I can breathe...

Well I can finally breathe and it feels GREAT!!!

These last couples weeks have been the most stressful for me in a long time. 

Planning and being in charge of my ward's Evening of Excellence, 4:00 am practicing getting ready for the show, all the prep work that goes with putting together the benefit concerts, final projects and papers, and now I'm finally to finals! 

Like I said, I CAN BREATHE!

 So I got this calling around August and so I didn't know that I was in charge of Evening of Excellence until beginning of November. 

So I got on Pinterest and found this cute theme and ideas (thank goodness for Pinterest.)

 Also, thank goodness for Cecilee's cute wedding decorations.

This is just for my record...but here is the program for the evening!

SEEK THE SWEET NIGHT OF EXCELLENCE

Conducting - Torey Schweitzer

Opening Hymn- “Sweet Hour Of Prayer”

Chorister- Addie Morgan

Pianist- Dantzel Miner

Opening Prayer- Allena Kelleher

Young Women Theme- Izzy Hymas, Cassie Osness & Ally 

2015 Year Theme- Ashley Frost & Trinity Bawden

Opening remarks - “Live It By Seeking The Sweet”- Cambria Hauck

“Importance of Personal Progress” - Tia Stokes

"The Sweetness of Faith” - April Frost

"The Sweetness of Divine Nature” - Camille Miner

"The Sweetness of Individual Worth” - Mariam McDonald

"The Sweetness of Knowledge” - Joslyn Bundy

Musical Number - “LIVE IT” All young women

"The Sweetness of Choice and Accountability” - Dantzel Miner

"The Sweetness of Good Works” - Baylen Johnson

"The Sweetness of “Integrity" - Emily Lemke

"The Sweetness of “Virtue" - Carli Paul

Testimony of Personal Progress - Pamela Jensen

2015 Young Women Recognition Award Recipients - Carli Paul, Dantzel Miner, Joslyn Bundy & Pamela Jensen

Closing Remarks - President Deja Schweitzer

Closing Hymn - “Nearer my God to Thee”

Chorister - Katelyn Larsen

Pianist- Dantzel Miner

Closing Prayer- Kaylene Spears

Seek yourself some sweets and enjoy the sweet young women’s displays!

 Right before the evening was supposed to start it felt like everything was falling apart. Our pianist was no longer coming and she was playing the piano for the musical number and both opening and closing hymns, she was also receiving an award so she was speaking for that, and it just felt like nothing was going smooth. However, the Lord saw all the hard work that was put into the evening by so many and he blessed us tremendously.

After the program that turned out perfectly, everyone went and seeked the sweets.

You can't have a bunch of sweets without milk!

 On Monday, December 7th we were able to take part in the live Nativity at Tuacahn again. We were supposed to be Mary and Joseph again this year, but Jeff didn't get off in time and so we ended up being townspeople. It was a fun night spent with family and friends; it was a treat to have my whole family (minus Trev) and Jeff's parent's there as well.

So this semester I took a drawing class, my first one ever, and it was really hard but also calming and relaxing at the same time. The picture on the left is where I started and the picture on the right is where I ended. The first day of class we had to hold a mirror and draw ourselves so our teacher could see our starting point, then for our final we had to draw an ending self portrait. 

The improvement is just amazing to me! It just goes to show that hard work and good instruction really do pay off. I have a long way to go still, but at least I'm recognizable in the ending drawing (I hope I don't look like the first drawing haha.)

 After getting in 5 final projects, it was show time! Being the studio manager this semester was a real treat, I got to know more of the kids and see ALL the behind the scenes work that takes place. I've always seen it but being one of the people that makes sure it all happens really is humbling. 

First night was great and we were able to raise about $8,000 in the first night with about $5,000 of that from ticket pre-sales.

 Saturday morning, instead of practice, we went to Denny's as a Kalamity family. It was so fun to just sit and talk about the show, what people thought, our feelings on everything and just laugh. I love my whole team and I'm glad that all of them stuck out the year because we have grown so much and learned so much from each other. Throughout the night the "triplets" kept trying to win a stuffed animal from the claw dispenser thingy and before we left they finally did it. You would have thought they just won the olympics with how they were screaming and jumping on the benches hahaha. They won a panda and because EVERYONE knows that Cora loves pandas, they gave it to her!

 Later that morning we headed out to Ivins for a birthday breakfast for my Dad! He turned 47 this year!!! Every time I drive out to Ivins I miss it. I miss this big red mountain and the beautiful breathtaking scenery. My ending goal is to end up in Ivins in my parent's neighborhood!!! ONE DAY!!!!

 As a surprise, my mom coordinated for one of my dad's best friends from high school (Danny) come and stay with them. My dad had a blast taking him around St. George and catching up with him.

Happy 47th birthday to my amazing, funny, sweet dad!!! He is the best dad I could have ever asked for! Thanks for always loving me unconditionally and making me always feel special! Oh and thanks for sharing your birthday with Jeff and I!!! I love you and I'm so grateful for you!!! 

 Saturday night was amazing! The crowd was energetic, the community was giving, the dancers were leaving all they had on the stage, and the feeling of love was there!

 We were able to raise about $11,000 in two nights for Byron with a total of over $13,000 for the year (since August when he became our cause.)

 Oh, did I mention it was also our 3rd anniversary??? Cause it was! 

This man is so amazing! He is so supportive and always has a good attitude. Last year the concert fell on our anniversary too and although he was bummed it was again this year, he was supportive and helped out. I love him and I feel so lucky to have him for eternity! I can honestly say that there isn't anything that I don't love about him, and these last three years have been the best! 

 To get a little celebrating in, we went to Olive Garden after the show for a late dinner. We started with some zeppoli first and it was AMAZING!!!! I'd had it once before but didn't remember how amazing it was. (I've been craving it ever since haha.)

 I love this handsome, sweet, funny, kind, hard working, thoughtful, playful, loyal, amazing husband of mine, beard and all.

This morning this was my view while reading scriptures and it just made me want to take a picture. I love my life, I love my home, I love my husband, I love my family, I love this holiday season, and I really love Christmas lights. I am so blessed!

Then this morning I heard a little knock on my screen door and opened to find Legend standing there with this little note and treat. He is such a sweetie and this totally made my day. I love having them as neighbors and getting sweet little notes.

Well I hope everyone has a wonderful week! I know I will, as I wrap up school and soak in the holiday season!

Glad!

It's been another two weeks since I last blogged, but it's all for good reason...LIFE!

 Dixie played in the State Championship, and although they didn't win, it was a great season! I'm so proud of Jeff and all of his hard work and dedication he put into this team.

 I had the suite view again, and I was not complaining!

 It was a fun season cheering on our husbands!

 These two did a great job this season!

 Hudson turned 1!!!

I can't believe it's been a whole year with Hudson on this Earth! He is so sweet, has the cutest smile, is a foodie already, and loves to squeal at the top of his lungs. I love being his auntie!

 I got to dance with some of my old homies and it was so refreshing! I hadn't realized how much I missed dancing with them!

 Thanksgiving we headed to Vegas where my Aunt Irene played hostess!

 It was a fun weekend full of laughter and food!!! What could be better?

 Thanksgiving set up.

 We ended with a bang, a surprise visit from Doc. It was so nice to spend some time as a family. We missed spending Thanksgiving with Jeff's family as well, but we still had a good time with my family!

 As soon as we got home I put Jeff to work, decorating for Christmas everywhere!!! I love this time of year and all the Christmas spirit in the air!

 This was the result of all the work...hahaha He was passed out! I sure love him and how sweet he is to me!

This is what a long day of nonstop tasks from your wife looks like! I'm so grateful for Jeff and for his unconditional love! Seriously, no one really knows how amazing he really is! "I'm too red riding hood" haha I love you Jeff!

This is our Christmas card that I put together in 2.5 seconds! If you would like one mailed to you please email me with your address cambriairene@gmail.com

Well I'm excited for this season and I hope everyone else is as well!!!

Two weeks later...

Well it's been two weeks and I am finally getting caught up.

Emme had her 3rd birthday and it was awesome!!!

She had a "Frozen" theme birthday party and Amanda went all out! From decorations to themed food it was adorable. Oh and there were some special surprise guests...and I think it's safe to say that Emme LOVED it haha.

We also were treated to a performance from Princess Emme, and it was so precious!

I've already watched it over a dozen times. I couldn't get over her moves and how similar it was to Elsa, so I made this little video to compare.

We've been busy at The Vault preparing for our upcoming benefit concert! I love being a dance teacher, it is so fun and so rewarding. I NEVER in a million years imagined that I'd be dancing and teaching dance because growing up I only danced a year. It's just another testament to me that the Lord knows each of us better than we know ourselves and the paths we end up on are unique to each of us.

So since I last blogged, Dixie has won two play off games and are playing in the State championship this weekend. Last weekend this was my game view up in a warm suite box, let's say I really enjoyed it and I may or may not have had a little nap.

I love my cute coach and I am so proud of his hard work and dedication to the team. He leaves for work at 7:45, then goes to school on his lunch break, then back to school, then to football practice and all the while he doesn't complain. He is such a great example to me of hard work and dedication and I am so proud of him. He is a great coach because he is teachable himself, he's relatable, and he really does his best to help his players get better. I love him.

Saturday night we went to the Nashville Tribute Band "REDEEMER" show with my family and it was really uplifting! It's not what I expected and I really enjoyed it and it's focus on the Savior. It was really night to listen to unique music about Christ's life and think about different scenarios that maybe I hadn't paid much attention to before. It was fun to be together as a family!

Sunday we had a nice family dinner with the Sister missionaries, including my grandma. It was fun to spend time with them and to just be together and laugh. The food was delicious too, I guess haha.

Well with the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, I can't help but count my blessings and cherish the little moments with my family a little more. I am so blessed and I am grateful!!!

A whole bunch of mumble jumble!

What a week...it was so crazy I'm not even blogging til Thursday (if that tells you anything!)

Thursday we began the Haunted House set up!

Friday we had our third assembly this school year and it was a blast at Sunrise Ridge!

Then that night was our first night of our Haunted House fundraiser! This was our third year doing this fundraiser and it's always A LOT of work but also A LOT of fun!!! Luckily, we have an amazing family of Kalamity, Kaos, and Vault family that pulls together to put on a SCARY haunted house.

It was fun to have Brad be a part of it with Emilee! He's such a good boyfriend, he cut her leg off over and over, so sweet.

I'm so lucky to have such an amazing husband that supports me and is a part of everything we do. He played the creepy priest performing an exorcism (All fake of course!) It was funny cause he looked up a couple Italian words and chanted them like a crazy person. SCARY!!!

Abby our little dead person that was coming to life. Jeff's exorcism subject!

Scary!

Returning Molly as our tour guide! She comes out two nights a year and she is a little frightening.

Our awesome crew consisting of Kalamity, Kaos, Luci, Vil, Jeff, Brad, and the Flyer football boys!

Maze! Isn't he adorable even in a creepy mask? Hahaha!

Saturday night after the Haunted House we went to eat with Luci, Vil, Tia, and Andy and Luci was pooped hahahhahaha. Overall the fundraiser turned out awesome and we raised $2,030!!! We are so lucky to have Luci and Vil and let me tell you, they built so many props in two days, it was amazing!!!!

Sunday was Sydnee's 17th birthday! Where does time go???
Happy 17th birthday to my sweet, sassy, funny littlest sister Syd (aka Synee) I love the funny relationship we share!!! I love watching you grow up and mature and seeing the amazing person you are! You are quirky, hilarious, sweet, kind, calm, patient, sleepy, dinner-for-breakfast, rainy weather, amazing kind of person and I'm sure glad you're my sister!!!! I love you!!!

Art is kicking my butt but at the same time, it's so rewarding to be able to see your hard work pay off. It's definitely not perfect and it's not done yet, but it's getting there. The best part for me is knowing that it all started from a blank piece of paper and has developed from my own two hands. Crazy!

Tuesday night I taught the young women in my ward a few tips to getting better pictures. If you're interested in learning 5 tips to better photos check it out.

Wednesday nights are therapy for me. I love dancing and I never really realized it until this week. We've had a little break, so I haven't danced for like 2 weeks and it was so refreshing to  dance again last night. During our break we all wrote letters as to why we wanted to be a part of Kalamity and what it means to me. I've been doing Kalamity for 6 years now and sometimes people think I'm crazy; crazy for dedicating so much time, for doing so many things for free, for waking up at 4 in the morning to practice, and for just being busy giving service. However, I want to share my letter to remember and for others to know how special it is to me...

Dear Kalamity,

First off I just want to say, “THANK YOU!” I have so much I want to say and I’m sure it won’t come out right but I will try my best. Being a part of Kalamity for over 6 years now there’s so many directions I could take this, but my overall goal in this letter is to express how much you mean to me and why I need you in my life. In my 23 years of life I feel I have truly began to find and understand myself within the last five to six years, and I know that you have had a big part in that and I am truly grateful.

Before having you in my life I never thought of myself as a selfish person, however, I have had my eyes opened to how much I thought only of myself and never really took the time to think of other’s and the struggles going on in their lives. I never took the time to realize how blessed I am, and since you, I’ve had many realizations of blessings I took for granted before. Having you in my life has helped me stay grounded in this life and in myself. I have seen children suffer with incurable diseases, mothers lose their children, hearts that needed strengthening both physically and emotionally, cancer in many different forms, sick kidneys and people willing to donate theirs, teens being bullied, fathers passing unexpectedly, life altering brain injuries, diabetes change and even take lives, and I have even lost a loved one along the way. As I’ve watched each cause carry their burdens with hope and strength, it always reminds me to look up, up to my Father in Heaven and brother Jesus Christ. I’ve seen how you have looked up in search of ways to best uplift each cause in their hardest time of life and I’ve admired as you seem to find the right way to help every time. 

I’ve not only had my heart touched by the causes you’ve been able to serve, but by the amazing people that have been a part of your team with each cause. I love seeing people come in with a fire and I love seeing what each person adds to your family. I’ve seen children learning of the cause and excited to give through their talents, I’ve seen talented dancers from all walks of life come and dedicate themselves fully, I’ve seen mom’s find themselves through fitness and gratitude then give back everything they have, I’ve seen sports teams get outside their comfort box, I’ve seen husbands support their wives fully as they sacrifice for the cause, and I’ve seen so many others give through food, time, planning, organizing, giving, and so much more. Most importantly, I’ve seen people find themselves by losing themselves in this service journey, I know I’ve found myself time and time again along this journey.

Of course I’ve had times when I’ve been ungrateful and lost sight of this beautiful journey, but that’s why I need you. You always help me to realize who I am, what I’m capable of, and how blessed I truly am even when I feel otherwise. I know you know that I struggle with depression and I know you know how badly I want to start a family, and you help me to be strengthened in my trials by just letting me be me and encouraging me to give a little more. This last year has been especially hard and I sometimes think that without you I would give into my “hermit” tendencies and stay home forever. I don’t mention these to be a downer, but to let it go and hopefully lift a burden on my heart. So before I close this letter I just want to say that I know I am so blessed and today I am extremely grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the atonement of Jesus Christ and the hope it gives me, the knowledge that I am a child of God and have a purpose here in this life, my incredible husband that loves and supports me in EVERYTHING I do, a family that makes me feel special and loved constantly, all my material and temporal objects that sustain my wonderful life, my Kalamity, Kaos, and Vault family, and I am especially grateful for you and for the role you play in helping me reach my potential.

I know I haven’t said everything you have seen in my life and every beautiful thing we’ve learned together because if I had we would be here forever. So in conclusion I just want to say thank you again! I know you don’t always get thanks from those closest to you, but I really am thankful for you and for the blessing you have been in my life. I hope you know that I am always here for anything you need, I will always give everything I can to help you succeed in your journey of service. If I don’t have the tools to help, you better believe I will find them or try to develop them myself because I believe in you and the beautiful work you do. I love you and hope you know it! Thank you for loving me.

Love Always,

Cambria Irene Horlacher Hauck

Lastly, SAVE THE DATE for our awesome upcoming benefit concert for Byron!!!!!!! It's going to be a beautiful and fun night that you won't want to miss.
Tickets are $5 from me right now!!!!!

5 Tips for Better Photos...

So I put together a little presentation and teaching moment for my young women this last Tuesday on basics for taking better pictures with any camera! 

A lot of them thought it was fun and informative so I thought I would share!

Hopefully these little tips can help you to take better every day pictures!!!

For more picture examples check out the actual Prezi presentation!!!

If this was helpful let me know!!! Thanks!!!!