Berry College

 Last week we made a fun road trip to Rome, Georgia the home of Berry College. My sister-in-law Sarah was an expert tour guide of her alma mater. What a fun campus, rich with so much history and culture. The picture above is the former home of Martha Berry, the founder of Berry College. You might remember it as the Carmichael Plantation from the popular movie "Sweet Home Alabama."

The campus is full of interesting architecture, including these gothic style dorms which were funded by Henry Ford himself. 

The largest grist mill in the South is located in the middle of Berry's 30,000 acre campus. The wheel is huge!! 

What a fun way to kick-off our summer with this trip to Berry College! 

Ren & Brittany's Wedding

Our second family wedding of the year! My cousin, Ren, married his high school sweetheart in Atlanta, Georgia last weekend. What a beautiful weekend it turned out to be after we drove through Tropical Storm Andrea the whole way to Georgia. The wedding overlooked a polo field at the beginning of the North Georgia mountains. 

Family weddings are always my favorite with a family like this one!

Whether we are in South Georgia or North Georgia - these cousins know how to have a good time!

Congratulations Ren and Brittany!

Recital 2013

 Another recital is complete! It is hard to believe that I have been teaching for 13 years and stage managing dance recitals for 8 years. Wow time flies! The lessons I have learned through these experiences far outweigh the lessons that I teach. Each one of these students makes an impact on my life everyday I spend with them. This year's Production Number was 8 minutes long with 65 dancers and contained music from 5 different Broadway shows. My favorite part of the routine was when all 65 dancers were on stage for the last Broadway representation of Newsies.

Of course I got to be in the recital this year too! I made a cameo appearance as a bride in the adult tap dance with Connor acting as my groom! 

Of course this recital would not come together without the great teamwork of all of our teachers at the studio. We make a great team as a big family!

Every year it is sad to see our Seniors graduate and move forward with their college career. This year's 13 girls were a special group. Many of them I began teaching when they were in the first grade! Yes, this does make me feel old.. but I have been so fortunate to watch these girls grow into beautiful dancers and young women! 

A Family Wedding

What a beautiful wedding! One of my second cousins, Thomas, married his fiancé Kristine last weekend in Roswell, Georgia. The wedding and reception were held at the quaint and southern ambiance of Kimball Hall. This was our first family wedding we've had in five years so it was definitely enjoyed by all. 

With the bride and groom 

With some of my first and second cousins

Love getting together with family! This picture holds three generations deeply rooted. 

Spring is Here!

I have done a terrible job of updating this blog this year! My sincere apologies, it has been a crazy few weeks! Since my last post I have had a few events to help welcome the Spring season. Thank goodness, because it has been one cold winter! I am welcoming Spring with open arms! 

We had a fun family trip to the farm for Easter and I got to play hard with my nephew and take these fun pictures of my niece in the crimson clover.

We had another Pirate Wedding! My ECU friends Chris and Leanne tied the knot in Durham, NC with the reception overlooking one of the best views in the area! Since Chris and I went to high school and college together, I was able to see a lot of old friends that I haven't seen in awhile. What a fun day to celebrate with the bride and groom! Of course they joined us at Chapel Hill's Top of the Hill after the wedding to watch the semi-final game of the NCAA tournament. True North Carolinians ;)

Last weekend I made a trip to our nation's capitol with Monica and Taylor to chaperone some of our students in the National Cherry Blossom Parade. The weather was absolutely beautiful and the cherry blossoms were showing off their perfect blooms. The trip to Washington DC was just the escape from everyday life that I needed. 

My calendar is quickly filling up of other springtime events. Stay tuned for more exciting stories and pictures of what I'm up to!

Country Friday Night

I'm sure you have learned from my previous posts that I love music. I really love country music. I definitely love LIVE music! Friday night I fed my live music fever with a Brian Davis and Josh Phillips  concert in Raleigh. It was a great concert with friends. I have seen Brian Davis many times, but it was a great experience seeing Josh Phillips perform as his opening act. Both guys are from North Carolina and currently live in Nashville and have great music on iTunes.. so go check them out! What was even more fun, was there were a few celebrities there doing the same thing we were. Just enjoying a Friday night on the town at a great concert!

 Jason Michael Carroll knew where the Raleigh hot spot was on a Friday night!

Leanne and I got a chance to grab a picture with Josh Phillips. 

Ronnie Shirley of Lizard Lick Towing was also there enjoying the music. If you have not seen this show, go check it out! Who knew car repossessions could provide comic relief after a stressful day! 

Competition Season 2013

Dance Competition season is here!! It is an extremely stressful, busy, non-stop and chaotic time of year, but so rewarding. To watch something you create come alive on stage is an amazing feeling that just can't be described in words. Even more rewarding is seeing the students you teach have a blast doing it. Hearing one of your fifth grader students say "this was the best weekend ever!" can make your heart explode with happiness. This past weekend our studio traveled to Lenoir, North Carolina and competed in Showstopper National Talent Competition. The dancers did a wonderful job, placing twelve of the studio's dances in the Overall Awards. Below are a few pictures from a great weekend. Stay tuned for more as we still have two more competitions this season. 

 The Junior and Teen Company in their Production number costume - dressed as chimney sweepers from Mary Poppins. 

The Senior Company dressed in their Production number costume - dressed as Elle Wood's sorority sisters in Legally Blonde. 

What a fun picture I was able to capture of this graduating senior. 

I love being able to combine my love of dance and photography at the dance competitions. I love being able to capture fun moments like this one.