Home for the Holidays

Last Christmas I performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in their annual Christmas concert - as a dancer, of course! It was my second year doing the production, and I am so thrilled I was able to participate in it. The 2012 show featured Alfie Boe and Tom Brokaw, with a surprise special guest,  Gail "Hal" Halvorsen - also known as the Candy Bomber in WWII. They're very strict about sharing photos of guests, costumes, set, etc, so all the performers had to sign an agreement to keep photos off the mainstream until the DVD was released. 

Well, the DVD is out and another Christmas concert has filled the walls of the Conference  Center, so it's time to share what I was up to a year ago. Auditioning last year was an act of bravery as much as it was an act of desire - performing in that concert led me to meet someone who profoundly influenced my life, though not in the happiest of ways. Auditioning and performing again was my way of staring down fear and telling the world that I would not live in the shadows of what might be. No, I would perform no matter who might be there on the tech crew. And perform I did. 

Alfie Boe is an amazing talent, and so humble and generous! It was an honor to meet him and chat with him during the concert run. I also got to meet Richard Elliott, the wizard on the organ who charms audiences with his amazing skills and musical interpretation. He took up the organ as an adult and I really enjoyed hearing some of his story about learning and excelling at this instrument. The choir members, orchestra, fellow dancers, and bell ringers all made the show a success on stage and rewarding backstage. 

** Side note: I hear I am in the video again this year. I haven't seen it yet, but I plan to watch it and verify this. 
*Other side note: I really should touch up my hair more frequently. The whole dark roots with light hair looks less classy and more obvious than I realize. 

Erica does hip hop - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Day 12: D&C 33:17-18

Be faithful, praying always, with trimmed lamps. Again,I am somewhat surprised at how direct a single verse can be in providing direction and insight. Knowing the broad arc of the scriptures is very useful, but I think I was missing something before I learned the power of a single verse. I love how we're reminded of what we need to do to enable us to be prepared for The Lord. And I didn't realize how pivotal prayer is in all that! It really make a difference in our preparation and progression. As I strive to improve, I find myself reminding myself daily that these musings are great, but the real power and testimony comes from the act of praying....speaking a prayer.

I need to go speak my prayer now. Just wanted to say a quick thank you to any and all who sent thoughts and prayers my way today. It was nuts at work, but the day was beautiful, with no emotional hangover from last year.. Or last night for that matter. Thanks, I love you, and happy Valentine's day!

Belated Holidays

I'm a little behind with my holiday pictures. I blame Blogger... this whole thing about not being able to upload more pictures . Although, given the two I just tested and posted below.... it seems to be working again??? 

So, my mom came out to visit her Utah chillens and grandchillens at the beginning of December. I was enjoying my final days of unemployment and got to spend several days just enjoying my family and the holidays. Chad and Michelle hauled all of us to see the Festival of Trees, a first for me, and later we went to see the lights on Temple Square. That was my first time ever seeing the lights with my family! We had a really great time enjoying the warmish weather and seeing all that the Festival and Temple Square had to offer. 

The trees sparkling on the south side of the temple.

My mom and I! 

Cars Tree

Chocolate tree

Upside-down tree

Cute red and turquoise tree

This is what it is all about, of course!

I love the red trees

Pop bottle tree

Not the greatest picture, but here we are at the end of our busy day of Christmas-ing.

It was a great way to start off the month of December. I have some pictures from the Christmas Concert too... not sure how many of those I can legally put up on here for now. But I need to download them first so... I will get to work on that, lol. And then perhaps I can get my mom to share the pictures she took at Christmas, since I left my camera in Utah. (Mom: hint hint - Dropbox!) 

Merry Christmas!

A bit of 2012

I had great intentions of writing more over my Christmas holiday. Of course, I left my journal and my laptop back in Utah. The journal.. well that's hard to replace. I could have gotten on any computer to blog, but I didn't. I definitely did some reflecting at home, thinking over the many ups, downs, twists, and turns of 2012. I was absolutely happy for the last bells to chime its death, closing that chapter and turning to the unwritten pages of 2013. You know what makes me really happy about my prospects this year? It is guaranteed to be better than 2012!! After a year like 2012, there really is nowhere else to go but up. I started off last year with various ailments for the first three months. I'd lost weight due to stress. I wasn't happy in my relationships or in my job. I wasn't happy much at all, in fact. September was the beginning of turning the corner, but that process still took time. But as of the waning days of December, I'm healthy, have some jiggly bits back (which I hope to eradicate through exercise instead of stress), have a job, and am really really happy. I've had several people say that 2013 will be my year. 

I was driving home tonight from visiting with Chad/Michelle/kiddos/Jeff/their neighbors the Wards listening to some great music. (I've been having family withdrawals since coming back to Utah.) It reminded me of one of the cute girls in my 1st grade class last year: Katina. It was towards the end of the school year and my life was basically unraveling by the moment. She was a trendy girl, always up on the latest songs and cool pencils. I remember one day when we were outside at recess, she came up to me singing the chorus line of this song. I'm not sure if she was singing it to me, or just singing the song, but every time I hear this song, I think of her. 

                                  

Of course, once I think of Katina I am reminded of her best friend, Maddy. I feel a little bad about how the end of the year went with Maddy. She was a bit of a favorite... She really latched onto me as a teacher and I enjoyed her as my student. She was a handful quite often, but mostly because she was very bright and creative and friendly. Anyways, I felt bad when the year ended because she left school a week before classes ended. And I was at home canceling plans and making arrangements for my newly upturned life and crying on the last day she was at school. I never got to say goodbye to her. I just hope I remembered to write a note in her yearbook. She'd left it at school for the class to sign... of course, that last week of school I was in such a mire of my life that it's a miracle I managed to teach and maintain the classroom. I'm so thankful misery doesn't kill people. Anyways, when I think of Maddy, I instantly think of the gift she gave me at the end of the year. 

Maybe one reason I felt so close to Maddy is because she reminds me of myself when I was young, in some ways. Blonde girl, a little tomboyish at times, loves reading, loves horses, loves school. I'm not sure I was as spunky or mischievous (hey that was one of our spelling words!) as she was, but I think those similarities were part of our bond. And who doesn't love to feel loved by a child? I have maybe two regrets from 2012,  and one of them is that I wasn't able to love my students as much the second half of the year, through no fault of theirs. I sincerely wish I had been able to break through whatever happened that changed so profoundly once the new year kicked in. They were all beautiful, intelligent children. I'm really thankful I had the experience to teach them. For months I struggled with trying to understand why I was going through this challenging teaching experience (though I doubt now that it had anything to do with teaching), and I distinctly remember the day I got my answer. Circumstances played out for me to be a teacher last year so I could learn to love children more and prepare to be a better mother. 

I hope 2013 is the year I realize some of those dreams -- marriage to the RIGHT guy, finding fulfillment in a career -- but it's okay if none of those happen. When 2012 comes down to the end, it reveals me as happier than I have been in years. Perhaps a little more sensitive, a little more aware of others, a little more in tune with the Spirit, and definitely happier. I know 2013 still holds challenges, tears, trials, and hard days ahead, but it will be my year. It already is. I am back. I am happy. I am more the person I know I am meant to be. And I'm looking forward to the journey through this new chapter and new year. 

All I need is love... and chocolate

I had an "appointment" today. It was extremely successful, actually! Which was surprising and exciting and happy all in one. Until they mentioned that it is contract, not full-time, no benefits. 

-boo-

Overall, I was kinda bummed out after I left, because I knew that the offer just didn't have enough to make me take it. It's nice that I was good enough to merit such a rapid offer, for what sounds like a very dynamic and exciting job. But in the end, I'm probably not looking for a career, just a stable position that will keep me happy for the short term. Maybe I'm Debbie Downer right now, but it just wasn't what I hoped it would be. Getting the offer is almost worse than not getting it at all. On the positive side, it's nice to know that at least one company/industry found me highly qualified and desirable. 

Tomorrow is Joan's birthday... 25 on the 25th! I had always wanted to do something cool for my 25th.... I ended up extending my Christmas vacation that year and having a quiet night with the fam. Which was actually perfect! But I'm not sure what to do for my honey. Especially since there are time constraints...... I think I will attempt to make the following, though. He requested chocolate, but he isn't a fan of coconut so no German Chocolate Cake. I thought a dump cake would be s i m p l e and perfect, but he doesn't care for cherry pie filling.  So, I'm taking out all the stops! I already know I don't want the white chocolate on top, so I think I'll drizzle chocolate and have whipped cream to top it. I better get to the store and get cooking! It could get interesting, as I don't have a springform pan and will mostly likely buy the pre-made cookie crust. I'll be sure to take pictures and document! And if anyone has any last-minute fun ideas for what I can do with Joan from 8-10 pm tomorrow night besides eat divine cheesecake, let me know!!

Merry Christmas

Though home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit answered to, in strongest conjuration.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

I like that thought. There is no better feeling than being home with my family for Christmas!! We've had so much fun ringing things in with our usual Christmas Eve traditions, and we even added a few new games/activities to the list! Have you ever tried unwrapping a gift wearing gloves? How about unwrapping a gift layered in several rounds of packing tape, wrapping paper, boxes, and bags? Oh yeah, it rocked! 

One other thing that has rocked this Christmas is.. well Santa. I honestly only wanted one thing this Christmas, and it just isn't something anyone can buy me. Or even help me obtain. It doesn't run on schedules and desired timetables. But somebody must have caught wind of my wish. Because the past week has been an awesomely surprising adventure that I never saw coming. I didn't even realize some of it was even possible!! (Me talk on the phone for four hours?? And hang up only because it's so late I'm starting to mumble and drool?) I don't know what it all means, but there is a minuscule possibility that my Christmas wish is in the process of coming true. I'm excited to wait and see!