Once The Middle wrapped in 2018, Heaton found some down time, but she also became an empty nester. With a quiet house and empty calendar, she reflected on some of the things she had placed on hold while building a family.

“So many of us have had to make sacrifices in order to be there for our kids and to raise our kids, and they’re sacrifices that most of us have happily made,” Heaton told TODAY Parents. “We didn't want to be anywhere else. We didn't want to miss those precious moments with our children.”

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