Many of you who have known Ellen and me for a while have noticed that I’ve lost some weight recently. Last Sunday at church someone even stopped me and said they barely recognized me. Those of you who have lost a significant amount of weight can relate—because we see ourselves every day, we don’t notice the changes as quickly.

Moments of genuine gratitude often arrive when you least expect them. After saying grace, Ryder and I settled into the living room—leash in hand—because with a Great Dane of his height, everything on the table is fair game. And as much as he would have appreciated the hours of meal prep, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t intended for a massive, starving puppy who believes every meal might be his last.

As many of you know, kids don’t come with manuals—and most days, we parents are learning on the fly. Every day brings a new adventure; kind of like opening a questionable diaper… you never really know what you’re going to get. Last week, Ellen took the big boys (Isaiah and Isaac) to Cub Scouts, leaving me with the littles (Ethan and Evan). Anytime I’m solely responsible for the kids, it feels a bit like the blind leading the blind. Chaos isn’t just likely—it’s guaranteed.