Season 05 Episode 38

We Were not Expecting This … The Day Everything Changed: a Thanksgiving Special about Our Story, Gratitude, and Flipping the Script with MY HUSBAND LISTEN NOW

A Moment That Changed Everything: Our Thanksgiving Reflection

This Thanksgiving, we’re pressing pause on the “Grief” season and turning our hearts toward gratitude — the deep, soul-level kind that comes from remembering where it all began.

Before the podcast.

Before parenthood.

Before the chaos and the calm that now fill our days.

There was one ordinary day that would quietly become one of the most defining moments of our lives. The day we found out we were pregnant with our son, Wes.

The Day That Changed Our Lives

It’s funny how life rarely announces its biggest moments. There’s no dramatic music, no spotlight, no script. Just two people, an unexpected moment, and a wave of emotions that changes everything.

In this special episode, we’re going back to that day — the day we learned our story was about to expand.

You’ll hear both sides of the story:

    •    What the moment looked and felt like from each of us.

    •    How we told each other and what we said (or didn’t say).

    •    The emotions that flooded our hearts in real time — excitement, fear, disbelief, joy.

It was a regular day that suddenly wasn’t. And from that moment on, every dream, plan, and piece of our identity started to shift. That day wasn’t just about discovering we’d become parents — it was about discovering who we were becoming in the process.

Gratitude in the Messy Middle

If there’s one thing parenthood and marriage have taught us, it’s that gratitude doesn’t only live in the easy moments. It often shows up in the messy middle. The in-between places where faith is tested, plans fall apart, and blessings come disguised as challenges.

In this episode, we talk about how our perspective on gratitude has changed over time. Because the truth is, gratitude isn’t always natural. It’s a choice we have to keep making.

We share:

    •    The blessings that didn’t feel like blessings at first.

    •    The lessons we didn’t know we needed until much later.

    •    The ways uncertainty shaped our trust — in God, in each other, and in ourselves.

Some seasons stretched us, others healed us, and through it all, gratitude became our quiet anchor. It reminded us to slow down, to look around, and to recognize that even in the hard moments, life is still happening … beautifully, imperfectly, and with purpose.

Practicing Gratitude in Everyday Life

Toward the end of the episode, Zach shares a few practical ways to bring gratitude into your daily life — not the fluffy, Pinterest-perfect kind, but the simple, realistic things that can shift your energy when life feels heavy.

Small acts of gratitude have a way of softening our hearts and grounding us back in what really matters. Gratitude doesn’t just change how we see the world, it changes how we show up in it.

Remembering the Heart of Thanksgiving

As we share this episode, our hope is that it inspires you to take a moment of your own reflection. To remember your beginnings. To revisit the moment that changed your story. To see how far you’ve come, even if you’re still in the middle of becoming.

Gratitude is not reserved for perfect seasons. It’s something we cultivate right in the middle of the mess and that’s what makes it powerful. This Thanksgiving, we’re remembering, reflecting, and realizing how gratitude has changed the way we love, parent, and live. And we’re inviting you to do the same.

So grab your coffee, take a deep breath, and tune in as we share the moment that started it all — and celebrate the heart of Thanksgiving: gratitude in all things.

Listen to the full episode on Dirty Laundry with Ollie!