We spent last week in Florida visiting my mom. We haven’t been as a family since 2023. Really, we haven’t been on vacation as a family since 2023.

So much life has happened in that time.

As most of y’all know, in December 2023, Nick’s mom passed away suddenly. The shock of it was heavy — one of those moments where the world feels like it stops spinning, even though everything keeps moving around you. And while we were still learning how to breathe through that grief, we stepped into the role of full-time caretakers for his grandmother, “nana,” who was in and out of the hospital for most of 2024 and into 2025.

She passed in April of this year.

It’s been a long, emotional stretch — of loss, of caring, of trying to hold everything together while still showing up for work, our gym family, our own children, and each other. The grief has come in waves, sometimes gentle, sometimes crashing.

This trip wasn’t about sightseeing or packing our days full of activities. It was about slowing down. About breathing again. About remembering what it feels like to just be together without a heavy to-do list or a looming crisis.

It felt healing.

Not because we left our grief behind, but because we brought it with us — and still found moments of joy.

Grief and joy can co-exist. That’s something I’m learning in real time.

We’re still walking through the healing, and I know we’ll continue to for a while. But I’m grateful for the pause. For the sun. For the sound of laughter (and fighting) from the back seat. For the quiet mornings and messy pool hair and the space to just be.

God has carried us, even when we didn’t have the words or strength to ask for help. And He continues to.

If you’re in a season that feels heavy, I hope you know you’re not alone. There is no rush to “get over it.” Take the trip. Sit in the silence. Let God meet you right where you are.

Have a great week!

Whitney