See Sarah Blog

Last Concert!

2011-05-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

Saddest thing of my life! I danced in my last concert as a member of the LHS BDC this last thursday and friday. I had a fantastic time performing alongside my best best best friends. I love them so much! Thanks to all who came to support! I'll hopefully be posting a video soon of my solo!

Senior Prom

2011-05-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

So.... I went to prom. And it was really great. For the day date we hit up the Provo Beach Resort for some indoor surfing, ropes course, etc. We went to dinner, pictures, the actual DANCE, and then to an after party. I had a blast and I was so lucky to have been in such a fun, good group. Thanks to Neal for the great time!

Conference

2011-04-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

I can’t even begin to describe how much I was looking forward to General Conference this weekend. I’ve had a lot of things on my mind lately and the opportunity to listen to the council of our living prophet and apostles is just what I needed. I knew I would likely miss most of the first session because I was scheduled to work on Saturday morning. But I have a great boss who let us turn on the radio so we were able to listen to most of the talks. Even though I didn’t have the opportunity to devote all of my attention to the talks I still got a lot out of them. I’m so thankful for the opportunity that I and my family have to listen to the council of our church leaders and for the blessings we receive from following that council. I love my religion and I love the person I am because of it. I know without a doubt of the surety of the gospel of Jesus Christ and I hope that my knowledge can only be further strengthened as I continue to listen to General Conference.

It Is What It Is

2011-03-12T14:46:00.000-08:00

Well, competition season is over. At least for me. After 8 months of practice we've got a few trophies, a few medals, and a few bruises. We got definitely got lucky sometimes and we definitely got jipped. But we had a good time, we became the best of friends, and we'll remember it for the rest of our lives. I love my ballroom family!

Stain Removal

2011-02-22T13:04:00.000-08:00

Today was...... inevitably all wrong.
It began at 1:30 am when I fell asleep (finally)
6:20 awake and hurting everywhere from a grueling 4.5 hour practice last night
7:20 off to school
10:30 grumpy after another 3 hours of dance
12:00 asleep in ceramics. Woke up to a boy poking my face with his clay covered fingers.
1:00 late to fourth period. Good thing I had time to finish my exhilarating brochure on stain removal and post on the blog.
Hopefully the remainder of the day will be better. And maybe Abbie (I know you're reading) will learn to appreciate how lost she would be without me. WHAT THE CUSS!

If I Were The Bachelorette

2011-02-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

These 10 Men Would Be On My Show.....

In no particular order

1. Jude Law

2. Bradley Cooper

3. Hugh Jackman

4. Zachary Levi

5. Rupert Friend

6. Matthew McConaughey

7. Justin Beiber

8. Tom Selleck (in 20-30 year old f0rm)

9. Jake Gyllenhaal

10. Cory Monteith+

I'm Disgusted!

2011-02-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

Joe Jonas is a disgrace to single people everywhere! SICK!

Happy Valentines Day!

Five Reasons Why I Hate Valentines Day

2011-02-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

1. This is probably the only thing that will be cuddling with me on Feb 14th. (For Jaisha)

2. The color red makes me look pale. Like really.... STOP wearing red

3. No B.F. bleh.

4. Last time I ate conversation hearts I got sick.

5. Stalkers..... this really happened (For Mati)

Music To My Ears

2011-02-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

With my newly set up iTunes account I've been turning into quite the little music lover. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite artists right now (the list is always changing).

1. A Fine Frenzy

I bought her newest album right before Christmas and have had it on repeat ever since. If your looking for chill but meaningful, go no further. *Favorites? Stood up, Happier, If I had you.

2. Taylor Swift

Get your laughs out now, but in my defense, I am still a teenage girl. I'm perfectly entitled to thoroughly enjoy her "I hate boys" songs.... and I do. *Favorites? Better than revenge, Dear john

3. Elvis Presley

I saw a clip of the cirque du soleil performing a part of their Elvis Tribute on a show I watch and I was instantly on iTunes. A few downloads later I had enough to make myself a wee playlist

including a little bit of Beach Boys, and a favorite Patsy Cline. *Favorites? Jailhouse rock, are you lonesome tonight?

4. P!NK

Again with the laughing. I'M ENTITLED!!! I'm pretty sure I'll hit 21 or 22 before I feel guilty about listening to the ranting, raving, praying for change songs that are found on her greatest hits album (just out). Listening to P!nk can sometimes make me feel a little bit more..... enthusiastic about my life. *Favorites? Glitter in the air, Freaking perfect

Happy Listening.

Fashion Fetish 1

2011-01-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

Bright Nails. Love them.

I personally love the black, dark blue, and burgundy red I bought recently. Where do I get my polish? ForeverXXI has some bright trendy colors that I really enjoy. Sally's has a brand called "Finger Paints" that I really like. They have a lot of variety and it's good quality.

Les Miserables

2011-01-10T11:12:00.000-08:00

To say that I liked the book would be an understatement. If a book makes you cry, it's usually because you relate to whatever is going on. You've experienced a similar loss, similar love, similar hurt, similar hate. And I don't think that you can truly learn to appreciate or love something until you understand it or relate to it.

I cried!

It was a fantastic story about the life of the convict Jean Valjean. How he turned his life to God and how he raised a child. He learned to love his daughter and eventually gave everything for her. His whole life went unappreciated, unnoticed, and unrecognised.

I think that everyone can learn a lesson from the selfless humility of the man who gave all to preserve what he loved.

If you haven't read it yet do.

Being Sick? BOOOO!!! New Year's Resolutions? YAY!!!

2011-01-04T20:21:00.001-08:00

Let's just say that going back to "the old routine" after Christmas didn't really work out for me this year. I had a terrible day at school on Monday and started feeling sick that evening. I woke up this morning much worse and stayed home from school (missing my two important classes). We decided it was probably a combination of very little sleep, low blood sugar, and a flu bug. And as the day went on I began to feel a little bit better. So I decided to put myself to some good use and work on Les Miserables (see my booklist for champions) so I spent the day on our big comfy couch reading. Not bad.

I also took a minute to jot down a few New Years Resolutions. And I'd like to share a few.

I'm a terrible journal writer. So #1 was to write in my journal at least once a week.
I love to sew, and I want to become a fashion designer (someday) but I need more practice. #2 is to make at least one outfit every month. This means pants and a shirt, or dress and a cardigan, etc.
I'm a senior in high school and it's very likely that after I graduate, I won't have time to dance. I know I will miss it dearly, so I'm going to live it up now. #3 is to compete Open Youth pre-champ Standard AND Latin this year. I've been slacking but my partners and I are going to get to work!

One last thing! Check out the new show Live to Dance! You'll see some of my good friends with THE VIBE on TV!!! They made it onto the short list! God job guys!

My Year (in part) In Photos

2011-01-01T20:27:00.001-08:00

In no particular order.

On our way to Catalina

Phaya. He's a famous Rapper. From Haiti.
Me and Jess at Gem State.
Me and my comp dance partner with our coaches and our winnings from Gem State.
Me and Jaisha on our way to the comp.
Me and Natalie. My best best friend.
One of my personal favorites from the senior pictures by Paige Jacobs.
Prom with Tanner.
Me and Gabe. We had a good time in ballroom.
Morp.

The river rats.
Me and my (super hero) buddy Gunner.
Three girls that I love love love and miss to death!

Me and Todd and Kati on Christmas Eve

The Best Christmas Present EVER

2010-12-27T15:16:00.001-08:00

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

2010-12-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2010-12-13T12:04:00.001-08:00

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...

2010-12-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-09T20:29:00.001-08:00

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

It must be because I love ballroom.

Ballroom Update

2010-12-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

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....

2010-12-03T12:21:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-18T14:39:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-16T19:03:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes... this happens.

#22

2010-11-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes this happens.

#21

2010-11-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

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)

2010-11-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-11-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-11-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-21T14:01:00.001-07:00

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)

2010-10-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-19T16:49:00.001-07:00

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)

2010-10-18T12:50:00.001-07:00

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.

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

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

Norah Jones
John Mayer (he’s great)
Marina and the Diamonds
James Taylor (also on the list of greats)
Lady Gaga
Glee Cast
Dean Martin (mambo italiano… enough said)
Rascal Flatts
Duffy
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)

2010-10-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-10-12T20:21:00.001-07:00

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?

2010-10-10T18:09:00.001-07:00

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

Doing Just Fine

2010-07-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

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

Utah Youth For Haiti

2010-03-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

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,

2010-02-19T10:14:00.000-08:00

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

In Review...

2009-12-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

What a year. I'll start at the beginning. I turned 16 at the beginning of the year (YAY DATING!!). As it was, I didn't really have time for anything besides school and ballroom. Competition season was in full sway. I competed with my high school team at The Gem State Classic in February and The National Dancesport Championships in March.About two weeks before Nationals I was hired for my first real job at a local plant nursery. It's a perfect job for me as it was very flexible with my schedule and it closed at a decent hour so I could keep up with school. But besides the hours, My boss and co-workers are great. They are funny, hard working and honest. I was very blessed to find such a great job. After ballroom competitions were over, we moved on to prepare a concert for the end of the

year. It was a huge success for the coaches and all of the students. We had such a great time and all the late night practices and early mornings paid off double.

And then.... School was over for the summer. I continued to work at the nursery and my competition partner and I started cracking down on practicing. We worked with our wonderful coach, Nicole (amazing!), and she did all of the choreography for our pre-champ events (Waltz, Quickstep and Tango). We worked really hard and we're getting pumped for competitions in the spring!! I'll let you know when they are.

Mom and Dad and I went on a few great trips this summer. We went to Yellowstone for a few days and it was great!! We saw a bunch of cool wildlife and it was great to get away for a few days.

And then.... I was a Junior (School started again). This meant that LHS Ballroom started again and it was the only reason I would have ever gone back. Ok not really. I signed up for AP Biology which has since proved to be a huge mistake. I mean, is a trip to Catalina over spring break really worth the THREE textbooks we read, college level labs, and endless vocabulary quizzes?? REALLY??? Oh well, I'm stuck and I'm going on that trip to Catalina:).

In October I competed in Ballroom's annual "Dancing With the Athletes" Event. I was paired up with our Varsity Football Team Captain, Bubba (not his real name but he prefers that to Richard). But the best part about the whole thing was that by the time we had our dress rehearsal, he had broken both his arms in recent football games which made it very difficult for him to dance. But he was a trooper and we danced anyways.It was a BLAST!!

From about mid September to the end of November there is a minor Competition season. For ballroom, we have to compete once a semester in order to pass, but due to a costuming catastrophe and a few other circumstances, my partner and I couldn't compete in our open event. We ended up dancing in a syllabus quickstep event for our grade which was a blast, but no matter what we are definitely competing open in the spring.

And now I only have two more days till Christmas break and I'll be seventeen in twelve days. oooooh!! So yeah....

Slow Slow Quick Quick Slow

2009-11-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 14th:
6:00-8:00 am: Standard Medley Practice
9:00-11:00 am: Work (Thank you Amanda for taking the rest of my shift!!)
11:30 am-5:00 pm: 2009 BYU Dancesport Semi Annual Championship
6:00- 11:30 pm: Sadie Hawkins

It was a busy day. I had practice for two hours, work for two hours, and then it was off to competition. Sam and I competed High School Syllabus ISTD Standard Quickstep (Hence the title). We made it through 3 of the 6 rounds. It is fair to say that I was very nervous. Now that it's over though I can say that we had a blast, but while we were waiting in the on deck area, about to go onto the floor, the only thing running through my head was, "Why do I do this? This is NOT fun!!!" But it was:). After our event was over we got to stay and watch Jess and Chris Compete Open Pre-Champ Smooth. They did great!! Then Sam and I came home. I had about an hour to undo my ballroom hair and make-up for Sadie Hawkins (which was a blast!!). We went to dinner and then we left the dance at about 10 because we could barely stand up for being SO TIRED!! We went back to the house and watched part of a movie and called it a night at about 11:30. It was a busy day but it was super fun!! :)
p.s. Sam and I will be competing a LOT more in the early spring (feb-mar ish). I will post the dates of competitions if anyone is interested in coming!!

Dancing With the Athletes

2009-09-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Just a few rough details:
october 1st probably around 7 p.m. at the high school. i don't know if i'm dancing yet. i'll post more details soon. i would love for everyone to come. it's gonna be fun:)

Back to School

2009-09-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

Regretably I've returned to school. It's not like I have much control over that aspect of my life, but all the same, I am returning with less than a sense of enthusiasm. I've found that my classes are going to be a lot harder than I thought. AP Biology for example....... I probably don't need to explain. Most of you know what AP biology with Mrs. Russell includes. Pre-Calculus feels like rocket science and spanish 3 sounds like gibberish. Besides classes, ballroom will be a challenge this year too. I'm finding as a captain that getting people to cooperate is harder than helping people understand steps. It's getting people to show up to a 6 a.m. saturday practice with coaches rather than actually working once their there. It's getting them to show respect for the coaches and their extensive knowledge rather than making sure they all have the right skirt or pants. It's getting them to be quiet for more than 3 minutes rather than standing in proper dance position. We are trying to keep the name of "Lehi Ballroom" as clean and unscathed as possible and it's proving to be quite difficult. There are of coarse also good things about ballroom. As of last friday, we are going to be going to the Gem State Classic in Idaho to compete like last year. We will also be attending Nationals and going on a performance tour to Ceder City and St. George. I'm really excited. We are around half way done with both medlies and already have two numbers choreographed, finished and with places set. We really got a good start this year and I'm confident that we'll do a lot better. Mom is even working on costumes already:) anyways.... enough of that. That's what's up. So yeah....

just to clarify

2009-06-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

i know that this doesn't mean much to anybody, but i just wanted to clarify. i was reading a few of my old posts and realized a lot had changed in my plans for competition next year and that a lot of the info you have has now changed. :( sorry.
anyways... so my partner and i decided that we were going to compete open standard 5 dance and open smooth 4 dance.
in competition you can either compete syllabus or open individually.

syllabus: when you compete any of the dances in any of three levels of difficulty. bronze (being the simplest) , silver (being the next in difficulty) and gold( being the most difficult). you wear a white top and black skirt/pants. no lifts no props. judging in priorities is technique and then performance.

open: when you compete certain categories like standard, smooth, rythm and/or latin. in each of the categories there are either four or five dances. in champ you dance all of the dances. but in pre-champ, you only dance 3 of the dances, and you do not compete with with the champ dancers. you dance in costume and can use whatever steps you want to some degree. no lifts, no props ect. judging in priorities is performance and then technique.

in open you can dance any of the four categories standard, smooth, latin and/or rythm

standard 5 dance: includes waltz, viennese waltz, foxtrot, quickstep and tango. even though it's open, you don't have a lot of freedom. you are in closed dance position most of the time and you rarely leave it. i will be in a formal ballroom gown. :)

Smooth 4 dance: includes waltz, vieneese waltz, foxtrot and tango. no quickstep. darn. in smooth you have a lot more freedom than in standard (aka you dont always have to be in closed dance position). you wear a different, more casual gown than in standard.

so my partner and i have already started our choreography lessons with our lovely coach nicole! :) she is wonderful. we are working on the waltz right now. i like it. and we are also working on finding a technique coach.... yeah.
so that is what is going on right now and if it changes again, which is likely, then you will all be the first to know about it. :) so yeah...

miss lehi!!!

2009-06-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

my best freind sabrina jaco competed last night in the miss lehi 2009 show. her platform was about helping student's where english was their second language, just like her. and for her talent, she did a solo pasodoble/flamenco. she won the award for most photogenic and she also won the swimsuit portion of the competition. must have been all that dancing. :) she was named the second attendant to miss lehi 2009! it was way fun to go and see her compete she did amazing with her interview questions and She did great overall!! so yeah.

~THE END~

2009-05-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

This school year is coming to a close, and as much as i hate to admit it, i would go to early morning ballroom every day during the summer just to be able to keep going to school. it's a relief to be done with homework and teachers, but i am very sad. this upcoming year, the school district is opening westlake high school to which saratoga springs and cedar fort and eagle mountain residents will be going to. so we are losing about a third of our ballroom team to westlake and another 10 are graduating. I find it ironic however, that my best friends are the ones who happen to be leaving. my best friend sabrina jaco is graduating :(
I am looking forward to next year because i get to be a team captain! thats the upside.
I feel very blessed to have had the chance to work with the people i did. and i am glad to be able to end the year having met some of the best people ever and made friends with them as well.

thanks!!

2009-05-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

thanks to everybody that came to my concert. i appreciate, so much, the support!! i will hopefully be posting pictures soon. i am going to buy the video and see what i can do with that. thanks again!!

concert

2009-05-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 7th
7:00 pm
Lehi High School Auditorium
Free
it's going to be really fun, but it will probably be an hour and a half to two hours, so i wouldn't recommend bringing little kids. The concert will be of the LHS Ballroom Team (thats me) and the LHS Beginning Ballroom Class. so yeah.

for now...

2009-04-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

for now....
i am in my 4th quarter of school right now which is a relief. i will be glad when school is over. i need a break.
i just got back from our annual spring break camping trip. this year we went to capitol reef. it was very fun. we went on a great hike up to Hickman's natural bridge where i learned the difference between a bridge and an arch. a bridge is made by water passing under it and an arch is made mostly with wind. we saw a great panel of petroglyphs and we enjoyed good weather.
i got a job at Olsen's nursery and am working a few times a week. it's a good job for me but probably seasonal. but hey, it's a job.
ballroom wise, i am preparing for the end of year concert which will be on may 7th. you are all invited and i will give details later. but it will be cool. we have choreographed several new numbers and it is going to be a good show. also after the wedding i am going to start taking lessons at a studio and hiring a choreographer to help my partner and i get ready for competitions next year. yikes.
for now i think that's all. so yeah.

Looking Forward

2009-03-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

I had a nice week of somewhat relief. We just attended our last competition this past weekend as a team, and it will be the last one that I compete in this season. With tour canceled, we have time and money to spend on a more.......grand...... end of year concert. Our coaches have planned 3 new numbers to have choreographed and perfected by may. one is a hip hop/latin (probably cha cha) number, a lindie, and a Cabaret number. we auditioned for the cabaret number on wednesday and happily, my partner and I are one of the six couples who made it. we were all reminded however that, if at any time, anyone else was doing better at the part than us, then we would be quickly replaced. so as of now, i'm in, but i have to work hard to stay in. :)
I also talked to my cotton eye joe partner this week and we are going to compete individually next year. we will probably be dancing the "Open Latin Pre-Champ and Champ Events". SCARY! this means we will be competing in costume against couples our age who have been dancing a lot longer than we have. We are getting a choreographer and I am going to start attending a studio to become the latin dancer that I most certainly am NOT! But it will all be good. hopefully we'll be competing every chance that we get.
You are all invitedto the end of year cocert. it's on May 7 in the evening. I will get place and time to you later.
So yeah...

:)

National Dancesport Championships

2009-03-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

So this last thursday, my ballroom team went to BYU for the National DS Champ. This time we were only performing our medlies. so standard performed first at about 10:00 and latin at 2:00 I am in the standard medly. instead of there being three teams there were 12. they have you dance once and then they divide you into two divisions. the top 6 are in division one and bottom6 in division 2. so in both standard and latin we got division 2. which was expected. then latin danced again at 8:00 and standard at 10:00. latin (who had 15 teams) got 5/7 and standard got 6/6. we had several points docked due to a costuming violation. three girls' floats (the whispy things that are attached to the arms) were stepped on and the floats fell off and touched the floor. they were then considered props which are illegal. :( so technically we could have been discualified, but we weren't. :) it was extremely disappointing but we can only improve. i can't wait to see what we can come up with for next season's competitions. so yeah.

~updates~

2009-03-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

first of all i apologize!! i know i promised pictures of my trip in idaho, but........i have to admit, after i got off the bus, my camera didn't leave my purse. so....i'm getting some pix from my buddies and i will post them later. :( sorry!! so...... on friday morning of last week my ballroom team left for idaho. we got there around 2 and hurried to get our hair and makeup done. then we went to the competition. that night we danced our showcase number (cotton eye joe) and our two medlies. we placed 3rd out of 12 in our showcase and the judges only comments were, that we would have scored much higher had our formations been clearer. that was a huge highlight!! in our standard medley we placed 2nd out of 3 teams and in our latin we placed 3rd out of 3 teams. we were disapointed that there weren't more teams there. it is usually a larger competition, but due to some date mix ups, two other utah high schools scheduled competitions this same weekend. so there were only a few teams there doing medlies. on saturday, we each individually competed syllabus. this is where, you have an assigned set of steps you can use. there are different levels. bronze level is the most basic while gold has the more advanced steps. my partner and i did a silver cha cha. we didn't make it past quarter finals :( oh well. together however, our team placed about 20 times. we brought home tons of ribbons. but the highlight of the competition was team match. we had our four best couples each dancing one dance. the rest of us were decked out in purple, black and white. it was crazy. think tutus, war paint, metalic silver and sparkly eye shadow, metalic silver tights, crazy purple shirt, and of course bright red lipstick. the thing with team match is that it is the only event that spirit really matters. it wasn't easy to get the spirit award though. it was so loud from screaming in the gym, that you could barely hear the music. it was awesome!! afterwards we went to dinner at 1 in the morning and then got on the bus and went home. it was a way fun trip!! i can't wait to go again next year.

i am so glad we got to take this trip as a team. it was amazing. sadly however, at the next practice we had our coaches annonced that we would not be able to go on tour this year. too many people backed out too late and in order for us to go, each person would have to pay a significantly larger amount of money and our numbers would have to be rechoreographed to fit fewer couples. it was very sad, but i am slightly releived. maybe i'll go to a dance with all the money i have :).

i tried out again this year for ballroom team and made it. YAY! three of my good friends also made it this year and i can't wait to see the possibilities this new team will have. the only thing i have to show for this year's try outs is a sprained wrist (probably). last year, i cut my foot with one of my heels. this year as i was running towards the school doors and tripped just outside. i hit the side of the school and then fell on the ground and caught myself with my wrist. i have to say i was laughing really hard. my caoch asked me why once i got inside. it wasn't bad really but she told me i needed to go home and ice it and wrap it because it was most likely sprained. oh well. it's not bad.

so yeah..... thats whats going on.

p.s. wish me luck at nationals this upcoming week!! :)

10 days and counting! :(

2009-02-17T15:10:00.000-08:00

10 days till my competition in idaho. aaaaaahhhh!!! :( we are competing both medleys. latin and standard. a medley is compilation of the five dances in each category. so for the latin medley, they will dance a one minute section to pasodoble, rumba, samba, jive and cha cha. for standard, you would dance a viennese waltz, quickstep, tango, waltz and foxtrot. all of the sections are to different songs but are connected in a way that is obvious to an audience and judges. for our latin medley, all the songs are tracks by shirley bassey. for standard, all the tracks are from a harry potter soundtrack. they are compiled specifically to match the mood and rythm of each dance. and they will be performed individually as teams. each team has costumes. ours are pretty cool. we had to rent them however due to a shipment........ malfunction.......... but they are still pretty cool. we will also be performing "cotton eye joe" for the open formation comp. where each team that performs a medley or medlies are allowed to dance an open formation dance. which means that we can do lifts and drops and lots of other steps that aren't otherwise legal. i posted about this dance a while back. it's the crazy swing number. but its fun and i have a good partner. i lucked out and got two great partners for both my dances. i know some of my team mates weren't so lucky. so yeah. i will hopefully be posting pictures when i get back. i can't wait. but in the meantime i will be content with my long and frankly excruciating practices. :)

sister sleepover!

2009-01-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

me and kati had a sleepover at her apt. with her friend cali and her little sister caylie. it was super fun. we went to cafe rio to get some GREAT mexican food(funny thing is that i don't usually like mexican food unless its at cafe rio) went back home, ate the food. i had my three dressings (rio's house ranch, rio's vinegarette and some normal ranch). p.s. for future reference, the horchata drink is delicious :) we went to "the red box" and got eagle eye and also got some krispy kreme doughnuts!! YUM! me and kaylie got some of those paper hats that they have and wore those around too. then we went back and watched the movie. i did try to stay awake but i took a cold pill half way through and i just couldn't make it. it was super fun and now that its too late i realize that taking pictures would have been fun especially with the hats. oh well. thats all.

Being 16

2009-01-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

two words my friends....... over rated. i don't have my license and as for dating...... dances......... not as fun as they seem. i haven't actually been to one yet but last week i got to experience first hand the drama of a high school dance and being eligable to go. i turned down the 3 invitations i got and stayed home instead and watched a movie with mom and dad. lame.. i know.... thats all.

i've been tagged

2008-12-28T12:06:00.000-08:00

7 things i am passionate about

1. my family
2. hanging out with my friends
3. ballroom
4. school
5. getting at least 6.5 hours of sleep :)
6. just chillin'
7. food

7 things i want to do before i die

1. get married
2. have kids
3. go to college
4. start a tradition
5. read a jane austin book (an impossible task for me!)
6. go to a girls choice dance! :(
7. travel

7 places i would love to go to or see

1. Europe
2. New York
3. China
4. The Middle East
5. The Ocean
6. Hawaii
7. All States in USA

i tag mom!!

Dancing With the Athletes

2008-12-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

This last Thrusday was the "DancingWith the Athletes" concert that my ballroom company hosted. Basically It is the same concept as "dancing with the stars" the TV show where celebrities (or in our case 10 of the most popular athletes at our school) are trained be professionals to dance certain ballroom dances and then perform in front of an audience and a panel of judges. it was different in a few areas however. the scores were not announced and comments from the judges where only made after the second dance that the couples performed. but let me back up a little. each athlete was assigned to a member of our team( mostly the captains and the seniors). they drew out of a hat both a standard and a latin dance. standard dances are waltz, vienese waltz, tango, swing and foxtrot. latin dances are cha-cha, samba, rumba and mambo and pasodoble. then they were assigned a proffessional choreographer and had three sessions to choreograph a number for each of the dances. then the couples were on their own to practice and perfect their dances. they only had two weeks to do that. on wednesday they all came and performed for the rest of team during our first period class. i was SO impressed. the next day was spent in preperations for that nights performance. i got to shadow 3 of the girls, meaning i did or made sure their hair and make-up was done correctly and made sure they were in the right place and costume at the right time. they all did so well that night and the whole night ran VERY smoothly. my friend sabrina(from team) and her partner Mua(from football) won first place!! it was so great!! i was talking to one of my coaches afterwards and she said that we would do it again next year. it was a huge success!!

Holidays!!

2008-11-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

YAY! i love the holiday season, especially where christmas comes in. its my favorite holiday and i am so excited for it to finally be here! i always look forward to our robison-family-christmas-eve-dinner. i love doing the live nativity and visiting with everybody. here are a few pictures from last year. enjoy!

p.s. i love how it is snowing outside in the picture. i hope this winter is like that!!

some cool pictures

2008-10-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

i was looking through my web albums and found a folder full of these pictures that we took on our way home from seatle two years ago or so. we stopped in oregon somewhere and went along a scenic route that had a bunch of these waterfalls. hope you enjoy.

Ballroom Dance is a Sport!!!

2008-10-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

Part of my high school adventures thus far include meeting new people. After exchanges of names the discussion usually turns to, "So, what do you like to do?", "Do you play sports?" or something like that. My answer, obviously, is that I ballroom dance. So far about half the people that ask me this question, laugh and tell me that, "Ballroom Dance is NOT a sport." In response I laugh and ask them what they like to do and let the conversation continue. But this bothers me. I want to retaliate. So here it goes. I am retaliating!

Sports are usually classified as an activity that requires a certain amount of physical strength and other abilities! right? In our first performance as team 2008-09 we did a swing number for the opening ceremonies of the county fair. The song we danced to was about 3 minutes long. only about 30 seconds of it was actual dancing/footwork. The rest of our routine included 15 lifts/drops where one in each partership was responsible for lifting the most or the entire body weight of their partner (obviously this was the men 99% of the time) and holding it for several seconds, and running from formation to formation. not jogging, RUNNING. We were in a rodeo arena and were using about half the space. now lets add in the fact that we did this in unison with the seven other couples dancing. Add in the fact that we were in jeans, button up shirts and cowboy boots. (and for the girls) in enough makeup to make someone gag. AND on a hot august afternoon.

Next topic. Every other day(B-Days) I get up at 4:45 a.m. to go to early morning ballroom class. Where i dance for an hour and a half. i have a 15 minute break in between that and first period to get into my skirt(and ballroom get-up) and get a drink. Then the real work begins. During 1st period ( another hour and a half) I have team practice. We work hard. We get gross and sweaty and we are all exhausted by the time class is over. The routine I descibed to you in the paragraph above is danced once or twice almost every time. We do other lifts and routines.

The last topic i will not go into dtail about. It is self explanitory. 2.5 inch heels that are skin tight for 3 hours straight on my feet. :) are you hurting yet?

This may seem like I am complaining about it. I am NOT. I LOVE IT!! I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. So thats it. Now i feel better. I have retaliated. Ballroom dance is a sport.

Surviving High School.... Check

2008-10-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

I have now experienced my first 7 weeks of high school. Here are a few highlights (or at least points of interest).

1st: I am one of about 2,400 students crowding the halls in between each class.

2nd: I passing my history class, taught by the equivalent of Mrs. Lambert(for all you Lehi grads) but for history.

3rd: I have met so many new, great people. I love it!

4th: I can now fully enjoy a football game (some of which we are winning).

5th: of course BALLROOM! I love it.

As of now if you asked me if i liked it, i would say yes!

Looking Back at the Summer

2008-08-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

School starts two weeks from tomorow. :( It feels like summer has gone by so fast. This summer was different from any other summer. I got the chance to do several fun, and literally lifechanging experiences. In June I got to go to EFY for a week. I made so many friends and learned so much more about the gospel. Also in June I got to go on Trek for my ward's youth conference. This is where "lifechanging" comes in. We spent our second night at Rock Creek Hollow where the pioneers camped after rocky ridge. We saw the mass gravesight and one of the two seperate graves along with the monument for the Second rescue. We had our testimony meeting there. I have never felt the spirit that strong. Yesterday I got back from girls camp. I love girls camp. I always learn so much and have so much fun. This summer was so great for me. I have changed so much because of all I have learned and felt. Even though it went by quickly I will always think of it as one of my best.

This Could Get Interesting!!

2008-07-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

I got this from Kati's Blog! I thought this could be fun :)Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together, or one of the first memories you have of me. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! ...it can be happy, sad, angry, something stupid i did in front of you (i am sure there are plenty of those out there), anything!!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you...Get excited!

3. make seure there are tons of details! i want to know how your remember it! thanks

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2008-06-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

On Sunday me and mom went over to crumps for cake and ice cream for Eliza. Me and susannah got a little carried away with the camera and this is what we ended up with. It's flattering.......I know!

EFY

2008-06-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

So, this last week I got the chance to go to EFY Provo!!! It was SO FUN. I got to meet some pretty cool people. My counselors were AWESOME!!! And there were some really cute boys in large quantities. I got to take lots of really great classes. It was an amazing experience. I can't wait to go again next year. The last picture is my roomate amanda in our dorm room. the third is my counselor group on pizza night. the second, well all I will say is that it was around 3:30 a.m. and the first is a picture of some of the awesome people I got to meet. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait to go again next year!!!

Finally!!

2008-05-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

I have to say that besides the drama that accompanies Junior High, that testing is by far the most stressful thing I've done so far this year. But after a grueling 2 weeks of Math, Science, Clothing, P.E. and English exams, I AM FINALLY DONE!! Now I get to enjoy the last few weeks of my Junior High career!! WOO HOO!! It's a lot easier to enjoy the end of the school year now that the weather has finally warmed up!! It's begining to look a lot like summer.........Finally!!

Ballroom Company

2008-03-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Mom insisted on posting this on her new blog, so you have probably already heard. But I made it onto the Ballroom Dance Company for the high school. After a grueling 3 1/2 hours of dancing and practically making a fool of myself, I made it. It all went like this. We showed up and registered at 8:00 a.m. for the next our we were required to find a partner (i didn't know any guys) and parctice a routine for Cha-Cha and Foxtrot. People went on in groups of five and performed in front of the directors. When it was my turn my partner (Nate) and I went onto the floor and did just fine. Then we all sat in the hall for a half an hour while the directors cut the group in half for call-backs. Out of the four friends i came with, only three made it that far. Our other friend waited faithfully in the hall and cheered us on the whole way. After the first call-back, the judges ushered us into the gym where they made the guys dance freestyle and thouroughly embarrass themselves. Then it was the girls trun. This is where the "practically made a fool of myself" comes in. At least I wasn't alone. :) Then we were asked to go, find a partner, make up a new Cha-Cha routine and then come back in groups of five. Our routine would determine whether or not we made it onto the team. I danced with Nate again and our routine was simple but good (or I should hope so). While dancing I stumbled and scratched one of my heels on the top of my foot. When we exited the gym my foot was bleeding. I got it all fixed and after one more dance in front of the judges we got to sit in the hall again. In a half an hour they released the numbers of the team members. Mine was at the top. None of my friends got in and for that I was sad. But after all is said and done, I AM SO EXCITED!!!