The Greatest Decade

2010.  Wow.  Can y'all believe it?!  When I think of just the numbers side of things, it seems like yesterday that we were holding our breaths for Y2K fallout.  When I think of the situational side of things, however, it seems like 2000 was a lifetime ago.  I was a sophomore in college, not even dating Jared, serving as Miss Wayland, and refusing to grow up.  I was 'working' for my college choir director.  (I missed more often than I showed up, that is for certain!)  The circumstances of my life were not the greatest, made so by my own choices.  I can only imagine the massive prayers sent up by my parents during the beginning of this decade.  How sovereign God proved Himself to be. 

Highlights of the decade:  Jared.  Jakob.  Lily.  I loved our engagement, wedding, and honeymoon.  It was all home-made.  Cheap.  Practical.  We were so truly broke.  Although I would re-do the color scheme, the gift registry, and the flowers, I wouldn't change the outcome of June 8, 2002 for anything in this world.  I remember our first apartment was the tiniest thing you can imagine.  What should have been the 'master bedroom' for our unit was the laundry room for the entire complex.  I need to remember that aparment when I feel my current walls closing in around me!  This decade brought Jared and I the gift of debt...yep, the gift.  We have now officially climbed out of the pit and on to solid ground.  What a gift to fight together against a common adversary and come out on top.  God proved Himself to be our Deliverer and our Portion.  We bought our first home after living in more rent houses than I care to remember.  We have jobs that allow us to serve others as a family.  Jakob has been with us at good ole FHS since day #1.  God love him, all of his milestones seem to happen in the choir room.  I'm sure Lily's will too!  I love that, though.  We are blessed to share our days with one another:  good, bad, or ugly.  What a gift the Lord has given our family through Frenship and our 'jobs.' 

As I look back 10 years ago, I see way too many of the same character flaws within myself than I should.  Lack of margin.  Lack of follow-through.  Lack of relationship.  Lack of self-control.  Lack.  Lack.  Lack.  I'm not one on resolutions.  (lack of follow-through and self-control, you know!)  But, this decade I hope to allow the 'lack' to be filled up...to be made found 'lacking in nothing.'  I cannot fathom that when the next decade rolls over I will be the parent of a 13 year old and a 10 year old.  Nuts.  Simply nuts.  One thing is for certain, we lack not in laughter, joy, love, and fun around here, and for those things, I am ever truly grateful to my Father.  Happy New Year, y'all. 

Christmas in Pictures

Since I have been the worst blogger ever in the last few months, I decided to make up for a bit of lost time by sharing a TON of our Christmas pictures in one fatal dose! We truly have had a great Christmas so far. As previously mentioned, this is our first Christmas at home for the whole break, and we may become spoiled! Hopefully, there will be time and energy in the future to tell some of the stories behind all of these pictures, but if not, make up your own version of what you think might be happening in the pics! Okay, enough words...I'm going back to the fabulous people you see below! Happy New Year's-week!

The Hardy Holiday house including an impromptu mudroom!

No longer just dreaming of a White Christmas!

Frosty Hardy

Lily's First Christmas

Christmas Eve

Christmas morning complete with a well-built-with-love-in-the-snow trampoline and a broken high chair!

Merry Christmas!!! (I promise that I was involved in all of these activities even though the pictures don't prove it! I have reached the 'never in another photo, only taking the photo' stage of my life.)

Smart kid.

Merry Christmas from the Hardy Hacienda! While I have so many great pictures and stories to tell from our week so far, one story takes the cake, for sure. This year, Santa brought Jakob a trampoline. Not only was it the only thing he asked for, but it was on sale on Black Friday including the enclosure, and my couch cushions need a break! It takes Jakob quite a while to warm up in the mornings...he takes after me in that manner! This morning, however, we were fully expecting him to be up and at 'em quickly and with great excitment for the tampoline fully assembled in his backyard. Not so much. Here's how it went down:

Everyone: JAKOB!!! Good morning! Merry Christmas

Jakob: *nothing but tired stares*

Me: What did Santa bring you, Buddy?!

Jakob: (referring to the box under the tree and spoken in truly dull tone) a trampoline.

Jared: Where did it come from?!

Jakob: (totally straight-faced and uncaring) Wal Mart.

He did wake up and warm up to things pretty quickly, thank goodness! We hope your Christmas was filled with the light of Christ and the laughter of the season. Merry Christmas!

Christmas STAYCATION!!!

Whew! We made it to the end! Another semester come and gone with much blood, sweat, and tears left behind from the Hardy, Party of 4. While I am so excited for a little break, I'm sad too. You see at our house, childhood milestones are recorded as to which time of year and which contest are going on. For instance, Lily's first real sickness was during Solo and Ensemble assignment week. Jakob first crawled in the choir room during Celebration rehearsals, 2007. I'm sure every house has their way of remembering milestones, but here they coincide with the choir schedule. Drives me nuts sometimes. I mentioned Lily's first sickness. yeah. That would be right now. Miss Thang has been one sick little puppy this week. What started out as a runny nose and small cough turned into many nebulizer treatments and at least 3 sleepless nights. We'll see what tonight brings. This is not be complaining, though. I have seen this week just how blessed we are around here. While there have been some seriously scary moments for us with Lily this week, I had no doubt that she would be fine and we would get through without a scuff or scar. I have been so mindful of other families who deal with these things consistently and without the promise of "everything will be alright" at the end of it. God bless those families.

It has been a nutty few months. Here's the catch up: my parents are moving to San Angelo. Sold their house. Offered on a new house. Punk buyer in Oklahoma backed out, so they had to back out in San Angelo. boo. Join us in praying for them as this is a yucky time of hear to sell a house. We are so sad to be 'losing' our vacation place in Oklahoma. We haven't been anywhere on vacation since they moved to Oklahoma because their house was truly the most relaxing place on this earth. Nevermind the free babysitting! Here are some pictures from their house when we were there for Thanksgiving. Oklahoma, we'll miss you dearly. Welcome back to Texas, mom and dad...we're glad you're here!

Our boss as school is still having some medicals complications from a cancer diagnosis which has put Jared in the driver's seat on and off during this semester. The choirs are HUGE. The success is HUGE. The work is NEVER-ENDING. The reward is ETERNAL. Nothing more to say there. We are blessed beyond measure in our profession...and busy beyond comprehension.

We are staying home this Christmas...a first in the Hardy family. We are staying home for both of the previously mentioned reasons: 1. my parents have no home (well, sort of...you know what I mean.) 2. we are having to work through the second half of this holiday break 3. Jared's brother's family moved to Lubbock 2 weeks ago. We are excited to be able to be with all of our family (minus my sister and her sweet boys. boo!) at some point during this Christmas week. So, Merry Christmas to y'all! Enjoy your break, no matter how short, wherever it is that you and yours land this year!

Best Show on TV

Tonight at a big family dinner, Jared and I were asked if we were into the Office. We responded that we were not. I know that it is a huge show and most people who watch it absolutely love it, but we just haven't ever gotten into it for some reason. Then, we realized that our 'office' is just us. Jared and me. Our Office is more like Glee.

Stupid is as stupid does...

Isn't that how the saying goes? I have neglected my blog for weeks now for two reasons: 1. We have been incredibly swamped, and the internet has been the thing that lost out on time. 2. I had dislocated my camera cord and couldn't upload any pictures. Well, don't you just love when your forced to own up to your own stupidity? Come to find out, our computer has a slot for an SD card. Who knew!? It wasn't until I was trying to find the USB slot to charge the iPod that I saw this strangely familiar looking card slot. Hmmm. I still don't have time today to sit and type, but I DO have time to upload some pictures of two pretty great kids. We've missed you, blog world.

mmmm...peas

So close to sitting all by herself!

Good grief. How do you not fall all over yourself for those eyes?!

Jakob helping to build his new bunk bed.

Dear Camera Cord,

I miss you. Where in my house are you hiding? I have so many great pictures to post on my blog, and your absense is really complicating things. Please make yourself known soon so that I can upload new photos. (new = pictures from the last 6 weeks) Thank you.

Sincerely,

Carla, your owner

Oh, Jakob...

...how you make my days funnier! This morning, after waking up DRY in big boy underwear for the first time ever, he was being forced to 'shoot the water', as we say in these parts. He was whining, crying, and generally making it sound like torture when he looks at me with angry eyebrows and says through a growling voice, "Mom-my! I AM NOT RE-SIS-TING YOU!!!" Then, this afternoon at the school he came into my office and asked for the keys. I handed them to him, and he immediately came back with, "Thanks, mom. You always have just what I need...just like Kelly." What? Who's Kelly?! He informed me that I was like Kelly from Kelly's Hardware Store in Sheetrock Hills on Handy Manny...always having everything Manny needs for the job! Thanks, Buddy. I figure being compared to anyone from Sheetrock Hills is high praise coming from a 3-year old!

Wordless Wednesday

(otherwise known as 'posts for those who have lost their camera cord and have no time to write a real post.')

Beaming

Today in the Sunday edition of the Lubbock Avalanche Journal on the front page of the Local section in colored photos (that's a big deal!) you could find a feature story on my amazing husband! It publically praises him for all of the hard work he does, the lives that he impacts, and the heart that he has. I have grown to love, respect, and admire him more than I ever dreamed possible 7 years ago. If you have a minute, check it out! I am SO proud of him.

http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/102509/fea_508731440.shtml

Wordless Wednesday

Dodged a Bullet

Well, we have only dodged one so far! More on that later... We are hoping to dodge a HUGE bullet tomorrow. As some of you know, tomorrow is our first audition in the All-State process aka 'Carla's Job.' This audition and preparation is part of the reason we have been so stinking busy lately. We are hoping to dodge the flu bullet. As of yesterday, 6...SIX!...of my top students were running fevers and losing their voices. AH! So, my heart is in a panic for them, and I am so hoping that none of them actually have the flu. I am naive enough to pray that they are just tired and allergy-stricken...here's hoping. We'll see tomorrow if we did, indeed, dodge that bullet!

Yesterday, however, we dodged an even bigger bullet. (There shall be no comments on my poor parenting following this post! Got it?!) Lily was asleep on our bed while Jakob was watching morning cartoons. This is not uncommon in our home. I went to make his lunch, reminding him if they needed anything to call for me. Reminder...we live in a very small house. I'm not far away. So, I'm packing lunches when Jakob comes into the kitchen and whispers something to me. I thought, "Surely he didn't just say what I think I heard." Yep. I did. "Mommy, I dropped Lily." This is so surprising since he rarely takes interest in her! I walked back into my room to see my 3 month old laying prostrate, face planted into my bedroom floor. First time in a while my clothes laying everywhere actually served a positive purpose! I scooped her up, and her screaming became much more elevated. She just simply doesn't cry, so all that noise leaving her body FREAKED Jakob out...FREAKED! He starts screaming and throwing his hands from his head (classic Jakob drama) saying, "Oh, my Lord! Oh! My! Lord!" After I was certain that Lily was okay, I noticed that Jakob was sobbing into his hands. Broke my heart. I scooped him up with her, and we checked Lily out together to prove that she was okay. After things had calmed a bit, I asked him for more details and why he picked her up. As innocently as possible this is what he said, "I wanted her to see Mickey Mouse."

3 Months & Bedtime Stories

My sweet Lily Hope is three months old today. I am not as sad & sappy as I anticipated! She is coming into her own, sweet personality, & this time around I know the real fun is about to begin! Seriously (my friends will attest to this) she is the most easy-going baby EVER! She sleeps or plays during lessons, church, meetings, choir, small group...you name it! It is like she knows when it is time to just chill. She is MUCH more smiley than Jakob was at this age. He was dramatic from the very beginning! She loves to stand up while holding someone's fingers, coos back at you as though she's in a full on conversation, lights up when she hears Jakob or Daddy enter a room, and reserves her biggest smiles & sweetest moments for her momma. We have a very special knit to one another already, & I love it. In spite of our crazier than normal life these last few weeks, Lily has flourished...we are SO blessed & happy!


Jakob is as hilarious as ever...popping out one-liners more quickly than I can write them down! Last night at bedtime he decided he would tell Lily the story of Spiderman. Here was his intro: Lily...you're my original Lily. God made you that way. Just like God made Spiderman original. He lives in Lubbock, you know.

Alive...I think!

Yes, we are alive, but VERY behind! Why on earth am I writing a blog at 12:40 am when this week is going to be such a blur?! Because I have stinking cute kids! I'll explain a lot more about what we've been up to later on when I have a real second to sit and waste, but for tonight...enjoy! My dryer is calling me...bzzzzzzzzzz

Old Testament 101

Tonight at bed time, Jakob told us that Abraham's wife's name was Mallory. Nice.

Makes Perfect Sense to Me!

When you're putting off housework and cooking...write a useless blog entry!

Jakob has begun dressing himself, and mommy has decided it isn't worth the fight to make him match or look non-homeless!

Lily, the chunkiest ballerina of all! We're breaking the mold around here!

Sittin' pretty!

Finally...a picture where Lily resembles Jakob! They ARE siblings!!! But, really!? Is she this big already?!

Remind Me...

...why I do some of the bone-headed things I do! Friday night I packed up my two precious children and three precious students and headed to Frenship's football game in Abilene. I had worked all morning to get things together: blankets, changes of clothes and underwear, pull-ups for the trip home, snacks for the trip and the game, separate bags for the car and the stands, and the list could go on and on! I was prepared! What could I have possibly missed? Hmmm...how about checking a map and a weather report. We left as soon as sectionals were over, but still got off later than I had hoped. Jared texted me the directions as he was already there with the radio crew. Over half way there, we went through a small shower so I called Jared for a weather update. Rain. Nothing bad, just non-stop rain. "Surely it'll pass before we get there!" I thought, foolishly! No umbrellas. No hoods. No ponchos. Newborn and three year old. Good, Carla. Really good. I decided these were the things memories were made of, though! No worries! I brought long sleeves and pants for the two of them. It would be fine! About this time, it hit me that I had no earthly idea where on the road to Wylie Jared's directions began. I saw an exit that sounded familiar, but passed it. Bad idea. 40 minutes, one emotional melt down in front of my children and my students, and one gas station in the middle of no where we finally ended up at the stadium...after half time had ended. Great. I then dropped my son's pants in the mud and forgot just about all of Lily's stuff as we headed up into the stands and into the rain. I must have looked like the worst mom of the century as we walked up there without an umbrella with my 2 month old. Poor Jakob. He was so excited to go and see the Tigers. He LOVED sitting in the rain and refused the umbrellas that my sweet Jared had wrestled from somewhere. The only problem was that we were only there for about a quarter and a half with our sweet Tigers losing. Jakob was not too thrilled when the game ended. "Momma! We JUST got here!" No kidding, Buddy. So, we drove almost 4 hours (that includes the guided tour of the greater Abilene area!) to watch roughly 30 minutes of a game and then return home at 2 am. Thank goodness for Bryce, Barclay, and Lauren! They were such a HUGE help and are the ones who actually got us 'un-lost'! I took a huge humility pill and tried to find the humor! They say they'll even do it again with me, but with printed instructions!

Off To The Races

That's what we are...off to the races! This school year is in full swing already, but dare I say that we are enjoying this one more than any other?! My decision to cut the studio back has been one of the best I have ever made as we have MADE dinner and eaten it together nearly every night. I know, for some that seems so 'normal,' but it had never been the case with us because of my studio's schedule. We are LOVING the new year! With the new school year comes all kinds of other firsts for our little fam: Jakob's first day of PDO this year and Lily's first shots. Jakob has had a great first week of school, FREE FROM ALL POTTY ACCIDENTS! (free only at school...home is a totally other story!) Yesterday when we picked him up, his teacher from last year told us that he called out during nap time to his class, "Guys! God will be happy if we stay on our nap mats!" If that isn't the most ironic thing he has ever said since he is the great nap evader!

He wanted NO part of taking the 'first day' picture this year.
"Mom, if you make me take the picture, I'll just go back inside."
Okay, maybe I'll look at you for just a minute...
"Jakob, if you'll just fake one smile for me, we'll go get donuts!" Success!
Jakob found a very old pair of glasses of mine in a drawer this week and has been wearing them ever since. Jared took the lenses out so as not to hurt his eyes, and Jakob pitched the longest, most intense fit known to man. "Daddy! You make me blind!" He has a slight flare for the dramatic...

Lily had her 2 month check up yesterday with Dr. Liz! True to form, Lily did amazingly! She now weighs 11 pounds 12 ounces and is 23 inches long! That is in the 75 percentile for both height and weight. She got three shots and did wonderfully. Dr. Liz's nurse let me hold her during the shots, something we didn't ever get to do with Jakob. It was SO nice to hold her tightly during the shots. She cried at the initial poke, but finished within seconds of her shots. She went on about the day like nothing had happened. She is smiling SO much, starting to 'talk' back to us, and stay awake for much longer periods of time. She sat up in my lap on Sunday morning listening to every word of Todd's sermon without a peep. Precious!

Miss Lily working on tummy time. She usually just falls asleep when put on her tummy.
Sweet, smilin' girl
Hello, beautiful...
Completely limp...

There's my girl.

Lily can sleep anywhere.

hmmmm...maybe black hair doesn't become us!