I Hope You Dance

Dancing has been a very important part of our home.

River LOVES dancing with Mommy, Daddy, Silver, friends!

Dancing is such a great thing and helps you feel so alive!

I used to go Swing Dancing once a week at Utah Sate. 

We need to find some dance classes for Colt and I to learn swing together, I can follow, not lead. 

Sometimes I try to lead...We've learned we can't have 2 leaders at the same time!!

That reminds me of a song:  Life's a Dance

Sung by John Michael Montgomery

Life's a dance you learn as you go

Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow

Don't worry about what you don't know

Life's a dance you learn as you go

The longer I live the more I believe

You do have to give if you wanna receive

There's a time to listen, a time to talk

And you might have to crawl even after you walk

Had sure things blow up in my face

Seen the longshot, win the race

Been knocked down by the slamming door

Picked myself up and came back for more

Life's a dance you learn as you go

Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow

Don't worry about what you don't know

Life's a dance you learn as you go

  We've definitely learned things as we went.  Talking to a friend with teenagers now I expressed that I love the stage my kids are in and don't want them to grow up.  I'm comfortable with little kids, I don't really know what to do with them when they're older.  I'm scared to have teenagers.  She says to me that she felt the same way, but you learn as you go, your kids will be yours and you'll have all that history, memories and love that you've built with them.  You learn the stage of life that you're in, and they're in.  It's not you just jumping in when they're teenagers.  Kids just get funner and get more and more capable, and you can have different adventures together.  I need to remember the end goal in parenting:  Raising Responsible Capable Adults!  We studied this a bit at BYU in one of my family classes.  It's hard when you've had tiny children that you've done everything for, but as the years go by, you need to give them more and more freedom and responsibility.  You need to have your parent-child (adult-child) relationship morph into an adult-adult relationship.

I'm on a song kick today.  There are so many great songs about dancing: 
Here's "I Hope You Dance"  Sung by Lee Ann Womack:

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
Time is a wheel in constant motion always
Rolling us along
Tell me who
Wants to look back on their years and wonder
Where those years have gone

HUGS!

I never want to regret where these years have gone.  That's my major motivation.  I live most everyday reminding myself that I want to live without regrets.  I try to not get sucked into the computer...the projects...work..... insert anything here that you find yourself taking you away from your kids and these precious times.  Yes, we need breaks, and I probably don't take enough breaks, but I'd rather err on the side of too much time than not enough. 

Here are some darling videos of River's dance recital.  She is the one on the very right.  Because she loves dancing so much, we signed her up for a dance class.  At first she loved it.  As time went on she started getting really frustrated with the other kids in the class.  It was a 3 year old class, and River is very mature and conscientious of rules and obeying them.  It was hard for her to stay focused and not stress out about all the other kids not following rules.  She kept raising her hand "Teacher, _______is touching the curtains"  "Teacher________is talking to me and not being quiet"  "Teacher_________ is running around"  "Teacher _______is pulling on me".  She just got so overwhelmed that it wasn't fun for her anymore. 

We almost didn't go to the dance recital.  At first she wanted to go and dress up in her pretty costume.  When I made the hurculean effort to get back from a S.G. trip, getting home 15 minutes before show time she then said she didn't want to go.  All these things pop up as a parent...so what do you do then...make them go...say it's okay to stay home.  I had decided Primary and Joy School are not optional.  She needs to go and have those experiences.  Dance Class and Library time are optional.  If she wants to stay home, that's okay...she's only 3.  There will come a time where we need to learn follow through and going to things even though we don't want to, but for a 3 year old???  I talked to the librarian about this, she said, "Oh, this is the time you have them come, even if they cry a couple of times, it teaches them how to interact with others".    I believe that to be true too...I think we'll start going back to library time now that Joy School is over.  Oh, how nice it would be to have a manual to look up how to handle things when they pop up. 

But that's the beauty of this life...not having everything spelled out for you, even though sometimes it would be very nice...  This is when I rely on my Heavenly Father, knowing she was his child before she was ever mine.  He knows her better than I ever will.  I need His guidance.

In the end, the mom of her BEST friend called and I said we're trying to get out the door for the recital.  Isn't it amazing when people call or stop by right at the exact moment?  Tender Mercies of the Lord are around us everywhere!  Danika is a teenager, one that River really looks up to.  Danika ended up going to the recital to watch her dance, which made River feel really special.  River had a fun time, really got into it and enjoyed herself.  I wonder what would have happened if I had tried to force her to go....We went over to Danika's house after the recital to show off her dress and say Hi.  Oh, never underestimate the power role-models can have on kids.  Especially older kids are tremendous examples to the younger ones.

A big thank-you to all those who have blessed my children's lives!  You mean more to them and me than you will ever know.