Summer 2010 - Throwback Thursday post

I just came across this post that was created as a draft and never posted. It's "Throwback Thursday" so I decided to post it and remember where we were three years ago. What a trip it has been and how quick time flies when you're living life!

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Summer 2010

 

What a crazy few months we've had at our place... and why can't I blog like my sister-in-law does with short and sweet little posts and a couple of photos on a regular basis?  Oh no, instead I go months in between posts and have to cram everything into a marathon blog post somehow squeezed into the time frame of an infant nap!

Erica, said infant, is now 6 months old and so amazing.  She is always happy, so smiley, and even wakes up happy.   Often she'll wake up, amuse herself with the raised dots on her crib's bumper pads until she decides no one has heard her and then will simply start babbling.  I have no idea where her temperament came from since I am not a morning person and neither is her daddy.  She absolutely adores her big sister and is still doing good with her amazing nanny.  She's even survived two major road trips (we'll get to those) with flying colors.  She makes us so happy it should be illegal most days.  She's sitting up all by herself, is eating solid foods and has the cutest giggle - usually because of something Erin is doing.  We can't get enough of her!

Erin has had a tumultuous few months...

First, dance has kept us extremely busy with the wrap up of the season.  We had another competition in May in Central Utah where her team took 2nd place in Jazz, 1st place in Hip Hop and the Entire Team Routine placed 1st.  This was a fun girls only weekend since we went down the night before with my niece and sister in law and split a hotel room.  We were in an adjoining room with another dancer from Erin's team and her Mom and it was fun doing crafts and trying to keep the noise down for all the construction workers who didn't appreciate three young girls bouncing on the floors and ceilings.  Regionals were the middle of May and they did amazing!  Erin's team earned Platinum in both Jazz and Hip Hop and the Entire Team placed Platinum and took home the Sportsmanship Award.  All this was overshadowed by the upheaval that was announced right after Regionals...

Our dance studio - our home away from home and Erin's second family - was closing its doors.  Of course the girls were devastated, the Mom's were crying as hard as anyone else and many of us were in denial.  Having "only" spent two years on the team and knowing how hard it was on Erin to lose all her friends and teachers, I can only imagine how hard it was for others who had been there for many more years.  Bottom line the economic situation was hitting close to home and after 27 years our director was closing the doors and leasing the building to a different and already established studio.

And so the hunt began...

Call me a crazy dance mom and you won't be far from the truth!  Between Amber and I, we called and emailed and googled and researched every dance studio within probably a 50 mile radius to find the best place for our girls.  We tried out for teams that were full and had already had try outs, we checked out multiple studios to find they weren't big enough or were too focused on things like tap and theater that Erin didn't want.  Most of the people from Stars went to one studio based on the recommendation of our director but it didn't work for us because of the location or the schedule.  Luckily, we found an amazing new studio that is extremely close and had everything we wanted.  We now call Synergy Dance Academy home and Erin is thriving and making friends and pushing herself to the next level of dance already - after only summer classes.

In between the craziness of switching dance studios, we had our last Year End Show with Stars and went to Vegas for our first and only STARS National Competition.  Erin won the cover girl photo contest and was on the cover of the program.  Erica was a trooper on her very first road trip and we had a fun weekend with activities squeezed in between two days of dance.  We even got to see my good friend, Susan, who lives there.  My Gram went with us, as well as my parents and Auntie Denice (and of course the other dance family supporting Brynlee) and we celebrated my Dad's birthday there.  Too bad I didn't get to gamble but at least we got to swim a couple of times!  It was bittersweet to see the excitement and thrill of Nationals and know that it was the last year for us as part of the STARS family.  Amber and I even danced in the Parent Dance and we took Platinum for our routine!  (Yes, my dance career is still going strong even at 38... hahaha!)  Erin's team took Platinum and 1st Place for Hip Hop, Gold and 2nd Place for Jazz and the ETR  took Platinum and 2nd place.  I think my favorite memory was the final dance of the Varsity girls in a routine they put together for the year end show - with our director Larieann and our artistic director Devanee dancing with them.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.  We will always remember our time as part of the STARS family ... Salt City STARS Forever!

Bottom line when it comes to dance, nothing has changed except the location and the name of the studio.  Erin dances 4 hours a week for her team classes plus a tumbling class at the studio.  For summer, this means we are there 4 nights a week.  Add to that the semi-private tumbling class on Saturday mornings with the amazing Jimmy and that's a total of 5 days a week for 6 hours a week.  She loves it and is having a blast.  I personally can't wait for the fall schedule to start at the end of August so we are only there for 3 days a week!

School has brought changes this year for Erin, too.  It was announced that our school was switching back to traditional schedule instead of year-round and we got a new principal.  Both changes were met with open arms and rejoicing.  Now we just have to hope that her and her BFF, Brooklyn, are in the same class again this year or there will be much sadness and consternation come August 27th when school starts.

Two weeks after our trip to Vegas, we went to Montana for a long weekend to celebrate and witness the wedding of Clint's younger sister, Carey.  It was such a beautiful wedding and at such a beautiful location and we didn't want to come home.  The girls did great with another 10-hour trip in the car that we did in a single day.  The weekend was filled with Erin making new friend, Sylvie who she was quoted as saying "just think! Yesterday we were friends and today we are cousins!".  We celebrated the 4th of July in Polebridge, MT with the annual parade followed by a float down the North Fork of the Flathead River.  It was great to see Clint's family all in one place since it happens so rarely and there was only a little drama to end things with.  The best part is that now I know when we either win the lottery or I sell a multi-book deal and no longer need to work to pay the bills we will retire to Montana.  It really is a spectacular place!

As the summer winds down amid the sweltering heat, there isn't much more to report.  I'm still running and am up to 4 miles.  I run 4 days a week on average.  I ran my first 5K where I actually ran the whole way in August and have committed to doing a half marathon in October.  Clint and I are going to do the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay next June together with 10 of our closest friends.  I've definitely become addicted and can now say I have my very own sport - running!  Clint has a gym membership to keep him occupied in all of his down time from work - it must be rough to only work 3 days a week, sometimes 4, huh!  I'm still writing although we've been so busy traveling this summer I've had very little time to work on my novel.  Someday I will be able to report it is complete but at least I am still writing!