The Last

Saturday night was the our performance of Will Rogers Follies at Weber State University. 

It was also my last performance at Weber State University in general. 

CRAZY.

As you can probably imagine, it was a pretty emotional experience for me, and several other people, especially those who were also doing their last performance at WSU. 

This process has been a complete and utter joy. I could not have asked for a better experience to end my college career. I am so beyond grateful to everyone who shared this show with me for making it such an amazing experience. I will never be able to thank Jim Christian enough for casting me as Betty.

This role, this show, Will Rogers... they have all changed me. 

For the better :)

I have so many feelings in my heart about this show, and no words to express them. Everything I come up with seems inadequate. This show has been so much fun, so full of love and light, full of so many people dear to my heart, and just all around wonderful.... It's hard to say goodbye to something like that.

I was thinking about all of this and how it all began. I remember BJ teaching me how to do a flat loop with a rope so that  I remember the audition process and hoping beyond all hope that I would be cast as Betty, but trying so hard not to get my hopes up all at the same time. I also remember hoping that I would just be involved in any small way. I remember leaving the auditions and knowing that there was nothing left for me to do but wait. I remember walking down the hall to the call board and not being able to breathe when I saw this:

I remember being so excited to start rehearsals, not being able to wait for the break to be over so we could start the show (even though I didn't want to go back to school). I remember my very first rehearsal. I remember hanging out and laughing so hard I could cry at rehearsals with my amazing friends. I remember the first time BJ did the Texas Skip. I remember throwing almonds to the dancers with Juston. I remember the first time we rehearsed the end scene and how BJ, Jim, and I were big sobbing messes... it was so beautiful. 

I remember the first time I tried on my costumes and falling completely in love with them, and then trying on my adorable wigs and feeling the same way about them. I remember the first time I flew on the moon. I remember opening night, the amazing run, and of course closing night. 

I had the privilege of sharing my last closing night at WSU with 5 other amazing people sharing their last closing nights with me. 

Emily Ferrin, Kalyn West, Me, Kelsie Slaugh, BJ Whimpey, and Trent Cox.

These people are very dear to me. 

Emily has been a spiritual stronghold for me here at WSU.

Kalyn shared my very first show that I ever did at WSU, and now my last.

Kelsie and I played mother and daughter in Tartuffe last year and really bonded.

BJ is my very best friend outside of my family. 

Trent was my very first friend at WSU.

I love all of them SO MUCH. 

I also love this man.

Without him none of this would have happened. 

He is such an amazing human.

I hope to be just a fraction of the wonderful person he is.

If I can do that, I will have accomplished much. 

SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY FOLLIES FAMILY. 

I LOVE ALL OF YOU AND WILL TREASURE THIS EXPERIENCE FOREVER. 

The Will Rogers Follies: A Life In Revue

I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS SHOW.

I am going to be honest and say that I thought I would never love another show like I loved Xanadu.

I was so wrong.

I will always love Xanadu and it will always have a special place in my heart reserved just for it. However I have realized in the past month or two that there can be more than one "love of your life" when it comes to shows.

The Will Rogers Follies is my new "love of my life." Not replacing, but adding to the list of loves. 

I had no idea how much I would love this show.

SURE...

I knew that I wanted to be in it.

I knew I loved the script.

I knew I loved the music.

I knew that I would have a great time.

I knew that I loved the people in it.

I knew I loved the director and designers.

BUT...

I had no idea that this show would ring so true in my heart.

I had no idea that I would grow to love these characters as if I really new them.

I had no idea that I would become such a close family with this cast.

I had no idea that this show would bring me so much happiness.

I had no idea I would be so deeply moved by this show's message.

I had no idea that I would fall so deeply in love with this show.  

I am so extremely blessed to be a part of this production. I have learned so much about myself and about the people that I am working with throughout this process. I mean... I feel like it doesn't get much better than this for the last show of your college career. I couldn't ask for anything better, cause I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist! 

You aren't going to want to miss this show. Seriously, it is pretty awesome (if I do say so myself). I am confident that there are parts that will straight up take your breath away! It's a BEAUTIFUL show and I am very proud to be a part of it! 

We open February 7th! The run of the show is as follows:

February 7-9 & 19-23

with Matinees on both Saturdays

You can get tickets by clicking HERE and clicking the Performing Arts- Theater button

or by calling 801-626-8500.

I hope that everyone gets the chance to see this show. I'm in love with it and want to share it with as many people as possible :)

Everyone keep smiling!

"Advice"

I found this on my adorable friend Bailey's blog. (You can read it by clicking HERE) She is so great and I constantly find enlightenment and strength in her blog. Today is no exception! This list of "advice" is so great. There are such truths in such simple words. The ones that I particularly connect with are in bold.

"45 Life Lessons" written by Regina Brett, of Cleveland, Ohio.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step..

3. Life is too short - enjoy it..

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and
family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7... Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. Just don't stay angry.

9.. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11... Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it...

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye But don't worry; God never blinks.

16... Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy. But it's all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't
save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23 Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will
this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive but don't forget.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does..

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38.. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd
grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

BELIEVE

Yesterday I most definitely did go to the Justin Bieber concert! And let me just say,

IT WAS AMAZING!

Caitlin and Me walking to the concert :)

Caitlin (my sister and my best girl friend ever) and I spent the day shopping at City Creek shopping center and hanging out, then we grabbed some dinner, and then headed to the Energy Solutions Arena for the concert! Caitlin got the tickets in July for her birthday and asked me to go with her when she got them. I am so glad that she did and have been so excited to go to the concert! The anticipation over the past six months (especially this last week) has been killing me!

We saw some friends there, too :)

So excited we can hardly stand it. Waiting for the concert to start.

Now, let me set some things straight before I go any further with this.

Justin Bieber may be good looking and famous, but that is not why Caitlin and I completely adore and love him. We love him because he is a person with real talent who is living his dream. He is a great vocalist and performer and is humble to boot. Of course he relishes in the fame, I would too, but he knows that he is blessed to be able to live his dream, and he is really trying to give back to the world and his fans. I really believe he loves his fans as much as we love him. I appreciate that he is always encouraging people to follow their dreams, never let anyone stop you from doing what you love or tell you that you can't do it, and NEVER SAY NEVER. This means so much to people like Caitlin and me. We have very big dreams and sometimes they seem impossible, but nothing is impossible. Justin Bieber was once just a kid like us, a kid with dreams, and he is living his dream. Nothing is impossible.

SO, when he walked out on that stage, yes I screamed. I screamed like a 1960's teenage girl at a Beatles concert. And I jumped up and down and sang along and went a little bit crazy. But I also listened. I can hear myself sing or scream whenever I want. I wanted to hear him! I also swelled with admiration and joy at seeing someone who truly deserves to live their dream, live their dream. Few things make me happier than watching people live their dreams. Especially when they are gracious about it. And when he sang "Never Say Never" you bet your bottom dollar that I got choked up and tears filled my eyes a bit. I love that he is telling people (telling me) never to give up on my dreams, never tell myself that it won't happen. Then, later in the concert he did this little video speech thing where he thanked us for being his fans, thanked us for believing in him (which we do), thanked us for being with him from the very beginning (which my whole family has been), seeing his movie (which we did), and for "standing by him" through everything. He told us that he knows it's because of our belief in him that he is where he is today. At this point I was crying, BIG FAT TEARS, and I am in no way ashamed to admit it. And then when he sang "Believe" I cried again. Yup. I am one of those girls that cried at the Justin Bieber concert. I am so inspired by him.

So maybe I sound crazy.

I have dreams that some people think are ridiculous. I have dreams that people believe will never come true. Same with my sister. She really wants to be a music artist. And I really want to be an actress in film and on stage. Those are big dreams. She knows it, I know it. But you know what else we know? We know we have it in us. We know we can make it happen. And it will. Someday. You know how I know? Because it has happened for people like Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, and many, many others. They followed their dreams. They made it. And they are just people like Caitlin and me.

SO, thank you Justin. Thank you for living your dream. Thank you for reminding me that nothing is impossible. Thank you for being you. And thank you for putting on an AMAZING concert last night!

EVERYONE, I AM A BELIEBER!

P.S. Here are some pictures from the concert! Some of the pictures make us look like we were farther away than we really were, but we had AMAZING seats :) We saw every single thing perfectly! 

2013

So turns out the Mayans didn't have quite the handle on things that they thought they did! Lucky for us! (Ok, ok, I know it was just the end of a "cycle" or whatever, but still!)

But really though, no end of the world, so we get to enjoy another year :) YAY!

It's crazy to me how the years seem to go by so much faster than they did when I was a kid. I mean, do you remember when a year felt like FOREVER? And now a year doesn't seem like that long at all. One year, two years, three years, forty years.... so strange.

I am proud to say that I accomplished a lot of my New Year's resolutions from last January and have made significant progress in the others. It is a good feeling to look back on that list and find that you really did make a lot of improvements and accomplished a lot of goals! I didn't really know what that felt like before Brandon and I got married because I always lost my list of resolutions before the end of the year, but now we keep them in a very specific spot and always look at them before we write our new resolutions. I also like the fact that I am no longer looking at just resolutions that I have set for me, but I am also look at resolutions that Brandon and I have set as a couple. We have made good progress there as well! I love that.

Last year I did a post that had a whole bunch of "things I loved about 2011," "things I didn't love about 2011" and all that jazz (you can see that post by clicking here) and I think I'm going to do the same thing this year!

Things I loved about 2012
- Spending another amazing year with my AMAZING husband. Seriously, I don't think it gets any better than that.
- All of the amazing shows that I have done this year! Tartuffe, South Pacific, Five Carols.... :)
- Figuring out how to be healthy, happy, and love myself. It's a work in progress, but I am getting there.
- Learning to be a runner with Jen and running my races!
- Getting my job at Dress Barn and absolutely loving it there and the people I work with.
- Dancing with Legacy for the final time. Sad day, but great memories.
- Finishing my last fall semester at Weber!
- Really bonding with my best friends and creating relationships that will last a lifetime.
- Deciding that nothing is going to hold me back from pursuing my dreams.
- Doing my first ever movie :) Yay Steve From Accounting VS The Shadow Dwellers!
- Getting cast as "Betty Blake" in Will Rogers Follies
- Having some very dear friends come home from missions!
- Getting my first niece ever and loving the crap out of her! I love my Tazer-Jane!

- A bunch of my friends having babies, getting married, and being awesome :)

- Going to The Roof with my sweet husband for our 2nd Anniversary!

Things I didn't love about 2012

- Not getting to spend a lot of time with Brandon during school semesters.

- Being super overwhelmed with school.

- Not having air conditioning or heat (it wasn't THAT bad, but it wasn't super comfortable)

- Figuring out the eating healthy and being cheap aren't super compatible. 

- Dislocating my thumb twice

- Finding out that people aren't who you thought they were.

- Getting with an agency that hasn't done crap for me. 

Things I will always remember about 2012

- Our 2nd Anniversary!

- Taizlee being born :)

- Caitlin graduating from High School

- Reconnecting with my brother Kyle.

- Kyle graduating from High School.

- Running my first ever 5K and then running my first ever 10K

- Learning so much about myself and making big life decisions

- All of the above and below things

- Watching the solar eclipse

Crazy adventures I had during 2012

- Bear Lake with the McGregor clan

- Manti with the Billings clan and riding all over those mountains

- Cutting out gluten and sugar from my diet

- Going to St. George with Legacy

- Redecorating my house

- Public transportation

- Learning to cook using very limited ingredients

Movies I saw during 2012

- Hunger Games

- The Vow

- The Lucky One

- The Avengers

- Brave

- The Amazing Spiderman

- The Dark Knight Rises

- Premium Rush

- Pitch Perfect

- Wreck It Ralph

- The Hobbit

- Les Mis

Some of my favorite things during 2012

- Costa Vida (but a very different menu than I previously enjoyed)

- The color yellow

- converse (I have 18 pairs!)

- vintage clothing, especially skirts and dresses

- Scarves

- Coldplay

- Going to movies with my hubby

- Carb free peanut butter cookies

- Bell peppers

- Running

- Going to the gym with my sweetheart

- The Hunger Games books

- Playing with my friend's kids and my niece

Things that happened in the world during 2011

- The summer Olympics in London

- Obama reelected 

- Hurricane Sandy

- The shootings in the Colorado movie theater, at Sandy Hook Elementary, and Oregon

- Whitney Huston, Donna Summer, and Neil Armstrong died (among others, but still...)