Kidnapped: Kevin Keep, father of 4 ½ kids and husband of Jenny

Kidnappers: Daughter Hannah, age 9, Sons Harmon, age 6 & Hatcher, age 4

Having it all isn’t always easy, but if you die…you have nothing! There was no doubt that Kevin Keep loved his wife and children. As a sales man for 2 different companies, he never seemed to stop. The fear of his daughter Hannah was that he wouldn’t until he was in the hospital. You see…Kevin was hospitalize not too long ago for stress. They thought he was having a heart attack. Talk about a “God whisper”! It appeared Kevin was following in the actual footsteps of his workaholic father who passed away at the young age of 56 from a heart condition. Already suffering from hypertension, high blood pressure and stage 2 diabetes, Kevin was working himself to death. “Sometimes you have to give and take and sometimes the family takes the sacrifice…willingly or unwillingly.” Well, it appeared his family was unwilling! Although Jenny was pregnant, she found herself caring for the kids all on her own. It was clear the kids needed their father to be present and Jenny needed her husband to have an “a-ha” moment before it was too late.

The next step was to come up with a plan. As the kids threw around ideas…all excited about spending time with their father, they eventually settled on a dude ranch. Now all they needed was the support of Kevin’s partner, Jeff. With mom in tow, the kids approached Jeff and he was very cool about it. The plan was to kidnap him from the board meeting the following day.

On the day of the kidnapping, Kevin’s family wrote letters to their father. As Hannah wrote her letter, she recalled how her father had missed the last father-daughter dance because he was too busy. It really is the little things that make such a HUGE difference. Jenny shared that “he is the glue that holds this family together. He just doesn’t realize it.” Hoping that their father will understand how much they love him, his family headed off to kidnap their father.

The kids take over the board meeting and inform their father that they were taking him away for a week. “You’re pretty funny” was all Kevin could say with a nervous laugh. As his kids spill out their love and hopes of him getting to know them better, Kevin relinquished his phone and keys. As his wife informed him she wasn’t coming along on the trip, Kevin’s nervousness showed a bit but he let the kids take charge.

The crew climbed in the car and headed to Rawhide Ranch. They settled into the adventure and the kids were able to be cowboys! However, Kevin’s thoughts were still focused on work. One good thing was…he was faking it which typically leads to feeling it. The family made their way around the ranch taking it all in…including milking a goat (despite attempts to get out of it)! “Dad has to milk the goat because we’re the boss of him” Hatcher reminded us. In general, Kevin was doing a good job, but he broke a MAJOR parent rule…he was spending more time with the boys and leaving Hannah out a bit. He was honest. He shared that “I do pay more attention to the boys than I do Hannah. Raising a girl, I think it’s a little different. It uncharted waters.” It was clear that Hannah felt left out but she was unable to speak up. She soaked in the message and tried to smile. I can’t help but feel this was something that impact her relationships in the future. I felt horrible for her and for the missed opportunity for her father to show her she mattered.

Once they arrived home, Jenny asked Kevin about his trip with the kids. He told her that he had spent more time with Hatcher because “he’s so much more like me” and it was just easier for Kevin. Jenny couldn’t help but be disappointed. She had hoped this trip would be a wake-up call for Kevin and he just didn’t seem to get it. Jenny informed her husband that he had it all wrong. When she asked him to name one thing he learned about Hannah on this trip, Kevin struggled to find something. What did he learn? That Hannah stepped up when her mom wasn’t there. Not that she was good at riding a horse, had great patience, was fun to be around, was kind or willing to help out (which was all clear to the viewers in the clips). It was clear he had so much more work to do.

Once they settled back into home, Harmon let his father know they were heading out to Tae Kwon Do with him and Hatcher. As they arrived, Kevin was handed his outfit and joined in the class. Within 30 minutes, he was exhausted and sweaty. Soon after, his sons followed him into the restroom to be sure he was alright. All of this was a reminder to Kevin that he needed to change his life if he wanted to be around for his kids.

On day 4 of the kidnapping, mom decided it was time for Kevin to spend a little quality time with Hannah. She took the boys for the day and left Kevin to help Hannah with her science project. As her father searched around the kitchen for the ingredients, Hannah found herself picking up the phone to ask her mom for help. Mom was her “go-to” parent and it showed. With little positive reinforcement, Hannah finally told her father how she felt…in only a few words. He had been micro-managing each step she took and Hannah just snapped and said “do you want the vanilla in here or not?”. It was fast and powerful. He got it! The lesson for him was “to listen and allow her take the lead”. Without the boys around, Hannah was finally getting the attention she deserved. As he explained to her that working is important, he knew that he needed to give his family more.

On day 5, Kevin joined Jenny for an ultrasound appointment. Five months into her pregnancy, this was the first time he went to any of the appointments with her. Seeing the face of his baby for the first time, Kevin started to see that he needed to make some serious changes in his life. It all started once he got home. Hannah was dressed like a princess…truly adorable! Tonight was the father-daughter dance. This year Kevin wouldn’t miss it. Feeling beautiful and super excited, Hannah knew this was a night that she would never forget. Once again….it’s the little things! Knowing that the night was about Hannah and making her feel special, Kevin was surprised himself…“I really never knew spending this kind of time with Hannah would be so much fun”. The night was perfect for Hannah. This was the father she always wanted.

As the week came to an end, his kids shared how they felt. “It has just been the best week of my life” Hannah shared with a smile. Proud and excited about the changes….his family had hope. As Kevin read his letter to his family, it seemed as if he really “heard” his family. Telling his sons how proud he was and appreciative of being able to make memories with them, Kevin them addressed his daughter. Beginning with “my princess, my love”, Kevin let her know how proud he was of her and how beautiful “inside and out” she was. He thanked her for pulling together this week and giving him a “second chance that I didn’t even really deserve”. He then promised many things to his family. To make his health a priority, to leave his phone on his desk at night so he is available for them, a date night once a month with Hannah, taking the boys to Tae Kwon Do and hope of a new dad! Kevin then shared he ready to show his kids he loved them. He was ready to be a good father to his kids…and nothing could have made them happier!