2023: Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays to our dear friends and family!

2023 has left us pretty speechless (hard to believe Alissa is speechless, right?).

Life-changing: We welcomed our two children into the world! Zak (Zakary Zsolt) was born in April, and Ivy (Ivette Zsuzsanna) was born in October. They are full siblings, not far enough apart to be proper siblings but not quite twins, thus please welcome the Hepp Twiblings! Long story short: science is amazing, and these kids are really loved. We are ecstatic, exhausted, our hearts bursting full of love even when we’re half-asleep doing laundry/washing bottles/waking at every sound that might be a cry or whine.

Zak is now 8 months old, and we’re starting to get a little glimpse of his personality. He is happy-go-lucky, just like a mini Zsolt. He’s usually smiling or giggling, often cracks himself up, and loves to engage in babbling conversations. He’s also really enjoying starting to explore solid foods.

Ivy is almost two months old and is getting more and more curious about the world around her every day. She is very alert and exudes a genuine wonder about everything she sees (as much as a two-month-old can). We can’t wait to see what she will be like!

Baker, our dog who turned 5 years old in October, is slowly adjusting to not being an only “child” anymore. He’s still not quite sure what to make of his new brother and sister, but his instincts are to protect them and stay by their side. You can always find him underneath Zak’s highchair, as there are lots of new treats for him to try out too.

Less life-changing: As per usual for the Hepps, we enjoyed traveling with friends and family. Zsolt and his brother and dad visited the New York auto show (they missed the one in Seattle, so why not go to the one in New York, right?). Zsolt also managed to get in a quick (and I do mean quick at only 36 hours) work trip to Switzerland in between the two babies being born. Alissa and a friend visited Arizona and took a proper French baking class – we learned how to make delightful baguettes paired with homemade butter! Alissa also learned how to open a bottle of champagne with a machete (can I buy one of those on Amazon.com…). We hosted some out-of-town framily in March, and had a couple short trips to San Diego to see Zsolt’s parents. Zsolt got into old school PlayStation games (e.g. Gran Turismo 4) after watching all 9 seasons of Seinfeld and all 8 seasons of House during nighttime baby feedings. Alissa did a lot of reading (she got a Kindle and used it WAY more than anticipated), a few snarky cross-stitching projects, and more puzzling. She’s still learning how to play the guitar, but that’s harder now with two little ones and their inconsistent sleep schedules. A quieter hobby is propagating house plants, and that is going well! We love having so much greenery indoors.

And finally, our holiday recipe! This is the dessert we made the most often in 2023. It’s simple, but it truly is the best recipe for Rice Krispie treats ever. If you check out the website, they had 20 taste testers try over 20 different versions of this recipe. There are several opinions on different brands of ingredients used, so we found this all very scientific and fun. They’ve been a hit every time we’ve made them, including our Thanksgiving dinner this year.

2023 has exceeded all of our expectations, and we are thrilled to enter the new year as a family of four (four and a half if you count Baker)! We’re wishing peace, love and happiness for you all in 2024!

Az új évben kívánjuk, hogy egészségünk, boldogságunk és barátságaink még erőseben legyenek. Törekedjünk arra, hogy időt szánjunk egymásra, támogassuk és inspiráljuk egymást minden nap. Kívánom, hogy az új év minden napja tele legyen szeretettel, örömmel és a baráti kapcsolataink megerősödésével. Mindenkinek egy nagyon boldog új évet kívánunk!

Baby Zak

Baby Ivy

2023 in a Nutshell