It Begins.

So I decided that I spend a lot of time near a computer, that I should start blogging. I write in a journal a couple times a month right now. I would like to have a more daily record of my life - so here we are. Look at me - I'm blogging!

I think I will start with where my life is as of today and where it has been a little in the past to get me here -

I have 6 children - Amanda 19, Parker 16, Adyson 13, CJ 11, Coulson 7 and Emmeline 2. Five of them will have birthdays between May and July - they are getting older which means so am I. (Not sure I like how that works.)

I have been married to my best friend, Kirk since 1992. Which means we will celebrate  22 years of marriage in August. Cannot believe it has been that long! We truly are one unit and a true partnership. Not sure how I got so lucky.

I have been dancing since I was 4 years old. Started out in San Jose, Ca area with the Benny Smith Academy. Professional level academy of dance. Amazing foundation to have in dancing. We moved to Las Vegas when I was 8 and I started full time tapping under Peggy Ryan Studios. Now, Peggy Ryan was Donald O'Conner's dance partner in the movies. In fact she was suppose to be in Singing in the Rain, but found out her and her husband were expecting a son, so she was unable to fill the role. Debbie Reynolds stepped in and the rest was history. Anyway, Peggy was AMAZING! I was able to be a teacher through out JR High and most of High School under her. Was also invited at 12 to take lessons at Backstage. This was a dance studio in Vegas that the dancers from the shows on the Strip would go to keep up on technic and train. I was so shy and nervous at first, but once I started dancing I loved it! Added ballroom to the mix at 14 years old. Needless to say dancing has always been in my blood.

I have been involved with Theatre since I was 5. I started out with a children's theatre in San Jose and continued in some way or another from there.

When it was time to graduate HS, my mother had many people tell me she needed to get me to NY. That since I sang, danced as easy as breathing and smiled non stop that I was a natural. For me though, I knew that is not where my path in life should go. I wanted to do something that made people happy. I wanted to be a wife and mother. I knew in my heart that if I went to NY that all those things were going to have to be put on the back burner for quite awhile. I also knew that is not where the Lord wanted me.

So I went off to Ricks College to become a theatre teacher. I met Kirk in a play at Ricks College in fact.  (Side note - worst acting attempt I ever did in my life! Kirk was great - I was terrible.)We got along from day one and respected and supported one another and built a beautiful friendship. We fell in love - and have had a love of theatre together ever since. (More on that another time.)

I took a break from dance and theatre to raise my kids....and can testify that it was exactly what the Lord wanted from me.

Over 10 years ago I started a modest swimsuit company that I ran from my home for 8 years. The thing I learned from that experience is that we all have talents that the Lord wants us to use - that we will be taken down paths we did not expect, and will grow in ways we cannot foretell. In the end we may not understand why things happen the way they do, but must trust in the Lord that there is a reason.

Almost 5 years ago I volunteered to help the Choreographer at the HS in Singin' in the Rain. He was doing tap numbers and needed someone to help cover some rehearsals. Since my oldest was a Jr and was in the show I was happy to help. That was the first step back into the theatre world!  Since then I have choreographed 7 more musicals, on my 8th now, and was the director on one of those too!

I truly love helping people see the joy in dancing, especially when they think they cannot dance. I believe my talent the Lord has given me is to be able to make people feel like they have accomplished something and grown in ways they did not think possible thru that dancing. I have seen it happen over and over these past years. This gift is from the Lord. I hope that I am a testimony of His strength and love when I share that gift. This is why all the times I have choreographed it has been as a volunteer. There has been times that being paid for my time would have been a blessing to my family, but it is not why I do it.

I did realize this last year that I should/could find a way to make a little extra money for my family thru talents I have been given. I will still volunteer my time to the community theatre and high school of course. I have just decided to try out an acting class for the youth of the community during the summer thru the rec. department. (I will blog more about that later.)  This will allow me to still work with kids, which I love, and make a little money. With a son going on a mission for the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the next couple of years, and a daughter that is getting to the age of possible marriage, a little extra money to put away and bless our family is a good thing.

I don't know why the Lord has blessed me so much in my life. I do know that my life is not perfect or smooth sailing (just look up my fb page and read about my son and the popcorn kernel). I do know that it is up to us to look for the everyday miracles in our own lives - and when the storms do hit - and they will - we learn how to dance thru them.