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01.07.20

2019 Year in Review

2019 Year in Review

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing holiday. This is one of my favorite posts to write, every year. When I finally sit, jot everything down, look at old photos, and reflect. Now that I’m a mom, remembering everything that happens is a year is proving to be very difficult, lol. I’m really considering writing in a journal in 2020… that way I can look back at what happened and how I was feeling in those moments and not just be on a struggle bus to remember. We have come so far since 2018 and it’s just crazy to think we’re only growing and getting better every year. 2019 was hands down the best year of our lives and I’m sharing the 4 major themes and other highlights from the year. 


WE CELEBRATED HARPER’S 1ST BIRTHDAY AT THE TOP OF THE YEAR

Harpers 1st birthday


TOOK A TRIP TO LA AND PALM DESERT

LA & Palm Desert


MADE AN UNEXPECTED TRIP TO THE BAY AREA (GRANDMOTHER’S PASSING)
But, the perfect excuse to see family and friends.

San Jose & San Francisco


SPENT MAY-AUG LIVING OUR BEST LIFE OUTDOORS
Parks, ice cream, smoothies, wineries, farmers markets.

Wineries, Parks, Ice cream, outdoors in Oregon


HARPER STARTED SWIM CLASS

Swim class


WE STARTED & FINISHED HARPER’S PLAYROOM
(former guest bedroom)

Harper's playroom


MY DAD CAME TO VISIT
We had so much fun at the Zoo and spending time with my aunt and family.

Dad visits


MADE A COUPLE TRIPS TO CANNON BEACH

Beach


DISCOVERED SPLASH PADS

Splash pad


RE-DECORATED OUR DECK WITH ARTICLE

Deck makeover


ENJOYED THE FALL

Fall


HARPER STARTED SOCCER

Started soccer


DRESSED UP AS MINNIE MOUSE FOR HALLOWEEN

Halloween


VISITED THE SNOW IN SUNRIVER
We’ll make this an annual trip since we had such a good time.

Snow


MADE OUR ANNUAL TRIP TO ZOO LIGHTS

Zoo Lights


HELD OUR ANNUAL DA SILVA/VEDDER COOKIE DECORATING CONTEST
Harper decorated her first cookie!

Cookie Decorating


CELEBRATED OUR 2ND CHRISTMAS WITH MISS HARPER GRAY

Christmas 2019

Experienced Parents

2019 was our second year of parenthood and boy does having a year under your belt make the biggest difference. We really enjoyed parenthood in 2019. We were lighter, more rested, less stressed, less irritated, less uptight, less emotional – we were really able to be present and enjoy all the little and big moments. I swear, every night before we went to bed, Mike and I would say to each other, “Harper is so awesome and cute and amazing.” And then tell stories of just a few hours ago when she was either funny, silly, or cute. Can you tell we’re obsessed with her? Other than a few times she got sick, we didn’t really experience too many hard times. It also helped that she didn’t have any regressions in 2019. We got a lot of sleep last year, lol. My favorite baby book that I read before giving birth, Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, said “start as you mean to go on,” and that has really stayed with me since the day we brought Harper home. I truly feel like the way we’ve raised Harper has really set the tone for us as a family. The foundation for our parenting meets the needs of everyone involved and to be honest, we all really found our groove in 2019 and we thrived. 

Working Smarter Not Harder

This was one, if not, the biggest theme of 2019. In 2018 we saw a dip in our business with the birth of Harper and stepping away from work. That said, it was a huge goal for us to get back into the swing of things in 2019. I had some eye opening moments early in the year that changed the trajectory of our business. I will go more into detail on this another time, but it changed everything. While it had an impact on the business, it was more a personal growth moment. I started to see things for what it was and not for what I thought it was supposed to be. This moment had a ripple effect and we ended up having the best year yet. Our numbers were up, we made more money (by a lot), we got bigger and better partnership, teamed up with brands we’ve adored for years, and actually saw our best month of our entire careers in August. This all happened while I worked less than years past and got to spend a lot of time with Harper and Mike. 

2019 was the year work became the most natural, if you will. I was finally able to let go of a lot of things that were holding me back – thinking I needed a certain amount of blog posts per week, thinking my Instagram needed to look a certain way, thinking I had to take pictures a certain way, or buy certain things. I was able to let it all go and it really set the tone for the year. I’ve been “blogging” a certain way for so long, so I think I was scared to change the way I did things. But, when you trust your gut and evolve, show your true authenticity, magic happens. 

Living our Best Life Through a Toddlers Eyes

They say it only gets better, but man, running after a 1yr old was so much fun. We had the best time experiencing life through Harper eyes. There were so many moments that I’ve only dreamt of experiencing with my kid(s). We did all of those things – first beach trip, splash pads, swim lessons, ice cream dates, soccer class, parks (lots of parks), vacation, playing outside with all the neighborhood kids, farmers markets, a few wineries, and playing in the snow for the first time. We made the best memories as a family of 3 and I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for us. 

Self Reflection and Personal Growth 

This is something Mike and I are always working on. We are very self-aware and mindful people, but 2019 took it to a whole new level. We discovered Lacy Phillips in the summer and it changed our lives. Her philosophy and message align with us like no other and we finally felt heard. We signed up for The Pathway membership and while I didn’t start the “work” until late 2019, Mike has been on his journey since last summer. Mike started meditating and doing the work and it changed the whole tone of our household. I was very busy with work Aug-Nov, so I only really started putting in the self-work in December. If you follow me on Stories you saw I had a breakthrough and cry session and it’s already been so impactful. I’m only getting started with manifesting my best life, but I have never felt so grounded, whole, and authentic. Mike and I will be sharing our journey soon and we can’t wait. 

While 2019 was mainly focused on work, 2020 is about focusing on self. I reworked my schedule, made changes, and will start time blocking, so that I can get back to doing other things I love and that light me up. I’ll be getting back in the gym twice a week, learning new recipes with my aunt,  and starting the work to manifesting my dreams. Now that I feel super confident and comfortable with my workload, I can really start dedicating time to other interests in my life. 

We have so much in-store for 2020 and I can’t wait to share it all with you here. Mike and I have never felt so grounded in our goals and intentions for a new year and we’re just so pumped. Cheers to manifesting dreams and living your best life!