Snapshot Sunday!

Love the colors on this parrot that lives at the North Carolina Zoo! 

A Busy Few Weeks

It's been a few weeks since I've updated the blog. As I'm sure you have guessed, I have been busy. We are gearing up for competition season at the dance studio so there have been dances to choreograph, music to cut, costumes to order, props to be made and dancers to teach. In the meantime I've managed to have some fun. Here are a few pictures of what I have been able to do in the last few weeks. 

With co-workers at the Corey Smith concert at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill.

Going to see Jekyll & Hyde with my cousin while he was in town for work. 

Cheering on Alisha, our Wake County Distinguished Young Woman at the state program in Greensboro. Alisha not only won preliminary awards in fitness and interview, but was 2nd runner-up! 

Made a weekend trip to Topsail Island with my Sunday School class. What a fun, relaxing, get-away weekend! 

A January Parade

Last weekend my students got the opportunity to dance in the NC Inauguration Parade. It was a beautiful day - 65 degrees, sunny with a slight breeze. We were the only dance studio representing the state of North Carolina that was chosen to perform in front of our new governor and newly inaugurated heads of state. What an honor! After the parade many of my students got the opportunity to meet all of the dignitaries at the Governor's Mansion, one of my little boys even threw the football with our Governor in the front lawn of his new home. 

Not only was there a lot of patriotic songs and red, white and blue on Saturday - but I also got to see my favorite pirate!

Snapshot Sunday!

The cobblestone streets of Savannah, Georgia. 

Saturday Night at Lincoln Theatre

Last night was a perfect night of live music. If you know me, you know that I love all kinds of music, and I especially love it if it's LIVE! Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh hosted the Chris Hendricks Band CD Release Party last night. Chris Hendricks Band is one of a kind. Chris is originally from Durham, NC and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at an early age. With the talent for music he has been able to bring his talent to stages across the country. Not only does he perform for the general public, but he started a program called Breaking Down Barriers where he visits schools and reaches out to students and gives his testimony regarding anti-bullying. It was not only a testimony to watch Chris perform an almost two-hour long set with his cane propping him up, but witnessing the number of teenagers and students with disabilities that he drew in the audience. The fact that there was a sold-out performance of 511 people last night is a testimony in itself. What an inspiration!

One of the opening acts for Chris Hendricks was a Nashville band called 
The Kicks. Wow! What a performance! These guys know how to put on a show. I could not get  an un-blurry picture of them because they brought so much energy jumping around the stage. Check these guys out, and you may see me because I may just become one of their groupies following them on the road!

Another great opening act was a local Raleigh band called Saints Apollo. They were a great folk indie rock group. This quintet shares the same producer as Chris Hendrick's CD, Mark McKee. I was fortunate to go to high school with Mark and it has been exciting to watch Mark's career become successful as he owns his own recording studio in Raleigh. It was awesome to see Mark's creativity come to life on the stage last night, not once - but twice! 

Christmas on the Farm

Another Christmas has come and gone. My absolute favorite time of the year has passed in the blink of an eye, just like it does every year! We spent another family Christmas at the farm near Statesboro, Georgia. Every year people ask me what Christmas is like at the farm. It is almost too difficult to explain in words, you almost need pictures. Pictures are worth 1,000 words, right? Since I'm still learning new tricks and how to do things on my new Macbook Pro, I decided to play around with iMovie. I made this quick video of what Christmas is like on the farm. The video includes pictures from the past and the present. I hope you enjoy this quick glimpse of what Christmas is like in Georgia! 

Dance Family

I am so blessed to be a part of a large family deeply-rooted in love. Even though we are able to get together multiple times a year, they still live hundreds of miles away. God has blessed me with a special family in Raleigh. This dance family is one-of-a-kind. It is true to say that we are family. Spending a few nights a week together, every week, for 18 years - it's hard not to be a family. Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year because even though we all live in different cities now, we all come together for a reunion over the Christmas break. Not only do the family branches reach out from the friends that I danced with, but now my former students. This past spring, we had 19 dancers graduate and go to college. Most of these girls I had the privilege to teach dance to since they were seven years old! It's amazing how time flies! I loved getting to see many of them last weekend and at the annual dance studio Christmas party. It was great to see them and hear all of their college stories!

Today, we had a Christmas lunch with some of the girls that I graduated with. Coming into town from Greenville, Charlotte and Hong Kong these girls are special and we never miss a beat! I'm pretty sure in our four hour long lunch we covered almost everything, solved almost all of the world's problems and had about five conversations going on at the same time!  We always have fun when we are with each other. Even the waiter mentioned that we were having more fun than him. I'm confident he wished he could pull-up a chair and hear all of our stories we were sharing. 

I am beyond thankful for this wonderful group of girls. We share a special bond and are truly a family.