Wednesday, April 12, 2017

It's a Girl!

April 7, 2017 
We are expecting a Baby Girl in September 2017

Of all the news we have ever received and all adventures we've ever taken, THIS is the TOPS!
I found out I was pregnant in mid January and I've held in the surprise this whole time! But now, at 15 weeks, I can finally share the incredible news- She is on her way! 
My first trimester was full of constant nausea, worry and exhaustion. I was eating all the time to combat the nausea, but still keeping busy working the day away with two jobs and coming home to eat again and then collapse at night! I've had 2 ultrasounds at the Doctors and 1 3D ultrasound that told us we are having a girl! Ivan could not be happier either! He is just about to start another job, which means we'll be doing another bout of long distance, but as always, we are up for a challenge!

The Lord has blessed us so much and I could not be happier to bring this little baby into this world! 


Wednesday, March 22, 2017

New Home projects

Here's a couple of pics of us (Ivan) working hard fixing up some awesome things around the house!
Kitchen Table

He stained it gray! 
Dont worry, it came off his hands!


Here are the pics from a spare room in our house that we painted and made into another guest room/office. Before it was painted Neon Green-Seriously? It was so hard to walk in that room let alone live there, so we were so happy to transform it with a pale gray and white furnishings!

 BEFORE


AFTER

Ta-dah! Home Depot has been seeing a lot more of us lately!
...the Hoffmans

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

kaui

Waimea Canyon, Kaui

Loving the view

One morning we Beach hopped the western coast of Hawaii. Early in the morning, we were the only ones on the beach! What an amazing feeling!

Anahola Beach



Kapaa Surfers Beach


It's truly paradise on this small, gorgeous island
xo

Monday, March 6, 2017

Disneyland & Maui

Okay, Okay... have you had enough of the Hoffman's in the happiest place on earth? WE HAVEN'T!
A quick 2 day trip in February was just as crowded as any other day in Disneyland and it got kind of chilly at night! I ate SO much food this time, rode a TON of Fantasyland rides, met Mickey and walked and walked! We went with our friends the Albright's, who loved Cars Land as much as we did! California is just so gorgeous, I am still surprised I haven't moved back yet!


And now for a trip even farther away- Hawaii! Ivan was entertaining on a ship and we got to go to Maui! Here we are at Twin Fall, Maui on the road to Hanna. This water was actually pretty chilly!



The hike was less than a mile but a very beautiful walk and some fun jungle-like scenery you can't see at the beaches! Our Hawaiian cruise is off to a great start!

xo

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

It's My Birthday (again)

28 is great!

What better way to celebrate that with my favorite dinner? All you can eat Sushi!! (Probably the 4th year in a row I've done AYCE Sushi for my special day)

This year I'm turning 28. Because my birthday is in January, it's easy to combine my New Years Resolution with my goals for growing older- how do I want to be better?
For (probably) the 5th year in a row, I challenge myself to love Ivan more and love myself more. I want to fill this year with love. I'm not sure where it will take me but I want to remain happy and full of love! I'll let you know how my goals pan out as the year progresses, for now I'm just full of sushi!

Heart Shaped Eyes,
Melissa

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

So Long, Showstoppers


Getting to see your husband ROCK IT in this AMAZING show at the Wynn on the Las Vegas Strip is a once in a life time opportunity! I got to see him perform ALL the male roles over the course of a year and a half during his journey as Male Swing.  Unfortunately, this last week was the final show. Steve Wynn's Showstoppers closed on New Years Eve 2016. We are so sad to see this show gone from the strip, Vegas community and our lives. Ivan learned SO much and I felt like such a fancy babe going to see him perform! We'll miss you Showstoppers!


Friday, December 30, 2016

Holiday Parties

2016 proved to be another great year for holiday celebrations!
This year, I got into the spirit by caroling with a group called "The Tinseltones"

 We hosted a holiday/housewarming party!
Here are the contestants for the Ugly Sweater Party!


 We spent two lovely days in Southern California with the Womack clan and enjoyed a Christmas sunset on Malibu beach 

Thank you for our blessings this year and thank you for all our wonderful friends!
Happy almost 2017!

Wednesday, December 14, 2016


Click this link to watch 2 weeks of Cross-Country Road trip in 10 minutes


 6,142 miles
18 States
5 National Parks
2 State parks
6 nights of camping
2 Nights of Hotels
6 Nights with Friends 


Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah


Xo,
Surviving Mormon Couple 

Thursday, December 8, 2016

ROADTRIP! The Best part of 2016

Okay, Okay.. I know I spend most of 2016 on Caribbean islands, so a fall vacation was going to be difficult to top, but our 2 week road trip from Las Vegas to NYC and back, was seriously one of the best vacations of my life!!!
Nashville, TN

Here are some of my favorite photos, and (of course) a rad musical video compilation will follow!
Route 66                                  Lounging in a hammock @ camp

 
The always gorgeous Grand Canyon

Our first time at Carlsbad Caverns Natn'l Park

Lake Ouachita State Park in Arkansas

Graceland in Memphis, TN


Back in NYC with my Love!


Happy to visit so many National Parks during the centennial year!

Laughing and catching up with friends from the city! We missed you!
Love, The Hoffman's!

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

My testimony

Thank you to this stranger who took my photo at Seven Magic Mountains on my way to California :)
A few weeks ago, I took a video of myself talking in the car and basically telling the camera my testimony. It was focused around the happiness I felt and also receiving answers to prayers. 
It was only hours after the offer on our house was accepted and I was feel so much gratitude but also so much fear for the unknown!  Ivan was 100% confident about our house. He knew everything was right! I was happy and excited, but I did not feel 100%, nor did I know what feeling 100% certain on the house decision would even feel like.  I prayed a lot when we had initially made the offer, asking for some certainty I was expecting! Not only was I expecting certainty, I was expecting to feel more "complete" or more "adult" than before because of this big addition to our lives. 

While after many prayers I felt overall positive about our choice, I did not feel the clarity or completeness I had in mind.  Over the past year, I was unintentionally "inactive" at my church, because I was on the cruise ship for 6 months and did not port on Sundays so there was no way for me to physically be in a church building.  This is not the first time I've been in this predicament but it is the first time I had to do it on my own, without a husband there so we could encourage each other. While I never lost my testimony over the course of 2016, I did not spend the proper time nourishing it in the ways of scripture study, prayer and fasting. Instead, I let it float along with me- I followed the gospel and shared it with others, but failed to enrich my testimony through diligence of work and sacrifice! I felt some emptiness that I thought being a homeowner would fix. It did not. it could not. The only thing that could fix my testimony was to nourish it again. I needed to study MORE, to pray MORE and to FAST (i won't say more, i will just say fast AT ALL, because let's face it, I rarely sacrifice a meal) While I was still reading BoM occasionally and listening to conference talks weekly, I was spending much more time listening to music: musical theatre and it's art.
Musical theatre is an art form that has helped me grow in so many ways. 
I even have a testimony of musical theatre. But I could not use my testimony of musical theatre to replace my testimony of the gospel, I can use them together.
Some of my favorite lyrics of Hamilton are:
I am the one thing in life I can control
 I was the one who needed to build my testimony, not let it float along with me. 

I have a testimony of forgiveness. I believe in fresh starts- every day can be a fresh start!  We don't need to be perfect- we aren't expected to have a perfect track record for scripture study and we don't need to get down on ourselves with he whole week is blank, we just need to TRY and TRY AGAIN!

I have a testimony of families! I know families can be together forever because of temples and living worthy of our temple covenants. I love my family and I feel extra lucky to spend time with them in California this week! I know God loves me and I'm grateful for the lessons I get to learn in this life!


xo, Melissa

Thursday, October 6, 2016

we are just the best of friends and nothing else matters


We are such goofballs, but honestly, nothing else matters, Ivan is everything to me.
Here is my little memento to my sweet man (NOT my 3 chins in this photo) that my husband is really just my best friend.  I am beyond grateful for his love, his hard work and his humor getting through life. Ivan has taught me to laugh through everything.  He makes me laugh, I make him laugh and it just goes on from there! I'm so proud of him for getting through #LongDistance this year. Ivan stayed at home working 3 jobs this year.  He performs in Showstoppers at the Wynn and he is just so dang talented. I am so proud of him and I love being his fangirl and I love being his girl.

Thank you for being mine Ivan!

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Ivan is THIRTY


This Man is 30 today! Today we went up to Mt Charleston and hiked (some of) the North Loop trail. I say (some of) because I totally wussed out and could not go as far as Ivan wanted to hike.  I also ripped a hole in the crotch of my pants, so there's that! we ate crepes in the morning, hiked and snacked during the day and we went to see Beautiful The Carol King Musical at the Smith Center and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with friends! It was such a fantastic day for both of us!

Taking Epic Photos is our specialty!                              

Got to see our friend Delaney in Beautiful the Musical 

Excited for the next birthday!
Love you Ivan <3


Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Look at me, I'm on a boat




Ladies and Gentleman, presenting the Fantasy 9 Cast!

Here we are, we are ON THE BOAT.  I have already made such great memories with this cast, I can't imagine what's more to come! I am most excited to be performing onstage for our guests.  Being here is daunting because I am SO far away from my family, far away from home and far away from Ivan.  I miss him terribly when I'm here.  Performing is such a passion of mine and this is such a good opportunity- truly once in a lifetime- I have to embrace it! I have to love it- can I possibly love it even more?  Soon I will be spending more and more days at the beach and with my friends.

My Dreams are Coming True. 

Friday, April 1, 2016

Castaway Cay

First, I need you to do something- close your eyes and imagine Paradise. 
In my mind, the closest thing to paradise on earth is Disney's Castaway Cay.

Castaway Cay is pronounced Key. It's a private island and our cruise ship pulls up right along side! You spend all day eating island fruit, floating in the water and catching the sunshine.

The water is so clear and the sand is so white.



Being with amazing friends only makes it that much MORE fun!
On our ship, we go to Disney's Castaway Cay every single Friday 
Blue Skies and Sunshine?
Guaranteed
xo

Thursday, March 3, 2016

we're going to DISNEYWORLD


Plane wings- one of my favorite views. My husbands face? Even better!


Look who's here to play at Disneyworld with me?  Guys, I'm so excited I can't even blog about it- I'm going to go have fun now! We'll see you later!

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Niagara Falls







This was my first time ever at Niagara Falls and boy is it gorgeous! I rented a car with a few of my fun castmates and we headed straight for the falls- lots of photos and videos were made for sure! Niagara Falls is kind of like a mini Las Vegas- very touristy. There were rides, mini golfing, arcade games, haunted houses and so many candy shops (delicious by the way.) The best part of the trip was the yummy Nanaimo Bar I ate and riding the ferris wheel, the view was phenomenal! The water was loud and misty, and for being late February, it was actually a very sunny day!  I definitely recommend a fun day trip to Niagara Falls to everyone that is close to Toronto. It was a view I will never forget!



And for now, one last selfie before I go..



 xo, the traveling Mormon wife