"Dark Waltz" - Hayley Westenra

I love waltz. Like so much. Really. Really really. Love. it. love it. This post is dedicated to ballroom. It's my new boyfriend.

When you see the word Waltz what do you think of?

Words that originally came to mind were graceful, pretty, romantic, beautiful etc etc etc.

My thoughts somewhat changed of this last semester when I went to DanceSport and saw what went down on the floor and it's just plain dangerous on so many levels. I wouldn't be surprised if people have died while competing in ballroom.

Don't be deceived by this video. My teachers Alex and Jared competed and totally rocked it. They're awesome.

But let's be real here. I feel like I have been the victim of so many injuries in my class. Some injuries I'm not so sure aren't entirely my fault but there are a few that I can take 0% credit for. Like bruises on my shins. When dancing waltz your feet really don't leave the floor, doesn't matter if you are stepping forward or backwards. So I don't really comprehend how I can get bruises on my shins...especially with a line down the middle that looks normal?

Among my other injuries include broken toe nails, numb toes and I might have even broken a toe or jammed it. I'll survive.

Putting aside the injuries that I have sustained, I love love love waltz.

Story time! Once upon a time in class my teacher Jared gave us partners that we are supposed to compete with in our mock competition. We decided that we were going to get together to practice before our test. So we go to the RB to a practice room and we're waltzing around and there was this guy in there practicing by himself. After a while of trying to work through our routine the guy started talking to us and then helping us through our routine.

Long story short...this guy is on the ballroom team. And he said that he wanted to dance one part of the routine with me and then afterward he was really surprised at how well I did. Then after we were all done he told that I was uber talented. So it pretty much made my day.

Then today I ran into my partner and his gf (who is also on the ballroom team) and they said that said boy was talking about me and kept saying how good I was. So pretty much I'm in love...with waltz. haha faked you out ;)

So to end this post I give you this.

"Rumour Has It" - Adele

I recently decided that if I have time I would start doing a pop culture, more like mormon culture, update about once a week. Mostly for my own entertainment and because Anna says that she enjoys when I post things like that. So let's get started with the things I have discovered these last couple of weeks.

Did you know that Elizabeth Smart got engaged? He's from Scotland and they served their missions together in France.

If you didn't see my post on facebook about this blog, Totally Missing the Point, about vocal point; you should go read it. I guess it would make a lot more sense if you've been keeping up with them but they really are a funny pair of sisters. Sisters, maybe we should create a funny blog like this.

Did you know that Beyonce had a baby and named it Ivy Blue...or was it Blue Ivy? Either way I don't entirely care. It's kind of a weird name.

Kaleen shared this youtube video with me about Alana from toddlers and tiaras. Go watch it honey boo boo child.

I guess Heidi Klum and Seal are getting divorced. I wonder why hollywood spends so much time carrying about who gets married and who gets divorced. It happens so often now it's not really news.

Did you ever see that youtube video that USU did about guys and girls being friends? I think that that is a total biased video and Stephen Jones got it right.

Another awesome video by Stephen Jones, Sh*z Mormons Say. For the record a lot of these are close to the line which we don't really say but still hilarious at the same time. Some people have done responses to that like Things Mormon Girls Say. I have to agree that I totally want to watch Newsies.

Did you know that Jamba Juice has a secret menu? I have been talking about this a lot to different people. My favorite is Pink Star.

Ok that's probably enough for now. I've given you enough youtube videos to keep you entertained. Check next week for another "Pop Culture from the Inside of the Bubble"  with Lauren.

"Good Feeling" - Flo Rida

Because I know you all want to know and care about me so much, and because I have to do this for homework now, I'm gonna tell you all about my classes this semester. There a lot. So I'll try and keep the details shawt.

I only have two classes left for my major. Only...92 days left till my birthday...and graduation. I haven't been counting. Honest. I just downloaded an app to do the math for me. I love my iPhone.

Anyway...I am taking Aural Rehabilitation and Speech Science. I'll survive. So I go to my first day of class in Aural Rehab and the teacher told us that we could get an A in the class by just reading the textbook but that we would know the information better/would know what would be on the test if we came to class. Nope. She pretty much reads directly off of the slides what she gets directly from the book. Don't worry I still go to class. Speech Science just has to be at the awful time of day where you would normally take a nap. I have a hard time focusing.

I also have two GEs left to finish before I become a grad. Advice: Don't wait. Luckily they aren't that bad. I'm in MCOM which is business writing. Pretty much love this class...and not just because that is one of the reasons why I am writing this post. But so far I have learned a great deal about grammar and such and I am already starting to correct things in my mind. I'm taking that class with Diane and we have lots of fun. My other GE is Bible as Literature. The class itself is really interesting but there is quite a bit of reading. It's hard trying to read the bible and think of it analytically and annotation instead of looking for a spiritual enlightenment.

Oh and I am taking piano to finish my minor of musica. I'm playing a Beethoven and Chopin piece this semester. And I'll even be having my own private recital thingy. Woo go me.

So those are the only classes that I have to take to graduate. I decided to have a little fun this semester and take some extra classes so I can keep doing things I enjoy.

I'm taking two dance classes. One is social dance and the other is ballroom. I'm kind of hating on ChaCha right now but it's just a matter of getting a guy that knows what he's doing. I love love love ballroom. I seriously think that more people should know how to do this so we can have real balls and waltz around. That would just be mind-blowing. However, peeps let me just tell you how dangerous ballroom is. I noticed this back when I would watch competitions but man. I think I may have survived more injuries than any one else in my class but that's another post that I'm working on. So because I am taking two dance classes I get to dance every day. I feel like my feet are going to be sore for the rest of my life.

I am also taking cooking with Rachel! We have yet to actually cook with each other but at least our kitchens are right next to each other. We got lab at the best time so one day a week I don't have to worry about bringing lunch on campus with me because we eat food!

Another class that I'm taking....haha it's my last one don't worry :), is Zumba! Brynn convinced me to take it with her and I love it! Why have I not done Zumba before? We only have twice a week but I wish we had it more often.

Ok so that was longer than expected. If you made it to the end you get a gold star on your forehead. I promise my posts in the future will be more interesting than this one.

"2012" - Taio Cruz

So I have this need, this burning desire, that I can't move onto the new stuff in my life until I finish telling all of you about Christmas. Because I sure that you all care to know anyway. Please note that I will add a Christmas Card at the end if you would like to know what the latest, greatest, and bestest things going on in our lives. Be prepared.

Christmas break was pretty awesome and it had many contributing factors.
1. That we were all together as a family and with the new addition of Jackson. Don't worry you'll hear more about him later.
2. The weather was pretty dang awesome. Even in Utah. Even though I wasn't there.
3. We went to California. Pretty much any time we go to California is awesome.
4. WE WENT TO THE BEACH.  And it was GORRRRR-GAS. Seriously people. Now I am considering going to grad school in California...and Hawaii. Now you know.
5. I was just going to start typing that we were all healthy during this trip but that is completely false. Brandon came sick and I spent the whole break sick. Good thing I almost completely forgot about that one.
6. Catan. It just isn't a family gathering without Catan. And dang Mom won twice in one day. And curse Brandon. I totally would have won that last game.
7. Psych. Thank you sisters for introducing that show in my life. So great.
8. My family is pretty much awesome, immediate and extended. Which I know everyone already knows, I just like to say it...often.

Time for pictures!!

 We made a quick stop in Riverside to visit our old house. So we got all of our 5 kids in front of the house. Nostalgia at it's best. We're all so adorable and grown up!

We put our hand prints in the concrete when we laid it at the house so we decided to take a now picture. The guys were lame and already got back in the car.

BEACH!!! This is in December. It felt like June. I wish I was there right now instead of being in my apartment.

Hoover Dam! We walked across the bridge that they have now constructed. We saw all the dam cars, the dam people, the dam water, the dam fish, the dam tourists, the dam rocks...

Two places at once! We are straddling the border of Nevada and Arizona in the AIR!

 Happy 2012 from the Trout's LOL. We are still just being teh most awesome family ever so nothing new there! Rick and Linda have been happily married for 28 years, but of course they've been married for eternity so is there really a need to count?! LOL Rick is still bishop but we use that to our advantage of getting some of the best visitors during Christmas. So much good food! Linda is in Young Women's because who can argue that she is the best leader EVER!! She helps her young women through the physically, emotionally and spiritually hard times. She just loves her gurls so much!! Brandon and Anna have received the greatest gift of life this last year!! (pun intended) Little Jackson is just the cutest baby ever! Seriously so much cuter than any other baby out there. I'm serious. He is so smart and advanced and so much better than all the other babies his age. He's gonna go up to be just as awesome as his parents. Brandon is half way down with law school where he is totally top of his class. No one can compete with the Trout family. Dallin is rocking it away in school. He's getting ready to take the MCAT this summer so he can go away and be an awesome doctor. Lauren is graduating from BYU in April on her birthday! w00t. She's gonna take a little bit off to work before applying to grad school to become a Speech Language Pathologist. (Watch out, so far the oldest Trout kids are becoming a triple threat to this world: Lawyer, Doctor and SLP. Don't mess.) Kaleen is preparing to go to Walt Disney World to compete at NATIONALS on her Varsity Dance team! They are totally gonna kill because they do every year and she's just the most awesome dancer ever. And at the same time she is taking a hard course load because she is just so dang smart and loves a good challenge. She graduates from high school, finally ;), in June. Meghan is just awesome. She is trying to surpass her siblings, literally, seriously she is so flipping tall. She picked up Cross Country and is running her little heart out. She's rocking in school because that's what Trout's do. LOL. So now you know what's going on with us. HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT YEAR!!! XOXOXO
Thumbs up for rock n' roll.

"Turning Tables" - Adele

Today is my last first day of being an undergrad. The senioritis has already kicked in. I'm starting to wonder why I signed up for so many classes and I just feel the impulse to drop them all. But I decided that I would at least go to the first class and then make a decision. Because I know that if I drop everything then I'll have a greater chance of just being lazy which we are trying to avoid.

Christmas break was only like two and a half weeks but I feel like I've been gone a whole semester. I'm having a hard time getting back into the mindset of school but I guess I really haven't even been back 24 hours to even let myself adjust.

Going to my classes has either help eliminate or add to the stress. I think it's so hard because before now I had this mentality that if something doesn't work out or I don't get into the class that I wanted to that I could just do it the next semester. However I no longer have that cushion to fall back on so I am just trying to make sure that everything is perfect for my last semester.

I only have a few more classes to go before I've been to them all and before I make a decision about what is on the chopping block and what do I keep. I think I am making this more stressful than it needs to be. I think if I can make it through Monday than I will be able to make it through the semester. Wish me luck.