Best birthday ever!

So I turned the big 31 yesterday and it was one of the best birthdays I have had. So many people remembered and I felt so special. It's amazing when even the kindergartners see you in the hallway and say "Happy Birthday Miss Wall" when you wouldn't even think they'd remember after you'd mentioned it in passing a few days earlier. So cute! My 8th grade musical theater class threw me a surprise birthday party at school and sang to me. It was the cutest, most touching thing ever. I really did start to cry. I am such a girl :) Then I went to dinner with a bunch of friends and just enjoyed quality time spent with friends. My parents called me later that night and sang "Happy Birthday" to me. I felt so loved and it was incredible. This year will be an adventure, I think, and I'm looking forward to what it has in store.

Choir

So I have the opportunity of directing the choir in our congregation at church and today we had choir practice. This was the turnout :) Pretty good odds for Annie!

The Garden

I had the wonderful opportunity of singing in one performance of the allegorical oratorio "The Garden" by Michael McLean this past Saturday. I went into the performance with several things on my mind and several things I was working out within myself. Words can't completely express the experience I had on Saturday night, but I will do my best. As "The Man With Many Names" was singing his solo entitled "Not My Will", I was overcome with emotion as I pictured the Savior and the sacrifice He made for each and every one of us and I got tears in my eyes. My heart was softened and I was reminded that He knows me, He knows my thoughts, my emotions, my heart, and my desires. He knows exactly how I feel because He has been there and has suffered for me personally. He loves ME, with all my strengths and weaknesses, and is always there with arms outstretched if I will but go to Him and let Him in my life. I know He performed the Atonement for each and every one of us, that He suffered for our sins, that He died for each one of us, and that He was resurrected and HE LIVES again. My Savior lives and loves me unconditionally as does my Father in Heaven, who, out of love for us, sent the Savior to perform that sacrifice so that I can return to live with Him again. I will be eternally grateful for this knowledge and for that experience I had last night. I am SO blessed.

Galactic Blues

So I was teaching a reggaeton dance routine to our 5th graders this past Friday and accidentally said "toys" when I was referring to moving their toes opposite their arms. I said it several times and just got funny looks from the students. They were probably thinking Miss Wall had gone crazy (or perhaps they already think that ;) ). Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience. We saw some of our 5th graders today and asked how many of them had shown the dance to their parents and several of them raised their hands. I sure hope that was a good thing! :)

Oh, and school is out in a month!!!! Yahooo! I think both the teachers and students are ready to be done. It's time for a break!! And then...Israel, Egypt, Paris, and Switzerland for me. It seems surreal that I'm actually going to 4 places on my bucket list. I'm surely looking forward to it! Perhaps I'll point my toys in that direction for the moment. Ha ha ha. I'm glad I crack myself up.

Papa loves Mambo...Mama loves Mambo...

Today Cathy (my co-worker) and I made up some choreography to a Mambo song I found and we had a blast. Yes, we were working, I promise! ;) We are doing a world music unit with the 5th graders and teaching them dances from the Caribbean on Thursday. Let's just say there were arms flying, hips shaking, and lots of laughter...I love my job!