Happy New Year!  And welcome back after our two week hiatus from posting around here.  I hope you all enjoyed some time off to relax and enjoy the holidays with your family and loved ones.  

I haven’t taken two weeks off since starting this blog in 2011 so to say it was much needed is an understatement. 😉  As you can see from the pictures below, we spent a lot of time in our pjs, barely wore make-up and for the most part, completely checked out of social media.  But I am excited to be back today to share an update and take a quick look back at 2018.

It’s become a tradition to make my first post back in the new year an annual recap and review.  For fun, take a look down memory lane and check out all the past ones here: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and read on below for this year’s update.

Photographed by Kate Robinson

The pictures above we shot by Kate for our Christmas card, but I also wanted some sweet ones at home for myself to capture the boys adorable ages and the sweet stage they are in.  What is it about kids fresh out of the bath in their pjs?!?  It’s my absolute favorite!

I have always shared an annual review in pictures and even top performing post of the year, but last year I did more of a personal update and I thought that was really fun to open up and share.  Plus, I loved going back and reading where I was a year ago and seeing how far we have come and how things have shifted in the last year so I decided to stick to the same format.  (You can read last year’s post here.)

Knox

Since Knox is our first born, let’s start with this handsome dude.  Knox turned FIVE this year which pretty much seems impossible.  I have never been more thankful for his October birthday because I couldn’t imagine sending him off to Kindergarten this year.  (In Texas, the cut off is September 1st so he is old for his grade.)  He is in Pre-K and loving every minute.  He LOVES art and his favorite station at school is the ‘writing station’.  He can sit down and concentrate on a project for what seems like hours and he continues to amaze us with how smart and intuitive he is.  

So far, five has been such an easy age for us (knock on wood).  For the most part, he knows right from wrong (although of course he still likes to test us), he is a remarkably sweet big brother to Andrew and he is having a great year in school.  His art station is taking over our kitchen table because it’s the best way for me to actually be able to cook dinner.  He loves making ‘books’ (his most recent was ‘Land and Sea Creatures’) and drawing his family.  The only thing on his Christmas list was ‘a Santa to paint’.  

He is also enjoyed his first year of t-ball, another soccer season and is about to start basketball for the first time.  He loves playing with his neighbors and friends, has an obsessions with his ‘stuffies’ and is really getting into board games.  We couldn’t be more proud of him and can’t wait to see what God has in store for this sweet child. 

Andrew

Drew Drew!  It has been a big year for Andrew.  He just turned three and moved out of his crib into a big boy bed.  He started school at Knoxy’s school and tells me I don’t have a baby anymore – just two big boys. 😉  

Andrew loves cars, particularly Lightning McQueen, Madder and Jackson Storm. (Any other Cars fans out there?)  He got a new car track for his birthday and can spend hours playing on it.  He and Rosie are BFF – you can often find him on the floor snuggling Rosie and blue blankie.  We are so blessed that he and Knox play really well together.  Prayers it isn’t just a phase, but will continue as they grow older.  He loves to scoot around the neighborhood and push his dump truck down the street.  

The word that first comes to mind with Andrew is sweet.  He is so affectionate and is quiet the mamas boy (which I secretly love even if it does mean I have to do everything for him).  He loves school and greets his teachers every morning with a big hug.  He knows all his letters, shapes, numbers and colors and loves doing puzzles.  As sweet as he is, he is also all boy!  He has this rough and tumble nature and isn’t afraid of anything.  The other night Knox was scared of a ‘monster’ in the dark and Andrew told him ‘just punch him’ and ‘I’ll protect you.” in his serious voice with the cutest little lisp.  He may be the younger brother that takes up for his older brother! ha ha!  

Life

I never know how to fit a whole year of life into a few paragraphs, but despite the struggles and stresses of a normal family raising two kids and working, I can sum it up with one word.  I feel very blessed even on the days when the house is a mess, my inbox is stressing me out and the boys are doing everything they can to challenge me as a mom.

Fred and I have been married for nine years and I am most grateful for his desire to always be a better father, husband and christian.  I love that we can have serious check-ins and fun date nights, but the best part is knowing his heart and that he will always put his family and faith first and that we can always count on him to be an example of a hard work and compassionate man of faith for our boys.  

HOUSE of HARPER

2018 was a year of growth and shifts for HOUSE of HARPER.  We grew our team, brought you a more diverse range of content and strived to collaborate with other experts in their fields to elevate the content we bring to you on a daily basis. 

We created a survey to find out what you wanted more of and 500 of you took the time out of your busy day to respond and offer honest feedback.  I was blown away and so grateful for your support and candid responses. 

Overall, I am most proud of our interview series where we feature moms and business owners who inspire us.  I always gain so much from their answers and I hope you do too!  I am most excited to continue our quarterly Open House series where I get to open up about relevant topics and connect with you IRL.  The first event sold out and it was amazing to meet so many of you!  (More on our next event coming soon!)  Lastly, I am most inspired by collaborating with other creatives and sharing this platform with experts in their field with you.  It was my goal in 2018 to take this space from a personal diary of sorts to a true source of inspiration and information with a wealth of topics ranging from local favorites and life hacks to tougher topics like mental health and relationships. 

None of this would be possible without our small, but mighty team.  Thank you to Kathryn for pushing me to think outside of my comfort zone, always keeping me on track and allowing me to let go of so many of the business task so I can be more present as a mom – which will always be my number one priority. Also a big thank you to our first interns, Andie and Jessica!  These girls are both beyond qualified and bring so much joy to the office.  Thank you for all that you do for HoH and for being such a joy to work with!

The new year always brings with it the desire to reevaluate and reconsider how we spend our time and focus, what is important and how we want to grow and pivot in the new year.  This year is no exception and I am excited to explore what’s next in the weeks and months to come.  Stay tuned and, as always, we welcome your feedback.  Thank you for all your support in 2018 and always. xo

For fun, take a look down memory lane at my past annual recaps here!