Fall Dance Fest

This isn't a picture of the dance festival--this was at our field trip! Those three ladies are my support system and team at school. They are AMAZING. I am definitely very blessed to be working with them. They are always willing to share ideas, help me think through difficult concepts, give advice, help me calm down and see the bigger picture, and they even have taken care of me when I was sick with a migraine or when I almost fainted in front of my class. They are wonderful and I am so grateful for them!

Anyway...

Today was our school dance festival. For the past month or so, every grade has been practicing and perfecting a dance to perform for the school and parents.

Our fifth graders performed the Ukrainian Koza, which I learned at BYU thanks to the folk dance teachers and that red headed TA that I dated.

The kids were fabulous! I am seriously so proud of them. We worked really long and hard on the dance, and it wasn't easy! They had to switch partners five times! When we performed the dance today, our partnering got a little off but the kids smiled and pretended like nothing was wrong. What troopers!

Even the kids who were incredibly nervous about performing went out and killed the dance! One boy in particular was almost in tears he was so anxious. After talking it through with his mom, we told him he didn't have to dance if he was too scared (even though we wanted him to!) but the choice was his.

As we filed into our seats at the beginning of the festival, I asked him what he was going to do. All he could say was, "I'm thinking...I'm thinking..." and wring his hands. It was so sad! We were the second group to dance. As we got into our circle, this little boy's face was white, his eyes were wide, and I could tell he was terrified.

After the dance we chatted. I told him how proud I was that he got up there and did it, even though it was hard. He could not stop smiling! I loved it so much. He was SO proud that he did it!

I thought this photo was okay to post since it doesn't really show faces, and I'm not using names. You can see him leaning on his knees, deep in thought.

I love that my students do hard things. I love seeing how happy they get when something finally clicks, or when they accomplish something difficult. I love teaching so darn much!

Me and Stephanie at the dance festival. The weather was perfect!!

Dating Don'ts: Part 4

I know I just barely posted 5 minutes ago but I had a "dating don't" pop into my head and I have to post it now or else I'll forget! Ah!

Dating Don't #10: Don't ask me to tell you about my past relationships on a blind date. Because I'm not gonna talk about that stuff with you until I trust you. And I don't trust you on a blind date.

I told you our ward likes to have dance parties.

So, our first stake dance ever was scheduled for this month. Our ward was put in charge, for obvious reasons (think DJ Hawk. No really, I think that's the reason).

We had a BLAST. After a month of planning, we all met at the church yesterday at five...shopped for the food--veggies and candy...set up...glowsticks in balloons hanging from fishing line on the ceiling--awesome. Cut out paper shapes (think Saved By the Bell) to put on the walls--not SO awesome, but still looked pretty cool, especially in our photo booth.

We finished decorating at 8:45, which gave us just enough time to go home, change, and run back to the dance!

The dance was sweet. We had a better turnout than we thought, people actually dressed up, and everyone was WAY into it! It was a success.

The dance ended at 11:45, we cleaned up fairly quickly, and I was in bed by 2am! Just like 7 hours at the church...nbd...it was worth it because it was fun.

My Presidency --I love these girls!

My Presidency + the EQP--we love him SO much.

The 33rd ward group!

Bishop let me wear his white rim sunglasses! It was a just in time, last minute gem. Makes me want to cry.

Our ward with the stellar DJ, Bishop Hawkins.

What a night, and what a ward! Don't want it to change, but I guess that's inevitable!

The truth is...

The truth is that my ward is awesome. One of my best things about my ward is that we know how to party! Specifically, the bishop knows how to party.

Not only can the bishop throw parties, he can DJ! What does that mean?....DANCE PARTIES!

Last week was our Back to School Bash! It was a blast.

Karly and I with the DJ

Karly and I partying!

Spence and I, in what is probably the scariest picture I have ever seen of myself.

I don't know why I couldn't stop making that face! But...it was an awesome party.

Karly and I being ourselves. But with slightly more awkward faces than usual. Probably because of the flash.