17) 16 Years, 5 Kids, and More Plot Twists Than We Planned | Our Anniversary Story episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 6, 2026 · 39 MIN

17) 16 Years, 5 Kids, and More Plot Twists Than We Planned | Our Anniversary Story

from Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected · host Amanda Holyoak

When we got married 16 years ago, we had plans.What we didn’t plan for were five kids, a NICU journey, foster care, adoption, complex medical diagnoses, countless appointments, sleepless nights, unexpected detours, and all the ways life would rewrite our story.In this special anniversary bonus episode, my husband and I sit down together to look back on sixteen years of marriage and the plot twists that shaped our family. We share funny memories, hard seasons, lessons learned, and the moments that reminded us that even when life doesn’t go according to plan, there is still joy to be found.Whether you’re navigating marriage, parenting, medical challenges, adoption, or simply the unexpected turns life brings, we hope this conversation encourages you to keep showing up, keep loving well, and keep rising through the unexpected.Because sometimes the best parts of the story are the chapters we never saw coming.In this episode:• How our expectations compared to reality• The biggest plot twists of the last 16 years• Lessons we’ve learned about marriage through difficult seasons• Humor, survival mode, and finding joy in the chaos• Why we wouldn’t trade this journey for anythingIf this episode resonates with you, please follow, share, and leave a review. It helps more families discover stories of hope and resilience.Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the UnexpectedTopics discussed include marriage, parenting, medical motherhood, NICU life, foster care, adoption, resilience, survival mode, family life, and navigating unexpected life challenges.Warm Memories - Emotional Inspiring Piano by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/I8h8

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 6, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

17) 16 Years, 5 Kids, and More Plot Twists Than We Planned | Our Anniversary Story

0:00 39:02

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected?

This episode is 39 minutes long.

When was this Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected episode published?

This episode was published on June 6, 2026.

Can I download this Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!