The Best Christmas Present EVER

So Santa brought be a new Bernina sewing machine for Christmas. I cried. A little. I was really happy. So today I thought I'd put it, and my spare time, to good use. I'd bought a pattern and cut it out months ago anticipating some free time in the near future. And so it sat.... and sat.... and sat.... Until today! I pulled it out and started my first project on my new machine. Despite the pattern's professed "easiness", I found myself stumped more than once. Nothing some extra help and persistence can't fix. So I asked Mom for a little help now and again. And I finished!

Here are a few pics. (Sorry. Not the best quality but I was using my camera phone)

This is the print I used.

The finished product!

How I'll be wearing it.

These are two simple fabric flowers made out of the same fabric as the dress. They can be pinned on the dress, cardigan, or even to a headband.

2010

January: I celebrated my (young and sweet only) 17^th birthday on the 1^st. I spent the month prepping with the LHS BDC for our annual trip to Idaho Falls for Gem State and got to spend some quality time with my girlfriends. And went to “The Spontaneous Dance” with my friend David.

February: More practice. More practice. More practice. I also started working at Olson’s again to get ready for the growing season and started saving for the trips to Catalina and St. George. I went to Gem State where I competed with Sam, placing 5^th, 5^th, 3^rd, and 2^nd. As a team we placed 2^nd in both medleys, 3^rd in Cabaret, and 1^st in showdance.

March: NATIONALS!!!!!!!! 7^th in Latin Medley, 3^rd in Standard. Sam and I made it to quarters in Open. I took my friend Matt to MORP and we had a good time.

April: I spent spring break on the warm Catalina Island with my AP Bio class while Lehi experienced a mild blizzard. Got to go snorkeling, kayaking, tide-pooling, and experienced my first bought with seasickness. It was so much fun! I also spent 4 days on a dance tour to St. George with LHS BDC. We had a fantastic time and I made some of my best friends on that trip.

May: I went to Prom with my friend Tanner. Team had their fantastic End-of-Year-Concert, and I said goodbye to my very best friends as they graduated. I started working job #2 at a floral shop in highland. I love it.

June: The summer was not only an end of the school year. For me the end of the year was a final turning of the page and a goodbye to many things I needed rid of. I said goodbye to some bad habits, bad influences, and heavy weights on my heart. It was good for me. I went to Girl’s Camp and Youth Conference which were both great. I got called as the new assistant ward organist.

July: As a family we went and rafted down the green river for a week. It was probably one of the most fun trips I’ve ever been on and I hope to go again!

August: I got to spend the first week in August at BYU for their Youth Ballroom Camp. It was such a great learning experience for me. I got to meet some great kids and got to have lessons with some pros. It was a blast! I also got my wisdom teeth out (can you say chubby cheeks), went to Ballroom Boot Camp, and started my Senior Year!!!

September: I went to homecoming with my good friend Jake. Went to a competition with Cameron. And helped the team get ready for Dancing With The Athletes.

October: I choreographed the winning couple’s waltz for DWTA as well as 3 other numbers for that event. As a team we went to a few competitions. I started working job #3 in the design room for a business that does little girl’s clothes and costumes. Love it!

November: College applications!!!! Bleh! LHS BDC started getting ready for our Christmas shows and working seriously on our Latin Medley. I took my friend Matt to Sadie’s, and spent a great Thanksgiving Holiday at Grandma and Grandpa’s and went to the early showing of Harry Potter 7.

December: LHS BDC had 4 shows in December. I (finally) finished up my Christmas shopping, enjoyed a night at temple square with my family, and spent some time with my friends over the break. I got to participate in a few charities over the holidays and had a fantastic Christmas with my family.

I grew up a lot this year through the blessings and trials that came to my lot. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Happy New Years and may we all learn and grow a little more.

Alright alright!!!

Considering my last post was a little bit.... dismal. I decided to blog about some of the "favorite things" that make it not seem "so bad". Here goes....
1. Christmas Grams from "an exotic stranger...." ooooooh
2. Chatting with Kyle at lunch today
3. Natalie and the story she's about to tell me about her super cute ultra hot home teacher... (don't worry she's in a singles ward)
4. My phone background..... Derek?
5. Lion House Rolls. Yum!
6. Zicam
7. Toblerone Chocolates
8. Blogging of course
9. The fact that I don't have ANY HOMEWORK TODAY!!!
10. And...... only 4 more days of school
There you go. Positivity! It can be done.

A Time To Get Away...

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reads "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." It goes on to list (as you probably well know) a time to weep, laugh, mourn, and dance. I wonder if King Solomon had lived in our day he would have included "A time for Sarah to go on a vacation and get away from her life (life implying in majority the people that she sees much too often)." Probably not. Instead I get a two week break from school (school implying in majority the people that she sees much too often). I'll make it work.

The Real Reason

The real reason I went to school for 11 hours today....

It must be because I love ballroom.

Ballroom Update

My team's Christmas Concert is next Thursday, December 16 from 6-8 p.m. Admission is 1 can of food to donate to the Utah Food Bank. It is a combined concert so the first hour will be Ballroom Team and the Social Dance Class. The second hour will be Dance Company. Come and support!!

A Book List For Champions....

I'm feeling a little ambitious. So here it goes.

I oftentimes feel silly as I sit in my English class listening to the animated and intellectual conversations that surround me (no sarcasm here). They really are all very intelligent kids. Today's discussion was about the different books we had been reading for our book report. I am in the middle of Arsenic And Old Lace, a 93-page play about 2 homicidal old ladies. And I'm quite enjoying it. However, while I sat amidst the ambitious Crime and Punishment and Heart of Darkness readers I felt a little out of place. SO.... I'm amping up my reading list for the rest of the year and I'm going to hold myself to it!!

Starting today I plan on reading the following 11 books and finishing all of them by the end of 2011. After reading each one I'll give a response on the blog.

*Les Miserables

*Gone With The Wind

*At least 1 Jane Austin book (probably the shortest, but can you blame me?)

*The Picture of Dorian Gray

*Heart of Darkness

*Anthem

*East of Eden

*Wuthering Heights

*The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

*For whom the Bell Tolls

*Crime and Punishment

Thank you istock for the fantastic photo

Don't Forget!

If you ever feel like changing your Ipod/Iphone pass-code make sure you know what it is so that you don't forget it and then get locked out. Don't worry though, the helpful apple rep. talked me through "restoring" it. Now I just have to put EVERYTHING back on. No biggie.

#30

First off, I will kindly remind readers that this is my #30th post and thus it is the end of 30 day challenge (which I failed but we won't talk about that).

anyways....

Today's topic is...

"What to do when confronted with really awkward compliments from complete and often creepy strangers" like this....

Option #1: do what I did and say "well thanks...... that's nice of you."

Option #2: say "I have a boyfriend" (a lie, but I think it would have shrugged the creeper off)

Option #3: pretend you misheard him and say "I have something on my bum?" and run away.

Option #4: (what I should have done) just pretend you didn't hear him and discretely exit the lunch line and wait till later.

What do you think?

#29

I most definitely stand corrected (refer to post #27). Compared to this guy, I don't think I even count as a fan. (He's creepy)

http://www.geekologie.com/2010/11/gw_casts_get_a_life_it_isnt_su.php

Thanks Ben for the link! :)

#28

Things I Re-Learn at Church Every Week

Social Norm #1: Don't stare at someone for longer than 5 consecutive seconds unless in some form of conversation (If they're talking to you or you're talking to them) with said person. It makes for feelings of discomfort and unease. Especially for the person being stared at! Please.

Social Norm #2: One should never rustle the hair, headbands, or hats of another person (especially a woman) unless they are close friends or family. But even then, proceed with discretion.

Social Norm #3: If you choose to snooze in public be sure that you do not snore, especially when those around you are attempting to pay attention to someone or something else going on in the area.

#27

I guess I'm not a true fan until I have arguments at school with my friends like this.

*NOTE: This was a real event that took place in the lunchroom today.

#26

So you might ask (in follow up to my last post) how's the "eating healthier but not a diet going?"

Here's your answer.

I ate the mcmuffin.

#25

I've been thinking about losing a little bit of weight with JaCee. I know she's been having a hard time sticking to one red bull a week so I thought I'd start cutting back some of the unhealthier things I eat too. That is... until lunch today when I saw a girl eating the birthday cake her friends got her so that they could sing to her at lunch. I'm pretty sure she saw me drooling, but one can always hope not. Funny that I just read "God of Cake" 2 days ago on http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/ if you haven't read it yet DO IT! And enjoy this illustration.

#24

Sometimes... this happens.

#22

What happens in Interior Design should definitely stay there (unless of course I choose to blog about it)

Excerpts of the recent conversation that took place: (Take note of capitalized words for emphasis)

1. Susan (counterfeit name to protect the Identity of someone who would probably beat me up if they knew I was blogging about her): So how are your parents handling the fact that you're pregnant Francis?

Francis (another counterfeit name): Really well Susan . They DON'T REALLY CARE that much. And I don't know why, I mean it's not like they're going to have to take care of THE DANG THING.

Helen: So true. When is your ultrasound?

Francis: Next week. But I don't think I even need to see a doctor cause I know IN MY HEART it's a girl. What else do doctors help you find out.

Susan: They help you schedule your appointment at the hospital to have your baby, but that's pretty much it.

Helen: Yeah so you probably don't even have to go EVER cause I bet you can just call in and make a reservation.

Francis: Sweet. I probably don't have time to go anyways cause I'm going to drive down and visit Jim (the father) every Friday starting next week so that he can see how far along I am.

At that point I put my headphones in and started listening to music so as not to scream "YOU IDIOT OF COURSE YOU NEED TO SEE A DOCTOR!!!!" and I missed the rest of that thrilling conversation. Do you think "Steadily worsening insanity" is a good enough excuse for me to transfer out?

#23

Sometimes this happens.

#21

Name someone who helped you step out of your box.

Natalie Searle! Oh heavens she sure makes me happy everyday! I met Nat at the beginning of my Junior (her Senior) year when she made it onto the ballroom team. But we weren't really friends till later. We were both kinda going through rough patches, and even though we both had completely differnet situations we were able to relate. She helped me get out of my box by teaching me to have fun even when you have a thousand and one things going on that are bringing you down, she taught be how to talk on the phone for three hours (much to my parent's dismay), and she gives the best advice. So here's to you Na-a-lee! Love you and you're the best!

FAIL!!! Post #20

Ok so I um.... FAILED my 30 day challenge. I did really well at the start but I just got farther and farther behind and if I'm correct, my last day was yesterday. so..... I'm going to finish the 30 posts they just won't be on time. Consider this post number 20.

October 30 (Day 19)

What is in your purse right now.

Let's take a tour of my purse. First stop, front pocket number 1. Altoid mints (wintergreen) and some strawberry chapstick. Next stop, pocket number 2. A bottle of Sally's Black as Night nail polish. Pocket number 3. My phone, ipod, two pens, and a toothbrush. And last but not least, in the main part. Two folders, "The Writer's Option", perfume (Victoria's Secret Pink), my wallet, and a bag of cough drops.

October 29 (Day 18)

What are some things that a lot of people don't know about you?

hmmm.... there are a lot of things obviously.

1. I'm the youngest of 8 kids in my family.

2. I'm an aunt and have 17 (i think) nieces and nephews.

3. I play two musical instruments, the piano and the organ (which are VERY different)

4. I've lived in the same house all of my life.

5. My favorite food is Italian. I love pasta, if you do something to make me mad, then take me to a restaurant, order me pasta and garlic bread and it will all go away (sometimes).

So there you have it. 5 things that some people probably don't know about me.

October 28 (Day 17)

What, in your opinion is one of the biggest wastes of time in your life?

Easy. I'm there right now. My TV Video class is a joke. Good thing I'm transferring out. Let's talk about what I do on an average day in this class. On most days I walk into a dark classroom to seat myself at the back of the class at a computer, at which time I immediately log onto my account and check my blog, email, and grades for the next 20 minutes while the instructor graces us with a roll call and a discussion about our imminent futures. "Go to class. Get good grades. Go to college. I didn't, but you have to." It's very invigorating. The next half an hour or so is spent (still in the dark) watching videos his past students have made with inspiring messages concerning things like, relationships, snowboarding, and cleanliness of lunch tables. At this point I can actually feel my IQ dropping, and just in time the lights come on and the teacher gives us a camera, a few more words and directions, and releases us into the school to do as we wish just as long as we get it on tape. Then, as directed, we mindlessly wander the halls looking for something of interest to turn into a video with a story line, and a good ending. I have learned a few things about editing with his mac program, but other than that........ nothing..... anyways. I have to go now since my 20 minutes of blog checking is up. Video watching phase is about to begin and heaven forbid I miss the most exciting part of my whole day.

October 27 (Day 16)

A Photo that makes you proud.

I love this picture. It reminds me of several important things.

1. That I come from a great family of brave men and women that sacrificed a lot to help us get to where we are today.

2. That I live in a good country that provides me the freedoms to pursue my interests and goals.

and 3. That the rights that I have today are not free and that we will have to continue to fight for those rights and freedoms in order to retain them.

October 26 (Day 15)

Ok. So I've been slacking off. I've had a lot to do!! I'm a busy person. I don't have a prompt for today so I'll just do an update. I've started ANOTHER job at a place in PG that designs, constructs, and distributes girl's clothes (mostly dress up type). It's so much fun! I love it so far, but this does make 3 jobs that I work now, plus ballroom, plus school, plus sleep..... Where did all that free time go?

This past Thursday was Dancing With The Athletes, and before anyone is offended, if you weren't invited, it was probably because I wasn't dancing. Because I did it last year, they decided to give the opportunity to someone who hasn't yet had a chance. It's fair. I was still able to participate by choreographing a few numbers for a few of the partnerships and I was very very proud when one of those partnerships (Derek and Tia) WON!!! They did a fantastic job. And so did all of the other couples that performed. Every year is such a fun experience to see these athletes "step up to the plate" and learn something that is new and foreign and strange to them, and they always do so so so well. So congrats to ALL of them!

The end of term was Friday. Thank heavens. I have a life again!!!

That's pretty much it for now, I'll do my best to catch up!

October 25 (Day 14)

So I've been slackin' off lately, but in my defense, I've been making good use of my time. If you count homework.....

Today is "What are your plans for the future?"

How appropriate, today was college day. I spent the better half of my morning sitting through presentations about why I need to go to this college or that university. What surprised me was the lack of talk about how well their academic programs are, and how well their students transition into a career world. Instead there was a lot of talk about sororities, how far the drive to Vegas was, and what kind of activities they have going on all the time. Oh well.

I want to go into Fashion Design, but as "one" would discover by going to "college day", there are zero colleges or universities that offer a four year bachelors degree or even an associates in the state of UT. So do I go out of state? Do I give up my career goals? Do I even go to school? Who knows? Certainly not me.

October 24 (Day 13)

Something you learned today.

How appropriate. Today I went to church and had the great opportunity to listen and watch this year's primary program. I realized how under appreciated it is. I listened to the beautiful testimonies of these children. So pure and so young, and so very sure that what they have been taught is true. It puts me in my place. I know I take for granted the blessing that I have received because of my active participation in my church, but today helped me to regain a sense of what I need to be doing. I also was able to listen to a beautiful talk given by a beautiful woman in my YW class. She taught us a lesson that we've all heard before. That our heavenly father loves us, is aware of us, and is always with us as long as we are worthy. We've all heard this lesson before, but she gave a wonderful and different perspective than I've ever seen before. So today, I relearned several lessons. That I have a testimony and need to do more to show it. That my heavenly father loves all of his children despite age, despite choices, or despite appearances.

October 23 (Day 12)

A photograph of the town you live in.

Well Almost. This picture must have been taken many years ago. Because the reeds in this picture across the street from the Mills have been replaced by a McDonald's and an always crowded intersection. I guess that really sums up my home town, though. Thirty years ago, it was a slow moving, laid back, small town situated on the swampy north shore of UT Lake. Today, it still sits on that same shore but it reaches all the way up to the benches of the mountain. But that's probably all that has stayed the same. Since then it's become a bustling place great for businesses and new homes. I'm also sure that since then the population has quadrupled if not more. However, even if traces of that swampy, little city are rare to be seen, it still emanates that small town feeling. The old buildings reek with the heritage of a people who built the first houses out of nothing, who broke their backs to make this place inhabitable for others, and who marked the territory for what has become one of the most ideal places in the county to live. Lehi might not be as busy or exciting as it's neighbors, but it's a good place to live and to have grown up in. And I love it.

October 22 (Day 11)

You're Favorite Quote:

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

-Audrey Hepburn

October 21 (Day 10)

I can't believe it. I'm already a third of the way through my 30 day challenge!!

Anyways, today's prompt is "A Photo of you on your last vacation"

Here you go. This was on "Jarom's Trail" that leads off from Granite Flats. We decided to go with Matt and his girls for a walk with Daisy (their new puppy) and Jarom adopted this trail as his own. Here's me and dad. Smile Daddy.

October 20 (Day 9)

What's your favorite movie?

Ha ha. I'll give you the line and you guess....

Just kidding about the line. I love White Christmas. Something about the cheesy lines, the bad hair, and the cheesy lines gets to me. I love the big band music, the funny and cliche lyrics, the "angles". It's just a great film. If you're looking for a laugh and a good movie, call me. We'll watch this.

October 19 (Day 8)

What's a book or series you've read recently and loved?

Easy. I stole Kati's copy of the hunger games two weeks ago and finished it in 2 days. I couldn't put the dang thing down. Unfortunately, a call to the library told me that the waiting list for books 2 and 3 were 20 people long each.... That wouldn't do. Luckily, my young women's leader saw me reading the first one and said that she had all 3 for me to read but that I'd have to wait for her daughter to finish. I figured a one person wait was better than 20. So I read them.... and loved them all. I was a little bit disappointed by something about the ending, but I can live with it.

And for all or anyone who is wondering, The Hunger Games Movie is supposedly coming out in 2013 (thank you imdb) only a 3 year wait!!! Read them. Find a comfortable chair, some snack foods, and a few hours. You'll love them too.

October 18 (Day 7)

Day 7

Put your iPod on shuffle. What are the first 10 songs?

First of all.... I LOVE MY IPOD. I use it at home and in the car and at ballroom. I use it to schedule, to look up cool vids, and hold my best pics. Love it. Couldn't live without it.

1. Quickstep 4- Standard Mix (don't laugh. I did tell you I used it at/for ballroom)
2. Landslide- Dixie Chicks
3. Guilty- Marina and the Diamonds
4. I only See You- Benton Paul
5. My Old Friend- Tim Mcgraw
6. Get Ready- The Temptations
7. Run- Leona Lewis
8. Alejandro- Lady Gaga
9. It Passed- Kalai
10. Gravity- John Mayer

My ideal top 10 (at least for the mood I’m in right now) would be a mix of

1. Norah Jones
2. John Mayer (he’s great)
3. Marina and the Diamonds
4. James Taylor (also on the list of greats)
5. Lady Gaga
6. Glee Cast
7. Dean Martin (mambo italiano… enough said)
8. Rascal Flatts
9. Duffy
10. Miles Davis (don’t make fun. It came up as number 11 on my shuffle and had to listen to it. So mellow...)

October 17 (Day 6)

Your favorite photograph of your best friend...

I have too many best friends. So I'll just give a shout out to everybody! (partly cause blogger only lets you upload 5 images and our internet is being weird right now)

First of all my mother. She is my best friend and always will be. She's the only one that I can and do tell EVERYTHING to. She knows me better than anyone else in the world.

All of my sisters and sisters in law. You have and always will be the girls I look up to.

Susannah my free spirited cousin who knows who she is and helps me to see myself.

Natalie, Jaisha, Tiana, Emily, Sabrina, Catalina, Anna, Rachel, Kelsey, Missy, Shalee, and JaCee, my ballroom girls who've been with me through thick and thin. Slicking hair, slathering make-up, helping with costumes, and high emotions. I love you girls.

Brooke, Alisha, and Anapaula. My right hand girls in the world of senior year. What would I do without you?

I love you guys! :)

October 16 (Day 5)

A letter to the person who hurt you the most...

Dear Sam,

Where do I start? It would be a waste of my time to sit here and tell you what you did wrong. Because you already know. It would be a waste of my time to say sorry for how I reacted. Because you already know that too. I felt justified in hating you and making sure you knew it because of how small and pitiful and insufficient you made me feel. You probably didn't realize at the time how your actions toward her would make me feel. You probably still don't know to the fullest extent the damage you caused. You broke my heart. You made me feel like I wasn't good enough, and that because of my personal standards I became boring and drab to you. I can't even count all the hours I spent crying and thinking of you and wishing that you would change your mind. But that has ended.

I know now just how hard it was to stick to my guns. And I'm glad that I did because I know that if I hadn't that it would have made the hurt a lot worse.

I swear to you that no matter how many times you come back, call, or try to win me over, that I am done. I won't waste another second of my life missing you or crying over you. So you shouldn't waste your time pursuing something.

I am done.

I want you to know that I forgive you, Sam and I sincerely hope that things work out with you and her. And I hope you never have to learn your lesson again, however, if you choose to make that mistake again I hope she gives you hell for it. I did. And if you're stupid enough to do it again then you deserve it.

And I'm just going to end there on that happy note. I wish this was a final goodbye, but it's just not. I wish I never had to see you again, but I will. I just hope you have the sense to back off when you come back. I won't fall for it again.

Love,

Sarah

October 15 (Day 4)

Favorite TV show...
Do up even need to ask? IT'S GLEE!!!! I'm addicted. Finn, Puck and Sam... SO GREAT! Great music, great cast, great times. Sometimes I forget my middle name.

October 14 (Day 3)

Again... Not really day 3. Sorry.

So today's post is "A picture of you now and a picture of you two years ago. What has changed?"

Well for one, I no longer look like I'm ten (yes I was 15 in that picture). The second picture was taken over the spring break vacation of my 9^th grade year. The first was just a few months ago. Not much in the ways of appearance have changed. I still have blue eyes. I still have that long dirty blonde hair. Still have freckles, and that squinty grin going on. It's the things you can't see that have really changed, my interests, responsibilities, and priorities being some of the most prominent. Back then the biggest of my worries were the ever approaching start of high school, fitting in, and getting my learners permit. Today I wish that were all I had to worry about. I never dreamed that such things as “the ballroom team”, “the boyfriend”, and “the drama” would take me on the high school crash course of a lifetime. However strenuous and confusing that path was, I did conquer the fears of my 15 year old self. I did in fact live through my sophomore (and junior) years. I don’t really care about pleasing most of my peers, because often times we have very different priorities and standards. And yes, I did get my learners permit and driver’s license. Today I worry about college. Today I think about a career. Today I’m a totally different girl. A part of me will always be the timid teenager in that photo. And a part of me will continue to learn and grow with the ever quickening pace of my life, wherever it may take me.

October 13 (Day 2)

OK so it's not really day two, but my fall break plans did interrupt my access to an internet connection. So a few days late. Sorry. I'll catch up I promise.

My dream date:
I did warn you.
Every girl has their fantasy of the candle lit dinner on the beach. That sounds more like honeymoon to me than date. I mean, it seems like a little too much to hope for with any teenage boy to be perfectly honest. So I'll attempt to stick to some sense of reality.
I've been on enough awkward dates to last me a lifetime. The first aspect of my date is the guy. Easy to talk to, funny, respectful and appropriate.
The date would definitely include a meal (I do love food). And besides that, I don't really think about it that much. Great guy, good food. I'm set.

October 12 (Day 1)

OK. So one of my good friends told me about the teenage blogger's "THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE". I'm going to do it. Consider this day 1. I apologize to the "already-out-of-high-school-readers" This will be extremely cliche and cheesy. For the rest of you... Enjoy :)

***Disclaimer. I will post tomorrow, however I'll be out of town and internet connection for fall break and days/posts 3 and 4 could quite possibly be delayed. But don't fret, I'll be scribbling away in my notebook all the while I'm camping. I'll take pictures.

Don't You Miss High School?

A picture is worth a thousand words. So I'll just leave it at that.

Doing Just Fine

This has been a five star summer! I've been really busy, but I've been having fun. Making skirts and dresses, working, shopping, dancing, working, camping, and working (lots of working).

I'm still working at the nursery, but a good friend also hired me on at her floral shop. I've been learning to do floral arrangements, corsages, boutonnières, etc. And even though the nursery is a refreshing 100-110 degrees on average, I've been happily busy trimming, transplanting, and planting decorative pots. Can you tell that I like flowers?

I have also begun training and practicing with my dance partner (not boyfriend) for the upcoming seasons. We've got our waltz down and it's on to Quickstep (YIKES!!!). I've also been taking a really low key technique class from a member of the Lehi Ballroom Alumni with a bunch of old faces. It's been great. Next week I'll be on BYU campus for their prestigious ballroom camp. I couldn't be more excited.

Earlier in the summer I was called to be the assistant ward organist and I've been really busy practicing and stressing over that. I'm sure one day I'll be able to look back fondly on the Sundays that I accompanied for the meetings, but right now, I can only look fondly on the thought of being done. My new favorite saying is, "And you thought SPEAKING in church was hard!" All in all though, I'm learning and getting slowly better.

I hope all of your summers are going as easy and happy as mine. So yeah...

ballroom stuff

april 23-25: st. george tour
may 1: westlake competition
may 21-22: CONCERT!!!

Utah Youth For Haiti

Last night my ballroom team went to Lone Peak High and performed at the Utah Youth For Haiti Benefit Concert. There were a lot of really talented people that were there. There were a few dance companies, local singer/songwriters, and some faces from the Disney Channel and So You Think You Can Dance. In fact, I felt a little stupid seeing Randi Lynn Strong Evans on stage dancing after sitting right next to her in the dressing room talking about makeup, fake eyelashes and being claustrophobic and not even recognizing her. stupid me. We danced the 1st place Disco from Idaho and our Lindy Swing. It was super fun. I got a picture with a Haitian rapper named Faya (like fire) that sang/rapped a song about his home country as the closing act. It was really fun. I saw lots of old familiar faces and we had a blast. It felt really cool to be a part of something bigger than high school. We were helping a cause.

Gem State Classic 2010

So, Sunday I got back from our team's trip to Idaho Falls for the Gem State Classic. Things to Note:

1. The Gem State Classic is the biggest pure youth competition in the all of Utah, Idaho, etc.

2. It's two days long. The first day (Friday) is devoted to Team events, meaning that you only compete team numbers and only teams perform. You are scored by several judges on a scale of 1-10 on choreography, music, execution, technique, etc.

3. The second day (Saturday) is devoted to individual partnership events, meaning just you and your partner on the floor with several other couples. This includes Syllabus and Open Events.

4. Team Match is also competed on Saturday after everything else is done. Team Match is a competition between high schools for the spirit award and points out of 10 for four dances each performed by one couple from each team.

5. Individual Syllabus events are ranked in Bronze, Silver and Gold difficulties, Gold being the most difficult of the three. Bronze has a certain list of steps you are allowed to use for each dance. As you go up a level, the amount of steps you can use and the difficulty of the steps increase. So, Gold events are the most difficult of the three.

With all that in mind, allow me to continue. Friday morning we loaded the bus and drove to Idaho Falls, got to the hotel, did hair and makeup, and left for the competition. We were competing four numbers that night; Disco, Cabaret, Latin Medley, and Standard Medley. I danced in everything except Disco. We placed 3rd in both of our medleys, 2nd in our Cabaret, and 1st in the Disco. It was awesome. And at 12:00 it was time to head back to the hotel and be off to bed.

Saturday, we got to sleep in and eat some real food for breakfast, swim in the pool and get ready again for all of our individual events. Sam and I competed in Bonus Swing, Gold and Silver Tango, Gold and Silver Samba, Gold Mambo and Open Youth Standard Championship. We made it to semi-finals in Bonus Swing, Silver Samba and Gold Samba. We placed in all the rest. 5th in Silver Tango, 5th in Gold Mambo, 3rd in Gold Tango, and 2nd in Open Youth Standard Champ. It was awesome!

Then There was team match. I danced Samba with Paul for our team. Lehi won the spirit award (surprise surprise!!) :) And then we all went back to the hotel minus JaCee who was in the hospital for dehydration and exhaustion. She was ok though.

The rest is kinda blurry. To bed at 5:00 a.m. Bus home till 3:30. sleep. etc. Overall it was an awesome year for Lehi Ballroom!! I can't wait to go again!

So yeah....

Dear Audrey Hepburn,

As of late, I have come to find that happy feelings, pleasant conversations, and polite correspondences are running very scarce in my associations. A smile and a kind word is too wounding to produce. My pride prohibits me from exhibiting civilities that, once, were common and free flowing. A previous brightness of they eyes is replaced with a raw, bloodshot appearance. A previously cheerful attitude is replaced with an impatient, exhausted perception of my existence. What do I do, Audrey? What do I do? I discovered your response some time ago and not until now, can I truly see how relevant it is. So thank you, Audrey, for your much needed words of wisdom. And, if you wouldn't mind, I'll share it with others.

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” -Audrey Hepburn