Tom & Vera Lukens

Model material

2011-05-12T13:54:00.000-04:00

Look at this girl, she's model material! Violet is SUCH a doll. I just want to hug her and give her kisses all the time. Tom took this picture and it turned out amazing. Tom is so talented and it also helps when you have someone so pretty to take pictures of :)

Leah's graduation

2011-05-11T20:51:00.002-04:00

Leah graduated from KSU today! As staff of KSU, I was fortunate to be able to sit on the floor for the ceremony and greet her on stage after she got her diploma!

Yay! Leah and Kerry smiling for the camera.

Coaching, a profession of love

2011-04-18T22:30:00.004-04:00

"Coaching is a profession of love. You can't coach people unless you love them."
-Eddie Robinson

I love the ladies I coach and feel very blessed to be doing something I love so much. These two dancers are my seniors this year. I've coached Nat for four seasons and Kay for two. Especially Nat, I've seen blossom from an 18 year old into a beautiful woman about to graduate college. I'm so proud of all my dancers and I'm especially proud to send these ladies off and welcome them as alumni to our program. This picture was captured on our last night at Nationals during our special team dinner. Nat and I didn't realize it was being taken but Kay, the ham smiling, knew :) They edited it and put "We will always be KSU Dancers!"

We always have an end of the season banquet for Spirit. I give the girls gifts and they give each other gifts. It's a bittersweet part of the season where we say goodbye to those that are leaving us and hello to a new season for those that are staying. I am so grateful for the gift they gave me this year...a scrapbook of the entire season. They gave me a scrapbook last season also and I selfishly hope it becomes a tradition. This book is phenomenal and they spent so much time on it. I choked up when they presented it to me. I couldn't be more thankful and here we are enjoying it.

"Less me, more WE...K, S, U know!!

Southern Lights: Atlanta Youth Cultural Celebration

2011-04-15T15:59:00.001-04:00

The Atlanta Temple in Sandy Springs, GA was closed for renovation for nearly 2 news. When a temple is closed for construction and then re-opened, a few things occur. An open house is organized and open to the public for a couple weeks and then the temple is re-dedicated by the prophet of our church, Thomas S. Monson, allowing temple recommend holders from re-dedication forward to enter. In April 2011, our temple was reopened and re-dedicated. Customary to a temple's re-dedication is a cultural celebration by the youth of the church in that area. There are temples all over the world.

Kathy and Rene Alba were the co-directors of the show and I was asked to be one of the choreographers and cast directors for this production...and production it was. There were over 2,000 youth that participated from all over the state of Georgia and they took such pride in it. It was such a blessing to part of. The production theme was the history of Georgia with dialog and dance. It was called Southern Lights. The opening number was "Waitin' for the Light to Shine" by the youth choir (who sang a number of songs). I choreographed 4 routines: the Stomp, Salsa, Flags and Cheer. I also taught the Charleston to the youth in my area. These youth worked so hard. The whole event took months of preparation and the show was one night with a pre-show by an adult choir. The Prophet was in attendance and he took about 15 minutes to start off the evening by speaking. Truly touching and inspired. The whole event was memorable and I got to meet some fantastic people in the process. But the highlight would have to be when the Stomp received a standing ovation by not only our Prophet but the entire audience (the only group number to get a standing “O”). I was backstage the whole time so I didn’t know until after the show. I couldn’t help but get emotional from that. What we do humbly and put ourselves honestly and whole heartedly into makes a difference. The standing ovation was an added bonus but to see the pure joy and excitement that these youth had and how proud they were of themselves was amazing. Most of these youth didn’t have dance training, we made the dances simple yet effective and the teachers in their area did a phenomenal job teaching them the choreography and perfecting it. All of the choreographers taped their routines teaching with counts, performing it with music and then the reps in each area taught them. I had youth performing my particular dances from Sugar Hill, Macon, etc. Too far for me to travel multiple times a week to work on so how thankful I am to everyone for collaborating and making this a group effort for success.

Tom being so talented in his music, video and audio ways did an "I'm a Mormon" video by highlighting about 6 youth from all over the state and compiling this really neat presentation. If I can upload a video here, I will. It’s worth sharing. Tom also got to be backstage when our Prophet arrived and be one of the photographers for the event. I was back with the cast directors around the time our Prophet was arriving and shortly after, Tom came into the room with a face that I knew he just experienced something special. He pulls out his camera and shows me the pictures...amazing... I know that Thomas S. Monson is a man of God. Tom got to take pictures during the show and captured some great moments.

I am grateful for the Atlanta Temple and for the opportunity I was given to be part of this. Here is a picture of all the cast directors and assistant cast directors.

Shooting Star 2011

2011-04-12T22:48:00.000-04:00

I'm looking forward to dancing and cheering for the WNBA Atlanta Dream Shooting Stars another season!! This time as a veteran to the team.

Rookie of the year 2010

2011-04-01T22:24:00.001-04:00

The Atlanta Dream Shooting Stars got together one last time, before tryouts, to celebrate our 2010 season. It was a banquet and we had a good time. At the end, we had awards. I was given the award for Rookie of the year, voted on by my teammates. I felt honored. These other two teammates got awards also. Thanks stars!!

Sassy hair

2011-04-01T15:37:00.002-04:00

Laura decided to make some changes upon returning from her mission. They came to visit GA after a few weeks of being home and one of those things was cutting off those long locks! Look at her sassy hair! It looks so good. Another is going by Lee now (her middle name).

Part puppy, part human

2011-03-30T13:22:00.000-04:00

Is she not just squeezable!?! I love this sweet girl. She is part puppy, part human. I swear it.

Welcome home, La!!

2011-03-22T22:30:00.094-04:00

My sister, Laura, just returned home from her 18 month mission in Belem Brazil for our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What an amazing and life changing experience her mission was for her. Life in other countries, especially where she was serving was so different from what her life was like in the states before she left.

She left September 2009 and returned March 2011. When she left, she spend a couple months in Sao Paulo in what we call the CTM (Center for Training Missionaries) to learn the language, discussions, etc. Laura is a smart gal, always has been, but Portuguese is tough. She diligently studied and before long, she was fluent. Once missionaries get to the CTM and all through their mission, they have a companion and their with them always. Companionship's often change throughout the mission when transferring to different areas, new missionaries coming, etc. Her companion once she left the CTM was completely fluent in Portuguese, and Brazilian...very little English. So needless to say, when that is your only option, you learn fast. You're fully immersed in it 24/7.

She had amazing experiences, met amazing people, learned valuable lessons and went through some tough things. I could write for days about it but, I won't. We got to talk to her on Mother's Day and Christmas and email with her every Monday. Every Monday and those holiday's we got to talk with her were very special days to our family. I would cry over some letters that I wrote to her and I would cry over some letters that I got back. I was and still am so proud of her. She always had a firm and solid testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but she came home even stronger and more beautiful than when she left.

So needless to say, we missed her and were happy to welcome her home...but my parents were the ones that got to welcome her first because they now live in Virginia and Laura came home there. So what did I decide to do? Road trip with Leah and Violet to SURPRISE Laura in Virginia. My parents were in on it, too, so on a Thursday after Leah's school class and my Dance Team practice at KSU, we were off!

We drove through the night and made a pit stop at my Uncle Dean & Aunt Rebecca and family in North Carolina to stay the night and the next day. If we were going to this effort of making a 9 hour drive with a baby in the car, we were going to see as much family as we could and use every minute to the fullest capacity. We had so much with them and are so grateful they let us stay with them. Their kids, Nathaniel, Grant, Julia, Emma and Sammy are so sweet! Emma and Julia showed us some gymnastics tricks, I did Emma's hair, Sammy wowed us with video game skills and overall we're just so blessed to have loving family. Saturday morning, we left to make the last leg of the trip to Virginia. I was in touch with Mom as Laura and Dad were running errands. Fast forwarding through the fuel stops, etc. we make it to their house and park behind a tree in an attempt to hide the car. Luckily we see them eating at the dining room table and Laura's back it to the window. I documented in video, but the footage is filled with tears and so I'm choosing to keep that for myself. We sneakily move to the front door and my dad sees us walking up the driveway (we find out later he started kicking my mom under the table to get her attention..too funny!). The front door is open with the screen door. My dad passes us as we ring the doorbell and asks Laura to get it. We hear her say "sure" and no sooner than she makes eye contact with the front door than she lets out a typical Laura "squeal" and throws open the door and into the arms of me and Leah. Of course, we are choked up and I ask Laura "are you excited?" to which she replies through the tears "I'm thrilled." Mission accomplished...

So the rest of the trip is filled with random goodness, church, a trip to New Jersey to visit my Grandparents and another Uncle who hadn't met Violet yet nor seen everyone in a while. I unfortunately had to miss the New Jersey trip because I came down with something that turned out to be strep throat and my Grandparents have fragile immune systems due to health problems in the past and current recoveries, so I had to stay behind. That was the worst, but I am so glad they got to see everyone else. We left Tuesday morning for the drive home to get back to everyday life. Too bad we couldn't stay longer but that was definitely a trip that will go down in the books.

Here are a couple pictures from our weekend:

First picture above: Grant, me, Emma, Vi/Leah and Julia (missing Nathaniel and Sammy)
Second picture above: Uncle Dean and Aunt Rebecca

Next set of pictures:
First: Laura's tender moment putting Violet to sleep for the first time.
Second: Laura with Mom, Vi and Grandma and Grandpa
Third: 4 generations- Grandma, Mom, Leah and Violet

Alumni of the KSU Dance Team

2011-02-12T23:57:00.002-05:00

Not only am I the head coach of the Kennesaw State University Dance Team, I am also an alumni of the program. I danced on the team for four season and was captain all four. The program is nothing like it is now, as that comes with growth of the University, talent, etc. but the program means a lot to me. In more ways than one.

This year was the inaugural year of the alumni performance. Each year, we have an alumni basketball game and it had been a hope of mine to put an alumni routine together. So I decided to go for it. I taped myself teaching a routine, uploaded it to our youtube page and then the alumni practiced together twice to practice before the actual performance.

19 of us performed this year. It was so fantastic, I wanted to cry. It truly came full circle for me that day. Everything I do for the team, I experience on a coaching level. I LOVE what I do but to also be able to experience it as an alumni this day was really neat. The feedback was incredible to needless to say, it was the first of many to come. Many others that weren't able to participate this year plan on it for next season. There is a youtube link below the picture if you want to see the performance. We were jamming. Out of the 19 of us, there were those who hadn't danced since their college years, new mothers, mothers with more than one kid, out of towners, professional dancers, etc. Great night!

http://youtu.be/9QQ1xXy6TAk

Photoshoot

2011-01-20T12:54:00.001-05:00

Back in November, Tom got a professional camera. A Canon T2i. It's amazing. The three of us walked around downtown Kennesaw and he took some pictures. This is one of my favorites. Snuggles xoxo

25 years and still going strong

2010-12-27T12:52:00.002-05:00

This month, my parents celebrated their 25th anniversary. How awesome. I look forward to one day being there with Tom.

Nutmeg

2010-12-01T12:29:00.038-05:00

Tom and I had dinner with Trevor and Kennie the other night. After, we went to Pet Land for fun to see and play with the cute puppies for sale. We knew that we ever got a pet, it would have to be a non-shedding, hypo-allergenic pet. But, we had no intention of considering buying one. We held a few pups, and then we came across this tiny 8 week old girl Shih-Tzu. She was while with some light brown spots on her body. She was so sweet and she had just gotten to the pet store that day.

We were holding and playing with her in one of those play areas, and it just snuck up on us...we fell in love with her. So much in fact that Tom started talking prices, etc. with one of the employees. Problem was that she was a little costly and we were worried if we wanted to make the financial commitment that comes along with having a puppy, potty training, and all that. But I was game, I wanted her. Trevor even offered to pitch in because he wanted us to get her.

At the end of the night, we ended up leaving the store to think about it...without her. We got home and I felt kinda bummed out. I remember telling Tom that I wanted her and how I felt like we were ready for another addition to our family. Without kids right now, it felt right to have someone else to take care of and love on. Tom slept on it and then next day I got up early to run errands and Saturday chores. I was at Leah's house when I got a picture mail message from Tom. As I'm sure you might guess by now, this is what I saw...

Shocked and giddy, I called Tom. I said "Tom, you got the puppy?!" and he responded something to the effect of "Yeah, I knew you wanted her so I got her first thing when they opened." Now, don't let me fool you, he wanted her, too :) Then he said "when are you coming home?" and I said "now!" I was so excited.

I showed Leah and Kerry the picture and said my byes. Needless to say, it has been a fun, new adventure. She is a ball of love. We named her Nutmeg.

Anniversary and Baby blessing day

2010-11-21T16:24:00.006-05:00

Today, Tom and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary. Also, sweet baby Violet was blessed in church. It was a great day to be with family. I am blessed beyond measure and am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for putting the most special and beautiful people in my life.

Crusing the week away

2010-11-19T11:28:00.031-05:00

I love traditions, especially this time of year. November brings our annual cruise vacation! We are addicted to taking cruises, it is the perfect vacation. We have more pictures but this was taken one night at one of the ships restaurants.

We have always traveled with Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) and this year we sailed on the Epic ship. It is the largest of the NCL ships. It did not disappoint.

The entertainment was awesome. Blue Man Group was on the boat along with a Cirque type dinner and a show called Cirque Dreams and also a show called Legends in Concert where there were look-a-like performers (Michael Jackson- the best crowd response and REALLY good, Britney Spears, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, etc). It was entertaining and it made me wish I had gotten to see the real deal MJ in concert. He was so incredibly talented. Despite his personal life or whatever you think about it, there is no denying that man had some serious talent. What a gift.

There was also other entertainment like piano bars and sing alongs, night clubs, and our favorite ship entertainer, Bernie Martini who is a lounge singer that is a mix between Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble. We're been fortunate to enjoy his entertainment on the past three cruises we've taken.

One of the funnier moments was participating in Dancing with the "Epic" Stars. Oh wow, this was hilarious. I got chosen from putting my name in a drawing to be partnered up with one of the staff on the Epic. Don't let the title fool you, these partners did not have dance ability...at all. It kind of ran the same way as the show except they played music for the different styles of dance that you did on the spot and then they judged after each one. I got paired up with this guy who had not a clue, we did the Waltz first. I didn't care about winning, just having a good time and laugh..which we did. Good thing I didn't care to win because we got voted off by the judges first! It was too funny and we got interviewed right after by a guy in Second City (one of the comedy groups on the ship). They made my partner feel bad because I told them I actually did dance for a living (kind of). The whole program aired on the ships TV channel all week as did the other events on the ship that week. Tom taped it too, memories!

Another successful vacation down...is it sad we're already ready for next year?!

We have a niece!

2010-11-11T11:49:00.086-05:00

I witnessed one of the most miraculous things in my entire life, child birth. My sister, Leah, invited me to be with her and her husband in the delivery room at Kennestone Hospital when she delivered her first baby. I am so grateful for Leah and how close we are. I can't imagine not being there, after all was said and done.

Violet Pearl Thompson was born November 9th at 2:20am weighing 6lbs 4oz 19in of pure perfection.

Here's the story:

Leah called me on Monday afternoon telling me that her water broke and they were headed to the hospital. I made my way to the hospital about an hour later to find her getting set-up and checked out. If you know Kerry, he came prepared with a bag of candy (twizzlers, mints, and snacks) among other things and I brought myself and my laptop.

The nurse explained the contraction and heartbeat monitor to us so we could see the contractions as they were happening which was very cool. I had also brought a book that I was reading and read out loud to Leah to get our minds on something else while Kerry ran home to get a couple things and grab something to eat for us. Leah was a trooper and held out for a while before she decided on the epidural. I watched everything and I mean everything. I was so interested and concerned for her well being. I am so protective. She was a champ during the epidural, holy cow that needle was long. After that, smooth sailing. I swear she didn't feel anything...and when she did, she just gave herself a couple more taps of the drug. I would see a large contraction and say "wow, that was a big one, look" and she'd say "oh, wow." It was so surreal.

Come around 1am her nurse came to check on her and to her surprise said that Leah was ready to push. Her doctor got there shortly after, got her ready, and Leah started pushing. I had one leg and an arm and Kerry had the other. Her doctor was so calm and sweet with Leah. I was encouraging Leah, telling her she was doing so well with every push she made. I would tell her that we were so close to seeing the head, it was just amazing. One the head was out, it was just another push until Violet made her entrance into this world. A cry just escaped me as I witness this true miracle right before my eyes, in 30 minutes time. After that and seeing me cry, Leah started crying. Kerry cut the cord and Violet was placed in Leah's arms before she went to get cleaned up. The uniting of Mother and Daughter in that moment was so beautiful. I was the designated picture taker so I made my way to the scale and captured Violet there. She barely cried. She was definitely a skin to skin baby. She liked feeling close and secure and with you.

The moment I got to hold her after she got cleaned up was a feeling I certainly can't explain. Violet and I bonded in that moment. I felt like she came knowing my struggles and how special this experience was for me.

Soon after, we were moved to the recovery room. All of us were going on zero sleep. There wasn't really a place for me to lay, of course Kerry had dibs on the bench/bed thing and Leah had the bed. I asked Leah if she cared if I went home because I was so tired. She didn't want me to..so what did I do? I got in bed with her! Now don't worry, I used about 1/16 of that bed space but at least it was something. Right after we got situated, in came breakfast. So, both laying down, I fed Leah as she was holding Violet. It probably really was a funny scene. We were delirious. We got very little sleep but enough to hold us over. New mothers really don't get much sleep. I knew this, but experienced it with my sister in the hospital. I was so proud of Leah as she learned to breast feed, was taken care of after delivering and grateful I was there to help her and capture sweet moment of this experience. Seeing Violet bathed for the first time was so sweet and I was able to capture that moment for Leah while she was being taken care of by the nurses. Kerry's mom and sister came to visit Leah the next day and some of her sweet friends came to visit her while she was there also. Since my parents had recently moved to Virginia, they came a little over a week later for the Thanksgiving holiday and my mom stayed for about a month after. I had to leave that evening for Dance Team practice and to get some z's but I was there the next day after work with Tom to see her again.

Kerry was great during this and I'm also thankful to him for letting me experience this so closely with Leah. It was truly something I will never ever forget and am better because of it.

Here is a picture of me and Violet in the recovery room and a beauty shot taken by Tom.

Skin tags

2010-11-03T11:19:00.025-04:00

Tom and one of his best friends, Cam, decided to play surgeon the other day. I had a few small skin tags, that they wanted to remove. Let me tell you how they did this...with an ice cube and a razor. I am a brave girl to have let them. I hope this doesn't gross you out, but this is how it was done. I held ice on there for a few minutes, swabbed it with a sterile alcohol pad, then they pulled the skin tag a little and just sliced it off. I was so scared for the first one but it didn't hurt that bad, just a little sting. The guys took turns. Then Cam sliced me a little too close to the skin and that one hurt a bit...an explicit MAY have slipped out. But we all laughed about it right away. So here are my battle wounds. So pretty.

Holly Homemaker

2010-11-01T22:58:00.000-04:00

Bottom line, I love homemade things. I love to bake and cook (I wish I had more time). I made this cake for a Halloween party one of our friends threw. It's a pumpkin cake made to look like a pumpkin. The stem is a green colored ice cream cone and I outlined the lines on the bundt cake. I had fun making it and it tasted so yummy.

I am also wearing an apron that I made with my mom. It's so sassy with the 3-tired ruffles. My mom created the pattern and I'm glad she taught me sewing skills while growing up and how to use a sewing machine. Definitely have much to learn but the knowledge is great to have.

New Orleans and Biloxi

2010-10-04T10:39:00.039-04:00

For Tom's birthday, we decided last minute...very last minute, to drive to New Orleans and Biloxi for a good time. It was so fun to just go on a whim and play around all weekend. We left Friday after work and came back Sunday night.

When we got to Biloxi on Friday night, we checked into our hotel and then spent the evening and early morning at the Hard Rock Cafe & Casino. Saturday we walked around New Orleans and there was so much to see. I can't imagine what New Orleans is like during Mardi Gras because it was a total party just on this random Saturday, although there was a football game that afternoon. Maybe that had something to do with it. Regardless, we had a great time. There were so many street entertainers. There were also a lot of "statues." Some people paint themselves in silver paint, create a set-up and then people take pictures and give tips. This is one of the "statues." The dog is actually a statue thought...that would have been too difficult.

There was a magician on the street and both Tom and I at separate times got brought into his little show. Too funny. Then there was this b-boy crew of 4-5 guys, 3 of them are in the picture below. They literally put on a show with a TON of people watching on one of the street corners. It had stairs with sort of an amphitheater set-up and they wowed us. At the end, they brought some people into their show...how did you guess...to dance a little and then be part of this stunt where one of the guys did a trick over about 6 of us girls scrunched down side by side. It was pretty cool and quite funny. They were definitely talented and really entertaining.

We sure created some lasting memories that weekend. So glad we took the opportunity to be spontaneous and go with it!

We are the champions

2010-09-30T10:34:00.001-04:00

The WNBA Atlanta Dream are Eastern Conference Champions!! This was a really great season to cheer for the Dream. I enjoyed the staff, the experience, and my teammates. This game was crazy! Confetti from the ceiling, pictures on the court, everyone was stoked! Go Dream!

Listen to vlukenss Playlist

2010-09-13T15:49:00.001-04:00

Remote Kontrol

2010-08-22T05:00:00.002-04:00

For the past few years, the KSU Dance Team dances at the beginning of the KSU Freshman Convocation Ceremony. This year along with the Spirit Squad (cheer/dance/mascot), there was a special guest. Remote Kontrol performed and really hyped the crowd of new KSU students. Bryan, the guy on the right, became well known from his fantastic audition for SYTYCD a few seasons ago. He wasn't able to go to Vegas and move on in the competition, but he is so good at what he does and is also a KSU student. Shortly after his audition, he formed a crew called Remote Kontrol. They pop, glide and put on a show. I was chatting with the guys and took the photo opportunity.

Disney World and Universal Studios

2010-08-17T21:49:00.004-04:00

Matt and Jeri came to visit Georgia from Utah. The Lukens gang picked them up from the airport and we all drove to Florida for some quality time. Where? The happiest place on earth...DISNEY!

Epcot, I would say that is one of my favorites. I love visiting the countries and we had so much fun. One of my old KSU Dancers was working there for the Spring/Summer so she joined us for some fun, also.

Here we are at Epcot. Little did I know that one of my childhood memories, none other than Captain EO, was back at Epcot!! *For those of you that don't know Captain EO, youtube it. It's with Michael Jackson and it is classic* We enjoyed watching it and it was just like I remembered! We even rode a segway for the first time in one of the centers. The test track was another favorite and had us cracking up the whole time.

Matt, Jeri, Tom and I went to Universal Studios the next day. It was our first time at Universal. Another one of the reasons we went was to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It opened up in June and it was STILL packed out. It started to rain around lunch time but we still stuck it out and had a great time the rest of the day. Here I am enjoying a glass of butterbeer (if you're read or seen any of the Harry Potter movies, you know what this is). It tastes like a butterscotch, cream soda with a little frost on top. So good!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T22:34:00.001-04:00

The Shooting Stars traveled to the Atlanta Dream's pre-season game in Cookeville, TN, which was an all day event. We met early morning and rode a charter bus to TN, danced/cheered at the game and then drove back. It was fun. I got to know some of my teammates better.

Since I was gone for Mother's Day, my family was able to talk to Laura on Saturday, the day before instead. Laura is currently serving her mission for our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Belem, Brazil. We look forward to talking with her on Christmas and Mother's Day. The are always special calls for us. We're so proud of her.

Mr. Harrison retires

2010-04-30T22:13:00.000-04:00

Band was a huge memory for me in High School. I went to Sequoyah High School, I was in band and marched all 4 years of High School on the Drumline. Those memories I will always remember. Band practice, band camp, football games, percussion class, drumline practice, traveling to away game on the bus, band competition, fundraisers, friends, etc.

I had the same Band Director, Mr. David Harrison, all 4 years and he was a really great leader. I really respected him and just cherished my band experience. He is planning to retire at the end of the school year, so they put together a huge retirement program and party for him at the school.

The program and presentations were nicely done. It was also nice to see a lot of faces I haven't seen in a while. Afterward, there was a reception. They had a book to sign for him and a line so we all got a chance to talk to him one on one briefly. The booster club was also selling these "Harryisms" t-shirts. On the back of the shirt were phrases I'd heard all through High School so I had to get one. Thought I'd share some of my favorites:

Life According to Harry:

Attitude is everything.
One person can and does make a difference.
Work hard, play hard.
On time is late.
Bigger is not better - better is better.
Help others.
Find work that is meaningful.
Listen and learn from others.
Don't turn the music down - feel the rhythm and the lyrics.
It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
You know more than you think.
You can always get a standing ovation by pulling out a giant American flag.
Choose battles that count.
The best is yet to be.
What goes around comes around.
Lead, follow or get out of the way.

-David E. "Harry" Harrison

Ok, that was actually all of them. They are all so good. Anyway, I thought this was worthy of a post.

Atlanta Dream Shooting Star

2010-04-21T11:51:00.001-04:00

I decided to audition for the WNBA Atlanta Dream Shooting Stars Cheer Team. I have missed performing for a crowd and wanted an opportunity to dance on a professional team. The Dream plays in Philips Arena and basically has a summer season. It runs April- August/Sept so it wouldn't conflict with my commitment to KSU Dance Team.

I went to a prep clinic and Q&A session one night to decide if I liked their style and it was something I wanted to do. I decided so. So, on April 18th I auditioned. I made it through prelims and semi's and made it to finals! With each cut came new choreography.

The following week consisted of Monday the 19th- interview, boot camp and choreography; Tuesday the 20th- boot camp and choreography, Wed the 21st- final audition. And I am proud and excited to say that I made the team! It was a great feeling to prepare, go through the process and make it. I haven't been on a team in 5 years. Tom came to support me as well as a couple of my dancers from KSU (they surprised me). My dancers came stocked with signs and were definitely loud. I really appreciated the support on my behalf.

Here is the first team picture after we all made the team. My old coach from KSU, Sandra, made it back on the team. We were even in the same audition pair for the routine! That in itself was awesome.

So now, I'll be dancing at all of the WNBA Atlanta Dream basketball games in Philips Arena. Looking forward to the experience. Come to the games!

Church Basketball

2010-03-25T23:43:00.000-04:00

Tom plays church basketball every week with his buddies. This year they brought back the church basketball tournament for the Marietta East Stake. It was really fun to see Tom play. He did great! The Kennesaw Ward even won the final game tonight :) Champs. We took a picture but I'm not sure where it is. They got a framed certificate. It's all in fun but I know the guys were excited and playing it up.

Co. Dance

2010-03-14T21:23:00.002-04:00

I love this time of year! I was able to work Co. Dance again this year in Greenville, SC. It is a dance convention and the staff/dance faculty is amazing. Every year for the past 4 or so years, I've been able to work it and every year I come back inspired.

It runs Friday-Sunday and it's filled with dance company competitions, showcases, faculty classes for students and teachers, meetings, an audition, etc. I come to work and just help the faculty/staff run the event.

This year, was filled with adventures and great times. A couple of the faculty this year was Barry Youngbloog (amazing hip hop instructor), Greg Russell (tapping extraordinaire) and Lauren Gottlieb (fantastic contemporary dancer/instructor, also from SYTYCD). I had worked around Barry and Greg before but just met Lauren. She was awesome and really cool to be around.

There was this sushi place that was amazing, we ate there twice. One night, Ashley (my friend working the convention with me) and I ran into Barry and Greg at the restaurant. They asked what we were doing and that we should hang out. We end up going back and hanging out with them and Lauren (who came after her master class that night) and ended up in the Blue Martini, a dance club and bar. It was right next door to the sushi place, in the basement of this pub. It was apparently the place to be. It got packed! It was fun dancing and seeing the faculty in a different element.

Ashley is on the far right and I'm next to Barry. Lauren and Greg aren't in this picture.

We were exhausted the next day, but it was worth it. I loved taking dance class all weekend and helping with everything. I look forward to it every year!

27

2010-03-06T22:16:00.000-05:00

I am now 27 years old. Honestly, I don't feel old so I guess I'm ok with it. It has been a good day. I started the day off judging a Dance Competition in Peachtree City, GA and then spent the rest of the day with my Tom. Nothing too crazy, which was needed.

I've reflected on this past year. It was full of LIFE...ups, downs, good times and the bad but I am grateful to have lived and experienced another year. Always at the end of the day, I am truly blessed.

Here's to the next!

Atlantic Sun Basketball Tourney

2010-03-06T08:31:00.000-05:00

Tom and I are really into KSU Athletics. I work there as the Spirit Coordinator for Athletics (over Spirit Cheer, Dance Team and Mascot) and Head Coach the Dance Team. Tom does the music and sound for Basketball games.

KSU Athletics Basketball made the transition from D-II to D-I in 2005-2006. Since then, due to the probationary period when switching divisions, we haven't been eligible for the tournament. But this year we are! Both our Men's and Women's team made it to the tournament and played 3 days in a row on the 3rd, 4th and 5th. It was held at Mercer. It was so awesome and was a great start to what will come in the following seasons after this.

Go Owls!

Leah & Kerry Thompson

2010-01-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

My big sis, Leah got engaged to Kerry Thompson on December 17. 2009, the day Kerry got back from Basic Training with the National Guard. He planned the whole thing with my mom, who helped pull it off. We all knew, except for Leah :) With Kerry entering AIT in Augusta shortly after, reporting January 2, 2010, Leah and Kerry decided after much thought and prayer to wed New Year's Day 2010. It was a small, beautiful and intimate ceremony held at my parents home. Kerry will be graduating from AIT mid May. So needless to say, there wasn't much time to plan things but everything turned out so perfectly and wonderful.

Right after the proposal.

I threw a Bachelorette party for Leah and it was soo fun!

I also made them matching shirts. So cute :)

The wedding day.

Picture with the family (Laura is here in spirit since she's currently on her mission in Brazil).

Thanks to Bev who decorated their car so nicely.

6th Wedding Anniversary

2009-11-21T13:46:00.003-05:00

Today marks our 6th Wedding Anniversary. How time flies. It seems like just the other day we were dating and planning our wedding. What a blessing marriage is and for the temple covenants we made to each other. The last 6 years have delivered learning experiences, challenges, fun times, humbling times, etc. but most importantly love. I am so grateful to spend eternity with you, my love.

When I hear our first dance song, I still feel the same things and still get choked up, just as I did 6 years ago.

"When you say nothing at all" by Alison Krauss

It's amazing
How you can speak
Right to my heart
Without saying a word,
You can light up the dark
Try as I may
I could never explain
What I hear when
You don't say a thing

[CHORUS:]
The smile on your face
Lets me know
That you need me
There's a truth
In your eyes
Saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says
You'll catch me
Whenever I fall
You say it best
When you say
Nothing at all

Cruisin'

2009-11-20T13:29:00.001-05:00

Tom and I set off on our 3rd annual cruise. It is by far the best vacation EVER for us. No phones, internet, sense of time... Only relaxation, sun, fun, whatever food we want, whenever, entertainment and just about whatever we want. Two of our stops were to Cozumel and Grand Caymen.

We decided to get a couple's spa pass. This was one of NCL's best kept secrets! It was a private pool, spa, lounge chairs looking out the back of the boat, quiet rooms, steam rooms, etc. So glad we got a pass. It was right underneath the gym which we hit everyday. I'm being serious.

In the private pool.

Taking a tender to the Caymen Islands.

This guys would pose as a statue and then scare people as they walked by. He was fun to watch.

Snorkeling in Cozumel, Mexico.

At dinner one night.

Halloween & Kennie's 2nd Birthday

2009-10-31T13:22:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween! Our sweet Kennie baby is two years old. It's hard to believe, she is growing up so fast. We're so blessed to have her in our life and to be her "God" parents.

Blowing out the candles

Trick or treating at Cam and Jenny's. Mandy and I are proud to say we made Kennie's costume again this year. Little bumblebee.

I wore cat ears to be festive. Mandy had on wings for a little while.

Sandrock Camping Trip

2009-10-17T12:58:00.001-04:00

This was the 3rd annual (I believe) Sandrock, AL camping trip. Some of our friends organized it and we've been every year. It is so much fun! We go after work on Friday and stay through Saturday. Here are some pics from the weekend.

Our set-up as well as a friend's

Our Dutch oven Beef Stew...YUM

Night climbing

Night climbing with a pink headlamp :) Thanks for getting that for me, Tom!

Dutch oven Breakfast casserole

Enjoying the day

Climbing the beast. It was awesome.

Pro

The BIG 3-0!!!

2009-10-01T12:45:00.000-04:00

The day arrived...Tom is now in his thirties! To celebrate, we had a black light- casino night. It was so fun! Tom and I made graffiti art and hung them on the walls, we had black lights, games, friends and food. What a night! Here are a couple pictures captured throughout the evening (there are too many to post).

Sister Laura Schneider

2009-09-08T23:48:00.001-04:00

On Sunday we had an open house for Laura. It was so great to have so many people come out to wish her well on her mission. We're blessed to have wonderful people in our lives. She got set apart today as Sister Schneider for the next 18 months. It was a really special experience for our family to all be there together for that. She reports directly to Sao Paulo, Brazil to the MTC. She is there for a couple months and then will go to her field which is Belem, Brazil. We are so proud of her. Coming from a family of all girls, it wasn't assumed that any of us would go on a mission. My mom served in Norway and we loved hearing her stories. When Laura decided that is what she wanted to do, we were so excited for her. Belem is in Northern Brazil by the Amazon. HOT, HOT, HOT.

The spread...YUM

The family.

Mom and I. She decided to sit on my lap for a change!

Laura and I.

Sisters hug.

Sainsbury's in Starkville, MS

2009-09-05T23:39:00.001-04:00

Tom and I decided to go visit the Sainsbury's this weekend. We forgot how much energy the boys have! We loved it! They are one of our favorite families to be with. We miss them! We went to Mississippi State on Saturday and checked out the tailgating scene and everything going on before the football game. They are serious tailgaters there!

Tom and I with the boys. They are getting so big!

Green Day Concert

2009-08-01T22:22:00.001-04:00

We went to go see Green Day at the Gwinnett Center. It was AMAZING as usual. We don't expect anything less. We saw the American Idiot tour 3 times. Twice in Atlanta and once in Orlando (yes, we took a rode trip to see them and have some fun). So, with their new album out we had to see them again. We were on the floor pretty close to the stage. Billie Joe and the band as a whole have such an incredible stage presence. They usually have crowd interaction but had way more this time around. Billie Joe went into the audience a few times, brought a number of people up on stage at different times and even had a couple kids come up and play with them. Dreams came true for those kids that night! I've always wanted Tom to be able to get up there, but no such luck. Either way, their show is quite the experience. I recommend it!

Hitchin' a ride is one of my favorites. I tried to upload a video but it didn't work. I'll try again later.

Schneider Family Reunion

2009-07-10T21:58:00.000-04:00

The Schneider's, my dad's side of the family, had a family reunion in Virginia. So glad we went! I hadn't seen some of these family members since I was a little girl and some I hadn't even met. It also gave Tom an opportunity to meet more of my family.

My Grandpa in the camouflaged suspenders with his 3 sons and niece. My dad is on the far right. My dad and his brother, Kirk, on the far left were so alike at times. I joked around that they were twins. They had such similar mannerisms, it was crazy!

The family, minus Tom. He was taking the picture. Yes, the girls are wearing matching shirts in different colors. Per request of my mom. She bought them for us :)

Some of us went to Kirk's property to shoot guns and rifles. Here are the girls. The picture is kind of blurry but I wanted to post it anyway.

The guys.

Target practice...

And again...

50 Mile A.T. Hike

2009-06-29T21:39:00.001-04:00

Tom went with the Scouts on a 50 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. They started in North Carolina. Here are a few pictures from their adventure. Tom will update with the details and stories, but this is a start.

Getting dropped off on the side of the road.

Sleeping set- up.

The crew.

Master classes with Sabra

2009-05-02T00:38:00.003-04:00

Sabra (SYTYCD season 3 winner) came to the Boots Ward Rec Center in Power Springs, GA for a couple contemporary master classes. She did an intermediate class and an advanced class. I took both classes and had a really good time. I was by far the oldest duckling there, haha, but I'm so glad that I went. I think that it's important for dancers to work in multiple forms of dance and not just one style. You can learn and push yourself individually in any class you take and that's what I did. Good times.

Nationals...watch out here we come

2009-04-09T00:47:00.001-04:00

This is the 4th year the KSU Dance Team has competed Nationally. This year's theme was "Watch out here we come." Our routine music was the 80's version of "You spin me right round" with some funk mixed in. Flo-Rida's version came out AFTER our music was complete. What are the odds?!? Here is the team/coach's for our traditional picture after prelims.

Cat (assistant coach) and I after prelims.

I always wanted to take dance pictures on the beach! Here's one of them.

SYTYCD Audition in Seattle

2009-03-28T00:02:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes I did. I auditioned for SYTYCD season 5 in Seattle. It was kind of a quick decision. This was the last audition and I told myself if I had the opportunity to audition, I would. The opportunity didn't take shape until last minute to I decided to do it. Why not? The worst that would happen is that I wouldn't make it.

So, with plane ticket help from Trev and some detail research of where the audition was being held, etc. I began my journey.

Tom dropped me off at the Atl Airport Friday afternoon and I got on a standby flight to Seattle ( I even got first class which was a nice added bonus). I got to Seattle and took a cab to the Moore Theatre. I checked out the digs and met a few people already in line on the street. I checked into the Moore hotel right next door and got a European style room for the night. Eurpean meaning your room has a sink and there are about 5 rooms that share a toilet/shower (No, I didn't take a shower). Basicly everyone on my floor and in the hotel were there for the audition so I met and talked with a bunch of new people and made some friends.

I slept for a couple hours and got in line about 2am. The show camera's came out about 7am and the doors opened at 8am. It was FREEZING, WINDY and it started raining an hour or so before the doors opened. Thank goodness for my umbrella even though I didn't have the best jacket. I met some nice people in line who let me use one of their extra chairs.

Everyone piled into the theatre and sat down. They played music for a little while and everyone did the best they could to stretch in their seats and get ready (after sitting outside for hours). One of the producers talked to everyone and explained the process: just because you are the best dancer does not mean you will make it onto the show, etc, etc. This is a TV show so they are looking for so many different things: personality, look, ability, etc. Since this was the last audition spot, they've seen everything. They gave us some "do's" and "don'ts" and got started.

What you see on TV is not actually how it is at first. What you're seeing is the 3rd round of the audition process. The 1st two rounds are freestyle for the producers. If you get through those, then you dance for the judges for the 3rd round of your own choreography.

They break you into groups of 10 per the style you're dancing. I decided to do jazz. There were definitely more contemporary and hip hop dancers with a chunk of specialized dancers like bollywood, salsa, etc. You line up in two groups of five on either side of the stage....and you have NO IDEA what song you're freestyling to until you're on stage and the music starts. Each spot on the stage is numbered. When the music starts, number one goes first. The proceed to watch and say "next" until everyone has gone. Each person gets about 15-20 seconds to dance on the stage and show what you've got. Once everyone in your group has gone, everyone gets in one line and they either give you a yellow ticket for the next round or they let you go.

No one in my group went on. It was so interesting, fun and quite the rush of adrenaline. I haven't done an audition in a while and that type of freestyling is difficult. I was sooo glad that I did it and had no regrets. There were amazing dancers that made it through and amazing dancers that got cut. What was clear to me though, is that it was a total casting call. It's a TV show...hence the crazy dancers that get put through for viewing purposes.

After the audition, I hung out around downtown Seattle. I went to Pike's Market, ate lunch and walked around. I took a cab back to the airport late Saturday afternoon. It took me a long time to get a flight home since I was flying standby. A night at the airport and 3/4 of a book later, I made it home. Whew!

The trip was worth it and I'm so glad that I did it.

Co Dance Convention

2009-03-13T23:08:00.001-04:00

Co Dance is a company that holds dance conventions across the U.S. year round with world renown dance staff. I got connected with them because they used to be a sister company to UDA (I'm a former UDA staff member where I traveled to schools around the South East teaching dance team camps).

I got asked to work as staff for the Convention over the weekend in Greenville, SC. You don't get paid to work, however, you get put up in a hotel where the convention is being held, per diem for food, reimbursement for gas, a free convention shirt, discounts on convention attire and all the dance classes you want to take. How could I refuse?! I've worked a convention before and had a blast. The jobs are giving time calls for classes, switching class boards, helping run the convention competition, etc.

The weekend was amazing. I LOVED all of the dance faculty and remembered most of them from the last time I worked with a couple new ones. They are all so personable and inspiring. I enjoyed getting to talk with them. Sometimes they have a guest faculty member and the guest this weekend was Benji Schwimmer from SYTYCD (Season 2 winner).

Benji was great. When I found out he was there, I was interested to see how he would be in person. He has a great TV personality so I was excited to meet him. He was SUCH a nice and humble guy. Completely personable and a pleasure to talk with. I got a chance to talk with him one on one a couple times during the weekend and also take some of his classes. This is a picture with him the last day right before everyone was leaving.

Although I worked hard and was tired by the end, I had such a great time and felt so rejuvenated and inspired when I came home. I had fun telling Tom all the cool stories about the trip. Dance is amazing.

Game day as Scrappy

2009-02-22T22:41:00.000-05:00

I got the opportunity to be Scrappy for one of the basketball games this season. Our usual person for the job wasn't there, there were a lot of people AND kids at the game and I thought Scrappy needed to be there....so I did it.

It took me a few minutes to get used to the claustrophobic nature of it AND the fact that the suit was ridiculously hot.

I had fun playing the part and acting a fool because no one knew it was me. Not even my team! I felt fatigued for the rest of the day but I did have a good time.

Just the 5 of us

2009-02-01T00:36:00.001-05:00

Berry Fight!

2009-01-05T11:24:00.001-05:00

The Sainsbury's came in town for the weekend. They came over for lunch after church and right before they left to go home, we had a berry fight outside. The bushes in front of our house have these little red berries on them. I don't know what started it, but we go into a war where we used the berries as ammunition. It was hilarious!

Self portrait of Amanda and I. A little off center...

All White Vegas Night

2009-01-01T11:01:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year!! This year our New Year's Eve party was themed "All White Vegas Night." Everyone came dressed in white and we played "vegas" games like Craps, Roulette and Black Jack (with fake money...of course). It was a great time! Tom and I got really into it and Tom converted our entire basement into a casino. He made the tables, we hung stuff on the walls and just did it up really big. Everyone got $1,000 of fake money and Trevor was the highest roller by the end of the night. Second runner up was Megan. Everyone had a good time and we're excited for what's instore for next year!

Money, money, money... MONEY! Pre-party...

Action shots...

Some of the gamers...

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T22:39:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas! Here's a picture of part of our house and our pretty Christmas tree. I wanted to use a lot of unique ornaments we've accumulated over the years. I loved it.

Mandy and Kennie came in town for Christmas so we all had a big slumber party and spent Christmas morning together. We all had a really nice time together. Tom and I gave Kennie the big, blue Care Bear. It's a night time, snuggle bear and she sleeps with it every night. She gave the cutest reaction when she opened it...she took it out of the bag, gave it a huge hug and then layed on Trevor and snuggled with it. Good present choice, Tom!

The rest of the day was spent with our families. We had a wonderful Christmas being with the ones we love.

Cruise...Food

2008-12-11T01:20:00.003-05:00

Here's a taste of some of the beautiful and tasty dishes we had throughout the week.

Raspberry torte.

Roast beef with Yorkshire Pudding.

Molten Chocolate.

Florida fruit plate.

Beef stoganoff.

Vegetable tofu wrap.

Beef wellington.

Lobster and seafood plate with asparagus.

Some chocolate delight with gold leafing.

Cruise...Boat stuff

2008-12-11T00:56:00.006-05:00

Getting on the boat, checking things out. Before you leave the dock, you do a mandatory safety drill. During the drill, this massive military boat was floating by. It was huge. Look at those choppers! Go Marines.

Here are some dinner pictures. The two main restaurants were Venetian and Aqua. The food was delicious and endless.

There was TONS of entertainment. There was a performance (dancing and singing) company, a comedian, magician and a comedy group called Second City. Those acts performed in the Stardust Theatre. Here I am in the Stardust Theatre hallway.

Just a random picture. There were endless things to do every day/evening on the boat. Lounges with different piano players, bands, a cinema, gym, karaoke (which I participated in one evening....Tom wouldn't do it), etc. They also had themed evenings like "Monte Carlo," "Country," where they had line dancing, "White night," "Viva Las Vegas" and more.

Cruise...Excursions

2008-12-11T00:21:00.006-05:00

Tom and I decided to go cruising again, this time just the two of us. It was amazing! We didn't want to come home. We boarded the Norwegian Dawn (Norwegian Cruise Lines) on Saturday, November 29th out of Miami, FL and came back on Saturday, December 6th. 7 days!!!

We ported 4 times while on the cruise: Samana, Dominican Republic; St. Thomas; Tortola and Great Stirrup Cay. We took advantage of the excursions offered and did some really neat things.

In Samana, we went on a Hike, Bike and Kayak. It is so green and the beach we Kayak'd at, was gorgeous! Our tour guide was really nice and it was a really great experience.

In St. Thomas, we went Scuba Diving. Tom had been before (in a lake) but I hadn't. I was a little intimidated by it at first....so many things to remember (i.e. equalizing your ears, what to do when water gets in your mask, breathing techniques under water, signs to communicate under water, etc). We aren't scuba certified but if you go with someone certified, you can go down 20 feet. It was so worth it! We both would LOVE to do it again. After our trip to the underworld, we kept our snorkles and did some snorkling. There were tons of fish all around us.

In Tortola, we just chilled and walked around.

NCL owns Great Stirrup Cay and has for about 30 years now. We layed out on the beach and went snorkling. The water was kind of cold because it was a little overcast but still beautiful.

Anniversary and Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T00:14:00.001-05:00

We were married 6 days before Thanksgiving in 2003 and celebrated our 5 anniversary on the 21st....6 days before Thanksgiving, again. How cool! I am so thankful for such a wonderful husband and for the life we've established together. Looking forward to the years ahead!

We had a great Thanksgiving spending time with our families.

Hanging out with the girl

2008-11-11T23:00:00.000-05:00

We babysat Kennie today. Can you tell we absolutely love her?! She is our favorite. She was having major laugh attacks while at our house. We were cracking up the whole time.

Kennie's 1st Birthday Party!

2008-11-01T23:55:00.000-04:00

Today was Kennie baby's 1st birthday party! It was just the 5 of us (Trev, Mandy, Kennie, Me and Tom). We had so much fun together.

We're singing and Kennie is eyeing the cake.

Starting to work on it...

Sugar rush!!! She is such a fun and happpy baby!

Halloween

2008-10-31T23:41:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween AND Happy First Birthday Kennie!!

Tom and I took advantage of the holiday to get dressed up and have a good time.

Tom as a "bad boy"

Me as a "cop"

Me and Mandy, hanging out with some friends.

With the birthday girl. Go OWLS....Owls, Owls, HOOT HOOT!

We went to see our friend's 80's cover band, Flux Capacitor, play a show. It was a fun night!

Families are Forever

2008-10-24T08:32:00.004-04:00

When Laura was in town from BYU, we decided to do some familiy pictures. It had been a while since we had gotten a semi-coordinated family piciture, so it was time. I think overall, they turned out nice. I "picnik'd" some of the best photos. Picnik you might ask? It is one of the best kept secrets (unless you are in college and since I am around college girls all the time, I found out about it). You can upload pictures and add all sorts of effects, graphics, you name it. Plus, it's really user friendly. Here's some of the family photos.

Mother- Daughter Time

2008-10-09T20:34:00.004-04:00

I took the day off as a mental-health day and spent the majority of it with my mom. We had so much fun! It was good to do errands at my leisure and then spend time with my mom. Although we may live close, we don't get to have Mother-Daugther time a lot. Here are some pictures of our day together.

Ezekiel Bread...in the works.

The finished product. It is so good, really easy and fun to make. We even ground our own ingredients in the wheat grinder. If you want the recipe, let me know.

We decided to make apple crisp while we were at it. She had some apples to use. I love baking!

I love my family so much and it was great to be able to spend some much needed one on one time with my mom.

Happy Birthday Tom!!

2008-10-01T22:58:00.001-04:00

Today we celebrated Tom's 29th birthday! He's in the last year of his 20's! We went to dinner at Red Robin. Red Robin is a west coast thing but has made its way over here in a few places. He first ate there on his mission in Seattle, WA and it was love at first bite. It's his favorite burger joint. There is one at the Forsyth Avenues. They're known for their gourmet burgers and bottomless steak fries. Below is the cake I made for him...completely by scratch. It's one of our favorites. So moist and chocolatey!! I added reeces to the top for some variety.

I love you babe!!

North Georgia State Fair

2008-09-16T22:27:00.002-04:00

We went to the North Georgia State Fair with Mandy, Trev and Kennie and had so much fun!

We got Mandy to ride a scary ride with Tom! Rollercoasters and rides are a walk in the park for Tom but not for Mandy. Go Mandy!!

Kennie rode her first ride! It was a "Nemo" ride. We all spread out around the perimeter of the ride so wherever Kennie was during the ride, she could see one of us. At one point during the ride, she clapped her hand and went "ahhh." After which she secured her hands back on the sides. It was fun to watch her.

We enjoyed the festivities and carnival food. It was a good night.

FUN with cooking and baking

2008-09-10T22:03:00.000-04:00

Recently, I have become fond of making my own bread. So far, I've been doing french bread but soon I plan on making other kinds as well. Thought it would be fun to post a picture along with this yummy Greek dish I made the other day called Spanikopita. One of my co-workers was raving about it and it sounded good. If you like spinach and feta cheese, I think you'll like it too. It definitely tastes Greek.

Here's the recipe in case you like trying new things too:

3 boxes frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out

1 bunch scallions, finely chopped, white and green parts

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

1 1/2 cups feta cheese, grated or crumbled

1/2 cup cottage cheese

5 eggs

1/2 cup cream of wheat

1 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

10 leaves phyllo dough

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, add the spinach, scallions, parsley, and dill, and toss. Add the cheese and toss again. Add the eggs and then the cream of wheat. Work the eggs and cream of wheat into the mixture with your hands. After it is well incorporated, pour 1/2 cup olive oil over all and use a spoon to coat the mixture well. Season with salt and pepper.
Brush a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a leaf of phyllo. Brush with olive oil and repeat with another 4 leaves. Evenly spread the spinach mixture over the layered and oiled phyllo. Add 5 more leaves, brushing each with oil. With sharp knife, score top phyllo into serving size portions. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the phyllo is golden brown and the mixture inside is piping hot.

ENJOY!

Friends, food, fireworks and FUN!

2008-07-12T10:08:00.007-04:00

Every year, the city of Kennesaw does fireworks on the 3rd of July. We got together with Trev, Mandy and Kennie and had a picnic and watched the fireworks. It was so fun. Later that evening, we decided to get what a lot of people have been raving about...Rock Band! Ok, so we stayed up until 2am playing!! We named our band "The Suxx" because we were terrible at first but we have gotten so much better. When you play a show, you have to succeed as a band. You're able to save a member of the band during a song if they got kicked off for playing poorly. Each person can play at a different level of difficulty. It's pretty cool. Most of the time we didn't have a singer but just drums, bass and guitar. Trevor aka Lizard Blood (yes, that was his band name) fell asleep, so me, Tom and Mandy were a 3 piece band. We were able to unlock songs and venues as well as win a tour bus with our mad skills:) They ended up spending the night and we made breakfast later on that morning. It's great to be in the company of good friends.

On the 4th, we had a BBQ at a friends house and then went to see the 4th of July fireworks at the Marietta square. I've never gone to the square for fireworks. It was carnival style with funnel cakes, boiled peanuts, corn dogs, etc. The fireworks were good and the atmosphere was fun. We did have some drama at the end of the evening, however, where some punk kids threw a water ballooon at us from off of a parking deck that was beside where we were sitting. They also threw pizza, too (not at us). What the heck? Our guys went up to the top of the deck to check out the scene. Why do people do stupid stuff like that? If you want to do that to each other, whatever floats your boat. But at people you don't even know? We had a baby with us too. Weird... We went back to our friends and made s'mores and chilled by the fire. We were out again until 2am. Needless to say, we slept IN on Saturday!

What a holiday!! Good times, good food, good friends.

We love you Sainsbury's!!

2008-06-28T15:37:00.003-04:00

This past Tuesday our close friends, the Sainsbury's, moved to Starkville, Mississippi. For those of you who don't know the Sainsbury's, they are the best! They are a family of 7 with 5 wild, crazy, adorable and fun boys all under the age of 8 years old. They moved to Georgia a few years ago so Bob could complete his education at Georgia State University. He just finished his doctorate degree and got a great job at Mississippi State University, which is why they moved. Ever since Bob and Amanda have been married (10 years), Bob has been in school. They are great parents and are so patient and loving with their kids. I think it is safe to say that everyone that came in contact with the Sainbury's liked them. They are genuinely kind to everyone. We became really close friends over the past couple years and will will miss them so much but our friendship will remain. They deserve the best and we are so excited for them and this job that Bob got. He will have normal hours and won't have to be in school anymore. This is what they have been waiting for and the wait has finally come to an end. We can't wait to visit them!

Tom and I with the boys: Carson, Bowen, Tyler, Easton and Robbie.
The boys LOVE playing with the race track with Tom. We had to make sure each boy got plenty of turns. Next time we play, I think Easton and Ty have dibs.
Amanda with Ty, Cars and Robbie.
Amanda and I.

We love you Sainsbury's!!

So You Think You Can Dance?

2008-06-19T00:07:00.004-04:00

I am obsessed with this show. There are dance shows on TV right now that I think are just plain silly, but this one I LOVE. I only wish that I could have been part of it. The last two years when it came to ATL and Charleston, I was so close to going to the audition but I never did. Too scared to try, I guess and who wants to get publicly humiliated if you don't make it through...not me. It is a grueling competition but sometimes when I watch them, I get envious that they get to just dance...that's it. What a life! I love that Tom will watch it with me and even make good critques, too. I guess that's what you get when you are surrounded by dance on a daily basis. He even knows some technical terms. I think it's great:) I've already got a few favorite dancers picked out for the season. Do you?

Graduation Tribute

2008-05-01T23:26:00.006-04:00

Two years ago this month, Tom graduated with his Bachelor's Degree from Kennesaw State University in Business Marketing. I am continually proud of Tom and his accomplishments and for the man that he is. I can't believe it has been two years! That was a hard time...going to school full time...working...trying to make finances work, etc. Those are definitely memories we will keep with us and always remember. It makes you appreciate what you have so much.

Trying to make Tom smile for the picture;)
Graduation smooch after he gave me the stole of gratitude.

It's Nationals time!!

2008-04-09T23:38:00.006-04:00

It's that time again. NDA College Dance Team Nationals in Daytona Beach, FL!! I took my team (Kennesaw State University Rhythm Dance Team) of 11 dancers and we competed in the Dance Open Division going up against team such as UGA, Southern Methodist, Western Kentucky, Georgia Southern, etc. This is only our 3rd year being Nationally competitive and the team did well. We didn't make it to finals and although that would have been great, that's not what it was all about. We went expecting to learn a lot, soak up the experience and have a good time and we did just that. We had so much fun and I have to say although it was an incredibly exhausting season...it was rewarding to see the team grow as dancers and women and I was very proud of them.

Amanda dropped this off at my house the night before I left. She's awesome.

My girls. Our theme was "touch." Love the glove. Can't touch this...

Tagged!

2008-03-27T15:03:00.002-04:00

10 years ago...
I was 15...staying busy with Marching Band, Chorus and Track in High School.

5 things on my to do list today....
1. Make it through work!
2. Teach dance class at the studio
3. Do some laundry
4. Go to the pharmacy
5. Hang out with my Tommy

What would you do if you had a million dollars?....Go on a shopping spree. Build an amazing recording studio for Tom and a dance studio for myself. Pay off bills.

Three bad habits.....
1. Popping my knuckles
2. My cell phone being attached to me all of the time
3. I can sometimes be impatient

4 places I have lived......
California, New Jersey, Florida and Georgia

5 jobs I have had.....
1. Kennesaw State University Admissions/CAPS Center
2. Universal Dance Association Instructional Staff
3. Sprint- Corporate Office
4. Kennesaw State University Rhythm Dance Team Coach
5. Dance Studio Teacher

5 things people don't know about me......
1. I can sometimes be self conscious
2. I am the tallest girl in my family
3. I was on the drum line in High School
4. Before getting braces, I had a pallet expander to expand my mouth. It really hurt!
5. I used to take karate

What is your hubby's name? Tom Lukens, Jr.

How long have you been married?
5 years, this Thanksgiving.

How long did you date?
About 6 months and then we were engaged for another 6 months.

How old is he?
28

Who eats more?
Tom

Who said I Love You first?
I did, but we both said it to each other in the same conversation. It was a really big deal and we were both nervous.

Who is taller?
Tom, by about 7 inches.

Who sings better?
I do, but believe it or not, Tom can sing…he just chooses not to.

Who is smarter?
I think we complement each other on our “smarts”…it just depends on the topic of conversation.

Whose temper is worse?
Mine. Tom is very chill. I love that about him. It takes a lot to upset him.

Who does the laundry?
I do for the most part. Too many tricky ways to wash my clothes…

Who does the dishes?
We both do.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
Looking at the bed, I do.

Who pays the bills?
Tom does. He’s very on top of our finances!

Who mows the lawn?
Tom. He is doing landscaping so we have MORE of a lawn! YEAH!

Who cooks dinner?
We both do. It just depends on the night.

Who drives when you are together?
Tom

Who is more stubborn?
Probably me, but we both have our things we are pretty firm in.

Who is the first to admit they are wrong?
I think we both take ownership if we’re wrong.

Who's parents do you visit the most?
I’d say it’s about even.

Who proposed?
Tom. In an amazing way at that! He sent me on a scavenger hunt that was so creative! He was at my last “stop” which is where he proposed.

Who has more friends? I do, just because I’ve had opportunities to do so many different things and meet so many different people. Most of our friends we see on a regular basis are mutual, though.

Who has more siblings?
We’re even…one of three.

Who wears the pants in the family? We make decisions together.

People I tag...Amanda Sainsbury, Amanda Erickson, Shannon Carey, Pamela Watts and Jamie Shores!

Timing's everything

2008-03-14T19:00:00.001-04:00

I’m sitting here relaxing on my amazing couch and feeling grateful that it’s Friday, the last working day of the week. I try to take advance of moments where I don’t have something going on because these moments can be very few and far between. Tom has been downstairs in the basement re-recording some songs he wrote a while back. He just started working on a song he wrote for me while we were dating and has been laying down new guitar and drum tracks. It’s called “Ready.” When I hear that song, it brings back such memories and at times makes me want to cry. I can feel his love and his heart seeping out of that song. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing man, husband and best friend in my life. He is so amazingly talented. That is one of the first things that attracted us to each other. He played the piano for me while I sang at a YSA Conference. That’s what initially brought us together: music. It will forever be a part of our lives. The song is all about timing. The first couple words of the song are “Timing’s everything…” When I think about that…timing…it truly humbles me. I have learned many lessons over the past couple years and most of them have involved timing. I have to remind myself that my timing is not always the Lord’s timing. He knows what and when things are going to happen before we do. For those that really know me, you know that I am a serious planner. With all of the responsibilities and obligations that I have in my life, if I didn’t plan…I would be living in a mess with absolutely no organization whatsoever. I would never be able to get anything done. With that said I sometimes have things planned to the hour, even minute to fit everything in that needs to happen, that I want to do or that I want to happen. So when things don’t fit in my “plan” it can throw me off. I am learning to trust in the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind and strength because he knows me better than I know myself. He knows what I need, what I want and the every yearning of my heart. I feel so blessed for what I have in my life and I trust in the Lord that things will happen the way they are meant to happen.

A quarter of a century...

2008-03-09T00:44:00.003-05:00

Thursday, March 6th, was my birthday...I'm 25...a quarter of a century!!

Tom and I work together and we drove into the office on Thursday. About an hour after we got there, Tom came over to my desk with a big "Happy Birthday" balloon and a vase full of pretty flowers. It made me feel so special! Everyone kept saying "Happy Birthday" to me all day and it really made my day. Tom is such a wonderful husband and I feel so blessed to have him in my life. Here's the pictures of my birthday surprises from Tom. Thanks to all for your call and messages. I appreciate it:)!!

25th Birthday Party!

2008-03-07T23:12:00.000-05:00

One of our closest friends, the Ericksons, threw me a surprise birthday party. It was an 80's theme and it was a lot of fun. I appreciate all of the hard work Amanda and Trev went to, to make this a special birthday for me and it was! Here are a few pictures. More to come...

That is a lot of candles!!

Some of the girls

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T14:42:00.003-05:00

It's 2008!!!

We had a New Years Eve party to bring in 2008 and it was so much fun! We had tons of food, karaoke, music and good company. It was so nice to be able to have our family and friends over! What can we say...we love to party! We didn't take many pictures so here's what we could scrounge up...a few of some friends and the last one is being silly with my dad.

December Jewel

2007-12-26T09:57:00.000-05:00

We just returned from a cruise on the Norwegian Jewel. It was a five day cruise that took us to Cozumel and Grand Cayman. It was our first cruising experience...and it definitely won't be our last!

Camping

2007-11-01T10:45:00.000-04:00

A couple of friends organized a big weekend camping trip at Sandrock, AL. We spent Saturday morning and afternoon rock climbing and repelling.

Snow Bound

2007-03-15T11:07:00.001-04:00

In March we took a family trip to Beaver Mountain, Utah. We spent the week snowmobiling and snowboarding.