I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been—hovering around 150kg, which in pounds is roughly three thousand. Despite that, I actually feel good. I’m back leading a more active lifestyle, and it feels like it’s finally sticking.

It took ages to get back on track because I kept setting the goalposts too high. The resistance was so great, I’d fail before I even got started. Now, I’ve stripped it right back: I hop on the stationary bike most days, just doing the bare minimum—but doing it consistently. I get my heart rate up, blast the chunks of cholesterol clinging to my veins, and remind my heart it still has a job to do.

Grace has been a huge motivator. She knows if I smash out five minutes on the bike, I’ll have more energy for playtime. It’s amazing how much better the whole day goes when you get your blood pumping first thing in the morning.

Mentally, I’ve been in a good place lately. Liz, not so much. She had a couple of big days where she smashed through her to-do list and was feeling good, but then hit a wall—sadness, anxiety, the works. She’s on the upswing again today, though. Last night, I just sat with her. Didn’t try to fix anything. Didn’t rush to do something else. Just was there. That’s something I’m better at now.

Today, we’re both doing well. It feels good—lately, it’s been one of us up while the other was down.

I’m especially pleased with how these holidays have gone. I don’t feel like I’m failing my family. We even went and visited Will on the coast. None of us are great travelers, and we were all pretty happy to get home—but it was still worth it.

Will probably felt a bit let down on the board game front. Board games are a big thing for us, and we brought some along, but honestly? I flaked. Fifteen minutes into Monopoly, I was out. They finished the game without me, and even though Will was keen, we didn’t play again.

Liz and I are both a bit over board games, if we’re honest. I think the trick is to stick to the ones we already know and love—no new rulebooks, no confusion. We’ve got about ten versions of Monopoly, but only one we actually like. The rest? Sketchy at best.

We even brought a brand new board game down as a gift for Will... and didn’t even open it. Pretty slack effort. But we just weren’t in the mood.

We only stayed two nights, but the second night salvaged the trip. We had dinner at a new place called The Greens. Will and Liz were a bit off at first, but Grace and I were in a good mood, goofing around. By the end of the meal, everyone had loosened up, even Will. Seeing him laugh and join in made the whole trip worth it.

We’re just not a “holiday family.” We’re much happier when Will visits us—no cramped hotel rooms, no four-hour drives. Hopefully he still felt loved, despite our slightly lackluster effort.

Grace had a ball, though. Hated the drive—asked, “Are we there yet?” at least fifty times each way—but had a great time once we arrived. That’s what matters.

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