MMP Ep 336: Grateful

MMP Ep 336: Grateful

Laura Bruner: ​[00:00:00]

Laura Bruner: Hey friends! Can't wait till Wednesdays to get your Modern Mamas fix? Join us on Patreon. You can choose your tier and when you subscribe you'll get bonus content, early access to Retreat, first peeks at new swag, plus shoutouts and even real time monthly virtual hangs with us. Visit

Jess Gaertner: patreon. com forward slash Modern Mamas podcast to check it out and support the podcast.

Jess Gaertner: It truly means the world to us. We are so grateful for you and for this community.

Laura Bruner: Hi friends! Welcome to the Modern Mamas podcast. We are two modern

Jess Gaertner: mamas here to inspire, empowerment, self love, deep physical and spiritual

Laura Bruner: nourishment, holistic health, open minds, and joy, no matter your journey or perspective. I'm Laura of Radical Roots. I'm a certified CrossFit trainer, certified nutrition consultant, and mama to [00:01:00] Evie Wilder and Indie Bow.

Laura Bruner: I love outdoor adventure, good food, especially sourdough. And mindful

Jess Gaertner: movement. And I'm Jess of Hold the Space Wellness. I am a Level 1 CrossFit trainer, a licensed and certified athletic trainer with a Masters in Kinesiology, and Mama Tiberian Camille. I love food, trying new things, creating art, and being a perpetual learner.

Jess Gaertner: Please note that while we're here to provide advice and insights, we aren't medical practitioners, and always recommend that you check with a trusted provider before implementing any changes. Thanks for joining us. We're so happy you're here. Good morning! Hi Did you ever watch that movie? Sorry again, just jumping right in.

Jess Gaertner: It was really old It was Robin Williams and it was I think it was called Good Morning Vietnam. Do you remember that

Laura Bruner: movie? No, I tend to I have like a very very very deep fear of war To get heavy real quick. And so I tend to steer clear of pretty much all war movies [00:02:00]

Jess Gaertner: Well, I don't think I've ever watched it only when I was like, like a kid, like maybe Cammy or Bear's age, but I remember that line because obviously it's like famous.

Jess Gaertner: Good morning, Vietnam. Anywho. Okay, we're getting real deep off of that. I thought that was a safe question to like steer us away from.

Laura Bruner: I think I was, I like literally traumatized at around 9 11. I remember having like some pretty severe panic attacks and horrible, horrible, horrible nightmares. And, excuse me, I love my mom dearly, but I don't think she handled that day well.

Laura Bruner: So, and I think she handled the best that she could in that moment and she did what she thought was best. But it. I mean, just, it's garbage, so, here

Jess Gaertner: we are. Let's put a pin in that. Maybe we can reopen that. A pin in it another day. At a later time when you're ready.

Laura Bruner: Happy almost Thanksgiving. I know. You'll be listening to this the day before.

Laura Bruner: Yeah. If you listen the day it airs,

Jess Gaertner: [00:03:00] of course. Yeah, it's the 16th currently. And I feel like, do you want to jump in and yeah, I might wake

Laura Bruner: up and I'm unexpectedly solo again. Yeah. A lot has happened. It's funny because I was like thinking about last week's episode and I just really love how this podcast is basically a ongoing journal for you and I like a diary of where we're at in life, you know, and, and I was thinking about this morning, it's like.

Laura Bruner: You know, like I, I've been better, but I've also been worse with far fewer hard things happening at once, you know, so it's not necessarily like the number of things thrown at us at any given time, but it's more like the mental headspace, the place that we're at. when we have to receive them. And so I am doing all right, but in a very different place, as far as the world around me, my own bubble of a world, compared to last week.

Laura Bruner: Because I know, like, last week I was like, man, I'm having moments of balance and all of that. But, so basically, We found out, I [00:04:00] think, later that day, after recording, which it just felt like this gut check, like, oh, you're finding some balance, okay, you're settling into a slow season, looking forward to the holiday, cool.

Laura Bruner: But see, excuse me, got sent to North Carolina for two weeks. He's there now, he will be missing Thanksgiving, which is like, truly, I mean, it, it parallels Christmas in terms of how much I love it. The food, the family, like. And we had really intentionally planned a Thanksgiving just us four to kind of make up for a summer where we spent so much time apart.

Laura Bruner: And I got a turkey from U. S. Wellness Meats, like, was planning on the whole menu, but like, you know, simplified a little bit to our family, and then we have our tradition of the next day, going and getting a tree and packing sandwiches, and I was just really looking forward to all of it. And, excuse me one second.

Laura Bruner: So. Anyways, he found that out, and if I had gotten that news, like, even a month prior, I probably would have had a very, very hard time. But, I mean, ultimately, the [00:05:00] money is good. He, I could tell when he told me, like, he was bummed, but he was also excited. Hmm. To go fight fires in a different state, in a different way, and out there, it's just different.

Laura Bruner: And they, like, fight fire with fire, to kind of, like, redirect the fires and stuff, and I know that he was excited for one more. He had thought he was gonna get another one, and then... Set out to Canada and then he didn't go and so I was like, okay, I can do this, but I knew for certain that I Did not want to spend Thanksgiving alone with the girls I love them dearly and they love my cooking but not in the way that this holiday deserves and I, like for me, it's like I would, I would have loved the just the four of us.

Laura Bruner: But even that, like, I really love to cook for and eat with and gather with people that I love. This year I was like super content to just have it BS for, but I knew that in the years to come. Anyway, so I called my mom, like, what are you guys doing? You know? And she knew that we typically, it's a hard no travel on holidays.[00:06:00]

Laura Bruner: They were going down, my sister just moved to Santa Barbara, and they were going to go do a big Thanksgiving at my aunt's house, and she offered to help with flights. I was like, okay, let's do it. So we started, I do like, you know, me like, head down, dive into all the logistics. Within like, three hours, I've got everything planned.

Laura Bruner: She's got, we've got the flights booked. I, it's all planned out. My parents, get this, they are Renting a van, like a Homer van, and giving a trial run because they're thinking maybe in retirement they're going to do the van thing. I'm sitting here like, um, I love them so much, like, I'm just, I'm not even going to say what I, what I think, I'm just going to let, let, let this unfold.

Laura Bruner: But they rented one for the Thanksgiving and they're going to drive it down and like sleep outside my sister's house. Which I'm still just like, I'm just trying to just like, embrace it. Support them. I think it is so cool. And I'm so curious. I'm

Jess Gaertner: just so curious. I think it's, it's really wise to try it out.

Jess Gaertner: Do a test run. Yes.

Laura Bruner: Totally. And so anyway, so they're doing that and so there are cars [00:07:00]available. And so they were going to pick me up from the airport with the girls. They were going to fly in on Tuesday. Spend some time with friends real quick in Santa Cruz and then drive down to Santa Barbara and I booked an Airbnb because there was nowhere that I felt like was super.

Laura Bruner: I know I've learned now and you can listen back to the episode where I talked about our trip down to Santa Barbara in the summer that like we just need, we need our space. Evie desperately needs her space. I'm learning that I do as well. We need a space. It's just ours to like recoup and then social recoup and then social.

Laura Bruner: So I got us an Airbnb. It was relatively affordable, but I mean for. It was going to be Wednesday, Thursday, Friday night, three nights in Santa Barbara by the water. Like not, not cheap. And then paying for gas and all this stuff. So anyways, I was really excited and I was going to spend Thanksgiving morning at my sister's prepping all the food and get that quality time with her.

Laura Bruner: We were going to go out with my cousins the night before. Anyways I'm excited for the trip, but also then I've got a Book like find a dog boarder because none of our friends are available to watch our dogs over Thanksgiving find a dog boarder and like take the dogs and we meet them and we tour and [00:08:00] it's like more money and then paying for Parking at the airport and I'm like what the hell rusty is spending two plus weeks away from us in North Carolina Basically to pay for this trip.

Laura Bruner: Hmm and with this trip That means then we were planning on going in February 1st birthday, and we probably wouldn't be able to do that And so I'm kind of sitting there like, this is going to be lovely, it really is, like I miss my sister dearly, but it's also flying over the holiday, and so I'm like oscillating back and forth between, okay, this is good, it's, I'm grateful, like I'm grateful my mom offered, I get to be with family, you know, I'm, I was going to bring some willow, and then I'm oscillating and the universe is like, hey, let me help you out, so then Monday, We had a beautiful Friendsgiving over the weekend.

Laura Bruner: It was so much fun. And then come Sunday, I'm like, feeling like a little bit off by midday. And this is the day that Rusty leaves. So noon, he's out the door. But I see you in 18 days, kind of thing. Two travel days on either end of a two week stint. And then like, Sunday evening rolls around, and I made a big pot of soup.

Laura Bruner: And I don't know if [00:09:00] it's like, I had a couple glasses of wine last night and ate some like, apple pie. You know, maybe I'm just feeling a little off. I'm just tired. Amen. Like, Monday morning rolls around, I'm like, nope, mine never matter, I'm still gonna like, do a little workout, and I'm gonna go about my day, and then Monday, midday rolls around, and I am like, full on, like, fever, aches, headache, full body chills, like, just so sick, so sick.

Laura Bruner: I had a meeting with my boss, I'm at my standing desk, like, mine never matter, I'm good, I'm good. And I, like, I literally almost, I felt like I was gonna pass out. So I get off that call, I went and I just laid down, curled under a blanket. Thankfully, our friends on Mondays pick Evie up and walk her home.

Laura Bruner: They live just right behind us. They're our best friends in town. We love them. Their daughter is Evie's best friend in the whole world. She'll say that over and over and over again. And then their 10 year old comes over every Thursday, hangs with Indie, like, just incredible people. We spent my birthday with them.

Laura Bruner: And then they're dropping Evie off and he's [00:10:00] like, what do you guys got going for Thanksgiving? I know Rusty's gone. I'm like, well, we're, you know, we're going down to California. I didn't want to be alone. He's like, You know, his mother, his mom comes from November to March every year, and they own a house here, and they're here half the year, and then Pennsylvania the other half.

Laura Bruner: And he's like, we're having, we love her. Evie loves her. He's like, we're having Thanksgiving at Nan's. Do you want to come? I just want to make sure that I extend that invitation. And I'm sitting there like, Everything in my body was like, do that, do that. I can cook food in my own kitchen, I don't have to travel over the holiday.

Laura Bruner: And so I sat with it, I wasn't super reactive, but I was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna be honest, that is insanely tempting and I am so grateful for the offer. So then they leave and he texts me and he's like, I just want you to know that the offer stands. And also, the day after Thanksgiving, they, they take a ferry to Vashon Island, which is an island just like kind of off our peninsula.

Laura Bruner: Hey, man, stop shaking your head, dude. And I got to meet their really good friends on my birthday, went to Humahum Oyster Farm. Their friends were there too. We all hung out. It was very easy. Like, adored her. She was [00:11:00] great. Her daughters played with mine. It was so lovely. They do a huge Friendsgiving on their organic farm on this island on Friday.

Laura Bruner: And he's like, and you're also more than welcome to come to that. And I mean, you know me, like I was like, Oh my gosh. So and they have cabins on the farm. We're going to stay in one of the cabins, stay the night, do the whole thing. I've been a Vashon in years and I love it and it's like with some of our best friends in the world now that have become family to us, you know, they've supported us through every season like with Indy and anyway, so all that to say, I called my mom and I was like, here's the deal and she was like, just stay, she could tell and you know, and, and I think in some ways it's like easier for her, she gets to go do the like you know, the holiday thing with her sisters and not have to worry.

Laura Bruner: And I, she loves my daughters more than I could ever say, but there's also sometimes a pull between like being a sister and like holiday mode with her sisters is a little bit different than grandma mode with my girls. And you can probably understand why. And [00:12:00] so I imagine for her, I'm sure she's bummed, but she also, they're coming two weeks later and booked an Airbnb and we're staying on Bainbridge Island with them.

Laura Bruner: We're going to have really quality, intimate time, just us with them. And so I feel like this is kind of for the best, like we'll save our trip. I got a flight credit. We're going to use it in February, go for Rusty's birthday, go as a family, spend more time with our friends in Santa Cruz. Not to travel over a major holiday, let me just be home and like I get to bake and cook in my own kitchen and then walk, walk down the street to our friend's house and have Thanksgiving with them and then spend a night on our like a lovely island and and then be back in time for the tree lighting downtown and just really be immersed in our community.

Laura Bruner: And for me, it was such a reminder that this is, you know, I really want to be here for this time of year and like do the things. And so anyway, just through all this, I'm like sick as hell. So Monday it hit. And, I mean, just like severs, and I'm supposed to teach a sourdough workshop on Tuesday. And you're

Jess Gaertner: supposed to, like, this past Tuesday.

Jess Gaertner: That

Laura Bruner: just happened. Yeah. Okay. Yes. And so things are progressing and I'm [00:13:00]like, I, you know, me, I'm like, I got this, I will be fine by tomorrow, I'm going to supplement this thing out of my body. And Monday evening rolls around and I texted the gals at the shop where I do it and I was like, I don't think this can happen.

Laura Bruner: And they're like, I mean, yeah, first of all, your health, second of all, passing this, it's a smaller room, 15 people. Touching food, you know, I had to cancel last minute and the next availability they have in the space is in January. Thankfully, everyone was so understanding. I only had one, two people had to cancel because they are coming for the holidays from out of state.

Laura Bruner: And so they won't be here. But then I refilled those spots pretty quick. So, but then my friend who does the charcuterie for these events. I'd already made 15 little charcuterie plates. No. So they delivered them to my house and my, one of my best friends here who was the midwife's assistant at Indy's birth just had a baby and I had been scheduled to give her, like make her a meal this week.

Laura Bruner: And I'm like, again, I don't really feel comfortable cooking for her with a brand new baby. So I was like, hey, I got a [00:14:00] bunch of charcuterie and she's got four kids now. Um, That's like perfect for kids. Yes. And so I drove them over yesterday. I dropped off six of them. And her kids were outside. They were so thankful and so excited to each have their own.

Laura Bruner: And she, her husband had gone back to work that day. And she's like, it was my breakfast. Thank you. Aww. And I mean, they're super nice. Like she does the fancy cheeses and like there's fruit in there. And I do it without any crackers or anything because I usually bring my own bread. So I also had a frozen loaf pre sliced in the freezer.

Laura Bruner: Made before I got sick. So I brought that as well. So they had like sourdough and charcuterie so that felt good And then I we have friends who help us every day bringing Evie walking her home from school. So all week I've been just giving friends charcuterie plates as like a thank you. That's amazing.

Laura Bruner: That's all good, too So, I mean it's all working out And I'm okay today. I feel I've been making my boosted coffee every morning in the past three days in a row. I've been like, what am I? I don't, I don't, I want nothing to do with this. I'll take two sips and be like, Oh, but this morning I'm sipping it happily.

Laura Bruner: So

Jess Gaertner: that's usually a sign. I [00:15:00] feel like I get the same way with like coffee and stuff when I don't feel like

Laura Bruner: I'm messed up. And I'm, I am curious if it's because I've been potentially over supplementing it. You know, different like herbal cough syrups and drops and tinctures and probably a little too much for my gut.

Laura Bruner: So today I'm going back to just like my usual lineup and I take plenty, you know, but I'm just like, you know, I'm like, I'm going to just beat this thing. And so I've also just really surrendered. I've done my morning flow, kind of like a pared down version, have not fitness at all. I've gone after very short walks because everybody's different.

Laura Bruner: And I know personally, even in the early days postpartum, like I just don't do well. Just laid out like in my body. I feel almost feel like it's the sickness settles in me And so I've just gotten out fresh air I'd love to have a toddler who will literally bounce off the wall that I don't get her outside So it's been a good balance of like surrendering to it.

Laura Bruner: If you've gotten home from school Indy's been a fighting nap. And so it's like right when I get her down for a nap And then it's like, Evie's getting home, so I'm not getting that time, but I'm actually ahead [00:16:00] in work right now for CrossFit. I've been like, pretty much off social media and like, not really doing radical root stuff because I don't have the mental, creative energy for that, but Evie gets home from school and she's basically spent, she's so sweet.

Laura Bruner: I'm like, sweetie, can, can we watch some Gilmore Girls? Cause it's like my comfort, like, it heals me. And so she gets home from school and we just like hunker on the couch and I work from my computer and she eats her lunch that she never actually eats at school. And we watch Gilmore Girls, like a couple hours of Gilmore Girls.

Laura Bruner: And then Indy wakes up and you know, we go about our evening. So we've also done four nights in a row of dinner and a movie. Which I never do. I'm like adamant about like, we sit down at the table, but I'm like, eh, it's fine. It's fine. So in some ways, like, again, the silver lining of it all, it sucks being sick without rusty hair.

Laura Bruner: Absolutely sucks. But it's also allowed me, forced me to surrender to just like, how many easy buttons can I push? And I think it's been good for them in many ways. We're just like slow the hell down. There's more screen time and it's fine. Everyone's [00:17:00] fine. You know, so that's the latest today. What? It's Thursday.

Laura Bruner: Hoping I've got like fun plans and stuff this weekend, but I'm also they're all tentative. I'm like, I'm not going to force it. It took me a couple days, but I'm gonna Rest again today and then hopefully by tomorrow, I can like do a little fitness again and slowly build up and

Jess Gaertner: like, uh, It's like the

Laura Bruner: worst week ever.

Laura Bruner: There's Black Friday stuff and whatever but I'm like, ah, it is what it is. Etsy orders are coming in I'm still waffling between whether I want to do an Etsy Black Friday sale or not. You know, there's already overhead I make very little from my shop, but it's also a time of year, you know, so I will see if I launch one, know that I thought about it and it was very intentional and it's probably not going to be a huge percent off, but, so yeah, the beta counter sales go in and this is the least stressed about it.

Laura Bruner: I've ever been in orders are coming in. It's an awesome deal. I still need to make my order, but just take it some deep breaths and. Really focusing on like the holiday and not and like the season [00:18:00] and again this this for slowdown It's been kind of good and we have a lovely Thanksgiving to look forward to better to be sick now than next week Yeah, so oh my gosh, that's it.

Laura Bruner: Lots of good amongst. I like this is shitty But my immune system is getting stronger and rusty, you know, I don't he doesn't think he'll come home early But in the off chance he gets let off early Because let's say, like, everything is dead, there's no fire. I was thinking, like, I can't imagine him coming home early, like, in time for Thanksgiving and then us being in California.

Laura Bruner: Mm, mm, mm. So, and then we're having to, like, shift gears a little bit. We have our, you know, Thanksgiving weekend tradition, going and getting our tree and all that. And the hard part is, I was like, let's just push back to the following weekend, but he's working across that seminar in Tacoma, so he'll be gone.

Laura Bruner: And you know, we can't go get a tree after he gets off work because it's late and dark. And so I think the girls and I maybe will get a tree this Sunday after Thanksgiving. I mean, just the three of us, we'll pack sandwiches and, like, do the thing. And then we'll get it set up and then one of the evenings when he gets home from work, like that Monday or Tuesday or whatever, we'll spend the evening just doing our thing and like Christmas music and hot [00:19:00] cocoa and decorating and it'll be lovely and there's wiggle room and there's flex and it's about the energy that we bring to it, not the specific music.

Laura Bruner: You know. Timing. Yes. Yes. Yeah. So I'm excited and I'm grateful and I can't believe that Thanksgiving is in one week. That just blows my damn mind.

Jess Gaertner: I know. That's bananas. Oh my gosh. I just, the whole time we're talking, I'm like thinking of that, like you can't always get what you want, but you get what you need.

Jess Gaertner: Cause it's like. Again, right? Yeah. It's like, okay. It's kind of like this roller coaster of like, okay, Rosie. Okay, we're doing Thanksgiving. Like, this is what we're doing there. Bessie's gone. And then what are we going to do? We're going to California. And then no, we're not going to go to California. We're going to stay here.

Jess Gaertner: And then like, it's just, but like you said, there's so many, not to like minimize the hard part, but like, there's so many silver linings. Yeah. I'd much rather be sick now. I'd much rather be home in case Rusty does get to come home, like, you know, and like traveling with two kids. I mean, that's [00:20:00] solo, like you've done it.

Jess Gaertner: Obviously you're a champ at it and you can do it, but like, you know, it's like if you don't have to and you can, you know, make things a bit easier. Like, why not? You know,

Laura Bruner: totally. Yeah, it feels, it feels right. I feel like this is how it's supposed to pan out and I just wish I didn't spend so much energy. I cried at the dog boarder yesterday.

Laura Bruner: I don't know what I was thinking, but so, I'm still gonna use them when, over Thanksgiving, a much shorter stint. It'll be way more affordable. And we just wanted to like dial them in for the future and they're great, but we had to do a trial night. And no one mentioned paying for this trial night, and I don't know why in the world I would think it wouldn't come at a cost.

Laura Bruner: Right. Like, that's silly, but my brain is, I'm tired, and I'm sick, and like, foggy, and I'm stressed. So I show up yesterday, and in the morning, I was supposed to pick up in the morning yesterday, but I had to work, like, a call, and so I was like, okay. I called them, I'm like, hey, can I come by in the afternoon?

Laura Bruner: They're like, yeah, no problem, we're super flexible. Didn't mention that it would be an extra like 40 [00:21:00] bucks, 50 for the longer stay, so I show up to pick them up and they tell me the amount and I'm like, and they only take cash or check, and I'm like, listen, this might be ridiculous, but I didn't know that this was going to cost anything, and I don't have any cash or check with me.

Laura Bruner: And I also didn't know that calling this morning that there was going to be an extra charge, and I started crying. And then it was like, the kids were in the car, you know, and like, it's raining, and I'm like, I, I, I, this, I've hit a, it's not you, I've hit a limit, I've hit a limit. Yeah, yeah. And the gal was so kind, she's like, just pay.

Laura Bruner: When you bring them on Wednesday and don't worry about the extra fee for today or whatever like that bonus time. Yeah, I'm up later I was like, thank you. I like I I just I know and I you know I was very short and I probably probably means I need a longer bigger cry and I'm sure it will come Right now, I, I genuinely feel okay, and I did, I've had a couple, like, moments of, like, hitting a limit with the girls and just exiting the bedroom and going and [00:22:00] sitting in the bathroom for a minute to breathe and coming back and apologizing, et cetera, but parenting sick is hard, you know, it's like, and Evie has been just so sweet, and they've both been, I mean, they've been great.

Laura Bruner: I can tell that Indy's starting to get a little stir crazy, so... I'm gonna try and get her out today, but they're wonderful and the day, so we're doing our gratitude leaves. So every single day before leading up to Thanksgiving, I, you know, I cut, cut these leaves out and we hang them on twine above our window.

Laura Bruner: And every day we each write one thing I write, we each say one thing we're grateful for. And the day that I made the shift from California to staying here, she was oscillating between disappointment and excitement. Hmm. And I don't know, I expected her to be just like over the moon, but she was really about staying.

Laura Bruner: But she was really bummed about not seeing my sister. And, and so I was caught off guard and I was like, what the heck, you know, like, I thought you're gonna be pumped, you know, and I gave her some space and I was like, you feel however you need to feel. Then we come around that evening to the leaves and her, the thing she was grateful for was good [00:23:00] decisions.

Laura Bruner: And she said it was for the choice that I made to stay. I was like, you just needed some space. And I get that, like that initial disappointment. I'm like, I was disappointed too, you know, we can feel those two things at once, like excitement and, but it took her a little time, but I think she ended up being really grateful.

Laura Bruner: Also. I just, I adore her. She's, she's, she's something

Jess Gaertner: else. She's a very mature little kiddo. Yeah. Like very wise.

Laura Bruner: Very wise. Yeah. For her age. And so, yeah, I'm grateful. And she misses her dad and we've been FaceTiming and, and it's, it's, it's good and it's hard and all the things and this is just so unexpected.

Laura Bruner: And the summer was so hard on her with him gone and I think this really, she was like, what, I thought we were done. And I worry about like our, her trust and that she gets it. It's this, I was like, this caught us all by surprise, you know? Like, there's absolutely no more. And this, this is not likely to ever happen again.

Laura Bruner: It was very weird, but here we are.

Jess Gaertner: North Carolina, that's like, I feel like, very random.

Laura Bruner: It's all random. And our new nanny that's been helping us, who's phenomenal, her and her partner, now, we haven't seen them in [00:24:00] two weeks because they both got COVID and have been out of the loop. And so we're going to get to reunite next week, which will be lovely, but they're from there, like in the hit where he basically chose between moving his practice to basically right in the heart of where these fires are or coming out here.

Laura Bruner: And so she's like, we've been watching these fires and they're so grateful for Rusty for being out there. It's very, it's like a small world thing, you know? Yeah. So bizarre. Anyways, that's the latest here. How are you? And I feel like it'd be kind of fun to finish this episode with. One thing that we're each really grateful for.

Laura Bruner: Oh, yeah, totally. I'd love to hear.

Jess Gaertner: Yeah. Well, thanks for the update I feel like I've been again, like I haven't I didn't know all the back and forth Yeah,

Laura Bruner: I haven't shared it much on it's I've been a little cryptic on social media cuz I knew I'd have this space to share and I don't, I don't need to share everything out there, you know,

Jess Gaertner: well, I'm just I'm, I'm grateful.

Jess Gaertner: Yeah, I'm grateful that you have a plan and that it feels good and that things are on the up and up with your health and hopefully the girls that are, you [00:25:00] know, remain healthy and all that. So just going to continue to prepare you guys and send you good vibes. Thank you. I can feel

Laura Bruner: the love from here.

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Jess Gaertner: Well over here in the Gertner household I'm trying to think a big a big thing that I mean, it's not big but I mean It's a news share worthy is that we have decided so I think the last episode I was like, maybe we'll go To my dad's families for Thanksgiving, because long story short, for the most part, we've, we've pretty much stayed since the kids were born were like, Okay, we're not going anywhere for any holidays like ever, which might be a little bit selfish, but at the same time, it just felt really right for us.

Jess Gaertner: Like we all don't travel well in terms of like car driving, you know, there's like We just all, it's just, you know, and then when Bear was little, he was like a scream crier in the car. And it's just like, we're a little bit like small t traumatized by like car trips. And so it's been a while for us to like, just wrap our minds around like, can we do like a long car ride?

Jess Gaertner: So anyways, so we've mostly [00:27:00] stayed in town. Tim's, like, family that's here in San Antonio usually hosts Thanksgiving, including his mom. But this year it's just different. Like, there was some plans for some of those, that part of the family to, like, go elsewhere, out of state. And so then we were kind of like, what are we going to do?

Jess Gaertner: And those plans fell through. Everyone ended up staying here, but at this, like, kind of last minute, people were like, who's hosting? And so there was like, no. And his mom is like, is working over Thanksgiving week. And so. You know, she's not really got the capacity to like take charge and like I, I'm just not quite ready to like take the reins on like a big family dinner yet, especially don't have the capacity this year to kind of be in charge for that.

Jess Gaertner: So anyways, Tim and I were chatting and my grandma is actually still alive. It's our only great grandparent that's still alive. She is like. She's just incredible. This is my dad's mom and they all live in North Texas, like so far north. It's like [00:28:00] almost Oklahoma. And so it is quite the trek for us. I mean, it's going to be a lot of time in the car, especially with Thanksgiving travel up I 35, which is like, just kind of goes straight from south to north Texas.

Jess Gaertner: It's a very, very, very busy route over holiday weekends. So, you know, we were thinking about it and I was like, you know, I really, and like our kids, we've never drove up there, like we've never spent a holiday since they were little, I don't think ever actually, Tim and I have been up there like when we first got married and stuff, but I was like, I really like to see my my grandma again.

Jess Gaertner: I mean, she's like 89. I think she's almost 90, you know, and she's still like I said, in great health. She's like strong as an ox. She's still working like she works at a daycare. She's worked there for like probably 50 years. And you know, that is so wild. Yeah, it's wild. I mean, she is just so active. Every time I see her, I'm like, you look exactly the same.

Jess Gaertner: And I honestly think it's the, the fact that she keeps, [00:29:00] she's still working and active. Yeah. That, that keeps her just moving along. So That's amazing. Yeah. I really love, oh grandma. Yeah. She's awesome. My Meemaw Mary, that's what we've always called her. But anyways, I really want her to like get some time with the kids and I really want to obviously see her.

Jess Gaertner: I spent many a summer up there with them when I was little. And so we, my sister Sam normally goes up there too with her two kids, my niece and nephew, well three kids actually now. Neat two nieces and a nephew. And so we kind of like chatted about it and decided we were going to make the trip. So we are driving to it's Collinsville.

Jess Gaertner: It's the tiniest little town. I was like, and there's like no place for us to stay. So my sister, they had already planned and like, they're going to stay at my aunt's house. And I mean, it's just like a lot of people. And, and Tim is like very much alike, kind of like you were mentioning, like we need our own, like he wants his own space.

Jess Gaertner: He definitely does not want to be like sharing one bathroom with like 10 people in the house. [00:30:00] And I don't either, frankly, but like, we were like, is there even a place to stay in Collinsville? Because literally it's like a one, it's like a one horse town. Like there is not a lot going on in Collinsville.

Jess Gaertner: Love it. It's delightful. Very sleepy, but we found like probably the only Airbnb in Collinsville and we booked it and it's like really close to my aunt's house. We could probably walk there. And so we're going to go up there. We're going to stay for a couple days and then come back. So Wednesday through Friday, so we'll go up Wednesday, it's going to be like kind of a whirlwind trip, stay for Thursday, come back Friday, just because we do also want to kind of like, you know, the kids are off for that whole week.

Jess Gaertner: Just spend some time like together as a family. But I'm excited and like my nieces and nephews are excited. Like there's a whole bunch of kids up there like cousins and nephews. Yeah. Stuff like that. So it's going to be really fun. And usually it's like colder, obviously, the more North you get, the colder it's going to be, but usually they have like a winter weather that far [00:31:00] North.

Jess Gaertner: And so it's going to be fun. I'm, I'm excited. I know the car ride is going to be a little touch and go. Like I said, I think we're going to try these glasses that I heard about. I need to like actually Amazon them probably right now, but like there are these weird glasses that you wear. That like help with motion sickness.

Jess Gaertner: So someone recommended them to me, Oh, like probably a year ago. And so I think we're going to snag a couple pairs of those and see how they go. Tim obviously can't wear them because he'll be driving for the most part. But we'll get some for the fam. See if that helps and check on up there. Have some family time and then come home.

Jess Gaertner: For the weekend, but that's kind of our plan for Thanksgiving and then I'm hopefully I may have to do like one recipe on Monday, but my plan is to take all of next week off. I've got a lot to get accomplished before that can actually like happen. And so I'm just kind of like holding that loosely, [00:32:00] but I really, really, really want some time.

Jess Gaertner: The kids will be home. I don't want to be just like trying to cram in a bunch of work during those days before we leave. I really just like, I mean there, and there's things I need to do like that I haven't like with the house. Like we're here to put the Halloween decorations, get out some of the like Christmas stuff.

Jess Gaertner: Like, I want to get our advent stuff out, like, I want to, you know, do some Christmas shopping of our own, like, I just want to, like, kind of relax and, and be a mom and, like, be the, like, person that runs the house for a little bit versus just, like, cranking out work and, and Tim has done such an incredible job of kind of, like, Taking a lot of that off my plate.

Jess Gaertner: It's just, it's just wild. And I'm so grateful for him. I think he also is getting some like new perspective on like a lot of the things that I like was doing just like, you know, kind of like that invisible workload where you're just like, okay, we're, we're making doctor's appointments. We make [00:33:00] sure that the school pictures are like on the calendar.

Jess Gaertner: We're making sure that like, um, who's going to call to schedule the school tours, like who's gonna, uh, You know, a rocket, the windshield, like who's going to call to, like, have them come out and like, check out and, you know, like, make sure that the windshield's not broken, like all these things that I was just like doing.

Jess Gaertner: And it's not because like Tim was like, well, I'm not doing it. It was just because I was taking that on willingly, semi willingly. I don't know, just like I chose to do that. And now that I don't have the space, I'm literally like my response. If he's like, we need to have, for instance, like we need to have a meeting about tech stuff.

Jess Gaertner: And like, we need to do, you know, X, Y, Z with tax stuff. I'm like, I'm happy to help. I cannot take the lead on that. But if you tell me exactly what you need me to do, it's almost like the reverse where he would be like, tell me what you need me to do. And I get it now to some extent, like, tell me what you need me to do and I'll do it.

Jess Gaertner: But like, I can't plan, like I can't take on the [00:34:00] mental energy of like being responsible for that. And so he has been like, he's, he's just, just incredible. I am so grateful for him. And this is alongside like working some projects that he's been getting. And so I'm just so grateful that we are a team that we are just like, you know, we're rock solid.

Jess Gaertner: Like that doesn't mean that we're like. We, without our challenges or our stats or, you know, all of the things that come along with being in partnership with someone, but like, we are just, we're good, like, we're good. We had our first date night in like a month. I mean, it had to have been like six months or more.

Jess Gaertner: I know we've done like little things where it's like, let's cook a steak in, which is lovely. But like, you know, the kids are home and it's not quite the same as like uninterrupted time out. And we went to one of our favorite restaurants and we had a gorgeous meal. And like both of our love languages is food.

Jess Gaertner: I mean like that's a major one. It's just like sharing really [00:35:00] good food together. And so we were just like the whole time because we just, that reminds me of a

Laura Bruner: question I've had for you. What? So y'all might hear her in the background. I was, this morning I was thinking about all the food. that you've been making for all these incredible photos is each side.

Laura Bruner: This is totally, it's a little bit of tangential, but for each. Also, so glad you got that time together. It's game changing. Mm hmm. But when you, when you make these, these shoots and stuff, is it a ton of food or is it like one little serving for the photos? And are you, is it, is it like feeding your family?

Laura Bruner: What do you do with it?

Jess Gaertner: Yeah, no, it's like, it's a real, it's the full recipe. And

Laura Bruner: so... Okay, that's what I would assume. Yeah, it's the... So it looks exactly

Jess Gaertner: like it will look. Yeah, it's the full recipe and it depends. It depends on what the food is. So, like, I made... It's sometimes we eat it and sometimes we give it away and we give away a lot of food like yesterday I made peanut butter oatmeal cookies and I'm like, I it's just like cookies on top of cookies on top of cookies and I'm like, I can't like I love cookies.

Jess Gaertner: Yeah, because it looks like

Laura Bruner: so many just

Jess Gaertner: delicious like [00:36:00] decadent treats. So yes, and they're, they're, they're obviously just. Gorgeous and just delicious, like you said. And so I, like, pack up a bunch. I give a lot to, like, the school, like, Bears teachers. I give a lot to, like, their class. I took, like, a bunch to Girl Scout the other day.

Jess Gaertner: Like, we had these, oh my god. And it's usually the ones where I'm like, if I have this in my house, I will eat the entire pan. And, like, I have a, like, I have some of everything that I make just because, like, you have to kind of taste things as you go. But like some of the things I'm like, I don't need to eat a whole can of Oreo bars.

Jess Gaertner: I actually need to eat it. I might not feel well if I do that. I actually need to eat a meal and that's, I'm finding myself like, that's happening a lot where it's like three o'clock and I'm like, the only thing I've eaten is bites of this Oreo bar and like no protein and no vegetables and no fruit. So I, long answer, semi short, I give away a lot.

Jess Gaertner: I keep things that I feel like are really like nourishing. So a lot of my clients too, it's like. [00:37:00] Whole foods like nourishing like soups and stews and stuff like that. So I'll keep what I think like we will eat or I will eat and then I give away a lot of the rest. I'm actually looking I ended up having to throw away some stuff that I really don't want to do.

Jess Gaertner: And so I'm always looking for people, like one of our neighbors, a couple streets down, I'm like, can I, like, this is really weird, but like, can I start bringing you food? She's like, of course. So anyways, I love that. I hate

Laura Bruner: wasting

Jess Gaertner: food. It's like, it kills me. It literally, and like, every time I'm just like, are you sure you don't want to eat this?

Jess Gaertner: Like, are you sure? I

Laura Bruner: like trying to force feed Rusty. Like, eat this.

Jess Gaertner: So we've had, we had like, for instance, like I made this classic green bean casserole with like the french fried onions on top and that doesn't keep well, like, hi Indy, so it's like, okay, we ate what we can and then we have to like dispose of the rest, but yeah, but I was like, so [00:38:00]part of it, part of the sad part for me though, is because I'm doing so much cooking for work at the end of the day, right?

Jess Gaertner: Like food. It's almost like I'm in this place where food is losing. It's like beauty and like it's specialness to me. Especially food

Laura Bruner: you have to prepare. Whereas when you went out to dinner with Tim and like you didn't have to touch an ingredient. Yes. You just got to eat it. I bet that was almost

Jess Gaertner: extra special.

Jess Gaertner: Oh my God. It was so decadent. I was like, Oh, we had like, and we had like escargot for appetizer. It was like really special food. But, you know, part of that conversation over dinner was like, it's just, I, cooking is like how I also, like you said, I, I like to cook for people. I like to share food. I like, it's a way I show love and like, usually in the past, like our Sabbath meals, it's like these big elaborate meals that I really enjoy like spending time on.

Jess Gaertner: And right now in this season, it's like, I don't want to cook. At the end of the day, I'm like, I can not. It's almost, it's this [00:39:00] weird thing where I'm spending, like, my days preparing all this food, and then at the end of the day, like, I'm feeding my family, like, chicken nuggets. Which, there's nothing wrong with that.

Jess Gaertner: Like, there's nothing wrong with that. Like, you do what you gotta do in the season that you're in, they're getting protein. Ours are, are a little bit higher quality, like gluten free chicken nuggets, you know, whatever, whatever I tell myself to make myself feel better, but like at the end of the day, I'm like, I just, I don't have it in me and it feels sad if I'm being totally honest, because like, that's not, that's not like normal for me, so I'm just hoping that I, again, like maybe Maybe in 2024, get a little margin with how much work that I'm doing so that I can step back into cooking for, like, pleasure.

Jess Gaertner: I don't know. I know a lot of people kind of would hear that sentence and be like, cooking for pleasure? What? Like, it's a chore. No way. Yeah, but for me, it's always been, I mean, I won't say always, but for the most part, it's, it's something I really love to do. Like, put on [00:40:00]some music, you know, open a glass of wine back in the day.

Jess Gaertner: Or whatever, and just like cook and enjoy it. And that's just a

Laura Bruner: happy place. Yeah. I feel like, you know, me liking my coffee this morning is an indicator that I'm feeling better. And for you. When you like cooking again, it'll be a sign that you're in better balance. Yeah, totally.

Jess Gaertner: 100%. So, I'm, I'm looking forward to that day.

Jess Gaertner: It's not right now, but that's okay. Well, we'll get there. Trying to think. Tim's birthday is on Saturday. We don't have a lot planned. Bear has a soccer tournament. It's his last soccer hoorah for, there's a little bit of break, and then we start back up in like, at the end of January. So I'm a little sad for him, but he's, you know, he's, he's like, I want to have a nice breakfast, you know, we'll do something where he loves Seinfeld, like he literally watches Seinfeld every day when he eats lunch, he watches an episode and I, I, in the past, like, I've never been a [00:41:00] fan of Seinfeld, like our whole marriage too.

Jess Gaertner: I'm like, I'm not watching this with you. I, yeah. And it's mostly, I'm sorry to offend anyone that like really loves Seinfeld, I cannot stand specifically George's character. I don't know if anyone's familiar with, I'm sure people know Seinfeld, it's like wildly popular. Seinfeld.

Laura Bruner: Yeah, it's like, um. I

Jess Gaertner: don't understand it.

Jess Gaertner: It's a very, yeah, and it's a show. They all annoy me. It's like a show about nothing. It's essentially what like Tim has told me in the past. And like all the characters, it's intentionally made this way, like they're very flawed. And like selfish and you know, there's just a lot going on there and I just, I particularly can't stand George and anyways, now because he watches it while he eats his lunch, I will like chuckle and laugh and I like Jerry like he's fine anyways, but Tim is obsessed, favorite, favorite show ever.

Laura Bruner: Isn't that interesting? It's

Jess Gaertner: very, very interesting. Okay, how about, how about The Office? I love The Office. He Did it take you Did you dive in quick? It took me No, it took me a [00:42:00] while.

Laura Bruner: We tried the first episode three different times and I was like, it made my skin crawl. And then it just gets

Jess Gaertner: better. Yeah.

Jess Gaertner: Love it. It took me a while. I was like, definitely like kind of eased into that. But I never got into Friends though either. So I feel like Oh, I love Friends. I've been watching that again. I know. And I feel like a lot of people People are like, you need to watch it. It's so good. And I feel like I would like it, but I don't know.

Jess Gaertner: I just like our family never watched it growing up. And so I kind of missed the initial, like, get, you know, get into it. So I remember laying on my parents

Laura Bruner: bed watching the season, like the series finale and crying so hard. And you know, they're, they're like, it's a bunch of flawed characters as well, but, and

Jess Gaertner: they, but they get better.

Jess Gaertner: Yeah. There's like development, right? There's like character development. Yeah.

Laura Bruner: I mean, there's like womanizer and like, CB's kind of, kind of like awful, especially to Ross. But then also they have, they all have, there's redeeming qualities as well. So I think it's a lot of like, yeah, they're imperfect because we're all imperfect, but.

Laura Bruner: Yeah. Yeah. I love it. And it's like, before things had to be super PC, which is also kind of [00:43:00] early. Anyways,

Jess Gaertner: well, on Seinfeld, sometimes I'm like, Ooh, you can't say that. You can not say that. So anyways, I'm just all over the place right now because for Tim's birthday, Seinfeld, he still does like stand up like occasionally.

Jess Gaertner: And so he's coming to San Antonio in February. And so we bought tickets for it. Like, just, I mean, Tim is just like over the moon. Like he Is so excited and I will laugh like I'm like Jerry's I like I like stand up. I've been watching a lot of it Like actually on Netflix, there's some like and it's like a little kind of like cleaner, right?

Jess Gaertner: Yeah, cuz I

Laura Bruner: know it signs it can get like real raunchy, but

Jess Gaertner: I know like it's like that's like good good clean fun Yeah, his is his is pretty pretty clean and the stuff I've been watching on Netflix has been pretty clean, too So anyways We're doing that for his birthday. So it's like kind of like anticlimactic on his actual birthday, but we're going to, obviously we're going to go out to lunch.

Jess Gaertner: My dad's coming to town for bear soccer game, and then we're going to go get some food [00:44:00] and all that. So we're doing that for his birthday. Oh my gosh, I'm just trying to think, anything major, I mean, my birthday's right around the corner, 40, and it's kind of wild, we don't have anything planned and I'm, I'm totally fine with that.

Jess Gaertner: Well, you

Laura Bruner: did have something planned. Well, we did,

Jess Gaertner: a little Kansas City, a little Kansas City action, but we're, so if you missed it on the podcast, did I show this here?

Laura Bruner: You did. We are going, I was here or Patreon,

Jess Gaertner: Patreon. We were, Tim planned a lovely surprise trip, we pivoted for a variety of reasons, and we're gonna go to Mexico in the summer.

Jess Gaertner: So, we actually need to like sit down and book that and get passports for the kids and all that stuff too. So, I'm really excited about that, like we're gonna go and then we're gonna kinda tell my family. Like, hey, we're going here. I don't, I'm like not planning a trip for everyone. Like people can plan their own thing, but like, if you want to come, we'll be here.

Jess Gaertner: Here's where we'll be. Here's the [00:45:00] times like all that. So it could be fun and do work is rocking and rolling, taking a week off. I'm trying to think of anything else important. We're still contemplating moving. Did I talk about that here or that with men have been just

Laura Bruner: Instagram? No, anything about this.

Laura Bruner: Well, I was like move here.

Jess Gaertner: Yeah, so I So the whole school thing for bear has really just got us like evaluating just everything Because the school, the two school options that we're going back and forth between here in San Antonio, they're both, San Antonio is actually huge. I think I mentioned this before.

Jess Gaertner: It's like a really big city and geographically it's very spread out. Like it's not a condensed population. It's just like a big geographical area with a lot of people. And so the two schools, Are it's a track like and and with the two kids, like Cammy's decided she wants to stay where she's currently at, which is totally fine and appropriate.

Jess Gaertner: And we [00:46:00] love that for her. And so we're going to be driving kids in essentially two different directions twice a day and the schools that bears considering they're far like I mean, it's it's definitely like right now it takes about 10 or 15 minutes to get to school. And it's going to probably be closer to like 45 minutes for bear.

Jess Gaertner: And so we're like, okay, so do we move and do we move here in San Antonio? Do we, and then we were like, well, if we're going to move. Like, why do we have to be in San Antonio, you know, let's start looking elsewhere. And they were looking at New Braunfels, which is a town close to us where our friends live.

Jess Gaertner: We've lived there before, lovely. And they're like, okay, well, like we can move literally anywhere. So then we're like, okay, well, where will we go? Like, and so it starts to spark this big conversation about the next phase of our lives. And, you know, kind of

Laura Bruner: better to make those decisions if you're going to move, like, [00:47:00] literally anywhere when the kids are this age versus, like, as they get into junior high and then high school, and that's a little more complicated.

Laura Bruner: Yeah,

Jess Gaertner: like, Bear's starting a new school, so he'd be starting a new school anywhere, you know, and so... I, I still don't know exactly what's going to happen. He may end up starting, we may postpone a big move like for the sixth grade year. So we may end up just choosing a school and kind of making it work next year, but it really has like sparked this discussion about timeline and like, you know, seeing where we want to go.

Jess Gaertner: Like, we've also really, really heavily contemplated Corpus, which is Tim's hometown. It's smaller. It's by the so part of what we want is we want to be able to be in nature in some form of nature, right? A little bit more readily than like here in San Antonio. And, you know, if Tim had his way, it would be mountain.

Jess Gaertner: But, you know, financially and just, you know, there's That would be literally starting over somewhere completely new for us, which is [00:48:00] fine. And I think if we choose that, we would, it would be such an adventure. But the consider that's, that's a consideration, obviously with corpus, it's still in Texas. It's still hot.

Jess Gaertner: We have family there. We have a lot of Tim's friends there, like his brother and my sister in law are down there. A lot of his friends from like high school and their families are still plugged in there. And it's smaller. The ocean is like literally right there. And I'm, I'm an ocean person, so it really draws, the draw is there for me and the kids.

Jess Gaertner: We'd love to live there. And so like, that's been a big part of our discussion. And so isn't cost of living a little less there? It's less there. Like, yeah, like the houses that we're looking at there, I mean, just like so much like price per square foot, comparatively speaking, like even here to San Antonio is just bananas.

Jess Gaertner: Like we can get a house, the pool and like. Three times the square footage of like a backhouse for a studio for like what we would have to like [00:49:00] for essentially like way less than what we would find here in like we wouldn't be able to do that here in San Antonio. And so I don't know. Tim was just there yesterday.

Jess Gaertner: My dad had a procedure in Corpus and Tim went down there to like help him and be with him or whatever. And he was like, sending me texts, he's like sitting by the bay, it's like a gorgeous day, and of course it's gorgeous now in the middle of November, because it's not hot, but like he's sitting outside, they had lunch like on the water, and he's like, I don't know, I could, I could see, I could see Corpest, so.

Jess Gaertner: Anyways, all that to say, it's a bit, it's going to be happening in the next year or so, because again, I've mentioned this before, this house, we love it, it's got so much character, the location is amazing, but it's just not a family friendly place right now for this stage in life, and so this house, I think what we're thinking, because we were like, do we sell this house?

Jess Gaertner: Like, how do we do that? The market is [00:50:00] horrible right now, and even the market for purchasing a home is horrible. So we might end up just renting this because it's such a great rental property because of its location, we might end up renting our house out and then renting wherever we move first, um, and then kind of waiting for the market to kind of settle before we sell and then buy.

Jess Gaertner: So anyways, not that I even wanted all the details of our lobby. I think

Laura Bruner: that's why people tune in.

Jess Gaertner: Well, I'm very excited to

Laura Bruner: hear this. I'm grateful that you were shared because I, I didn't know any of that. Yeah.

Jess Gaertner: So it's been like big discussions. We've been talking about it constantly. So we'll see just if y'all can keep us in your thoughts.

Jess Gaertner: I had posted a little question box about like, if you can move anywhere, where would you move? Got so many cool answers. North Carolina is like heavily on our list as well because of, you know, cost of living. I think it's going up a little bit, but probably about the same as like San Antonio. But there's mountains, there's seasons, a lot of people put, like, plugged in [00:51:00] North Carolina, like, or they said they would move there, or they just did, or they have, and they love it.

Jess Gaertner: So that's been there, like, a lot of, like, obviously, like, Western mountains, a lot of Pacific Northwest, a lot of, like, actual, like, Appalachian, like, Tennessee, that area. So, I don't know, I mean, we could go anywhere, and I think what would be wise is, like, maybe taking a couple, like, short trips to, like, our top places.

Jess Gaertner: And we're involving the kids, like, you know, it's, it's a family decision. Ultimately, obviously we'll make the decision because we're adults, but like. It's kind of fun to, like, involve our kids now that they're older and a lot of these things, like, what do you think, what are your feelings, like, what are you, where would you like to be, like, what are, what, what are you looking for, just to feel honestly, too, that they're, like, they feel like they're getting heard, because again, even if they tell us, you know, all of their thoughts, and we choose a different path, at least it's like, hey, we, we hear you, here's why we're choosing this path, Or, you know, if we agree, we're [00:52:00] like, we hear you.

Jess Gaertner: We agree. That's a great reason to make a decision. So, huh, lots of rambling, but like, those are the major things. I feel, I feel better in a lot of ways. I feel a lot less emotionally charged.

Laura Bruner: I'm so like very, very apparent in just your

Jess Gaertner: voice alone. Yes. I would say. Yeah. And I like thinking about that as I'm talking.

Jess Gaertner: I still am working too much. I'm still like over, over scheduled, over packed, over everything. Nothing's really changed, but I just I don't know. I'm just in a better place. It's a lot less emotional. So that feels good. And I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. Like, I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what's going to change or how it's going to change.

Jess Gaertner: But I do feel empowered and confident that like, this is not forever. And like, there's goodness coming in terms of like space and [00:53:00] rest and all that ahead. So yeah. Yeah, thanks everyone for like kind of, I don't know, y'all been along with me on this like kind of wild ride of ups and downs and it's been an emotional year, and I'm sure there's more to come, but I, you know, I'm just looking forward to what's next for the first time in a while, so.

Jess Gaertner: Ah, deep

Laura Bruner: breaths. Well, that's a relief for me to hear as well. And I don't know if the Pacific Northwest is at all on your radar, but. You know, that would make my life

Jess Gaertner: very happy. It's definitely on our radar. I think it's like one of those things we just, we've never really spent much time up there. So it's like, I really want to like have us all go and spend some time and see what it would be like.

Jess Gaertner: So, hey, we might be, you know, coming for a visit sooner rather than later. Let's,

Laura Bruner: as we kind of talked about like a year ago, we should, we should plan it as a work retreat. Yeah. Bring the fan. Yeah. We get an Airbnb. We do the thing. Yeah. Oh, it'll be so cool. And we could do Bainbridge [00:54:00] as our like. Meet Point, Airbnb spot, the place I'm staying with my parents the weekend of December 8th is, I stayed there with the Barbers last month.

Laura Bruner: I talked about that like during my birthday week and it's amazing and it would fit both our families beautifully and there's like a kid's room and an outdoor fire pit and you can walk to the beach. So I'm just dropping that here and maybe we shoot for, I don't know, January. Come get some weather. Okay.

Laura Bruner: You're like, get in it. It's not either like ice storm or... And say he gets some like it's moderate here. It's moderate.

Jess Gaertner: Okay. So just dropping that planting that seed. I feel like we

Laura Bruner: owe it to our families, seven, almost seven years later to like have a time where all of us, all eight of us come together and we spend time together.

Laura Bruner: You and I work a little bit. We also play.

Jess Gaertner: I like that. I'm like manifest. Yeah. Okay. Okay. All right. I'm gonna run that by Tim. Oh my gosh, I could just see, you know, who would be obsessed with Indy is Barrett.

Laura Bruner: I think that they would, I think she'd be just as obsessed with him.

Jess Gaertner: Like, he [00:55:00] loves babies. Like, he loves little kids.

Jess Gaertner: It's like, kind of, just, it's precious. Like, he, I just can see them.

Laura Bruner: I'm gonna cry. This old soul, like, loving Seinfeld, loving babies, oh my gosh, he's the best, I'm like, I just can't believe that our kids haven't met, like, that has to happen, so let's plug in January,

Jess Gaertner: perhaps, talk to Tim,

Laura Bruner: and we'll circle back and let you all know, because I know you'll be waiting at Beta Breast, and then we'll have a Pacific Northwest, Patreon meet up at some point in there.

Laura Bruner: Sounds fun. Ooh. Okay. Well, it's planned already. I say either January or March. Okay. Okay. Cool. All right. See you then. All right. All

Jess Gaertner: right. What are you grateful for? Okay. Grateful for. I am grateful for, the first thing that popped in my mind is my grandmother. I don't know why. I'm just grateful that I have a grandparent still alive and that I get to see her shortly.

Jess Gaertner: So. That's one of many things I'm grateful for, but that's the first one that came to mind. [00:56:00] What about you?

Laura Bruner: I am grateful for, I should have been thinking about this this whole time because I was the one that like said it, so many things, but I think the, my daughters and the ways that they have helped me to grow in my ability to flex and surrender because it served me so well.

Laura Bruner: It serves them, but it's also. Selfishly and not selfishly. It's important that we also grow in our own ways that help us, but it served me a lot through different life, life seasons this past year. Love it. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. If you celebrate and enjoy, I hope with, I just hope that everyone gets to enjoy some good food made with love with someone that they love.

Laura Bruner: Yes. That's my hope for you. And if that's not. Your, your reality this season, then we also, we see you and, and I can understand how hard it is. That was like a, like a deep gut punch that I, to potentially like have to do it alone. And some people maybe prefer that. And that's also funny to my mother in [00:57:00] law.

Laura Bruner: I was like, I actually like the holidays alone. So whatever you're needing in this season, I hope that you get it in some

Jess Gaertner: way or another. Absolutely. Love you guys.

Laura Bruner: Love you. Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving. And we'll

Jess Gaertner: chat with you soon. Bye.

Jess Gaertner: Thanks for listening to our podcast. See you next time. Bye.[00:58:00]