Our 2012 began with a cruise to Cabo! This was the first time either of us had been on a cruise and we were able to go with lots of friends. We ultimately decided we liked being on the land better than the ship, but we had a great time celebrating our 1 year anniversary and spending time with friends.
In February I began my student teaching at Lehi Jr. High and Westlake High School. It was an intense, stressful but very rewarding experience. I especially fell in love with 7th graders.
In March Kyle and I competed at our last National Dancesport Competition. We both grew up being very involved with that competition and always looked forward to performing/competing in the marriott center. A couples week after we traveled to Maryland to compete in the USA Dance Nationals. This was our last competition as amateurs.
The summer of 2012 was insanely busy for us both. Kyle and I were both finishing up school. Kyle was involved in an internship in which he got to travel to Texas for a conference. I was busy choreographing my senior project - the last thing to do before graduation. I was also organizing Special Olympics Ballroom for the 4th year in a row. In the meanwhile we began competing professionally in the American Smooth style in June. One of our favorites comps was in Manhattan because my mom and sister Courtney took the trip with us. We saw Newsies and loved it! And if we weren't busy enough we were both studying (like CRAZY) in preparation for our USISTD Standand exams. Graduation was in August and Kyle and I were both asked to speak at our college convocations. Our grandparents came into town and we had a fun time celebrating our graduation and the end of the summer.
In Sept. we competed at USDC - the national competition in Florida. We made the semi final in the RS Smooth competition. We hope to be in the top 3 this coming year. Right before nationals we had to move out of our small apt in Provo. We moved all our stuff into Kyle's parents garage. AFter much contemplation, traveling to Washington, Texas and California to check out our options we decided to move to Orange County, CA to teach at a new studio called Sway Ballroom Dance. It has turned out to be a great decision. We love the studio, the area, the close competitions and coaches, the ward and even our callings as primary teachers :)
My family drove here on Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with us! I was so glad to have my mom to help me cook the thanksgiving feast. It was also fun to show my family around our new home. Christmas was wonderful this year as we filled up every minute of our time home in Utah. Here are a few pictures of our eventful 2012.
