Stake Youth Dance - Square Dancing

In my current calling as the second counselor in the Stake Young Women Presidency, I have been helping plan stake youth dances. Our President, Katie Craig, has felt strongly that these dances need to be instructive and ones where everyone can participate, everyone dances, everyone gets to know each other and have a good time. Tonight, we had our second dance of the year, a square-dancing night of fun fun fun. I convinced Brandt, Jarom, and Sam to come, told them they would have a great time, and promised cowboy caviar for a post-dance treat. We had about 30 kids come and I can attest that everyone had a great time, including Brandt, Jarom, and Sam who somewhat doubted it would be fun. I took pictures, all of which are pretty bad.

These action shots are very blurry,

but they are all I've got.

Peace

I sent this picture in response to a text asking if I was Mark.

I'm fairly confident someone was looking to send me p**n.

I blocked the number because I'm not interested in that sort of thing.

I am, however, interested in peace.

A Family Outing or See How They Run

For Christmas, I got us tickets to the Hale Center Theater in Sandy to see the play See How They Run. It's a ridiculously funny play involving many vicars, some in disguise, a former stage actress, and lots of running around. I've had a gift card to Cheesecake Factory for several years and thought we could have dinner there before seeing the play. I also thought we might make a day of it and go to the Natural History Museum as we were going to be in Salt Lake anyway. I told everyone they were required to attend as I sometimes have people who object to coming along. It was my Christmas gift that would be realized in March.

We did not get out the door as early as I had hoped. While everyone agreed to come, not everyone was keen on the extra museum activity, and one or two people claimed to have much more important things to do before we left, so by the time we were in the car and on our way, I realized we were going to have to scrap the museum or we would not be able to get dinner.

We walked into the Cheesecake Factory to ask for a table at 4:00pm. We were quoted an hour and fifteen minutes wait time, but we were there, we had the gift card, and I didn't want to come back. We said we'd be back closer to our time and went to wander around the mall the restaurant is attached to. Next door is a fun store with games, puzzles, stuffed animals, and other enticing items. I bought a new game I think we will enjoy playing and will certainly enjoying naming (wink wink). Isabella and I went into a Claires to look at jewelry and other girlie items. She tried on a terrific St. Patrick's Day hat and glasses. We wandered around for a long time then returned to the restaurant only to wait what felt like an additionally long time. I think it was 5:40 before we were seated. 

The play started at 7:30pm, we were about twenty minutes from the theater, and I figured we would have plenty of time to eat and get to the theater on time. But I should have realized, when we waited more than an hour and a half to get a table, that it wasn't going to work like that. We left the restaurant at 7:10 and with traffic and parking, were a few minutes late. We had to wait to be seated, watching the opening moments from high up before being seated. I think it will be the last time I eat at Cheesecake Factory.

The play was hilarious; we all loved it. We laughed and laughed. At the end of the show, Brandt went and talked to the guy running the sound booth. I would love to see him working in that sort of job. It was a successful evening and for me, a terrific Christmas gift.

Kal's Birthday Lunch

It is Kal's birthday today. I like to take the kids for a one-on-one lunch on their birthdays, and I always give them a choice about where we go. Inevitably, they choose to go to McDonald's. And because I love them, I always agree. Kal and I enjoyed lunch, or rather, we enjoyed being together for lunch, and one of us liked what he ate. McDonald's has delicious french fries, so I enjoyed those. Kal told me funny stories and was, as always, a dreamy boyfriend. I have a hard time believing he is six, but there you are. Happy birthday Kal!

 

Ward Dance Party

We had a super fun ward activity this evening--a dance! We had dancing under the direction of Becky Phillips, with everyone getting in lines or small groups and doing community dances. We did a disco line with two people taking turns going through the middle of everyone else, moving and shaking to the Bee Gees. Brandt ran the music and did a fantastic job, and I managed to get Kent out to dance with me for a song or two. We had ice cream floats as a treat and I danced until my feet hurt. Becky had also organized a couple to come dance for us and they performed a cabaret number they are taking to competition later in the month. They were amazing. It was a terrific ward activity!

Choir Concert

Isabella had a choir concert this evening, the theme of which was "How can I keep from singing?" I ask myself that all the time. It was a combined concert with the Centennial choirs and Isabella told me how excited she was to see the Centennial choir teacher, Ms. Williams. Sorella Voce sang several songs: "Hlohonolofatsa," "Lullaby," "Bring me little water Sylvia," and "A Jubilant Song" with the Aria choir. At the end of the program, all the choirs from Timpview and Centennial sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." It was impressive! 

At the end of the program was this quote by Paul Winter: "Music is an expression of sound that reflects the beauty of life." I completely agree with this sentiment. I am often moved by music in unique ways and love to be a participant in creating beautiful sound through singing. I probably should have been a choir teacher.

No pictures were taken at this concert.