Okie Holiday Fun!

This was our first Christmas as a complete family since The Sailor joined the Navy. So it was bound to be a special one. 

Beware this will be picture heavy with little words. 

I think that the tree at my parents house is gorgeous! 

I love the way the presents always match!!

Stud Muffin and I in front of the tree on Christmas Eve. I was really proud of my target dress!

Gege is just the coolest 90 year old on the planet. 

Every year my Aunt Cindy forces us to take a family photo on Christmas Eve. While we all moan and groan about it, we secretly appreciate this. (Note to self:  next year sit far away from the dog.)

My cousins daughter is the most adorable thing on Earth! She really helped Gege in the present unwrapping! Great practice for Santa tomorrow morning!

Yes, this is The Sailor. Precious right? He is single ladies... you know you love him...

On a regular basis The Sailor says things that make Daddy & the Crazy Lady look like this. 

Yes, he even says those sailor like things on Christmas morning. 

(again, Ladies, he is single!)

Now you know your family is classy when you play Loaded Questions (adult version) on Christmas night. 

Nothing like asking "Who's breast would you most like to see exposed on television?" to your grandparents. 

It was actually A TON of fun! 

We did a little Christmas Light looking in OKC. These were gorgeous!

And nothing sums up an Okie Christmas quite like a day at Bass Pro Shops! 

(I think I hit more ducks than Stud Muffin.)

Tomorrow we will resume regular posting!!
It's Wedding YEAR!!! 

Happy Birthday to Me! No, wait, Mommy!

Sorry folks, no Wedding Wednesday today. 

Instead... 

Happy Birthday to Mommy & Me!

Hawaii December 2009.

For those of you that don't know, I share my birthday with my Mom. It is such a fantastic way to celebrate. 

Every year I share my Mom with about 200 other kids and this is one thing I don't have to share with them! (selfish much?) And if you know both of us, this explains "oh so much" about us! We sound exactly alike on the phone (scary), we both have insane ideas about choreography and costumes, and we both seem to think our jokes are pretty funny. Perhaps sharing a birthday makes us at just alike. Who knows! 

Happy Birthday Mommy! I wouldn't want it any other way!! I LOVE YOU!

She dressed in a student's costume for a special birthday. Geek! 

A is for Apple!

Stud Muffin and I just couldn't justify spending tons of money to go to the OU vs. Texas game this weekend but that doesn't mean we sat around and did nothing! 

We went apple picking!

I had never been to an orchard before and it was amazing!

We went with Stud Muffin's Mother, Brother and family. It was a blast! His niece was super cute!

I had absolutely no idea there were so many different kinds of apples either! 

We picked, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Ida Red and my personal favorite Honeycrisp! Oh they are so good!! You can try them while walking around and boy did we!

I also learned that everyone seems to climb the trees while picking!

Fist Stud Muffin got in a tree.

Then his brother.

Then THEIR MOTHER!

 And they finally talked me into climbing a tree. I had a message while up there!!

You weigh your apple bags as you leave and pay. They were 60 cents a pound. Not so bad!

Until you realize you have 66 pounds of apples!! (There were 3 households involved!)

And I will leave you with my favorite pic from the trip!
Stud Muffin's mother insisted he get in the tree with me. Then she got his niece to clap and request a kiss.
Such a great picture!!

Lots more fun was had but I will have to write about it later... I am pooped!!

BOOMER!

Gege is 90!!!

I apologize for the 2 week hiatus! I promise when you read the next week's worth of posts you will understand that I have only had time to work work and work. But I'M BACK!!

My amazing grandmother, Gege, turned 90 on Friday August 13th!! I was in Oklahoma teaching dance and was super excited to spend time with her. 

For those of you that don't know my Gege, she is AWESOME! Gege is my Dad's mother. She worked at the front desk of the dance studio when it opened and has always been a big dance supporter! Because her birthday was on a Friday and everyone was working Mom brought her down to the studio to watch some rehearsals! Just so happened it was Jr. Hip Hop Rehearsal. Gege may not have been into the music but she thought the kids were fabulous!

On Saturday, we had a little family gathering at our house for Gege.

Aunt Cindy, Megan, Scott and Anna Kate joined us as well. Boy was Anna Kate a joy. (That is my cousins lil girl) She got Daddy to play the guitar and even coaxed me into singing. Which was not pretty as I had been yelling over music for 10 days. Really happy that the Sailor was able to join us as well. Been a long time since we have all been together and I cannot think of a better occasion! 

Happy Belated 90th Gege!!! We love you!!

Upstate NY Weekend

Last weekend Stud Muffin and I went upstate NY to see his mother for the weekend. For those of you that do not know about upstate NY it is BEAUTIFUL!! I mean simply divine. When people think about NY they only think NYC but there is an entire world of wilderness and mountains north of this city. 

Stud Muffin and I caught a ride with his cousin Friday night and headed up the NY State Thruway. It is always a pretty drive. When we arrive my future Mother In Law had wine, cheese and baked goods ready for us to chow down on! It was delightful. We stayed up til 2 in the morning just talking and catching up! That is WAY PAST MY BEDTIME!!

Saturday morning it rained and we stayed in the house having some coffee and homemade coffee cake! It was heaven and so relaxing. After the rain lifted Stud Muffin and I went on a walk around is old neighborhood. 

Here is the creek that runs along the road and behind his mothers house. 

More Creek.

We found all sorts of things growing...

When we got back to the house and were walking up the steps... I noticed that something moved under our feet. A SNAKE!!! I jumped (and I'm not kidding about my reaction) into my Stud Muffin's arms crying. Seriously. He thought it was funny and tried to put me down. This is NOT a laughing matter I tell you! I then sat on top of his mothers car until he carried me inside. I have no pics of the snake because I was too scared to move. BUT... Stud Muffin, my hero, got that shovel out and took that suckers head off!! Woooo!! 

On Saturday evening we went to dinner with my Grandmothers cousin, Teddy, who lives upstate these days. It was delightful. He and Joan got along so well. Just two peas in a pod I say. 

On Sunday, Stud Muffin got outside and did some yard work for his mother. While he was outside working I snapped pics of things I thought were cool in this old house. 

First thing first... the fireplace in this house... is a bit creepy.

Notice anything scary? 

Then I took some pics of the birds. I was too loud and moved to fast to get a good pic. Always scared them.

And then... a pic to show off Stud Muffin's amazing artist skills!! I love it! 

He drew this for his mother one year at Christmas time. It is framed so there is a glare in the pic but you get the drift. He is Gooooood!

Stud Muffin built his Mom a fire place in her yard. Cannot wait to go back and sit by the fire. 

How cute is this house in the woods?

Thanks for the fun weekend Joan!! We'll be back soon!!

Mommy, Daddy, Enron & the Flu

My Daddy FINALLY came to visit me!! 

 I say that he finally came to visit as if he has never been here before. This is not the case... it is just that my baby brother lives in Hawaii and for some reason Dad would rather visit there. I mean, really?! I am the good kid! Visit me!! (I also travel all the time, so I can see how its hard to plan a trip to see me)

Well, last weekend Mom and Dad came to visit me! Yippee!! I was extremely excited!!

They arrived on Friday and my Mimi's cousin Teddy came down to say hello as well. The first thing we did was head over to the Grand Central Oyster Bar where I proceeded to down my weight in oysters. They gave us some of the biggest oysters I have ever seen! Loved it!! Then it was off to PJ Clarks for some burgers. We stayed up way too late on Friday night and laughed way too much. I just adore my family!!

Saturday was supposed to be the day that we showed my day how beautiful NYC in the spring can be. It was pretty good but didn't really work out weather wise for all our plans. We ate some brunch at a diner and then headed the park. Teddy and I made sure to do some Gene Kelly while annoying Brian and then we all sat outside for a quick drink at The Boathouse. (it was just far too cold to hang out much longer) Teddy then had to head back upstate so we were left to entertain ourselves. Mom, Dad and I walked about Madison Ave doing a little shopping and then parted ways to get ready for dinner. 

We ate at Dad's favorite place in the world. Del Frisco's Steakhouse. I loved loved my tuna (yes, I had tuna) and tried the boys steaks which were also delicious. But I am always very excited about the warm bread that they bring to your table. Mmmmmmmmmm.....

After dinner we went to see my friend Jordan's new Broadway Play, Enron. Very intriguing show I must say. I really found it interesting. Stud Muffin was bored. I liked it! I also really like the whole corruption and it really happened thing though. After the show we met Jordan at Sardi's for a drink and some catching up. It was really nice to get to see her in the show and then see her talk to Dad about the real days at Enron. Pretty cool.We went home and were gearing up for one more full day with Mom and Dad. 

Then, at 3am, BAM! I got the stomach bug. I mean, I really got it. I decided that I would only tell Stud Muffin about it and then see how I felt just before we all left for the Yankee game the next morning. Well, while I am in the shower for the that morning, Mom calls and says she is not coming to the game because she has an upset stomach! Ugh! What?!! Well, that was my cue, Daddy never comes to visit NYC and I have a feeling the Yankee game was the part he most wanted to enjoy. So, I decided to suck it up and go to the game. Not such a bad idea, I had a good time and I am very happy that I went. In case you are new here at Dancing Through Life... I LOVE THE YANKEES! 

After the game we all gathered, Mom included, in our tiny 450 sq foot studio apartment for a little down time. I felt a bit queasy but not too bad. Mom was feeling better. So, off to dinner we went. To the Heidelberg mind you! Where I have been waiting to take my German father for a year!! I wanted to drink beer from a boot!! But no, I ordered plain soup with Spatzle and then after three bites promptly left Stud Muffin at dinner with my parents and ran back to the apartment sick as a dog. Without too much detail let me tell you that I didn't make it home before getting sick either. So very sad. 

So, while our time with Mom & Dad began so wonderfully it may have ended a little more abruptly than intended. It took me almost 4 days to get over whatever bug hit me and then I managed to give it to Stud Muffin. He is still recovering.

YOUR TURN!

This past weekend Stud Muffin and I went to his mother's house to do our Christmas with her.
I will be posting more about the weekend soon but I just had to post this ASAP!
Stud Muffin's mom always makes getting your Christmas gift a game or puzzle rather. I cannot wait for you to see what we got and if you can solve it as well!

First my gift...

The clues are Saffron, Egg, Coal, Berries, Bark, Chalk and Led.

The verbal clue I was given was to think of a woman.

Next Stud Muffin's gift...

The clues are Shells, Cards, Fish, Cow, Fur, and Whiskey.
The verbal clue... not sure if he got one.


Now it is your turn! Can you guess what we each received for Christmas?

A LIL OKIE CHRISTMAS

A little late with the Christmas post but better late than never, I guess.

Last year I was in Ohio for the holidays singing Elvis tunes 8 shows a week. So it was nice to know that I was going to get to see the family for Christmas this year.

Christmas was a bit strange because Oklahomans do not deal well with snow. Not because they don't like it, but because they do not know how to drive in it. At all.

So, what is normally, Crites Family on Christmas Eve and Sadler Family on Christmas Day turned into a mix a families and other stranded friends on Christmas Eve and just the four of us (mom, dad, my stud muffin and me) at home alone on Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve was festive as usual. We didn't go to church because driving across town seemed a bit scary. Gege didn't get to come over either because it was just too slick for her. Cousin Ross got stuck in a ditch on the way over and Cousins Josh & Blake got to spend the night with us because it was impossible to get to Edmond.

Dinner was grand and Mom's table looked fantastic. The front porch also looked super festive with the snow.

Christmas Day was nice and quiet. Missed seeing the OKC family but I am going back soon. We watched movies and sat by the fire. Mom and I got pink fishing poles for Christmas!! I am pretty excited about it to be honest. Dad got lots of new clothes... hint... ditch the digital camo please! Brian was given the usual Sooners gear and his fav gift... Yankees 2009 Champs Tervis Tumblers.

We got to see Gege the last day we were there and she was a hoot to be around. Just love her!! Cannot wait to go back!!

MY OH MY, HOW TIME FLYS

I cannot believe that it has been 10 years of the 2000s!

Many things have changed for me in the past decade. I would say that this has been the most interesting 10 years of my life by far. (Not that I have that many decades to choose from but ya know!) So, with inspiration from all the television "lists" this week, I have decided to recap the highlights of my past 10 years.

1999

* I graduated high school and thought that made me a real adult. Not so much!
* I began college as a modern dance major and learned quickly that it was much harder than I had ever expected.
* The first year I ever paid taxes. (blah blah blah!)

2000
* I left the dance department and changed my major to journalism. BUST! I wanted to dance, just not in a college setting.
* I moved into a house with 96 girls. One of the most fun things EVER!! I absolutely loved it there.
* The Sooners went UNDEFEATED and won their first national championship in 15 years! Yeah Baby!!

2001
* I MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY!!!
After moving, I quickly learned that I was not going to be "famous" overnight and that it took a lot more than talent to make it here. There is a reason people with far more talent than me left LA or NYC after just a year. It is lonely and you never really know who your friends are. Lucky for me, I guess, I was just too stubborn to admit I missed Oklahoma and normal life.
* After living here for just a short 8 months, the twin towers were hit in a terrorist attack. I have absolutely no idea why, but that one single event gave me more courage to stay here than anything else had done. I know that day will forever remain a memory in my mind.
* I also performed my very first show in NYC this year! It was a dance revue at Broadway Dance Center but I loved every minute of it!!

2002
* I was living in NYC's Greenwich Village and finally adjusting to life in the big city.
*I started working full time for Encore Performing Arts Showcase and was most definitely working as a full time waitress. (BOO!!) Although, I met some great people while working there!
* I performed in my first Elan Awards honoring Anne Reinking! Love her!!

2003
*My first NYC roommate moved out and went on tour with Hairspray. :(
* I lived alone for about 2 months and painted my apartment HOT PINK! It was fabulous!! (Sadly, I cannot find my pics of this lovely Barbie Dream House)
*That summer, we had a city wide (well, most of the northeast) blackout! It was HOT! I had 3 people from my hometown staying in my apartment that summer so we made the most of it! We did a lot of hanging out in Central Park.
*In the fall, I got to perform in another Elan Awards... this time, honoring Rob Marshall!! Needless to say, I was pretty excited to dance in front of that man!!
*And then that winter... I got to be Daffy Duck in the Holiday Parade! Oh, you know you wish you were in that costume!

2004
*Oh 2004... the year I took a step back from dancing (not on purpose) and became a restaurant manager! DUMB DUMB DUMB!
*Although, I met the love of my life while working there, so I will accept that year as a good one!
*And... 2 of my favorite people in the world got married!! I love em!!

2005
*2005 proved to be a much better year for me than the one before. I quite my job as a manager on Jan. 2!! Oh happy day!!
* I moved into my own apartment. It was the cutest little studio all to myself! I loved it!! (I think everyone should live alone for a year. It really helps you to become you!)
*I started auditioning more and more and dance became fun again!
*Brian took me to Fire Island for the first time, where I fell in love with the place! And I took him to Key Largo for the first time.

2006
*This was the year I became Big, Blue & Furry. I was cast as Bluedles on the short lived PBS show "Sheira & Loli's Ditty Doodle Works."
* It was a crazy job but it was fun for the most part. Can't say I miss dancing in that suit though!
*I got to do the choreography for the show when they performed with Johnny Weir at the Reckson Center Christmas Tree Lighting!
*Oh, and I got to dance with Chaka Kahn!!


2007
*This year was a bit of a downer compared to 2006 for me.
*Ditty Doodle went on tour for about 3 weeks and then we all lost our jobs because they weren't making enough money.
*I spent a lot more time teaching and judging dance competitions this year. (Which I love but it wasn't enough.)
*And... the real downer for me!! Coco joined the freakin Navy while we are at war!! I was angry for a while but I think it has made him a man!!

2008
*Eventful to say the least!
* We started the year off by meeting up with Coco's ship in FL. It was great to see the sailor!
*Then Brian & I took a trip with our friends Megan & John to St. Maarten. It was a blast!!
*I spent the summer on tour with Kidz Bop Live! It was a good time for sure. I still keep in touch with all of the kids and love them dearly. They are super talented and going places!
*Brian attended his first OU/TX game with me and the family in October. Unfortunately, we lost.
*I then spent 3 months in Akron, Ohio performing in a production of All Shook Up! One of the most fun times I have ever had!! I really missed Brian and hated working on all the major holidays but it was a great experience!

2009
*Well, this year started off slow... I came back from Ohio with the economy killing Broadway!
*I judged and did some choreography during the spring and summer.
*I went to LA for about 6 weeks in the end of summer to see about switching coasts and what do you know... I got a JOB!!
*The Yankees won the World Series!!
*Yo Gabba Gabba Live then took up the rest of my year! It was HUGE. I even got to watch Snoop teach the Peanut Butter Stomp!
*After that I took my first trip to Hawaii and got to see my brothers ship come in.
2010
Cannot wait!!

I cannot wait to see what the future brings. Happy New Years to everyone!! Be safe, wear your seat belt and have a DD!!