In this episode of the Crazy Cool Family Podcast, we sit down with McKenzie (our 4th daughter) to introduce the marriage Deep Dive “Fostering Love in Your Marriage.” She has been married for 4 1/2 years and has two tiny, beautiful daughters.

Together they unpack why the word fostering matters — nurturing, cultivating, and fighting toward something good — and why so many couples drift into fighting against each other instead of fighting for their relationship. Suz and Kenz talk about how marriage can become a “back burner” once kids arrive, but why it’s worth prioritizing again because children can feel unity and disunity in the home.

The conversation centers on returning to what God says about love and marriage, using Scripture as the anchor rather than relying only on the world’s tools. They also share practical rhythms couples can start using right away, including making time, practicing honesty, doing regular check-ins, and choosing to love with intentionality.

If you are looking for a way to invest in your marriage this month, this is the podcast for you. Listen and share with a friend, today!

Podcast Resources:

• Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family!
• Give us a review!

In this episode, Don and Suzanne talk with Casey and Meygan Caston from Marriage365 about simple, practical marriage tools for busy parents. If your relationship feels stuck in logistics, resentment, or disconnection, this conversation gives you actionable habits you can start right away.

You’ll learn how small, daily investments — not grand gestures — build strong, lasting marriages.

In This Episode:

• The weekly marriage check-in meeting that reduces conflict

• How to share the mental load as a couple

• Why thriving marriages use tools and systems

• How to apologize in a way that actually repairs relationships

• The power of forgiveness and humility in family life

• Why initiation is leadership in marriage
• How to work on your marriage — even if your spouse won’t engage yet
• How healthy marriage habits impact your kids

Get Their BOOK! The Marriage Habit — practical habits and tools to build connection, repair conflict, and strengthen your marriage.

Something to Try This Week:

• Schedule a 30-minute weekly marriage meeting

• Practice one intentional apology

• Initiate one connection moment daily

• Ask your spouse how you can lighten their load

Podcast Resources:

• Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family!
• Give us a review!

In Part 2 of this conversation, we shift from personal and marriage goals to setting vision and goals for your family.

Healthy family goals don’t start with changing your kids—they start with aligned parents. Building on the foundation of personal growth and marital unity, we talk about how to intentionally design your family culture instead of letting it drift.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why family goals work best when parents are unified

• How to create family vision without overwhelming your kids

• The difference between family goals and family values

• How to invite your children into the process in age-appropriate ways

• Setting rhythms and priorities that shape your home over time

You don’t need a perfect plan—you need clarity, unity, and direction.

🎧 Listen to Episode 327 and start designing your family culture for 2026 with purpose.

Podcast Resources:

• Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family!
• Give us a review!
• Buy the Deep Dive TODAY! (Listen to the episode for a special offer)

Feeling overwhelmed by goal-setting? In this episode, we share a simple, biblical framework for setting meaningful goals for 2026—starting with you and then your marriage.

Using Mark 12:30, we break goals into four areas: heart, soul, mind, and strength, and talk about how small, realistic steps can lead to real growth over time.

• How to set personal goals without burnout

• Why the soul is often overlooked—and why it matters

• Protecting your mind in a world full of noise

• Designing your marriage instead of letting it drift

• How to set marriage goals without creating conflict

Progress matters more than perfection.

🎧 Next episode: Setting goals as a family and building unity at home.

Podcast Resources:

• Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family!
• Give us a review!
• Buy the Deep Dive TODAY! (Listen to the episode for a special offer)

As 2025 comes to a close, Don and Suzanne are taking a moment to reflect, celebrate, and cast vision for what’s ahead. 🎉 In this final episode of the year, you’ll hear highlights from Season 7 of the Crazy Cool Family Podcast and learn how God has been using this ministry to impact families across the U.S., Europe, and even Africa. 🌍

This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a global movement to inspire and equip parents to build strong, Christ-centered families. From practical parenting strategies to sibling relationships, guest interviews, and the launch of new resources like The Playbook and Deep Dives, 2025 was packed with tools to help parents win at home.

• 🎙 Their favorite moments and guests from the podcast this year
• 📘 How The Playbook and Deep Dives are helping parents apply simple, powerful principles every day
• 🌍 Updates on Crazy Cool Family’s international impact, including teaching families in Africa
• 💡 Their one big piece of advice for parents heading into 2026

Whether you’ve been listening since episode one or just discovered Crazy Cool Family this year, this season finale will encourage and equip you to keep going. Parenting is learned one step at a time, and every family can win.

👉 Tune in now, get inspired, and step into 2026 ready to notice your kids, be present in the moment, and make family your greatest investment.

Podcast Resources:

• Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family!
• Give us a review!

The holiday season is here—and with it comes the mix of joy, chaos, and never-ending to-do lists. 🎁 From decorating the house to wrapping gifts, baking cookies, and attending every school or church event, it’s easy for parents to feel more overwhelmed than joyful.

In this episode of the Crazy Cool Family Podcast, Don and Suzanne Manning share candid reflections and look back on 30+ years of parenting seven kids through the holiday hustle. They’ve been through the late-night wrapping sessions, Christmas concerts, chaotic car rides to find the “perfect tree,” and even baking sessions where the cookies didn’t turn out quite right. Through it all, they’ve discovered that holidays aren’t about perfection—they’re about shaping memories.

• Including your kids in the preparations (even if it’s messier and slower).
• Shifting the focus from getting to giving through serving neighbors, writing notes, or sibling gift exchanges.
• Creating simple family traditions—from decorating bedrooms with mini trees to baking monkey bread—that knit kids’ hearts to yours.
• Letting go of busyness and embracing peace, even when schedules get overwhelming.

Whether you’re a parent of toddlers, teens, or grown kids, this conversation will encourage you to slow down, laugh at the chaos, and focus on what truly matters. Because the greatest gift you can give your children this season isn’t perfect cookies or matching wrapping paper—it’s the gift of connection.

👉 Tune in today and start creating holiday traditions that will outlast the chaos and shape your family for generations.

Podcast Resources:

• Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family!
• Give us a review!

Part 1 (Ep. 322, originally Ep. 143)

Thanksgiving can be one of the most joyful times of the year—or one of the most stressful. In this episode, we’re bringing back one of our favorite holiday conversations to help your family lean into joy, peace, and purpose this Thanksgiving. We kick off our two-part series with the first ingredient for the best Thanksgiving week, and it may surprise you: awareness.

We’ll talk about how awareness changes the way you approach family gatherings, helps you notice others’ needs, and invites God’s presence into the holiday. If you want this year to be less about stress and more about connection, this episode is a great place to start!

👉 In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Why Thanksgiving often feels stressful—and how to flip it into peace and joy.

• The first “ingredient” for the best Thanksgiving: awareness.

• How awareness helps you notice needs, love people better, and invite God into the moment.

• Practical ways to lead your family toward joy, not chaos, during the holiday.

Podcast Resources:

• Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family!
• Give us a review!

Part 1 (Ep. 322, originally Ep. 143)

Thanksgiving can be one of the most joyful times of the year—or one of the most stressful. In this episode, we’re bringing back one of our favorite holiday conversations to help your family lean into joy, peace, and purpose this Thanksgiving. We kick off our two-part series with the first ingredient for the best Thanksgiving week, and it may surprise you: awareness.

We’ll talk about how awareness changes the way you approach family gatherings, helps you notice others’ needs, and invites God’s presence into the holiday. If you want this year to be less about stress and more about connection, this episode is a great place to start!

👉 In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Why Thanksgiving often feels stressful—and how to flip it into peace and joy.

• The first “ingredient” for the best Thanksgiving: awareness.

• How awareness helps you notice needs, love people better, and invite God into the moment.

• Practical ways to lead your family toward joy, not chaos, during the holiday.

Podcast Resources:

• Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family!
• Give us a review!