when the house is too quiet

this is what every grandmother should do when her house gets too quiet. lauren came over to play with papa jon and grammie susie last night while her parents went to see batman. we had fun! we played and played, we ate and ate (treats and popcorn of course!), and while papa was at the gym we had a marathon of watching mickey mouse! for the last showing of mickey mouse, i had her put on a jammie shirt of hailey's and we got under the covers. she was cracking me up getting her hands behind her head, all propped up on her pillows. but when i brought out the camera to catch some candid shots, she spotted me and started posing! what a doll she is! her cute little giggle and her sweet little voice brought just the right noise to our house!

my list? i've actually accomplished a few things today! horray!!!

having grandchildren is the BEST!

no kids at home?

what does a woman do who has four full days without any children at home?

sunday- prepared my young woman's lesson, wrote my LONG post on my blog (aka. wrote in my journal), had my jammies on by 7:30, caught up on "so you think you can dance" episodes.

monday- cleaned through the house (it had been awhile), did laundry, ironing, got my nails done, talked to my children on the phone (at least the ones that are missing), went to the gym, in jammies by 9, caught up on "in plain sight" and "bones" episodes.

tuesday- decided i really better do something productive or i will never forgive myself, worried (a little) about megan (she is so well adjusted, not sure where she came from), got my hair spruced up, went to best buy (found a cd and a camera:), waisting more time on the blog, decided if i write down what i really want to accomplish...maybe it will happen.

THINGS TO DO:
1- make reservations for cancun (a family vacation three years in the making:)
2- sort through paper work waiting to be attended to and get it all done
3- finish sorting through pictures on iphoto from August, 2006 to the present (this will probably take most of my day tomorrow!)
4- clean through cupboards and drawers in kitchen

how can i get motivated? i'm thinking i would rather read a good book...hummm!

what a week...

WARNING: This is long! (understatement) Could qualify as a work for GoodReads!!!

It seems like this week was filled with almost every emotion possible; excitement, anticipation, exhaustion, frustration, happiness, fulfillment, nervousness, appreciation, fright, calm, and those are just a few of the ones I felt...who knows how many more Megan and Hailey could mention!

Wednesday was Nationals for Hailey's team. They danced their hearts out, and I think they had a great time doing it :). Their numbers started at 10 pm. It's amazing how 13 - 15 yr. olds can still be hyped up that late at night. Their tap number took a first in its category, but they didn't get any other accolades. They have worked hard this year, and have done quite well I think, for the time and attention they received! Great job Hot Hay!


This is the "other" Haley (miss heckethorn). I believe she is the reason my Hailey stayed UP all week! Thanks for the energy!

Megan had Nationals Thursday. She brought it!!! She and Emily nailed their duet! They got a 5th place overall whoo-hoo!! (beating Studio 1) (they rank the top ten) Their small group lyrical number "You Had Time" took a 6th overall in group numbers. (beating Studio 1) Their jazz number took 3rd, Plank (teacups) got a 2nd, and Pressed Up Against (the wall) took 1st in overall line numbers. (beating Studio 1) The different category's are duo/trio (2-3 people), group (4-? people), line (more than groups), extended line (more than lines), and production (a bunch or people)! From the eighty six studios participating, they take the top numbers from six studios and have a dance off at a gala Friday evening. The number chosen from Bunker was "Pressed Up Against".

We were ALL quite surprised, since "Plank" (teacups), had been the big winner all year long. Megan was in shock. She had not prepared herself at all that she might not be doing that dance again. She kept saying, "I am so sad. I could do that dance a million more times! I LOVE THAT DANCE. I am so sad." Once the shock wore off, she got her head into the reality of doing the wall one more time! They were ready to fight it out!


The Friday night gala began, and after a nice dinner, the program kicked off with some introductions, and a special guest artist, Deborah Cox. The winners of the Elite Dancers were announced, a boy and a girl in each age group; mini, junior, teen and senior. Then, the dance off began!!! Again, the dance off is for each of the age groups; mini, junior, teen and senior, so waiting for Megan and the seniors was LONG!

Thanks to Jon and his new title, "The Greatest Dance Dad Ever" (i'll talk more about that later), he wound me into the guts of the hotel, with the kitchen staff, and all other worker-bees, and he bought me a bottle of diet dr. pepper for a $1.00 out of a vending machine. It saved my life! (unfortunately sleep wouldn't come that night until around 3 am, but it was worth being able to come back to life right when it mattered!) Last year was the first year Bunker Dance Center had come to this convention, West Coast Dance Explosion, for Nationals. We, obviously, were basically unknown to them, and we really felt like "they didn't get us!" Sadie's modern number made it into the gala, but was 6th place out of 6. That was wonderful, REALLY, being 6th out of all of the studios and all of the hundreds of numbers that had been competed that week, but of course, we wanted better. So, the goal for Friday night, between Jon and I, was to do better than 6th (a victory and improvement) and to beat Studio 1.

Studio 1 is a studio here in town, located on West Sahara (close to Candice's skin institute), owned by the mother of a girl I went to high school with, Heidi Nickum. Traditionally, there has been a Clark vs. Western kind of rivalry there, and unfortunately Studio 1 has probably won more times than Bunker. To our credit, we always noticed that Bunker was WELL ROUNDED in the styles they could dance, where Studio 1 was more one dimensional, but they had perfected that one style. It was pretty predictable though. We usually compete against them at least once a year, at a regional competition, but the last two years, we have both been at west coast for nationals. Several of our dancers, and several of their dancers go to LVA, and they are good friends, but EVERYTHING is a COMPETITION! Get the picture?

So last night, "Pressed Up Against" was the first of the senior numbers. They performed it better than ever before! Each one of the twelve girls was on. It was unbelievable!!! So, whether or not the judges liked it, they knew they had danced, almost, to perfection! That was worth everything! To finally prove they could do what they had been working all these years for, was the best feeling in the world for Megan. The next four dances went, and they looked pretty flawless too! The last dance, I thought, was the one to beat. It was by an amazing studio, Larkin Dance Studio. They are out of Minnesota, and they have seven or eight boys that are truly unbelievable. (they don't look gay, they are muscular/built, and they could jump!) They were off, a lot! Not the guys, but everyone. It didn't look as good as at nationals for sure! So, I didn't know what was going to happen. The other big studio, Dance Precisions, from California, had done well, and they are always a favorite.

So the MC/owner calls all of the senior dancers back up onto the stage to get their awards. (money and ranking)


6th-not Bunker, 5th-not Bunker, 4th- Dance Precisions (what?), 3rd- Larkin (they should have been 6th, but what?), and then he calls Bunker and Studio 1 forward...wouldn't you know it? He announces that one point seperated these two numbers. One point out of 600! Oh my gosh...could this really be happening? I was freaking out inside! Megan told us later, "I really thought we had won. And when I looked over at them (some of her friends), I could tell they thought we had won too."


2nd place goes to Bunker Dance Center for "Pressed Up Against" (screaming and jumping, you really can't hear what he is saying now), and 1st place goes to Studio 1 for their "sexy, shake your head" dance :).


REALLY, I'M NOT BITTER, I'm laughing. The girls were thrilled, except maybe Emily! She is a true COMPETITOR! She was mad, but really funny!!! She told Jon he should drop the wall off in their parking lot and send a choreography challenge:)! It was the last dance for 5-6-or 7 of the girls. We're not completely sure who is coming back, so there were many tears. But Megan, she was ALL smiles! and hugs! and laughing! and high 5-ing! and telling Emily..."they were so scared! they thought we beat 'em!" It was a great night, and a really fun way to end the 2008 dance season.




Today, I put Hailey on the plane to go visit Sadie and Tod at 1:20, and Megan is headed to "Ramblewood Dance - An Experience Like No Other" in Northern Maryland. It's a unique, rustic retreat set on 160 acres in the countryside. I can't wait to hear HOW rustic it is :). She's off at 11:30.

A quick note about Jon, the amazing dance dad. Beginning with recital, the transportation of the wall has basically been up to him. Another dad took the thing to Salt Lake and back (that would have been gross) so trucker Bob deserves his props, but many fathers were no where to be found when it came to these 5 huge, heavy panels that had to be transported and rolled in and out and on and off stage. And the last night at the gala, it fell to Jon and Chris (Kathy's husband) alone to do it. I didn't realize at the time that he wasn't watching it from the side, but he was behind it, holding it up as they jumped and pivoted on and off it! He loves his girls, and I know they know it, because he loves to be there, where they are, cheering them on! He looked so cute in his jeans at the dressy gala, with a rag hanging out of his pocket. He made friends with lots of people and dancers back stage and I just love him! Thanks Jon, you're the MAN!

CHAMPIONS!

I thought I was done for the night, had turned off my computer, was heading back into the depths of my home for my winding down rituals, when I realized I needed to say something to Megan and Hailey before this week continued. This is the week of the West Coast Dance Explosion, national competition. Below, I have descibed a little of what goes on each day:

Sunday, all day, all of the solo's were performed.
Today, was pre-qualifying day, for studios that hadn't attended a regional competition.
Tuesday, the mini and junior girls compete.
Wednesday, classes begin at 7:45 am., followed by the teen competition (Hailey's age group). Awards begin at 11:30 pm. Thursday, classes again, and then the seniors compete (Megan's age group). Awards begin at 11:00 pm.
Friday, more classes, a faculty performance, followed by a gala that evening where numbers asked to participate in a dance-off, will compete one more time to see who the BIG WINNER is!
All in all, A LOT OF DANCING!

Today, we got a little peek at some of the competition! Bunker took the overall high scores in all of the areas we competed, but we have yet to go up against the best! Last year we were introduced to some amazing studios. Their choreography is very creative; their dancing precise, together; and their skill level, quite amazing. Having said all of that, I still think we have a very good chance of making the judges wake -up, and take notice of who Bunker Dance Center is. Personally, I can't wait to see what happens!

But, if things don't go our way, I want my girls to know, that I already think they are champions! I have seen them both grow so much this year...dancing technique, performance, confidence...they have amazed me. Every year, at the end of the year, when some of the team members graduate from high school and move on with their lives, we worry that the team won't be any good the next year. (believe me, I have been doing this FOREVER, I know what I'm talking about) But some how, every year, they exceed the year before! Thanks to great teachers, amazing choreography, and wonderful guidance from Kathy herself, the younger girls start to shine and the team pulls it all together, and they win and inspire me in the process.

Thank you Megan and Hailey! You have brought me to tears more than once (or twice) this year, you have given me goose bumps, you have made me SO proud, and you have done it all for the most part, without complaining. You have been a positive influence on those you have been around, your light has been shining, and I know you have made a difference in many people's lives! You have shared your beautiful talents and told many stories so beautifully, through your dancing. I heart you both!

what a beautiful day!

i woke up this morning and had no idea what a great day today was going to be! i have learned, again, it really doesn't take much to make me happy! two little things this morning.

one - cloud cover. i walked from my car to the gym and thought, "WOW! it feels much cooler out here this morning!" thursday was a sauna...the humidity + the sun = outdoor sauna. today, when i left the gym, i had to check the temperature reading in my car, 84 degrees. AMAZING! that did something to me. i feel the need to go get lauren (i can't she's in north carolina) and swing at the park for awhile. or go hiking. or do anything outdoors, because i could, and not faint from heat exhaustion! that is one.

two - an ipod shuffle.


i have been trying to find my love again for the gym these past two weeks, and it has been ok, but today, as i was starting a little cardio, jon was just finishing. he came over to me, and practically insisted that i try out his shuffle (thank you big guy!). :) it was like finding my old best friend. the minute the tunes filled my ears, i was home again. my experiences working out have always included music, and in my almost three year absence, i had lost my exercise playlist on my ipod. what was i thinking? how enlightening for me, the difference i felt, listening to some great music while working out! i have to get me one of those little babies and hook it up to his computer and get his same playlist on mine! i was in heaven! that is two.

so, if you're feeling a little down today, go outside and do something fun, just because you can!, and turn on some great music and let it soothe your soul. trust me, you will feel happy :).

1043 days missed...

Most of us know that one of Larry Miller's favorite sayings is , "a day missed is one you can never make up." I have usually heard him refer to this bit of wisdom when he is talking about working out, building your muscles, or going to the gym. I have had his saying on my mind A TON lately. It has been almost three years since I have gone to the gym with any consistency at all. That is pathetic and embarrassing to admit. For some reason, not one that I can remember though, when Tod came home from his mission, August 27, 2005, I quit going to the gym. It is hard to believe almost three years have gone by!

This past weekend while Tod was home, as he and Jon were walking out the door to work out, he looked at me and said, "I'll go shave my face right now, with a blade, if you will come and go to the gym with us!" (he had no way of knowing that I had actually been to the gym monday and tuesday, and was ready to make a serious commitment myself when he said this.) I quickly responded, "I'll go, RIGHT NOW, and get my gym clothes on if you're serious." I think he was more than a little shocked with my response, but I also think he was ready to shave as well. So, last weekend, we committed to each other - one full month. Me - at the gym, Tod - clean shaven! Personally, I am very excited! Writing it down like this, further solidifies my commitment...no backing out now!

While I was at church yesterday, the thought came very clearly to me that, "a day missed is one you can never make up" applies to many other aspects of life as well. Since I have never lived close enough in proximity to Rhonda and Larry to be in the same ward, or even the same stake, I have never had Larry as one of my priesthood leaders. Unfortunate. I can only imagine though, that Larry has a much expanded meaning for his favorite saying, and has referred to it many times, when teaching about the benefits of scripture reading or prayer or a zillion other subjects! Two Sundays ago, our bishop challenged our young men and young women to read the Book of Mormon, ten pages a day, and highlight every time it speaks of Jesus Christ, then tally the highlights at the bottom of each page. Probably because my Monday and Tuesday at the gym were spent with his wonderful wife Keri, I made the commitment myself and have been reading every day! I REALLY, REALLY don't ever want to miss another day of reading in the Book of Mormon. I'm thinking I need to order a "Things To Do" list pad, that has #1 & #2, prewritten. Read Book of Mormon. Go to GYM! I always get #1 & #2 on my list done that day. Just a thought!

I wish I had a picture of Larry that truly showed what a physical specimen he is. But this one shows what a loving uncle looks like, and I think that aspect of his personality is even more impressive!

the party...

i must say we really, really missed jen! i hope she is feeling better!!! my top five most memorable things about the night...

5- bridger downing the guacomole!
4- sydney's jumping in tricks!
3- the tri-tip, the dips, the salads!
2- the diving and tricks contest between the dancers (girls) and the men (boys)! (that entailed HARD dives for the girls, and GAY tricks for the men to imitate!) FUNNY!
1- the awesome fireworks show!!!

sorry i didn't get pictures of everyone! i'll try to do better next time:).

GOD BLESS AMERICA! LAND THAT I LOVE!!!

Tod came home Wednesday evening, and earlier that day he called to see if I would DVR a program on ESPN2 called "Road to Redemption". It was about the US Olympic basketball team. It told the story of the olympic teams since the "Dream Team" in 1992, through this current team that is now preparing for China. I believe it will continue to air updates until the olympics begin. The next update is going to be on July 12th I believe. Anyway, when I got home from girl's camp that evening, Jon was watching it and I happened in on the last five minutes or so. It was amazing! Coach K had invited an old player of his, who is now a "big wheel" in the army, to come and speak to the players about being on a "team", and "selfless service". He had with him, four others, who had been wounded in Iraq. By the end, I had tears all over my shirt, and I was blowing my nose. (i know most of you are thinking oh pa-lease susan, get a grip on yourself! but jon was right there with me, and he told the boys that night when we all watched it together, that if they didn't shed a tear there hearts were made of stone.) Why have I shared this whole long story? Because I felt such a strong sense of patriotism after watching it, I am passing along the suggestion for you all to find it and watch it. I still have it DVR'ed if you wan't to come here. It also got me VERY excited to watch our sweet basketball team when the olympics begin. I tell you, I'm going to be praying for them! They must feel a HUGE amount of pressure to win! THANK YOU (and I appreciate you!) to all of those people who have gone before me, that established this great nation of ours, and who have defended IT and the FREEDOM I enjoy!


Also, a cute picture of a little uncle and niece BONDING that went on last night at our house. She might not look that excited, but she loved every minute of swimming with Gram-Pop and Tod!

I love the USofA!

THE GOOD LIFE

so i have a problem. ever since i've been home i've been real tired but can't seem to ever fall asleep, and when i do it's only for 6 hours. maybe it's the thought that molly won't be waiting for me in bed, maybe knowing i won't have her body next to mine i'm not really sure yet, but since i'm wide awake i thought i'd sneak in and make a post. i've just returned back from the most amazing two weeks of my life known as the church history tour. i went with my cousin molly and roomed with two beautiful girls elina and marinne from my dance team. knowing my luck, my camera broke within the first week so andrew whiting has all the good pictures but i'll share what i have.

this is a picture of me and blair palmer. we were at niagara falls. i have mixed feelings about canada because it was different, but not exciting enough for me.

this is a picture of my new best friend andrew whiting, after playing an intense game of ddr in our canadian hotel. within two seconds after we shot this picture a mob of asians came into the hotel so we had to scram before they asks to play us in ddr.

this is a picture of me and chase comrey. this kid is my hero. his been living on his own since he was 16, working to support himself, and is now paying for his mission his about to serve in the phillipines! can you picture a white, 6' 2'' red head, speaking tologan wearing a skirt? we joke about it all the time, but i know he'll be great. he has the biggest heart and the sweetest spirit.

one of my favorite spots was the scared grove. it was a little early in the week, but it made me reflect and think and put me in the mind set i needed for this trip. i grew a stronger relationship with my heavenly father that day. i love him and can't for the day i get to return to him.

my other favorite spot was the sasquehana river ( don't judge my spelling ) i loved the peace that you feel there and the overwhelming feeling of the priesthood and how important it is. i can't wait to find my worthy priesthood holder, who equally loves this gospel as much as i do.
oh and that's molly picking our rocks from the river.

this is a picture of the bird i stepped on to take a picture after walking 5 miles just to go to nasty wendy's. we really got lost and got bored so decided to take pictures, and that's what we got was a dead bird. i repented after don't worry.

this is a picture of me and oliver waite on the boat ride to see the statue of liberty which totally doesn't do it justice. so i suggest going on the boring 3 hour boat ride, i forget what it's called but you get much closer and it's worth it.

this next picture actually has a funny story to it, or at least everyone who was there thought it was. so this girl ari say's "hey i know this really good pizza place in soho we should all go" so we're all really excited to eat actual real food. so we decided we'd take the subway, knowing known of us knew how to read subway maps. so once we got in we stood in a circle asking everyone if they knew about this place and where we needed to go. so we walk down to this train that says bronx. i had a feeling it wasn't the right subway and so was andrew so he asked another person if this was the right subway while we're inside it and he says no. so we're all running to get out and tyler barely makes it through, leaving me stuck, wedge inbetween the doors. molly screams and first reaction was to pull my head out, saving me. we all had a good laugh for about 10 minutes. 5 minutes later we were all angry because we never found the place, and had no idea where to go and how to get there. not the best experience but still fun! that's just one of my many embarrassing stories.

this is my philli picture. i wasn't pleased with the city, being that it took me and molly 2 hours just to get a philli cheese steak which didn't make us very happy, but big boy cheered us up. mike ( notice my strung out shirt :) )

d.c. i don't even know how to express my love for that city. it was beautiful, both times i've been and i've loved my experience there. it was a little rainy that night but we all layed on the abraham lincoln monument steps for a good half hour just enjoying ourselves. definately a highlight of the trip. glad i got to see ryan and the kid, missed crystal.

this is a picture of me and the beautiful ari lorewald near joseph's grave. i'm so glad i got to meet her. we found out we actually share alot of things in common. we had so much fun hanging out together. we both grew a love for andrew, we stocked him for a couple days and then he got really sick of us but i've never laughed harder then with her and him. to him helping well doing our laundry to sitting on the bus doing the whoopie cushion getting his roommates to actually believe he had bad gas. it's a blessing i met her.

but my ultimate, favorite site was carthage jail. i've never been so touched and so reassured that Joseph knew that going to carthage his life would be taken from him, but went and left emma, his faithful wife to stand up for what he knew to be true. he brought the gospel back to this earth and i am eternally grateful for him. as i was walking around trying to contain myself i came across this statue

"i knew it, and i knew god knew it, and i could not deny it" those words had never hit me so hard. i felt my knees give in and knew right then, that i knew for myself that this gospel is true and i could not deny a spirit so strong. that my heavenly father and savior jesus chirst know me personally. they know my struggles, and trials and i realized there that everyone's lives aren't perfect, especially Joseph's. that he had to go through much more than i will ever have to undergo in my lifetime. sorry this post is so long, but i just want to express my love for this great gospel i was able to grow up in. i regret everything i took for granate, especially during times when i needed him the most. i've grown a strong relationship with my heavenly father and feel us his love for me daily. i love the scriptures and what they contain. i was so eager to share a book that i've grown to love with everyone, i even asked one of the elder missionaries at the temple vistor center in kansas city for a book of mormon i could write in and give to a friend as soon as i got home, but he hasn't come to accept it yet, but i'm happy. i truely am happy for the first time in a long time, and by reading and sharing what i know to be true has affected my attitude tremendously. i'm listening to one of my favorite songs called i will not be still by kenneth cope and it fits my emotions perfect right now. i'll figure out how to make a cool collage of pictures cause there's a bunch more.
but shout out to molly. she truely is my best friend and i don't know what i'd do without her.

it is now 2:30 in the morning. now i understand why my mom spends hours on this things cause it takes forever! you are all crazy!
much love,
megan bunker

girls camp - lip sync

I am pretty much just driving up and down the mountain this week. Took Megan in yesterday, brought her home today, bring Hailey home tomorrow. I'm glad to see a little of the fun on my quick stops...but I'm thinking either your're ALL in or you're ALL out. Maybe before Hailey is finished with her years there, I will be ALL in again. I'm just not much of a camper, so it's hard for me to feel sad about not living there! Thanks to ALL the leaders! What a huge amount of work, and what a great success!!! Lip syncs were very fun! I mostly only know the girls from our ward, but THEY were all SO cute! (so were the leaders:)!

Walking in with Megan yesterday, she was reminiscing about the last time she was at camp. She, Paige and Janae had gotten into BIG trouble for a prank they had done. (this is probably still a bad memory for some people, SORRY) I had never heard the whole story before. This year, Janae (the leader), is in Australia...I'm not sure if she has been banned from the mountain or not...but it sure is a fun memory for Megan! Then Megs comments that she had never been excited to go to camp before. I said, "I know. I was pretty surprised that you were so anxious to come." She said something like, "Yeah, I just don't want to come down off my spiritual high." (i was glad for that!) So, she was there, at camp, for 24 hours. As we were walking out she tells me, "Me and Ashley got bored last night. So, we pulled this prank. Today we got in big trouble." Does this stuff run in the blood? I remember Kristen having a huge problem with the air horn...and I was her leader! Sadie, were you ever in trouble? (And no, Megs is still not off her spiritual high!)

Hailey was pretty cute too. I just haven't had much time to talk to her! Girls camp is really a wonderful thing! Great memories, testimonies grow, and girls can get dirty and feel GOOD about it!