Sunday, April 26, 2009

"Daddy's in Trouble: He Can't Build."

Those were Jakob's words, verbatim, last night as Jared and Company began to build a special treat for Jakob. (Obviously, not true...but really funny!) Jakob's birthday is May 15 which is also the performance date for South Pacific. Needless to say, we knew we would be rearranging things a bit this year! The purpose for the garage sale last weekend was to make enough money to buy Jakob a really special gift this year, as his summer is going to be rocked with the addition of Miss Lily Hope. He LOVES being outside...loves it. So, we decided that we would get a swingset/fort thing if we could at all afford it. Thankfully, one hugely successful garage sale later...we could! We are so blessed to have a ton of awesome friends, and two couples of them really came through yesterday! Jacob and Tyson VOLUNTEERED, that's right, to come and help Jared assemble it. They started around 4 unloading and labeling the pieces and finished around 11 last night. This morning Jakob was at our bedside at 5:30 am asking to go outside and play! I am so excited that he will be able to retreat to his playground this summer when things get a little girlie on the inside! THANK YOU SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO MUCH JACOB AND TYSON!!! (thank you to Kassie and Lauren for lending your spouses all afternoon/evening!) We are forever grateful to you for your friendship!!!

Jakob worked on the box while the big guys worked on the structure. This 'happy' face is a bit of a lie as he pitched quite a fit to be in the middle of the real action!

So...dad eventually gave in a bit!

The Ja(c)(k)obs!

Notice that the sun has now retired. These guys are AWESOME!!!

This face is worth every penny and every minute!!! We cannot believe he is almost 3!!!

I spy many hours of fun in the future!!! (Hint for future builders of said swingset: label your pieces with sidewalk chalk!)

Jared still has to attach the swings and trapeze bar today, but the structural parts are done and FABULOUS!!! I am so thankful for all of the comments either by blog, e-mail, or in person concerning my last blog. God has been very gracious in giving Jared and me energy this week to get things done, and we are slowly but surely marking things off of the to-do list! Today, in fact, we are spending the afternoon and evening outside as a family working on the yard and planting flowers. I NEVER would have dreamed that would have been possible earlier this week! Now, don't ask if we have clean laundry because we don't! BUT...we are going to have some quality time together today. If you smell us this week, just smile and nod!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Tie a Knot in the End of the Rope...

...and hang on! And hang on we are...for dear life! This is the time of year that school teachers, students, and families just slap a smile on their faces and vow to get through! This year, though, seems a bit crazier than normal, both professionally and personally! I am going to do my best not to gripe or complain in this post, because I love what we do...really love it. In saying that, though, the Hardy Party could use a serious prayer if we just come to mind! We are in the middle of not one, but TWO musicals: South Pacific (HUGE AND AWESOME) at the high school and Beauty and the Beast at one of Jared's middle schools (smaller in scale, but with 13 year olds...need I say more?!). South Pacific will be performed May 15 and Beauty and the Beast goes on May 18. In the middle of that weekend will be Jakob's 3rd birthday party and Lily Hope's baby shower (both of which I am more excited about that anything school related!). Whew! Until then, we are having evening rehearsals from 6:30- 9 three days a week which are proceeded by private lessons from 3-6 daily and on Saturday in preparation for next week's studio recital. Needless to say, my kids and I are seeing a lot of each other these days! Jared is building everything for the middle school performance before May 8 when we all go to Amarillo for Greater Southwest Music Festival. Yee Haw. So, that's school...I think! I'm certain that I'm leaving something out, but whatever!

Monday at my doctor's appointment, I was told that I had "failed my first pregnancy test." (Just my doctor's sick sense of humor!) Evidently hemoglobin is an important part of your blood. Who knew!? Mine has dropped just over 4 points in 4 months, officially classifying me as anemic. Not that great, I understand, for someone facing a necessary, planned C-section! Thankfully, it should be a relatively easy fix with iron supplements and lots of steak! It does help explain why I have been so tired for so much longer this pregnancy.

The main thing that I am asking you to pray for if we come to your mind, though, is Jared's job. No. It is not in jeopardy. Quite the opposite! I need to speak very carefully, as nothing has officially happened, but we do feel the waters rippling and the whispers starting. When we came to Frenship almost 6 years ago now, Jared's main job was to build the numbers back in the choral program. As a team, that is exactly what has happened. Many of you know that Jared teaches at 3 campuses and has done that for three years now. That is not normal. We had seven choirs compete at contest this year and receive sweepstakes, (yea!!!) and Jared took four of those groups. He does a LOT. He handles it fantastically, but we are starting to really feel it more than ever as we prepare for life with two kids. We are really striving to clear some things out of our schedule to become much more family fixated...at our home and not our offices! Well, long story short, we will have over 225 students at the high school next year...225. That's huge, y'all. We are having to open up at least one other choir class as we cannot put everyone in the classes we currently have without having 90-100 voice choirs...nightmare in the making! We have asked for a third director at the high school who would take half of Jared's job. (do you hear the angels singing?!) The new director would do men's choirs at one middle school while Jared directed the men's choirs at the other middle school. Then Carl and Jared would move toward more of a true co-directorship at the high school, a trend that is really catching on in Texas. The third director would assist in those choirs, accompany, and teach at least one high school section of men's or women's choirs. Our administration has been absolutely fantastic in helping us get this position. From our principals to our superintendents, they are on board and see the massive need for this position. We have decided at the request of our administration to add a year-round elementary honor choir that will meet weekly under the direction of, you guessed it, Jared Hardy. We were so excited about this since Jared's school load would be lightened considerably with the acquisition of this new director. Two school board meetings later, though, the economy has evidently hit our part of the country, or at the least the fear of it hitting. As of February, we had found, interviewed multiple times, and obtained the most incredible guy for this new position. We love him, our administrators love him, and our HR people love him. We just had to wait for the 'yes' that must come from the school board. This is where we need prayers. There have now been two hiring meetings for new personnel and as of now, no choir director has been approved. As of Monday night, we were told that it didn't look good. My heart sinks at the thought of Jared's schedule next year with not only this year's responsibilities, but MORE. Add all of that to the joys and stresses of a new born and a three year old, and I am border-line freaking out for my family. I believe with all of my heart that satan is at attack as Jared and I are truly tying at God's urging to create greater margin in our lives. Would you please specifically pray for this position to be approved by our school board? We are unsure of when the next hiring meeting will be, but I trust God will bring it to your heart/mind in an appropriate time. Please pray for the school board members as they do have so much to weigh. I understand that completely, but I am praying they take care of their own. We need this. Our district. Our program. My family. We need this. Thanks for letting me rant and for praying.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Come and Get It!!!

Okay, so I know that I said I would do any blogging this week, but I have to confess something to all of you! I am a recovering scrapbook-a-holic! I have decided to go all digital in my scrapbooking, so I planned on selling all of my 'stock' tomorrow. However, after going through JUST PART (not even near all of it...shame on me) of my stuff this morning and last night, I realized that I had a bigger problem than I ever dreamed!
12 x 12 papers only!

same stack in relation to a Coke can!...I know, I have a problem!!!
81/2 x 11 papers only!
random scraps that I grouped together by color or theme

stickers, tags, rub-on transfers,...a FULL diaper box!


So, as I was going through everything this morning, I thought I would see if anyone from around here wanted to TAKE any of this stuff before I sell it to the masses (fingers crossed!) tomorrow! If you are interested in getting some FREE, NEVER USED scrapbooking supplies, please just come by tonight after 7! Jared and I will be in the garage getting things sorted, priced, and hopefully, ready! Anyway, no pressure what-so-ever! I will not have my feelings hurt if no one comes by, but I wanted to make my 'loot' available to friends first! Okay, now, I'm off to work, then voice lessons, then a night full of de-cluttering joy!!!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The Low-Down, or Down-Low, or Whatever...

I am so behind with so many great stories and pictures from the weekend, but alas, they will have to wait! This week, no this month, is turning out to be one of the busiest on record! So, I thought I would fill this with my excuses and then go immediately to sleep, because I am feeling incredibly pregnant tonight. Jared and I began painting Lily Hope's nursery on Saturday. I really thought this would not be a big deal. We've painted a lot of rooms in our short lives together. However, my over-ambitious self has put more on her plate than she can eat!!! The base coats are done, of course, because Jared did those. The decorative painting done by me...not so much! I had hoped to be done by Sunday night. Now, I'm hoping to be done by Sunday night...a week later! We had middle school contest today. Jared took his two middle school men's choirs, and I accompanied both as well as our varsity women's group at Frenship Middle School. One twelve hour day later, Frenship has FOUR more sweepstakes awards under its belt, and two of those are Jared's!!! So, Jared took four choirs this year (2 high school and 2 middle school) and waltzed away with four sweepstakes! I am so proud of him!!! We had a great time this year returning to our first-year roots with me as his accompanist for all groups. I'm telling you...we make a pretty great team! We are trying to register for our baby shower (more details coming later thanks to my wonderful, glorious, outrageous, ooo-la-la friends!) before Friday. That isn't stressful, though! Give me the pricing gun! Saturday is our official last day to have a garage sale. So, I will be spending the rest of this week's evenings digging, sorting, and pricing all things Hardy-junk! Good grief. I'm tired and signing off for the rest of the week! Hope you have a GREAT one!!!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Nostalgia, Part 1

It is happening. I am becoming increasingly sentimental about no longer being a family of three. Tonight, Jakob asked to see baby Jakob pictures (not all that unusual), and we began going through old pictures on the computer. Then, it hit me. I didn't blog when he was a baby. I use this blog 9 times out of 10 to remember all of the things that he does and says! I don't have that for when he was a baby! So, I've decided for the next three months, I will post some occasional baby Jakob posts...just to make myself feel better! Here is our fat, happy baby at around 4 months old during a diaper change. I should have known then how crazy-active he would be!

Yep. He stole my heart from the very beginning. Tonight, as we were all three laying in his bed saying prayers, Jakob changed his nightly prayer 'routine.' Normally, this is Jakob's prayer: "God. Tank you for da girls." Seriously. That's it, every night. But tonight, it went a little more something like this: (Staring straight at the ceiling) Hey, God? Whatcha doin'? Oh! You playing wif Lily Hope? You take care of her 'til Jakob does? Okay. Sleep good, God." I like the new updated version!

The boy guarded his food from the moment he was born! He was one chunky-monkey!

Quite the content face after that pumped bottle!

I have simply had ENOUGH!

Our sweet baby boy at 10 days old. Jared's brother's wife, Rachel, owns a photography business and took these for us! It was such a fun day, and we could not have been more happy with what she captured! I could post thousands, but I'll spare you all! Check her out at http://www.trinityphotography.net/. Thank you, again, Rachel!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Happy Birthday to Me...


Yep. He is one of my favorite gifts in my life, April 8 or not. Tonight, after picking him up from BB and Pa's house, Jakob told us he needed to go to 'his grocery store' and get 'candles, birt-day cake, bloons, and curtains for the stage' for mommy's birthday party tomorrow. I need no thing in this world...I need, I want boys. I am blessed...even if tomorrow does mark the first day of the last year of my twenties!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

In a Really Good MOOD!

I have been waiting to do this post for WEEKS! Most of you will probably not connect with me in my distinct PASSION for this post, so bear with me! There is this little show formerly on Bravo (now on Lifetime due to a legal battle...yada yada...) called, drum roll please, Project Runway. During whatever season of Project Runway is airing, my life stops on Wednesday nights at 9 pm...stops. I don't bathe Jakob. I don't answer my phone. I don't pee. I just watch. Glued to the television, waiting to see what AMAZINGLY GOOD or BAD design comes down the runway. I LOVE IT. Okay, I think you get that part. The designers on Project Runway purchase all of their fabrics at Mood Designer Fabrics in New York City.
These are the judges posing in Mood: left to right, Michael Kors, Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, and Tim Gunn. When we learned that we would be going to NYC on choir tour this year, I immediately began to drop hints in Jared's ear that I just wanted to go and get a plastic bag from there. Nothing spectacular. Just let me walk into the building and get that precious black bag with the gold writing. In truth, I knew that was a very slim possibility, as my job in NY was to be a chaperon. A group of high school kids don't want to go to an upscale fabric store. So, I gave up the dream of getting to go to the only place in NYC that I really wanted to go! Until...a certain misfortune came through for me in the form of my sweet husband. Here is the short version: before we even knew we were pregnant this time, I found this fabric that I absolutely fell in love with. I told Jared that if we ever had a little girl, I wanted her nursery to be done in similar fabric. As soon as we learned we were having a girl, Jared and I left the doctor's office and headed toward the fabric store. They only had 2 yards of my original fabric in stock. I bought all of it and the coordinating fabrics that I wanted to work with, as my precious, talented mom is MAKING all of the bedding and coordinates for Lily Hope's room! So, here was the problem: after we searched literally EVERY JoAnn Fabric store from Albuquerque to St. Louis and their distributors, we learned that there was no way of getting any more of the original fabric or the selected curtain fabric. Bummed doesn't begin to describe my emotion. I was devastated, as only a pregnant woman can be when she has her heart set on something for her baby! It was bad. My sweet husband, though, has paid attention in our marriage! In a quiet moment two days before we left for New York, he whispered (literally) in my ear, "Don't you think Lily would love having curtains hang in her room from Mood?" I stared blankly as though he was speaking another language. He actually KNEW what Mood was?! Good man. So, off we went. Our boss graciously let us 'disappear' from the group for an afternoon, and we caught the F train to 34th street and walked three blocks to 37th...the Fashion District.
I could not contain myself. Picture this. 40,000 square feet of fabric, floor to ceiling. Not in vertical 'bolts' like at a 'normal' store, but on 6 foot rolls, just piled horizontally on top of one another. Three stories of material bliss. We walked around for nearly two hours comparing my fabric samples next to THOUSANDS of yards of fabric. We saw a roll of Armani suit fabric that was $7,000 for 10 yards of material. Crazy. While we did not pay $700 per yard for our fabric, we did find it, and it is PERFECT! Jared gave me my favorite New York memory, by far. (Insert the sound of trumpet anthems here) Here it is!


These are two of the coordinating fabrics with the Mood fabric. I'm saving the original fabric that started this whole fiasco for the post that reveals the finished products when my mom is through sewing, which could be quite some time! You're the BEST, mom! Lily is going to absolutely love her nursery...not because its from Mood, (that's why I love it!) but because Nana made it!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Hot Dogs Roasting By Open Fire

I thought I would let you see some of the other pictures from last weekend during our indoor/outdoor camping trip! On Saturday night, we decided to take advantage of our awesome fire and roast hot dogs and smores. We had SO much fun and realized that this little mishap of a weekend had brought about a new tradition for our little family.

Don't worry...Jakob didn't get to hold the hot dog in the fire...Daddy did all of that! We just needed a good picture!

Bubba made the PERFECT s'mores marshmallows!

Jakob spent much of the weekend in his big boy 'unders'! He did very well, and in fact, just now got out of bed and asked to go tee-tee! Breakthroughs all around! Don't you love the fashion statement we're sporting complete with the make-shift bed on the floor in the living room!?

Jakob's 'Story'

So, while checking everyone's blogs just now, Jakob climbed up in my lap and asked what I was doing. I told him that I was checking my blog...our blog. It is all about us...Mommy, Daddy, Jakob and Lily Hope! He then asked if he could write a story. Here is what he felt you all needed to know!


It has to be blue. (referring to the volume light on the laptop.)

Let's tell Cayden, "We make a big mess."

I want to say I make a mess. I make the mess.

I do...to...to da...dat COMputer. I have my own computer.

I going to watch Oso.

Bye, Mommy.