The Ballroom Blog

*Written Monday however posted Wednesday

Today started out to be a great day. I woke up feeling healthy... that's two days in a row, now!

My mom and I decided to go see a movie we desperately have been looking forward to for a long time now. The Help. It was the most amazing movie. We bawled. I'm definitely buying it when it comes out on DVD.

If you remember from my previous blog entry, I mentioned FHE tonight. I chickened out and decided right when I woke up that I would only go if my health was 100%, which I highly doubted. After the movie I started feeling pretty crummy. I got a text shortly after from a girl in the singles ward. She was inviting me to go to dinner with her and a few other girls from the ward before FHE. It sounded fun but again, I totally started chickening out. Before I could let myself say no, I typed a quick reply that I was thankful for the invite and I would see them at 6.

Throwing my shirt in the dryer (because it was stretched out from being hot and moving around from the day) I redid my hair and then sat down to relax.

Five other girls ended up showing up, one of which I had talked to briefly, her being the relief society president. Dinner was at Cafe Rio which is not my favorite but it ended up being yummy. I got the chicken salad which was more like a chicken salad mountain.

After dinner, the girl who invited me went to FHE (the other girls didn't go) and I followed her because I didn't know where the building was. We got there a tad late but only missed the spiritual thought. The activity was a success in my book. I danced with two Brandons, two Daves, a Jeff, a Colby, and three others whose names escape me.

There were two professional ballroom dancers who were the teachers. They put ladies on one side of the gym and the men on the other side, facing the ladies. The guy teacher would show the men what to do and the girl would show us what to do. After practicing like that, they told the men to ask a lady to dance. It felt like being picked for a team in elementary school. Your heart sinking as more and more people are being picked but you're still standing, not sure whether or not to make eye contact to make it less awkward or potentially more awkward, thoughts rapidly running through your mind thinking, "what's wrong with me?" "maybe I should have worn my hair down tonight," and that huge feeling of relief when a brave gentleman finally comes and asks you to dance with him.

I cracked up one partner with practically every sarcastic thing that I said, and if you know me, sarcasm is basically all that comes out of my mouth. He was supposed to put his hand on my shoulder blade but instead had it on my waist. The teachers kindly corrected everyone on their stance. He laughed at being wrong and I told him to stop getting fresh with me; that the waist was extremely personal and to watch his hands because he was a recent RM. This was so hilarious to him that when he and I ended up as partners again later, he brought it up, laughing the whole time.

Another partner kept squeezing my back and hand and blushed when we talked. Pretty funny. One partner had the most hilarious laugh that I couldn't stop laughing when he started. He was a big guy with a fuzzy beard. He liked to hug...

I had a wonderful time and I still remember the dance they taught us. They taught us one piece of it, practiced and practiced, and then taught us the second, and practiced and practiced, and then the third. Then after we all had those down, they put it all together. I thought everyone caught on pretty quickly. There were smiles all around and alot of talking and laughter. I think I'm going to like FHE!

LDS, YSA, and FHE... OMG!

I figured I could start blogging again, being that I have all this free time now. Class of 2011, baby!

So, as you all do not know (since I haven't blogged in many moons) I have been in the Young Single Adult ward in my stake for a little over a year now. My dad was called to be the ward clerk which then entailed that my whole family transferred out of our comfortable family ward. I was not too thrilled about that fact, however I went the next Sunday with sweaty palms and a smile on my face.

My mom got called to be the Sunday school teacher of the youth in the ward, which included 4 of the bishop's daughters, 1 of the counselor’s daughters, and me. Since these girls had been in the ward for 3 years together, I felt majorly out of the loop and shortly became unwelcomed (and afraid). I stopped going to class at the singles ward and went to my family ward for class. This became tiring and a little complicated so I started going to relief society after my mom was released. She was the only reason I kept going to class.

Now, 6 months later and 18 years of age, I am an official member of the ward. I got a visiting teaching partner and my first calling! My calling suits me, if I do say so myself. Family Home Evening Committee. I get to help plan future FHE activities. I've always wanted to go to FHE activities but I get afraid because I don't know anyone in the ward. I suppose that is partly my fault because I haven't taken time to get to know people, but that just really isn't my personality. Now I'll be forced, in a way, to interact with the singles and have some fun! Ballroom dancing is tomorrow. I'll post an update.