Our Rough Draft
Life is lived in stories. Relationships are built through conversations. We're Denise and Tim. We met while working in Seattle in our twenties and have been writing our story together ever since. Over the years we've built careers, raised three sons, navigated military life, moved from Washington to Arizona, written books, cheered from countless sidelines, and learned that life's biggest lessons are usually found in ordinary conversations. Today, our family is growing in new directions, our two Labrador retrievers keep life interesting, and we're still convinced that summer, travel, sports, and a good story make almost everything better. You'll usually find us around the table with a cup of coffee, a good bourbon, or a glass of wine in hand. Denise tends to notice the meaning woven through everyday moments. Tim naturally looks for the practical lessons and the patterns beneath them. We don't always see the same story in the same way, and somewhere between those two perspectives, a deeper conversation begins. Each week, we start with one simple question and follow it wherever it leads. Sometimes we talk about marriage, family, work, belonging, military life, or the adventures that come with traveling together. Other times we find ourselves laughing, reflecting, or discovering something neither of us expected when we first sat down behind the microphones. We don't have all the answers. We're simply sharing the stories we're still living—and inviting you to bring your own to the conversation. Life rarely unfolds in chronological order. That's why we've organized our conversations by topic instead of episode number—so you can start with whatever's on your mind today. We call it Our Rough Draft because none of us is finished. We're all still learning, growing, revising, and becoming. Every episode ends with The Question, because we believe the best conversations don't end when the podcast does. They begin around your own table.
Episodes
In this episode of Our Rough Draft, Denise and Tim talk about their recent trip to Seattle and what it stirred up about place, memory, spontaneity, and the way our worlds can slowly get smaller if we are not intentional about expanding them.
Together, they reflect on returning to Madison Park, visiting Pike Place Market, riding a ferry to Vashon, and remembering the places they loved when they lived in Washington. What begins as a c...
In this episode of Our Rough Draft, Denise and Tim celebrate the start of year two by asking what it means to still be a rough draft.
Together, they talk about confidence, belonging, work, aging, marriage, parenting adult children, and the parts of ourselves we are still learning how to bring into the room. Denise reflects on the experience of feeling like she had to prove her worth in certain spaces, while Tim shares what he is wor...
In this episode, Denise and Tim celebrate Tim’s 55th birthday and use the occasion to think about birthdays, memory, family stories, and the ways we mark time together.
Together, they reflect on the birthdays they remember most, why some memories stay vivid while others disappear, and how years of parenting, deployment, work, and ordinary life can blur together. Along the way, they talk about the value of photo albums and fami...
What happens when you stop checking grades?
In this episode, Denise and Tim talk about the start of a new school year, the rituals they no longer participate in, and how their relationship with school has changed after raising three kids through the public education system.
Together, they reflect on why they don’t check grades, why they skipped curriculum night, and what it means to trust both their child and the educators arou...
A conversation about home, memory, and the stories our spaces hold.
What turns a house into your house?
In this episode, Tim and Denise look around their own home and talk about the things that have gathered there over time—from family paintings and an old woodworking tool to typewriters, books, glassybabys, and even a cactus skeleton brought home from a hike.
Together, they explore why ordinary objects can become meaningful, ho...
A conversation about service, uncertainty, and preparing for the unknown.
How do you prepare for something you've never experienced?
In this episode, Tim shares the story of traveling to Iraq for the first time—from the long months of training to landing in Baghdad and the reality of stepping into a combat zone. Along the way, Denise reflects on what it was like preparing for war from home as a newly married couple with two you...
A conversation about connection, marriage, and the people who help us find our way back.
What if the way you naturally reconnect isn't the same as your partner's?
In this episode, we take Denise's new Connection Quiz for the very first time and discover that the results aren't nearly as important as the conversations they begin.
From a spontaneous river crossing in Leavenworth to the loss of a lifelong friend, we explore how relations...
Why does outrage feel so powerful—and what if it's hiding something deeper?
In this episode of Our Rough Draft, Denise and Tim explore what fuels outrage and why it's become such a defining part of our culture. What begins as a conversation about a podcast's reaction to homeschooling grows into a broader reflection on emotion, power, systems, and our shared humanity.
Together, they consider how outrage often masks fear, shame, ...
What kind of legacy are you leaving—whether you realize it or not?
In this episode of Our Rough Draft, Tim turns the microphone around and interviews Denise about her memoir, One of the Heard. Together, they explore the stories that shaped the book, the courage it takes to write honestly, and why being heard—and helping others feel heard—can change the course of a life.
Their conversation moves beyond the pages of t...
What happens when the expectations we never talk about don't match reality?
In this episode of Our Rough Draft, Denise and Tim reflect on their family's senior year journey—the surprises, disappointments, and meaningful moments that reminded them parenting rarely follows the plan.
Through honest stories and thoughtful conversation, they explore the unspoken expectations parents and students often carry into this milestone seaso...
What makes a family feel like a place where everyone truly belongs?
In this episode of Our Rough Draft, Denise and Tim explore how trust, shared values, and honest conversations shape the culture of a family. They reflect on what it means to create a home where people feel safe, seen, and valued—not because they're perfect, but because they know they belong.
Together, they discuss the difference between personal values...
What are the adventures that stay with you long after you've returned home?
To celebrate Denise's birthday, Denise and Tim look back on some of their favorite travels together—from kayaking in the San Juan Islands to exploring Mazatlán, San Diego, Mount Rainier, and the Grand Canyon. But this conversation is about more than destinations.
Together, they reflect on why shared adventures strengthen relationships, how travel change...
How do you reconnect after time apart?
In this episode of Our Rough Draft, Denise and Tim settle back onto the couch after Denise's trip to reflect on what it means to come back together with intention. They share what helps them reconnect after time apart, how they stay close to their kids while embracing new adventures, and why returning home is about more than unpacking a suitcase.
It's a conversation about balancing independence ...
What happens when you spend thirty days on the road with your mom?
Broadcasting from South Carolina, Denise checks in from the middle of a month-long journey across the country. What begins as stories about beaches, bookstores, bridges, barking dogs, and Memorial Day becomes a deeper conversation about fear, family, and what travel reveals about who we are.
Together, Denise and Tim reflect on honoring those who served, facing the thi...
What can a trip to Disney teach us about learning, curiosity, and family?
Recording from the lobby of Disney's Swan Resort, Denise and Tim begin by comparing Disneyland and Disney World before the conversation takes an unexpected turn. Inspired by watching Mason explore the parks in his own way, they reflect on how different people learn, why examples matter, and what it means to create space for curiosity instead of simply followin...
What if the best part of summer isn't the vacation—it's the feeling that time doesn't matter?
In this episode of Our Rough Draft, Denise and Tim reminisce about the summers that shaped them: camping under towering trees, ferry rides, beach days, neighborhood adventures, and the simple freedom of being outside until the sun went down.
Along the way, they share favorite camping memories, dream about the perfect summer getaway, an...
What makes a place finally feel like home?
As Denise prepares for a five-week road trip, she and Tim reflect on the many moves that have shaped their lives—from chaotic moving days and missing refrigerators to unpacking suitcases, settling into new spaces, and discovering the routines that help us feel grounded.
Along the way, they share funny moving stories, explore why some people unpack immediately while others take their ti...
What have twenty-five years of marriage taught us?
As Denise and Tim celebrate their silver anniversary, they look back on the moments that shaped their relationship—from their wedding day and military deployments to raising three boys, navigating career challenges, and learning how to support each other through life's hardest seasons.
Along the way, they share the lessons they wish every couple knew: how to argue without losin...
What does it take to finally put your story into the world?
Fresh home from a writers' retreat in Knoxville, Denise shares what she learned about craft, publishing, and the courage it takes to let go of perfection. She and Tim explore the changing world of publishing, the difference between traditional and self-publishing, and why telling meaningful stories matters more than following someone else's definition of success.
Along the w...
What are the moments that quietly change the course of our lives?
In this episode of Our Rough Draft, Denise and Tim reflect on the stories that have stayed with them long after they happened—from missed phone calls during deployment and terrifying bridge crossings to parenting teenagers, sunsets that stopped them in their tracks, and the everyday moments that slowly shape a marriage and a family.
Along the way, they talk about...
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