Dancing About Love!!

The dance show is finally over, and it was better than I could have expected. Over 100 kids took the stage at 7pm on April 29th, and will remember it for the rest of their lives. This dance show was memorable for me as well. This year I choreographed a dance for my seniors who were the dancers who helped me build the dance company and were just little sophomores in my beginning dance class, my first year of teaching. I also choreographed a dance for my husband-to-be.

The dance I choreographed for Ben, turned out awesome! I danced with nine of my dancers in all white costumes to the Plain White T's "1, 2, 3, 4". It was a dance with a underlying marriage theme. It was perfect! Ben sat in a reserved seat right in the middle of the theater, and even though I couldn't see him in the darkness, I knew he was there.

He says it was his favorite dance in the whole show.....as it should be. But it was something of a lasting gift. The next day he sent me a text that he'd heard "his song" on the radio and got a little choked up thinking about me up there on the stage, dancing for him.

Overall it was an extraordinary night! Every year I say I'm going to spend less time preparing for the show (4 months this year), but it almost always seems worth it in the end.

The Dress

I'm starting to have a minor freak-out moment. I tried on and purchased my dress over 4 months ago. I can't even remember what it feels like on. I know that I really liked it then....but it has been sooo long. When will they call to tell me my dress is in?

The wedding is only 3 months away.......3 months!!! I can't believe how time has flown.........but I want to see my dress!!

Did/does anyone else have dress anxiety?

The Best Bridal Party Ever!!

I have always known how lucky I was to have such great family and friends, but my bachelorette cruise just reinforced this for me! I just had one of the best weekends ever!!

Your bachelorette party is supposed to be all about you.....but my weekend far exceeded this. I was excited to just have a weekend without worries, or things to do, or meals to cook, to spend time with my mom, 2 sisters, and 2 best friends. Instead, my weekend started and then continued with gifts and gifts and more gifts.

We started the weekend in the cutest shirts ever.....designed by my bridal party. Each person had their own personalized shirt on the back, and a front that says "Last Fling Before the Ring". The funniest thing was that everyone kept asking who the bride was....they didn't seem to get that I was the only one in white, or that it said "bride" really big across the back.

Once we were on board, I received more gifts and lunch....which included a bride-to-be pin.......which I happily sported all weekend, and flower lei, a "Last Fling Before the Ring" tote bag, some inappropriate shot glasses, a veil, and a cute lingerie set in hot pink.

The generosity and thoughtfulness didn't stop there. At dinner there were more gifts! I got a super cute glittery "bachelorette" tiara (yes, I rocked it on the last night!). I also got an awesome pair of boy shorts with "property of coach gravenkamp" written on the butt, and another adorable lingerie set.

I have to say it again......I have the best bridal party ever! It isn't about the gifts...it meant so much more that they thought of me and wanted to make this such a special time for me. They made this an unforgettable experience. I can't wait for the many more years of love and friendship with these girls! What a great send off to my life as a single woman!

Maybe.....

Maybe Ben is right.....have I taken on too much?

If my blog is any indication, you can see I've been incredibly busy and have not blogged in over a month. I am so blessed with all the wonderful things in my life, but it's possible I have taken on one too many things this year. I just finished choreographing and co-directing our spring musical (which sold out the little theater at the California Center for the Arts), which was a huge undertaking.

I am now getting ready to put on our Spring Dance Concert, which is bigger than you could ever imagine. I have over 100 dancers performing in over 23 dances. Not only am I the Director, but choreographer, costume designer, producer, publicity director, show shirt screen printer (yes, I took a class so I could do it all), and back-stage manager. This isn't your usual high school dance concert. We perform on a professional stage (same as Alvin Ailey Company when they come to town), and have had an audience of almost 1500 patrons. We now have a retirement community taking a trip to see our show. This year's show is going to be bigger and better than before.

This weekend I'll be heading out of town...for an amazing weekend with the girls. We are going on my bachelorette cruise to Mexico and I can't wait. It will be a nice escape from all this dance show stuff!

There is so little time left in this school year, it's scary. I have a bridal shower in Elk Grove in May. (I just got the invite and they are absolutely adorable....Aunt Chelle and the girls did a great job!) When school ends, Ben will go right in to teaching summer school and near the end of June I'll have another bridal shower, this time in SD. We will only have one week left during June to come in to town to do wedding stuff.

The first week in July we are going to New York for a week. It is going to be fantastic. For Ben's Birthday, I surprised him with airline tickets to the East Coast, and tickets to see the Met's (Ben's team) play the Phillies on the Fourth of July, and then we take the train over to New York to see the Met's play the Dodgers (We saw Met's play at Dodger Stadium on our third date) in the new Met's stadium. For my Birthday, Ben got us tickets to a Broadway play, and a gift certificate for me to take a couple dance classes at the Alvin Ailey Dance studio. The crazy thing is that we arrive back in San Diego, with only three weeks before the wedding.

Yes....it's official. I'm insane....but at least I'm organized and I think I've got it all under control.
But we'll see come August 1st!

So Sweet!

I'm embarrassed to say it has been way too long since Ben and I have been out on a date. With me choreographing and co-directing the spring musical, as well as choreographing and directing my own spring dance concert, taking classes to move up on the pay scale, rehearsals for shows I'm dancing in, and Ben coaching 2 sports we have had very little time to spend with one another.

Yesterday, Ben and I both worked all morning, but decided we would do something in the afternoon. I went down to my house and got dressed in "people clothes" (as opposed to the dance clothes I wear every single day), and put on some make-up (something I haven't done in a while). Ben got to my place and we decided to take my car.....what beats a convertible on a beautiful sunny day?.....and drove to the famous San Diego Zoo. The zoo is a beautiful place!

Ben was too cute. His hands were sweaty and he was acting a little funny. We finished the afternoon by shopping at an outdoor mall (we found his wedding ring)....and then went out to dinner. We had a drink at the bar and then sat down for a nice dinner with just the two of us.

Overall it was such a fun day. On his way back home, I sent him a text letting him know how much I'd loved our day together. His response was adorable.... "I had fun too. It was weird. I kinda felt nervous the whole day, like when we were first dating."

It was true....it was kind of like when we first started dating over 2 years ago. I asked him if that's why his hands were so sweaty. Was he nervous?

Ben's response: "Maybe....or its it's the fact that every so often I realize how lucky I am to have such an amazing person in my life."

I am going to be marrying the most incredible man I have ever known. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with someone who appreciates me, loves me, takes care of me, and has always been their for me. Only five more months left until the start of our lives together!

The love of the stage!

I really do love to teach, especially something that I absolutely couldn't live without. Dance has been my passion since I was a freshman in high school, and gymnastics was no longer an option. I danced throughout college and couldn't think of anything better to do than teach what I enjoy. I couldn't live paycheck to paycheck as a professional dancer....and this seems to be the next best thing.

Over the last few years I have been dancing alongside a professional dance company here in San Diego. I have performed a half a dozen times, and everytime I wonder why I don't do it more......then I remember I have no time.

Being on stage is like nothing else. I danced my heart out last night....and it was great to hear that Ben thought I was the best one out there (he has to say that). I just wish I had more time to do something that I so truly can't live without......the love of being on the stage!

I'm One Lucky Girl

I've known from the day I met Ben, that he was a great guy. But the last few days has been a great reminder.

I have been super tired, busy, and incredibly stressed out....and no it doesn't have much to do with the wedding stuff. That is one area we have under control. I've decided to take classes to bump myself up a level on the pay scale, including 2 online, and 3 dance classes at a local college. On top of that I am rehearsing to perform in a show this month, and choreographing for the school's spring musical, and planning the huge dance show I put on every year.

I started feeling sick on Monday, and was really bad by Tuesday night. I was coughing like crazy and was just going to head to my house to avoid keeping Ben up all night by staying at his place. On my way out of class he called and told me to come over to his place so he could take care of me.

Every few hours, I would wake up, coughing like crazy. Instead of letting me fend for myself, he got up out of bed every time, to get me whatever I needed, hot tea, water, medicine, cough drops. For the last week, he's made sure I had whatever sounded good for lunch, dinner, etc. while I sat on the couch being sick.

It's now Saturday....and I'm still sick! Ben was asked yesterday to go on a free trip to Vegas for the weekend. Most guys would jump at the chance. Ben, came to me and said, "The guys asked me to go to Vegas with them this weekend, but I know you aren't feeling well. I'll stay home and take care of you."

Needless to say....I'm not that needy.....and I told him I thought he should go.
He's in Vegas now, and I miss him! I'm also slightly bummed that I'm going to have to get out of bed and get myself something for dinner.

I'm such a baby!