2017 year in review

What a year 2017 has been! We have loved further settling in to our little family of three. As Russ put it the other night, we fit perfectly together as a family J

Ada is the joy of our lives. We think every little thing she does is the absolute cutest. Our big baby grew into a small toddler (around 35%) who, at 14 months, can still fit into a few of her 0-3 month onesies (though they’re tight)! We celebrated her first birthday in September with a “donut grow up” themed party. She didn’t follow that admonition though – she insists on continuing to grow! She now has four teeth and many skills. Lately she’s climbing down stairs and taking quite a few steps. She’ll probably be a full-time walker by the end of the month. She loves giving high-fives, blowing kisses, and clapping, and she recently started giving hugs around the neck (the best!). She loves people – she’s definitely a little extrovert. Her smile and laugh are our favorite things, and she gives those away freely (along with some good scowls)!

I love spending my days with our girl, and this year I’ve also enjoyed weekly scrapbooking dates with my mom, planning an extra fun-filled birthday month for myself, and putting more effort into maintaining and building friendships. I spent the first few months of the year (and the last few months of 2016) feeling insane because Ada only took 33 minute naps – every. single. time. I could not figure out how to fix it! After investing tons of effort, I finally hired a sleep consultant. The results were magical. So much so, that I decided to become a sleep coach myself! I’m currently certifying with the Family Sleep Institute, and my business, Sleeping Child, Sane Parent, will launch in early 2018. Part of what propelled me to get certified was my own experience – I could see the value sleep consultants provide to overwhelmed parents. The other thing propelling me was all the inspiration I was getting from podcasts like The Life Coach School, Bold New Mom, and The Alison Show. These podcasts gave me a greater desire to contribute my talents to the world. I’m so excited to start working with families to give them magical results like I got.

Russ is still plugging away on the support team at Omadi. While he’s good at what he does, he much prefers spending time at home with his girls. He’s also been thinking about going to school to become a flight instructor, so that may be on the horizon once my business takes off. Or he’d love to be a stay-at-home dad, and honestly, he’d be great at it. Our girl loves her dad. She is constantly saying his name, she is so happy every time he gets home from work, and nobody can make her laugh like her daddy. Russ always has a project, and while he’s been turning a small profit, he realized he cares more about the actual process of fixing something than making money. He loves taking broken, neglected things and giving them new life – and he’s really good at it! Russ hasn’t gone adventuring as much this year, but he did take a couple of quick trips – one to the path of totality to view the solar eclipse with his dad and sisters (an indescribable once-in-a-lifetime experience), and another to Capitol Reef, where he hiked 20 miles in one day!

We had some adventures as a family, too. Early in the year, Russ and I did Whole30 – a month with absolutely zero grains, sugar, soy, and dairy. We actually loved it, but have sadly returned to our unhealthy habits. Better health next year, right? In the spring, we had plants and a pergola installed, so all that’s left is to finish our yard is our garden spot. In May, we took a little trip down to St. George where we hiked Angel’s Landing with Ada on our backs (mine on the way up, Russ’s on the way down). In June, Russ and I celebrated five years of marriage, and what a wonderful five years it’s been! In July, my family had a week-long reunion here in Utah. 27 people meant lots of fun and lots of chaos. Ada got to meet all her Petersen cousins, and we got to worry about them all smothering her with love J Also in July, Russ and I did Questival, a 24-hour scavenger hunt, with some family. It was an exhausting day packed with a lot of fun and random things. Our latest adventure is that we’re now renting out our guest room on AirBnB. We love the bonus income, and we also enjoy meeting guests from all over the world.

We’re dreaming big dreams, and I can’t wait to see all that we create in 2018! May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, full of creations of your own!

With love,

Russ,  Ashley,  & Ada  Holmes