Cheers to 2 Years!

Man...is it that time of year again?! I swear, the older you get, the faster time goes. Well, this Monday was Ian and I's SECOND anniversary! Let me tell you, there is a big difference between the first and the second year. Sure, the "honeymoon" stage wears off, you start to get into your routines and are getting used to each other in general during that first year. For us, our first year was a pretty good one and we seemed to adjust fairly quickly. I feel like with this year, we've gotten better at just being married, if that makes any sense. I know I am more patient now than I was at first. I know Ian is more aware of my feelings (more than he already was). I feel like we have really "gelled" as a couple now. I don't really know how to explain it. I guess we've both grown up and with each other a lot this year, and our love has been magnified.

Anyway, enough with the sappy. ;) haha

This year's event included us going to the Melting Pot in Ahwatukee (which, by the way, is WAY better than the Scottsdale location. The staff is way nicer, less snooty, and the overall ambiance of the restaurant is more comforting). We haven't gone since Ian took me on his last night of boot leave after we got engaged a 2 and a half years ago! It was nice to go back to one of our favorite places to eat, especially since we can't afford to go very often!

OH man, was that magnificent 4-course experience worth the money....

 They put us in a private booth with a curtain. It made it really special feeling like we were the only ones there!

CHEESE

 A nice little touch ;)

Comp photo from the server! (who deserved her nice tip--she was so funny and entertaining!)

Both of us purposefully didn't eat all day so that way we would have room, but we didn't know how FAST we would chow down! Our server gave us a hard time about it, actually...haha I'd like to think it's because I knew how to pace myself this go around.... ;) Either way, with no shame I indulged myself and I didn't even feel bad about it. After we got home I had Ian open the gift I was just so excited to give him! And for good reason....it is pretty awesome. :D

If you know Ian at all, he loves all things macho. ;) especially things with LOTR quotes engraved on a dwarf-esque tankard. I really out did myself this year. haha For those of you wondering, he loved it. :) 

Anyway, that was our little celebration. I love being able to start tacking up the years together. It's something that only belongs to us, and I love that. Happy anniversary, love. 

P.S. A little progress report on my health style change! I have cut out sugar, processed foods, fast foods, soda, most carbs and have been drinking lots of water and I have slimmed down pretty quick! My tummy and chest have gotten smaller (yay!) and I don't have to suck it in as much. ;) I'm sure right now it's mostly water weight, but I'm on a good streak and am developing some awesome habits. I feel really great and should be incorporating exercise soon! (I have decided to take baby steps...adding one new thing to my routine at a time...)

Taking Care of Me

I've been kind of on a roll the past couple weeks. I've done a lot of personal development. I deep cleaned my entire house two weeks ago. I have finally started the process of ridding some emotional baggage that I've hanging on to and working on strengthening my faith and testimony. I've been cooking dinner for once, instead of opting to grab Taco Bell or McDonald's and drinking hardly any soda. I've been taking care of school things, excelling at work and in my voice lessons. Overall, I have been having a real nice patch of life and I like this trend. I like being proactive about errands and keeping up with the house and not being a total lazy-bum. I was talking with my mom yesterday and I was telling her how good it felt doing everything that I have been consistently putting in my routine. I told her that it feels amazing to finally start taking care of myself.

Not in the general sense. I have been independent of my parents since I was 18. I lived on my own starting a whole 2 months after graduation. When I say I'm finally starting to "take care of myself", I mean in all the ways that come with really growing up. Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically. That last one has finally come within my reach. I have found a gym that I have started a membership with, and have figured out the time I will go there to do my workouts. I found an awesome 12-week strength training program that even comes with meal plans (that's the party I struggle with) and it's FREE. It's Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer and I have heard nothing but amazing things from this {and frankly strength training is the only thing I haven't tried yet so haha}

 Now I have been doing this whole back and forth of "I will be accountable for my progress" "I want to lose those nasty 15 pounds that have been plaguing me since forever" "This time I WILL do it!" to just straight up not doing what I said I would. This time it really feels different. I have literally had the last straw with my lifestyle and feeling like "I could be better but I have excuse A and excuse B...etc". I've made the decision that this will be the change that will bring me where I've wanted to be. I'm done letting myself down and not progressing. Like I've said, I'm kind of on a roll here. ;)

Anyway, I have decided to truly keep myself accountable I will document my progress on this blog so that way I can look back and keep myself motivated, and also so I can't just drop off and leave ya'll hangin'. You know. All 3 of you who actually read my blog.


Welp, that's all for now. As far as updates go, I start school again on Monday. It'll be a busy semester! I have 16 credits on my plate as well as about 20 hours of work/week. A total of 3 choirs and then my personal repertoire, and getting ready for my audition at ASU. :O I can't believe it will be my last semester at CGCC!! It's a little surreal, and for while I was scared for the change that is coming but now I'm just really excited. Life is coming at me fast, but...I don't mind. :)

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Summertime....and the Livin' is Crazy

/sigh. I have a Saturday now that I have absolutely zero plans for the day, until tonight which I get to catch up with my dear friend Nicholas (EEP!). It's quite refreshing. Since I have the time for lolly-gagging (aka postponing cleaning my bedroom), we can do a quick refresher course over the events of this past summer.

Summer Camp '15!
Oh boy, has this been quite the job! 8 hours everyday, working with kids K-6, but mainly with K-3. Twice a week we take my half of camp on a field trip, following with a trip to the swimming pool. The other days, we are at the "camp site" (which actually a jr high) and we rotate them through different classes and activities. I honestly don't think I've been more busy during the summer! It's a total blast hanging out with these kids, and I get to go do fun stuff as part of the job! It's been a long summer for sure, and I am very ready for camp to be over but I will totally do it again next year. These kids make me laugh and smile everyday, and though we've had our bad days, it's been worth it. Can't believe it went by so quickly, too! 2 very short weeks left and then it's back to normal VIK.

4th of July Concert
All the while I've been working full time, since the middle of May, my sister, mother and I had been learning 90 minutes worth of music to perform at a concert out in Sun City West. On a whim, they contacted my mother to see if our group Resonance Vocal Ensemble would be able to perform for them on the 4th July. Unfortunately, we do not rehearse or perform during the summer months but my mom quickly asked my sister and I if we would be down to do a solo show! Impulsively we said yes! Then reality set in. We had to be performance ready for a 90 minute show for a 800 sold out seat audience in 6 weeks!! So. Much. Rehearsing. Our concert consisted of mainly Andrews Sisters classics, solos dabbled in, and a patriotic set to finish. We had to learn everything by ear (which is my absolute LEAST favorite way of learning. Ugh. Words cannot describe). Everything is coming together about 2 weeks before the performance, and I catch a nasty head cold. 5 days before the show. Basically every singer's nightmare, considering you get all that nasty phlegm all up in your vocal folds' business. Especially for me, I basically lose it after I start to recover. Fortunately I could get through most of the songs without too much problem (I just sounded a tad hoarse) but there was one solo song that was in the lowest part of my belt, and literally no sound would come out when doing our sound check. I was freaking out just a little, but fortunately we found a solution by making a joke out of it and having my mom sing it with me. It was a great show overall, and the audience loved it and us.

We're pretty cute. 

Also our venue was legit. Sold out show!

The only real set back was that I had one gentleman ask me if I was pregnant so naturally I wallowed by eating my weight in Oreos when I got home. ;) SO THAT IS A NO, I AM NOT EXPECTING THANKS FOR REMINDING ME JUST HOW THIN I AM.

Voice Lessons
On top of all of THAT , I have been taking voice lessons with Kaarin between semesters. I need to be basically ready for my ASU audition by the time the semester starts, and there is NO way I was preparing an aria by myself. haha and I also really love voice lessons, so... :D It's been going very well. I have 4 songs I am currently studying and I love all of them...some more than others, naturally. ;) I have this one Strauss piece that is literally to die for and it's definitely my favorite one. Take a listen here if you want to listen to this magnificent piece of music. [Note: there is a long piano intro, so you gotta hang tight for like a minute, but the intro is beautiful.] This one is a close tie with "Willow Song" from Ballad of Baby Doe, which is just as drool worthy. Can I please just be Beverly Sills for a day?



Other than that, nothing else to report. I should get to cleaning my room. Maybe. ;)

It's Over...

The semester...

Er, it's mostly done. I just have 3 finals this week and THEN I'm done. But in my mind, I did my juries so I'm done. ;) This really has been one of the longest semester in the history of ever. Doing The Addams Family made it seem like the semester was done since we went right into Spring Break after we closed, so coming back to school after that was difficult. Overall I do believe this was the best one yet. I got a lead in a musical. I won MCCCD Artist of Promise competition in my division. I received money for the Chocolate, Champagne, and All that Jazz scholarship which I was nominated for. I have blossomed as a vocalist and a soloist. I have found a job that I love. I love my major. I love my life.

So yeah. I'd like to think it a success. :)

Now that huge hurdle is out of the way, I can focus on what my summer will be! Huzzah! As I mentioned above, I love my job. I am an activity leader at Meridian Elementary for Gilbert Public Schools VIK program.

 I get paid to eat snacks, help kids with their homework, play games, and maintain a positive atmosphere. I love these kids. They are so smart and so funny. It really is the highlight of my day. They have achieved of actually making me a little baby hungry for the first time in our marriage! I also really like my coworkers so far (though I am getting much more for summer camp). Speaking of summer camp, that starts 2 weeks from tomorrow. YIKES! It's exciting and nerve-wracking because I've never done this before but I know it's going to be a blast! I'm with either the 1st or 2nd graders (Yasss) and on Mon/Wed we get to go on a field trip and swim all day. And when I say field trip, I mean like REALLY cool field trips like the AZ Science Center,

 Amazing Jake's, 

Big Surf,

 Makutu's Island, 

and a DBacks Game....the list goes on. On the other days we have in-house classes like messy science, cooking, drama, etc. that we rotate through. The days will be long, but I'm going in with the attitude that I get paid to play! How awesome is that? That's really what I'm looking forward to doing. It will make the summer zoooom by! Most summers I'm so bored out of my mind that summer is torture and I'm counting down till school gets back in. This time I won't have the time to be bored. It is going to be great. 

Also in August I'm hoping to go to Utah to see my beautiful cousin Bonnie and her new baby. I am making it a point to go see her! I've been wanting to get away from AZ for a while and what a perfect way! I guess one of Ian's friends is getting married in August too so hopefully those weekends line up. 

2014 was a trying year for us for sure, but so far 2015 has been on the up and up. I'm feeling very blessed right now (besides feeling a little funky after throwing up all night). The Lord does provide for you when you are doing what you're supposed to and having faith that in His time, everything will work out. 

Well, that's it for now my lovelies. Have a wonderful day!

Campouts and Ostrich Farms

Hello! Let's do a little catch up before I get into things, shall we?

Since the last time we talked a lot has happened!

School:
The semester ended quite nicely. I ended up losing my voice right in time for juries (yay!) but still got good grades. I just sing so stinkin much during the semester sometimes it is hard to keep up! I supported my fellow voice students and saw A Christmas Carol (which was fabulous, contrary to the cast's beliefs). I know so many talented people it's not even funny!

This semester so far has been crazy, insane and wonderful. I auditioned for The Addams Family at CGCC and I ended up getting cast as Wednesday! It was double-cast so I was only Wednesday 3/6 performances, but I'll take what I can get! It was challenging for me as an actor and vocally since I have almost always been type-casted for the energetic, "blonde", girly, more-often-than-not soprano and Wednesday is the literal exact opposite. Wednesday is a dark and twisted type of person which voice part is a belt. HA. Me. Belting. That's a good one. But I managed to pull it off! I am quite proud of myself actually and of the entire cast! We pulled it out of our butts during tech week and it was a fabulous show! The script could use some work but the music was to die for (get it? to DIE for? oh man). This was definitely my favorite show so far, and for many reasons. Mainly because there was very little drama among the cast. For the most part nobody hated each other! That's quite the accomplishment if you've done any type of production. Any who. I'm going to miss performing it. /sigh I feel like I'm still progressing in my voice lessons (yay again!). Especially since I finally have the time to put in the practice.

Me as Wednesday! I could pull off dark hair...right? 

I looked pretty awesome. Not gonna lie.

The family portrait.

Work:
My official last day at State Farm was 2/20/2015. My last day working was the Monday (2/16) before. It was definitely a bittersweet day. I hated being on the phones with a firey passion of a thousand suns, but I loved the people and the atmosphere. My supervisors were simply the most amazing and the most supportive people. I turned in my badges, gathered my things out of my locker, and my supervisors walked me down to the lobby after my shift, I gave my main supervisor Tyrone a hug and off I went! It was a weird and yet invigorating feeling driving out of the parking lot knowing I didn't have to drive there at 3 AM ever again. Let's just say I have adjusted quite nicely of having a normal sleeping/social schedule now that my bed time is no longer 8:30 PM. HUZZAH. I mean I consistently stay up to around 11 each night and it feels great! I'm a human again!

 Now that I haven't worked for about a month, I've finished the show and have had a nice break, I decided to apply for a job closer in that does not involve any sales! I applied for VIK (an after-school program for the elementary schools in the Gilbert Public School District) and I got an interview! Tomorrow at 11:30. Eeep! I'm nervous/excited. I haven't interviewed in over 2 years! We'll see what happens. Fingers crossed!

Home/Husband/Family:
Well life has been going on an uphill for these McHardy's. In December Ian received a call from the Verizon recruiter and there was a job opening for him! Ian successfully passed through all the supplemental interviews and was hired! All the praying and waiting finally paid off and Ian is now excelling at his new job. He also loves it, which is a definite plus. I'm so grateful for everything he does and how hard he works. :) He's a keeper, for sure.

On the downside, in December we lost our kitty Socrates. We have a little kitty door that leads to the garage, where he litter was (that way the litter wasn't stinking up our house) and our garage door has been acting up lately so one night it decided to open by itself and he got out and never came back. We searched for a couple days, had the missionaries keep an eye out, and we even put up posters but nothing. :( I admit we cried. We loved our cat. A lot. We were sad for a while but we're to the point we are going to get another kitten in the near future.

Other than that, everyone is doing pretty well. :) I am really enjoying life right now. I'm so grateful for everything we've been blessed with.

Now, on to my main reason for this blog post!!

Ian and I have been wanting to go camping since we got married. Like I've been begging him to take me (someone document this, because I have never been one to BEG to go camping. Ever.) and we finally went! It's Spring Break for me and Ian traded a shift with someone so that way he could have Wednesday (today) and Thursday off to give us plenty of time. Since I have my interview and Scouts on Wed evenings, we went last night! IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. Just an overnighter out at Picacho Peak. I loved it. We gathered up a bunch of blankets and pillows and made a bed in the bed of Ian's truck. Voila!

*check out that smolder...*

We ate some MREs (Meal Ready to Eat, they are military issue) and watched most of Crazy Stupid Love and went to sleep. 

After breakfast we took a short hike up a trail on Picacho Peak

Then we went to the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch that was right next to our campsite. 

IT WAS MAGICAL.

This sign killed me! They went above and beyond here.

I legitimately felt like I was feeding a dinosaur!

 Watching the goats eat is the most hysterical thing you will see.

My favorite part was feeding the Rainbow Lorikeets!! They gave us a little container of fruit nectar and when we walked in the birdhouse we immediately had like 4 birds on each of us to eat. They even popped off the lid of the container themselves! 

UGH so much fun. Anywho. I've got to get ready for my cubbies. Have a wonderful evening, my lovelies.