A Miracle on Center Street

Once upon a time there was this place on a downtown street in the state of Utah. It started out as an empty building and ended up being a place where great things happened - miracles really.

This place was always busy and always full of people. These people danced, sang, and strutted across a stage.  Audiences would fill the chairs and watch these people give their all up on the stage. All for the sake of entertainment.

These people were actors and performers. People who were passionate about their art and eager to share with those who chose to come and be uplifted and entertained. People from all walks of life and all kinds of talents and abilities were given opportunties that they may not have had elsewhere. This place was a blessing in the lives of many for many reasons.

It was really a wonderful place. But what made it so wonderful? And what miracles took place? Why is it so engrained in my memories that I would write an entire post soley devoted to it? And what WAS this place?

This place was called Center Street Musical Theatre. And what made it so wonderful? Well, it wasn't an "it" but a HE and a SHE. Two people who literally put their whole heart and soul into making this place great. They were loved by everyone who came there to perform and they made a huge difference in the lives of countless indviduals.

He directed, produced, built the sets and props, he acted and sang, and he was a great example to everyone who knows him. He made sure to bring the Spirit into every rehearsal and every performance. He wanted CSMT to be a safe haven; a refuge from the world where people could do what they love, and not have their morals or spirituality threatened by the people or by the material being performed. He had a major impact on my life both on and off the stage. Oh and guess what? HE is MY dad.

She made all the costumes, directed all the music, bought all the food, handled the ticket sales and finances, ran every errand there was to run, took care of 7 children, and stood by his side through it all. She was full of personality and was fun to laugh with and be around. She cared deeply for every one of her "theatre children" and still does today. Oh and guess what? SHE is MY mom.

So now you know. This place belonged to my family. This place was one of the biggest parts of my entire life. I spent almost every waking hour outside of school at Center Street. I made some of my closest friends. I grew as an actress and a singer. I was given countless opportunities and had countless responsibilites. This was the place where I met the most important person in my life. My husband.

Curtis came to audition for a show, we sang together, were cast together multiple times, and the rest is history. Without Center Street, there would be no US. I cannot fathom a life without my husband. I can't imagine growing up without that place. Oh how different my life would be! And that is why Center Street provided a miracle in my life. It provided a place for me to meet my eternal companion, of which I am eternally grateful. Not only to that place. But especially for the two people who made it all possible: My Mom and Dad.

So even though Center Street is no longer there, its spirit, memories, and influence live on. So thanks Mom and Dad. Thank you for Center Street Musical Theatre.



Loooooooong day

Today was crazy, busy, nonstop madness. I am so exhausted that instead of writing out one of my exciting or interesting posts all you get is a few words and a good night.

Princess had loads of fun today. Played at the park, had a friend over for three hours, and played played played! She also bonked her head pretty bad......I guess thats 2 year olds for ya!

We are currently enjoying the BYU football game. I sure hope Riley Nelson isn't too seriously injured. I think I would cry if he was out for the rest of the season!

It was fun to experience what life might be like with 3 kids. It's a lot of work! But it sure keeps Princess happy and occupied. We are grateful for friends that want to trade babysitting with us! It beats paying babysitters any day!

Well those are my thoughts for today. I'm tuckered out and headed to bed! Good night!

Pink Coat

Princess got a new outfit today! A new store opened at the mall today so I went by and got a great deal on a hat, a coat, and some pants(not pictured). She was SO excited and just had to put them on and take some pictures of how pretty she looked!

A very VERY excited little girl!

She loved it so much, that when it was time to take it off and go to bed she completely lost it....oh well! At least I know she likes it!

We had a nice day today. Did some shopping. Watched some movies. And we got to go on a mommy daddy date! We ate pizza at a delicious place called Cork and Pig, went bowling (where I got my butt royaly kicked. Seriously guys, it was pathetic. And daddy played awesome.) and then we got some yummy rocky road ice cream to share. Princess had a blast playing with a new little friend while we were on our date.

So glad we got to do that. It had been 3 months since our last date. THREE MONTHS! Yah, that's not happening again!

I also wanted to take the opportunity to publicly thank the veterans and those currently serving our country in the military. Our brother in-law is a veteran and we are very grateful for his service. Love you Frank! And thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Happy Veteran's Day everyone.

Proud to be Weird

I am proud to be weird.

The other night my husband and I were talking. I confessed that I didn't understand why people thought that Mormons were weird.

"I'm not weird" I said. "I am a completely normal person. Why do people think that I, as a Mormon, am weird, an outsider, different."

"You ARE weird!" He said. "Think about all the things that you DON'T do that most people DO."

I thought about it. And realized very quickly that I was indeed very very weird. I DON'T drink, smoke, see rated R movies, drink coffee, drink caffeine, dress immodestly, use swear words. I DO attend church regularly, value life, value families, strive to be honest and true in all that I do, respect my fellow man- no matter who they are or what decisions that make, have a knowledge that we are children of our Heavenly Father and believe deeply in our Savior, Jesus Christ, know that a Prophet lives and guides us today, know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet, and yes he found gold plates and translated them through the power of God.

These things seem so normal to me. They are so engrained into every fiber of my being. I cannot imagine being or believing anything else. These things are not the norm of our society. Which makes me weird.

I started the evening not understanding and even disagreeing with the general view of Mormons in most of society. Now I get it. We are different. We stand out from the crowd. We are weird.

And I am Proud and GRATEFUL to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A Mormon. (And weird. ^_^)

What I do in my spare time

Sometimes I spend up to 20 hours a week doing one of my newest hobbies. It is pretty time consuming, and just a little addicting.......

So what is it you ask?

Couponing

That's right, I am a big couponer. I spend most of my free time scouting out the best deals and coupons. When I go shopping it is a major event. It takes me up to two hours to write out my lists and then up to another hour to clip my coupons and get them organized. Then I shop for two hours or more and I come home with loads of groceries for a much lower price.

I LOVE it. And it really is addicting. So much so, that I can never go back to the way I used to shop. Pay full price? No way. Pay anything at all? For some items, never!

I can't even tell you how much money I save. And how much more I am able to get because of those savings.

It is more than worth the time and effort. I even consider it my part-time job: to save money and make the most of every dollar the my husband works so hard to make. It makes me feel like I am contributing in more than just the homemaking and mothering. It is very fulfilling!

So if you're looking to save money and live on a tight budget, try couponing. I promise you that it can and will make all the difference!

Some days...

Some days can be so hard. Princess gets in one of her "moods."

Everything I do is wrong. Some days she just has these massive meltdowns. Some days I feel so overwhelmed. Like no matter what I do, it just won't be right.

Some days being a mom is so so hard.

And then I look at those beautiful blue eyes. Her curly blonde hair. I see her sweet smile and hear her say "I love you mommy."

And I remember.

That my baby girl is a Daughter of God. That He has entrusted her too us; to love her and to guide her.

What a tremendous blessing and responsibility I have from my Heavenly Father.

And despite the hard days I am so grateful for the greatest blessing of all.

My sweet little girl. My Little Princess.

I love you little girl.

A Confession

If you know me, then you know that I am a graduate of Brigham Young University. I graduated in August 2010 majoring in Family Life and minoring in Music.

I had a great experience. I loved being there. My classes were amazing. My teachers were amazing.

I love that school and I am very proud to be a BYU alumni.

However, I have a little confession to make......

Before I attended BYU I was not a fan. I would even go so far as to say that I had a deep LOATHING for Brigham Young University.

Growing up in Provo was hard sometimes. You felt trapped. EVERYONE was Mormon. You were never really challenged and it was easy for my peers to just float along.

For some reason BYU represented a future that meant that I would be trapped forever. That I would never have major life experiences. I would always be in Provo.

This was so terrifying to me. I had some big dreams. I wanted to go to New York and be a big star. I wanted to have "real" life experiences. So I dreaded the thought of going to BYU of all places. A school full of "zoobies". People that were all the same.

I also couldn't stand the prospect of being stuck with the same people from elementary, middle, and high school for another four years! I never had many friends and I always had a hard time fitting in. So the last thing that I wanted was to go somewhere where people already knew me. I wanted to start fresh. Be who I wanted to be, instead of who people had already decided I was, whether or not that image they had created was who I truly was.

When it got time to applying for college I realized that my options were few and far between. Essentially it was BYU, BYU-Idaho, or BYU-Hawaii. I hoped that I would get into Hawaii but that didn't happen. I was accepted into both BYU and BYU-I. I decided very quickly that Idaho was it. That there was NO way I was staying in Provo. So I visited the school a few times. It was nice. But it just didn't feel right. AT ALL.

A few things happened (like hitting a deer and breaking down near Logan, UT) and I eventually decided that I would attend BYU after all.

At first it was like eating something that you knew would give you a horrible taste in your mouth. In fact I didn't enjoy my first semester very much. But then I married my sweetheart. And things slowly started to change. I took one class after we got married and mostly just worked. Then we decided to take a leap and move to Colorado to help my brother in-law after his wife died.

Colorado was and is still one of the most life changing experiences I have ever had. I grew a lot. I realized what was important and I realized what I wanted to do. We both did. So after 6 months in Colorado we ventured back to Provo to start a new saga.

BYU was totally different this time. The campus was so beautiful I realized. The people were actually really nice and came from many different walks of life. Sure I occasionaly saw people that I knew from high school, but it was never a big deal. I didn't let it be so. I loved my classes. I loved going through the college experience with my husband. Every tiny thing about BYU had changed for me.

In reality, I had changed. I was no longer the person I had once been. And this new person was perfectly suited for the BYU experience.