Grounded In The Waiting | Gabe & Kari Wendt | Casey & Gabbi Kleemeier

We’re joined by our dear friends Casey and Gabbi as we talk through some big life transitions, what it looks like to wait on the Lord, and how to trust God’s purpose even when the path feels uncertain

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:15

Welcome back to the Went For It Podcast. Thanks for listening. And we have special guests with us today, some of our dearest friends, Casey and Gabby Clay Meyer. Welcome. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_05 0:31

So excited to have you guys with us today. And um I I want us all to kind of like share a little bit about like how we got to know each other. But kind of started a couple years ago where um Gabby and I we went on this youth trip together, and um it was so fun, like just a bunch of us packed in a van, a couple different vans. But we Gabby and I like were leaders on this trip, and we shared a van with um a couple other leaders and kids, and just a long 12-hour trip there, the whole week there, and then a long 12-hour trip back. We just got to know each other pretty well, and I got to hear a little bit of her story, I shared a little bit of mine, and she was dating Casey at the time.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

Yeah, we had just started dating just a couple of years.

SPEAKER_05 1:17

Yeah, it was fresh. Yeah, and so I'm kind of like just given like quick levels of how we kind of know each other because fun fact, Carrie and I also got to do um an episode with their podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Yeah. Woo!

SPEAKER_05 1:31

And so we'll get into that a little bit later, but we kind of shared a little bit about that as well on that episode. But um, what are some, Gabby, I'll ask you, like, what are some things that you kind of remember from back then about how we got to know each other and then how like you got to know Carrie, and then I got to know Casey, and it just kind of became like a whole thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Yeah, well, I feel like first of all, if you go on a 12-hour van ride for a youth conference and are there for five days, you with middle school and high school, you get to know each other real quick. And you see the good, the bad, and the ugly. And it was like, yeah, it was just so fun and refreshing, and they do a great job on this trip of being able to refresh the leaders too. And I remember having a very powerful Jesus moment at this conference, even though I'm a leader, um, with like there's a baptism of the Holy Spirit night, and I started speaking in tongues for the first time, and it was just like really cool because like you were able to witness that and see that, but also speak life into me too, and saying how you heard the Lord speak the word healing over me. Yeah. Um, and with my diabetes, and then you just got to asking questions, and like I mean, you guys are podcast hosts too, and now we have our own podcast as well, and so both of us like to ask questions, so we were just like asking questions on a 12-hour car ride between us, another leader, and then several high school students at the time, and just getting to know each other, especially that ride back. Yeah, um, we got to know each other, and I was like talking to you about Casey. Um, you're asking just like my story, all the things, and um, and then you reached out and wanted to schedule like a double date night with Casey and I. Um, so that you could meet Casey, I could meet Carrie, and then we had like a date night. I think you guys cooked us dinner or something, and we played we played games, and that was really fun, and just clicked right off the bat. Um meeting. I thought we golfed first.

SPEAKER_05 3:32

No, we did we did golf, but I think that that was like the second or third time.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 3:37

We definitely did that. I have a pic we have a picture of it that I was actually gonna use as like part of the podcast promotion.

SPEAKER_03 3:44

Oh god. I was just thinking if we did that first, that would have been epically terrible because I think Casey would think like we are all so lame because yeah, I want to preference can't golf. Casey golfed.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

Yeah, Casey shaked.

SPEAKER_05 4:02

Casey's an incredible golfer, and the rest of us tried.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

Yeah, yeah, because I also am not. I think that was like the first time I actually like tried driving a ball and it just went into the trees. My goal was just to make contact with the ball. I don't think I yeah, I think it took me multiple tries to make contact too.

SPEAKER_00 4:21

I barely even remember like how I played that. It like start did it like start getting dark and we it was, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 4:28

Because we did dinner first and then um we just played like two whole. Yeah, we just went out on the course and played a little bit it was so fun.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

Yeah, it was really fun.

SPEAKER_05 4:37

That was a lot of fun. We need to do that this summer.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

Yeah, once I made contact. I think I think you the majority of it, you were t teaching us how to golf.

SPEAKER_05 4:45

Trying to.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

Yeah, teaching three people how to golf.

SPEAKER_05 4:50

He's just like, just do it this way. And I'm like, I don't know, man.

SPEAKER_03 4:54

If there's too many houses close by, I'm gonna hit a house. I was like, Casey, just golf with one hand, just show me. Like, I need to see that this is possible. And you just like yeah, made it look so effortless and easy. I'm like, no.

SPEAKER_02 5:08

So I'm the problem. Yeah, I'm the problem here.

SPEAKER_05 5:12

But yeah, so that's kind of how we got to know each other, and we still get together often and um do game nights and hang out, have some good chats. Um, if you're wondering, our favorite game to play is sequence. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05 5:29

And we usually do boys versus girls.

SPEAKER_02 5:31

Girls win.

SPEAKER_05 5:32

The boys are winning the sequence. I think so. I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_02 5:36

Did we not win the last time? We won.

SPEAKER_05 5:40

I don't recall that, but you know, I it's fine, whatever. So today, um, yeah, super excited to have Casey and Gabby with us. And truly, like, we love you guys, we adore you guys, we love getting to spend time with you. Our dog clearly loves, you can't see, but she is laying at the feet of Gabby, she's keeping my feet warm. And so thank you for coming and just taking time to come and hang out. So, yeah, let's get into it.

SPEAKER_03 6:12

Let's start with a fun icebreaker first.

SPEAKER_05 6:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 6:15

We're gonna go with Biggest Ick. Yes, we love biggest ick about your partner. Oh goes first. Well, I don't currently have one off the top of my head.

SPEAKER_05 6:27

Okay, I've got one. Oh, that's good.

SPEAKER_03 6:29

Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_05 6:33

Gabe has the list out. No. I um it's funny because like when people ask me like, what's something about Carrie that annoys you? I'm like, nothing. But then um you think about it. This I discovered this more recently, and Carrie has this tendency and habit of bringing like her morning coffee to her car, and she doesn't like put it in like a travel mug, it's like a coffee mug. It's whiskey.

SPEAKER_04 7:05

It tastes so much better.

SPEAKER_05 7:07

And she drinks not even half of it every day, like maybe half of it. And then at the end of the day, she'll like leave it in the car overnight until like all of her cups, like her um what are they called? The cup holders are full, and then she doesn't bring them inside. In our garage right now, where our patio furniture is being stored, there's a growing, a growing just stack of cups of like tea and coffee, and so that's that's my biggest itch right now.

SPEAKER_03 7:43

But I would say that's progress because they're not in the car anymore, so you're not like grossed out by the smell when you're driving. It's it's making its way to the inside.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

Baby steps. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:56

How many mugs do you have? You can let's just say probably seven. Just oh. Oh, so it's not that big of a pile if she only has seven mugs.

SPEAKER_05 8:06

No, we have way more than seven mugs, but I was seven out there.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

Oh, seven out there.

SPEAKER_05 8:12

I don't know. I think we should have seven mugs so it can't grow past seven.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

Casey's made me get rid of my mugs.

SPEAKER_03 8:19

But travel mugs and coffee taste different. I gotta have an open mug. Do you ever spell on yourself? I'd be rude. And I do it one-handed. Like, I guess that's impressive. I think really that's a hidden talent.

unknown 8:34

That is a hidden talent.

SPEAKER_05 8:35

Okay, who else? Who's got an ick about their partner? You go first.

SPEAKER_02 8:40

Well, mine just recently I realized I had this ick. Some recent icks as of two days ago. Um, my brother's doing the 75 hard challenge, so it was like getting like to be 10 p.m. after we like had a double date night with him and his wife, and he realized he didn't do his 45-minute workout that day. And so we were trying to brainstorm things that he could quickly do. It's cold outside, it's dark. Like, oh, you could do just dance for your 45-minute workout. And then Casey's like, I got this uh VR boxing game that actually is a legit workout. Like, your back and arms will hurt after it, you'll sweat after it. So Casey gets his VR headset out, and we haven't, I haven't seen this thing since it's been a while. Before we were married, and he gets it out, he loads the boxing thing. Unfortunately, the screen does not appear, is not working to like appear on the TV, so I can't see what's happening. All I see is what Casey's doing. And that was an ick for me. Just seeing him go full out boxing the air, especially the low ones. You're like, just hitting that as hard as you can, open space, and then he takes the VR headset off, and he is dripping sweat. His hair is like pinned down to his forehead with sweat.

SPEAKER_05 10:09

How long were you going?

SPEAKER_00 10:11

I think it's I think it's three two-minute rounds. Oh, wow. It's like a but you gotta get after it. You gotta like we're just like throwing haymaker after haymaker, like nonstop, trying to knock him out. You could definitely win without doing that, but then it shows your stats at the end. We're throwing like 400 punches in three two-minute rounds. Like, that was pretty crazy.

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Like the upper punches, like when you're like up here, like you're punching up high, those are fine. It's the low punches when you're like punching down on the ground. What are we doing?

SPEAKER_00 10:42

It's kind of the cheat code for the you hit him in the stomach, and then the guy like crouches down, and then he can hit his head.

SPEAKER_02 10:49

And so then, on top of that, ick, so I'm just like on the couch and like, wow, this is an ick I never knew I had. On top of that, the the next day, like I'm pregnant and my back hurts. Casey's over here, like, oh, my back really hurts from boxing. Can you give me a massage? I'm like, are you joking, right?

SPEAKER_05 11:13

Did you get that massage? No, not at all. He worked hard. I did. We'll see what the problem is.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Yes, that would be my ick.

SPEAKER_05 11:23

That's that's pretty funny. Boxing is a hard workout. Yeah, very hard. I'm very tight.

SPEAKER_02 11:28

Especially when you're boxing the air. Boxing the air.

SPEAKER_05 11:34

What else? You guys got one.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

Oh, yeah. I got one.

SPEAKER_05 11:37

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

I think I said it on the first time I was on Gabby's podcast. I think I said it when you guys were on the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 11:44

Clearly, it's a big thing for him.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

She is late to everything, I think. And I do not like being late at all. So the ick is not necessarily that we're late, I don't like that, but it's when we're like laying in bed, we need to get up early to get ready. She needs what, an hour to get ready. And decide not to wake up until 30 minutes before we need to leave. Like, we all knew you needed an hour. And you decide not to get up. But it's the knowing how long it's gonna take and refusing to get up for me.

SPEAKER_05 12:25

And then we're so rushed, and for me.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

And then it's oh, can you fill my water bottle? Oh, can you do this, this, this?

SPEAKER_02 12:33

It's like not fair that you literally can get ready in five minutes, and then like we both get up at the same time, and then you can just help me out. Help me out! Can you curl my hair? He does make my lunch for me and breakfast and fill my water bottle in the mornings.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Oh I also thought of one more when Gabe was talking about the coffee.

unknown 12:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

Gabby may might mention this as part of her ick that we talked about. Her water bottle. I love drinking out of her water bottle, so that is partly my fault. But a lot of times, she'll take it to school and put flavor in the water, drink it nearly to the bottom so there's a little bit left, and then just refill it with plain water. And so I go to the water.

SPEAKER_02 13:18

I'm at school. Am I supposed to dump it out?

SPEAKER_00 13:20

Yes. So I'll go take a big swig. I want some ice cold water, and it's like got the little swift. Just like an afterday.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Yeah, we're going off of that egg. Sorry, we're just going.

SPEAKER_05 13:35

Okay. And we have started marriage consulting obsessions.

SPEAKER_02 13:39

It's like, okay, I'm trying to keep track of how much water I drink. And then how I do that is, oh, my water bottle is empty. Like, that means I drank 32 ounces. But now I I have no idea how much water I drink because he chunks it all when I get home. And I like pick it up. I'm like, oh, my water bottle's empty. I'm doing so good at hydrating. And then he probably drank 16 of the 32 ounces.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

Well, I'm the only one that fills it, anyways.

SPEAKER_03 14:07

Do you have your own water bottle? Yes. I do. I don't know. But where are they?

SPEAKER_00 14:10

I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 14:12

I think it's in the truck. Oh. I always lose my water bottles. I'm not allowed to have anymore.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

Yeah. You're done.

SPEAKER_05 14:22

What about you? You got an ick for me.

SPEAKER_03 14:26

I think my biggest ick is you like to take your clothes off everywhere.

SPEAKER_04 14:36

Not what I expected. Actually, a little bit more.

SPEAKER_00 14:43

He does have clothes on right now.

SPEAKER_04 14:48

I'm gonna come back from this.

SPEAKER_05 14:52

Oh my gosh. All right, well.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

You mean you don't like his body? I'm like, what?

unknown 15:04

I'm like, wow.

SPEAKER_03 15:06

Okay, my clothes? Oh you know we can do this one now.

SPEAKER_05 15:13

Like, do you mean when I take my clothes off? Like, we'll be downstairs and I'm just like, take my shirt off, and I'm just gonna throw it.

SPEAKER_03 15:22

Yeah, so so we're gonna go watch like a Netflix show, and Gabe will take his socks off, he'll take his shirt off, he just throws it at random spots. Sure. And then when we're done, like he doesn't pick them up and take him to the laundry, so then the next night we're gonna watch another show. Same thing happens. So by like the end of the week, there's a massive, like, I can't even say pile because they're all scattered across the floor. Like he just throws in that random direction. And we also do it with our shoes, like our shoes don't even go in a commonplace.

SPEAKER_05 15:53

Like you said, we, as in we both do.

SPEAKER_03 15:56

No, you do. Oh grammar, please. So clearly, we both need to work on like putting our stuff where it's designed to go.

SPEAKER_05 16:07

Well, I'm glad you clarified.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

To start it off, I think it's you taking off your gloves.

SPEAKER_05 16:19

I'm like over here crying. So let's um hopefully we've lost Gary.

SPEAKER_04 16:29

I can't cry because then I can't stop.

SPEAKER_05 16:31

We might need to pause and start again, but let's try and uh how did you guys meet when you came to see a Gabby? We both had our clothes on. That's beautiful. I'm glad to hear that.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

Um gosh, we actually met twice technically. Um, the first one, not proud of it, but it was we did meet at a country bar. Um never thought I'd meet my future husband at a bar. That's like the last place I'd want to meet the type of person I'm looking for. And a guy, but the Lord had different plans and he has a sense of humor. Um and so I was DDing for my friends from college, and we had actually it wasn't even, yeah, we were there, it was like I went to a central college, which is a Dutch college, and you went to Northwestern, which is also a Dutch college, so like sister schools. You were there with your college friends too, and so I think we talked about Dutch dancing or something, like with his friends, like bonnet over the Dutch culture, whatever. And then Casey was actually there with another girl.

SPEAKER_05 17:51

Nice. Whoops.

SPEAKER_02 17:54

Yeah, and um, so I thought he was taken. I was like, oh, he's cute, but he has a girlfriend. Found out that girl he met that night, or like you knew of her, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

We uh we went to school together, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

Yeah, like you weren't talking or anything, you just acted like you were dating in the book. Um and then his friend was trying to play batchmaker with my friends and his group of friends. So we got one of my friends to dance with his brother who is there, his older brother. I took a video of it, and Casey comes up to me and he's like, I have to have that video. And I like try sending it to him, it doesn't load over Snapchat. So I get a Snapchat, it doesn't load. I'm like, hey, Snapchat's not working, can I get your number? And so he gives me his number and I like send it to him. Don't hear a single thing.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

I never got the text.

SPEAKER_02 18:50

He didn't and he was too busy hanging out with that girl. Um anyway, so then we that was in December, and then we I went out with some different college friends for dinner, and the guy was like, Hey, I ha I know some people at across the street at this country bar. I want to go say hi to. Do you wanna go hang out? I'm like, sure, like I'll DD you. So I go, and this guy friend that I had played sports against Casey in high school. So they started talking, and I look at Casey, and at the time he had long hair, which is pretty memorable. Like, not very many guys have like long, shorter shoulder length hair. And I went up to him and was like, Oh, I think like my friend danced with your brother. So then you were there with some high school friends, they ended up leaving, and you stayed, and we ended up just talking and hit it out, hit it off, and he was just gonna walk home because his he let his friends take his car. I was like, I can drive you, like, I'll drive you. And it was in the middle of winter, this was February at the time, and then we were like on the way out, and I I've never been this bold, but something of me knew this was probably my future husband, and so I would look at him and I was like, So you're not gonna ask for my number?

SPEAKER_00 20:14

This was like this was early, like we were walking out.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

Yeah, pull this up. We were walking out of the bar, but not very much time, and so then I get his number and I go to text him, and the video's there that I forgot I had sent him this video. Um so then we start texting, and then the next morning I wake up to a Snapchat for him and a text message. I'm like, how in the world does he have my Snapchat? And I was like, Oh, like I tried sending him. So he found my Snapchat somehow, and then we started snapping, texting, both all in the same day, and the rest is history.

SPEAKER_03 20:52

So did you ask her on a date or did she have to ask you that? I don't I think I definitely alluded.

SPEAKER_00 21:00

Yeah, you made it like just kind of said it on a T and he took it. Like the next week.

SPEAKER_02 21:06

It was within, yeah, we talked for like not even a week. And I think you made a comment of saying like something about, oh like I'm not getting much sleep because I'm up late texting you or whatever. And I was like, well, we could just go on a date, so you don't have to stay up late. And then he's like, Yeah, how about this day? Does that work for you? Um yeah, so then we went to firebirds for our first date, and then a week after that started dating, like ten minutes after that, started officially dating, and ten months after that we got engaged, and six months after that we got married.

SPEAKER_05 21:42

That's awesome. And how long have you guys been married?

SPEAKER_02 21:46

A year two it'll be two years in July. So crazy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:54

Yeah, it does.

unknown 21:56

So bad.

SPEAKER_03 21:58

It feels like it's been longer.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

I know well you've been with us every yeah every stage dating dating engaged you're there at our engagement party you're there for our wedding and then you're there when we bought our first house and helped us paint and put our dining room tip chairs these chairs are sturdy movies chip is around so well yeah you guys have had clearly like within your relationship a lot of moments where it's just like new a lot of new things like you met each other you started dating which wasn't that on Valentine's Day that was our second date I think was Valentine's Day we started officially dating February 20th so like six days okay after I was gonna say Valentine's Day is like that's a lot of pressure well we did go on a date Valentine's Day was like our third date and so I was freaking out I was like we're we're going on a date on Valentine's Day post he like forgot it was Valentine's Day so it was not it's like oh yeah Thursday works and I'm like overthinking I'm like oh my gosh we're going on Valentine's Day that's hilarious um so yeah a lot of a lot of new things um okay you met started dating ten months later engaged six months later married a year and a half later is there anything exciting going on I gotta mention it but we are um expecting our first kid so excited literally so it's a girl and she's due the day after our two year anniversary so that is awesome yeah a lot of life change like we bought a house got a puppy job you got a new job yeah now baby to the mix so many new things and exciting yeah like it's just awesome a lot of new yeah it's just a season of life I feel like for a lot of young adults it's just like new and I feel like once you get married too it's a lot of new changes because you're building a life together but yeah it is a lot of new things to navigate together. Yeah and then on top of it you started we talked about a little bit your own podcast tell us a little bit about it um so this fall I started it was like a couple months after you guys started when for it um I started my own podcast called Plan and Purpose Podcast and actually you've been such a huge help helping with the sound and everything because that is not my gift. My gift is talking and interviewing and asking questions not the sound so Gabe has been a recipient of a lot of text like hey like how do I do this um and so that's been really fun the vision behind that is just like so it's based off of Proverbs 1921 it's like we may make many plans but the Lord's purpose will prevail and I'm very much a type A person that likes to have plans and when plans don't when things don't go according to plan or like plan B happens it was really hard for me to navigate and switch like oh my plan A is not working out and a lot of times in life your plan A doesn't work out but God has bigger plans for you and his purpose prevails through it all and so that's the whole kind of premise behind the Plan and Purpose podcast is we just hear a bunch of different stories of people whose life didn't go according to plan but looking back like seeing I'm so thankful life didn't go according to plan because God's purpose has prevailed and he's just been so faithful through it all even in the moments you don't feel like it he's always working. And so I love Sadie Robertson and her well that that's good podcast and Maddie Pruitt and all that. And so kind of it's similar to that but I love to hear just like normal people stories like like people who you can relate to more like yeah you can relate to these like huge influencers who are on those podcasts in some aspects but just like hearing like everyday stories from everyday people going through the same things that you're going through. So it's been really cool just starting that and seeing um kind of the fruition of it and hearing about just people who aren't Christians have listened to it and can relate to these stories has been really powerful.

SPEAKER_05 26:25

Yeah that is awesome and we've listened well I mean we got to be a part of it and we've listened it's truly amazing you're doing a great job with it.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

Well thank you and it was fun having you guys on the podcast too much. Okay so you mentioned you're a talker yeah but have you felt like it's something that God's like stretched you in to talk more publicly like on a platform or is that something you just felt like God gave you a gift from a very early age and not fearful of yeah that's a great question actually growing up I was really shy and had a huge fear of public speaking I went to a small Christian school um graduated class of 12 and so like obviously wasn't shy with 12 people like we were basically siblings we went through all of grade school and high school together so we were just very comfortable with each other but I dual enrolled at the public high school and I like just felt so mute going into these like big public high schools I didn't I just felt like I wasn't a part of it. And so I felt like people would always assume like oh who's this weird girl like who is she she doesn't go here why is she in this class so I just felt so uncomfortable and just like if someone asked me a question I was like a mouse like I'm not like just like very quiet responding quick response I was just so awkward um looking back at it and then I took a public speaking class my senior year and that was a huge challenge and growth for me that first ever speech you have to give and it's at the public high school so in front of these people that I don't really know and a lot of them were quote unquote the popular kids and that um was kind of when I started to realize like oh maybe I do have a gift of public speaking it's just stretching me a lot and that teacher went to actually my church um she was a Christian and she poured into me a lot and just encouraged me saying like you're really good like you have a gift like don't be nervous like be bold in it so then so that that was senior year of high school and then my end of the senior year of high school I in order to graduate from the Christian school had to take four years of Bible um classes like and my second semester I wasn't taking any classes at the Christian school but I still had to graduate because they let me intern at my church for my Bible credit for that semester. So I interned with my youth pastor and at the end of that season he gave me an opportunity to give my testimony and share a message on stage which was so nerve-wracking but this is in the midst of the same semester I'd taken this public speaking class so I've learned a lot of skills learned a lot of things grown in my confidence to public speak and so but this was like a little different and I actually like I was more fearful giving speech the two minute speeches in my public speaking class than giving this um message at church because I just learned I'm like it's not my words it's God's words and I just kept praying like every time before I went on stage like God speak to me and through me and it just takes the pressure off it's like it's not my will it's God's will and um so just having to really trust that God's gonna pull through and speak through me obviously I prepared um and you want to share his words well. Right. But just having just like the Lord's got me um he's gonna give me the confidence and so I just remember that was probably a pivotal moment in my speaking um career I don't know how to say it but where I gave this message and before giving the message the youth pastor kind of pulled all the youth leaders up and she there was like hey she's gonna have like a come to the altar moment if no kids start going up you guys start going up so that it's not an awkward like no one shows up and so I get to the end of my message and I have this like kind of just like if you want to give it all to the Lord um give him your weaknesses it was on my life first Joshua 9 be strong and courageous. I encourage you to be courageous and come to the front and before any leader even could step forward to start kind of the movement over 50 kids um and I mean it was like 75% if not higher of these kids just started flooding down to the altar and I just remember that moment like that that's God like that is not me that is God and I look over at my youth pastor and he's just sobbing like just and that was just when like I just felt like an anointing from the Lord like you have a gift in your weakness of being scared to public speak like I God is strong. And so then from then I kind of just continue to grow I went to camp I was a camp counselor and had to learn how to be more extroverted and speak in front of the whole camp and give five minute messages and stuff like that. And then at college I really wanted to be more courageous and so I was like I'm I remember my freshman year of college I'm like I'm not gonna be the shy Gabby like I have a chance to like start fresh start over take what I learned my senior year take what I learned that summer before college of being a camp counselor and I want to be bold in my faith and courageous so that kind of sparked a whole new Gabby um into yeah the person I am today so that was kind of a long story but yeah that's like the first time I think I've ever like heard you say that you did have like a fear of public speaking.

SPEAKER_03 32:17

Because obviously I didn't we didn't know you back then. So it's crazy to hear that because yeah I've just seen that like anointing over your life and just the influence God's given you to speak to share his word to encourage to lead young students and adults um so it's cool seeing that even a place where you're like fearful and scared of like God can still use that um and that doesn't mean like you don't have any gifts or talents like there can be fear there can be weaknesses there and he'll show up and he'll um his light will ultimately shine through yeah yeah I like how you you turned it in you turn it from a fear of like public speaking to a fear of the Lord.

SPEAKER_05 33:02

Yeah like in that moment because you were like okay God like actually not me but you and like when we like recognize our weakness like he is made strong like you know what the Bible says and so I think like that's just what happened in that moment you were like God like not me but you like I have a fear of you not a fear of man and I will recognize your strength in the situation like I am weak but you are strong. Yeah and so that's really cool. Yeah that was the first time I've ever heard that that's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 33:32

I think a lot of times when we think about like our giftings we think we have to be perfect in it or like excellent from the start like this is a gift because you're natural at it right and I think again it's cool that like no even in something that God's anointed you with there can be fear there can be insecurities there can be um a lot of like growth within it and time that God's gonna prepare you and grow you in that and I think that's just encouragement to anyone that might be listening that's like man what do I have that God can use um to encourage others and reach his people.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

Well even I think of the story of Moses like he had a speech impediment and the Lord used him to like lead the entire people of Israel out of Egypt and became a huge public speaker in front of all these people and gave the Ten Commandments and all these things and so yeah the Lord used his weakness of public speaking so that he can be made strong yeah as well.

SPEAKER_05 34:29

I love that yeah and it keeps you it keeps you humble kind of like your thing oh for sure um so then what like I want to hear a lot about like because I want to hear from both of you so all of these new like fresh things these transitions like like how have you guys been able to stay grounded and like support each other throughout all of it and you know whether if that's well I'll just let you go.

SPEAKER_01 35:00

Yeah do you want to go?

SPEAKER_00 35:01

Yeah sure um I think like we're obviously a year and a half married so like we're still figuring this thing out too um together but I think that's probably the the big thing is together just um like especially like she's pregnant but like obviously I'm not pregnant she's going through a lot of things that like she's trying to figure out but and like how do I help her through that like I'm obviously not going through it exactly how she she is but like just like talking through what she's her talking through to me what she's going through and how I can pitch in whatever I can and help her through that but then yeah new jobs and things like yeah we're going through them individually but figuring out how to get through them together. So I think that's the biggest thing just like talking about whatever we're struggling with or whatever we're going through so we can navigate it together or or at least just understand yeah what they're going through.

SPEAKER_02 35:54

Like we're a team we always say like we're a team like like you just started last June you transitioned from a job to working for his dad and like yes that uh impacts him the most it's his job but it also impacts me and so how do we navigate that as a team and so we'll both individually take time to pray about to pray about it and like Lord is this where you're calling me and then we'll come back together and we'll kind of talk like what have we heard from the Lord where do we feel and like if it's both mutual like oh the Lord spoke this to me and he spoke this like they're like okay let's be a team and like let's do it um but we'll definitely sit in prayer before any transition time as well and just like really pray over each other and pray over um kind of the situation and like even for me like I'm a teacher right now but and that affects me but I next year since we're having a baby this summer I'm actually have decided to stay home focus on being a stay at home mom but also on the podcast. Yeah another transition um and yeah that impacts me mostly like directly the most but it also impacts him and like how do we navigate that like it's gonna impact our finances we're going from two incomes to one and how do we navigate that or um the stress levels are gonna be way less well maybe with the kids maybe a little bit more but eventually it just yeah how do we navigate it as a team and pray over the situation because there it's a lot of life change or even like I remember just being intentional in communication when we decided to start trying for a kid to have to get pregnant um we initially had in our plan not God's purpose but our plan was um to wait at least two years of marriage which would be like the day she's due um before we even start trying. Yeah and we decided to get away for was it one of our two Memorial Day weekend and we went camping and we just sat around the fire we were super intentional and just like okay like where do you feel like God's calling us in the next couple years like what and we both kind of said we're like we I think we were both nervous to bring it up and like I feel like like he maybe start like we should just give it like we've had been in such control over our timing um we're trying everything not to get pregnant. It's like we should just give it to God because we both felt like the Lord saying like it's not your timing it's mine. Yeah yeah and we it was kind of crazy we both were like on the same page but we hadn't communicated it yet and you would never know if you don't communicate and so we both like prayed over it and said we're like okay God we're giving you our timeline um that we wanted to wait for two years. Here's our timeline and we'll trust you and your timing is perfect and yeah. You got on it fast yeah like a month and a half two months we were pregnant so yeah just like those big transitions is definitely we're a team but we're gonna pray about it individually yeah come together talk about it pray about it together yeah um before making big decisions yeah so that's awesome that is also crazy that you were like we're gonna wait until after two years to try and then when you talk about God's time he's like well actually I'm gonna just make it happen on the half yeah literally like when we found out when we did like the whole like due date calculator I was like Casey look at the due date and our we got married July 12th and she's due July 13th I'm like God has a sense of humor because I kept saying I said I do not want a kid until we're at least two years married like thinking like start trying he's like nope I'm gonna wait till you're at least two years married before you have the kid and it's literally the day after that two years. Yeah yeah you got the thing yes yeah so we both talked about like wow God has a sense of humor and his timing is perfect.

SPEAKER_03 40:01

So yeah what would you uh say to maybe someone that feels like they are stuck and just like in a season of waiting um because we've both seen you in kind of those seasons of waiting and now there's just a lot of dreams that we've seen like come to fruition within this past year for you guys. So what would be your encouragement for someone that um just feels stuck that's good or is waiting for those dreams.

SPEAKER_00 40:30

Sure yeah um I think like a lot of those things happen like in our age and obviously as we age in jobs like people hate their job or just aren't fulfilled by their job and want to do something else but don't know what to do. Um like I I I actually did enjoy my previous job and but I knew my long term my plan and has currently been working out was to work with my dad and uh eventually take over for him.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

Um so it's kind of like a like you knew is a season of waiting like this job.

SPEAKER_00 41:04

I I I knew it wasn't gonna be right away but like very easily could have just been like I can always do that. My dad's not gonna not hire me. He's my dad like it'll be easy. I can slack off yeah but like I think um not everybody's situation is like that obviously but I think when you're in a job like that's your job like that's where God's putting you right now like give a hundred percent everywhere you're at that'll allow you to grow and open up doors maybe for where you're supposed to go but yeah like always be praying about where you want to go and where God where you think God's gonna send you but yeah giving everything you have in your current spot like don't necessarily stay in that mindset where I'm stuck I don't have any way out of this but yeah given everything you have so if doors do open you're ready to go you've you're growing you've yeah this power and ready to go.

SPEAKER_02 41:59

I think kind of going off of that my biggest advice and I've said this multiple times is like don't waste the waiting and I don't even like it's good calling it like a waiting season and instead kind of have shifting that mindset like oh this is a preparation season. Um before meeting Casey I was in a quote unquote waiting season but a preparation season of singleness where I my longest relationship before Casey was two and a half months and I'd only dated two guys and so I was single for a majority of my life and I looked at it as like oh this is like a wasted season like I'm just waiting blah blah blah like all these things and then I just had this mindset shift of like why am I not preparing myself for the guy that I want to marry um and be the best version of myself and like become the person that the guy I want would want to marry. But also don't waste it because in your singleness you can do so much I mean you can do a lot when you're with each other but it just looks different. Like you can like you don't have to like line up your schedules you can commit to things a lot easier and say yes to things a lot easier without lining up schedules and things like that. And so like there's fruit in every season of life and there's joys in every season I mean there's hardships in every season but to not waste the waiting and view it as a preparation season and even like and I like how you said is if you feel stuck like still pursue excellence in that like it because you have no idea what like there's a reason like God has put you in this place for a reason and just a small example is like teaching like I said I'm leaving the teaching profession haven't loved it I like my passion for it has kind of dull dulled um the last over the last two years and actually last year um was thinking about leaving it and not going back This year, and um I was like praying about it, and like I could have easily just quit, right? And really prayed about it. Um, and that's my big piece of advice is making sure you pray before you do anything, before you act on anything. Um, I was like, God, like I feel I feel stuck, kind of like what you said in that word is like I don't love what I'm doing, but I have no other talents, I don't know what else I would do besides teach, like what like you do with the teaching degree. Um, I don't know what my other passions are. And so there was an opportunity out of church to join the staff there. And I at first I was like, oh yeah, like totally, like I want, I want to do that. I want to get away from teaching and move into that role, but then I wrote um someone shout out Missy. Um love you. She gave me a really piece, a really good piece of advice, and she said, make sure you're not running away from something, but you're running to something. And in that season of my life, I was definitely running away from something and um and not to something. And so that I mean, at first I was like, oh, I feel the Lord calling me to something else, but that's also you have to be careful because saying like the Lord's calling you to something without truly praying about it, and kind of jumping into it as soon as one door opens that might not even be from the Lord. Um, for example, like this job opportunity, um, and like leaving right away, like that could also be an excuse from running away from something. And so I really reflected on that when she said that, and I said, I am running away from something, I'm not running to something. And so I really, after lots of prayer, and we both prayed over it, both felt like I don't know if this is the right thing. Um, I ended up studying another year for teaching and really felt the Lord's like, like, I'm not done with you yet in this season, even though you don't love it. Hang in there, still like give it your all. There's a reason that you're here. And then this coming season or this coming school year, I tried going in with a better mindset, and it just like, I think within the first month, I was like, I really am not loving this, but I don't know what else I would do. And then that's when the opportunity of starting this podcast, um, plan and purpose podcast, and when that opportunity came, I was kind of hesitant. I was like, I don't know if I can be a full-time teacher and start a podcast. Like, that's just seems too much, like a lot of work. And I just remember really praying about it with the Lord and wrestling with it. And I vividly remember, I think I was just like in the shower, which is where I do a lot of my prayer time, and the Lord's like, start the podcast, do it now. Take that step of faith, start it. Even in the midst of teaching, start it. I will take care of the rest. I was like, okay, Lord, I'm trusting you. So I started it in the in fall, which if you're a teacher, you know fall is the busiest season um ever. And I started it then and um still continue with teaching within a month. Found out we were pregnant, and we've always had like the plan of staying home. And now that like, and I'm not running away from something, like I'm running to I like am so excited to be, but the Lord just provided this opportunity of like, okay, now I'm not just gonna be able to be a stay-at-home mom, but I'm able to focus more on the podcast that I've started, and so I'm not returning to teaching, but it's so amazing just to like have started this podcast, and there's a purpose why I'm still in teaching right now. Cause I if I would have left teaching, I wouldn't have had that as my mission field for this podcast. And I've had so many of my coworkers who are not Christian be able to listen to this podcast and have conversations about it of like how they can relate, or um, it like opens up doors to invitations to church. Um, or one of I mean, the office lady, I had no idea she was a Christian. She was literally sitting waiting for her husband to get out of surgery and listen to like two or three of my podcasts, and she sent me a message saying like it really helped her with that, and just like I wouldn't have never been able to have that kind of mission field with this podcast had I left and ran away from it. And so yeah, that's a really long story, but just yeah, don't waste the waiting, and it's a preparation season, and there's a reason that God has you there.

SPEAKER_05 48:37

It's a it's amazing that you get to see the fruit of it immediately. Yeah, and you you might not always do it and say sometimes you don't get to see the fruit until you know, like, well, Moses never really got to even see the promised land. So when you get to see the fruit of why you waited, you know, on this side of eternity, like that's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 48:56

I was just thinking too, like, because I'm sure your students know that you have a podcast as well. And I think a lot of times we get so stuck in the word calling or job, you know, like it puts us in a box, and I think what your students are getting to see is you're not just this one thing, you're not just a teacher. Like, God has a lot of callings for you, a lot of things that He's gonna use you for to bring glory to him. And I think that's one piece of fruit you might not see. You might not see how your students go and take this to their life, but they're getting to see you live out that there's so much more that God is using you for in the mission field that you're in right now.

SPEAKER_02 49:37

Yeah, and that's kind of what's driving me. Like, yeah, it's a tough year, but like there's a reason God still has me here. And it could be my students, like, you have no idea what one student um your life could change, or yeah, if they hear about my podcast, they go home and ask their parents to play it, and like it's their parents that needed to hear it, um, or something like that. And so yeah, that's why I just keep reminding myself there's a reason I'm in this, even when it's hard on those hard days. Just yeah, trusting God has a plan.

unknown 50:06

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_05 50:09

I heard, well, I didn't hear, well, okay. I heard this from the Lord. Um we talk a lot about like, you know, the waiting season and um waiting on the Lord, and like, you know, it talks about like when you wait on the Lord, He'll renew your strength, and like in my weakness, He's made strong, like all these things, and like I had like this kind of like epiphany, you know, I've I've had it this revelation before with the Lord, but like it just hit me again recently, maybe a month or so ago, that like sometimes like with what you are saying, like I'm just like in this waiting season, like you're waiting through a season, and then there's waiting on the Lord. Like, are you waiting through a season or are you waiting on the Lord? Like, which what are you gonna do? Because one of those will get you where you need to go. And if you're just constantly waiting through a season, like you're just gonna get through it, and then there's the next one you're gonna wait through, and like it's just it's so sad. Like I've recently like had to like shift my perspective of like, well, no, I'm I'm done waiting through something. Like, I'm gonna start waiting on the Lord, and I've realized it's like it's like this patient expectation. Like waiting on the Lord isn't like this passive thing, you know, it's like a patient expectation that he's going to do the work. Yeah. And yeah, so I yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:38

I love that. It's good. I think like going off of that too, it's like obviously in these waiting seasons, we're doing a lot of prayers, like like, where do you want me to go? Or what do you want to and we might not hear from the Lord right away, or like, is he even answering these prayers? Yeah, and which is why it's a waiting season. Like, if you were to answer it, you wouldn't be in the waiting season anymore. Um, and I just read actually right before this podcast, Matthew 11, which is talking about praying to the Lord, and Jesus is sharing with his disciples like how to pray and does the Lord's prayer and all these things, and like the typical, like, keep on knocking, um, and the door will be open to you. And it's just there's like a parable in it that's talking about this man needing bread, and it's a little trivial. And I love how the Lord uses like a small thing, like bread, um, because like even the small things the Lord like cares about it, and he like needs bread, and then the guy's like, No, I'm in bed, go, like, go away. And he keeps knocking and keeps knocking, and yes, the guy might not answer the door out of friendship, like, oh yeah, I'll help you out. But he answered because he's getting like it's persistent, yeah. And he's like, Okay, I'll answer, and then I can go. And she's like, the Lord is like the same way, like, keep asking, keep being persistent. However, a lot of times we think we can only hear we only want to hear a yes from the Lord. But the Lord, and like when I hear that verse of like, everything will be given to you, like keep knocking, keep being persistent, the Lord will answer it, and we always think the Lord's answering it with a yes, like it's not answered if it's not a yes, right? But the Lord always answers our prayers whether with a yes, a no, or a just wait. And it's that just wait, which is hard because we don't hear definitive yes or a no, and it's what's in the waiting season, but his timing is perfect and have to trust in that.

SPEAKER_03 53:30

And the yes can look different from what you were expected. Yes, is like what you want, like even thinking back to your guys' timeline with um starting a family, like obviously it happened, and it is a yes, but it was different from how you guys had things right for sure, and it but also like he's all knowing, he's omnipotent, all these things.

SPEAKER_02 53:52

I'm like, I'd rather have him in control of the timeline than myself that can only see today and not the future. So true, kind of shifting that mindset, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 54:06

Okay, I want to talk about parenthood.

SPEAKER_03 54:11

Wait, before we go to parenthood, we can't go there yet because I just want to-this isn't even a question. I just want to say I'm like so proud of you guys. Like just thinking about this season of life, like you guys have showed up for each other in just the most beautiful way, and I've worked as a team, and I think that can be hard in your first year and a half of marriage, and you guys have done such a good job. Like, Casey, you've just come along and you've supported Gabby and her podcast dream and Jesus Design Co. And just when I think about like healthy marriages, I think of couples that are coming alongside each other in their dreams and just supporting um and when I think of people like you guys are who come to mind with that, like you've done such an incredible job of just truly operating as a team, and um yeah, I'm just so proud of you guys, and it's incredible to see. I think when we have our own dreams, you can get in this like selfish mindset of like mine first, like this is what I want. How do we do it all? Um and how how would you give advice to people that are married of um ways to come alongside each other and bring it almost into a shared vision and not just like these separate separate dreams and categories.

SPEAKER_00 55:39

Yeah. Um I think we kind of mentioned it a little bit earlier, but yeah, it's just like going through everything as much as you can together and talking about what's hard and what's not and what you want. Like don't keep what your dream is or what you want to do a secret, like not a mind reader and things like that. So to know what you're looking for is helpful, and then it might be a little bit selfish, but like uh when things that she wants to do go well, it's a little bit easier on me because she's happier and not as stressed. So if I can help her have something go well, that's easier to do.

SPEAKER_01 56:25

I'm just like, where is she going with this?

SPEAKER_02 56:28

Um, I think too, just like like you said, like before you're married, you have two separate dreams. Yeah. And marriage is such a beautiful picture of like those dreams coming together and unifying. So, how can you and you kind of talked like if your dream is going well, then I like I'm happy. And kind of that same thing of like we just support having just a good support system in each other, and like your dreams are not my dreams, and my dreams are not your dreams, and how can we work together? And marriage is sacrificed, so how can we work together to like make that happen? And for you, I just want to say, like, you do such a great job, like kind of talking about weakness and is in our weakness, the Lord is strong. You he's not a talker, and you probably can tell on this podcast.

SPEAKER_00 57:16

Um but and like this is my third episode.

SPEAKER_02 57:20

I know, I was just gonna say, but like, let's go. If you if before meeting me and someone said like you're gonna be on a podcast or help co-host a podcast, you'd be like, yeah, right. Um, but he does he just shows up and like does a great support, and we actually were talking about this on the way here of how like because it we're both like a team, I will be up late one night on a Sunday before the podcast launches, making sure it's ready, it sounds good. I have like the bio ready and an Instagram post ready and to launch, and he won't just go to bed like while I'm working on that, he'll stay up with me until there are a few reels. Yeah, he'll I might be on some reels, but I might be like, or you he'll listen to the podcast while I'm editing it. And I'm like, does that sound okay? And like give me feedback, or I'm like, which title works sounds best? So he doesn't just go to bed and like oh it's her dream, so she's gonna work on it. Yeah, but he stays up until I'm done, and then we both go to bed together. So just like supporting each other in that way as well, um, has been really yeah, it's cool.

SPEAKER_03 58:20

That's you I think yeah, it definitely helps knowing how again, even in those like tangible ways, you can show up and help support, like having a piece of it. Um the other thing I was thinking of like even when you were in ministry, there would be times where I'm like, I would forget, like, we're a team, and that means like what your what your um like what fruit is coming out of like your role is also impacting me. Like again, it's not separate, we're one unit. And I also think like another encouragement would be to share, like, to share the fruit, to share the cool stories or things that happened within um a podcast episode or feedback you got or um a person that you influenced or led to Christ that day because I think that again helps bring the other partner into it. Um because there's a lot of sacrifice and blood, sweat, and tears that go into um podcasting or ministry or supporting your partner's dream, whatever it may be, that I think it helps to share like the fruit that's coming from it, or even just how it's changing you or the um what it's challenged you in, because again it's it's gonna bring your partner into that where it's not again this separate isolation thing. That's good, that is good, yeah. Well worded. In my head, it didn't feel that way, so good to hear.

SPEAKER_05 59:56

Yeah, Carrie's always got the money drops, she's always and she doesn't even I promise you, she's not like sitting there trying to like write this stuff out. It's just like yeah, you're so well spoken straight from the Lord directly through.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:08

Honestly, I would feel better if it I would prefer it to be like well written out, like a script, because yeah, then I wouldn't be in my head like, oh, I hope this is making sense. Yeah, I'm tracking, and it's like at midnight you're thinking you're like, Did that sound okay? Oh, I am as I'm speaking, I'm having like a dialogue with myself. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:28

Now we can move on. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:30

To close this out, I want to talk just quickly about like your greatest new challenge coming up, which is parenthood.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:39

And so tell me, should we do just one thing that they're excited about or a few? What are some things you're excited about?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:47

Whatever you want to give us.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:48

Yeah. Well, no, scratch that. First, because I was gonna ask this too. Let's start with what you're most afraid of, like things that you're stressed about with it, and then we'll get to the excitement.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:00

What are you stressed about? Um Casey doesn't get fair. I know, that's what I'm like, what are you stressed? Oh, I've asked him like, are you nervous about anything? He's like, no. Not just track. Are you sure? That's because I'm nervous about everything.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:15

I think probably like I think one of our first like really deep conversations when we I were like driving around in the car or something on one of our first dates, and like Gabby asked me like what my biggest fear was. Um and it's it's not like spiders or spiders, it's close. Um it was it's always been like not being able to provide for my family and like the way that my dad has. Um so like I think I wouldn't say it's necessarily a fear, like I have a great job now with my dad, um, but I think just like yeah, just thinking about how expensive it's gonna be. Like, like, yeah, we can do it all. But like, what if this happens? What if this happens?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:01

Like just running situations through my mind about the more expenses that come up and well, even in adjusting from like two incomes to one and adding a kid, yeah, as well. Yeah, two for um for me, I think just like the unknown, I've always had a fear of the unknown. And so, like, this is our first kid, we've never done it before. And just like the small things, I was just like talking to you yesterday and my mom. Like, how do you know how to breastfeed? Like, who tells you that? Or how do you know what the baby should wear in the summer? Like, what's too hot? Or how like what they sleep in? Like, there's like something called TOG, and it's like 0.51, 1.52. It's like the heaviness of the clo like I had to learn that. Like, who just tells you that? No one. And so it's just like you have to to keep this baby alive without ever doing it. And so, no wonder the firstborns, me, are very strict, like turn out the way we do, because our parents have no idea what to do either. That actually makes a lot of sense. Yeah, and then the second one, they're like, uh, go with the flow.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:10

No, we did it.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:11

Yeah, we kept the other one alive.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:14

Did you did you know I learned this when a friend had a baby? That babies don't drink water.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:21

Yeah, it it'll actually like hurt them, make them really sick. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:25

I I found that out doing my research, but I still think I'm going through the phase of like needing water to survive because I don't drink that much water.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:36

How do you do? You run on caffeine, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:41

Okay, what are you excited about?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:43

Wait, I was gonna say, it's kind of crazy to think that like you're in the hospital for like what a day, two days, and they're like, okay. And they send you off with this baby.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:54

And they're like, No, go look. I remember my college roommate, like, she faceted me as soon as she had the baby, like an hour after. She was still shaking from all the hormones. Like, that's how quickly she facetimed me after. And like her husband, like the nurses were out of the room, and their baby just like her husband's holding the baby, and it just like exploded the diaper. And they both looked at each other like, how do we change this? Like, what do we do? Like, literally, like, there's like so many like unknowns that you just have to learn.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:21

The baby pooped, yeah. Right after it came out.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:25

Oh boy.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:27

What? I'm deleting this.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:31

No, I'm like, I think we gotta get this part. Baby's poop, yes. Yeah, yeah. Well, the poop is also a different texture consistency, like right away versus after getting breast milk and stuff.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:44

I'm glad that you've learned all these things.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what are you excited about?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:50

Um I think just like thinking back on my childhood a little bit, just like making memories like that of our own with our own child doing cute things and golfing with her.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:10

We did put on our registry like a little lawn chair that can strap into the golf card for him.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:16

I gotta make sure she's not impressed by these country club boys when she gets older.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:21

I gotta say, I'm a little surprised your biggest fear wasn't that you wouldn't be able to golf the last one.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:27

We'll try.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:27

I'm like, as long as you take the kid and I get it, you can golf. Sure. Um that's cool. Yeah, I think the same. Just like we've talked a lot about like traditions we want to start with our own family and like things that we appreciated our parents doing for us and what we want to continue to instill in our own kids, like work ethic and stuff like that, athletics, um, all the things. And we even like just last week went on a date to like Fibro Bagels after church and just talking about. Oh, like what dates would you take our daughter on? Like daddy daughter dates, like on a Saturday. And so you started listing like different places they could go, like to Le Jou bakery in this place. And um yeah, just like being excited. It's just fun to just like plan the future and like yeah, how you want to raise your kid, and just talking about that as well, and just making memories as a family. I love that.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:27

We're so happy for you guys. Seriously, so excited that the baby, and I don't know. You said it earlier, like we've kind of got to walk alongside of you guys a little bit throughout every little step.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:39

If you ever want a babysitter, let us know. We would for sure don't love don't give her water though.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:45

Yeah, don't worry, that will not happen. Uh I do. I got one more question, and I also have a challenge for our listeners off of this question. Oh first went for a challenge coming at you! Okay, some people might get the ick from this, but I think we live in a world where we just like forget to encourage and affirm our partners or just people around us. Because we get in the mundane. So, with the season of stepping into parenthood, what is one thing that you think will make the other person a great parent? Wow.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:25

That's good.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:27

Do you want to go or me?

SPEAKER_00 1:07:29

I'll go. Um, I think it like kind of goes with the whole basically this whole podcast. Like you're very type A and planning, and obviously everything doesn't always go according to plan, but I think you're just so ready. I guess nobody's ready to probably be a parent all the time, but you try very hard to be ready. So like just everything is so planned out, organized, and ready, and obviously not everything's gonna go that way, but um it's not gonna be your fault that it doesn't. So you're just I think you're just so intentional about wanting everything to be great for our first baby, and it will be.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:14

And in all the fun events. Yeah, you got five birthdays planned already, but um, I think for Casey, it's fun to see because we have a puppy that just turned one last week, so um kind of seeing you with the puppy kind of is a foreshadow of probably what you're gonna be like. Um as a dad, is like this puppy has softened you so much and like has you wrapped around her paw. Like he'll just carry her, right? He'll just carry her, and she's 57 pounds.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:48

Um she wants to be carried.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:50

And like anytime like he's quiet, I'm like, where'd he go? He's like on the couch cuddling with Mally, our puppy. Um, and so I think you'll just be like, I don't know, you'll just be so good at just loving and um cuddling like with the baby and just being so helpful to like even this sounds so bad. I'll probably get risky for saying this. But like when I was first found out I was pregnant, I for like three months hadn't didn't cook a single meal. Like you cooked all the meals and stuff, and just like being there to support and yeah, showing up. So sweet.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:29

Casey is a great chef, by the way.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:31

Yes, he's the cook in the relationship. I did make brownies.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:37

So the challenge for the audience is or the listeners, it's weird to say. I said audience. Weird. Okay. For the listeners is it to tell your partner, your coworker, just someone around you, um, just why you appreciate them and why they're a great partner, and write it on a note and just affirm them. I love it.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:02

I'm a huge words of affirmation person.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:05

I have to work at that one sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:06

Yeah, so I love that challenge. For others, it might be more challenging, Casey.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:13

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:15

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:16

Thank you guys for going to be.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:17

Thanks for having us. It's been so fun. Yes, we're so grateful for you guys, your friendship. Just can't wait to cheer you on in all the transitions that continue to unfold. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:30

And we're gonna go play sequence, and the boys will win. Let's go. No.