Showing posts with label pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pictures. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Plie`, Jete`, Chasse`

If you're not familiar with the terms above in the title, their dance terms, specifically, ballet terms.  :)  If you haven't guessed it already, this post is about dance.  Dancing has been a passion of mine since I was little, literally.  I began when I was three.  I danced from three to nine before I had to quit when my dad was losing his job.



I cried for weeks after my parents told my sisters and me.  I had so many dreams that died that day, dreams of dancing in The Nutcracker, the dream of someday achieving pointe.  I loved dance, I was passionate about it, and over night, it was gone.  Life went on, here and there I would try to practice what I remembered, but time has a way of dulling even the good memories and I slowly lost everything I had spent years learning. Until last spring.

Last spring I got a second job outside of teaching piano, and with this added income came the renewed dream of dancing.  I went online and made a list of every dance studio in my city, putting my old studio at the top of the list.  I called each one and with each phone call the dream died again a little more.  They all had the same response, I'm sorry, but since you're out of high school we don't have a place for you.  You're to old.

I gave up until one day I saw the dance studio behind my doctor's office.  I almost didn't call knowing they would  have the same answer as all the other places, but I decided to take one last chance, after all, it couldn't hurt anymore than it already did.  I will always be so glad I made that call, because their answer was very different than the other studios, they were excited I wanted to dance and told me I could start in the fall, and I would even get to do recitals!

When August came I was on cloud nine, I had gone to the local dance store and bought my leotard, shoes and tights, I was so ready.  Now if it would only be everything I remembered, and it was.  Dancing was actually even better than I had remembered!  Oh, it's hard work, but it is so worth it!  After all, the hard work is what brings you that sense of satisfaction after you've conquered a move that was particularly hard for you.

I've now been dancing for a year, A YEAR!  My first recital since I was little was this past weekend.  The story was Mary Poppins and I had the time of my life dancing through both of my dances!  God is so good to bring a dream I had let die back to life!  Below are some pictures from my dances, I'm in ballet and jazz.  After the recital was over the first night I literally could not hold still I was so excited!!!!


























I'm not the best dancer, but with a lot of practice I plan to just become the best dancer that I can be and dance every chance I can.  :)

I hope all of you have a blessed day!





Blessings,
Michelle  :)


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Coral and Lace Edition WIWW

Hey everyone!
Sorry for the long silence, I've been out of the country in the Philippines and just got back Sunday!  I can't wait to share with you the wonderful things that God did while I was there, but until then, here is a What I Wore Wednesday post.  Like always I am linking up with the Pleated Poppy.





Shirt: Kohls
Tank: Kohls?
Shorts: Kohls
Shoes: Rue 21
Watch: Rue 21

I have gotten bangs since the last post too!  Hopefully now that I am back in the states for awhile I will be able to be more steady in blogging.  Also, I have some exciting book reviews coming soon! 

Have a blessed day,
Mikala (Michelle)

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Sunshine Day.... WIWW

Hey everyone, sorry for the long silence!  Life has been so crazy getting ready for my next missions trip, this time to the Philippines.  I actually took the pictures for this weeks "What I Wore Wednesday" almost a month ago!  I hope you enjoy them though!  Once again, I am linking up with the Pleated Poppy.  :)







This is one of my work outfits and has quickly become a favorite.  :)

Dress: Maurices
Jacket: Hand-me-down from sisters
Shoes:  Kenya!!!!
Ring:  My Jeremiah 29:11 ring from Family Christian
Watch: Rue 21
Necklace: Rue 21
Belt: came with dress

I hope you all are having a blessed week, hopefully I'll start doing better with updating!
Blessings,
Michelle

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

WIWW- Coral Edition

Hey Everyone,

Sorry What I Wore Wednesday has kind of disappeared the past few weeks!  It has been really busy and my usual photographers (aka my family) have been too busy to take my picture when I get home from work and then it is off to church for choir.  So yeah, it has kind of slipped by.  This week I decided to go ahead and take the pictures myself using a mirror, so sorry their not the best!  :)

I decided to kind of mix things up on WIWW and add little bits of what happened during the week too, kind of like an Awkward and Awesome post, sound good?





Awkward:
-It has snowed every day since Easter!  I mean, seriously, has the weather not gotten the memo that it is SPRING!




Awesome:
-Looking at the calendar and knowing I will be at the airport to go to the Philippines in only two months, Yay!
-Downloading free books to the Kindle app on my computer.
-Finally getting inspiration to begin illustrating the story I posted on this blog about a year ago.
-Finding the sheet music for this arrangement of Be Thou My Vision and playing it over and over and over!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y3qoN_KWiU
-My awesome coworkers I get to work with every day, they are all so amazing!







Shirt: Rue21
Tank: Vanity
Blazer: Kohls
Skinny Jeans: Kohls
Boots: Maurices
Necklace: Dustees
Bracelet: Dustees

Have a blessed week!
Michelle

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Out with the People.... Part 9

After lunch on Thursday we once again went out into the valley to do the Bring the Light project again!   As with the previous days we gathered a large following of children wherever we went.  It was so much fun to be walking along and suddenly feel a tiny little hand slip into yours and look down into this sweet, smiling little face. 


Kenyan children are some of the most beautiful children!



A picture from the drive to the valley.







Some of the sweet children, I just loved them, but truly, how can you not?

One of the men on the roof of one of the shanties putting in a plastic skylight for the bring the light project I mentioned before.



Walking in the valley.


Speed was a huge Arsenal fan and loved seeing all of the Arsenal stuff.



Sweet children.









The crowd of children we always managed to collect.














We were there towards the end of the rainy season so for a few days we had some gentle rain.











Blessings,
Michelle

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Life of Jesus... Kenya Part 8

After the assembly in the school yard, we went inside for our last day of VBS with the kids.
This day was Thursday and we taught them about the life of Jesus.  In story time, Speed (Josh) began with the virgin birth, then told of His miracles, ending with his death and resurrection.  In crafts we had the kids make mobiles of the life of Jesus so that they could use them to tell others about Jesus!  When we visited homes later in the week, several of us saw the mobiles hanging up in some of the homes!
Showing their crafts to us
Working studiously on their crafts.
Cute little girls being silly
The Bible verse the kids learned throughout the week

Every day we all enjoyed listening to the kids sing with Jake, Aubrey and Zach.
A few of us also got to meet kids with the same names as ourselves!
Me with one of the sweet Michelle's I met. :-)
Bryan with two other Brians
Whether we met someone with the same name as us or not, we all made some great friends!
Speed with the kids
Aubrey with some of the kids.
Dad with Daniel, one of the social workers he became good friends with.




Blessings,
Michelle