should probably first address for those that don't know why we have the exact same name.

[B]

Oh, yeah, that's a good part.

[A]

We always make that stupid joke.

[B]

Yeah. It's either really convenient or really confusing.

[A]

Or a family couldn't afford.

[B]

I think that's from Zack and Cody.

[A]

It is from Zack and Cody.

[B]

Our family could only afford one day. Yeah.

[A]

No, but we are technically your Abigail. And I'm really gonna train myself for the sake of this podcast. Call you Abigail, but I've called you Abby for a decade now.

[B]

Yeah, I know. It's crazy how long we've known each other.

[A]

Yeah, well, a decade, actually.

[B]

Yeah. A whole 10 years.

[A]

But to be fair, the early years.

[B]

We were not friends. I didn't know you were. I'd love to do. We should get into that.

[A]

So different. Yeah, let's get into it. Okay. So we're both Abby. Abigail for her. My full name is just Abby for those of you that may not have known that. But we married brothers.

[B]

Yep. Caleb and Matt.

[A]

They're 18 months apart.

[B]

They're pretty close.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. Always closer than I think Caleb seems.

[A]

Like such an older brother, so I always feel like he's much older, I.

[B]

Think too because Caleb and Matt weren't super close for a lot of their lifetime until we all got married. And we're in the same life stage that I feel like now they're closer and they feel less of an age gap. But I feel like growing up there felt like a big, big age gap.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because we're all high school sweethearts, which is also wild.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That is fun. Okay, so kind of get into it.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Do you remember the first time you met me? I don't. Okay. Yeah. So we started dating. We both started dating in high school.

[B]

Yes. I started dating Caleb when I was a senior and he was a junior and then we dated all through high school, college. And I remember you coming into the picture. I think maybe when I was still in high school. No, no, I'm sorry. I was a sophomore in college. Because you and Matt started dating your senior year right after junior year.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So I was.

[A]

So maybe right before you went into sophomore year.

[B]

Yes. So I feel like we never really had a ton of time together because you lived in a different city. I was in college. Just so far apart.

[A]

Yeah. But I have distinct memories of you from the beginning. I was really scared of you.

[B]

I think that's so crazy. Every time you say that, you're like. You are so cool. I was never cool. I've never been cool.

[A]

Really? I feel like you're pretty cool and comparison to me. Abby, let's be fair.

[B]

I don't think you had like. You guys always did fun, crazy things with your friends. I feel like I was just. I didn't. I just had like a small group. I don't know, I just wasn't like the cool girl that I feel like you probably haven't built up to be in your head.

[A]

Well, we didn't go to the same high school. So in my mind you were like city girl. You'd known the family so much longer than me. You were so much more comfortable. You had like cool, cool style and you always felt edgy to me. So I was like, she's just so cool. I was intimidated. You. This is intimidated by you? This was my first memory of you. I don't know if I've ever told you this, but we were eating at the Howard's house, like at their kitchen table and I was like, gosh, she's so comfortable. And like, so I was so nervous around their family for so long and like I like would get a Stomachache. I'm like so nervous. I just really wanted them to like me, but I also like, didn't know how to behave. I was just really awkward. And then I remember I'm sitting across you and you're sitting next to Josh and he's eating watermelon.

[B]

You remember the food?

[A]

Yeah. Cuz you're like, josh, you're eating kind of loud. You like corrected his eating. And I was like, gosh, she's so comfortable. I don't think you could ever say anything like that ever.

[B]

Why did I feel so comfortable saying that?

[A]

It wasn't rude, it was just like. You were like, you. He felt like your brother.

[B]

Yeah, he did. I. I met Josh when he was nine years old. Yeah. Yeah. He's 23 now.

[A]

Crazy.

[B]

Isn't that wild? I know. So he kind of was. He is my little brother.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. That is really funny. I feel like my first impressions of you. I don't remember the first time we met in person, but I remember Matt talking about you all the time and we were all like, we get it, you love her. Like, I'm going to marry Abby. I'm going to marry Abby. And I was like, okay, you sound crazy.

[A]

You sound crazy.

[B]

You guys were like 18.

[A]

17.

[B]

17. I'm going to marry her. And like, okay. I knew you were amazing from what Matt said.

[A]

But sweet.

[B]

I didn't. I don't remember like actually being you.

[A]

For the first time. Time. I. I remember. So then. Okay. We keep dating. Kind of just like crossing paths really. At just like holidays.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And stuff. And not really talking too much, to be honest. I was so scared. And then we had got engaged. I went. I was at your engagement.

[B]

You were? Yeah. That's fun. That's why we have pictures from that together.

[A]

Yeah. And then we had bridal showers together. This is where it was a little awkward, in my opinion.

[B]

This is where I feel like we became friends.

[A]

Yes. Starting to become friends. But we're getting married at the same time. We're having shared showers, which a little awkward to begin with. Then you have me being like extra awkward and then us not also being like super close.

[B]

Well, it was kind of funny because everyone thought we both were child brides.

[A]

We were.

[B]

I was 23. You were 20?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like my family thought I was a child bride.

[A]

I was called a child bride.

[B]

So it's like these two children just sitting there at their bridal showers.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, it was really sweet for them to host those showers in like, very generous.

[B]

But they were beautiful.

[A]

But still not super close. We were at each other's weddings.

[B]

I know. Sometimes I wonder. I'm like, man, I wonder if it would have been fun to have you as a bridesmaid.

[A]

And, like, I think going back, I'm like, totally would. You would have been like, my main. Like, I mean, all these things. But I like, also, our relationship just wasn't like that yet.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

And who would have known what was gonna come of it? But I feel like a specific turning point was when you came to visit Matt and I in Springfield and you stayed at our one bedroom apartment with us. You can't you get close with someone when you share a one bedroom apartment. We went to Silver Dollar City.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, made meals together. That was really fun.

[B]

That was really fun. I think that was the first time I saw your personality and Matt's personality too. Like, I always knew Matt as, like, the younger brother. And, you know, he was always busy with his acting and stuff. And so actually getting to spend quality time with you guys was so fun. I remember we baked and, yeah, we took our dog at the time was a puppy, and you let us bring him to your apartment, and we just. I mean, we literally just ran around Springfield and we just. I don't know. I was like, wow, they're so fun.

[A]

That was a good time. And then we did a couple more trips together. And then you ended up moving to Arizona. And I feel like then, like, we were already close by then, and so. But, like, ever since then, it's just like, I really feel like we're all sisters. And then Addie joined the mix with Blake, like, gosh, three years ago now.

[D]

Yeah, three and a half. We've been married three and a half.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Crazy five. And now we're all in Arizona together. All the sisters.

[B]

I know.

[A]

So fun.

[B]

I'm glad we're all here. Yeah, it's fun. It's a good time.

[A]

Oh, Addie's married to my brother. For context. Yeah. So. But we all call each other Abby.

[D]

Howard is the middle person. Abby in the pink. If you're. If you're watching on video, I've been.

[B]

Referring to you as my bonus sister in law. And I kind of like that.

[D]

I think that's perfect.

[A]

I have to admit an insecurity I feel you guys both have, like, biological sisters, so sometimes I feel like I'm overstepping when I'm like, my sisters. So, like, if I type it out, I usually say sister in law out of respect.

[D]

I don't think my sister would care.

[A]

I'm not. I'M not taking your place. I don't think I'm equal to you.

[B]

Oh, I bet my sister's like that.

[D]

My sister probably doesn't care. That's sweet.

[B]

That's okay.

[A]

I didn't know you did that every time. Then I'm like, do they think it's weird that I'm separating sister in law? But I'm glad I got that out there.

[B]

And now we can just say sisters. And we all know. Yeah, we're not trying to overstep.

[D]

I think I did that for your birthday.

[A]

On my story, I'll text you.

[D]

Can I put sister? Like, is she okay with that? Like, me being here? Sister.

[A]

That works great.

[B]

I mean, my sisters love you, so it's not, like, weird about it.

[A]

That's so sweet.

[B]

Oh, boy.

[A]

Should we start our first segment?

[B]

We should.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

This segment is called wow, that's crazy.

[A]

Wow, that's crazy. That's crazy. That crazy.

[B]

The inception of it is that Abby and I say that all the time. And to the point now where my son CJ says it, he goes, that's crazy. And then I was like, why do I say that so much? And I think it's because we say it all the time.

[A]

I didn't even realize we were saying it.

[B]

I didn't either until CJ started saying it and I started paying attention and I said, abby says a lot. I say it a lot. So it must be something we feed. So we thought it'd be a funny idea for a segment on the podcast. And Abby right now is currently offline and you have been for a while.

[A]

I post post and ghost. But you don't like, I have been for. Wow. We could do the exact math, but like two and a half months.

[B]

Wow, that's really healthy.

[A]

It feels great.

[B]

I'm currently breastfeeding, so I feel like I'm chronically online.

[A]

That's the time.

[B]

We have a good balance here.

[A]

But I do want. I think that is an insecurity of, like, going offline. It's like, it's so much better for my mental health and, like, my productivity. So many other things. But I'm also like, I feel like I'm getting left behind sometimes.

[B]

Well, that's why we have this segment.

[A]

That's great.

[B]

We're gonna keep you in the loop and then we'll get your opinions on what's going on. Okay. We do want this to be like non gossipy. It's just gonna be fun, light hearted and chatty. But we're gonna keep you in the loopy. Okay, Loopy new word. We're gonna start with like a. This is kind of just more an impressive one. The world has a new youngest female self made billionaire. Did you know this?

[A]

No.

[B]

You're like this is not what you expect.

[A]

Gosh. Wow.

[B]

The young.

[A]

How many are there?

[B]

Okay, I took notes.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I prepped for this. I know. So in the world there are three. Around 3,000 total billionaires. Okay. But out of that only four to 430 are female.

[A]

That's a huge four to 400.

[B]

400, 430 of those billionaires are female number. Well, I don't actually know. That's why there's like a 30 range there.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And then around a quarter of those are only are self made. So.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

About 124 are self made female billionaires. The rest of the became billionaires by inheritance.

[A]

Okay. I know some of these.

[B]

Yeah. So it's very impressive.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And we have a new youngest. She's 29 years old.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

My age. So I, I got one year to catch up.

[A]

Well, you got about a year billion.

[B]

Dollars to catch up with.

[A]

I need a billion more dollars.

[B]

Her name is, I hope I say this right. Luana Lopez Lara.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Luanna Lopez Lopes Lara. There's a couple different ways you could say that, maybe just one to her, but she co founded KI and it's a regulated exchange for event based trading. So think about gambling on elections, weather, sports, all kinds of different things. So that's pretty big news.

[A]

I wonder if most of her users are male or female.

[B]

I would be pretty confident that. Male.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yes, she did have a co founder who was a male. But I think it's, I mean I'm, I'm very impressed that she's like young female entrepreneur, became a billionaire. That's insane. But then also I'm like dang, it's cut gambling. Yeah. Kind of taboo a little bit.

[A]

Oh really?

[B]

Do you think it is?

[A]

I mean I don't personally do it but I feel like my dad grew up. I feel like my dad kind of, he played party poker so it wasn't.

[D]

Like it's not sports betting.

[A]

Sports betting.

[B]

Like which I feel like different.

[D]

Yes, like the sports betting. I feel like it's different than gambling.

[A]

It wasn't really conversation, honestly.

[D]

Do you see those in the same realm, sports betting and gambling?

[B]

Yes, but because in Missouri, where I'm from, before we moved here it was always illegal.

[D]

It's legal now as of a couple days ago.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So I think that's why there's this hard shift where, like, my dad used to drive over state lines to Illinois to sports bet. But we would always consider it gambling because it was always kind of on the same playing field.

[A]

I've always. I feel like the conversation was always like, don't ever get started on that. Like, you'll waste all your save.

[B]

You'll ruin all.

[A]

Squander all your savings. Yeah, I've never done it. I never actually even felt tempted to do it.

[D]

I wonder if it's like, if the number that is based on, like, the amount spent, like, Blake puts, like, $20 in, like, a month. Like, it's not, like, a lot of money. So I wonder if, like, that's why I'm like, it's not gambling because he's like, it's controlled. Yeah. Controlled, huh?

[B]

It's just interesting. I thought it was funny. We're really proud of you, Luana. Luenna.

[A]

Good.

[B]

Good for you, girl. That's the first one. I thought we'd start with something light and kind of interesting.

[A]

Love that for women.

[B]

Go, girls. Okay. The second one is maybe the opposite of go. Have you heard about the hair by Chrissy Drama?

[A]

No. I know that there's something, but that's literally the extent of what I know.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

I think this is a very interesting debate. Okay, so TikToker, Not Famous808 made a viral video about how she went to Habit salon and was charged $4,000 for her hair extensions and service. She was charged $2,974 for the, quote, chrissy service in which she claims that Chrissy personally only touched her hair for 60 seconds. And in this TikTok, she kind of goes through it. She's like, she came through and she go, okay, tone. And then her assistants would come in and do all of her work. So Chrissy then responded by making many tiktoks in response, like, kind of mocking her. Which is where everyone then started chiming in online about, like, Chrissy's response. And then the other girl who created the original video would respond to Chrissy, and it kind of just went back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. So there was a lot of debate about Chrissy's response. She did make merchandise kind of mocking her. It got really ugly.

[A]

Okay. So then I guess I don't really feel like it's a problem to talk about if she clearly kind of fed into it and made merchandise. So it's like she wants. She likes this conversation.

[B]

Yes. But also, I don't know because now her comment. Addy told me her comments are turned off on TikTok. Isn't that interesting? But here's my question.

[A]

She was mad because it was so expensive. Expensive?

[B]

Well, she said she paid almost $3,000 for the Chrissy service. And then Chrissy did not touch her hair.

[A]

Okay. Barely.

[B]

And so the debate online is like, well, what'd you expect? She's a celebrity hair stylist. She's super busy. You go in, you're paying for a premium for her name and then you're going to get her assistant to work or people are saying, no, that's crazy, you got ripped off. And that's not transparent pricing because you're expecting Chrissy to do your hair and then she's not. So I'm curious, your thoughts before, what.

[A]

Are your thoughts on this?

[B]

Well, I feel like from a business perspective, I understand Chrissy, like she can't do everyone's hair. You know, she's built up her business and her reputation to a point where she's training people to do it her way. And she is coming through and making face. I'm like, okay, get that.

[A]

What was her response? Like, what was, was she like defending herself or. Okay, yeah, what, what was her defense?

[B]

Basically, I don't really remember. Addy, do you remember what her.

[D]

I also went to go look for those response videos and I didn't see them on the page.

[B]

A lot of them were like in her caption she'd be like, me and my million assistants, or me and my team of assistants. Like she kind of was taking what the girl said and making videos directly.

[A]

Saying she doesn't actually have that many assistants.

[B]

No, but I think she was just.

[D]

Saying, I feel like she also maybe had put stuff on her Instagram story is maybe what I saw some, a.

[B]

Lot of TikTok stories.

[A]

Okay, well, I kind of, I kind of feel like if you're paying thousands of dollars for the quote, unquote, Chrissy experience, I kind of see where she feels misled by that. Uh huh. Because I feel like it's one thing, like I feel like that type of thing. I would expect if I go, if I'm just going to Chrissy's salon or habit, if I'm going to have it, then I expect that the assistants will be doing it and she trained them and she might even be there. But if you pay for that specific service, I feel like that does.

[B]

That.

[A]

Does kind of make it feel like that's, that's different from what you'd be getting otherwise. You know what I mean?

[B]

Yeah, I didn't think about that. Like, obviously you're expecting, okay, I'm going to have it. I'm gonna have a different hairstylist. But then if you're paying for Chrissy service, you would think then, oh, I'm getting Christy.

[A]

She got extensions.

[B]

Uh huh.

[A]

Okay. I mean, I feel like those are, you know, that those are gonna be.

[B]

Really expensive, which she said that she expected the price.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And she agreed to the price.

[A]

Yeah. Right.

[B]

She got there. She was confused by the actual service then.

[A]

I can see that. I can see that.

[B]

I know. I feel like this is when I see both sides.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I see both sides.

[B]

Because it's high demand.

[A]

Right.

[B]

What is she going to do?

[A]

Yeah. But maybe don't offer that if you can't really give them more than 60 seconds.

[B]

Yes, that's true. Yeah. Yeah, that's tough.

[A]

I personally, I can't understand the world of hair extensions in general, like, let alone the price to do them. The upkeep. But the fact that you can't scrub your scalp, that makes me feel angry.

[B]

I honestly know nothing about hair.

[A]

I need to scrub. Well, they have like, there's those like, tracks, I think is what they're called, like on your head and then they move down and then you have to take them out and move them back up.

[B]

I think that's old school. Now they do like K tips. I don't know, we're getting in the weeds of that. But they have tons of different.

[A]

They still require a lot of upkeep and you can't like just dig in your scalp. I like when I wash my hair. I'm like, good, good. That's crazy.

[B]

I know. Wow.

[A]

That's crazy.

[B]

That's dark. That struck a lot of debate online.

[A]

Okay, now I know an opinion.

[B]

Addy.

[D]

Oh, I was also just gonna say. Did you say that they both made merch? About the they.

[A]

She mentioned that she made merch. She made the other girl my merch.

[D]

The other girl made merch too.

[A]

Now this just feels like circus and not so famous.

[B]

808 is kind of famous now. She got a lot of followers.

[D]

Yeah. Well, one thing that I saw, which is kind of interesting and might be, I'd be interested to know your guys's takes on it is so Hair by Chrissy. She reposts a lot of videos of, like, past services she's done because she's just posting on socials and on her TikTok page. So then she's posting influencers who have gotten their hair done there in the past in the middle of the controversy. So then it looks like those people are like, supporting Chrissy. Like, someone made a video that was like, hey, my hair is short right now that I did not get my hair. They're like, asking if she went to Chrissy during this time.

[A]

Now it's become a witch hunt. I hate that. I hate that stuff. But yeah, I mean, so I thought that was interesting. What a circus. This is like. This is something that's so funny to me because being on the side of, like, not, like, watching the videos and like, reading the comments and seeing like, the speed in which these things accelerate, just being filled in on, I'm like, wow, that's crazy that that became a big deal and merch was sold about it.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Did you buy Merch, everybody?

[B]

I did not buy Merch.

[D]

This girl got a ton of followers too.

[B]

Yeah. Her first review video was very kind.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

It wasn't slanderous. I think that's why people got mad at Chrissy for her response, because it was like you could have just taken the review kindly and just washed under the rug or even not drawn attention to it. But she got it agitated her.

[A]

I'm pretty sure I met her one time. I don't remember what. She's really tiny. She's really cute.

[B]

Her. Because she's beautiful. Yeah.

[A]

That's crazy.

[B]

That's crazy.

[A]

I think with it being the start of the new year, 2026, I mean, really, this year was. Just went fast. It's a great time to talk about resolutions. Now, I know Abby personally isn't a resolution girly, but we asked her to come up with some for this year. And I'm pretty sure Caleb would really appreciate this.

[B]

He likes.

[A]

He's a goal setter, right?

[B]

He is. I feel like every year I have a like a pew pew stuck to my head, and he's like, we're gonna write goals.

[A]

And I'm like, dang it.

[B]

I like sweat. I'm like, goals. Fine. But he's right, I'm wrong.

[A]

I like. Well, Matt's not really quite organized enough. He, like, loves big goals, but they could come at any day. Like, it could be like Tuesday at 5 in October. He's like, what is the most important thing you want to get out of life? And I'm like, happens all the time.

[D]

Okay, I have a question for you guys. You say you're making goals. Do you remember the acronym for smart goals?

[B]

Yeah, I actually think about it. Specific, measurable, attainable, relatable, timely. Or what's R?

[D]

Pretty close. Specific, measurable achievable, relevant, and time bound.

[B]

Oh, relevant.

[A]

I didn't refer to that. I've actually never heard of that.

[D]

I was gonna say these goals are not those, but that's why it was a little. It didn't have to be that deep.

[A]

Oh, it didn't work.

[D]

Well, they didn't have to be.

[A]

I feel like mine are achievable.

[D]

Well, you have to write out. I would like to achieve this by like the specific goal measurable. Like you have to make all of those within the goal.

[B]

It's like, yeah, one goal, sentence goal, five points. We used to. That was like workshop in school. Maybe that's why I hate doing goals. Cuz I'm like, all right, one thing has to do five things.

[A]

And I never did that. I never did that.

[B]

It felt overwhelming.

[A]

Okay, that's crazy. But first, let's talk about some of our goals for this podcast, because I feel like this kind of came out of nowhere. But also a lot of people are doing podcasts. Why should you listen to always here?

[B]

This has been something we've talked about for a long time.

[A]

Years actually.

[B]

Before you guys started Unplanned.

[C]

We.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Threw the idea around and we've always kind of come back to it throughout the years to say how fun it would be. I. I do think that there is a gap. Like, I love podcasts that are girly and fun, but there's not a ton that aren't, I would say maybe super salacious or just gossip centered, which those are. Have like a time and a place. But I feel like we can fill that gap of being a podcast where it feels like friendly, casual, sweet. But also we're going to talk about real things in our life.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I feel like we have a shared mission and how we share those things. I don't know if you want to touch on that. You want me to?

[A]

Yeah. I mean, we've had a lot of conversations and actually like developing it. So this, like, obviously it's been a conversation for a while, since before we started Unplanned, the podcast I do with my husband. And like, I think when we brought up the Unplanned, you were like, well, dang it, you stole my idea.

[B]

I was like, that's.

[A]

And I kind of always knew in the back of my head that this would, like, come to be. But just like the timing. And I feel like the timing of this is like, honestly perfect because we are in the early motherhood stage. We are wives. We're living our, like, trying to do. I just Feel like this is a time where community is. Can be harder to find than ever, but also like more important than ever.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I think online it can. And I'm not gonna try to just like gas myself up.

[B]

Yeah. And this isn't a generalization.

[A]

This isn't. I'm not even thinking of anyone specifically at all. Totally. But just it can feel like, you know, a time suck or like maybe you leave and you just feel more anxious or less. I don't know. I think that we both just had a lot of conversations about wanting this to be a place that makes you feel uplifted. Related to. Maybe we'll share what we're making for dinner. Maybe we'll share a book we read or a TV show or a great fun date night idea or an activity for your tod. Just like a place where we can find a community of other people that are in the same season of life, miss this season of life, or are anticipating the season of life.

[B]

Yeah, totally. I think that's great. And when we share hard things, we want them to be sharing in a way that feels hopeful. Like, it's so easy to get up, up here with a microphone and like dog on your husband or dog on your kids and being a mom or, you know, and it's like, that's not in the long run, like, beneficial. And we want to kind of share like, yeah, life can be hard, but we can also be hopeful and like have fun through the hard things.

[A]

And yeah, we have such a purpose in that, like, hard things. So we did create a mission. Mission statement.

[B]

Yeah, we did. It took us a while, but.

[A]

Took us a while. But here's what we landed on. So, I mean, this is also for you guys to keep us accountable as well, each other, everyone on the team, always here to share the hope and the hard with heart and humor.

[B]

Yeah, we want to laugh a lot.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, we're not. We're both going to be laughing.

[A]

We're not serious, Honestly, genuinely. I mean, we can be, but yeah, overall. So that's kind of like our goal for always here. And it's been really sweet and fun doing this as sisters and starting this. It's like such a blessing that we have our relationship, but also like the fact that we have our community of friends in real life and now we're gonna have an online community. That's really fun. Now our personal goals. Okay, did you come up with 10?

[B]

I had three and then you said 10, so I piggybacked to the drawing board.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So I have 10.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Okay. Long way would say that. So my first one is, I want Caleb and I could do one planned date out a month at least. And we used to be really good about doing weekly date nights before kids. And then we fell into a season of being really financially broke if we didn't do any dates. And we also had a child, so I was like, well, we'll just sit on the couch tonight again. And I think it's been a really easy habit to fall out of, so I want to prioritize. At least we can have a babysitter come once a month and go out to dinner, like, easily, you know, so just, like, putting that on the calendar and following through with that.

[A]

That's sweet.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I put kiss more and write more love notes.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

I put them in the same one because kiss more actually was one of my resolutions from a previous year, but I want to bring it back again. And I feel like I told Matt this when I made that my goal a couple years ago. I'm like, we love each other a lot. We touched a lot, and we're, like, always close to each other. Let's just kiss sometimes. Like, I don't know if this is inappropriate for the podcast, but why is.

[B]

It that when you're. I feel like we. Okay, Caleb, I've been married. We've all. We've been all Been married almost seven years now. We're going on seven years.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm 26, and I'm like, well, kiss me.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I'm not your buddy.

[A]

Oh, no. Matt will kiss me. And sometimes I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[B]

We do that.

[A]

Like a smooch kiss. And so. No, actually, that was a thing. So, like, he was like, sometimes I feel like a kissy, and I feel like you, like, lean away. I'm like, why do I do that? Like, I like kissing you. So now I'm like, I want to be. I need to initiate more kisses so I can break whatever happened. I feel like something. When we had kids, I was just kind of like, well, I think because.

[B]

When you're pregnant, you can't touch. You can't roll.

[A]

Like you have a breastfeeding. Like, it started. And I was like, people are touching me too much. And so he would kiss me when I was breastfeeding. I was like, just like. And I freaked out. And then I'm clearly not breastfeeding, so I'm like, it just carried it over. And so kiss more and write more love notes, because my husband is a words of affirmation man. And he saves all of our notes. Like very, very. I found the stack and I was like, it's. Those are getting old.

[B]

Oh that's.

[A]

You need to add new ones to that stack. So I'm like maybe I could maybe once a month.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Put a number on it. That's sweet.

[B]

I love that. Yeah, there you go. Measurable, measurable.

[A]

Once a month. Adding it.

[D]

Kiss.

[A]

Once a month.

[B]

My next marriage goal is I want to take a trip this year. Just Caleb and I. A trip just says too.

[A]

That's so good. Always.

[B]

We last year we went, it was like for his work conference and so we haven't gone and we did like an extra day but Caleb was also in entering into work mode. So it's like we just. I want like even if it's just a weekend or something.

[A]

So fun.

[B]

We haven't done that in a long time. Yeah, us too.

[A]

We'll watch the kids.

[B]

Thanks.

[A]

And I actually have a travel one as well. But I said travel with friends. Oh. Because I like we like we travel together for work and for fun for like 24 hours a lot. And I love that. I want to keep the same amount of that in but I want to travel with friends, specifically with kids the same age as ours. So it just. That just feels so fun. Like get a big house, everyone comes. We like have game nights and movie nights with the kids. We all make food in and just like have a kid trip.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But with our friends too.

[B]

I don't personally love all inclusives. Like that's where we've gone for Kibbs work trips. This is not like my favorite type of vacation, but I do think an all inclusive is fun. Would be fun for a friend trip like that.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Because you're all contained in one area. But like if you need to go back for naps or you want to go food or someone, it's like everything's right there.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So you can be on the same schedule but not at the same time. Yeah, I get that.

[A]

Well, I was picturing like getting a big Airbnb and like cooking dinners together. Oh no, that is impossible to do with friends. Been there and done that and no, it's really fun but it's like you can't stay together.

[B]

Sure. Too big. Okay. So moving off my goals. I'm recently postpartum so I'm like 10 weeks out. Getting back into fitness is kind of interesting and I'm really excited about it. I do have a goal to run a half marathon.

[A]

Oh, you're gonna do it? Uh huh.

[B]

I did that with CJ when I was seven months postpartum. And I think I'm gonna try to make that a goal with every baby to try to do a half marathon within the first year postpartum.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

I don't know why. I just think if I give myself a challenge, I'll actually do it.

[A]

See, for the turkey trot this year, I did 10 minute miles and I was pretty gassed for three miles, not running it fast.

[D]

Did you run the whole time?

[A]

I did run the whole time.

[D]

See, that's a goal in itself. I don't think I could run a 10 minute mile and run the whole time.

[A]

You could, Addie. That's a mental thing.

[B]

Yeah, it is.

[D]

I don't have.

[A]

Oh, okay.

[D]

I do run. No, I hate running.

[B]

I'm gonna take that up.

[D]

Like, I don't have that. That thing to keep me going, which I feel like you need to have for running.

[A]

Abby has good grit.

[B]

Thanks. You really, you just need a good podcast. Always. Here, plug. Get it on your run, ladies. Yeah. Literally, you're like, no, I can't listen.

[A]

To anymore running for me. I'm like, maybe I'll get into that. When I'm like an empty nester.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Not my season for running.

[B]

It is hard with littles.

[A]

I just. Yeah, it takes too long.

[B]

It's so therapeutic.

[A]

I wish I felt that way about it. I feel like I'm stressed.

[B]

You're like, I'm not a therapy viral.

[A]

I just want to stop. Okay. Similarly, I have on my list of goals, go on more walks. I just feel so much better. I started that after the loss and I was like, I just feel so much better just being outside, slowing down. And actually, I'm talking about independent walks. I love imat's like, let me go with you. And I'm like, yes, now I have to go do my own laps now.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Because it's just like, that's kind of part of it. I feel like I don't have a lot of alone time in my days, and I don't think that mattered to me or stood out to me as, like, something that I wanted to change until, like, more recently. And I was like, oh, gosh. I actually really feel like I need to, like, kind of recoup independently, like, a little bit every single day. And I don't think I'll be able to do this daily. Like, that just doesn't feel realistic. But I just sit on more walks and I, like, love it. I, like, turn on a. Sometimes I'll just listen to music or usually I just, like, listen to a podcast. I've been listening to Dr. Arthur Brooks podcast, like, about happiness. While I'm walking, I'm like, this just feels. This feels like self care. This feels like really good.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So that is on mine to just do that more often. Especially in Arizona now it's like a great time to walk.

[B]

For sure. For sure.

[A]

Really nice.

[B]

I love that. I like that. I like that one a lot. Another one I have is get a pull up. I kind of had that before I got pregnant with my daughter.

[A]

Why did I think of, like, PP diaper pull ups?

[B]

I really just want to get back.

[A]

They're easy. Okay. Do a pull up. Okay.

[B]

Yeah, I like to get a pull up again. That was something that I never envisioned for myself ever in my entire life, even from a child. Remember when we used to do the physical fitness test in school, like elementary school? I always missed out on the blue ribbon because I couldn't do a pull up.

[A]

Dang it.

[B]

I know.

[A]

I feel like I've seen you do pull ups workouts.

[B]

Yes. I got one down right before I got pregnant again, so I want to get it back.

[A]

Okay.

[D]

That's a goal of mine too. Get the pull ups back after. After having babies.

[B]

Yeah. That strength is gone.

[D]

Gone.

[B]

It's gone.

[D]

I tried. I was like, oh, not there anymore. I know.

[B]

I just want to get strong again. It was so fun. So that's. That's my goal.

[A]

I actually have zero fitness goals that I'm looking at my list.

[B]

That's probably healthy.

[A]

I feel like I want to keep doing exactly what I'm doing on that. I just want to keep riding. Had that same goal just to show up.

[B]

We're gonna ride that wave.

[A]

We're gonna ride that exactly how we're doing it. Another one I have is that I want to take more pictures. I got a camera and I feel like this happens a lot where I'm like, oh, yeah, I want to, like, share this thing that I did, even to my story or like, text it in the family group chat. I'm like, zero pictures. No documentation of that day, which you would think. I have a lot of documentation, which I do. I have, like, video things, but it's not like, stuff that I'm like, I want to. I can go back on and be like, that's that moment. And our kids are only little for so long. They're changing so fast.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, I specifically want to get pictures of my kids, but me with my friends, like, I have a lot of friends. I see Every day I don't have a single picture with now. Will it be awkward to take out my little camera that I got and be like, let's take a picture at the park. Yeah, it'll be awkward, but it's always. I'm shameless.

[B]

I feel like it's always fun when you have pictures.

[A]

Like, I want to organize them in some fashion so I can find them.

[B]

I'm always grateful when people remember to take pictures.

[A]

Yeah, me too. I'm like, it's never annoying, but I feel annoying if I ask to do it.

[B]

Yeah, it feels like you're putting people on the spot. But I don't personally feel that way.

[A]

I think it's also because what I do for my job, I'm like, I feel like I can't pull out my camera or phone or be weird. But sure, everyone understands. I think.

[B]

Yeah. I think if it's just personal use. Yeah.

[A]

I'm gonna put it in my spreadsies.

[B]

Okay. My next one is I need to schedule a dentist appointment.

[A]

Oh, no.

[B]

That's been about. I don't even want to say how many years. Abby.

[A]

That's actually scary. Wait, years?

[B]

Okay, listen, let me explain.

[A]

Since before you had cj, Abby, you know you're more prone to cavities when you're pregnant.

[B]

I know.

[A]

Six. After having Griffin. Yes.

[B]

I've never had a cavity in my life.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

So I don't think I'm a prone person.

[A]

No.

[B]

But I have not gone since I was 26.

[A]

You have really good teeth. Thank you.

[B]

I floss daily. I water pick, I brush twice a day. I'm very on top of my oral hygiene. I. But it is disgusting and embarrassing to admit. I have not been to the dentist not long, but after I turned 26 and I went off my parents insurance, I just didn't think that I could afford going to a dentist, which I actually don't think that's the case. But then we did get into sticky financial situation and I really. We really couldn't afford to go to the dentist. So now I'm like, okay, like we're normal. We could. We should schedule a dentist appointment.

[A]

Maybe just one visit.

[B]

Yeah. For the kids.

[A]

I have like. It's not even like they're on insurance. They have a membership at their dentist office.

[B]

I feel like we should do that.

[A]

They probably have that for adults too.

[B]

Yeah. Cute. Yeah.

[A]

Just get a cleaning. Actually, you know what, Teresa? One year for Christmas, our mother in law got me a dental cleaning for Christmas. Ask her for that for Christmas.

[B]

Great gift idea.

[A]

I Know, she got that for me a couple years ago.

[B]

Wow. Okay.

[A]

By a couple, I mean more than that. Okay. This one's relatively rare. I have a couple kid ones, so maybe I'll just fire them both off. But check out books from the library. Oh, yeah. That was such a classic thing I did as a kid. Like, I would go every Saturday morning with my. And we would just, like, stock. Like, stock up on books. And, like, I'm still a big reader to this day. And I think a lot of it has to do with those, like, traditions of going with my dad. And my dad would also, like, it wasn't just like, he's going to get children's books with me. He would also go and, like, he had, like, a stack of books on hold to check out for himself and read. And it was like, I feel like that made me want, like, a lifelong reader because I saw my dad doing it for fun. And it was also just, like, fun to go to the library. I'm like, it's free. I feel like the kids could, like, pick it out on their own. And they. My boys already love to read, and I think this would just be, like, a fun thing to do and also fun in the community. I mean, heck, you never know who we can meet at the library. They have a lot of events. We go to the library story times somewhat frequently, but I never check out books.

[B]

I got my first library card a couple weeks ago. Since the first time, I was literally a child, a small child. And you know what they told me? They said, we don't charge for late books.

[A]

And in my head anymore.

[B]

In my head, I thought, that's nice, but I feel like you should have some accountability of these people. Like, I need accountability to return my books.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I'm pro. Bringing the charge back. That's what I'm saying.

[A]

Maybe people just weren't paying them because it's like, what are they gonna do?

[B]

Yeah, truly.

[A]

Or maybe some people couldn't come back to get their books back. I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, I guess I don't want to, like, discourage people from checking out books.

[A]

They're like, take out a lien on your house. You need to return my chapter book. Another lighthearted one, though. I have, like, related to the kids is work on letters and numbers with the kids more. This came because my kids can count. But I realized if I were to point to a number they don't know, which I think is normal, but they don't know what the numbers look like, and they really don't Know what the letters look like either. Like, we talk a lot about, like, a apple. Like, we do all that we count with the numbers, but I'm like, I haven't done the extra step of, like, this is what it looks like. Like, if you want to recreate it, this is what it needs to look like.

[B]

Yeah, that's good.

[A]

We're gonna work on that step in the new year.

[B]

It is interesting when you start realizing your kids are ready to learn.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, there is, like, a fast shift in that.

[A]

Well, and also, since our kids stay home, like, I feel like if they do go to preschool, they're, like, really kept to like their milestones more.

[B]

So totally.

[A]

Which is a good thing about that. But we can also that at home.

[B]

Yeah, I agree. It's a great one. I want to do 10 minutes a day of uninterrupted play with the kids. And we've been talking about this a lot, but I have noticed a huge difference. Especially when I'm working from home. I try to keep work time to naps, but obviously that's just sometimes not feasible. And if I'm busy running around the house doing things, and I can tell when CJ starts to get anxious and want my attention more because they'll start to act out or, you know, and it's. I'm like, man, I just need to sit down and have 10 minutes with him. And I've noticed a huge. A huge shift in the day when I've done that. So I want to continue that and try to make that a goal daily.

[A]

That's a really good one.

[B]

It's so simple. It's just like, I feel like we get in these modes of wanting to do our tasks and clean and cook and, you know, get our work done, and it's. It can be easy to miss, but it's. It's been really beneficial.

[A]

I think that comes from Dr. Amen. Like, I feel like a lot of people say that, but he said that, like, 10 minutes of specifically child led play.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Like, where they, like, kind of pick what you're doing or like, like, you impressed me too, because you're like, the other day I was climbing under the table with cj. I'm like, good, Good on you.

[B]

Oh, my gosh, my neck hurts a bit.

[A]

Like, this is fun.

[B]

I was in a full half under the table, full half up.

[A]

Yeah, that's how I feel. Because Griffin's thing is always asking me to chase him. And sometimes I'm like, I need to be sure to say yes sometimes, because sometimes I'm like, there's. I can't right now. I can't chase you.

[B]

You're exhaust. Sometimes I watch you do that. I'm like, dang, she's got a good stance.

[A]

Like, I actually get really tired about now. But then sometimes he wants me to catch him, and sometimes he doesn't want me to catch him.

[B]

Oh, yeah. I need to read the room.

[A]

I can't. I'm trying to read the room right now. As a me catch you type of thing. I accidentally knocked him over. I was catching him one time. I was like, oh, my gosh, my bad.

[B]

He's like, my leg.

[A]

He said, no, do that.

[B]

Don't do that, mama.

[A]

So sad. That's a good goal.

[B]

Yeah, I think that's an easy one.

[A]

This one is kind of boring, but, like, it needs to happen. And honestly, some of you listeners, you need to hear this one too.

[B]

Inspire us.

[A]

I need to organize the pain points in my house.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

And create a system. Not just organize it, but create a system so it doesn't happen again. I'm thinking about my mudroom. Every time I walk through that space, I'm just not happy. I'm like, this is just a mess. So I want to create, like, a system for it too. Like, find a thing. Find what to do with the kids. Shoes, our shoes, the socks. How can they get back in there? How can we organize that? Think about them. That'll be the first one I tackle. But then I feel like once I get one done, I'll be inspired to do the other pain points. Probably my pantry. Maybe that could use some work.

[B]

Like, my pantry's crazy.

[A]

Create a system there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So, yeah, I like that.

[B]

That's a good. That's a very good goal. And you just start with one thing at a time.

[A]

One thing at a time.

[B]

I always. I like the question, are you. There are three things. Clean, tidy, organized. Yeah, I would say I'm clean and I'm tidy, but I'm not organized. My house has no systems.

[A]

I would give myself clean. Clean and tidy.

[B]

Yeah, I feel like we're very similar.

[A]

Not organized and it bought. But here's the thing. It bothers me when it's not organized. It's not like I'm like, ah, no big deal. Like, it does kind of bother me. Like, I look at the kids clubhouse in our house.

[B]

It's just a closet with toys.

[A]

That's a bomb. It's a bomb.

[B]

I'm like, how do they walk in here? They're just crunching.

[A]

And when I Have to go back there. I'm like, ow, ow. That can't be the first one, though.

[B]

No.

[A]

I'll have aneurysm if I try to do that. Honestly, maybe I need to document that journey. It's literally so spooky in there.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

Yeah. Clubhouse is really a stretch, let's be honest.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's a closet with where a bomb went off.

[B]

I feel like kids need a space where they can just be a bomb, though.

[A]

I agree. That's what Matt says. But I'm also like, what about just a couple bins to put them in?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So we have floor space to walk. Sure.

[B]

That's reasonable.

[A]

Yeah. I'll never be. Here's what I'll never be. Mark my words. I probably won't ever be. But you know what? Maybe I'll change my mind down the line. I don't think I could be a toy rotation mom.

[B]

No. I had hopes and dreams. And you know what? I have a bag of toys that sat in our shed for about a year and a half. They've never rotated in.

[A]

Oh, they're brand new.

[B]

No.

[A]

Oh, but I just took them away. Not now.

[B]

Yeah, they're not gonna rotate in.

[A]

Like, there's a way to do it. Like, I have friends that do it, and it's like, you have to have one that you can do this with and one that you can do this, this. And I was like, oh, my gosh.

[D]

I feel like that's complicating motherhood more than we need.

[A]

I don't want another. I don't want to complicate it.

[B]

I don't need another thing.

[A]

Maybe we just need to keep a room where we just chuck all the toys. The playroom, the clubhouse.

[D]

Or the clubhouse.

[B]

I will say I do keep. I try to keep his toys minimal, like, in his play area. I'll. I'll take some out and I'll put him back in his room.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I'll switch those out. But I'm not like, like, intentionally rotating them. I'm just like, he's not playing with this one. I'll throw in his room and I'll bring out a different one.

[A]

It's better with a one story house. With a two story house. I'm right. My problem is, is, like, toys. Part of the toys end up downstairs and part of them end up upstairs. And I'm like, this is too much. Too many steps.

[D]

Well, I found a new one. We've been rotating our toys just because the dogs have been eating them. Okay, so pretzel is probably gonna start eating some toys.

[B]

We love force rotation.

[D]

Yeah, Force rotation. My babysitter just texted me that she ate the dogs. Ate something.

[A]

So you're rotating them or you're throwing them away? We're throwing them away.

[B]

She.

[D]

But then we get her new toys because they're get. They got eaten.

[B]

I will say, I feel like Lewis has done that. Lewis is our dog. He's done that less with Vivian's toys. Like cj, who was so excited with all the new toys, and they were all squeaky. He doesn't care anymore.

[D]

They like the rubber ones. Like the bath. They got them out of the bathroom.

[B]

The teething toys. Bye. Bye.

[A]

Bye, bye, bye, bye. Also, that is why I also wrote go on more walks, as my goal is to. Because now I have a dog, so I want to take her on walks when she learns how to walk on a leash.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Better.

[B]

Well, Lewis is a great walker, but he's so big that I have to literally tie him to my body. So that's, like, a personal problem. That's not a pretzel problem. Okay. It's just my dog is more of a horse, so when I take him a walk, we're, like, wrestling half the time.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

Well, he's just big.

[A]

Okay, well, then why do you, like.

[B]

If he stops to pee, my whole body yanks. Oh, wow. I'm, like, halted. Yeah.

[A]

That's just crazy.

[B]

It's just different.

[A]

That ain't a dog. I'm like, it's actually not rescue. It's a sandlot dog.

[B]

Yeah. Literally. I mean, he's gotten a lot better, and I take him on walks, but that's fine.

[A]

Pretzel girl trained at 16 weeks, so hopefully they can teach her not to pull.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And to walk. I don't think they're supposed to walk ahead, but not obviously not pull.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But right now, she's just a puppy, so she's distracted by every scent. And then I have to sometimes pick her up.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. The puppy phase is horrible.

[A]

She's like, she'll do decent, but then there comes a point where we just end up carrying her.

[B]

Sure, sure. This is a more serious one. I want to get back into regular Bible study routine and read at least four times a week. I feel like I was really good about this, even with CJ when he was a newborn. But now, being pregnant and having a toddler, I would wake up before cj, before I got pregnant, and then I was so tired when I was pregnant that I would not wake up to Read my Bible. And so then I was like, I just got out of the habit. So I'm trying to, like, once now that, like, I'm not up as much in the night, I can hopefully get back into a better routine of waking up before CJ and reading. It's just good for me to start.

[A]

The day like that.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

It took me getting into, like, an actual study before. I was like, okay, this has five days, and I'm gonna see them in seven. So I only got two.

[B]

Accountability is good.

[A]

Yeah, no, it was really good. And then I was like, if I don't have this done, I'm gonna feel disappointed internally. But also, I will have nothing to contribute.

[B]

So I need a little public shame.

[A]

You can join mine.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Or not mine. The one I'm in.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

So I need a little public sheen.

[B]

I need someone to be like, abby, you failed this week.

[A]

You really let us down.

[B]

You let us down. You know, first of all, most of all, you let God down. And I just need to, like, sit on that.

[A]

Abby, she would be the most receptive to that.

[B]

I thank you.

[A]

Thank you for that feedback.

[D]

You like the feedback.

[A]

You're so good about that. I need to work that.

[B]

That's not how it works, but I just need to know, well, her friend's.

[A]

Telling you, like, God down. Maybe that's.

[D]

Maybe that's a little harder.

[B]

That ain't the gospel, but we might.

[A]

Need to review that.

[D]

I don't think that's how that works.

[A]

Back to the scriptures. This one's not serious.

[B]

Good. Switch it up.

[A]

I want to learn how to make a good steak. Ooh, I love steak.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

I really, really love steak. But it was something that I was just like, I have no business cooking that. Like, I need to only go out to eat that.

[D]

Sure.

[A]

I think it's attainable to cook at home.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

And I have a cast iron. I've tried before, believe it or not, to make a steak at home, people like, you just need a lot of butter and some thyme and, like, keep going. Or rosemary and just keep. It didn't turn out that good.

[B]

The thing about that. That sucks is it's like an expensive mistake. You're like, dang, that's a good 15 piece of meat right there.

[A]

That might have been where I messed up, though.

[B]

I bought cheaps to eat.

[D]

I think I bought.

[B]

Really? You gotta go sirloin or nothing, babe?

[A]

I don't know what cuts to get. I don't know where to get it. How do you tell if it's good. Like, do you get the. What do you. What kind of cut do you get?

[B]

I don't know.

[D]

I feel like fillet is the best. I get sirloin, but sirloin, when you're like buying it from the store.

[B]

Wait, is sirloin just cow?

[D]

No, no, no. Sirloin is a different cut.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

And filet is a different.

[B]

Sirloin is the leanest, isn't it?

[D]

Yeah, my. My family used to do s. Well done.

[B]

That's how my mom does it the most.

[D]

Dry, thin, hard.

[A]

See, I like fat. I like fat on my meat.

[B]

This is maybe the one area lives we differ in.

[A]

No, we have a couple in desserts. We don't like the same types of desserts.

[B]

That's true.

[A]

But yeah, I think maybe, maybe our palates are the one thing that we differ on.

[B]

Yeah, our taste buds.

[A]

Our taste buds.

[B]

I like.

[A]

No, we have so many different.

[B]

Abby. Whenever we do a pot roast, Abby loves to leave the fat in there. And I'm like, it's the flavor.

[D]

Abby asked Abigail to cut the feet at sundae or like pull it apart. And Abigail just has a whole side of just the fat.

[A]

I was like.

[D]

She's like, that's not good. Blake goes up, he's like, why is this all here?

[B]

Your family? I go, I'm gonna turn around now and you put it back in there and I won't watch.

[A]

I'm like, that's part of the roast. Girl. That is good. Oh, yeah. No, I mean, I get it. A lot of people don't like it. I just can't really. I like, I like that.

[B]

Wake up at or before 7:00am Again, I don't have to expand on that. That's pretty self explanatory. The days of me sleeping past seven are probably over, respectfully.

[A]

So you gotta have one or two days a week to sleep in. Maybe one is fine.

[B]

Do you want to hear currently how this is going? I set my alarm for seven. I lay in bed for set.

[A]

You set your alarm for seven?

[B]

Yes, but I don't. I don't wake up until at least 7:30. That's when CJ's hatch light turns green and he walks into my bedroom because Caleb's gone for work way earlier than I wake up. So C.J. walks in, he goes, mama, the light's green. And then he climbs in bed and I lay there till 8.

[A]

That is a blessing. I don't know. I feel like maybe he should just milk this for all it's worth. The fact. I know, but it's stressful, okay?

[B]

Because then it's like I have to wake up and nurse and feed CJ all at the same time, and it's just too much.

[A]

So are you just gonna get less sleep or are you gonna go to bed earlier?

[B]

Here's the thing. This is a pipe dream, okay? It's a pipe goal. It's never gonna happen.

[A]

I'll text you.

[B]

Yeah, text me at 7am Wake up. Gosh.

[A]

Well, I mean, I feel like we'll get there. You're unique. Toddler mom. That sense that your kids will allow this to happen. I know.

[B]

CJ's golden.

[A]

Such a chill guy. But also loves to sleep. He's your son.

[B]

He really does love to.

[A]

Okay, well, I mean, I only have one more.

[B]

I have two more. You have one more? Yeah, you did get me, but I didn't take it personally. Sorry about that. It's okay. I forgive you. Caleb and I have been talking about dopamine, and we're gonna do a. Well, oh, this sounds like the most dreadful thing ever, but we're gonna do a dopamine fast in the new year. Okay, well, I don't really know what that entails, but apparently it takes all the joy out of life. So no sugar for a week. Listen, Abby, I told you, I do not want to do this.

[A]

You guys have done this before.

[B]

No.

[A]

And it's honestly hard on everybody. Like, I'm like, let's get ice cream.

[B]

And it's like, no, I know. Well, yeah, I know. And we're getting no screens, no tv, no stimulation, no brain. Like, nothing stimulating the brain.

[A]

So how you gonna work?

[B]

Well, yeah, see, that's my loophole.

[A]

Maybe make a YouTube video of it. So then you're working, but you can't do anything else.

[B]

Yeah, that's good. I like that.

[A]

But then you can't post the most.

[B]

Boring YouTube video of all time.

[A]

No. I feel like people have done that before.

[B]

Really? Yeah. It's just me laying on the floor. I'm so bored.

[A]

That's the thing. You're gonna end up finding other things to do.

[B]

That's creative. I know.

[A]

No, I feel like this is good. I just don't know why sugar is included in that.

[B]

Well, I think it really lights my brain up.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I really love sugar.

[A]

I really love.

[B]

Yeah, we really into sugar in our family. Anyway, dopamine fast. And hopefully trying to just, like, be creative and for a week, quiet our brains. Yeah. Maybe we haven't. They haven't dialed in on the details. Okay. I feel like that's probably what science would say. Wow, Three days or seven days.

[A]

That sounds good.

[B]

Yeah, I think that'd be healthy. I'll just say my last one quickly. It's short. I want to do a monthly one on one date with CJ and Vivi when she gets older. Cute one on one dates, especially with CJ Now. I could do that.

[A]

That's really cute. Yeah. Just.

[B]

We're adding more kids to the fam, so giving them more one on one time.

[A]

We did do this, and the kids were so sad that they weren't together. Oh, have I told you that Augie was in the car and he goes, what, Griffey? Are you, like, in the car? Just, like, kept yelling it. But yeah, I do want to do that. But they really love to stick together.

[B]

That's sweet.

[A]

Yeah. But I think it'd be good for them. They're just attached at the hip. They really are. Okay. My last one. This one I have had on my resolutions, and I gotta be honest, failed at it miserably. I gotta do it this year. Volunteer more. I think I've made every excuse in the book of, like, oh, my kids are too little.

[B]

Like, I have to.

[A]

Whatever I have to do. I just want to be more involved in our community and serving more because I just feel like it's a discipline that I used to have a lot.

[B]

You guys used to volunteer all the time.

[A]

Yeah. Thank you. And I just. I hate that I genuinely have lost it. We're at 0% for that. And it's. It's something. I'm like, okay, well, I can make all these excuses, but if I don't continue this now, like, I'll never continue it and also model it for our children. And we have an organization that I really want to volunteer with with here locally, and so no more excuses. Gotta do it this year.

[B]

Well, let me know when you do it, because we'll join.

[A]

Yeah, it's awesome.

[B]

At 0% on volunteering. So I'm not much. I'm not any better in that area. Okay, those are great.

[A]

Those are good.

[B]

Okay, we'll check back in later. Keep us accountable.

[A]

We're gonna keep you accountable on your dopamine fast. Wow.

[B]

Wow.

[D]

That's crazy.

[B]

That's really crazy and scary.

[A]

Can you text?

[B]

I don't know. I'll let Caleb set the rules, and I'll just support a minute.

[A]

I'll just send you a note in the mail.

[B]

Yeah, just send me letters all week.

[A]

We'll get you on Sunday.

[B]

Yeah. Get to what's up to the fast. So should we explain our Ask Abby segment?

[A]

Yes. What is it? I'm just kidding.

[B]

We're gonna ask Abby's. Ask, Ask, Ask Abby. So this is exciting. We wanted to do something where we could incorporate the audience, and I think this is, like, a thing, isn't it?

[A]

Like, Ask Abby, Ask Gabby's already a thing. There's another. There's another Abby who started this, so we're taking her inspiration. I think it was a column in the newspaper, like, a while ago. Don't quote me on that.

[B]

But we're giving her credit. This is not an original idea, and.

[A]

We'Re not the first Abbeys to do this.

[B]

No. We have a phone number that you guys can actually call in and leave us any type of question, whether it's a personal question for Abby and I, adding, like, like, all of us. If it's an advice question for yourself, get to know us, whatever it may be. Do you have the phone number, addie?

[D]

It is 602-456-9690. And we'll put it in the Instagram bio.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

The description of the show.

[D]

Description of the show. So you can call in whenever's best.

[A]

I'm really excited for this. Like, I'm excited to, like, actually get to hear from you guys. And this is fun.

[B]

Yeah, I think so too.

[A]

See the phone? I wish that was the actual phone. That.

[B]

That is. The tie would ring. Yeah. Literally. Oh, that could be scary. These are vetted.

[D]

We are vetting this question for this first episode. We thought it would be fun to reach out to your guys's friends and family to ask questions or ask advice, and so we'll play a couple of those. Now, babies have never heard these, so this will be the first time they've heard them.

[B]

Nervous.

[A]

I'm excited because it's just our friends, family.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That was really sweet of them.

[B]

That is sweet.

[D]

So this is the first one. Some of them don't have their names, so I'm interested to see if you can tell.

[A]

Oh, I'll be able to tell.

[C]

Hello. I was wondering how you guys thought of always here.

[E]

Yay.

[C]

I'm so excited for you guys.

[B]

Oh, cute.

[A]

Is that.

[B]

I think, Amber.

[A]

Okay, so I feel like I got to give you credit for this one. Abby. Abigail.

[B]

That's kind. It was. I mean, we were trying to think. We had a lot. A lot of brainstorming sessions about the name.

[A]

Turns out a lot of our ideas were not creative.

[B]

They were not creative.

[A]

Already existing.

[B]

And turns out Chad GBT's ideas weren't creative either.

[A]

So ChatGPT is plagiarism. Plagiarism.

[B]

So we were thinking, you know, I was kind of like, what is. What do we have in common that we would want the logo to be? The logo for the show will probably be our initials, AH because we're both Abby Howard.

[A]

We were.

[B]

So we have a lot of names.

[A]

That had Abby Howard in it, and none of them were.

[B]

Yeah, the biggest. What was the biggest one?

[A]

Abby Howard.

[D]

Two. One.

[B]

Yeah. Abby Howard squared.

[A]

Abby Howard squared. Wait, we're not mathematicians.

[B]

Like, that was recommended by many different sources. But I was like, okay, AH is our logo. That's what we have in common. So if we can find a podcast name that the first letter begins with an A and the second later letter in H, that would be. Probably would make a lot of sense. And so we typed it into chat and we were like, okay, give us some options. And Always here was on that list.

[A]

Love it.

[B]

And there's kind of the tie in of, we're always here for each other. We're family, we're best friends, and we're always here for you guys, our community. And so there's kind of a. Yeah. A communal element. Me too.

[C]

Hi, guys. Okay, so since I'm getting married next year, my question to you is, what is your best advice for being a wife and transitioning into that role?

[A]

Okay, love you both.

[C]

Bye.

[A]

Oh, sweet Mandy.

[B]

Oh, sweet.

[A]

I'm so excited for her.

[B]

The number one thing I always tell people, it's very simple and it's silly a little bit, but I think you just really have to remind yourself to be kind to one another. There's so much going on in the engagement planning process, the wedding. It's stressful and fun at the same time. Then you move in together for the first time. Like, in our case, we didn't live together before. So then you're navigating all of these firsts together, living with someone, and you're meshing your life together. It can be very easy to be impatient or snippy or, like, get into a lot of small arguments. And I feel like I found myself a lot of times just being, like, just respond kindly. And I feel like that saved us a lot from small, petty bickering fights of just, like, taking a deep breath and just being like, okay, like, you know what I mean? I think just reminding. Remembering to be nice. Like, you're nice to them when you're dating, and you don't want to lose that when you're married, you know, just because now you have the covenant. I don't know. It's silly and it's simple, but just be nice.

[A]

Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's because it's easy. It's like, I know you're gonna stay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Mine is very much along the same lines, but I feel like say sorry often and quickly. And I feel like that is something that I still need to work on all the time where it's like, okay, you know what? Me trying to win this thing because what do they say? If you're winning or if they're winning, you're both losing. And so it can feel. I feel like it's just like my own self righteousness in me. That's just like I don't need to do it. I feel so justified in how I'm behaving. But like, just like quickly be. Say sorry quickly and often.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I think that would just resolve a lot of things, keep life moving. Because also you're still living in the same house, you're still sleeping in the same bed, you're still waking up together in the morning. No point in dragging these things out. And I think that can also become a pattern too. Like in marriage, it's like, oh, we're just gonna be silent or, you know, hold this grudge for a certain extended amount of time.

[B]

Yeah, that's good.

[A]

Getting that practice.

[B]

Yeah. Don't be stubborn and don't keep score.

[A]

And I think it's also reciprocated too.

[B]

Yeah. When you do that, like Julie, you need to tell your don't do it.

[A]

Because you're expecting it to be reciprocated. But I think that it will also benefit you in the end.

[B]

Yeah, totally.

[C]

Hi, Abby and Abby. I know you guys are starting your new podcast and you're taking questions and I have a question for you girls. So I know that your husband, Matt, Caleb are from St. Louis and I know that Abigail is from St. Louis. So do you guys ever have any plans to ever move back to St. Louis where you can enjoy the four seasons and maybe have more family around? Just curious. Thank you. Bye.

[B]

Not the sales pitch in her voicemail.

[A]

I love Turk. That was so. That's so cute. So sweet.

[B]

Your mom. You asked me this daily. I don't know. I don't think the answers change.

[A]

I feel like she needs to move to Arizona.

[B]

That's what I'm saying.

[A]

She loves it here. I know.

[B]

We're sort of petitioning to get everyone out here.

[A]

Is your answer no?

[B]

I mean for right now?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't ever See that happening. But sorry, mom. I love you so much. I love my family. Hi, mom. Thanks for the question. That was really sweet. Love you.

[A]

You did not answer that.

[B]

Hi.

[C]

I'm super excited that you two are starting this new podcast. So my question is, do you have any special Christmas traditions from when you were a kid that you feel you might also continue with your own kids?

[E]

Thanks.

[D]

Bye.

[A]

That's cute. That's so sweet. That's my mom and she actually brought us sparkling apple juice and Lindor chocolates to celebrate today, which is so sweet. We love our supportive grandmom Christmas traditions. Okay, this actually maybe is the time to implement my resolution that I forgot to put in. Oh, I'm really big in traditions, but I'm also really big into weekly traditions because they truly shaped my childhood. So I can think of several. But like, I knew that every Friday night. Oh my gosh, I'm getting choked up thinking about my grandpa. I knew that every Friday night I was going to stay at my grandparents house and every morning I was going to wake up and have blueberry eggo waffles and hot chocolate with my grandparents. And I was going to go to the library with my dad. Sometimes we go bowling. Like Wednesday nights we would get dinner with my grandparents. Sundays we had dinner at my grandparents. We had a lot of weekly traditions that truthfully are the things that stand out the most. When I look back on being a kid and it's not like I really loved our memories at Disney, I really loved our memories from traveling. But when I think about that nostalgic feeling of just like being a kid, it really always takes me back to like those Friday nights, those Sunday afternoons, like those weekly things. And so I have always. This has been something I've been really aware of the entire time you've had kids. I'm like, especially because I don't live in my hometown and we didn't have family out here when we first had kids, I was like, I want to have weekly traditions. And so I started doing Sunday dinner. But so I have Sunday dinner on. We host it at our house every week most of the time, unless something comes up. But I really try to stick to that. And then I want to instate two new weekly traditions. One or two new this year. That's very ambitious. But they don't have to be huge. Like I'm like, Friday night we could get pizza and watch a movie or we could do like, oh, we play games on this night or something like that. Cute. But I had a lot of traditions in My own household. We played games like every single night growing up. That's my mom right there. We played a lot of games. We played Bananagrams. And I was like, when I got married, I was like, we're gonna play banana grams all the time. Matt hates banana grams.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

So this is part of starting your traditions. We play Monopoly.

[B]

Deal. The two of us.

[A]

Oh, that's good marriage advice. If you're mad, find a game that you can play where you don't have to talk and you can, like, avoid the subject of whatever's making you mad. And by the end of playing, the game might not matter so much anymore.

[B]

Yeah, it's lighthearted.

[A]

It's light hearted.

[B]

It's just fun.

[A]

It helps get you distracted and you're like, we're actually friends. This is our game that we put together.

[B]

Yeah, it's sweet.

[A]

All that to say Christmas traditions. We had a lot of them. But I remind. I remember so many, like really fondly. Well, you start because I just talked a lot.

[B]

Oh, well, I was thinking about it. I think that's true. Abby. I like the idea of traditions and I. That's something Caleb and I've talked a lot about too. For Christmas, I loved the night before Christmas. Obviously we would put cookies out for Santa and carrots out for the reindeer and that was always very fun and exciting. It would always make a big deal about it. So I want to do that with CJ. And also we did St. Nick on December 5th, I think, which I didn't do that with CJ this year. But we'd put our shoe on our fireplace and St. Nick would come and give us like a pre gift for Christmas, which was so fun because, you know, the anticipation until Christmas Day is so crazy.

[A]

You get all the presents at once.

[B]

Yes. And so it was always fun having that little, like, taste of. And it was kind of the intro into the holiday season. So I think that'd be cute to continue.

[A]

That's really sweet.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

From when I was really little at like, the more traditional church we would go to as a kid. They did a Christmas pageant every year of like the Christmas Story. And they would always give the biggest candy bags. I remember this every year. That's what I remember. They gave the best, like, candy bags, all the assortment. I really remember that. I also remember me and my brother. Both are very fixated on traditions. I feel like, can you definitely kind of like that?

[D]

Blake definitely is that way.

[A]

Yeah. We're both like that. We would always get Taco Bell on Christmas Eve and Play Monopoly.

[B]

Oh, that's fun.

[A]

We did that one year and then the next year we're like, we didn't even have to have a conversation. Like, we're doing that again. We're gonna do this, we're gonna do this often. And so now every year on Christmas Eve, I'm like, this just feels kind of weird that we're not eating Taco Bell and playing Monopoly.

[D]

Well, that's like last year Blake made a roast for either Christmas Day or Christmas Eve and he's like, like, so should I do a roast again? Like, he's like, we did that last year. So are we like gonna keep this going and it be a tradition?

[A]

I really think it gave us such a sense of like, stability. Yeah, I felt very safe as a kid and I feel like that played a role in that.

[D]

Yeah, I think I always hear about your guys's traditions. Like I know your traditions. Like I can tell you that on Friday nights you spent your night at your grandparents house and then you'd watch cartoons in the morning with the eggo waffles. Like, you didn't need to tell me that. Blake has told me that so many times.

[B]

That's sweet.

[A]

We like really locked in on those things. I think it was like our family though too. Like they really prioritized family time. It was nothing like extravagant.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But like that just made me feel so safe as a kid and like it also played into Christmas. Like also we would get Christmas. This is a long one. We get Christmas Eve dinner with our Amish family.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

Made great food.

[B]

I believe it.

[D]

Okay, I have two more and they're each directed towards each of you. One of you.

[E]

Hello. Always here. Ladies, I have a comment and a question. Oh, it's Caleb for Abby. First off, want to say I'm so proud of you and the woman you are and the mom. You are talking about me, right? Excited for your guys podcast and journey. Excited to see where this goes. So my question is, what is something that I do sometimes but wish I did more frequently in marriage? So I'll leave it with that. Love you.

[A]

That is so sweet. Caleb is so tinder. It was just my birthday and he sent me like probably the nicest text I've ever. He read it to me and said.

[B]

Oh my gosh, that was nicer than what I sent her.

[A]

That was so sweet.

[B]

I was like, that's amazing.

[A]

So nice.

[B]

I know. I love that he sent that. Okay.

[A]

That's cute.

[B]

Something that he does in marriage. I wish he did more. That's A good question. Oh, I don't want to, like, put him on the spot.

[A]

Hey, he invited it.

[B]

I think he should write me more love notes. He used to write me love notes all the time. And I have, like. I have pages of them. I saved them like Matt does, and, yeah, they're getting a little stale, babe.

[A]

Refresh.

[B]

We need a little refresh on the notes. Thanks for asking.

[D]

Okay, last one.

[E]

Hey, cutie, it's your husband, Matt. I just wanted to call in and first of all, say how insanely proud I am of you for launching the show. This is a really big deal, and I just. I actually can't believe you're doing this. I know you've talked about doing your own show with Abby for actually years now, so I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you guys. But my question for you is, what does it look like for a husband to adore his wife in a way she can feel every day? Right? Because I think there's big gestures that we can make as husbands to make our wives feel adored and loved. But you know what's maybe like a small thing, a daily thing that goes a long way and something maybe that really matters to you. So I love you. I'm so proud of you. And I can't wait to listen to the first episode go.

[C]

You.

[A]

That's sweet.

[B]

So sweet.

[A]

I thought of two things, but one of them is just so, like, why is it a big deal? But why do I, like, feel so taken care of? When he makes my coffee in the morning, I'm like, oh, that just makes me feel. I don't know about adored, but, like, I don't know. I think it's. I'm a service girl, so, like, your words of affirmation. Are you.

[B]

I'm all of. All of them. Okay. Yeah. There's quality time is my biggest one.

[A]

Okay. Yeah. Well, like, he's made my coffee the past, like, several mornings. Like, he just comes in with it. I'm like, you knew I needed that. But it just makes me. It feels like a movie. Whenever that happens, I'm like. I feel like I'm just living in a rom com where I just wake up and my husband super hot and makes me cough. But another one, I think that I also want to do more of myself is just like, acknowledging efforts, because sometimes I feel like with the daily life, especially as a mom and a wife, like, your role, it's just easy. It's just. It becomes routine, and so it just becomes like, okay, like, this is what I do, and this is what you do. But, like, I think it goes both ways. Like, okay, yes, this is an expectation that we do this every single day, basically, or every week. But just acknowledging it every single time or, like, a lot of the times still makes me just feel really seen and, like, appreciated and ultimately adored when that happens. He's like, gosh, this dinner is delicious. Like, thank you so much. I'm like, thanks. You're welcome.

[B]

Thanks. Yeah.

[A]

I've made it for you 500 times. You love it.

[B]

That's really sweet. Yeah, we love you guys. Our husband. I can't believe we did this. I feel I'm sweating, so I am sweating as well. I. I am excited. This is, like, the biggest thing I've committed to in a really long time, and I feel very honored that you asked and that you trusted me at this and that. I feel like you're right. This timing was perfect, and I'm excited to go on this journey with you guys.

[A]

Yeah. And I just shout out to everyone for all the work that came.

[D]

A lot of work for everyone.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

A lot of work going in, especially Addy. Like, thank you so much. We'll get some of the kinks worked out as future episodes go, but this was really fun, and just really appreciate y' all all supporting the show and tuning in to our first episode. Call the number if you feel so inspired, and we'd love to listen to.

[B]

You on the show, and remember, we're always here.