It's Tradition!

I love this time of year, just like everyone else.

I truly wish that it lasted more than just a month!

I love driving around and seeing the Christmas lights.

I love shopping.

 (Jeff does too when it's for him. We got a 55" TV online on black Friday and it came right before we moved. Excited much Jeff?)

I love listening to Christmas music.

I love drinking hot chocolate and eating ice cream at the same time.

I love the Hallmark channel and all the heartfelt movies that play.

I love family time.

BUT one of my favorite parts are the traditions that bring in the true spirit of Christmas!
 This is our ornament tradition!

Since I was a baby my mom would get us an ornament each year to represent a big event from that year. When I got married my ornaments graduated from my parent's tree and were given to me as a gift for my own tree! This is my box of ornaments and every year I love to share the story behind each ornament while hanging the ornament on the tree! :)

This year we got this framed ornament of Jeff and I with my grandpa! I love it and made sure to hang it right in the front of the tree so I could see it every time I look at the tree.

Jeff and I went out and each got our own ornament from the year that we also added to the tree!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE everyone!!! :)

Happy ONE Year My Dear!!!

I'm late in posting this but Jeff and I have been married for a whole year!

That's right, 1 whole year!!!

It has flown by and I'm proud to say that we have fallen more in love with each passing day!

For our anniversary we had big plans of a little vacation and all the fun stuff that comes with that, but unfortunately with Jeff's new job that was a no go! :(

I was super bummed but we still had a nice day reflecting on our first year of marriage.

To start out the day I first called my dad and wished him a happy birhtday! 

Then I made a big breakfast with french toast, bacon, eggs, and orange juice and we enjoyed a nice breakfast together.

That's when Jeff surprised me with a new purse and wallet! I love the last purse he got me (3 1/2 years ago, I HAVE LOVED IT!!!) and unfortunately it is now falling apart so he got me the same model but a different color with a matching wallet!

I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Jeff had to work all day then take a couple finals at night so I worked hard with my sisters at putting our new little house together to surprise him with a clean, put together house.

After his last final we ran to the mall to take a photo in the photo booth (a tradition I want to keep with each anniversary.)

After our photo and a little shopping we went to dinner at the new and improved Red Lobster, I kinda like the old decor better but the food was still just as good as before!

 After dinner we ate our year old cake and spent a nice evening at home! ;)

I love this man and I am so blessed and extremely grateful to call him my husband. This year there were it's ups and it's downs and through it all he was there by my side. I couldn't have designed a more perfect man for me and I often find myself wondering how I found him. Our love isn't perfect but I know that one day we will perfect it! I love you Jeff and I am so grateful I have eternity to show you! :)

If you haven't yet seen it yet, here is our wedding day video! TOTALLY WORTH watching again if you have seen it too! :) Thanks again Amanda and Shaye for the amazing video!

One year ago...

In Honor...

I have the greatest in laws a girl could ask for!

Seriously, they are a dream!!!

The Saturday after Thanksgiving they always have a brunch where we draw names for their Pixie gift exchange.

Well this brunch they had an extra special surprise for us.

At each place setting on the table there was an envelope with our names on it.

After breakfast we were instructed to open it!

I was not expecting to find what was in the envelope, but what I found really touched my heart.

There was an explanation letter and $60!

The letter read:

Dear Jeff & Cambria,

This year we would like to have our family Christmas service project to be done in small and simple acts of kindness given by you, our children. We would like you to take this $60 and watch for small acts of service you can give anonymously or openly to help someone in need. We are doing this to honor Cambria's Grandpa Ah Quin. He asked to have $60 from each paycheck to spend on anything he wanted and often he spent that money on people he met who were in need. 

Please give service to four or more people you come upon in your everyday life.This means you probably can't pay for major things for others, just small and simple thins. Come prepared to share your experiences with our family on Sundays from now until Christmas...

I cried, of course, because I was so touched by their thoughtfulness and love.

My grandpa was a wonderful example to me and I am so blessed to be able to honor him in this special Christmas tradition! This is a tradition I will pass onto my kids and I can't wait!

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, the one I was born into and the family I married into!!!

Families are FOREVER!!! :)

Stay tuned for some of my special experiences with the $60!

Movers!

The Saturday right after my show we moved!

AND it snowed!!!

 It didn't just snow though, it snowed 8 inches.

IN ST. GEORGE!!!

Of all days, just our luck.

 No make up, my dog in a sweater sweater, and my Uggs and I was set to move.

Luckily we didn't move far.

My Horlacher grandparents have a little 2 bedroom house that they rent out over by the temple, well their renter moved out so we moved in.

We were needing a little extra space, we were feeling extremely cluttered in our little rental off of diagonal. 

We loved our little "love shack" but it was definitely time for an upgrade!

 So my family came over and we packed up and moved!

 Chirpy Syders.

 Cheeser Dad!

Although it snowed like crazy we had fun moving with my family!

I'm having even more fun decorating, Jeff keeps reminding me that "Cam, Rome wasn't built in a day" to try to get me to stop buying stuff.

But I can't help it! I'm excited!!!

Pictures to come later!

L.C. against BULLIES!!!

No surprise here, but I'm behind in blogging AGAIN!

When life gets busy, like it always does, it's hard to keep up so here I am trying to play catch up.

Anyway, at the beginning of this month Kalamity and Kaos had their big annual benefit concert!

This year was a special year, we were able to have 2 causes.

Our first cause was baby Rayden, who passed away in May. 

 We then found Leah Cardoza, a 17 year old girl with a rare disease (chiari malformation) and on top of that genetic disease she was bullied to the point of people telling her to "kill" herself.

 Through out the year we had the AMAZING opportunity of going into elementary, intermediate, middle, and high schools to show them the assembly we put together to spread awareness on "NO BULLYING."

(I got to be "Kind Kara").

It was such an amazing experience.

My favorite part was having the kids come up to me after each assembly and tell me the things they liked and how they were going to always be nice.

It seems crazy to think that it's assemblies like the ones I get to take part in that really make a difference in kids' lives.

I remember when I was little there was always an anti-drug assembly that had lots of singing and dancing that has stuck with me, and anytime I think of drugs in general the phrase, "Be smart, don't start" pops into my head from one of the songs in the assembly.

 So those assemblies were such a highlight in my days and a blessed opportunity to encourage others to be a little nicer.

Anyway, back to the show...

It was December 5th and 6th at Desert Hills High School.

As usual, we had a bake sale, silent auction, Hungry Howie's dinner, and LOTS of entertainment.

We had the Vault kids show first and then it was our turn to perform after.

It was an amazing show and I had lots of little parts I was excited about!

 I danced hard and had a blast!

We ended up raising over $10,000 in the two nights and after the show on the second night we presented it to Leah!

Every year after the show it's always amazing and emotional to see all your hard work pay off, but this year was especially emotional.

 At the end of the second night I looked out and saw all the first few rows filled with some of our past causes that could come and support, and I felt the overwhelming love of the other causes that have passed on, especially my grandpa and I couldn't help but cry.

I cried like a little baby for a good half hour feeling overwhelmed with pure joy.

It's moments and feelings like that that I truly treasure and draw back on in the hard times.

It's moments like that that make all the hard work and sacrifice from the whole year (year after year) totally worth it.

It's moments like that when you catch a glimpse of eternity and life is put back into perspective.

 I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to be apart of Kalamity.

People tell me all the time how crazy I am to go to school full time, work, and then wake up at 4am or go to practice til 12am but I always tell those people that they don't understand.

I am able to wake up that early.

I am able to dance and share my talent of dance.

I am able to sacrifice a little sleep to show my love and support to someone that has it harder than me.

I am able to...

And I want to...

Because seeing their face at the end of the year and realizing that my sacrifice of time and sleep are nothing compared to the sacrifice my Savior made for them and I can give whatever I can to help my brothers and sisters know that our Savior loves them, knows how they are feeling, and supports them always.

I know that I won't be able to do it forever, but while I can I will and I will enjoy every second of it!

(So there's my Kalamity testimony, haha.)

If you haven't been to a show to feel the love I'm talking about then you are missing out and there is always next year cause I made the team again! ;)

In closing, hug your family a little tighter and count your blessings.

Make this Christmas centered on Christ and show your love in memorable ways.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!