This month, Tom and I slipped away to San Miguel de Allende to celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. It was a short escape, but long enough to remind me how quickly time has flown by.

In those 28 years, we’ve raised five incredible children and navigated the joys (and occasional challenges) of blending a family. Parents know, that’s no small feat. Today, we get to share countless birthdays, holidays, and, when we’re lucky, family adventures together.

We’ve also raised another “baby” along the way, Luxe Places International Realty. People often ask us, “How is it to work together?” The truth is, we rarely spend our workdays side-by-side. Tom runs the company and mentors our agents. I run my Luxury Home Sales business and mentor my own clients and colleagues. But our worlds are intertwined, and I couldn’t imagine not working in the same field.

Real estate is demanding — the calls, the appointments, the weekends, the emails that don’t care what time zone you’re in. It could be overwhelming for someone not in the business, but for us, it’s a rhythm we understand. We even take turns answering calls in the car. One of my agents recently told me she loves our “tempo”. I’d never thought of it that way, but she’s right.

Do we challenge each other? Absolutely. We challenge each other to be the best we can be, in business, in life, and in our real estate careers. And after 28 years of marriage, I feel incredibly blessed for our family, our shared passions, and the life we’ve built together.

Here’s to love, partnership, and always finding reasons to celebrate, whether at home in Sonoma County or on a sunlit street in San Miguel de Allende.