My tribute to THANKSGIVING.... giving thanks to you

I'm so grateful for all those who I share my world with. (even if you made it in the pictures or not, I didn't want to spend too much time finding pictures everyone) I got to thinking the other day that our world's would be so boring if we were only consumed with our own. I am guilty of doing this every once in a while. I get too caught up in what's on my list of to do's for the day or what problems I need to fix. Whenever I am not consumed in myself, the days are brighter and my heart is fuller. I hope to be better at being a better part of each of your lives, but in the meantime, I'd like to thank you all for being a huge part of mine. Thank you for all of you who I get to share days with, telephone calls, holidays, talents, dinners and lunches, happy days and sad days, boring days, laughs, exciting moments,creative ideas, beautiful sceneries, inspiring me, and just being around. My world is much more interesting with you in it. Love you all.

Do you have one?

I've been thinking about journals a lot lately. Lance and I were partly in charge of a big youth activity at our church that was pretty much based around keeping your own personal journal. As we prepared, I read different things about journal writing and thought a lot about the good it does in our lives and for those we pass it on to. I realized how much I really loved my journal. Its like a treasure to me. Being inspired by different journal writing friends, I came to see how many day to day thoughts are so worth writing down and just how creative and personal my journal could be. I actually get really excited about it which is the weird thing. This thought actually crossed my mind the other day...... "If there was a fire at my house, I'd grab my journal first." And now, I'm writing about it on my blog that I have almost abandoned these last few months. So really all I'm wanting to say is if you don't have a journal or don't consistently write in one, I highly recommend it.

If your board with your journal here are my ideas:

draw fun pictures that help explain stories, put in quotes, daily thank you page, daily acts of Heavenly Father in your life page, Goals, write creatively on some pages, a "something learned" page (I always have to write down fun things I've learned else I loose it way too fast), read something that will inspire thought....write those thoughts down, get a journal without lined paper just blank pages (thank you mare for that one!), don't be afraid to only write one word on an entire page.

If you need some motivation:

"Your journal is your autobiography, so it should be kept carefully. You are unique, and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in any other life."

"What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved? Some of what you write may be humdrum dates and places, but there will also be rich passages that will be quoted by your posterity".

"Your private journal should record the way you face up to challenges that beset you. Do not suppose life changes so much that your experiences will not be interesting to your posterity. Experiences of work, relations with people, and an awareness of the rightness and wrongness of actions will always be relevant. Your journal, like most others, will tell of problems as old as the world and how you dealt with them."

A good rule to go by:

" Your journal should contain your true self rather than a picture of you when you are “made up” for a public performance. There is a temptation to paint one’s virtues in rich color and whitewash the vices, but there is also the opposite pitfall of accentuating the negative. Personally I have little respect for anyone who delves into the ugly phases of the life he is portraying, whether it be his own or another’s. The truth should be told, but we should not emphasize the negative. Even a long life full of inspiring experiences can be brought to the dust by one ugly story. Why dwell on that one ugly truth about someone whose life has been largely circumspect?" (All quotes by Spencer W. Kimball)

Things of the past...

Yes, it has been a while. The things I have to post are things of the past, but I want to remember them. As late as it is to post these, it's still important. Here are the past happenings...

Ryan, Tori and their little boy Owen made it out to Utah this summer. It was a short trip, but so good to see them. We had breakfast and headed up to Sundance and took a trip up the ski lift. I loved it and so did they. It was beautiful.


I was able to make it out to Florida twice to see my family this summer! Lucky girl! The second time Lance was able to come and we met up with some great Friends Grant and Janvier. So fun to see them and get to spend time with them PLUS the family! We went boating, hung out at the beach, ate good food, and relaxed. The Perfect trip. (p.s. Owen is crying in the picture above because his mom and dad are in the water. He was scared for them. So cute.)

My sister in-law Tori took our family pictures! She did an awesome job. This is just one of them.

Third times a charm

It all started back when Lance and I were dating and it was his 27th birthday. (I think I'm right on the age.)  I decided to surprise him with a hot air balloon ride in the early morning.  I woke up around 5 a.m to get some hot chocolate and muffins ready to snack on for the ride when a call came from the balloonist saying the weather was too windy to launch up in the air.  What a bummer.  So I went to Lance's house and woke him up anyways.  He was real happy.  I told him what had happened while thinking in my head, "Great, what am I going to do now for his birthday? I have nothing!" Of coarse he was fine with out the big birthday surprise and I can't remember what I came up with to make it up, but I'm sure it was amazing. 

 A few weekends after that we headed down to Lance's parent's house in St. George and they surprised us with a hot air balloon ride cause they had heard what happened!  We were so excited! The dreadful morning call came again and they said the weather would not permit the ride. We have no idea why because the day was beautiful and perfect.  

Besides hot air ballooning I had tried to do paragliding twice, and a canyon swing ( A really crazy thing they do in Switzerland.). All having things to do in the air. I thought maybe there is a real reason why these things never worked out for me. I had kind of given up on the whole thing. 

It wasn't until planning our 2nd anniversary that I decided to test out the hot air ballooning luck again.  We had an incredibly charming 2nd anniversary at the Blue Boar Inn in Midway.  The place is adorable. They and a package deal for a nights stay and a hot air balloon ride with a basket of pastries and sparkling cider at your door in the morning. We took the chance and ordered the package deal. 

The few days before till even the night before our scheduled ride there had been horrible weather, windy, rainy, and just not fit for a balloon ride. I pretty much thought we were doomed for failure.  We even got a call the night before saying they were putting us on a weather hold. Things weren't looking good until the morning of!  We got the call at 5:30 a.m saying "We're ready to launch!" It was a little unexpected and so exciting. The cute pastry basket was there right outside our door and we made it up in the air! We were so intrigued watching them get ready for us to go up.  The ride was so peaceful, calming, and beautiful.  It wasn't very thrilling, which I was kind of hoping for, but it was such a treat! I still can't believe we did it.  Now I can relate when I hear the saying "three times a charm" it really can be.

(We kind of have a lot of pictures, since it was quite the event for us.)
It was that cold when we drove to meet our balloonist! And it was August. Crazy!







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I've been lazy....

........so, I have a lot of work to do.  Lots of posting.  This summer has been great. It was busy and filled with traveling. Two things I love.  I have a husband who is so supportive in my dance career and I am lucky to have that. I need it. He let me be gone a lot this summer to go teach dance different places as well as dancing myself.  I loved it.  

First, I headed off to Lubbock,Texas to teach. I had never heard of that place until my friend kaylene moved there. The studio she taught was having a workshop so Thayne, Matt, and I went down to teach. I absolutely loved it! First to be able to spend time with Kaylene and her great husband john was so much fun. (Was the best part of the trip actually), then to be able to meet all the cute Lubbock people was so great! The studio owner was very inspiring and the sweetest most caring and motherly person. All the kids we taught were so disciplined! Really, I taught 4 yr. olds and I was expecting to be chasing them around all day and instead my jaw dropped as they stood in straight lines with their mouths shut. The older kids were just as disciplined and so hungry to learn. I was kind of the looser of the bunch being the only teacher that had not been on So You Think You Can Dance, but they treated us all like stars. That's nice every once in a while. It was four days of hard work, but incredibly worth every second. The last night they had a huge party at a barn with country dancing and catered food. They performed some of their numbers and then they made us dance for them. Embarrassing, but it was the only gift we could give them back for such an incredible time. I miss them and the time there was very valuable to me. I miss you John and Kaylene and all your Texas folk.

Our crazy nights with John and kaylene
Karla (the studio owner), her daughter, matt, and I
The barn party! We learned a new country dance. Forgot what it's called, but this is what it looks like.
The whole crew at the studio
Thayne, kaylene, and I. We were gross after a whole day of teaching.


Next up was Dallas, Texas. It was almost like Texas was my second home this summer. Well not really, but I did spend a little chink of time there. I went back to do Soul Escape for the 5th year. Wow that's a long time! It used to be just a show, but now it's a show and then a work shop for kids that come from all over the states. The workshop has become my favorite part. This was it's second year and there has been incredibly talented kids each year. I'm always blown away. I got to teach, which is always so intimidating with all the talented kids, and I actually got to set a piece on the kids to perform in their show at the end of their work shop. My stomach dropped every time I thought about this. It made me so nervous. With some help from my friend Craig Derosa it ended up being one of the most fulfilling pieces I have ever set on people. I was so satisfied which rarely happens. Thanks to Craig and the kids of coarse. This is always a special experience. You share so much with everyone and get so much more in return to take home with you. What a great thing. It gave me some confidence in my teaching which I needed. I love the feeling of teaching something and seeing it carried out in the beauty of someone else. It's amazing. So grateful to have experienced that and gain some good friendship along the way.
Right before our show. This was everyone
Fat Straw. I became addicted and crave it all the time. Patiently waiting til one comes to Utah
Rehearsal days
Night of the kid's show
All the kid's!
Craig and I. He's always entertainment. Even in pictures. Our piece had chairs. They deserved to be in the picture
The kid's bowing after my piece. They were beautiful!

Lastly, I got to go to Florida and teach at my sister's studio and their workshop. It is crazy to have my little baby sister at an age where I can teach her dance. So weird, but such a treat to share that with her. It was great! I even got to teach my cute little niece Avery. I loved it And, I got a trip to be with my family out of all of it. It was a fun time with the family and a fun and new experience teaching there. I will now be able to teach more whenever I go out there. Sweet! I'm excited to be a part of my little sister's dancing life. Living so far away I'm not really involved in their lives as much as I would like, so this is perfect! It was a really good time.
My little nephew Van. He had some fun
My brother the DENTIST! Can't believe that I have a brother that's a DENTIST! This will definitely come in handy!
My little nephew Boston's basketball game. So fun to watch. He cracks me up.
End of the game high fives
At our condo. Kaelie and I liked to sit out here and eat.
DENTIST Ryan and his little boy Owen
celebrated my mom's birthday!
The kid's loved the hats and noise makers
celebrating my sister's birthday too
Taking the row boat and kayak out
Yes, I got the kayak
Kaelie, Ty's girlfriend, and Ty. We saw dolphins and manatees and ended up swimming with and petting the manatees. I thought they tricked me and took me to sea world and instead of the condo.
I did actually teach. This was at their end of the week show what they learned to the parents show. Kaelie was gangster!
Kaelie, my LITTLE brother, and me.

LIFE long LEARNER

This is what I hope to be.... a life long learner! Just getting finished with an incredible week at education week has motivated me to be so many things, but most of all, to be a life long learner! It just feels good to be learning and growing and I hate when time goes by and I've done nothing to better myself or understanding in life. This seems to happen too much to me. So, I'm going to do it! I'm going to start learning a lot!

Things needed:
desire
joy in learning
curiosity
courage
discipline
willing to work
pondering skills
lots of prayer
communication
humility
share knowledge
time
stuff to learn about, when do you ever really run out? (kind of overwhelming a little bit)

Obviously there is more qualities to be needed, but I can't get a head of myself and shut myself down right at the start! (Right after I wrote this, I added two more things to the list! haha! I'm going to waist all the time on adding to the list rather than working on the list!) Mary Ellen Edmunds (I love her!) spoke on time at ed. week and it was so insightful and much needed for me. One big problem I have is making my time too busy and filled with a bunch of "stuff" When we're really busy, we're often wasting time. I hope to stop wasting time like that. We need time to ponder and realize what the essentials are in our life at that time. So much of life is not instant and if we never start working on what's important, we might never get to fully obtain what is needed of us. One quote MEE shared really stuck with me......... "As if we could kill time with out injuring eternity." -Henry David Tharow (I just wrote down what I heard, no idea if that's how you spell his name) WOW right? enough said. So anyways that's my goal to be constantly learning and useful of time.

NEWPORT!!!

Every summer the Pendleton family heads down to Newport for a little family time and relaxation. It is starting to become one of my favorite vacations I think. I am really grateful to have such fun in-laws. It's always a good time when the whole family gets together and even better to be in Newport! I was a little bummed looking at my pictures and realizing I pretty much just have pictures from one day. It was a good day though. We went down to the beach, had a bon fire, and cooked hot dogs and banana desserts! Yum. You can"t beat a hot dog on a beach. Shenise and John brought a kite and the whole family got in on it. It was a perfect night and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Other than that, we had a lot of shopping, pool time, and eating going on. It was great! Thanks Reg and Sherrie for making it possible for us to get together so much and always planning a good time for everyone! Love you guys!











I know exactly where your looking in this picture! Stop it! (Inside joke to the Pendletons)