Celeste & Alice: How Trusted Relationship Helps Us Thrive (Ep 20)

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome to Life Reviewed, a podcast by Hope House Colorado, where we invite you into conversation with teenage moms and the people who champion them. These stories of struggle, overcoming, and perspective shifts will challenge you to review life as you've known it. One story, one person, one conversation at a time. Oh, I thought I knew the kind of life that I would need. Hi, and welcome back to Life Reviewed. My name is Celeste, and I'm the development coordinator here at Hope House. You may have remembered my voice from my Bedrock Builder commercials. If you're still looking to become a monthly donor here at Hope House, please feel free to look online for more information. But other than that, I get the pleasure of being here today with Miss Alice. Hi. [00:00:55] Speaker B: We're also here with my son, my second son, Anais. [00:01:00] Speaker A: Yeah, he can't talk yet. He's only six months, but he's chilling right here, super close to the microphone. So if you hear a little baby, that's Mr. Nice. [00:01:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:01:09] Speaker A: First, for those of our viewers who don't know who you are, do you want to talk about, you know, when you heard about Hope House, how old you were, what your life like, your boys? [00:01:20] Speaker B: Yeah. I had found Hope House in 2023 through my genesis worker. Genesis is another teen mom program in Boulder county, and they're like, an actual, like, county program. [00:01:35] Speaker A: And. [00:01:38] Speaker B: I had illegally signed a lease at 16 with my first son and his father. I had left his father and was like, hey, like, I can't pay rent by myself. I have, you know, nothing. I'm only 16. [00:01:54] Speaker A: And. [00:01:57] Speaker B: They found Hope House for me, and I applied to be at the residential program, and I got in, like, maybe about two months after my orientation to be one of their moms. And I lived there for, like, four months. [00:02:14] Speaker A: Yeah, I remember your time living there. So sweet that I got to spend a lot of time at that house during that time. So I got to know you a lot. For those of you guys who also don't know me, I'm originally from Arizona. I came here in 2017 to play college soccer at Colorado Christian University. So fun fact that I like to share. Dana Schufer, who's our communication manager, she was my assistant coach while I was there. And then I got to play soccer with Emmy, who is our development officer, and Alana and Cora, who are both some of our residential advisors here. So it's been such a joy to be able to still be around people from my young, younger adulthood and just be able to share, share the joy of Hope Palace. And, yeah, that's just been super super sweet. Do you have any question. Do you have any questions for me that you want to know about me and my life? [00:03:09] Speaker B: And I always forget. Do you have an older brother or a younger brother? [00:03:14] Speaker A: Yeah, I do have an older brother. So my older brother, he's three years older than me. His name is Ben. He lives in Arizona. All of my family live in Arizona. But yeah, I guess some background about me and I guess how I heard about Hope House or how I feel connected. I graduated with a degree in health sciences right after college, which I, you know, didn't use. Not using right now, but it was awesome to be able to do. But, yeah, I finished college thinking I really wanted to work in a lab, and I went to go apply for jobs, and I just realized that it was just not the lifestyle for me. There's a lot of just, like, time you need to be with your research. And I got married right after college, too, and I knew I wanted to spend time with my husband and start building our family and our life together, and that just wasn't going to really work. And so I was working at Starbucks at the time while looking for these lab research jobs, and I just feel like I broke down because I was like, dang. I had these dreams of being researcher and all this stuff, and that wasn't really working out. And so I went home for, like, a month or two months. And I had known about Hope House, obviously through Dana and Emmy. And so I didn't want to come here on, like, bad with bad intentions because I was not liking what I was doing at Starbucks. I wanted to come here because you wanted. I wanted to. Yes, exactly. Like, you guys are obviously real people. Everybody in real life is real people. But, like, you know, we get to work with you guys so, so in depth and, like, get to know you so well. Like, you're in our community. You're our neighbors, you're, you know, friends. You're so close that it's just. I didn't want to come here with bad intentions just because I was looking for something and knew I could maybe get in. In. So I went home for a little bit, and I just talked with my mom. I do have teen pregnancy in my family qu quite a bit. I can go into that in a little bit. But, you know, while I was home, one of my cousins told me that she was pregnant. She was going to be a teen mom. And so I remember the story. Yes. And so for me, I think that was just, like, a God sign for me of, like, wow, like, you thought about Hope House. You went home, thought about it, and he kind of just like gave you a little seed. And so I came back and I reached out to Emmy and asked her if this job was still open. And I actually started off as the high school and GD coordinator. [00:05:42] Speaker B: So that's what you applied for and what you got? [00:05:43] Speaker A: Yeah, so actually I actually applied for the high school and GD coordinator position and the operations assistant role here at Hope House. [00:05:50] Speaker B: And I can't imagine you being in the receptionist. No, no. [00:05:54] Speaker A: But it was so funny because when I reached out to Emmy to ask if the job was still available, she was like, yes, come tomorrow to tour. Please, like, send your application in tonight and, like, we'll get you in. So I went in for a tour. Well, I came in for a tour the next day and, like, the next step is supposed to be technically like a phone call interview, but I got to meet with Jamie in person and we did like, the phone call interview in person, which is like a little intimidating because it was like my quote, first big girl job right after college. So, yeah, that was like a little nerve wracking, but super cool. And then, you know, God, God willing, I got the job as a high school and GED coordinator. I did that for my first year. And that's actually where I met Alice, so. So do you want to talk about, like, do you remember when you came in and you were so excited? Alice is a very smart girl. Let me preface this. She's very knowledgeable, she's very intelligent. And so one of her first steps when she got into Hope House was getting her high school diploma, or ged. And we ended up going the GED route. But do you want to let them know, like, kind of what that looked like in, like, the bump, the big bump we had? [00:06:57] Speaker B: So I was technically a foster kid. My aunt was registered as my foster parent. It's like a kinship thing. It still counts as foster care, but the real name is Kinship. And so I didn't have like an ID or anything like that. [00:07:16] Speaker A: And no vital documents, no nothing. [00:07:18] Speaker B: But I also hadn't been to school since seventh grade, and I was 16. So I was like, you know what? We're just going to see where I am. I took the practice test, no studying, nothing, and passed them all with flying colors. [00:07:32] Speaker A: Let me add, that's math, science, social studies, and language arts. That's crazy. [00:07:38] Speaker B: I was able to ask them, oh, okay. Like, I had no idea she was so smart. And then we're like, all right, let's work on the ID and I ended up not getting my ID until like, a month before I turned 18. [00:07:51] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:07:51] Speaker B: So it was like a year. [00:07:52] Speaker A: What? Like a year, year and a half process. [00:07:54] Speaker B: Yeah. It was so hard. [00:07:56] Speaker A: I remember being so frustrated for you because you were just so eager to want to take the test. [00:08:00] Speaker B: Like, I could have graduated a year early. [00:08:03] Speaker A: Yes. Alice is a very. She's a go getter. When she has goals, she really wants to reach them. So that was something she just really wanted to do and we all really wanted for her, and it just was not working out. [00:08:14] Speaker B: Me finally getting my ID took me contacting my old CPS worker, Angie, who's the economic coordinator at Hope House, and my aunt and my mother going to the dmv. [00:08:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:30] Speaker B: We showed up in our little group and got it done. [00:08:33] Speaker A: And then Alice, when she got her id, she passed the ged, all four tests in, like, what, a month and a half? [00:08:38] Speaker B: Yeah. Because I just took a test a week, so I could have done it if I wanted to do like, all the tests within one week. But I was like, no, I'll just do one test a week. And I got it, and I graduated right before, like, the deadline for the Hope House graduation. Hope Ass has, like, their own graduation for high school and ged, so it's not something that we miss out on. And I remember that week that I passed my last test. I went to go up to Colorado Springs for my cousin's graduation. [00:09:11] Speaker A: I remember. [00:09:12] Speaker B: And I was in the car with my aunt. I was like, oh, yeah, I graduated. And I just casually told my family, like, yeah, I have my GED now. [00:09:19] Speaker A: Yeah. And they were like. [00:09:21] Speaker B: They were like, oh, this would have been, like, nice to know. And I'm like, yeah, yeah. It just happened, like, a couple days ago. [00:09:27] Speaker A: Yeah. I feel like sometimes those big accomplishments are, like, kind of hard to process, especially when it happens outside of, like, a traditional setting. [00:09:33] Speaker B: Especially like, when it's like a. Like a thing for me or it's like finally, like, I've just. [00:09:37] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, it almost was just like. It's more of a relief than a celebration. Yeah. So you did kind of mention this going into, you know, your GED process, about your kinship. If you're comfortable and you feel open, do you want to, like, let everybody know kind of more about that background, like, that side of you and how maybe you grew up and how that's maybe still affected you today? [00:09:58] Speaker B: Yeah, so I actually had. I was born and mostly raised in Boulder, moved a little around Loveland, Fort Collins, Lafayette, Colorado native born and Raised Skrev. [00:10:14] Speaker A: Can't relate. Can't relate. And. [00:10:20] Speaker B: I became a foster kid around, like, fifth grade. I believe my mom fell into addiction. And, like, when you hear that, like, you always think of, like, kind of like, oh, like, me and my mom was such a bad relationship. [00:10:33] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:10:33] Speaker B: They're. They're an addict, and they did this, that. Whatever. But I hold a lot of sympathy for my mom and a lot of sympathy for addicts in general because she was a victim of the whole OxyContin thing. [00:10:45] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:10:45] Speaker B: You all are adults. You. You know, the scandal. So. [00:10:49] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I've always. That's something I've always admired about you, especially when you talk about your mom, because I know you guys have gone through hard things together. Maybe you haven't had the ideal relationship, but you've always been so graceful when talking about her and kind and, like, forgiving, but with boundaries. [00:11:04] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, I can obviously put myself in her shoes because it's a harsh reality, but it can happen to anybody. [00:11:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:11:10] Speaker B: Seriously, it takes one bad surgery for you to be on those pills. Like, my mom really didn't want to be. She reached out to doctors all the time, was like, I want a solution to my problem. I want a solution to my problem. They're just like, oh, just take this. You're fine. And then once they saw she was hooked and she wasn't asking for anything else, they were like, sorry, can't help you anymore. So if it was probably. If it was any other situation where she just wanted to mess around and be like, oh, I'm gonna try this, I probably wouldn't hold as much sympathy. But, yeah. And even with me being a foster kid, she never lost her legal rights. [00:11:51] Speaker A: So is that why the kinship came into. [00:11:53] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:11:53] Speaker A: Came into play. [00:11:54] Speaker B: So around, like, middle school, I'd say I had a really bad time with my mental health, and I had been hospitalized for it about three times in each hospitalization. She was always there. She always showed up. She may not have been there for every little school thing or something, but she was there, and I know she was there, and she was always there. And I was getting discharged as well. She was always there for those family meetings, and she didn't even have to. Like, my aunt had enough legal standing that she could do it all by herself. But, yeah, I was with my aunt until I was about. Almost 15 because I had gotten pregnant with my son at 14. [00:12:42] Speaker A: Yeah. Because you had mentioned earlier about the illegally signing a lease. So we're getting there. [00:12:48] Speaker B: Yeah. My aunt wasn't supportive. Which again, I. I'm just somebody that I. I hold a lot of sympathy. I can put myself in other people's shoes too easily. [00:12:58] Speaker A: When you mean supportive, what do you mean supportive of? [00:13:00] Speaker B: Like, she full on wanted a termination. She full on wanted. Nope, nothing. Because now reflecting as a mother, she thought that she was gonna be responsible for a whole nother life when she was already struggling with her two kids, me and her. And so I get it. Obviously, I still like, hold a little bit of like. Like, my son is great and she loves him, but I totally get that, like, it would have been so hard on her. [00:13:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:13:29] Speaker B: And obviously his father was making 18 an hour, which was pretty decent for him just being at a starting point too. Like what, 20, 20, 21. [00:13:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:13:39] Speaker B: So I was trying to tell her, like, you know, like, you don't have to like, he's father, this, that whatever, but I see where the burden would have been for her. So I was like, you know what? I want to keep my baby. And I moved out with him. [00:13:53] Speaker A: Thank us. Thanks for keeping us. [00:13:56] Speaker B: Yes, I moved out with him. I got a two bedroom in Longmont with my mom and his father and we were there for a couple of months. And then it was just hard because he still had his job in Dakono, So it was 30 minutes there, 30 minutes back, and nobody had a license. I couldn't even get a license. [00:14:16] Speaker A: So it's like he's working his job and you're taking care of your baby. And so it's just, you know, you and. You and Gus by ourselves. [00:14:24] Speaker B: Yeah. So we moved to my godmother's for a little bit, saved up a little more, and then we moved into this. This was a violation of every freaking living code ever. Little apartment in an alleyway. My neighbor was a thrift store. And yeah, it was horrible. [00:14:42] Speaker A: Was this the one? I feel like, because we have talked about this before, the one with no windows. [00:14:47] Speaker B: Yes. There was one singular window in the bathroom and it does not show any sunlight, so you could not tell if it was day or night in there. And it had like a half bathroom. Basically it had a full bathroom and like amenities. But. And then I didn't even have a real stove. I had a cooktop. I didn't have an oven. I didn't have a dishwasher. I had a microwave and a sink and a fridge, and that was it. And it was like the size of the room that we're in now, like, just like a small, like here I could take was just like the Size of, like, a small bedroom, maybe. And it was just. It was so bad. And so his father was just not a good person. One day I built up the courage, and I told him to move back with his parents. And we were managing for a couple months after that, and then I had another incident with him, and just him not being a good person. [00:15:48] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:49] Speaker B: So I built up the courage, and I filed a police report. And I didn't even mention domestic violence to the police officer, but she was like, this is domestic violence. I'm putting on this. [00:16:01] Speaker A: Did you know at the time that that's what it was, or were you. [00:16:03] Speaker B: Kind of like, No, I just thought, like, it's just, like, a bad relationship. It wouldn't have even crossed my mind to go as far as call it domestic violence. But the officer was like, yeah, I'm gonna put the answer on, and you're gonna get an order of protection, and we'll take it from there. And I still have my criminal order protection. [00:16:25] Speaker A: Yes. [00:16:26] Speaker B: For safety. So I have to refile that civilly. It did not extend to our son. He could have filed to see him, but he's about to be four in July, and he hasn't seen him. So it's hard because I want that so badly for my son to be wanted. But also, he is a much better father figure now. [00:16:47] Speaker A: Yes. Well, I was also gonna say, I know you want him to be wanted, and he's so wanted by you. [00:16:51] Speaker B: Yes. [00:16:52] Speaker A: And, like, he is like, a mama's boy. Definitely. He loves Alice. When they first came here, it was out of that situation, and Gus had a lot of boundaries, like, a lot of walls built up. Even as a small child, he didn't. [00:17:08] Speaker B: Even know anybody but me for first two years of his life. So. [00:17:12] Speaker A: Yeah, I remember when you guys came in, and he was scared. Like, he didn't want anybody to look at him. He didn't want anybody to go near him. And so to see you guys, it's, what, been two years since you guys first were here? And I think the first Alice that I met, which I'm really thankful that you've allowed me to meet so many different versions of you. So the first Alice I met was super quiet, super timid, maybe a little standoffish, you know, coming off like, you know, she's trying to protect herself, maybe in survival mode. And so it's just been really cool to see you grow, because for both of you guys to come in like that and now to see how interactive you are with all the other moms and how Gus is with all the kids at the elc. Is so, so cool. Yeah, you guys. [00:17:57] Speaker B: Oh my goodness. He is social to the max now. [00:18:00] Speaker A: Yeah. Alice is a little bit more of an introvert and Gus makes her an extrovert, which I think is a perfect pairing. Like, I think God had you had you have an extrovert as a child to wave at people at the grocery store. [00:18:13] Speaker B: You need to be pushed out of your comfort zone everywhere you go. [00:18:17] Speaker A: Yes. So Alice has also been, I don't know, you become more of like a mid. Introvert. Extrovert when you have to be, which has also been cool to see. [00:18:26] Speaker B: I remember the first like, kind of realization of like, wow, my kid is like finally opening up. Here's when I went to driving school. [00:18:35] Speaker A: Oh, yes, I remember that. Alice went to driving school through Hope House and through. [00:18:40] Speaker B: You had to come in, he napped on you. And he was just a whole week of just like full, like eight hour class. And remember you sent me the picture of him finally taking a nap. [00:18:52] Speaker A: Yes, yes. [00:18:53] Speaker B: Because he was breastfed for two and a half years and so he could not fall asleep without being breastfed for two and a half years. That was the hardest thing I've ever. [00:19:03] Speaker A: I remember that sometimes you would come in and you'd look absolutely exhausted. But. [00:19:10] Speaker B: Yeah, that was hard. So during that week of driving school and all he had was like, the bottle. He was like, no, like, this is horrible, guys. [00:19:20] Speaker A: He was cut clean, dry. [00:19:23] Speaker B: He was. Yeah. And so she sent me the picture of him finally taking nap and I was like, oh my God. Finally. Finally. [00:19:31] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, for myself, I feel like I see a lot of like my family. As I mentioned earlier, I have a lot of teen moms in my family. My background is kind of just all over the place with being able to relate to different people, maybe on different levels that people may not have, like, thought I could from the outside looking in. So my parents, all of my family essentially grew up like in the same neighborhood in Arizona. And so like, both of my great grandparents, they lived there and they met in that neighborhood. And then my grandparents lived there and they met in that neighborhood. And my dad met my mom and his. Her family in that neighborhood, even though he didn't even live there. My grandpa from my dad's side knew a lot of people in that neighborhood. And then they actually started going to a church in that neighborhood. And so that's how my dad met. I know that's how my dad met all of like my mom's cousins. And like, that's how my dad essentially met my mom is he was best friends with all of her guy cousins, and they would, like, pick on her because they were, like, kids. And so, yeah, like, they grew up in that neighborhood, and that neighborhood wasn't necessarily, like, the best neighborhood. Definitely has, like, gotten better over the years, but there's just, like, a lot of bad things that you can get yourself into in that neighborhood. And so growing up, my parents, we were still hanging around, obviously, all of our family lives there, and it's just so easy to get consumed by that lifestyle. And so I was probably exposed to, like, you know, some pretty big things at a young age that I probably wasn't supposed to be that I know I wasn't supposed to be. And it took my parents, like, a lot of courage, which is what I see you guys having to do a lot. Like, my parents had to make the decision for themselves, clearly, but for their children and maybe put boundaries or, you know, sacrifice certain relationships, whether that be like, you know, maybe you've had a sacrifice time with your mom because you're like, she's not in a good place right now, or, you know, guess his dad. So for me, I see the sacrifices that you guys are willing to give for your children, and I see that from my parents and what they did for us and. And just the different life you guys are creating is so admirable because it's not easy to sacrifice relationships or sacrifice what. [00:21:58] Speaker B: You know, just even step out of the comfort zone to, like, a lot of the time, it's even just stepping out of a comfort zone to. To join something like copas, especially for Hispanic communities, because it's always like, don't get help. Yeah, like, all these. [00:22:13] Speaker A: We internalize this in the family. Like, this stays within the family. Like, nobody needs to know our business. This is going to be figured out here. And, yeah, that doesn't happen a lot. [00:22:24] Speaker B: Like the Hispanic household, Ray, for teen pregnancy. It's just a generational cycle. I come from generations upon generations of teen moms. My mom was the oldest, and she had me at 19, so still a teen, but she was the oldest. [00:22:41] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, made it out of the high school. [00:22:43] Speaker B: Yeah. She graduated before she gave birth. [00:22:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:50] Speaker B: I think. Yeah. And I love how involved your parents are. I love your parents. [00:22:56] Speaker A: Shout out Ralph and Margaret. Thank you. [00:22:58] Speaker B: Yeah, I remember you would, like, send the pictures of Gus and all this stuff. And Celeste was actually the. The person to find out that I was pregnant with my second, like, first. Other than me. [00:23:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:15] Speaker B: Because I had a hunch. I Had a job interview at David's Bridal. I got the job. I was supposed to start the next week. And I was like feeling really nauseous. And I was like, I think it's just nerves. Like, this is like my first, like, actual job. Like, I had had a job before, but it lasted like three days. [00:23:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:31] Speaker B: And I was like, oh. And then I actually, like, puked. And I was like, no. [00:23:37] Speaker A: And then you came to me. [00:23:39] Speaker B: I was like, let's get a test at Hope House and we'll see what's going on. So she watched my 3 year old for me in the bathroom. And I went, I took the test. And he was a die stealer. Die stealer is when the test line shows up before the control line. [00:23:58] Speaker A: Yeah. It was crazy. Alice didn't even, like, I thought. I don't know, I thought she was going to like, be like, yes or no really fast. And she was just like, oh. Like, all she made was a sound. And I was like, I mean, I kind of thought you were pregnant, but I was like. She just started using the bathroom, so I don't know what to expect though. [00:24:17] Speaker B: I didn't even, like, get to clean myself up ball my pants or anything. And I was like, oh. And Celeste goes and starts jiggling the door. She's like trying to, like, pry it open. Basically. [00:24:30] Speaker A: She's, well, I got scared for you. I was like, I don't want her to have a panic attack from the. [00:24:35] Speaker B: Bathroom on the floor. [00:24:36] Speaker A: And I'm just sitting here with her kid. I'm like, do you need me to go? [00:24:38] Speaker B: She's like, what? [00:24:39] Speaker A: What? [00:24:40] Speaker B: What? And I was like, well, hold on. Like, I have to pull up my pants, like all these things. And so I opened the door and I was like. I showed her the test. I can't even remember what I said, but I just showed you the test. [00:24:50] Speaker A: I think we were just like. [00:24:52] Speaker B: And then that entire moment, we, like, planned out my life, like in like five minutes. Yeah. [00:24:58] Speaker A: We were like, this is gonna be happening. This, this, this. Which is why I wan. Also talk about. Because your first. I've heard you talk about this before, about how, you know, your first son and the life you were living. It has been obviously so drastically different. And how, you know, sometimes you're like, I wish I could have had this life for Gus during that time period that Anais, who's her second son, is having but one. First off, I think God has. You go through things that maybe we don't understand. We can't understand. And so, like, there's no, there should be no regret or shame around what that lifestyle was at the time. [00:25:37] Speaker B: Everything happens for a reason. [00:25:38] Speaker A: Yeah. And so you described what your past looked like, you know, living in that apartment with Gus's dad and, you know, all of the things that happened around that. And then now, do you want to let them know, like, now what you're up to and how things are different this time around? And what a light it's been. [00:25:57] Speaker B: I started going to Front Range College. I'm gonna do political science, which has been something I've been into since I was like 12. Like the first, like the first term of like, Hillary Clinton and Trump started hitting and all the discussion around that. And I had a relatively conservative grandpa, so we would just sit at the. [00:26:23] Speaker A: Table and have discussion for hours, like. [00:26:26] Speaker B: And I was the only person he would ever do it with. Anybody else would just like, be like, whatever, I'm not gonna have this conversation with you. And I'm. I'd butt in. I'd be like, oh, I will have this conversation with you. Watch me. [00:26:37] Speaker A: Yeah, so you have, you're going to school, you're at. No Front Range Community College. [00:26:41] Speaker B: Yep. I have my own apartment. We're actually looking to move. We're trying maybe if it's in our budget, because we're going to be first time buyers, to maybe buy like a one of those, like nice, like renovated, like double wise or it's like all modern inside and everything. Yes, we're looking into it. [00:27:00] Speaker A: You have a car? [00:27:02] Speaker B: I have my own car. We have two cars, technically. And I'm engaged. [00:27:05] Speaker A: Yes. I was gonna say that. I pointed for you guys. You can't see this by pointing at my finger because I think that's super awesome. Like, just so noteworthy. And I was super excited when she told me that she was engaged outside looking in. I have gotten the chance to meet her fiance at certain events here at Hope palace because the moms are allowed to invite, like, plus ones for our bigger events. So that way, you know, everybody who they're around can be able to experience the beauty and magic of Hope House. [00:27:36] Speaker B: And we also used to live like two blocks away from each other. [00:27:39] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. I would literally see them driving. It's so funny. But yeah, it's just been super cool to see him and meet him. And he's really sweet, he's kind, he's patient, he's filled with a lot of grace. And he has an awesome support system. [00:27:54] Speaker B: His mom. [00:27:56] Speaker A: Yeah, he's a good Christian man. He has awesome sisters, an awesome mom, like, they're always talking about Hope House and spreading Hope House and trying to get people to come in. So, like, they have people who are also teen moms, and they're trying to make sure that they're getting plugged into Hope House early. And it's just been, I don't know, so sweet to see you be loved. [00:28:16] Speaker B: Yeah. It's a big difference. And I. It'll be, like, after a big fight or something, and I'll text the lesson. I'm like, so what do you and Jorge do? Like, how do you and your husband navigate this? Like, just breaking that cycle of just the same behavior over and over. Like, especially when you don't have good relationship models, it's so hard to navigate, like, what to do. [00:28:42] Speaker A: Yeah. I do appreciate when you message me because it shows that you want to be better, and, like, it takes courage to have to be like, hey, you know, you obviously don't give me all the details, because. [00:28:52] Speaker B: No, girl, I give you all the details. I'm like, you know what? Cause she'll listen. Let me just say everything. [00:28:59] Speaker A: Yeah, but he's super cool. He's come to, like, our soccer tournament or our soccer game that we had last year for Hope House. What else does he come to? [00:29:07] Speaker B: That was on Gus's birthday, actually. [00:29:09] Speaker A: Yeah. That was so fun. He's just so funny. All the dads that come to Hope House, they like, when we have something competitive, they're, like, really competitive, and, like. [00:29:17] Speaker B: They want to win. [00:29:18] Speaker A: So I'm like, okay, we're going to compete. [00:29:20] Speaker B: But he's come to the. The Easter event. [00:29:23] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:24] Speaker B: Both years so far. [00:29:26] Speaker A: Oh, you know what we should talk about in kind? Oh, so. Oh, you know, we love in kind. So for those of you who don't know, we have, like, an in kind closet, which means all the clothes that you beautiful people donate to our moms and to our kids, we get to put them in a closet. And then we have volunteers that will go through and look through the clothes and put them in our beautiful boutique so our moms can shop and get clothing for free. But sometimes in kind just gets really crazy. Like, it's pouring out the closet, and me and Alice have to step in, and I'll bring my laptop downstairs and work on the table downstairs, and she'll go through clothes. And what I love about Alice is how intentional she is with what she's picking for our moms. It's really cute when she sees something and she can basically visualize who she thinks would love it and be like, yeah, we have to put that up because this is so and so's style. So that's always super, super cool to do. [00:30:24] Speaker B: I know. And I feel like, like, as much as, like, people don't really want to think about it, like, if somebody else is like, going through, they're going to be like, this will look cute on me and this will look cute on me. But every time I'm looking through it, I'm really thinking of, like, is this top notch that we can give to somebody else up there? And then me and Celeste have, like, completely different styles than, like, what's like, trendy and like, norm. So we just get like the rejects. [00:30:48] Speaker A: We get the reject, AKA grandma sweaters. Patch. Patch sweaters, embroidery. Yeah. [00:30:55] Speaker B: I get all the baby overalls. We. Oh, my goodness. We have found some amazing vintage baby clothes. [00:31:01] Speaker A: Thank you guys so much for. For stopping by and thinking of in donating your clothes, because you guys have. [00:31:07] Speaker B: Your old 80s clothes. All of it. We'll take it all happily. [00:31:15] Speaker A: So what's something that you enjoy about Hope House? You know, you can. It can be as simple as a class. It can be about staff. It could be about opportunities that we like. What. [00:31:30] Speaker B: It. [00:31:30] Speaker A: What is something that you really, I guess, like, have pride in when it comes to Hope House? Like, you're like, oh, yeah, this is what I would want to brag about when it comes to. [00:31:37] Speaker B: Definitely the community. I went from, you know, isolation, no friends, nothing, to being able to interact with, like, the same regulars come, but like, also different people every single day and especially with the staff and just like, really, like, feel myself and be able to be myself. Especially, like, from the mom aspect. You're not going to be judged. You know, it's a whole teen mom mom organization, so you don't have to deal with, like, the whole, like, oh. [00:32:08] Speaker A: You'Re a teen mom. [00:32:10] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:32:11] Speaker A: Like, you don't have to explain yourself. [00:32:14] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. And it's really refreshing to not have to worry about that, which, I mean, I don't. I'm very secure in myself. [00:32:19] Speaker A: Yeah. I was gonna say you're very calm. Like, you're. You're. [00:32:21] Speaker B: But I still know that it happens. But I know at Hope House, it's not going to at all because you know exactly what you're doing there. Yeah. And it's. Yeah, it's really nice. And it's really nice kind of being like, on the younger side there because I do tend to connect with older people more. [00:32:39] Speaker A: Yeah. I was gonna say, I think because maybe you were kind of forced to Grow up a little bit. Sometimes I forget Alice's 19. 19. [00:32:48] Speaker B: 19. [00:32:49] Speaker A: She does turn 19. Yeah. So it's sometimes hard to be like, oh, yeah, you're like, already, like, like, and I'm not aging you by a ton, but I'm like, oh, you're like, 21. Yeah, 20, 22. But you're not. You're young. And I think that also just offers such a good perspective for maybe even the younger moms who are coming in who are like, this girl seems like she has it together. And oh, my gosh. And you're like, I'm only 19. Like, yeah, we're the same. Like, we can't be the same thing. [00:33:20] Speaker B: I remember a couple weeks ago, Jamie Barnes, one of the managers and power program manager. [00:33:26] Speaker A: Yep. [00:33:27] Speaker B: And I was telling. I'm talking about my birthday because it was coming up. And she was like, you're not 18. I was like, yeah, I'm only 18. She goes, no. I was like, no, I swear, like. [00:33:38] Speaker A: I can hear Jamie's voice, literally. [00:33:42] Speaker B: And she was like, oh, my gosh. I didn't know that. I was like, yeah, it's crazy. She was like, I thought you were like 20 or something. I was like, no, nope, just 18. [00:33:53] Speaker A: Just a little 18 year old. [00:33:59] Speaker B: Yeah. I would say that just being able to connect to so many different people is. Is so nice. It's so refreshing. And you meet, like, people from completely different walks of life. And even if the only thing you have in common is being parents, you still are able to connect with them. And it's so nice. Like, especially, like, you'll hear it a lot. Especially since I had my son. Like, people will get like, the baby fever, but they don't want to have another kids. You're just passing babies around and you know that your baby is safe with these people. And it's. It's so nice. It's so nice. [00:34:32] Speaker A: Well, that's why I love that I get to love on your babies and give them right back to you. [00:34:37] Speaker B: You get to go home to your dog. [00:34:38] Speaker A: Yes, Mr. Sammy. Hi, everyone, it's Celeste, development coordinator at Hope House Colorado. We have an awesome group of 233 champions called our Bedrock Builders, who donate monthly gifts and we would love for you to join. This group is super special to our moms because it provides them stable support through an income stream that they know they can always count on. If you'd like to become a monthly donor, please visit hopehousecolorado.org donate now and make your recurring donation today. Thank you so much for Empowering our team teen moms. We have a high school and GD graduation that happens. [00:35:15] Speaker B: Every so often. [00:35:16] Speaker A: Every, like, maybe two times a year. We have. And that's because you graduated from the education and career program. And then we also have a graduation for our Hope House graduates, meaning they've gone through the required classes. We have a list of classes that moms have to get through, whether that be healthy relationships, Parenting 101, financial literacy, all of those good things. So they have to go through and check them off. And then they also have to be on a self sufficiency score that they're stable or safe. And so then we are able to have an awesome celebration for them and have dinner and write speeches. And we get to say these speeches for these moms dedicated to each one who graduates. What is the class that you need last? It's coming up soon. [00:36:01] Speaker B: Ooh, the home buying class is the last class I need. We're recording. It's tomorrow. [00:36:07] Speaker A: Yay. [00:36:12] Speaker B: Yeah. You have. There's, like, other goals, like get your driver's license, enroll in higher education or get a job, have your kids in childcare. All these things. And they seem like when you first start and you, like, look at the. [00:36:25] Speaker A: List, you're like, this is overwhelming. [00:36:27] Speaker B: I'm never gonna be able to get this done. And I got it done within, like, really years when I started working. [00:36:32] Speaker A: Time's gonna pass no matter what, whether you take it or not. So you might as well. That's my view. [00:36:37] Speaker B: Yeah. And so I'll be. I could have graduated last year, but I was pregnant and I didn't want. [00:36:46] Speaker A: She wanted to enjoy the gala, not pregnant. She wanted to be comfortable and, like, breathe. [00:36:52] Speaker B: I had him at exactly 37 weeks too. So that was like, what, like a week after the gala or something? Like, not even. So I would have been huge and hot and miserable and tired. So I just would have been regretful and, like, felt like kind of like I wasted it if I had went pregnant. So I was like, I'll. I'll wait. Like, I have just a couple required classes because I reached all my self sufficiency. And we'll get this done. [00:37:20] Speaker A: Yeah, Alice, actually, she got to speak at our. Maybe you could talk about that and how that experience was for you because, like, I love that you guys get to experience these things. I'm a big. I tell these girls, like, you guys need a dream. Please dream like your dreams don't. And just because you have a kiddo, maybe they get changed a little bit or maybe they get pushed back on a timeline. But, like, you guys need to dream. Dreaming is awesome. And it helps give you, I don't know, motivation and incentive. And I don't think because whatever background you have should diminish any of your dreams or the size or what you think is achievable. So. Alice got to have a really cool experience earlier this year and speak at our high school and GED graduation. We typically have a prior graduate from the class before get to speak to our moms because, you know, we get to speak to them. Jenny G, who is our empower or program director, she gets to talk to them. We have Jamie Lee, who's the education and career, who gets to talk to them. But when it's coming from, like, a fellow peer, I feel like it's so much more impactful. So can you, like, describe that experience for you, being able to have an opportunity like that? [00:38:28] Speaker B: Yeah, it felt good, honestly. And it's crazy. Like, I had Daisy, who was. She had her episode with Sasha and she spoke at mine, and I was just like, wow. Like, I have, like, a graduation. Like, I never, like, once I, like, stopped going to school, I was like, I'm. [00:38:51] Speaker A: This is not gonna happen. Yeah. [00:38:52] Speaker B: I was like, wow. And like, her speech was so nice. And so being able to be that person for all the other moms, like, when they, like, because I know all of them at least once were like, this is not gonna happen. Like, I'm not gonna be able to make it anything like that. So, like, being able to be that person for them that really, like, it's like the. The realization moment where they're like, wow, like, I'm here. Like, I'm. I'm seeing this other person, like, who's just in my shoes. Like, and it. It was a really good experience, like, just being that person. And it was kind of nerve wracking. I was like, oh, my God. I know. [00:39:28] Speaker A: You were like, I think I stuttered a ton. I think I stuttered a ton. I'm like, that thing perfectly fine. Like, you did not come off nervous at all. It was clear and concise. [00:39:37] Speaker B: I was like, especially because, like, one of the people that sit on the board, like, will also make a speech. And I was like, choose ygb. Like, yeah. Oh, my God. [00:39:48] Speaker A: Yeah, I think it was Nicole. It was Nicole this time. She. Her speech was awesome. Yes, She's. She's awesome. She loves going to your guys. [00:39:55] Speaker B: Why didn't I get a pink golf ball for my graduation? [00:39:58] Speaker A: Nicole, if you're. If you're listening to this, Alice is requesting a pink golf ball from you. [00:40:03] Speaker B: Thank you. Yay. But I helped. Your mom paid a doormat. I deserve a pink. That's another thing that I really like about Hope House is like, how involved everybody is and then how just like, I feel like more recently now they're giving moms more opportunities to like, really be involved in like, the workings and like the cogs of Hope House. And it really gives me, like a new appreciation in doing everything because, like, I get to see the inside and like, be like, really a part of it rather than just like a mom that they're serving. I'm like, in it. [00:40:42] Speaker A: Yes. [00:40:42] Speaker B: I'm doing this, the podcast. [00:40:44] Speaker A: You know, we have talked about this before, about how. So I obviously started as a high school and Judy coordinator and then I transitioned to my development coordinator role. So I'm on the fundraising side. You know, we're behind the scenes. We're. We're talking to y' all, we're doing all these things. And Alice has talked about how she's appreciated being able to understand more about what a non profit looks like and how it's run and all of these things. I've had her help me write a handful of thank you notes and like. [00:41:11] Speaker B: She gets to see. Yeah, I got carpal tunnel. [00:41:15] Speaker A: I did maybe have to bribe her a few times with some coffee to get. I had so many, which were super blessed to have. But it's really cool when she asked me a question of like, oh, like, what does this mean? Like, what is a corporate match? Like, what is this? I think growing up and like being young and maybe even being Hispanic plays into that too. Of like, you know, we don't have the same roles, we don't get the same opportunities sometimes or we are not put in a position where we can. So like being behind the scenes and understanding, like corporate versus, you know, I mean, a lot of my family, it's. I'm not being stereotypical, but like, we're, we're blue collar workers, construction, woodworking mechanics, like all of those things hands on. And so being able to be behind the scenes, I think just gives you so much power yourself to know what these things are. Which has been super cool as well. [00:42:17] Speaker B: Yeah, I think like, we had the boarded. Like, like it was a auctioned off at the gala for like, come make doormats. [00:42:33] Speaker A: Oh, we had our mat making class. Yes, we auctioned off the silent. At our silent auction at the gala this past year. We offered off a matte decorating class. Like a welcome matte decorating class. Yeah. [00:42:42] Speaker B: And then I've helped with a couple tours and everything, obviously going through the donations as well and doing little things like this and, like, as much as it's, like, seen as, like, helping Hope House, I really like doing it. I really do. I came in. [00:42:59] Speaker A: I don't feel like. I mean, that's the vibes I get for you. I don't feel like I'm forcing you. [00:43:04] Speaker B: Just this past week, we had, like, an in kind night where we just, like, put everything that we had in the closet because it was so full, like, out, and you just looked through it. And even before that, I was like, I know that closet is full. I came in the day before and I was like, do you want me to take some of this, like, to the thrift store where you, like, I have, like, room in my car, like, with the boys, you know, in school, like, because this is, like, this is a lot, girl. [00:43:30] Speaker A: I'll go drop it off at arc, no problem. [00:43:32] Speaker B: I was like, just let me know. Just, just, just let me know, you know. Summer's about to be here. So then there's a mom company, also known as MOPS at Hope House, and it. It's only, like, runs during, like, the school year. And it's. It was originally moms of preschoolers, but then they changed it to be more inclusive, such as mom company, and they started in churches and stuff. And it starts, like, with just like, a woman. Like, like, like women in a little group, and they have to, like, do their own fundraising and stuff like that. And we're fortunate enough to have Hope House to really do, like, that hard stuff for us. [00:44:10] Speaker A: Was there an application you did for. [00:44:11] Speaker B: Yes, yes. So that's what I was gonna say. Sometime in the summer, we're gonna have, like, a little retreat, and we're gonna, like, pre plan, like, what we're doing for the next year and, like, our roles and stuff, because I applied and had, like, a little interview for, like, the leadership team of it. So, like, I was saying, like, it's just like a group of moms, and, like, in a conventional one, they have to, like, do their own fundraising and, like, plan their own things and everything like that. So the two people that run it, which is Christina and Kati. Kati's the parent educator, and Christina does. [00:44:43] Speaker A: Like, she's our development associate. [00:44:45] Speaker B: And they kind of, like, had the reins on it, you know, getting it started. And now that it started and established and we have a good group, me and right now, three other moms. I think some other ones took an Application last class right now, me and three other moms who I know very well, which is really nice. We're on the leadership team finally. So we're gonna be planning our own things, figuring out what we're doing because it's lunch and an activity of something and like just having more independence with it. And I'm really excited. One of the parts of the roles that I took is, is just like making everybody feel welcome, you know, like if you see a bomb that hasn't come to the group before, you know. [00:45:33] Speaker A: Just invite them to come in. [00:45:34] Speaker B: Hey, come see with me. My name is Alice. What's your name? This is what we do here. Have you been here before? Like all these things I just hate, hate, hate the feeling of being like the new person frickin anywhere where you're just like, oh, like I don't want to be here. Like I just rather go home. I. I absolutely hate being in that situation. So to like kind of push somebody out of that, it's. Yeah, it's definitely like the role for me because as much as like I would also like to be introverted, I know that like in that situation, like that person is feeling like so anxious that that kind of overrides me feeling anxious as well. [00:46:15] Speaker A: I think that's a really fun opportunity for you guys. I've heard Christina and Kati talk about it too, but how they're excited about pass it on to you guys essentially. Because it is technically supposed to be mom led. [00:46:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:46:26] Speaker A: And so for you guys to be able to take that on, I think is going to be super cool and like just provide you guys so many life skills. And like, I think it's such an accomplishment that you guys can add to your list, which is super. Yeah. [00:46:38] Speaker B: Christina actually told me that this is something you can put on an actual job. [00:46:42] Speaker A: You can put it on your resume. You could put speaking at a high school graduation in front of like, I think we had like 75 people at that. On your resume. [00:46:49] Speaker B: It's crazy. [00:46:50] Speaker A: Public speaking. Yeah. [00:46:52] Speaker B: Learning how to adult here is crazy. Like what do you mean that I can put me coordinating what thing? I'm going to be painting in a group today. Like on my resume. Like that's crazy. Yeah, that's so crazy to me. [00:47:04] Speaker A: I mean you put thank you notes on there too. [00:47:07] Speaker B: Carpal tunnel may require. Carpal tunnel breaks in two years may require. [00:47:14] Speaker A: Yeah, I was gonna tell you. Oh, what was I gonna say? Oh, book club. We talked probably. I think they probably talked about book club before. But me and Alice, we Were part of book club. We do a lot of the recaps for the chapters. And the girls love it because the girls and Chris. The girls and Chris. Hey, Chris. Love it because we'll start recapping it. And then Alice corrects me on things that I forgot or I'm talking too much on. She's like, girl, you don't need to go over that. It's absolutely irrelevant. Like, keep going because. [00:47:47] Speaker B: Okay. Because you're obviously not understanding the definition of a recap. [00:47:50] Speaker A: I keep it under five minutes. I watch my watch, and I keep it under five minutes. You just get impatient. [00:47:57] Speaker B: We have, but we haven't been in the last couple of book clubs. [00:47:59] Speaker A: Yeah. Because we should talk about that. Yeah. So we love our book club girls. Jamie Lee, Emily Foster, all the girls. Shout out to you guys. [00:48:07] Speaker B: We were just getting a little fatigued with the genres. [00:48:10] Speaker A: Yes. Aka, like, mystery vibes. Sometimes they were mystery, Sometimes they were like a little murder mystery. And so, yeah, we got a little fatigued. Fatigued from the. From the subject. But this time around, we're currently reading the Summer I Turn Pretty, which is like, kind of like teeny bopper ish. Like, you know, it's like a girly pop book. It's for young. I think it's literally listed as, like, a young adult book. [00:48:34] Speaker B: Yeah. Like crime. [00:48:35] Speaker A: Yeah. And Amazon prime has a series, I guess, think the third. I don't know how many seasons. I haven't watched it, but the new mom's coming out soon. Yeah, my mom watches it. She loves it. Shout out. Shout out. [00:48:45] Speaker B: Margaret. [00:48:46] Speaker A: But it's been a really good book. We started it last week. We just started it. And it's such an easy, nice read. I think it's definitely perfect for the summer and just. I don't know, it's just so nice to have a chill read. I appreciate that the girlies in the book club were wanting to try something different this round. [00:49:04] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah. [00:49:05] Speaker A: Now we're back. [00:49:05] Speaker B: I know Chris was like, we get our recaps back. And I was just. Headache already. This girl I know run for my money. [00:49:14] Speaker A: I haven't read the pages yet for this week, so. [00:49:16] Speaker B: But I have it in my bag, so. [00:49:18] Speaker A: Oh, Emily just put it at my desk because she had to order me a book because we had so many moms come to this book club that we, like, ran out of books to give people. So staff. The staff that were there didn't get a book, so that way our moms could read. [00:49:33] Speaker B: What do you think your favorite book club book has Been. [00:49:37] Speaker A: I feel like it'll probably end up being this book, because I just. It's such an easy read from prior books. Definitely. I really liked. I mean, the Housemaid was pretty good. Silent Patient was pretty good. And there. You know, it's funny because we're. We're harping on the fact that we listen to a lot of murder mystery books. And, like, my favorite ones were the murder mystery. [00:50:04] Speaker B: Yeah, well, mine wasn't. [00:50:05] Speaker A: Okay, which one was yours? [00:50:07] Speaker B: The Midnight Library. [00:50:08] Speaker A: Oh, I didn't. That's the one I skipped. [00:50:10] Speaker B: It was absolutely amazing. It was so good. I'm lending my mom my copy right now. I'm like, you need to read this book. Like, it is so good. And I feel like I'm a little biased. Cause the main character has a cat named Book named Voltaire. Oh, that's my cat theme. [00:50:30] Speaker A: That is you and the book. Yeah, I think that's the connection. [00:50:33] Speaker B: I've had this cat cat since, like, 2012. So I was in, like, kindergarten, and this man is still pushing it, healthy as ever. And she calls him Vault in the book. I don't. [00:50:45] Speaker A: You don't like that? He said I pronounce his full name. That's what I legally named him. [00:50:50] Speaker B: I call him Vault Volter. This sounds so mean. Like, but, like, he used to be, like, half outside, half inside. So he'd come up, like, half Darrell. Like, yeah, he came up, like, roughed up. Like, him and raccoons is, like, getting at it and everything. So his nickname is Ugly. Not because he's ugly, but because he's so cute that it makes him ugly. Like, it cancels out. And he loves that name he called. He comes every time you call him that. It's so funny. But I was like, oh, my goodness. [00:51:22] Speaker A: Voltaire's your cat's name. [00:51:23] Speaker B: And honestly, the whole book is amazing. Go. Go buy it. Go read it. Anybody? I'm so serious. [00:51:28] Speaker A: That's a promo if I've ever heard of one. [00:51:30] Speaker B: It's awesome. I. It was like, more of like, a. I guess, like, emotional. Like, maybe even, like, touches on, like, a philosophy kind of thing. [00:51:41] Speaker A: Okay. [00:51:42] Speaker B: It's like a multiple. Like, the library's, like, book of regrets. Pick a new route to choosing your life. And then the ending is. I come to realize she loves the life that she's in now. Like, and especially, like, on the mental health tone of it. Like, I love books like that because it reminds me of, like, how much progress I've made. So go buy that book. [00:52:03] Speaker A: Speaking of books, did you see that they Opened up a new Barnes and Noble Inn. You're from. Oh, sorry. Nye Nye rolled over, and he didn't like that. He scared himself. There we go. Did you see. Because you lived in a lot of Northern Colorado, did you see that they opened up a new Barnes and Noble and Superior. No, I went the other day. [00:52:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:52:37] Speaker A: So cool. So big. [00:52:40] Speaker B: I can't. I can't betray my Boulder. Freaking Barnes and Nobles right there. Come on. [00:52:47] Speaker A: Well, I didn't know Boulder had one. [00:52:48] Speaker B: It's really nice. [00:52:49] Speaker A: This one's really nice. [00:52:52] Speaker B: When I was in, like, first grade or something, I don't know, the movie Frozen, I just, like, came out and. [00:52:57] Speaker A: I was, like, in first grade for you? [00:53:00] Speaker B: No, I think it had to be later than that. It wasn't like, 2017. [00:53:03] Speaker A: Third grade, girl. I was 18. I was graduating, like, okay. Oh, my gosh. [00:53:10] Speaker B: That was maybe third or pushing third grade, I think. Yeah. [00:53:14] Speaker A: Oh, my God. You were, like, the age of my God sister. I took my God sister to go see that movie. [00:53:18] Speaker B: Well, okay. So it was, like, already out. Like, it was already in. It's, like, prime. So it had been out for a little bit. [00:53:23] Speaker A: You were already hearing, do you want to pull this? [00:53:27] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. I had already bought it on Google Movies to watch it on my car ride to school. But my Barnes and Nobles was, like, having, like, this, like, raffle thing with, like, this little activity, and, like, somebody came in and, like, read a frozen book or something like that. And the raffle was, like, a licensed Olaf, and I wanted it so bad, and I won it. I won that raffle. It's the only thing I've ever won in my life. [00:53:55] Speaker A: I never win raffles. And I think about nothing. No. No chance. I don't think I've ever won a raffle. [00:54:01] Speaker B: That was the only time. And you know what? I think it was my brother's name that was called. [00:54:05] Speaker A: He said. I'm claiming that he didn't even want it. [00:54:08] Speaker B: We just did it to have a better chance. So you know what? It worked out. [00:54:11] Speaker A: Yeah. Your brother. We didn't talk about your brother. [00:54:14] Speaker B: I have a younger brother. He's two years younger than me. He lives with his father. We have different dads. And he's. He's going through all the teen angst things right now. [00:54:28] Speaker A: All the good stuff. Huh. [00:54:32] Speaker B: We don't really talk all the time, but when we do talk, it's usually been something stupid. [00:54:36] Speaker A: Fun night. Just like, kind of like a casual conversation. [00:54:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:54:39] Speaker A: I think we've related to this before, too. Yeah. Me and my brother were, like, the same. Like. [00:54:42] Speaker B: Like, we always forget that we have siblings, too. Both. [00:54:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:54:47] Speaker B: Like, I remember aj, my fiance, like, asked a couple, like, a while ago. I was like, is so. That's like an only child. I was like, I can't remember. It's like, actually, I don't know. And then I'll mention. [00:54:59] Speaker A: She said, let me ask her tomorrow. Rain check. I'll let you know tomorrow. [00:55:02] Speaker B: And then I'll, like, be like, yeah, my brother this, that. And so I just like, oh, my God. I forgot you have a brother. It's so. [00:55:09] Speaker A: It's just like, when you're different, like, even for you, like, obviously you're not as far away, but, like. Like, when you're not in their everyday lives. [00:55:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:55:16] Speaker A: For me, he lives, like. He lives in Arizona. So, like, I don't really see him much. [00:55:20] Speaker B: My brother's, like, an hour away. But, like, even then, like, it's pretty far. [00:55:25] Speaker A: Yeah. An hour away in Colorado feels like. [00:55:27] Speaker B: Two, three hours too far. [00:55:30] Speaker A: Too, too far. North, south, east, west. I feel like the drives just feel like, forever. [00:55:34] Speaker B: Yeah. And so, like, we have, like, a little group chat with, like, him and my cousin, the one. Like, I grew up with them and everything. And every time we talk, it's just something stupid. It's like a meme that they randomly send or something. But he'll come up for, like, holidays, like, when he gets time off school and stuff, so that's nice. [00:55:53] Speaker A: Cause he's still in high school, right? [00:55:56] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, he's gonna be. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. [00:56:02] Speaker A: Your baby's not a baby. [00:56:04] Speaker B: He's gonna be 17 in June. No. [00:56:09] Speaker A: This is how I feel about you, Emily. [00:56:10] Speaker B: Shout out Ivo. I'm gonna make him listen to this. [00:56:16] Speaker A: Oh, you know what I was thinking about? Coraline. Oh, should we give them the lore? [00:56:20] Speaker B: Oh, there's not even any lore. We're just enthusiasts on the movie. [00:56:25] Speaker A: Yeah. That's one thing we really relate on. We really love Coraline. Just such a good quality movie. If you haven't seen it, if you guys think it's maybe a little dark, I just encourage you to appreciate, like, the artistry within it. Like, it's stop motion. It's claymation. [00:56:41] Speaker B: Yes. [00:56:42] Speaker A: That's the beauty of it. That's what I love. I'm like. The story, obviously, is, like, a little crazy if you think about it, like, how they market it as a kids movie. Kind of crazy when you think, like, I remember when it came out, I. [00:56:53] Speaker B: Was watching, like, nine and, like. Which is also like claymation. Like, very eerie, very dark. I feel like I remember that I was, like, falling asleep to Nightmare on Em street, and I was like, two years old. [00:57:03] Speaker A: Girl, you shouldn't happen. [00:57:05] Speaker B: No exposed. [00:57:06] Speaker A: At a young age. No exposed. [00:57:07] Speaker B: I loved it. No, that was the thing. Like, I asked for it. Like, I wanted it. [00:57:12] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:57:14] Speaker B: My brain's wired a little. A little differently. [00:57:16] Speaker A: Just a little bit. [00:57:18] Speaker B: I. The first time I ever watched Coraline, my godmother actually had the DVD for. [00:57:23] Speaker A: It to be 3D. Do you remember the needle? The needle, like, right at the beginning when she sticks the needle through the button. [00:57:28] Speaker B: The. [00:57:29] Speaker A: Like. [00:57:29] Speaker B: Like the dolls. [00:57:30] Speaker A: Yeah. She's, like, creating the doll at the beginning of the movie. [00:57:32] Speaker B: It was so cool. [00:57:33] Speaker A: She sticks a needle through it and it goes through. Yeah. I tried watching them with my God sisters, and they, like, like, cried because they're younger than me. Obviously, I should not have enjoyed them. [00:57:40] Speaker B: It was so cool. And then recently, my fiance took me on a date to go see it in theaters in 3D. That gave me just a whole new appreciation. I Now I don't want to watch the movie unless it's in a movie theater with 3D. Like, it's so good. [00:57:56] Speaker A: I remember I went and the recliner seat was not working. [00:57:59] Speaker B: Oh, no, man. [00:58:01] Speaker A: What was that? The AMC in West in the promenade. Is that the Westminster one? [00:58:06] Speaker B: I think so. [00:58:07] Speaker A: AMC Promenade. Y' all need to fix your seats because I paid for the recliner, and it didn't work. And the girl next to me was quoting every line. [00:58:15] Speaker B: Me too. [00:58:16] Speaker A: Please don't. But, like, I did it in my head really loud. If you're gonna, like, mouth it, that's cool. If you're gonna be saying out loud, verbally, super loud. [00:58:24] Speaker B: Say it quietly. [00:58:25] Speaker A: Say it quietly, please. I'm enjoying. I'm just trying to enjoy the movie. [00:58:30] Speaker B: I love that movie. Oh, my God. Goodness. I. You were gonna donate a Coraline, like, put, like. [00:58:37] Speaker A: Oh, that hoodie thing. Yes. [00:58:39] Speaker B: And then you're like, oh, look here. [00:58:42] Speaker A: Yeah. I was like, you would probably like this. [00:58:43] Speaker B: Yes. And I made a fit out of it, like, the next day. So good. [00:58:47] Speaker A: So good. So you know what? You're really good at Halloween costumes. [00:58:52] Speaker B: Oh, thank you. [00:58:52] Speaker A: Tell them what your Halloween costume, your family Halloween costume was last year. [00:58:55] Speaker B: So Gus was a Ghostbuster. He. 80s Ghostbuster. He's only, like. [00:59:01] Speaker A: He's a Gus buster. [00:59:02] Speaker B: Yes. He only likes the 80s movie. Okay. Which they just put it back on HBO Max. Shout out to HBO Max. Because we could not find it anywhere for months. And Then me and AJ had to work, which was so sad. But our plan was Veronica and. Oh, my goodness, what's his name? [00:59:23] Speaker A: I can't remember. [00:59:25] Speaker B: D. J.D. j.D. From Heather's. [00:59:28] Speaker A: Yes. [00:59:29] Speaker B: Yes. It was so good. I had, like, the. The outfit was definitely Veronica dupe. Like, for sure. Like, I was super pregnant. But I feel like unless you, like, know Heathers, you wouldn't have been able to be, like, oh, you're Veronica. Yeah. [00:59:47] Speaker A: Like, it's a very niche. It's niche. Very niche. [00:59:49] Speaker B: But I'm not gonna dress up as, like, a witch or something. Like, come on. I'm already thinking about this year. Guess it's probably gonna be Spider man or something. Or Ghostbusters, probably. [01:00:01] Speaker A: He's at that age where Spider man is the man. Like, that's all they think about. All the kids over at the elc, like, they all want to be Spider man, which. I get it. It's super fun. [01:00:12] Speaker B: So I'm planning on that. Whatever. And this is, like, kind of a weird, like. But I've seen it online so many times, and I want to do it before he's old enough to decide for himself. I kind of want Anais to be like, the little Clockwork Orange guy, the main character, just because this is gonna be, like, the only time, like, before he could start picking his own. [01:00:34] Speaker A: Yes. He doesn't have a say right now, which is okay. He's an infant. [01:00:39] Speaker B: Let me use that to my advantage. What me and A.J. would be, I'm not sure yet. Maybe we'll have to see. [01:00:45] Speaker A: We'll check. Maybe we'll check back in later this year. [01:00:48] Speaker B: But if I got creative, creative direction, I'mma use it. [01:00:53] Speaker A: Yeah. You know what? I'm excited for this year. So right now, it's the week of the 5K. The 5K is going to be this Saturday, currently May 3rd. But me and Alice's son, Gus have taken a picture with the Chick Fil a cow for the past two years. And it is always the cutest picture ever. And he's just so joyful, and he's so happy, and he's kind of scared of the cow, but he's not at the same time, and the picture just encapsulates it. [01:01:21] Speaker B: I think he's gonna like him more this year because he has been craving nothing but Chick Fil a Mac and cheese. [01:01:26] Speaker A: Perfect. [01:01:27] Speaker B: And he calls it. He calls it white Mac and cheese because the little containers are white. Oh, I'll be like, no, we have Mac and cheese at home. He's like, no, I want White Mac and cheese. [01:01:35] Speaker A: She's a bougie man. [01:01:36] Speaker B: And he can. He knows the Chick Fil a logo. So when we drive by, he's like, there's Mac and cheese. [01:01:43] Speaker A: You need to get, like, some empty cans, and then, like, just get some Kraft Mac and, like, just put craft Mac in there. [01:01:50] Speaker B: They have, like, the sheet of, like, melted cheese on the top, you know, and for some reason, he always picks it off, but he likes that it's there. He will know. He will know. He's like, where's my layer of cheese? [01:02:01] Speaker A: Like, tell me this is too yellow. Actually, Crab mag is too yellow. [01:02:07] Speaker B: I love caramel Mac and cheese. [01:02:10] Speaker A: We love. Oh, when we're. We love food, me and Alice, we also bond over taste buds. [01:02:16] Speaker B: She has Wingstop in her, like, little bio on Hope House's website. So go check that out before she changes it. [01:02:25] Speaker A: Yeah. Wingstop has not been tasting the same. I don't know what it is. [01:02:30] Speaker B: What do you want? [01:02:31] Speaker A: But me and Alice. Oh, we should talk about that. We've been on, like, a healthy health journey, trying to. [01:02:36] Speaker B: Oh, I just bought a scale yesterday. [01:02:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:02:39] Speaker B: I have lost nine pounds. [01:02:41] Speaker A: You go, girl. [01:02:42] Speaker B: Since my birth weight. [01:02:44] Speaker A: Yeah. We've been, like, on a health journey since kind of, like, the beginning of the year. Ebbs and flows for sure of, like, consistency. And then I have not kind of going off the rails. And we're like. I, like, come in, and I'm like, alice, I have to tell you the truth. I just in and out. And then she's like, no way. I just ate. And then I left my steel. I'm like, okay, okay. It must have just been something in. [01:03:03] Speaker B: The air, Something in the air, something in the water. [01:03:07] Speaker A: So we've been on that. Alice is looking phenomenal. Postpartum's crazy. Like, what a journey it is. Alice, when she first even just talking about ages, too. This is something I've noticed for you guys, a lot of you teen moms, because you guys obviously have a baby super young, and you're kind of able to bounce back relatively quickly because you guys are so young. And then maybe you. You know, life is where it needs to be at, and you guys are able to have a second child. And you know, that second child is maybe when you're a few years older, 20s, 21, 22, and the reality hits of, like, when you have that second child, that, like, the bounce back is, like, a little bit harder. [01:03:45] Speaker B: Some people. [01:03:45] Speaker A: Because you guys obviously are older. [01:03:47] Speaker B: Yeah. Some people just snap back. [01:03:50] Speaker A: Yeah, that's true. [01:03:51] Speaker B: And I'm just like, dang, I wish I was you. Where. Where are my genetics at? Where are my genetics at? I'm actually like really skinny compared to the rest of my family. My, like, obesity is kind of something that runs at the minute. [01:04:02] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, I didn't know that. [01:04:03] Speaker B: So I'm like the one out of like three skinny people in my family. So I mean like, hey, like, but I'm just like, dang, like, like I always keep that in mind because I'm like, I don't want to fall into, you know, those habits that would keep me there. [01:04:26] Speaker A: Yeah. Because it's easy. Yeah, it's really easy to choose what you think is the easier option, whether that be like, you know, going to get food every day versus just like taking the time to. [01:04:38] Speaker B: We definitely take like different approaches though, because like, I'm more of like a everything in moderation. I'm not going to like restrict myself too much in what I'm doing. And you're very like, stick to my diet, stick to my day. [01:04:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:04:54] Speaker B: And I mean like side eye, like, girl, go get that triple dipper. [01:04:59] Speaker A: The gluten messes with me when I let it speak to me. Man, I feel so sick for like two days. I'm, I would say self diagnosed. [01:05:07] Speaker B: Celiac. [01:05:08] Speaker A: Yeah, celiac. But like, I probably could go get diagnosed. What are they going to tell me of something I already know? [01:05:13] Speaker B: Okay. [01:05:14] Speaker A: I already know I shouldn't be eating it and then I feel groggy and feel sick to my stomach for like two days. [01:05:20] Speaker B: I have no issues. So. [01:05:22] Speaker A: Must be lucky. [01:05:24] Speaker B: Yeah. I feel, I feel like God's favorite right now. [01:05:26] Speaker A: Do you have allergies? [01:05:27] Speaker B: No. I mean, sometimes, but like, obviously it's gonna happen to like any human with. [01:05:33] Speaker A: Like, like a specific allergy. Like you're allergic to bananas. [01:05:36] Speaker B: Oh, no. [01:05:37] Speaker A: Bees. [01:05:37] Speaker B: No. [01:05:38] Speaker A: No. Yeah, me neither. [01:05:41] Speaker B: My. Which is crazy because my mom and my brother both have pretty good allergies. [01:05:44] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay, to wrap this all up, we just said a lot, guys, thank you for listening and tuning in. If you've made it this far, we kind of just ramble on. But to finish this off, I just want to say obviously thank you for coming and being a part of Life reviewed with Mr. Nias. I think this will be something where we did this now and then, like, if you guys want us to come back, we could come back later this year or something and then give you another little update version of what has happened, AKA review our life again. Life Reviewed. But do you have anything else that you like, want to say? Or, like, let our people know. Let our peeps know. [01:06:29] Speaker B: Just that you're making a difference. Come. Even if you've taken a tour before, come take another one. See how to change. See what we're doing now. You know, it's always changing. And even just, like, listening to the podcast, like, you're making a big difference to a lot of people's lives. [01:06:46] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. So thank you. We hope that you stay tuned for this episode and for the next episode. And this was life. Precious soul? The things I didn't know? The things I didn't know? [01:07:06] Speaker B: About you? Oh, precious soul? [01:07:12] Speaker A: The things I didn't know? The things I didn't know about you? [01:07:18] Speaker B: About you? [01:07:22] Speaker A: Sa.