My time is now...

I want to go so badly. So badly that it hurts. 

It hurts to a point that thinking about not being able to go makes me cry.

Thinking about maybe getting the chance to go makes me cry.

I feel like my time is now.

Not next year.

Not the year after.

Now.

I have so many things I want and need to do.

This is one of them.

And it will happen.

I will make sure of it.

Angels were there...

Sundays have been nothing but stressful for me lately.
Isn't it supposed to be a day of rest?
From preparing Sunday school lessons...
To trying to get to family dinners on time...
To attending multiple homecomings in one day...
To not being able to take my traditional Sunday nap....
Sunday's seem a little hectic.
Today was hectic.
BUT.
I witnessed a miracle.
A miracle that may or may not have even occurred.
But I saw and felt something amazing.

I was sitting in my friend Brian's homecoming.
During the sacrament, I looked over across the aisle and saw a little girl.
She looked about 13 and had long, beautiful brown hair with a yellow bow in it.
She was severely handicapped.
She had the mind set of a 3 year old as she would sit on her mother's lap, resting her head on her shoulder while cuddling up in her pink baby blanket.
She was smiling and I knew that she felt the security, warmth and love of her mother.
Then something incredible happened.
This little girl sat up and just stared at the vacant aisle.
Her head and eyes moving along as if she was following the movement of something...or someone.
She motioned to her mother.
Not being able to speak.
Little grunts were the noises she made.
She pointed.
She waved.
She smiled.
This went on during the entire time the sacrament was being passed.
I couldn't help but sit and watch this little girl witness something that I dream of witnessing myself.
Angels.
I have heard stories before of children seeing angels in church.
I have a firm belief that this little girl saw angels.
You can judge me all you want and think I'm wrong and strange.
I don't care.
I know what I saw and I know how I felt.
Angels were there.
I have no doubt in my mind.

9/12/12...

September 12, 2012 has been a day that I have been looking forward to for a couple of years.

It's kind of hard to put into words. 

All I can really say is that I am one happy girl to have her best friend home from Romania.

2 years have come and gone...and things haven't changed one bit.

(*The picture on the far left was taken at the last dance concert of mine that he came to before his mission....the one of the top right was taken right before he got set apart...the one of the bottom right was taken after he got released. :)*)

Now it's my turn...

I started teaching dance again tonight.

I have missed that studio dearly.

I have missed walking through those doors with my sweats on along with a water bottle and iPod in hand ready to teach girls what I was once taught at a younger age.

I still find myself learning new things as I teach.

I find it interesting being a teacher.

It's weird watching these girls as I take them through the stretch routine and think to myself, 

"I was once that little..." 

or

"I remember that frustration of not being able to do a double turn too."

or

"I used to be able to move my body like that..."

or

"Where did the time go??"

It's interesting growing up as a dancer.

I started at such a young age.

The age of 3. 

I remember Miss Connie teaching me my left foot from my right foot.

The pink heart on my ballet slipper was my right foot.

And the blue star was my left.

Now it's my turn.

To teach these little girls where their left foot is.

How to point it.

How to do a simple turn.

How to do a leap.

I remember Miss Connie holding my hand as I would do my leaps across the floor.

Now it's my turn.

To guide these girls as they learn something that is so new to them.

I remember being taught all of this.

I also remember being the one who would hang on the ballet bar like a crazy monkey.

My teachers were so patient with me.

They would bribe me with treats and such.

Now it's my turn.

To have patience.

To bribe my students with treats or games.

Now it's my turn.

My turn to watch these girls progress.

To watch them grow up.

To teach them what I have learned in my history of dancing.

To be an example.

To be the sister that some of these girls may not have.

To lift them up.

To be the Miss Connie in their lives.

I never thought I would ever be a dance teacher.

Of course....I dreamed about it everyday.

It was something I always wanted to do.

I just never thought it would happen to me. 

Now it's my turn... 

To have a lifelong dream...

Come true.

A Sure Foundation...

I spent 90% of my Saturday preparing my sunday school lesson.
This was my first lesson to prepare and I didn't know where to start.
Well I knew that I for sure had to start on my knees.
After I said my prayer, I stood up and jumped right into the manuel.
Who knew that preparing a lesson was this difficult?
It was tiring.
Hard.
Emotional.
Confusing.
I felt like there was no hope.
I felt like no one in the class would understand what I was trying to say.
I felt lost.
I felt very immature in the gospel and I was really discouraged.
Why did my bishop give me this calling?
Why was I given this lesson to prepare?
Why was I only given 2 days to prepare it?
I found it all to be so unfair.
I finally put on Jon Schmidt's album, "Hymns Without Words"
It shut out everything that was distracting me and making me doubt myself.
The obnoxious motorcycle the kept driving by.
My roommate and her friends watching TV.
The people in the pool outside my window.
The air conditioning blowing like crazy.
It was all gone.
It was peaceful.
I found myself applying myself to the lesson.
I found myself smiling.
It was getting easier.

I woke up this morning and finished preparing my lesson.
I taught it to myself in the bathroom mirror while getting ready.
Tears filled my eyes at some points of the lesson.
I finally understood.
I finally got it.

The lesson went pretty well.
There were a few people who participated.
It was helpful.
I was nervous and shaky but I got through it.
I got through it with help from the spirit.

It was stressful preparing this lesson.
But it was all worth it.
Our Savior is our rock.
Our redeemer.
Build your life upon the rock of our Savior.
Never doubt Him.
Never give up on Him.
He never gave up on you when He was on the cross.
I love my Savior...so much.

Chalking the world...

What do you do when your best friend sends you the following text:
"I got some free chalk at the women's expo! So if you want to, we can chalk the world tonight and pull out the camera and our jams!"
Well you say yes of course!
I'm never home due to work and dance so Aub and I haven't had a ton of time to spend together.
So we chalked up the world last night.
We were serenaded by our new friend Blake.
He used to be known as "the mysterious guitar player outside our apartment building".
It was a memorable night.
I love my best friend.

Obama has a last name??

Sometimes it's 9:30 in the PM and all you want to do is go to bed.
So you start getting ready for bed and then your roommate comes in your room wanting to watch Hunger Games.
So you bag going to bed, grab your blanket and pillow and jump onto the couch to enjoy your favorite movie with your roomie Melissa.
Then Brady Ashby calls wanting to play games.
Psh....too busy watching the best movie ever!
So some amigos come over and you watch the best movie ever...together!

Then your other roommate, Paige, gets home.
You log onto the FB and find that her status makes you laugh.... A LOT.
Like....to the point where you can't breathe and it makes your eyes leak.
Then PhotoBooth is pulled up and you start taking pictures together.
Again....
You laugh.. A LOT.
And your eyes leak.

It's times like these where I am super happy that I chose not to go to bed and stay up with my roommates.
I know without a doubt that it's going to be an amazing year with these girls.
I'm so lucky to be living with 5 other amazing girls.

B. Lake.

There are families who enjoy their annual trip to Lake Powell.

Jackson Hole.

St. George. 

California.

Europe.

Cruises.

For my family...

Bear Lake is the place to be.

So many things about this place makes it a second home for us.

Playing "The first person to spot the red roof of the cabin wins!"

Rook.

Having 9 billion dogs up there.

Raspberry shakes from Bear Cave.

Boating.

The BABLE (Bike Around Bear Lake Extravaganza)

Amazing food.

Taking up the whole right side of the ward.

Watching movies on the projector.

Cuddle sessions.

Did I mention the amazing raspberry shakes??

It's all just so amazing.

Having 45 people up there in 2 cabins is nothing but a treat.

It is my home away from home. 

We were all there except for Jake and Jess.

They were missed.

But we did enjoy ourselves.

We rented out a bowling alley up there and boy was that fun?!

There were 10 lanes.

They were all filled up.

I really love my family.

We went to church today.

We thought about splitting up and going to 2 different wards.

But that takes the fun out of going to church as a family.

So we headed to Paris, Idaho and went to church.

Not lying.... my family took up the whole right side of the chapel.

It was amazing.

Some of us bore our testimonies. 

I loved it.

Came home to watch Monsters Inc.

Snuggled and took a nap.

I loved it.

Ate a yummy lunch provided by my mother.

Took a nap. 

I loved it.

Woke up and we all gathered in the family room to watch my Ecuador video and my cousin Rachel's Cambodia video.

I loved it.

Loaded the car with Hugh, grandma and Gohar.

Drove home.

Talked to my grandma the whole time.

She told me stories about her sweetheart and my hero...Grandpa Hugh Pinnock.

I loved it.

I loved looking over at her as she told me about ApApDnarg.

She had an amazing light radiating off of her face. 

I love her.

I love Bear Lake.

I love not having service up there.

I love my cousins. 

I love the dogs. 

I love just cramming into one room and enjoying each other's company.

And I love the raspberry shakes.... a lot.

It's about time....

I've waited for this day for a really long time.
Well more like 3 months...but it was a long time.
I get to have my best friend back down in Orem with me.
This past summer was fun.
The only thing missing was my Bobbie Jo.
But she is back and we are ready to make more memories and go on our crazy adventures.

Reunited and it feels SO good!