SNOW!!!!!

It snowed here on Thursday evening.  We were SO excited!  And even better, there was still some snow left on Friday morning! Sweet!

We're gonna have to work on my kids winter attire.  Bentley was wearing some mittens my mom knitted for Chris.  Makes me laugh.
Chickie opted to go sans coat.  
Didn't slow her down.

ewwww.
After about 20 minutes of hardcore play time.  We put our "snowman" in the freezer and got some hot chocolate!

I'm thankful for snow and the holiday season! So fun!

Chris and Andrea

My Dancing Debut!!

O Christmas Tree

We've been sick.  Super sick.  Which has caused me to slooooooow down.
I've been making yo-yo's.  A lot of them.   Into garland for our tree.  I'm all out of red fabric. I better go shopping!
Unfortunately it only covers about 2/3 of the tree.  Oh well, it'll be an ongoing project.  
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

OH!! THAT's why we moved here!

SOOOO!  I am such a nerd!  After my last post I decided that excitable blabbermouths like myself should not be allowed to have blogs!  It should be against the rules!  There should be a disclaimer on blogger or some sort of question and answer test.  Ah well, what do ya do?  That's me I guess.  

So here Chris and I are with Jonathan Roberts and his pro partner Valentina.  They are the current American Smooth Champions! They are stinking awesome.  As the champions it makes sense that they would be!  Well, they are!  

Saturday night I danced for the very first time in a show!!! I was very proud of myself just for doing it!  And I didn't fall down.  And I think I did the dance almost as well as I can.  So I was happy with it.  If (when?) we get it on video I will put in on here!  Of course me, being me....I would choose to dance for the first time ever when the current champions and four other pro couples were dancing.  This studio is so awesome!  That's why we moved here!  And I have to admit I've slacked from my normal ways of being overly grateful and I kind of lost focus as to why it was we were here.  Instead I've been pouting about how small our house is and how cold and humid it is here. And how lame it is not knowing people....etc.etc.  And then added on that the stresses of trying to figure out how to be a working mom and still fit dance time in.  I was feeling a bit overwhelmed the other day.  I had pretty much decided to stop dancing completely.  Then Chris and I worked out how we could make it more fun together.  Which basically meant really scaling back my progress as a dancer.  I was so sad it felt even worse than being tortured by having my husband as my dance teacher.  (love ya babe!)  Chris agreed he thought it was worse than being tortured by having his wife as his student!  So we went in Friday morning to practice and we had a pretty laid back but fun lesson.  Jonathan was there again and didn't have a coaching during one hour so Chris being the awesome guy that he is snagged him up and we got to have a coaching with him!  The first question Chris asked was, "How do you deal with dancing with your wife!?"  Jonathan said, "We quit!" We had a good laugh about it and I think it made Chris and I feel better. It really is hard for some reason.  You wouldn't think it would be.  But just trust me on this one.    The coaching was awesome!  It was for sure a ton of fun!  I can't wait to practice what he taught me more!  And I did get to dance with him for a teeny teeny bit as he was showing me how to drive down the floor with my legs.  SO that totally made a huge difference in my dancing and it made my day just because I'm such a nerd.

So it's time you all met Merrida:
Isn't she cute!  She's Chris's new pro partner. And I love, love her!  I got to see them dance for the first time Saturday even though they've been dancing together since before we actually moved here.  And I loved it!  They were awesome! I can't wait to see more.

So in other good news:  Saturday night I started dreaming again.  I love my dreams (except when I'm pregnant-yikes!) and I haven't had any since we moved.  So I guess something in my psyche is put to right now.  

This is so long! Holy smokes did anyone actually read it?  

I'm thankful for the numerous challenging opportunities that I have been insane enough to bring upon myself all at once.  Even though they make me cry sometimes.  Because it's worth it.

PS:  Note to self:  Next time you dance get super huge lashes like Merrida's and some lipstick might be a good idea. 

PPS:  Did I mention that everyone at DanceWorld is so awesome?  I seriously love everyone I have met.  

PPPS:  One of the other pro couples Saturday night were Jeremy Gatlin and Ana Harwood.  SO stinking fun watching them dance!  Jeremy said he would take me on as a student! Sweet!

I take it back. I totally lied.

I just danced with Jonathan Roberts! 

So excited.

Will blog later!

(guess I lied about photoshopping all my pics too.  That makes two lies.  -oh well)

Bentley just met Jonathan Roberts!!

You know, from Dancing with the Stars.  Bentley was very excited about it as you might imagine.  I was practicing with Chris at the new studio and there he was!  He is here to coach and to dance in the show Saturday night.  I am dancing in the showcase beforehand with Chris for the first time ever!  I picked an interesting time to do it didn't I?   We are dancing a Viennese Waltz to a Josh Groban song.  Although I can't remember which one.  Not from lack of hearing it.  I guess I'm busy thinking about other things.  I realized today that I'm not dancing for work or fun.  Only for torture.  I decided I don't like dancing for torture.  It's lame.  No fun in that.  So for now on I'm only going to dance for fun and I really don't care if I'm dancing in the floor or if my legs are driving.  I don't care if my head isn't out far enough either.  I don't care about being a good dancer.  I only want to dance for fun.  Maybe then I will start listening to the music.  If this restricts my dancing to crazy dancing in the kitchen, I think I'm fine with that!

And Chris is dancing with his new professional partner Merrida for the first time as well!  I'm very excited to see them dance together!    

That's it for now.  I think I'm going to watch a movie and have a laundry folding party now.  Because that's the closest thing to fun I can think of to do.

I could not get enough!

of this!!!
or this
or even this
and this!
Even this was great.  I wish I could blog that baby smell.  Because it was perfect!  I am so thankful for my visit with my new little nephew Eli (oh, and the rest of the family, too!)

I miss you already!  At least I have a few (hundred) pics!

photog blog

Check out my Lindsay Jane blog! I will hopefull be putting more pics up tomorrow.

PS my new nephew is THE cutest thing ever!!!!! Pics, soon. I seriously could die every time I see or smell him! Olivia cracks up every time, too. She told Granny, "My mom is SO silly around babies!"

perfect recipe

First add 35 Christmas CDs on Ipod+ speaker...shuffled.  

Plus old college roommate's yummiest cookie recipe.  
Plus dancing in the kitchen until you hear the beep.  And maybe we did do the alternating head bobbing todem pole "move."  And maybe my teeth still hurt from Bentley's head smacking my teeth.    
Add in a new budding photographer to the mix!
And a Daddy getting home early!  There you have it.  The perfect recipe for a great evening.  

Happy Holidays!! So exciting!

I'm so thankful I get to go to the coast for the holidays and see my new baby nephew!  Only a few more days and we are taking our Christmas music and heading out!

busted

The silly things you do to get a genuine laugh!  Actually I needed to be up and just a smidge over to the left.  So this is where I ended up!  Cally outed me in my comments, and Lindsay on her blog.  So I figured I might as well pass on the laugh.  And the resulting image!  

Have you had enough of my tales from boot camp yet?  If not...check out Evaly's  and Nat's take on boot camp.  

and that's not all!

Here are super cute CJ and Shalise.  Another newly wed couple.  They were so fun and playful with each other.  I loved it.  Can you tell that it was freezing cold rain and wind the entire time?  They were such good sports!!

Boot Camp photo shoots

Every day at LJ Boot Camp we had a photo shoot.  I thought I'd share some of the pictures I took with you guys since my photo blog isn't up just yet.   This is super sweet Elizabeth.  She is a dancer, too.

These little guys were so cute!  The whole family was darling.  This picture of the boys was just moments before a headlock!

This is my favorite picture from the week.  It's interesting to see what people like the most.  I always like the laughing ones.  Chris and Chaska are a cute newly wed couple. 
This is the winning shot from boot camp!  It won me $100.  So that's exciting.  It's nice to win something and be recognized.  But, it doesn't mean much more than that.  There were 20 awesome photos submitted (5 from each of us) and they were all good.  MY personal favorite would have been one that Staci took of little Dax, the baby from our family shoot.  It's a darling picture.  All the girls got awesome shots.  I just happened to luck out that Shalise was picking the winner.  Because this shot is so her!

 

Music, fame, and inspiration

I have had all these random brushes with fame lately.  Really uninteresting stories (one of the past dancers from SYTYCD was on my flight from SLC to Denver--but I didn't even notice until he passed me to get off the plane because I had my nose in a book the whole time) for example.  And of course all the well known fabric designers and Jay McCarroll from Project Runway.  Who I actually did have a conversation with at Market.  I guess these people aren't famous to everyone, but they are to me.  Anyway, I have just been kind of wondering why is it exciting to see someone who you recognize solely because you have admired their professional work.  I don't know.  I guess a part of it is just that you have enjoyed their work or been inspired by it in some way, entertained by it, maybe we feel like we can relate or that we understand them.  For me, I think it's the hope that by being near them you can possibly figure out how they got so stinking awesome and steal their tricks!!  

At any rate, tonight I was totally inspired by Jason Deere!  Who is apparently famous and I'm now his biggest fan.  He is a very successful music producer and he wrote Joseph  A Nashville Tribute to the Prophet.  He said he read over 100 pioneer journals and did tons of research.  Just something he has done for his love of history and church.  I go to church with him (little did I know) and he and Dan Truman and Due West performed for a small group of people from church.  We had to bring a friend (thanks Merrida for going with me!!)  I just love how music can be so inspiring and set a mood.  I play primary songs at home if my kids are stressing me and I need to calm down!

At Lindsay Jane Bootcamp Lindsay played Christmas music the whole time.   I am so in the holiday spirit now!  I spent all afternoon downloading our Christmas CDs into my I Pod.  One of the benefits from having owned a dance studio, we have 34 Christmas CDs.  That's a lot, right?    

You know how sometimes you put forth a lot of effort to be friends with someone just because they are a really good mom or really creative, or really fun.  Do you guys do that?  I have a lot of people around me that I really look up to and have been able to learn a lot from.  That's why I'm thankful for blogs!  You learn so much from people on their blogs and you don't even have to live near them or know them!

Today I'm just feeling so inspired hearing Jason's story.  Listening to his passion and hearing how much work he gave to this project!  I loved it!  

I promise I'll post pictures from bootcamp tomorrow!!

I survived boot camp!

I just got back from Lindsay Jane Boot Camp which was SO much fun!  We were in gorgeous Utah!  Utah really is my happy place. I can't help it!  The air feels so great and the mountains and scenery are so gorgeous!  Staci was teasing me for liking sagebrush.  Staci is the blonde in the picture above.  We had a photoshoot everyday Mon-Thursday.  Lindsay taught us all her tricks.  She's making some kids laugh!It was so cold Lindsay was using her nose to control her phone!
Todd, Lindsay's husband, made us all laugh with his laser.  He always had it handy!  He does all the business stuff, and had a lot to teach us too.  They are such a sweet couple and really fun to be around.  We even watched their babies 3-D video while we were editing on the last night.  They are going to be the cutest parents! 
The photographers there were Staci, Natalie, Evaly and me.  This is Nat.  She has the cutest engagement story of all time.  Seriously, it should be a movie. 

We will all have our LJ blogs and websites up pretty soon.  I will let you all know when they are up!  Except for Evaly, who is already a seasoned pro.  As you can see she will go to any lengths to get a great shot!  The last day we were there the weather was HORRIBLE.  We're talking freezing cold rain and gushing wind!  Anyway, Evaly had no idea her wind had ruined her umbrella until she noticed us laughing and clicking away!  I LOVE this picture. It makes me giggle every time.  I'm not gonna lie, it was hard to leave my family again so soon.  But I didn't have an ounce of regret not once while I was there.  I like to work hard and be busy.  And we were for sure!  I learned so much!  And being on a photo shoot is one of the most fun things I have ever done. I love it!  Also, I learned so much about photoshop.  If I start looking incredibly gorgeous in my pics from here on out you will all know why!!!  None of these have been photoshopped, though, they really are that gorgeous!  And even more important really good people.  We are all moms and we had a lot in common.  I SO needed girl time!  So that was fun, too.  

And none of it would have been possible without help from my parents (and Chris and Christina).  My mom sent my dad my way (again) he helped watch the kids while I was in Houston, too!  Thanks Popo you are the best!  Popo is his grandpa name, my crazy little sisters made it up.  Perfectly silly, and fitting for him.  Luckily he can bring his work with him.  Hopefully he was able to get some done!

I also got a quick visit with my Aunt Darcy and Grammy in the airport before I left.  Which was great.  And I finished Persuasion on the plane ride.   Love that book!  

I'm thankful to be home, for family, and for this awesome experience.

And for sagebrush in all it's glory!

have I mentioned...

that we can walk to school?  It's the best fun ever!  Can't you tell!

This expression is SO my little sister!  Katie, this reminds me of that hilarious Mother's day card! 

Oh, look. I'm so prepared! I had it scanned in to my computer already. How handy!!  By the way...she is wearing a hand me down that used to be one of my all time favorite dresses!  Wouldn't you die for sleeves like that!!?  Don't even get me started on the reversable sash!  

P.S.  Today was gorgeous!!! And I met two real live neighbors. I'm feeling much less pouty about not knowing anyone today.  (because now I know 2 more people!)  Do the happy dance with me!  Plus there are only two, count em 2 more boxes left to unpack!  (how long did it take me to unpack after the last move, like 2 seconds?)  Oh, well. Life is busy. So that's good. right.