A Change of Pace for the 4th

Growing up, I always looked forward to the 4th of July so much. My family threw a gigantic (and when I say gigantic, I mean GIGANTIC) party & we'd have hundreds of people at the house. I would frequent the local festival with my friends and just soak up all of the summertime goodness. Looking back, most of the great summer memories I have involve the 4th of July in some way. I especially admired my dad during that time of year. He just had a way of making everything fun & festive, even if it was raining.

But obviously, times have changed. My parents are totally over throwing those big parties (and rightfully so) and most of us prefer to just spend the holiday relaxing. Jim & I were supposed to go camping, but we had a change of plans and ended up just spending the long weekend at home. And let me tell you, it was such a relaxing and much needed change of pace for this traditionally "go go go" holiday. Jim & I have realized recently how much we dislike spending holidays in a frantic rush of trying to see everyone and do everything. I get that sometimes that's necessary (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc...) - but the 4th of July just doesn't fall under that category. Instead of killing/exhausting ourselves, we prefer to just relax and actually enjoy things. I understand that some people might not like us for that, or classify us as antisocial, but I'm willing to accept that. It's what we like to do & I truly had a fantastic 4th of July weekend even if it wasn't as exciting as picnic hopping and drinking all day.

For starters, we spent a lot of time in the beach room which I just love so much. It was great weather all weekend & Luna was loving soaking up the sun. Our friend Lexi came in from Kentucky & our friend Matt was in from Hawaii, so we got to spend some extra time with them since we didn't go camping. 

I also finally replaced the lame bookshelf in our bedroom with this awesome cabinet that I found at Garden Ridge. I had gotten the bookshelf as a total filler when we first moved in, and it was just bugging me as the rest of the room started to come together. It was the worst dust collector & it was just a cheap piece of furniture ($13 from Target.... lol). This was a great find that perfectly coordinates with my teal accents & white bedding. I love it.

And when I have free time - glorious free time - I like to get my creative on. While the boys were watching some more of the World Cup on Saturday, I recreated a painting that I saw online ages ago & fell in love with. Don't know if/where I'll hang this up at the house, but I'm sure it will find a place eventually. I really love how it turned out.

We were a  bit bummed by the horrible view of the fireworks we had on Friday, but it wasn't the end of the world. We ended up having a good time anyways with Eric & Jenn who came along with us. Although, I think playing Heads Up with Jim & Eric was the real highlight of the night. 

I also started taking some classes this week at a local fitness place called Motion on Main which is owned by my mom & dad's neighbor. I'm absolutely loving it & I'm finally started to feel like I'm back in my workout routine. Now, if I can get back into the shape I was in 2 years ago at this time - I'll be thrilled :) I'm getting there!

In other news, my herbs are sprouting!

Whew, that was a big update post. But it was quite nice not picking up a laptop all weekend :) 

Grad Party Day

Evan's graduation party was over the weekend & everything went perfectly! I was really looking forward to this day just because I knew I would get to spend a lot of time with my family & I must admit, I do love planning for/setting up events like this. We got to the hall on Friday night to decorate and then we all went to Max & Erma's to eat. Evan's good friend Seth & his family came with us and it was a really awesome time. My dad and Seth's sister had everyone cracking up with their stories.

Evan kept saying how he only wanted a "small family party", but I think at the end of the day he was really happy with the way everything turned out. Between all of his friends being there and some family members that we hadn't seen in awhile, it was really great to see him just kind of in the spotlight for a day since he's not typically one to put himself center stage.

The giant 50 lb. cake! Thank God Jim & my dad went to get this thing and not me and my aunt like originally planned. We probably would have dropped it all over the sidewalk!

Being photo-bombed by himself waiting for the party to start.

Me, Evan & Mom

Jim & I hanging out during the party

There was one factor that emerged as extremely disappointing during the day, but I won't talk about that just because my goal is to focus on the positives. Mainly it stems from people just not making an effort, but that's no fault of anyone who was in attendance. Personally, I was honored to be able to play such a big role in the planning and preparation for Evan's party and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I've always viewed him as one of the most important people in my life & I'll always be willing to go out of my way for him when he needs it. I'm extremely proud of him and how level-headed he is, and I really hope that his ventures in welding school go exactly as planned. I want nothing more than for him to succeed & I look forward to celebrating his accomplishments down the road.

However, I really will miss watching him and his amazing marching band friends do their thing every Friday night in the Fall. It's been a fun ride, though.

Congratulations, Ev!

Finishing Up the Season

I've been teaching dance at my current studio for 4 years now. In the past, when the annual madness of recital week ended - I felt somewhat of a sigh of relief. For the next 2 months, I didn't have to stress about what the dances looked like or work 14 straight hours on Wednesdays or spend all my time after work making props/head pieces/costume accessories/etc. I could just kind of relax and enjoy my time off until classes started back up in the Fall.

But this year I did not feel the same way at all. I looked forward to the recital like it was Christmas morning, which I'm sure made me the minority among the studio staff. I woke up at 7:30am on Saturday with butterflies in my stomach. I was so excited to watch my girls perform and bring my visions to life for their friends and family and MY friends and family. We had poured so much into these routines this year & they truly went above and beyond for me on both a personal and dance level. I had thought that I was close with that group before, but I truly had no idea what we were capable of. It feels like a family.

Everything went perfectly. I couldn't have been happier or prouder of them. I got such a rush during the Michael Jackson routine that we were all so excited for that my face was tomato red after they were done. If I could have run on stage and hugged every single one of them during the blackout, I would have. And my younger girls proved that they're ready to fill the big shoes of my older girls when their time comes. For that, I am really grateful, because I would have a super hard time letting this group go in a couple years if it weren't for those little peanuts having the same enthusiasm and energy that I saw in my older group so many years ago. I'm just so thankful to have a group of kids to work with that love coming to my class as much as I love teaching it.

When the show ended I just felt a void. I drove home after grabbing some dinner and drinks with the rest of the staff just kind of in a haze. It didn't really feel real that I had closed a chapter with the group I had spent the past 9 months with. They worked so hard this year. It was so much different than any other season. I woke up yesterday and just thought, "How the HELL am I going to get through the next 2 and a half months without seeing these girls every week?" But I should be thankful that I feel that way, because not many dance teachers get to work with kids that mean that much to them and work as hard as they do.

Congratulations on another great year, girls. Can't wait to see what next year brings.

Some of my peanuts in their ballet costumes waiting to go on stage

The Fab 5 & myself

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

My Little Surf's Up Peanuts

ALL HAIL THE KING! This number will live in my heart & mind forever.

Thank you for the memories, ladies.

Some Birthday Reflection

I have been notoriously unexcited for my birthday ever since I turned 25. This year I'm turning 27 & the feeling is still consistent. It's nice to hear from old friends on June 6th and spend some quality time with Jim, but other than that I don't feel the butterflies in my tummy over today like I used to. My birthday just used to be so MOMENTOUS for me, I guess I couldn't possibly expect that feeling to stick forever lol.

But I figured that instead of being a Debbie Downer about the occasion, I would use it to look back on some of the things that I did/accomplished this year that I am really proud of. Birthdays can be a good chance for reflection, so why the hell not. We'll go with a nice even number and make it a list of 10.

Everyone who knows me knows that my dancers mean the absolute world to me. This year was a lot different at Kickline, though - in a very good way. I really feel like so many of my dancers kind of reached a turning point with themselves where they're taking dance more seriously and really growing into beautiful, mature dancers who I am so proud to call my students. They laugh with me, work with me, stick it out through tough weeks with me... Really, I would not be the person, teacher or dancer that I am today without them & I'm grateful for having them in my life every single day.

Jim & I took our FIRST big kid vacation last year in July to Vegas and I have to say it was the best trip I've ever been on in my life. From the amazing dinner at Steak to seeing the Michael Jackson Cirque show *FRONT ROW* - I am so lucky and grateful to have my best friend by my side to make memories like this with. Not many people have the privilege of spending all their time with someone who enjoys all of the same things as they do, but we really hit the jackpot (Vegas pun intended) with one another. I love him more everyday & we both can't wait to go back to sin city very soon.

And aside from going to Vegas together, Jim and I also hit Ocean City with his brother, mom and a few of their family friends. This was kind of a sacred family vacation that I had never gone on before, so getting to attend this year was a big deal for me and I had so much fun. My favorite day was the one we spent at Seacrets listening to Reggae music and drinking fruity drinks all day in the Bay. I'll always remember that.

Convincing my friends to run with me was something that I had always deemed as somewhat impossible, so I was really thrilled when my best friend since age 4 agreed to run Warrior Dash with me, my aunt & my uncle this year. We had so much fun together & it was such a cool experience to cross the finish line together. We'll be back for Round 2 in August of this year!

Jim & I bought our first house in September and I honestly can't believe how absolutely perfect it is for us. It has everything we wanted and then some - we got very, very lucky :) We laugh every single day & it's almost unreal to me that I finally get to live with my best friend after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. We have had so much fun decorating and just discovering all of the things that go along with being new homeowners - even some of the unfun stuff still seems fun right now. I always knew I would love living with Jim and having our own place, but I never imagined it would be this great.

Going right along with convincing Dev to run Warrior Dash with me, convincing my mom to participate in the Pittsburgh Penguins' run (she did the 1 mile walk and I ran the 6.6k) was another really awesome memory from this year. Not only did I get to high five Mario Lemieux coming across the finish line (!!!!) I got to spend an awesome day with my mom at an event hosted by an organization that we both love. AND we got to watch the boys practice afterwards inside Consol, which was also really nice.

Mine and Jim's first Christmas season in our house was perfect in every sense of the word. I have always loved the holidays so much, but getting to do our own thing and create new memories/traditions was better than I could have ever imagined. I've never cut down a Christmas tree before, and I'm really glad we decided to start this tradition right off the bat! From buying all kinds of fun decorations to taking a picture perfect Christmas card picture on the first try (even Luna looked!), you can say I am already counting down the days until I can string up the icicle lights again.

And speaking of holiday traditions, deciding to host an annual ugly sweater party is another decision I couldn't have been happier that we made. This party was such a huge success and we had family & friends (both new and old) streaming in the door all night. It was so much fun that I even enjoyed shopping and cooking for it! Already can't wait until next year (Saturday before Christmas - mark it in your calendar now!)

Another thing that I have really enjoyed this past year is all of the fun DIY and home improvement projects that we have taken on. Two of my personal favorites have been the guest room (that I did as a surprise while Jim was away camping for the weekend) and the beach room that we had such a blast doing together. Decorating and personalizing my home has always been a dream of mine, so I didn't shy away when the home we found needed basically a complete overhaul in every room. We repainted the Pepto Bismol pink walls with beautiful browns and burgundies and every room has such a unique and different vibe. Our house has so much personality and I wouldn't want it any other way. These projects are the best way to spend a weekend (or two, or three) if you ask me :)

And last but not least, it is basically a religious experience for me to run the Pittsburgh half marathon every year, and even though I dropped from the full to the half this year - I had another amazing experience that was truly unforgettable. On top of that, I had the honor of running for the Steel City Greyhounds again, which is a group that I have grown to love so much over the past 2 years. As always, Jim was there to cheer me on and make me feel even more accomplished than I already did! It was also great to see my family in the West End with their signs and camera phones and smiles :) This is another one I look forward to repeating in my 27th year!

Honorable Mentions Include:

* Our DC trip for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler 

* Watching Evan have a blast through his senior year of high school

* Our awesome Sonic & Tails Halloween costumes

Here's to another great year :)