40 Days to Kindergarten: Day 5 & 6 | July 16/17, 2026

Thursday was a normal workday, and honestly those are becoming my favorite kinds of days. Just work, dinner, and ending the night on the couch watching Pitch Perfect with Joey and the girls. Those little family movie nights are becoming some of my favorite memories.

The night didn't end quite as peacefully as it started. Some old hurts and emotions I've been carrying around for a long time came bubbling to the surface, and the person I love most ended up carrying the weight of them. That's not who I want to be. It left me asking myself a question I've been sitting with ever since... What pain in me is shaping how I see and react to the people I love?

More work to be had there, but it was followed by just what I needed - God and family.

Yesterday was one of those days where I never stopped moving. I spent the day working and cleaning and unpacking the house, getting everything ready for Alessandra's baptism. Between calls, emails, laundry, picking up, last minute errands, and trying to make sure everything was ready for family, it felt like I blinked and the day was gone. By evening, Joey's family from Kerrville had made it into town. (To Joey's complete surprise even though I had told him about a hundred times. 😂)

He had to work late, but once everyone was finally together we stayed up talking, catching up, and building the 300 balloon balloon arch 😂 until after 2:00 in the morning. Didn't get to bed till almost 4am!!

Looking back, it probably wasn’t the wisest decision before a busy Saturday…but family time is hard to come by, and I wouldn’t trade those late-night conversations. Our cousin, and Alessandra's godmother, posed two very thought provoking questions to Joey and me. She said, "When the day comes that you meet your maker and he asks,

Do I know you? and What did you do with the gifts I gave you?,

how will you be able to respond?"

I don't think either of us had an immediate answer. It's easy to get caught up in work, responsibilities, stress, and the million little things that fill our days. But those two questions cut through all of it.

If my life were measured by how well I knew God and what I did with the gifts He gave me (not my accomplishments, not my mistakes, not my to-do list), would I be proud of my answer?

Those questions stayed with me as I went to bed... just a few hours before one of the most important mornings for our family.