We have had a busy few months and I figured it was time for a little family update. 2023 has been a wild year for us so far, so let’s dive in.
ICYMI, we moved in the spring! We sold our first home in March and had to quickly find something to live. We had been searching for a long-term home, but given the circumstances and timeline, we had to choose something that would be sufficient for a couple of years. We ended up getting a wicked deal on our current home, with plans to flip it in 2-3 years. That said, we’ve been loving our new neighbourhood and our property, so who knows, we may stay a bit longer than expected.
Our home needs plenty of updates, but we don’t feel like we’re in a rush now since we may live here a bit longer. We started with Phase 1 of our exterior renovation this summer, digging up the yard, laying new sod, installing a fence (so ridiculously expensive), and landscaping a play area for Mara. Next spring, we plan to finish the landscaping, add a fire pit, and build a pergola and BBQ station.
We’ve also begun our main bathroom renovation! As I type this, the bathroom is drywalled, the tub is installed, and it’s time to tile and install everything else. Fingers crossed we have a fresh bathroom in 1-2 weeks.
Amidst our renovations and settling into our new home, we had a crazy busy summer. My little sister got married, we were on evacuation alert due to wildfires for over a month, oh yeah, and Kirby proposed!
It was unexpected, which sounds silly because we have known for a long time that we would get married, but the timing was a surprise. I have always told him that I imagined a proposal to be private, intimate, and a spur-of-the-moment event. It was just that. We were sitting in our beautiful backyard talking about cutting my hair when he pulled a ring out of his pocket and got down on his knee, torn MCL and all. It was a perfectly special moment.
Of course, everyone then asked when we’ll get married – ha! Who knows, we’re in no rush. We have so many other things going on right now, wedding planning is low on the priority list.
Sammy Hill Creative has been growing at a fast pace as of late, and it’s exciting, but sometimes overwhelming. Entrepreneurship can be lonely, especially when you’re beginning to add pieces to the puzzle that you’re not experienced in. That said, I’m so grateful to have a thriving business with so many exciting things in the pipeline!
On top of all of this, Mara started daycare! I was so excited for her to start daycare because running a business while chasing a toddler is really hard, but when we got the call that she had a start date, I bawled. I wasn’t ready, but also very ready. We love her daycare and it’s so great to see her learning new skills, interacting with others, and having some independence. I believe that it has made my relationship with her stronger and I get so excited to pick her up after my work day.
So yeah, it’s been a wild and busy few months! I think we’re finally settling into a bit of a routine, just in time for the holiday craziness.
Thanks for tuning in to this little update!