Forget playing a mom onscreen, Alison Sweeney’s latest Hallmark movie, Romance at Hope Ranch, gave her the opportunity to be a mom on set, too.

The Days of Our Lives star worked alongside her 17-year-old daughter, Megan Sweeney, and her 21-year-old son, Ben. Megan is making her acting debut,

which Sweeney described to Soaps.com as “surreal,” and Ben worked as an intern on the project — a true family affair!

The film revolves around Sweeney’s character, Hope, who starts a fresh chapter, leaving the big city after her daughter, Maggie, played by Megan, heads off to college. Her new life on a ranch in Ruidoso, New Mexico, is filled with challenges, fulfilling a lifelong dream, and a second chance at romance.

Still, one of the scenes with Megan was a little more emotional than Sweeney had expected, since it was ripped from the pages of their real lives. “It was so fun to have Megan play Maggie, but also surreal. Megan is exploring colleges right now, so Hope saying goodbye to Maggie at her college dorm hit close to home,” she admitted.

As a “proud” mom, Sweeney revealed that she and her husband Dave [Sanov] share the “same support of Megan acting as my parents did for me…it’s her choice on if she wants to pursue it and we support her in any decision she makes.” She added that Megan’s big break brought up “great memories” of her “early years with fellow actors and the fun we had on set” on Days of Our Lives.

Besides her kids hitting the Hallmark set with her, Sweeney was thrilled to bring her family’s appreciation for horses onto the screen. “My mother, daughter, and I love to ride horses, particularly on trail rides, because it gives that sense of limitless possibility, peace, and tranquility,” she said of their notable equestrian skills.

Sweeney believes that Romance at Hope Ranch shows the true meaning of community and what it’s like to take a deep breath and enjoy a slower-paced life. In fact, she had her own “Hope Ranch” moment at one point in her successful career.

“After working two jobs — Days of Our Lives and The Biggest Loser — I had to reexamine my priorities and find the next chapter that had greater work-life balance, which drew me to producing and starring in movies for Hallmark Channel,” she said.

And that long-running relationship with Hallmark Channel has turned into an official Sweeney family project.