Al Roker and Deborah Roberts joke about being empty nesters again: 'Most wonderful time of the year'

Al Roker and his wife, Deborah Roberts, are embracing their empty-nester lifestyle.

The longtime couple share three children: Courtney, Leila and Nicholas. With their youngest, Nick, away at school, Al and Deborah have had the house all to themselves. But, their son recently returned home for a lengthy holiday break.

As January winds down, Nick's new semester is getting ready to start, which means it is time for the college student to return to campus.

After Al and Deborah dropped Nick back off to school, the TODAY weatherman posted a funny video on Jan. 21 of him and his wife celebrating being empty nesters again.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year," they cheerfully sang together while sitting in their car.

Al clapped and said, "Just dropped Nick off. We're going to miss him."

He added, "But like my dad always said, 'Can't miss you if you don't leave.'"

Deborah laughed at her husband's joke as he put two thumbs up.

It seems like the proud parents are already looking forward to reuniting with their son. In the caption, Al wrote, "First morning without Nick after a 5 week holiday break. The good news is we will see him in 3 weeks for #parentsweekend."

"I know he was ready to get back to school, so perfect timing," he concluded.

The TODAY co-host — who became a grandfather for the first time in July 2023 when daughter Courtney welcomed his granddaughter Sky Clara Laga — constantly gushes about his family and the importance of spending time together.

Prior to Father's Day last year, Al reflected on fatherhood in an interview with TODAY.com, saying that while the Father's Day gifts he's received from his kids over the years have been "really good," the best gift of all is when he can spend time with them.

"Whenever they're together, that's my Father's Day," the 69-year-old shared in June 2023.

Deborah, a senior national affairs correspondent for ABC News, is mother to Leila and Nick and stepmom to Courtney, Al's daughter from a previous marriage.

All three children rallied around their father in late 2022, when the TODAY weatherman suffered from a series of life-threatening blood clots that left him hospitalized for nearly a month, rendering him unable to co-host the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in 27 years.

During a conversation with Craig Melvin, Carson Daly and Willie Geist on TODAY, Al said that the experience left him feeling especially vulnerable as a father.

"You want to be that strength that they need. And when you’re in a hospital bed and you can barely get up, there’s this part of you that almost doesn’t want them to see you like that," he said at the time.

When talking to TODAY.com, Al said that no matter what age his children are, his "love and worry" for them never goes away. If anything, he said, it increases as they grow older.

"The idea that you're not in control and these three people, or however many you have, are your hearts beating outside your body," he explained. "And so you are constantly worried for them."

So, who are Al's three children? Roker introduced them to us.

Courtney Roker Laga, 37

Al and his previous wife became parents when they adopted daughter Courtney, whose birthday is May 14, 1987.

During a 2020 Zoom segment with Craig Melvin and Dylan Dreyer, Al recalled the "humbling experience" of picking up his daughter for the first time.

"An hour before, there was a carseat with nobody in it. And then, an hour later, there was a baby," he said. "And all of a sudden you are humbled because now you realize there's somebody greater than you that needs your protection."

Courtney, 37, is a recipe developer and culinary content creator.

"(She's) very loving, very dedicated to family and friends and work," Al told TODAY.com.

Al and family welcomed a new family member in June 2021 when Courtney married Wesley Laga, a drama teacher, actor and writer, officially making the TODAY co-host a father-in-law.

On July 3, 2023, the pair announced the birth of their first child, a daughter named Sky Clara Laga.

After finding out he was going to be a first-time grandfather last March, Al revealed to Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer on TODAY the kind of grandfather he plans on being.

"For this grandchild, I’m going to be the best grandpa ever because I’m going to do whatever I can to spoil this kid," he said.

While speaking about becoming a grandfather with TODAY.com, Al said he hoped his first grandchild would call him "Pop-Pop," the same beloved nickname that was given to his late father.

“My dad was Pop-Pop to all of his grandchildren, so I want to keep the tradition going. The little one may have other ideas, but that’s the one I’m pushing," he said.

Leila Roker, 25

Al and wife, Deborah Roberts, tied the knot in 1995, then welcomed their first child, Leila, three years later on Nov. 17, 1998.

At 25, Leila Roker is a journalist and works at a PR firm in Paris, where she attended college. From 2017 to 2021, Leila studied at the American University of Paris, graduating with a degree in journalism and a minor in fine arts.

"(Leila) has a wicked sense of humor and is a hard worker and a loyal friend," Al told TODAY.com of his middle child.

Fitting for someone living in the City of Lights, Leila has a love of fashion and has completed internships at various outlets, including L’Oréal and WWD (Women's Wear Daily), according to her website.

She also interned for ABC News as a production assistant during Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018, and followed in her father's footsteps when she served as a social media correspondent and production assistant on TODAY back in 2016.

Nick Roker, 21

Al and Deborah celebrated the arrival of their youngest child, Nick, on July 18, 2002.

Nick, 21, is currently in his second year of college. Al told TODAY.com that his youngest is "somebody who never lets obstacles get in his way."

He and Deborah have been both vocal advocates for their son, who Al said during a 2019 TODAY segment has some "special needs."

That said, Al said his son Nick has "met a lot of challenges" and that being involved in the family's church has been Nick's "mission."

His youngest has also earned a black belt in taekwondo and gold medals at the New York Special Olympics. After being accepted into two colleges, Al and Deborah dropped Nick off for his first year of college in August 2022.

While sending his son away to school, TODAY’s weatherman posted a selfie of himself and Nick last year, captioning it with the bittersweet message: "I guess this is happening. Taking the last one to college. So proud of one @nickroker15."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com