We've Finally Got a Social Life

Usually this is me...
Doing little projects by myself in our house. I get a lot of quality time with myself! But this weekend I had so much company! On Thursday, Bret and I went swimming at the apartment pool.

We had a blast soaking in the sun. I love spending time with my best friend in the whole world!

Later that day I got to play tennis with a friend in Bret's program. We're getting pretty good! And like Bret predicted, we girls wouldn't be able to socialize quite enough over the net, so we eventually took a walk and had a much needed "girls chat." Thanks Maddie!

On Friday I babysat for the Skidmores, a family in our ward, all day. It was really fun! We played lots of games and spent about 3 hours at the pool. An added bonus was that I got to drive their golf cart around!

I got to see these kids again today (plus many more) at the Primary party. (Whose idea was it to celebrate Pioneer Day on the 17th instead of next Saturday on the 24th?) I ran the relay race where they took pioneer/cowboy clothes on and off. I've gotta say, my experience teaching dance and running summer camps really comes in handy when things don't go as planned and I have to improvise!

Tomorrow the Skidmore kids are coming over before church while their dad is at meetings, I get to hang out with all my 2-year-old buddies in nursery, and we're having Maddie and another friend, Luis, over for dinner. FHE with some church friends on Monday, Relief Society activity on Tuesday, and Sister missionaries over on Friday.

I LOVE HAVING A SOCIAL LIFE! Whether it's with my husband, his school friends, adults in our ward, or a bunch of kids, its SO NICE TO HAVE FRIENDS!

"Never Supress a Generous Thought"

I remember hearing this advice at one of my favorite devotionals at BYU, given by sister Bonnie D. Parkin. It's hard advice to follow. I often think about doing something nice and then decide not to. Sometimes our generous thoughts seem impractical, but I've often found myself wishing I had followed through.

Yesterday was a special day when I decided NOT to supress a small generous thought and recieved a great blessing. I was going for a run through our neighborhood and passed an old man who looked like he was getting out of his van. We waved hello and I kept on running. I realized though, that he still hadn't gotten out of his car and wondered if he needed help. There was a handicapped sign in his car and he looked pretty frail. I ran past one more house, listing all the reasons why I shouldn't turn around, then decided it couldn't hurt to offer and went back to the van.

I asked if I could give him a hand. He said "No, but I can give you one," and started clapping. Very clever. He told me he was just waiting for his daughter to come pick him up. We struck up a conversation and I stayed there with him for about 10 minutes. He was very chatty but not overbearing; I could have left but didn't want to. I found out he is going to North Carolina this week to hopefully get a lung transplant. He said, "God is good. He knows what we need and He watches out for us." We talked about San Angelo and where I was from. He asked if Bret and I had any children and when I said, "Not yet," he told me to, "Get on it!" He showed me a picture of his 5 grown daughters and told me a little about each of them. Two are married to pastors and one is a minister of children's education. I could tell they were a very religious family. He invited me to stop by their house anytime, and you know what... I think I will.

I am so grateful that yesterday I decided not to supress a generous thought and had the opportunity to meet Mr. Williams. Our little chat made my day and helped me remember that "God is good" and He loves me very much.

A Selfish Post for Remembering

I'm getting really excited to start teaching dance again. It has made me reminisce about all of the dancers I love...

BYU Children's Creative Dance Class (the ones in white). These girls were young enought to be childlike and daring but old enough to have sophisticated ideas. They taught me a lot about patience (yes, they sometimes tested it just a little bit) and having personality.

My little jazz class at Orem Dance Theatre. If I could, I'd teach them forever. They are just as sweet as they look. Funny, nice, and good learners! I love them.

"Sugar, Sugar... aw Honey, Honey... YOU ARE MY CANDY GIRLS!"
(They were the "candy" in the studio's performance of Hansel and Gretel... very fitting for these darling girls who are as sweet as sugar and have lots of spunk.)

I don't have pictures of my older jazz girls but teaching them was a blast. We laughed and we learned a lot about dance and life. They accepted each challenge I threw at them, including the very technical jazz piece I taught them for Hansel and Gretel. (They were the "black cats" in the forest... everyone loved their dance!)

Makaela and Logan, two of my favorite Dance Co. students who performed a section of my senior project duet in their performance and did GREAT. It was a very mature piece and they are young dancers. I am so proud of them... still!

Westlake Dance Company! I can't believe how talented this group of high school students are. They have technical skill, but what makes them unique is their love for dance as an art. They know how to make dances that are funny, beautiful, complex, structured and artistic. Sometimes I want to call them up to ask for choreography ideas. They inspire me.

I think this is why I love teaching so much... because I get all these wonderful people influencing my life and teaching ME new things. I miss my students in Utah but I am excited to learn from a new set of students at the San Angelo Civic Ballet this year. Teaching is the best job ever!

Good and Broken

As a couple, Bret and I are doing so good! Bret just found out that he did great on his anatomy test last week and I am still on a high from getting a job that I'm excited for. We love Texas and just can't get over how lucky we are to have a great apartment in a wonderful neighborhood. We are so happy!
We are also a little broken. Bret rolled his ankle pretty bad playing basketball today. He's been self-diagnosing himself. I've been messing up my knees running. Luckily its all just minor stuff... nothing a bag of frozen corn and some ibprofen can't help!

Another thing that was very good but very "broken" was this cake we made to take to a combined family home evening on Monday. I used a new recipe for Lemonade Cake (thanks Suz!) and it tasted delicious but looked... well...

It started out looking ok, but by the time we got to our friends' home the top layer had almost slid off the bottom. I tried so hard to make it look pretty. Sigh. Maybe I'll just have to make it again. :)

Shew-be-do-be-do dance dAnCe DANCE!

Tonight I watched So You Think You Can Dance. I feel...

Amazed. These are phenomenal dancers. Dance is a big part of my life, but dance IS life to these people and it shows. The dancers are incredible and so are the choreographers.

Irritated. Who does the costumes this year? Or have they always been this bad? Sleezly, ugly, barely existent costumes. Yuck Yuck Yuck. And I have to say that while the costumes play a major role in the sexualization of the dances, the choreography itself is often extremely sensual. Let's just say that movement + costumes = not much left to imagination. Luckily not all the are this way, but way too many are. Ugh.

Antsy. I want to dance so bad. I'd love to take a class... but its summer and all the studios are closed. I'd love to teach a class... same problem. I'd love to dance in an open studio all by myself... not experienced in breaking and entering. I'd love to choreograph... I feel rusty.

While I'm babbling about dance, here are som other thoughts I've been having lately:

I am so grateful for my dance experiences at BYU. Even though I haven't been able to use my degree like I expected, I will never regret majoring in dance education. Dance is a silly, insubstantial, unimportant thing to many people. Not to me. Much of the dance we see in the media is silly and unimportant, but the potential of dance goes so far beyond those flashy, entertianment-oriented things we see on TV. Dance has a rich history, a powerful present and a promising future... you just have to know where to look and not be afraid to appreciate it when you find it. I feel like dance has given me the perfect opportunity to learn about myself, my capacities, my goals, my opinions, my standards, my beliefs and my desires.

I miss dance. Can you tell? Shew-be-do-be-do dance dAnCe DANCE.

*!~FiReWoRkS~!*

Here's to the strangest 4th of July ever. I already mentioned the dinky little parade on the 3rd. Well when we set off to the firework show over the lake we weren't sure how high to set our expectations. Having been informed that the show started at 9:30 we set off for the lake, not sure where we'd have the best view, but the crowds of people everywhere led us to believe that we were in the right place. We picked a spot right next to the water where a family was barbequing hamburgers in the trunk of their car and listening to Mexican music (yes, on the 4th!). People were setting off their own big fireworks all over the place so we kept thinking it was starting, then realizing that people here set off pretty cool personal fireworks.

Finally we saw a lot that kept coming from the same spot. It was after 9:30 and we thought that must be it. Half of the fireworks from that spot were hidden by a big cluster of trees that we just couldn't see around. Thinking we were missing the show, we decided to relocate, then decided they weren't cool enough to relocate for (rather sporadic, not that great). We went home feeling disappointed and realizing the fireworks were just like the parade: a big let down. We turned on the TV and watched an incredible firework display in Boston and tried to pretend we were there seeing them live.

Around 10:15 we started hearing lots of firework bangs. We thought it was just personal fireworks, but when they got louder and more consistent, Bret ran around the corner to find that the real firework show had started... and it was good. So we got in the car, drove a few blocks away and parked just in time to see the final booming eruption.

We clapped, got back in the car and went back home. Next year we'll know... the fireworks aren't lame, they just aren't on time!

PS- None of these pictures are of the fireworks we saw, they just represent how lame/cool the fireworks we saw were. (First pic-not real exciting, Second pic- HOLY COW!, Third pic- sweet.)

Patience Gets You Points

We all have phrases that we fall into a habit of using frequently at times in our life. When we were dating, Bret's two favorites were "Don't overcook your grits" and "Patience gets you points." I'm still trying to figure out the grits one, but the second phrase has proven to be true. After two months of trying to find a job, I got a call this morning saying that they would like to hire me as a special education aide in the San Angelo Independent School District.

YEAH BABY!

I will be working one-on-one with a high school girl who is in great mental condition but is stuck in a very low-functioning body. I will go to all her regular, general ed classes with her to help write, hand her papers, etc. I have a feeling we will become great friends. This job will also be great because it will allow me to teach almost all of the dance classes I'm scheduled for! Patience gets you points. We are so happy.

What else is going on in San Angelo?
** It has been raining for the past week and we kinda like it that way. It has been muggy but perfect temperature.
** Bret got let out of class early on Friday and gets Monday and Tuesday off! He loves anatomy and told me today, "I just want to disect bodies for the rest of my life." I'm not sure whether to be happy that he loves his anatomy class or creeped out that he finds so much pleasure in it!
** My new hobby is running and I'm am so excited because I unintentionally ran 10 miles yesterday! My energy was great, but unfortunately my knees and one of my feet are really hurting. Any suggestions (besides streching and ice) from you runners?
** I ordered pictures from our wedding and am going to start scrapbooking that special event. Yay for projects.
** We made our most successful pizza crust ever yesterday! Perfect thickness and softness.
** Today we went to the Independence Day parade in San Angelo. Compared to Provo and Salt Lake parades it was pathetic... infact, Bret said that even Burley's parade completely dominates this one. But it was fun to attempt to celebrate the 4th with the community.

Well, that's what's going on in our lives lately. We couldn't be more blessed.