Today we are going to be going through a list of questions that our daughter Emily has for us. 

Yes, we are. 

But some of them are going to be about who we were before we were parents. 

Yikes. 

And some will be more recent. 

Okay. 

Welcome to the Beautiful View podcast, where we encourage you to look for opportunities in your life to see a beautiful view. I'm Candy. 

And I'm Paul. We aren't nervous at all about this episode. And these are not surface level questions, not like what's your favorite color type questions. 

That would have been easier. 

That would have been a lot easier. 

These are all life questions, which I think is really cool. Some questions are about who we were before we were mom and dad. before we knew what we were doing. Does that imply we know what we're doing now? 

Yeah, I was going to say we don't know what we're doing yet. 

And before we fully understood how much grace we would need. Then some are about meaningful things about parenting and our kids. 

Okay, so today we're answering Emily's questions. honestly, carefully, and probably with a little nervous laughter. And parents, if you have kids in the car, don't worry. Because if this was that type of podcast, I wouldn't be sitting here. That's true. That's true. 

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful view. 

Okay. Are you ready for this? 

Sure. 

All right. We're starting strong. You ready? First question. 

Okay. 

What's your wildest, most unexpected thing you did in your late teens or early 20s? 

Man, this is the first question. 

It is. Oh my goodness. 

So are they, I mean, if this is the first question, where are they going to go from here? 

We'll see how it goes. 

Okay. 

So that one time at band camp, no, I'm just kidding. I wasn't in band. 

I wasn't in band either. Our son is, but we're not. 

Okay, so the wildest, most unexpected thing I did in my late teens or early 20s. for me, I think probably it was like meeting guys on the internet. 

That was the wildest crazy thing for you. 

Yeah, because you talk to these people and back then you have to remember like that was not the normal thing to do. 

No, it was, it was out there. 

Nowadays, yeah, you swipe and you do all the things. I don't know what these young kids do, but. 

And the older kids too. 

Yeah, and the older kids, apparently. But yeah, I mean, that was like pioneer days of talking to people on the internet. And I had like, internet boyfriends and stuff. 

Yeah, and you were a little like church girl. 

I was, yeah. So I met someone else in person before I met you in person that I had met on the internet. So that was fine. We still are friends. 

Yeah. 

So, but yeah, I would say that was probably, that was pretty wild back then. 

It was. And I had not met anyone on the internet before you. 

Yeah. 

Now my roommate had. And I was actually, and I think I've told the story before, but I was making fun of him for being involved in that. And there you were in Texas doing the same thing. 

Yeah. 

But yeah. 

You can't steal my story. So what's your story? 

Okay, so my story, The wildest thing that I did, which was marginally inside the law in my home country of England, there were club rallies that were held. And we're sort of in the realm of motor sports here. 

Okay. 

But not really because we were just racing around our old cars that we owned. 

Okay. 

You meet in some parking lot at like midnight, 1 A.m. 

Wee hours of the morning. 

Wee hours of the morning, and you go up to the start line, you're released one car at a time, 5 minutes apart, and you're given a clue for the first location. And then at each location, you get a clue for the next one. So it's kind of like a treasure hunt, except rather than trying to figure out the clue, it's literally like you go to the location and you get the coordinates for the next one. The reason why this was late at night was because on the little narrow country lanes of Devon, when it's nighttime, you can see someone coming towards you because, you can see lights from a long way off. And so that was the safety aspect of the whole thing. 

Okay. 

And so yeah, we used to hold those things. Now, the funny thing about it is, like you would kind of get to know, where the next one was going to be. And you'd show up to the parking lot and there were literally people showing up in rental cars so that they wouldn't damage their own car. Oh my. So they would rent a car, show up at the parking lot, and then you would take off on the rally. And then at the end, they would figure out who did the least amount of miles. In other words, you got from point to point the fastest possible way. 

Yeah. 

And Then they would get your time and all that kind of stuff and they'd give you points. And at the end of it, you'd figure out who won and you had to pay to enter. And then there was like a pot of money at the end if you won the thing. 

And no one ever got in trouble or anything. 

Well, so there was that one time. So we would do these back roads, these dirt roads, kind of like the county roads around here. The first few cars went through there and apparently it was right by this farmer's house. And so he kind of got annoyed at the whole thing and pulled this huge gate across the road. So then me and several other cars behind me end up having to stop suddenly at this gate and find another route around it. So not getting into trouble, but. 

Annoying people. 

Yeah, we were trouble. 

Yeah, I can see that. All right, question two. What is a goofy, free will, adult money experience you've had? This question kind of makes me laugh because adulthood really does come with these weird moments of realization, I think. 

Like the freedom that you've got when you're an adult. 

Yeah, like no one can stop me from doing this, that kind of stuff. Like I'm an adult, I earn my own money. 

So when you're a kid and you've got parents watching over you, have to. 

Yeah, they have access to your bank account. They're watching over what you're doing, but now you're an adult, you can do whatever you want to. I had several things. Like, I mean, I flew to England twice. 

You did. 

So that was like, that was my earned money. I got to do that. But as a couple, I remember a purchase that you and I made in our early, early days where There's a reason that we should not be allowed to go to home and garden shows. 

RV shows, RV shows, anything like that, because we're suckers. 

Yeah, we bought ourselves a hot tub. 

Yep, we did. 

For our brand new house. Just why not? We needed a hot tub. We didn't have any houses behind us at that point. So it was easy for the company to get it into. 

Yes, they had to go on the, they had to go around the land in the back and like. 

Just took a part of the fence down and put it in. 

Took the fence down, put it in the back. 

When we left, when we moved from that house though, the hot tub stayed. So if it ever broke, I don't know how they were getting it out of there because there was then a house behind. It was like back-to-back. 

That was a spontaneous purchase. We also did. weekend trips to San Antonio. We were very much into following the Spurs NBA team at the time. And so we would travel to San Antonio and go for the weekend. 

Yeah, stay somewhere on the Riverwalk or an Airbnb or something. We would just do like, yeah, those silly little getaways or whatever for a weekend or something. 

And occasionally I still have the like, why not? With concerts. 

Yeah, you do like concerts. 

That's kind of a weakness. So we've been to see Coldplay in Chicago. We've been to see you two twice. 

And then we saw Tim McGraw. 

Yes, we did. 

That was my choice. 

Yes, you have. After all the concerts where Emily or I chose where we wanted to go. 

I finally got to say so. 

Yeah, you got your way and Tim McGraw at the Field of Dreams and it was a great time. So as a teenager, So I'm probably 15, 16, 17 years old. I had this weakness for hi-fi gear, like audio gear. 

Okay. 

I'm such a nerd. So I would buy turntables, cassette decks, CD players, and a plural. Like I would buy two of everything. 

So you had like a collection? 

I did. 

Okay. 

And then I got a mixer. man, the fun that I had with that. And that was the beginning of my sound mixing interest, which lasted for a really long time through to 2015 when I mixed sound for the last time. 

Yeah, you haven't done it since then. 

I haven't done any live sound mixing since 2015, which I kind of miss it. I've mixed sound for some big bands. in front of large audiences. But the very first time was way back, I think I was 16, and I got my first mixer. So. 

How cute. 

Yes. 

I had a six-dist CD changer in my car. 

Oh, you did, yeah. 

You were very proud of that. was, that was probably, if you want to talk about a big, so I bought this car, it was brand new. 

Brand new, yeah. 

I had 13 miles on it when I bought it. 

Yep. Beautiful blue neon. 

Yep. And it was my first, I think it was my first like big adult purchase. And they asked me if I wanted any add-ons. And I was like, add-ons. 

Add-ons. Adults get add-ons. 

So when I asked them then what my options were, they said, you know, we can do a CD player. And I was like, yeah, that's what we're doing. 

Some of that. 

Just roll that little thing into my loan. That'll be just fine. 

Not too bad so far. 

Not too bad. 

Thank you, Emily. So what's the next question? 

All right, so question three is, if you could tell the teenage version of yourself anything, what would it be? This one hits kind of deeply. 

Well, I mean, I would sit me down and be like, sit down, I got some stuff to tell you. 

My goodness. 

So I guess in answering this question, we're not just talking to ourselves, we're talking to our kids too. 

Yeah, because I think our kids are kind of at the age now that we would have been then. So, I mean, I was a pretty confident teenager. I made good grades. I had lots of friends. But there was one thing that I used to stress out about a lot. 

What was that? 

I was afraid I wasn't going to find my person. 

Oh, okay. 

And I know that's kind of sad, but I did. It is sad. I didn't really date in high school. 

Okay. 

I had tons of friends. I had tons of guy friends. They were all my best friends. So, ew. I just wouldn't, there's no way. And they, I don't know why they let kids do this, but at the end of my senior year, They, the student council, gave out these wacky awards to everybody. 

Okay. 

And do you know what mine was? 

What was it? 

Was most likely to get married old. So apparently no one else thought I was going to find my person either. So how rude. 

And then you found me and married old. 

Old. Well, maybe that's what they meant. But you know, I mean, for someone who's in high school and their life ambition is to be a wife and a mommy, that one's done a little bit. So here's what I would do. I would tell teenage me to remember that the Lord has a plan and his plan is perfect. Don't try to rush it. Trust all the little details and he's going to show you the way to go. When you and I met, I wasn't looking at all. 

No. 

You had to actually convince me that, you know. 

I was completely convinced. I just needed to convince you. 

Yeah, that took a little bit. 

When you found me on the internet. 

Yes, when I found you on the internet, my little internet, honey. But, you know, I've prayed for my kids' future spouses since before they were born. And I know the Lord has the perfect match for each of them. So I hope they know what a treasure they are and that they'll trust God's perfect timing and leave all those little details to him when it comes to finding their future spouse. 

Yes. So my turn, right. 

Yes, your turn. 

So if I could sit down that question. questionable teenager and talk to him, I'd tell him to relax. 

Oh, okay. Were you a little high-strung? 

Well, I was just anxious to get things done. And I wanted to get everything figured out right then and there. 

Okay. 

Which led to lots of false starts. 

Yeah. 

I was kind of like a rat in a maze. I would turn a corner and bang up against the wall and another corner bang up against the wall. And so I'd tell myself, just relax. I was very anxious to find my identity and mission in life. Like I'm going to be a was the start of a lot of sentences for me. So I would just say to myself, Don't take every opportunity just because it's presented to you. That's good advice. And don't try to be someone that you're not. Like, just be happy with who you are. Just lean into the things that interest you. Even if they're like weird stuff like, you know, being interested in audio gear. 

I mean, you know. 

So with the sound gear thing, that led to a career. 

Yeah. 

I started making recordings from the radio, which a lot of kids did background, making the mix tapes. 

Yeah, we used to have to call the radio station. Yes, Mr. DJ, could you please play New Kids on the Block, step by step? 

Oh, that was you? Oh, maybe. What, every other day? So I would make those tapes and then when I got the mixer and I got a microphone, then it was on. So my friends would come over and we would record a one hour radio show. on to cassette and then pass the cassette round out friends. 

So you were podcasting way back there before you even knew what a podcast was? 

And look at us now. 

Look at us now. 

So there you go. So it led to a career. 

Yeah. 

And but there was a time there where I totally didn't go after it. I just thought, you know, my interests were different from everybody else's. So I should just, you know, probably try and be more normal. 

What's that? That's no fun. You know what? I would also reassure my younger self that one day there would be great hair products that would tame my crazy curls. Oh my goodness. When we were back in Texas before Christmas, we went back home and my sister had pulled out a bunch of photographs and stuff. 

Oh yeah, I saw them. 

There were many of them that you did not see because they went straight in the trash can because they were terrible. Terrible. My fuzzy, fluffy, triangle hair. Oh my gosh. It was just my middle school years. Oh, it was so bad. It was so, bad. And I didn't know what to do with it. My mom didn't know what to do with it. And she took me to get a haircut one time to get layers put in it to try to calm it down a little bit. Do you think that helped? 

Probably not. 

No. 

It all stuck up, right. 

Yeah, because it was shorter and I still didn't know how to fix it. So anyway, okay. 

Next question. 

Which leads into this question. 

Okay. 

Question 4, when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? This one's easy for me because I always wanted to be a wife and a mommy. That was just, that was my thing. 

Sweet. 

So when we were little, there was a swing set in the back of the church that we went to. And the swings were really tall, so we'd swing really high. But my sister and I would sit on these swings and we would dream about our future and like our kids. And we came up with names for our kids and we'd talk about how many kids we were going to have. And I don't know why that memory comes back, but it's just like, that's what we did. So anyway. 

And that shaped so much of who you are today. 

Yeah. 

So when I was a kid, I wanted to be multiple different things in a row. So it just depended. 

That does not surprise me. 

Like whatever the latest thing was that I'd seen on TV or whatever, I wanted to try my hand at it. 

Okay. 

I was, the first thing I could really remember that I was kind of serious about, I already talked about the club rallying we did. Well, there was the professional version of that. And I really wanted to do that. And the way to get into it was through club rallying and kind of work your way up. But that takes a lot of money. 

I would imagine so. Like, don't you have to have like special cars and stuff for that? 

I do have to, yeah. 

Tires and all the things. 

And the whole team, like a support team, everything. Yeah. So I had persuaded a couple of my friends that they were going to be my support crew. But then when none of this materialized, they lost interest as they should. That's funny. 

I also, when I was, I don't even know when it started, like, but from early, early on in life, I wanted to be a hairstylist. I was the one when we had slumber parties, everybody would line up and I would do everyone's hair. 

Okay. 

And what probably when I was in, I don't know, 3rd or 4th grade or so, my friend Terry, she got this book of braids. 

Book of braids. 

And it had all different kinds of braids. So I literally went down the row with each friend and we tried a different braid. Like I did all kinds of, who even knew there were so many different kinds of braids? 

I didn't know. 

But anyway, so I think Part of me wanted to be a hairstylist so that I could figure my own hair out. But I also, really, I did actually become a hairstylist after high school. I did that for about 10 years. And I loved that. I loved making people feel good about themselves. And I loved the conversations that I got to have with clients in my chair. I think it really, there really is something to be said for finding something that you love doing for your career. Like that's like, what's the little saying? Like if you love your job, you never work a day in your life or something like that. 

So the next question, what is the best meal you've ever had? You know, I feel like this question was meant for me. Let me think about this for just a second. 

Well, for me, it is Paul's spaghetti bolognese. And I'm not even hesitating on that one. 

Really. 

That was the dish that won my heart. That was the very first meal you ever cooked for me. And I was like, oh, man, I got to marry this man. 

For my spaghetti bolognese. 

Have you tasted it? 

It's a little more than just spaghetti and tomato sauce. 

Yeah. 

A little more than that. I always love the meals that you cook for us. But more than that, I love when we get to eat together as a family. 

Oh, I love that too. Yeah. 

Now, the best meal, like the best eating out meal I've ever had was when we went to Atlanta. 

Okay. 

Do you remember we went for a conference in Atlanta? 

Yeah. 

And I was determined that with our conference budget, we were going to have the best food that we could possibly have. So I did a lot of research and I found out some of the best restaurants that there was in Atlanta at the time. And the one that I really wanted to go to, we were very much into Top Chef at the time. 

Oh yes, we were. 

We would watch all the Top Chefs. And so one of the competitors who eventually became actually one of the presenters was Richard Blaise. And Richard Blaise had a restaurant in Atlanta called The Spence. 

That's right. 

And that's the restaurant where I tell people it was Richard Blaise's restaurant in Atlanta when the discussion about restaurants comes up. And I can never remember the name. So I went and looked this up and it's The Spence. And tell me if this rings any bells. So this is some of the items on the menu. Roast bone marrow with Texas toast. Do you remember having that? Where they cut the bone in half and you get a little spoon. You scoop it out. Duck egg and blue cheese with wasabi. Fried pork belly with smoked sturgeon. That was incredible. Fried Brussels sprouts with Thai vinaigrette. 

Yeah. 

So we had some pretty fancy stuff there. 

What did I eat there? I don't even remember. 

What we did is we went there. 

Did we get a little bit of everything and then we both ate on it? 

Those were all appetizers. So we ordered, I think it was like four or five different plates and I think. Several of them were like that in that list, and we just sampled off of each one. 

That's right. Okay. 

And it was incredibly expensive. 

Yeah. Oh, I do remember that too. 

And we went away and we were hungry. We'd like, we needed a hamburger afterwards. 

Oh gosh. 

All right, what's next? 

Okay, so question 6. 

Yes. 

If you could travel anywhere you haven't been yet, where would you go? 

Okay. 

There are a lot of places that I would love to travel to, but somewhere I haven't been yet, I think would have to be, well, Initially, I was going to say Alaska, which Alaska is definitely on my list. I would love to see Alaska too. Like an Alaskan cruise is definitely a bucket list item. We're going to have to do that at some point. 

Yep. 

Another place I would like to visit is Scotland. 

Okay. 

We've been to England. 

I've never been to Scotland. 

I would love to go to Scotland. I have a pen pal in Scotland that I had from 3rd grade. 

Yes. 

And we lost touch for a while and then we reconnected quite a few years back on Facebook. 

Yeah. 

And I just think, I think it would be a really beautiful place to visit. I think it would be super fun to meet her in person. And yeah. 

And speaking of food, she sent us a care package from Scotland that one time. 

Oh, she did. She sent that for Christmas. No, it was for Emily's 18th birthday. 

Oh, that's right. Yeah. That was like all the Scottish things. 

Yes, but I have added, after a show that we watched last night, I have added another place to my list. 

Oh, you have? 

I would like to go to Maine. That is one of the states. that we have not been to yet. We have not done the Northeast. 

We haven't done the Northeast. 

I would love to go to Maine. 

Those oysters looked amazing. 

They did. Yeah. 

So it's all getting back to food. We must be. 

I know. We must be. Yeah. I think that's I think that's the biggest thing. So anyway, so that's mine. What's yours? 

And we talk about travel a lot because that's what we love to do. 

Yes. 

And but there's one place that I haven't been. I saw pictures of it. when I was in my early 20s. And that is the Whitsunday Islands in Australia. 

Okay. 

So it's just off the coast of Queensland. 

Okay. 

And it's a series of islands and they've got, there's resorts on each island. And the beaches are pure white silica. Like they are just white. go look it up. Or I'll put pictures up on the screen for the YouTube watchers. 

Yeah. 

So beautiful islands. I'd love to go there. 

Okay. 

One day. It's a long way away, but one day. 

Okay. I used to want to go to Australia too. That was on my list. And I actually almost went one time with a friend of mine. 

Oh, you did. 

Yeah. It was way back, probably my early 20s. But anyway. Okay. Question #7. 

Yes. 

This one is more. more recent kind of thing. But Emily wanted to know what is the coolest experience, not place, but experience that you had while traveling in the RV? 

Okay. So as Emily's asking the question, I would say the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque. 

Yes. 

And the reason why it was a, well, there were lots of reasons why it was a great experience. But Emily and I both volunteered to be on a chase team for one of the balloon teams. 

Yeah. 

So in one of the events where the balloons are supposed to be taken like more than a mile away, I think, or maybe even 2 miles away from the arena where the balloon festival is at, they're supposed to be taken away from the arena and they have to try and make it back to the arena. And it's up to you where you start from. 

Right. 

But that was amazing because we got to chase the balloon. The winds were terrible that day. And so they ended up coming down in someone's backyard. 

Yeah. 

But yeah, to be able to do that and lay out the tarp and roll up the balloon and it just, it was amazing. 

Yeah. 

Fantastic experience. 

That was, that was a great experience. That's probably at the top of my list too. I think for me it would be any kind of shared moments with our family, with friends. But I think probably one of the things that stands out the most to me, and this is, it's so random because we were just at a state park in Mississippi, I think. No, Tennessee. I think it was in Tennessee. 

Okay. 

Where we, Actually, we saw, that's the first time I'd ever seen the Mississippi River. 

Yeah, it was Tennessee. That's right. 

Yeah, it was a, yeah. 

Because that was a bucket list item for me was to see the Mississippi. And we drove down through these trees. You couldn't even see the river. And you drove down through these trees to this little parking lot that was right on the riverbank. And we could get out and like just tipper jumped in the water. 

Yeah, that's where we started our tippy in the Mississippi. 

Tippy in the Mississippi, yeah. 

I don't know what it was about it. I mean, we had been to the beach. We'd done all these things, but there was something about standing on the edge of the Mississippi River that was just really just a unique experience. And now we get to live on it. 

Yeah, we're like just two blocks away. Straight that way is the Mississippi River, just two blocks away. 

Yeah, I think another thing for me, another experience was Because when we got to see the Presides meteor shower from the edge of the Badlands, that was just, that is a standout. That was an epic experience. 

I think for me, that's a big one too. Both that and being in the middle of the Utah desert, just being like far away from anything and in our RV in comfort. 

Yeah. 

But being outside and just watching the sun go down and the stars come out in the middle of nowhere? 

Yeah. 

So yeah, that was amazing. 

Yeah. And another one, another experience that is really, that really stands out was in Ohio. We got to go to a Native American powwow. 

Yeah. 

And that was, that was something like that was just a really, unique experience. It was just, it was historical. It was, they had a museum there too, and some kind of like archaeological kind of things that they dug up from outside. And anyway, that was. 

Something about seeing another culture. Yeah, right here. 

Yeah. 

In the country you live in. 

Right, yeah. 

Completely different culture. 

Completely different culture. Yeah, it was super fun. And Back in 2020, when the world kind of shut down, we were traveling with another family. And I think that year, the experiences that we had with them, we tried to make sure that our families were that things were as normal as possible for our kids. So we continued homeschooling, we continued our little, things that we did together. And we tried to just, we basically lived in each other's rigs and stuff and we were parked side by side. 

We were a framily. 

We were, we were a framily. We still, I would still consider them framily, friends who were family. Yes. So, but yeah, the game nights and the all of that, those were all just really special experiences. 

The puzzle out on the table that we would all dive into once in a while. 

Yeah, absolutely. And then meals shared and all kinds of things. So those kinds of experiences, most of them, the reason that they're stand out is because of the people we got to experience them with. 

Absolutely. 

All right, question #8. 

Yes. 

What's a wild bucket list item you'd still like to check off? 

You already mentioned an Alaskan cruise. 

Definitely an Alaskan cruise. 

That was kind of going to be our thing for our 25th anniversary and then that kind of changed. 

Yeah. 

So one of my bucket list items is to go to England with the kids, show them where daddy grew up, show them all of those things that they will recognize in themselves and in each other probably. And probably explain a few things about their dad. Like when they start to experience the culture there, which is so very different from here. 

Yeah. 

I think that would be amazing. 

Yeah. 

So hopefully, we'll see. 

Yeah, that's what we're aiming for 2027, right? So we'll see how that pans out. Is there anything else? 

And then I've got this crazy RV trip that will take in all of the things that we missed the first time around and things that I've added to the list thereafter. And this is just one trip. 

Yeah, but here's the problem, and you'll recognize this once he starts talking out loud. Paul is not great at geography. 

So we could do this probably like in a couple of weeks, something like that. So we missed going to the Grand Tetons. We missed that. 

Yeah, we did. 

And there's a fantastic campground there that is kind of like an off-grid type thing. 

Yeah, it's a dry camp area. 

Yeah, so we want to do that. Mount St. Helens. We missed that because we couldn't get there because of wildfires. It was on fire. Yeah. Well, the volcano wasn't, but the forest was. 

The rest of the place around was on fire. 

So I'd like to do that. Southeast Idaho definitely has to happen at some point. 

Yeah. And why is that? 

Well, you know, there's this YouTube channel, Red Poppy Ranch. 

Yeah. 

And so I think we need to go visit Heath and Cedar. 

Okay. We've been following them for a really, really long time. 

Like from the very get-go of them. I think I caught up like their first year or two videos. 

We binge watched for sure. 

At the beginning. But it's probably, we've been following them for probably 9 or 10 years now. 

Yeah. 

And so they now have a bell. in their front yard. And if you can make the trip there, you can go and ring the bell. And that's kind of what I want to do. So Southeast Idaho. And then from there, I want to go to North Carolina. 

That's where it all falls apart. 

And I really want to go to Maggie Valley. 

Okay. 

And I want to go to the motorcycle museum there called Wheels Through Time. Okay. 

Isn't there a motorcycle museum close to here? 

It's not the point. It's not the point. It's this motorcycle museum. It's the one. I mean, I'm just dreaming. 

Yeah, I know. I don't want to crush your dreams. It's fine. We'll do whatever. 

Yeah. 

That's not one trip, though. 

Oh, well, I thought, you know, we'll just do a loop. 

Okay. Next question. Next question. Question 9. Who is someone you look up to? 

Okay. 

So a mentor, a friend, an influencer, a family member, Emily says. 

Yes. 

I have two people whom I looked up to in my life, and they're both in heaven now, my mom and my Aunt Carol. 

Yeah. 

And these two women were perfect examples of women who lived their faith and values well, regardless of what life threw at them. 

Yeah. 

Man, the three of us sure had some fun times. We went to multiple like women of faith conferences, those big conferences they had at like the American Airlines Center and stuff. 

Yeah. 

And We also went to the rodeo together and I remember a specific Clint Black concert. 

So maybe this podcast should have been confessions of your parents. Maybe so. Maybe so. 

No, not really. Yeah. No, they were both just great women and women of faith. 

I got to meet Carol, you know, so that was, it was a pleasure to meet her. It's just like, just a light. So very sweet. 

Yeah. All right. So how about you? 

Okay, so I'm going to resort to a type. 

Okay. 

I look up to guys who are more advanced in years, even more advanced than I am. And they kind of have found this peaceful way to live life. where they're just grateful for everyone and everything in their lives. And they're just quiet and gracious. And so if I'm looking to how I would like to be as I get older, that's the type of person. And so And I have several guys like that in mind, but I guess Emily wants specifics. So I started following a very unlikely YouTuber toward the end of last year that fits in this category. 

Okay. 

And his name is Lee Sklar. He is a very unlikely YouTuber. He's 78 years old. 

Okay. 

And he puts out a YouTube video, I would say probably four or five times a week. That's a lot. Yeah, it's just him talking to his laptop, recording video of what he's thinking about that day, whether he's going to take his dogs for a walk, trips to the post office, gardening. And he has this big, long white beard. We're going to put a link in the description because you have to see this. And so he is a bass guitar player, still is, still active in his career. He just got back from a music cruise that went out of Florida. So he played in a band, played bass in the band there, but he is the bass guitar player for Phil Collins, for the band Toto. He's been going for a long, time. He's actually credited as the bass player on over 2,000 albums. Wow. And has also played bass guitar on a lot of movie soundtracks for movies that you're very familiar with, TV shows, all that kind of stuff. But he, for someone who has had such a successful career and for someone who is in the world of music, you know, some of it rock music, He is such a kind, kind, gentle person. 

Okay. 

And so that's the kind of person that I look up to. 

Okay. 

I hope that works for you, Emily. 

All right, next question. Question 10. What's the most romantic, memorable date you've ever been on together? 

Okay. 

The most memorable? I would say for me, it was our hike out to where you proposed to me in front of the waterfall in England. That was very romantic. 

It was, where the two rivers join together and flow out to the sea. 

Yeah. 

How about that? 

Yeah, it was, I think what was special about that is that you had kind of just like planned the whole thing and kind of had the little spill to go with it and the symbolism and everything. So yeah. 

Okay. 

That was sweet. 

Wow, that was a long time ago as well. 

That was a long time ago. 

Yeah. 

There was also a time when you surprised me with a romantic spa getaway for Christmas. Do you remember that? 

I do. Was that the Hyatt Regency Resort or something? 

I think so. Emily was a tiny baby. I mean, it was her first Christmas. And of course, that was my first thought. It was like, oh, gosh, what are we going to do with Emily? And you would arrange for my mom to keep her and everything. And I was terrified to leave her because that was the first time I'd left her. But oh, man, we had a beautiful time. So what about you? What would you say your most Our most romantic memorable date would be. 

Well, Ruidoso, New Mexico. Oh yeah, the storybook cabins. The storybook cabins. There's a log cabin there and it has the hot tub inside the cabin. 

Yeah, you literally roll out of bed into the hot tub. 

So, I mean, it's kind of dangerous too. if you accidentally, if you move around in your sleep too much, I mean, you could drown in the middle of the night. I don't know. So, but, no, that was that was fantastic. And we kept trying to go back there, and they kept hiking their prices up, but it was like, Yeah, do we want to pay $280 a night? Yeah, probably not. So, but yeah, that was that was fantastic. And we walked around the town, looked at all the stores. 

Ridosa is a nice, that's a fun little. 

And then of course there are the castles. yeah. So when you came over to England, and we, I arranged for us to go to Cornwall. And in Cornwall, we went to a castle. 

Yes. 

On an island. 

Yes. 

And so, yeah, it was, it was amazing. And you like castles? 

Much more romantic than roaming through a castle. I mean, that's hard to beat. Romantic doesn't have to be fancy, though. 

Right. 

Sometimes it just means simple, intentional, and present. So. 

Yeah. Okay, next question? 

What's your favorite memory with each of your kids? This one's hard. 

I see what she's doing here. 

This one's hard because there are seriously so many. 

There are, yeah. 

Okay, so, but I would say that there are moments that just kind of stand out and just kind of like live in your heart forever. So I'll go first and then you can kind of join in if you think of something along the way. Okay. All right, so I'm going to start with Emily. 

Of course, it's her show. 

My favorite memories with Miss M were when we got artsy or we cooked together. 

Yes. 

So those were always fun. I love doing things that we both love together. And we've been doing these things, gosh, since she was itty bitty. 

Oh, yeah. 

So when she was probably about, I don't know, a year old, 18 months old or something, I decided I was going to have the smartest kid on the face of the planet. So we were going to start preschool. 

Yeah. Oh, yeah. 

Remember that? The little kits that I would get in the mail and they had little crafts and little things to learn letters. 

Oh, she kept up with all of it. 

She loved that stuff. So we would sit at the table and we'd do our little craft and do her little things. And she always loved to cook with me. She still loves to cook with me. She does. That's always fun. So, but if you asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would tell you with all the confidence in the world. Do you remember what she would say? She wanted to be a ballerina princess cat. 

For sure. Yes. 

She was the cutest, smartest, girliest and most The most fun little girl. 

I even put up a full-length mirror in her bedroom with the wooden rail. 

The ballet bar kind of thing. 

Yeah, and she would dress up in the tutu. See, like she thought she was going to embarrass us, but we're embarrassing her. She would dress up in the tutu and she'd do all of her moves. Spy in the mirror. Yep. 

Oh, oh my gosh, she was so cute. 

I hope I can find pictures. 

Yeah. 

Maybe those pictures, I don't know. 

I'm sure there are. 

So one of my favorite memories with Emily is when she would come with me on video shoots. 

Oh yeah. 

As my PA. Which you needed. So I always need. Still need. I still need. I always need a PA. And so I told her like one of the first things that she needs to have is a notepad and a pen. and that she had to keep me organized. And she thought I was just trying to get her involved in the whole thing. But I really, I really needed her organization. 

I think she probably figured that out pretty quick, don't you think? 

But we had so much fun. So we started doing this when she was like 14, maybe. 

Probably 12. Is she really that far back? 

So, and these were professional shoots. I mean, we were going like, I think the first one was to a college. 

Yeah. 

Let me tell you, she's the best PA. I mean, seriously, she would be fantastic at that now, but she was. 

She's just bossy enough, but she says everything with a little smile. 

Yeah, she's very sweet with her bossiness. So she would help me with the equipment, which is great, you know, getting the equipment from the vehicle into the shoot location, setting up lights, all that kind of stuff. But just keeping everybody happy, making sure that the people that were coming in to be interviewed, they were comfortable, they knew what was going to happen. Keeping me somewhat calm. I mean, she did a fantastic job. And then we would just, after that, we would just go and have fun. And I remember particularly, we did one shoot in Belton, Texas. And afterwards we went to have ice cream together. And so there's this little ice cream parlor there and it's just right up her alley. It's very, artsy and you can pick like whatever you want there and the toppings and everything. She loved that right by the river. That was right up her alley. Yeah. 

Okay. So moving on to Tyler. 

Yep. 

My favorite memory with Tyler is going for walks and hikes with him. 

Okay. 

He was a great little walking buddy and his like little sense of adventure. This is going back to when he was a little bitty guy, when we were, at campgrounds and whatnot. So. A little man. Yeah, he was just such a little man. And the way that he saw the world and the way that he kind of like thought about things and nature and all of those things. So he loved the army. 

And the random facts. 

Oh, yes. Oh, he was always full of random facts. Oh, yeah, well, that's a blah, blah, blah plant. 

And they hibernate between this month and this month. And yeah, just completely random. 

And sometimes they have. had nothing to do with anything that he was seeing. It was just random facts at random times. But I loved that. So, and he, so Tyler, when he was little, he, was six when we first hit the road in the RV. Like he spent the majority of his life growing up life living in an RV. His childhood. His childhood. Yeah. And he loved it. So there was one night that I remember specifically that, It was late at night and he'd been having some leg cramps and stuff, growing pains at night and stuff. And so he comes into our room and he's crying his eyes out. He was probably sick. And I said, what's the matter, bug? Are you having leg cramps again? No, I had a bad dream. And I said, what'd you dream about? And he said, I had a dream that we had to stop RVing and we couldn't stay anywhere where we could see the stars. Oh. And he was just, he was torn up. And I was just like, oh, come here, baby. 

So some of my favorite memories with Tyler, when I think it was probably 2018 or 19, maybe 19, And we were here in Iowa. And I wanted to go father and son camping trip. So we packed up the tent and we. 

I know where this is going. 

And we drove to a state park nearby, not too far away in Anamosa. And that was the year of the Derecho. 

It was. 

So we had a great time, great day. We had done all the things, cooking over the campfire, et cetera, et cetera. And then we wanted to go fishing. So we went fishing down at the river. And then that afternoon, the weather alerts started coming in and a derecho swept through Iowa, Eastern Iowa, and tore up everything, took all the trees down. I mean, it was something. 

It is amazing that the two of you walked out of there, seriously. 

It was amazing that no one was killed in that thing. It was crazy. I also, have a memory of when we used to go to Camp Chautauqua in Ohio. 

Oh yes. 

And the zip lines there. 

Oh yeah. 

So the zip lines are really, really high. 

Yeah. 

And so he really wanted me to go on the zip lines because he was helping there. I'm just, he's, he was tiny. I mean, what age? 

He was probably 6. Six, 7 years old. 

So he finally persuades me to go up the steps up to the platform, which is like, I don't know, it must have been 60, 50, 60 feet in the air, something like that. 

Hey, we got both of us up there. We both did it. 

And we stand up there and before anybody has a chance to even like put a buckle on or anything, he's buckled up and jumps. Just jumps, like no waiting for the guy. So the guy, the guy that's up there like watching us, making sure he's busy with us because we're like, we're a mess. 

Yeah. 

And so he's not watching him. And so he hears the zip line go and he looks around and goes, well, I guess he's gone. So there was that. So he had. He still has no fear. 

He has no fear. Yeah, he loves it. Scout camp loves to do all the climbing and all the rappelling and all that kind of stuff. He just, he has no fear. 

Yeah. And then the Badlands, of course, with Tyler and us climbing up and down the cliff. We've told that story a few times. I'm not going to poke the bear on that one anymore. 

Yeah, no, let's not go back to that. That's a bad memory. 

Okay. 

And so, and Vicky, so Vicky is our, is your oldest daughter, but she came to live with us when she was 9. Emily was about six months old at the time. 

Yeah. 

And I would say that my favorite memory with Vicki was when she was in high school and I led her group of like friends. We had like a high school girls small group Bible study. And I know that's a mouthful, but it was about 8 girls and they all met at our house on Sunday evenings and we would do a little Bible study. But that was a real kind of a bonding time. And there was a lot of growth that happened in our relationship during those years. So that was, that's probably some of my favorites. But I also, Vicki is, she's very easy to tease. So. 

She is. 

And I love her dearly. So we would always do like, and I wish I had it pulled up right now, but when we would go on vacation, We would always record like the silly things that the kids said or whatever. 

Vacation quotes. 

And occasionally one of those will pop up on my Facebook feed or something. And it just was just such randomness. It was so funny. But yeah, I remember Vicki's answers to her vacation quotes were always the best. So thank you for that, Vicki. 

My memory was Vicki. goes back to when she was very little, like two, three years old. And I would take her for bike rides. I have one of those little seats that went on the back of the bike. And so I would strap her into her little seat on the back of the bike. And we would take off and just go riding for like miles and miles and miles. And she had this little bike helmet on in the back and it was white and red and had frog stickers all over it. So I just remember her head sort of like bobbling around in the back there as we were going along. But I mean, there was a cycle path close to where we lived and I would love taking her for those bike rides and pointing out things and seeing things together. It was really cool. 

That's cool. 

Yeah. And so her sister, Danielle, one of my favorite memories of her was when I went back to England and just took Danielle and we went to amusement arcades in Westwood Ho, the little beach town in North Devon. And so we went there and she was determined she was going to win something from one of those prize machine things. And so I just kept feeding money into it until she won something. So but no, just great memories of that and sharing that time together. So question 12 is very short. Memorable injuries. 

Well... 

I guess we're ending in chaos. 

I guess we are. 

I would say my memorable injury, which is still so stupid. We wanted to go to Lake Nasworthy. We're in San Angelo. And we're like, let's go to the beach. Let's go to the beach at the lake. And so we get there and I'm like, okay, I just need to like jump in the water, you know, because I thought it was going to be cold that day. It wasn't cold. And so I just like take off running. 

Cannonball. 

Take off running, cannonball into the lake, which is a very like. I don't know, it was about 5 inches deep. 

Maybe 18, but you hit hard, like really hard. And I was pregnant at the time. 

You couldn't help me. 

I couldn't get in there. I couldn't. 

I'm screaming. I'm like, I don't. 

Know how to get you out. I'm like, what did you do? 

So it turned out when I finally did seek medical attention, that I had actually broken my leg doing that. I busted my feet up. I broke my leg. But the thing was about that was I was really excited about a trip that was planned with my friend Mark the week after that. And I was absolutely determined. It was not going to deter me from going on a trip. 

I didn't even think you had a boot or anything. 

I hadn't gone for an X-ray, anything. So this trip, we drive to Colorado And so Mark wants to see the sights in Colorado. I'm trying not to complain because I'm in pain the whole time. So we get to Colorado and he wants to go and see the Red Rocks Outdoor Arena there in Colorado, which is amazing. And I wanted to see it too, because my favorite band, U2, is famous for their Red Rocks album and all that kind of stuff. So I wanted to see it too. So we go walking around There's all these paths. You can't drive right up to it. So there's all these paths. So we walk, I don't know, 2 miles that day. 

Yeah. 

Me on a broken leg and just walked all around it. And then when I got back, I finally went to the hospital, got x-rays, found out that I had indeed broken my leg. and finally got it in a boot and so that was my crazy injury. 

There's that. 

So how about you? Beat that. 

Well, when I was a junior in high school, I was in basketball practice and the ball was thrown at me and I caught it, passed to me and I caught it. But when I did, it caught the tip of my left ring finger and I felt it pop and I looked down and if you're watching online, you can see my finger. It was just hanging like, so I'm like, coach, I think I broke my finger. 

And she's like, no. 

Sure enough, I had torn that tendon right there. So yeah, so I had to wear this little kind of a splint thing and I couldn't play basketball for six weeks, so that sucked. But anyway, then when I could finally play again, I had to wear the splint because that tendon was still supposed to be like growing back together or whatever. And so every time I would catch the ball, it would just like, Boom, just hit that splint and send shooting pains down my... So another time that I injured myself was when I broke my foot here in Bellevue. 

You did. 

On our very first trip here. And here we are. 

Here we are. That worked out. Oh gosh. Yeah, we were so, you know, set on traveling around as much as we could that to get us to stay in one place, that's what it took. That's what it took, breaking my foot. 

Emily, thank you for asking these questions. It was a fun little walk down memory lane for some of them. And yeah, things we haven't thought of in a while. But you know, not just asking questions of us either, but kind of about life. I love that. It actually wasn't too bad. 

So we hope that you realize that your parents didn't have it all figured out. 

Oh, we still don't. 

We still don't. But we loved deeply, we tried hard, and we kept growing. 

Yeah. And to anyone listening or watching, maybe this episode inspires you to ask the people that you love a few deeper questions. 

Because everyone has a story worth hearing. 

Honestly, this is one of the biggest reasons that we do this podcast. One day our kids, grandkids, other family members, they'll have records of our lives and all the stories. And embarrassing moments. And embarrassing moments and all of those kinds of fun things. They'll have those to look back at. And I just think that is pretty special. 

It is. Psalms 127, verses 3 through 4 says, children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from Him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. 

That is a perfect scripture for an episode centered on our kids asking thoughtful questions. All of our kids are a gift. It was our job as parents to raise them well, though we definitely haven't done it perfectly, and release them into the next stage of their individual lives. Our kids are growing up and grappling with big life decisions. And I think it's important to remind them that they will make mistakes. We all do. 

We do. 

And have a few false starts probably. But my hope is that we have given each of them a solid foundation to launch from. 

Yeah, I hope so. I think that every moment we get to share life with our children is a treasure, even if it's just a phone call. Yes, we are not perfect. Name one parent who is. But as I look back on the time we got to share with our kids on the road in an RV, all the times before and since then, where we've shared an experience together, they're all so vividly etched on my mind. And I remember when My dad was in the final stages of his life. I flew back to England and we shared a moment that I'm sure he remembered. And I remember too, where dad and son walked on the beach together. And it wasn't what was said necessarily. It was just the time shared together. And My dad and I had many problems in our relationship as we grew up, but we still got to share that time together, and that is a memory that will go with me for the rest of my life. 

Sure. Another scripture I love is Proverbs 20, verse 7. It says, the godly walk with integrity. Blessed are their children who follow them. We don't have to be perfect parents. 

No. 

Just faithful, honest ones. 

Yes. 

I hope our kids find the beauty in our honest answers to their questions. And I hope they always know they can ask us questions, both easy and hard, and get honest answers. 

I think what today reminded us of is that legacy isn't built in the big highlight reel moments. It's built in conversations like this, around a table, in the car, on walks, in honest questions asked by our kids and imperfect answers given by their parents. 

Yep. And that's what scripture points to. Faith and values being passed down not through perfection, but through presence, through showing up, talking about life, and inviting God into every day. 

Thanks for sharing this beautiful view with us. 

Thank you for joining us today. Our hope is always to inspire and encourage our listeners. So we truly hope this episode was a reminder to you that legacy begins now. In the questions we ask, the stories we share, and the presents we offer the people that we love. May it encourage you to lean into the conversations that matter the most. 

Because legacy doesn't start someday. It starts in the conversations we're willing to have today. 

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Yeah. Also be sure to follow Beautiful View Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. The links are in our show notes. 

So at the end of each episode, we like to find out what the next episode will be about. So what's it going to be next time? 

Well, next time on Beautiful View Podcast, we're turning the questions on each other. Some are meaningful, some are fun. Some might be a little uncomfortable. 

Oh no, I've been married long enough to know this could go either way. 

We're asking honest Valentine's questions about love, marriage, and how we've grown and where we're still growing. 

Yeah, okay. 

You won't want to miss this one. 

I'm already thinking about the questions. What am I going to ask you? What don't I know about you? 

Should be interesting. 

Yep. 

Thank you once again for joining us today. We hope you have a great day. And remember to always keep an eye open for opportunities in life to see a beautiful vie