[where did November go? ]

I seemed to have had a writers block in the month of November- NO, not because my life is boring, I just haven't felt like updating...................................... ;p

One thing that made me proud of myself in November was that I actually got my VT done at the beginning of the month rather than procrastinatin (like I do every month) to get it done. We visited our sisters and so glad we did. They're amazing and glad our message touched their lives. I love my girls and my partner to the max!!

I had a show in Memphis a few weeks into Nov. It was for some Hawaii Broadcasting show funded by PBS. It was pretty cool. Our hotels for shows are always really sweet. We got to stay at this town house owned by Peabody and it was so pretty & nice. Very vintage-ish...and slave-ish, but nice. Shawn and I had watched Paranormal Activity back in October. Now...I like scary movies, but movies like that and the Exorcist..... I can't do. I can't stand them. I hate enticing the evil spirit (only because its REAL) and I don't feel its smart (once again, only, because it's REAL). anyway, the master bedroom that Frankie and I stayed in was excactly like the one in Paranormal Activity. hahaha... so i was freaked out and refused to go to bed until Frankie was ready, and that alone took fooooorever. haha Anyway, show was fun. We only had to do 2 15 minute sets. One was a tahitian otea........can you say "OUT OF SHAPE!" my goodness I was dying to say the least. I hadn't danced forever before that show and I didn't even work out before the show even though I knew months ago I had it. So yeah...i pretty much died- and it felt good.

I got sick shortly after I returned from Memphis. Just as I was getting over being sick it hit the 23rd, which meant it was Tangi and Sias birthday (uh oh! NO SLEEP).

 

I was sure their husbands had things planned (since its their duty hah) so I had just planned on takin them to dinner or something. That night was also Finns concert. By the time the 23rd came around and I talked to the girls....they weren't up to do much (boring moms right? ;p). I'm not to sure what Sia ended up doing after I talked to her but I'm sure she did something w/her cute little boys and Dall. I headed over to Tangis where we just stayed in for the night. Turned out to be a really fun night w/just us girls (including Sega, Sina, Dawn, and Kim, and all the kids haha) Just doing hair (typical), make up for the little girls, listening to LOUD music, eating LOTS and LOTS of delicious fattening cake, pizza, etc... 

 We had a good time......so good- there are NO pictures. haha  But yeah...Happy Birthday to Tangiofameimoanalua Ioana Leinaala Atiga Asiata and Telesia Passionella Koloti Tupa. I love these ladies to no end, and so very grateful for the blessings they are in imy life....even though they get on my nerves at times. ;)

No sleep followed Tangiofas birthday night. I worked Thanksgiving morning. (BOOOO!) but lucky for me they sent me home early. =) Thanksgiving was sweeeeet! Once again, mom went all out and dinner was the bomb.com!!! We had everything from Turkey, glazed ham, ota, bbq meatballs, coconut shrimp, stuffing, lupulu, lu sipi, fa'alifu kalo and banana, chop suey, salads, variety of deserts, not to mention Ashleys first Chocolate Dobash cake. haha. I couldn't eat it because I was so full. So intoxicated [by food] I was sick. After we ate, I watched Lady Gaga's special on tv. Oh Em Gee.... she is amazing. I love her voice and her style. My thooughts of her being a freak a zoid all disappeared until I saw her pictures as a child....she was a weirdo back then to, so i guess being what we all call "normal" is actually NOT her comfort zone. it all works out for her though.... =)

During the month of November I became even more addicted to Pinterest and I seriously think i pin way too much....but who cares my followers like em. ;)

Shawn played his LAST game of college football at the University of Utah, November 25th. It was a bittersweet game; happy for his progression through the years and excited for what the future holds for him....whatever it may be, but also sad because the U's been nothing but wonderful to him. His coaches have been phenomenal, to say the least. I seriously LOVE EM and the whole Utah program! 

Unfortunately we lost against Colorado (the WORST team in the Pac 12)...shame right? haha. and now we're playing in a "not so fun" bowl game. Seriously...who goes to El Paso for fun. I wish it was Vegas..... last years bowl game was sooooo the business. I would've loved to be there for the bowl game AND new years this year.

Okay, well I guess my life really isn't that exciting, but I do stay busy and enjoy the small moments and memories I do make. November was kind....the end of the month hurt like a mother- but glad I've got a great family that helped me get through it.

To be continued....

[Gyptian concert w/NO Gyptian??]

Wednesday =

Worked some OT [savings! savings! savings!]

made and ate a delish spinich toss salad. [YUM]

sound check [4 hour sound check......really?? =( ]

performance was FUN

ETANA was amamamamaaaazing, she reminded me so much of Melanie Fiona. 

[I want to go back to Jamaica NOW]

Gyptian was a NO SHOW.....but performed lastnight for FREE so I guess that's cool.

I'm in the reggae mood all over again... =)

[throwback Thursdays: LaVonas Polynesia]

I love dancing (period)

Any kind of dancing.

But the only kind of dancing that I can actually do with out having to try TOO MUCH and looking like a fool would be

Polynesian dancing. 

In fact, it's my FIRST <3.

I've been dancing since I could count to 2 (basic steps of hula lol)

Not gonna lie, I use to hate it when I was little. 

When all my friends were riding bikes and running around the neighborhood playing I had to stay in and practice. 

Even up to my teen years. In high school, while all my friends were hanging out and attending all school functions, games, dances, or just hangin' out at house party.........low and behold I was stuck 

ON THE ROAD

travelling.....dancing. The pay was amazing but still, I wanted to be home with my family and friends doing 'normal' things.

Many times it got so frustrating and I didn't want to do it, but with the help of these ladies I got through 

A LOT!

Angela*Lusi*Sia*Leta*Audra

Not that dancing was ever a bad thing or a bad influence on my life, I just felt like at the time, because I didn't really wanna be there, that I was being robbed of my childhood. LOL... who thinks like that?? hahaha 

Many may blame dancing....or the show for their mistakes because of what you're exposed to as a dancer,  but it really isn't like that. I believe that the decisions you make while your dancing on the road or not....are your choices, so be accoutable for your own actions, c'mon Adam did it. ;p lol...

I mean we were on pretty strict rules as far as out of town shows. 

No drinking [on the job]. No boys in the girls rooms and vice versa. We could go wherever we wanted to and there was no curfew but no one really took advantage of that because just being around the show and band was good enough company for us.

In reality, what I didn't see was that it was a way for me to see life in whole different perspective. I was able to travel to different places and meet all kinds of people. I got to experience and see with my own eyes many of the things God has created and if anything, I gained a greater appreciation for what I do have in my own life. =) Truly a blessing in disguise.

I was able to accept 'that' lifestyle and with out even realizing it I was slowly falling in love with it. 

I learned so much dancing with these lovely ladies. I embraced each moment and carefully loved every experience at practice {out of breath, killing my thighs, blistered feet and all}, on stage, in the dressing room, on road trips, sleeping in airports, flight delays, standby, in the plane, pay cuts, pay raises, CLIENTS (good/bad), unforgettable parties, HoT SeXy KiLLeR bOdy [i DON'T have anymore] costume changes, costume fittings, after parties, in the hotels, small kine celebrity life, long talks, hot guys.....hot dancers lol, messing up ON STAGE, executing numbers, dressing up, relaxing in the hotel rooms, JAM SESSIONS turned into pillow fights,  loooong meetings, getting lectured about performances, running away from certain guests, 

and most of all....all the tears of joy, frustration, and gratitude to the Lord for our talents.

I love these DoShEEz (an inside joke amongst us) with all my heart because of all the great memories we've made together. We've all gone our seperate ways, wear 3 sizes bigger than when we danced, and live our own lives outside of dancing, but STILL would do anything for each other in a heart beat.
...love my LP girls...

[[Paradise DETOUR]]

leSo I was suppose to be on my way to Samoa (for the first time) last Thursday. Well because broke and I are way too close my plans to Hawaii and Samoa changed right before my parents and the girls caught their flight to Minnesota. And now, I'm sitting here in Minnesota. Totally different right?? Lol..It's all good though because coming here ended up being a great idea. 

My sister Frankie needed to finish paying off one of her college credit (EMT) classes. And since my family doesn't have that kind of money to just be paying for classes here and there (or I'd still be in school lol), let alone medical classes, and also because Frankies still in high school, it's all kind of 'out of pocket' 

(at least until she can get a scholarship or something). 

She's been doing so good with school and I would've hated if she did all that work and didn't get credit for it because it wasn't paid off. So I decided that I'd save money  (because I did end up getting a nice fat check from all the overtime during the holiday season) and just come out here and help out with the show, since the money from the show did go to Frankies school. =) 

Also because, I felt that this was the only way I could really help Frankie along with school. I'm not a doctor, nor am I going to school to be one, let alone even in school- even though I KNOW I should be. So if the only way I could help my sister in school is by helping out to pay for it....that's what I'm going to do.

Minnesota has been great, despite the nasty snow piles, icy roads, and 10 degree weather. lol. I seriously had planned that this weekend, I'd be far away from snow, on a beach either in Samoa or Hawaii gettin' my tan and sippin' on a virgin Pina Coloda. ;p But with my luck and random life things happen to take it's own road, most of the time, not even letting me know what's going on. And it's all good because great things have happened since I've been here. 

First off, the show was great. It was a promo show hosted by Ezra Tuaolo (former NFL player and author of Alone in the Trenches). It was a beautiful party and the turn out was more than any of us expected and [that is reeeaally good business wise].

Second, the Steelers beat the Ravens. That makes us one step closer to possibly be playing in the Super Bowl!!!

Third, we're all spiritually obese after lastnights Family Home Evening. It's always amazing what the spirit brings when you're with people you just love and adore.....even if the meeting is LOOOOONG! lol... I got to share my own testimony- and I surprised myself. It's been about 2 years since I've actually done that. It's always good to know that I still have it though-

Fourth, we visited the Mall Of America. I love that place. We took Pili for the first time, he had a blast on the rides there and can't wait to come back.

and Fifth, I met some pretty funny rugby players that will be at the sevens in Vegas. Like I said before, good company is always nice to be around. Now I'm all excited again for the sevens tournament.....NO not because of them, but because it'll be my first time at the actual tournament and for those that actually read my blog, ya know I love Vegas. =) So meeting them just reminded me of how great of a time I'll be having in Vegas lol.... 

AAAANNNNYWAY

It always amazes me how God makes everything fall into it's proper places and you don't even see it coming. My unexpected paradise

here turned out to be  

what I needed.