In The Middle Of It
We’re all living stories that aren’t finished yet, and this podcast picks up right in the middle of some really interesting journeys. Whether it’s navigating adulthood, the Christian life, marriage, a music career, grief, healing, or parenting, this podcast hosts conversations for everyone to find themselves a part of. Tune in every other week to find new episodes full of great conversation, laughter, vulnerability, and more!
In The Middle Of It
Middle Mini (Highs, Lows, and a Herd of Buffalo in 2026)
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Hannah’s husband Jason joins the pod for this fun mini episode where we do a mid 2026 check in! We play the classic icebreaker “High Low Buffalo” and talk parenting milestones, unexpected grief and anxiety, and the tiny rituals that keep us steady, including but not limited to: night cereal.
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Why A Midyear Recap
SPEAKER_00Hey friends, welcome back to In the Middle of It. I'm your host, Hannah Kerr, and today is a very special mini podcast episode featuring the one and only Jason Early, my husband.
SPEAKER_01Hey friends.
SPEAKER_00You guys really loved when Jason was on the podcast for season one, and so we're back for season two.
SPEAKER_01That's right.
SPEAKER_00In a mini. I love it. Okay, this is like the most in the middle of it episode that we could possibly have because it's July 1st, which means that we are directly in the middle of 2026.
SPEAKER_01Smack dab in the middle.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, today is the halfway point. It's amazing. So I thought it would be fun to do a mid-year recap of 2026 by doing our high low buffalo. If you went to uh like church camp or maybe like the first day of high school or whatever, if you've played this icebreaker game, you know. And if you don't, you're like, what is that? Basically, Jason and I are each gonna share a high, a low, and a buffalo, which is like a random notable event from 2026. I don't know what he's preparing to share, and he doesn't know what I'm gonna say. So you're gonna find out with us.
SPEAKER_01We're all just rolling with it.
SPEAKER_00We're all gonna find out together. It's gonna be great. Okay,
Highs: Parenting Wins And Milestones
SPEAKER_00so Jason, let's start with do you want to start with high, like go high, low, and then end with Buffalo?
SPEAKER_01I think that sounds good.
SPEAKER_00Okay, that sounds good to me too.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so I have two highs that I'm gonna share. The first one being we had our son Owen in 2025. Yeah, but then watching him grow in 2026 has just been the most amazing thing. That is He's about to be a year old.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I know. This month.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it it is a high, and it also is such a low, isn't it? Because it's gone by so fast.
SPEAKER_01It has flown by.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we're gonna do another episode on his birthday, his first birthday, where we just kind of recap his first year of life. But that is also my high, is watching Owen grow.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and just how um he's crawling, he's cruising along surfaces, he's so strong, he's so smart. We can we can say, Hey Owen, go get your bulldozer, and he'll go across the floor and get the bulldozer. Like he understands what we're saying to him.
SPEAKER_00We're like so those typical parents that are like our kid is the smartest, best kid ever, and here's why.
SPEAKER_01It is just it's so fun to see his his mind growing and developing, yeah, and just taking in the world.
SPEAKER_00Just like watching him become a little person. Like his, yeah, just the things that he loves and is interested in, and that's only gonna grow as he grows.
SPEAKER_01Like it's his sweet, tender personality. Yeah, he's so sweet.
SPEAKER_00He's such a sweet little fellow. He really is. Yeah, that's a high for me too. Okay, what's your second high?
SPEAKER_01My second one is I ran a half marathon in May, my second half marathon. So now I've ran a complete marathon, I guess.
SPEAKER_00That's right. Yeah. You've officially ran a full marathon.
SPEAKER_01Well, yeah, yeah. Definitely more than that with training, as she can attest.
SPEAKER_00I was training for hours and hours, but that meme that we saw that was like house is falling apart, baby crying, dad. I'm gonna go run five miles real quick.
SPEAKER_01That basically was true. But um, thank you for letting me do that. It was a blast.
SPEAKER_00Honestly, cheering you on was so fun in the half marathon. It was a good time. I'm glad you did it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I was I felt so proud of you. Like I couldn't, I couldn't even dream. Couldn't even dream of doing a half marathon.
SPEAKER_01No, you could.
SPEAKER_00I couldn't. I I quite literally could not.
SPEAKER_01But I trained for like 15 or so weeks, and then we traveled up to Indianapolis with some friends of ours and spent the weekend there, ran the half marathon, and it was a blast. We had a great time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. He's a runner, he's a track star.
SPEAKER_01I'm slowly but surely getting faster, but I'm not fast by any means.
SPEAKER_00Well, you almost hit your goal though.
SPEAKER_01I was four minutes shy of my goal.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but then you'll just run another and you'll hit it, and it'll be great. Yeah. You have something to shoot for the next time.
SPEAKER_01That's the plan.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Okay. My high was watching Owen grow and just
Highs: Half Marathon And New Songs
SPEAKER_00like reach his milestones. But then another high for me has been working on my third album in just specifically one moment I can think of. I was driving away from Curb, which is my record label, and I had just written the song Holy Ground, which I did an episode about a couple weeks ago. And I was driving away from that right and just listening to the voice memo on my phone and just feeling like this euphoria of like, this song is so special, and I'm so excited about it. Like, you know, because you're a songwriter, like that feeling when you're driving away from a co-write and you know that you just wrote an amazing song, and it's like that song didn't exist four hours ago, and now it does. And that's just like there is literally no better feeling in music, I feel like, than that moment when you're like, wow, we just wrote an amazing song. I'm so thankful.
SPEAKER_01And you create something from nothing.
SPEAKER_00I know, like, and honestly, that's that song specifically, too, just felt like receiving a gift. Like it it happened so fast. It was like God was just giving the words and everything. And so, anyways, it was just such an amazing feeling. Like, I look back on that specific moment as like such a high of this year so far. So that was, I guess, in like March, maybe, but that was a good one for me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so
Lows: Grief On The Road
SPEAKER_00are those your highs?
SPEAKER_01Yep, those are my highs.
SPEAKER_00Okay, we're moving on to our lows.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00In a setting like this, it's hard to be like, how low do you go? You know, how how vulnerable do you get with the strangers who are listening? Really the friends who are listening. But I figured, you know, we can be as vulnerable as we want. Um, so would you like to share your low so far?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we found out recently um that our friend uh Mike Mackey, he went by Mackey, he was the bus driver that drove for every tour I've ever been on, except for one, and then most of your tours as well. Yeah. Um and he recently passed away, and um that just hit us out of the blue, hit his family out of the blue. It was a sudden thing. Um and so just losing a friend just like that, uh it's never easy for anybody. So that was definitely a low for both of us, I would say. Um but I just remember being on the road with him, staying up till two, at least two in the morning, just talking with him as he drove down the down the highway, just picking his brain about life and hearing his story. And he was uh eighty something, eighty uh two or three, I think. Yeah. So like he had a lot of wisdom, he had a lot of stories. Um it was just uh he was a good friend. We played some golf together, he loved sushi, he was just a man who loved life, and so um we had to say goodbye to him.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, suddenly too, like it was totally unexpected, and he was supposed to drive for us in three days. Like we have a show um on July 4th, and you had just talked to him about driving for that, and it just it's not gonna feel the same like going to that show. Yeah, um, it's just it's not gonna be the same without our friend Mackie. So yeah, that's a low for me as well. Um, but he was an amazing man and he loved Christian music. Like I remember if I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or whatever and he was driving, he would have K Love just blasting in the front of the bus. Like he loved all the music. He would like he just had it so loud in the middle of the night, which we couldn't hear in the bunk area. But when I would walk out, I would hear it and just be like, that just warms my heart. Like he's driving for this Christian tour and listening to Christian music, like he's somehow not sick of it yet. Yeah, but yeah.
SPEAKER_01So keep Mackie's family and friends in your prayers. Um Yeah.
SPEAKER_00His um celebration of life is I guess next week, and we're singing at it, which will be sweet. And Mike Weaver from Big Daddy Weave is gonna sing, and yeah, it's gonna be a good celebration for him. But we miss
Lows: Contact Naps And Anxiety
SPEAKER_00him already, and we'll miss him for the rest of our touring days, you know? Yeah, yeah. For me, um it was hard to pinpoint like an exact moment of low, but I think I just remember like sometime back in February, um, when Owen was only contact napping and he wouldn't sleep in his crib. Like, we tried everything to get this baby to sleep in his crib, and at that time I was literally having to just hold him in a dark room for over three hours a day. Um, and so I was feeling like just so anxious. I started feeling kind of depressed and low, and like I just needed something to change. It was like one of those moments where it was like, man, I thought by now in motherhood, like I would have a better handle on what to do in this situation or like how to get my baby to nap in a crib. Like before becoming a mom, I was like, oh, babies just want to nap in their crib. Not the case, at least not for our baby. Um, and so I just remember feeling like the feeling that I had in those moments was just I felt trapped. Like I couldn't go anywhere, I couldn't really do anything except just like be in a dark room and hold my baby and scroll, you know. Um, I mean, obviously in those moments, like I used them to pray as well and to read scripture, but honestly, not as much as I should have. And I look back at that and it was just like kind of the pinnacle of some low feelings since I've been a mom. Like just postpartum, that was a tough thing, which I always heard, you know, when you have like postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety, like it's right away, you know, right after you have the baby. But honestly, after we had Owen, I felt so happy. Like it was such a joy. Like just those first months were like, wow, this is incredible. There were hard moments too. But I think it hit me strangely that six months into his life, I was suddenly struggling with like really low feelings. What kind of got me out of that was Jason was like, we need to start just trying, like when you're holding Owen, he's on his side, and so we should just try putting him down in his crib on his side. And I was like, Well, they say you're supposed to lay a baby on their back, whatever, but let's just try it. Sure enough, that was the ticket, wasn't it?
SPEAKER_01That first time.
SPEAKER_00Oh my goodness, like just the transfer from being in my arms to then being in the crib, like he needed the the I don't know, like the familiarity, I guess. Yeah, so and we had him on camera, like with the yeah, like we don't we don't, you know, leave him in there without watching, like we know he's safe because we're watching him while he's napping. Um, but anyways, it just was like, wow, this is such a big breakthrough moment. And that that one thing alone, like him napping in his crib, has changed my life for the better. Like, I feel like I have so much more freedom. Um, I feel so much less anxiety. Definitely have struggled with anxiety this year. Like, that's part of my recap, too, is just man, you know, you it comes out of nowhere, I feel like, but it it is hard and a struggle, but we're we're getting through it. Anyways, that was a low for me, was just that specific season of like I'm sitting in a dark room rocking my baby for three hours a day. I feel trapped, I have no life, I'm doing nothing. But yeah, that was a low for me.
SPEAKER_01But you came out on the other side.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Okay,
Buffalo: Kids Music, Cereal Rituals, TV Find
SPEAKER_00last category, Buffalo.
SPEAKER_01Buffalo.
SPEAKER_00Which, you know, I'm from Buffalo, New York. That's a fun fact for free. Um, this has nothing to do with that, but it's just a Buffalonian talking about Buffalo. Yeah. Okay, Jason, give me a give me a buffalo.
SPEAKER_01My buffalo, my fun fact or whatever of the the year so far is that I've been writing some kids' music.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Yeah. What a fun buffalo.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I feel like in the span of like a week, I wrote six complete songs that are I'm working on producing them now, and I'm gonna put them out, and hopefully, if you have kids, you'll like the these songs.
SPEAKER_00They're so good. I when I tell you, like we literally just walk around our house just singing these songs. They're so good.
SPEAKER_01It's a lot of fun. I really do feel like God gave me these songs, kind of like how you said you felt like the ideas just came from the Lord. I I completely agree about that with these songs. Yeah. And they just feel fun, they feel wholesome, obviously, and they point to Jesus in certain moments, and yeah, so and Owen loves them.
SPEAKER_00Like he's our test audience, and he really loves them.
SPEAKER_01He loves them.
SPEAKER_00And we have like their songs for like night night, like going to sleep, and there's songs for daytime, and there's songs for lunchtime, and like we have these little rhythms where we sing these songs, and he's loving it. Yeah, like he recognizes them, which I think is so fun. Yeah. As soon as Jason has those songs ready to like show you guys, I'll make sure to tell you that they're ready and yeah, post about them because they really are worth hearing. That's a great buffalo. I had trouble finding one buffalo, so I kind of have a few. Um, a herd, if you will.
SPEAKER_01A herd of buffalo.
SPEAKER_00I have a herd of buffalo. Okay. My uh notable event is that we've had lucky charms most nights of 2026.
SPEAKER_01You are telling on us.
SPEAKER_00I you know, when I was pregnant with Owen, I was kind of trying to avoid like food dyes and stuff, which you can call me crazy, but whatever. I was just being extra careful. As soon as I birthed this child, I said, I need a bowl of lucky charms, and I've not been sick of it for about six months.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00We have eaten lucky charms most nights.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Not a huge bowl. Not a huge size bowl.
SPEAKER_00I mean, definitely a serving size, if not, if not more. But the way that we eat them, I think, is also a buffalo of the year.
SPEAKER_01We call it going fishing, actually.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. We do, yes. It's where we eat all of the like the what are they? Frosted cereal parts, like the like the wheat, which it's actually not wheat.
SPEAKER_01I think it's oat, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's oat, because they're gluten-free, in case you were wondering. Um, we eat all the cereal part first, and then we save the marshmallows. And every time when we finish our bowl, we have to show each other the loot of marshmallows. So silly.
SPEAKER_01It's very silly. It's very silly. After a long day of hurting Owen around, and he's finally in bed, he's sleeping, he's dreaming. Then we just like to watch a show and have some lucky charms, and that's our little moment.
SPEAKER_00So that's our little moment. And you know what? It's good. And I look forward to that moment. Um, related to that in Buffalo Territory is we found a show that we really like. It's over now, it's done. But it was Well, they can still watch it. Yeah, you can still watch it. It's a Hallmark channel original, okay? Don't judge us. It's really good. It's called The Way Home. Um, it's about time travel. And it's like a family that lives on a farm where they have a pond where they can jump in and time travel. And it sounds silly now that I'm saying it, but it's really good.
SPEAKER_01And it kind of is silly sometimes, but it's really good.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it's a hallmark, it's a hallmark show, so like set your expectations, I feel like, for like the qu the quality, the level.
SPEAKER_01I feel like it's it's better than the typical Hallmark Hallmark show.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Like it's like it's a step above.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I feel like it's just so hard to find shows that are somewhat clean content and not just like bad language, and it's just hard to find that. And anyways, we stumbled upon the show, and I was like, man, this is actually really good. So it's over now. There's four seasons. If you'd like something to watch, that's you know, it's pretty good. I would I would give it like a seven and a half out of ten for me. Maybe an eight out of ten.
SPEAKER_01I feel like for a Hallmark show, it's a ten out of ten.
SPEAKER_00Well, for sure. Like compared to other Hallmarks. No shade to the Hallmark. We love Hallmark. We love you, Hallmark. Use my songs in your movies.
SPEAKER_01And mine. Yeah. But uh, yeah, I would give it compared to like other shows a seven, seven and a half.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. Okay, my final buffalo for 2026 so far is I'm halfway through my 30th year. My half birthday is in five days. I hope you have big plans.
SPEAKER_01I do not.
Half Birthday Realizations And Farewell
SPEAKER_00Um, which, okay, until I became a mother and had a child, it never really hit me that whatever year you turn, you've completed it already. When people are like, I'm so excited to start my 30th year on the day they turn 30. No, baby, you did your 30th year. You are 30. Over. Because like when Owen turns one, like he's been here for a year. He completed his first year. So I'm halfway through my 30th year. I'm gonna turn 30 in six months. I better make it count. My last six months in my 20s. It's sad. I know there's so much goodness to come in your 30s, right, Jason?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. That's right. You can run half marathons, you can have kids.
SPEAKER_00That's right. Jason's already in the 30 club. So, anyways, okay, that is our 2026 part way in the middle of it recap of this year. Um, tune in in a few weeks for a recap of Owen's first year of life. That's gonna be fun times. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay, thank you for joining us on this episode of In the Middle of It. I'll see you next week with a new episode with an amazing guest. You don't want to miss it. Love you guys.
