I'm so proud of me!

Wow, can you believe it? I'm giving myself some credit! :p

Here's the thing:

The Hip Mamas are performing at Arts Alive on December 1. Since I'm not sure when we're moving, I figured this was going to be my chance to meet my goal. I had a goal of choreographing and performing a solo before we move.

I've only been belly dancing since January of this year. It's so strange how obsessed I became so quickly.

Last night, with Stuart as my patient DJ, I choreographed my first solo! It's pretty basic, but the song is FANTASTIC! It's called Ophelia's Dance. There are two melodies that repeat themselves 4 or 5 times, getting faster each time. It starts out calm and innocent, but you can feel the madness building. There are 2 sections that I call a bridge, because that's what it'd be in choir. LOL! Gives me a chance to throw in something special. The song is only 3 min and 9 sec or something like that. Long enough, but not too long.

~~little bit of truth here - I only had to choreograph about 16 eight-counts. Since it repeats
so much, I'll just have to make sure I can keep up the pace~~

I have a lot of fine-tuning to do, and I have to figure out what in the world I'm going to wear. I'm really proud of myself, though, and SO excited about doing this solo!

Hip Mamas @ redwood Coast Bellydance Festival

Here's the performance from the Redwood Coast Belly Dance Festival in Arcata. Enjoy~~

So much to be thankful for

I just want to say that I am so thankful for my boys and my husband.

I married my best friend. He's known me for a L O N G time, and we've been together since I was a freshman in high school. He was my first kiss, he was there for my first wreck, he was my first date, and on and on... He continues to be my biggest supporter and my friend - and oh, so much more. (Now, I know I get on his nerves sometimes...but he loves me anyhow.)

We were blessed with two wonderful kids. They're weird, but they're ours. Chase had to have a minor surgery a couple of years ago, but is fine. When I was pregnant with Logan, an ultrasound showed that one of his kidneys looked enlarged, but it corrected itself after he was born.

I'm not able to go to sleep tonight because my heart hurts for a couple of ladies. One of them I know relatively well from CC's, and one I don't know too well. These moms are amazing. They are strong when they don't want to be. They have children with illnesses that I don't understand...doctors don't understand them half the time, I'm sure. For these women, and countless others around the world, one day at a time isn't enough - sometimes it's a moment at a time. Oh, and on top of that, there are other mouths to be fed, boo boos to be kissed, hinies to be wiped, and all of that. These women have husbands that are underway for months at a time.

I have such respect, and I'm so humbled by their persistence; by their love.

I'm going to try when I wake up in the morning to really appreciate each moment. Every whine, every tantrum, every mess. There are people all around the world, all with different scenarios, that would love to have to deal with the things that I find annoying.

Angela F. and Angela K.:

I pray for you and for your little girls. For the doctors that treat them, the nurses that assist, and the teams of medical professionals that are involved in your daily lives. I pray for your families. Families so full of love, so full of life. You ladies are inspirational to me. I pray for your husbands. I imagine it can't be easy being in their shoes. No words I have to say will ever be enough. Please just know that I care and I'm praying for you. You're fighting battles daily with such grace and such love. May God bless you, your children, and your families.

~Amber~

...if you want to check on these beautiful families, take a look at their websites:

www.hadleyfox.com

www.caringbridge.org/ca/morganfaith

...and the verdict is:

Pascagoula, Mississippi! Stuart will be on a cutter out of that area. It was our second pick (our first was the other boat out of that area).

To show what I get for whining, our report date is May 1! Ack! That means we'll be headed in a southerly direction early to mid April, most likely.

We're really excited! We'll be close to "home", back where Mexican food is Tex-Mex (the way it should be), and where you can find things like Tony Cachere's, boudain, and hopefully Blue Bell ice cream!

I should probably lock myself in the bathroom with the shower running for the next few months so I can remember how to breathe down there! ;)