Our very first blogstory from 2024

As I enjoy one of the last oliebollen of the season, surrounded by the sounds and smells of fireworks, I felt the urge to wish you a very Happy New Year. What a bittersweet year 2023 has been! The most beautiful thing this year brought us was our daughter, Amora Julia Halley. I have regularly been asked whether we are going to stop running the family home now that we have a baby. The answer is no. She will grow up here, in the family home.

Soon, I will write a blog about what it was like to be pregnant while running a family home. Our assistance dog, Simba, has also been a wonderful addition to our family home, both for us and for the children. We were also able to enjoy so many fun activities with the kids, including go-karting, bowling, laser tag, trampoline parks and going on holiday together. But we also organised activities for our neighbourhood.

We organised an outdoor play day for both young and old, mornings for socialising and brainstorming, an oliebollen fundraiser, and much more.

We were also able to make our home feel more homely and give the children's bedrooms a more personal touch. Unfortunately, we also had to say goodbye to one of the children after a year and a half. This was one of the most difficult moments of the year. On top of that, I had to work through some of the trauma I experienced while running the family home. That was not always easy.

But I have to say, 2023 was a year that taught me so much. It shaped me into the person I am today.