I blog once a year....

...whether you read it or not!

Yep, it's that time - the DivaMommy's annual year in review. A look back on the events of the year. 

It's been a year with a lot of ups, a few downs as usual and a LOT of learning! I am truly blessed with wonderful experiences.

Ok...where to begin? How about at home.

Mama's Babies are Growing Up!

Seriously! Ryder was baptized in April - (and he turns 9 in just 4 days) and Lola will be baptized this year. I love to watch them grow and accomplish and learn and to see their wonderful personalities come out. There are lots of challenges and triumphs, but it's truly my family that brings me the most joy. 

Unfortunately I missed their 1st day of school this year because of a this years Bermuda show, but Grandma was nice enough to get photos on their first day of school this year.  Chloe started high school, Piper is in 7th grade, Ryder in 3rd and Lola in 2nd. 

Chloe's first high school dance.

Piper broke BOTH of her arms!

But it didn't stop her from performing in my Halloween show! Chloe and Piper were stars and I was so proud of them!

And Lola continues to be my sweet little girl - who happened to bring down the house nightly singing "Do You Want To Build a Snowman" in our fall Disney Revue.

There's less of Mama this year!

Yup, I finally lost that baby weight. Yup, my baby is 7. 

My weight is always up and down but I finally broke my plateau. I went from a size 12 to a size 6. It's really nice and it wasn't hard. Not having gluten as helped but I cut out a lot of sugar. Any gluten at all and more than just a little sugar makes me sick so it's an "easy" choice to make. But what really pushed me over the plateau is EFT. I've been doing it for a few years but never for weight loss. I literally "tapped" along with one session that mostly addressed the overwhelm of weight loss itself and that did the trick. I have to work harder in other areas, however. I am a big fan of EFT so I wanted to share it! The best place to get started is here: http://www.thetappingsolution.com/  There is a book on basic tapping and one on weight loss. There are videos and programs and I'm happy to help guide anyone to the proper resources!!

I do still have a baby bump, though. A 4 baby bump to be precise. I'm kinda proud of it. :-)

Performing recently with Jack Walker and Lou DeMeis. Photo by Ed Foster Photography

Mamma had a challenging theatre producing experience.

As you may recall, 2 years ago we went to Bermuda to produce Once On This Island. We brought the family, lived there for 2 months and it was a really great experience.

We were asked back again this year to produce Beauty and the Beast. It was the most challenging experience of my life so far. Unfortunately the company we were hired by wasn't prepared for the technical and financial challenges of such a show and even more unfortunately, they often chose to be less than forthcoming about their shortcomings, creating more challenges for us and extreme stress and strain on every level of the production. While I don't believe any of it was out of malice, lack of communication and dishonesty will sabotage even the best intentions. Oh, and it rained almost the whole time we were there!

It was a blessing that the cast was truly responsive and appreciative and brought us much joy and that we learned that 65% of our desired production level was still really darned good. And I got to create some truly gorgeous costumes, grew closer to my husband and some really good friends. It was definitely and adventure and a learning experience!

It was a good year for gettin' Mamma's sang on!

I had a varied and diverse performance opportunities this year. 

Steve and I opened the year singing together as hosts at Sam's Town Live's weekly variety show, produced by Ed Matthews.  We invited our good friend Taylor Eliason to sing with us, Lola sang a little "Snow Man" and the Davis' brothers treated us!

I got back onstage in a musical as The Lady of the Lake in Monty Python's Spamalot - which was another learning experience. Never costume a show when you're the lead, ok? I really should have learned this by now.

Here's one of my favorite numbers from the show. DramaDad was also in the show - he played Sir Lancelot which once again meant we had literally no on-stage interaction, though his character was the catalyst for my character's best joke. It was a fun, silly show where I got to sing my guts out and wear pretty costumes - who could ask for more?

We produced a really wonderful and amazing Disney Revue for our church. It was an incredible cast and we had way too much fun. I hope to have video highlights of it soon.

I created and performed in a Halloween show for Las Vegas' Springs Preserve again this year. It was again, a LOT of fun!! This year we had Diva Monsters!

And GHOSTLIGHT - my country singing group, had a great year!

We did some red Carpets and performed at Vinyl at the Hard Rock Hotel for Mondays Dark - a really great charity event!

We added musicians so we can now perform as a band...and we had an awesome photo shoot.

Check out our band promo!




I truly love these guys - 2015 is going to be our year!

Mamma made pretty things!

Just a few of my costuming adventures this year!

Belle's Ball Gown

The Bouche (Wardrobe) from Beauty and the Beast

Self Explanatory

Katy Perry Inspired

BBR's ALICE

Another Katy Perry Inspired costume - for a Burlesque STAR!

And, of course, Mamma made time for Disneyland!

My first trip was in early January to actually audition for a role in Disneyland. It was a great experience and my first time in Disneyland solo...which is why there are no photos.

We knew we would be traveling to LA a lot this year for fabric shopping, so we took the plunge and purchased annual passes to Disneyland. So I was there for my birthday!

And we even ran into our GHOSTLIGHT bandmates in the Fall!

 As well as this unsavory character...

And in November, we took a family trip with some of DramaDad's extended family. It was a LOT of fun! We had a blast and Lola FINALLY got to meet Anna and Elsa.

So looking back, it was in fact a pretty great year. Looking forward, I have lots of great things coming up, surrounded by a family I love more than anything in the world.

Much love!!!

The DivaMommy

Dear Bermuda

Dear Bermuda,

I'm writing this to sum up my experience. Sure, I've been home for almost 3 weeks, but you will stay with me always. And I sincerely hope this won't be our last encounter...I have a good feeling that it won't be.

I loved my time in Bermuda. Mostly. There were some hard times, but they were just annoyances. Well, except that weekend I was really sick, that stunk, but I had the foresight to bring the right medicine with me and all was well.

I loved just being there. The sticky warm air that stuck to my skin. The incredible blue of the ocean. Or on rainy days when it turned silver reflecting the clouds. The sound of my children playing outside - something they don't get to do in Las Vegas in the summer. The smile of the market place manager every time I went in, which was far too often! Comparing the sand of the different beaches we visited. Seeing fish and other underwater creatures in their own element. SO much better than a zoo or aquarium. The chorus of frogs that greeted us at sundown every evening. I don't know how, but they helped me sleep and I miss their sound!

The motion sickness inducing car rides on roads so narrow and windy you had to remind yourself that your driver had lived there all their lives, this is what they are used to...you will be safe! Just don't stick your hand out the window...you are really that close to another car. Relying on our own two feet to get us wherever we needed to go - the store and the beach mostly, the places we went with frequency. And when we needed to go further and we didn't want to pester our local "chauffeurs", our feet carried us to the bus stops, which were an experience unto themselves.

What a lesson in appreciating the conveniences of life. There was no McDonalds down the street if I was too tired to cook. It drove me nearly insane to have to cook every meal every day.  Seriously. Fixing a toilet required a special trip to the hardware store. Out of milk? It's a 15 minute walk to the store each way. Nothing nearby is open 24 hours. A cell phone. I guess I could have bought an international plan, but I didn't need it. It was liberating to be free. My phone was my camera and clock. No checking facebook every 10 minutes or listening for the ding of a text or email.

Our beautiful neighbor, Miss Sheryl, who took our children under her wing, sharing snacks and toys and conversation with our kids. Her two adorable twin grandsons. Her offer to take us to Bermuda's best beach and a treat of Snowballs on the way home. The last night we were there, she came to our door with a gift. To thank us when it was we who should have been thanking her. And we did, with pictures dedicated to Miss Sheryl and delivered just before we left.

The show. The cast. The people. To see them learn and grow and fight for excellence. And ending up with a show that moved me to tears nightly and was widely recognized for the beautiful show that it was. To see the cast and crew and recognize that look on their faces - that they have that feeling that only comes from being a part of something bigger than yourself. The feeling that I have only felt onstage, in a community of people existing in an energy that you will feel no where else. To know that I was even a small part of helping them arrive at that level of emotion, well, it's humbling.

Seldon and Shoa, our fearless leaders. Such courage to take on something of this magnitude and to accept nothing less than the full scale show they envisioned. To provide the youth in their program with such support and to give so freely of themselves. They are the true embodiment of the Bermudian spirit. For the lovely words they shared on closing night, for recognizing that Steve and I are truly a team. My heart was filled. But again, I should be thanking you. And I am. From the bottom of my heart.

But, Bermuda, what you gave me that I treasure the most is time. The first week there I was in a stupor! Without a million things to do and places to be, I didn't know what to do. When was the last time my biggest concern in life was what to cook and what time to go to the beach to catch the tide when it's not too low or too high? Once it settled in, oh how wonderful it felt! I had the time to step back and examine my life. To actually make goals for the future. To read books that would inspire new ideas and remind me of old ones. To make a dozen lists about a dozen different things! To be quiet enough to hear my inner whispers - the ones that get lost when life is to busy. To remember and discover who I am and what I want.

Time to have hours of conversation with my husband. Having a good, intense conversation with my husband is just about my favorite thing. Time for game after game of Taboo and checkers. To see Lola and Ryder grasp the concept of the game and actually start to get good! Birthday celebrations with gifts from the Dollar Store and birthday girls who never suspected. A lesson learned about gifts, that's for sure. Time for me and time for my kids and a little (but not enough) time for me and my husband. I came home with a new outlook on and valuation of time. I feel like a whole new person. I am in control of my time and I choose how to spend it. And while real life demands more of me, I know how to control it now. I know to cherish it.

Bermuda, my friend, the 8 weeks we spent together will stay with me always. I am inspired to seek out new adventures and experiences. Thank you for showing me the way and being so welcoming on my first one.

Love always,
Sandra

Final Weekend of Fun...Part 3 & Coming Home!

While our counterparts back home were heading off to their first day of school, we headed just down the road to the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum of Natural History and Zoo!

Waiting for the bus!

We were invited there by the mother of one of the cast members and when we arrived, the lady who let us in was so excited to meet us and told us (almost in tears) just how much she loved the show! It was really cool.

So it wasn't a very large aquarium, museum or zoo, but it was fascinating and we had a wonderful time. We started in the aquarium where it was fun to learn the names of some of the fish we had seen snorkeling!

Then we headed out into the zoo exhibits. The first was a Madagascar exhibit. It was a little weird because some of the animals were just out IN the exhibit with you. So we saw the lemurs - high above us but unobstructed by a cage!

King Julian indeed!

There was a Foosa that we didn't ever see and a few other animals. Then we moved on to Australasia and the Caribbean. Lots of fun animals, but our favorites were the Golden Lion Tamarins...who were just INCHES away from us! I've got to admit, it was really hard not to reach out and try to touch one.

We had some playground time and hit up the museum - which was very enlightening about Bermuda's history.

Later that night, Steve and I had to take one last walk down to the convenience store for our favorite Pina Colada smoothies!

The next day, Steve and I headed in to Hamilton to meet our friend Dan for lunch! He is the cruise director on one of the Holland America ships that was docked in Hamilton - how cool was that to meet a friend for lunch...in Bermuda!

We then walked over to the rehearsal studio where the costumes were drying out from the run, packed them up and headed home...with a stop for a real Bermuda snowball. We would know them as snow cones - man, were they yummy!

When we got home, we took the kids to our beach for the last time. It was fun, but definitely sad when it was time to go.

All too soon, it was Wednesday and time to go home. We were all happy and sad to be heading home. Happy to head back for new projects, school, the conveniences of life but sad to leave behind the beaches, the frogs chirping at night, the crazy bus rides and the wonderful people! And the dog...I think more tears were shed over Marlee, our doggy charge for the summer. The kids really fell in love with her!

I was surprised and thrilled when many members of Troika met us at the airport to say goodbye! It was very touching. I'm really going to miss these people!

L to Right - Top Row - Leslie Bean (Shoa's Mom), Seldon Woolridge (producer), Steve, Chloe, Kayla (actress), Me, Amani (actress), Shoa Bean (Producer)
L to R Bottom - Ashun (Production Assistant), Lola, Ryder, Piper

We arrived home safely and it's been a whirlwind ever since. I do have more to share about Bermuda and some thoughts about our adventure, so I have plenty of blogging to get caught up on. See you again soon!

Final weekend of fun...part 2!

Saturday we decided to head back to St Georges and check out some more of the historical sites there.

The day started with the walk to the bus and an adorable Lola.

We started with St Peters church. As we walked in, I was instantly transported back to my childhood. When I was a kid, I grew up in upstate NY. My parents made a point of it to travel to historical sites. So I've been to a lot of the historical buildings from the past of my church, as well as places of US historical importance. Some of my fondest memories are of our trip to Boston where we saw the "One if by land, 2 if by sea" tower, historical churches and graveyards and the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides). I also remember going to a historical theme park of sorts - the name escapes me, but we went on an old ship and they had a colonial village.

Anyway, I just love old churches! And this one was amazing. The first part of the church was built in 1614. There's just something awe inspiring standing in a building that old!

The center of the church.

 

The Original section. The wood was so aged and beautiful and the pews are the traditional pews that families used to purchase...and apparently get locked into during service.

It is the oldest continually used protestant church outside of England. Outside was a cemetery, with really old gravestones and above ground crypts. Kinda freaky and humbling at the same time. There was one gravestone plaque that was quite worn that described the untimely death of a man's 17 year old wife...and their one and two year old children just 2 weeks later. Can you imagine?

From the mid 1600's on!

The baby crypts were heartbreaking...not just because they were babies, but because of the sheer number of them.

We then wandered to King's Square just in time for a historical re-enactment. The dunking of a woman labeled a nag and a gossip. There was some ever so witty banter followed by putting her in the wooden dunking chair and wheeling it to the ledge of the dock. What was crazy was that one would think they just lower her into the water up and down...but the men they got as volunteers held their end down with their feet until the 'town crier' told them to step off...and then she flew down into the water! It was CRAZY! Steve got a video but I'll have to upload it at home.

See how the guys back there have their feet on it? They just step off and...

Whoosh! I'm not gonna lie...it was hot and humid that day and we all wanted a turn!

Three of four watching the dunking!

We also stopped in at Town Hall, where the girls got to making some rulings!

After some lunch we jumped back on the bus to go to the lighthouse! Up the narrowest, windiest roads you ever saw. On a bus. Thank goodness it wasn't a long distance, both Piper and I were dealing with some motion sickness.

The lighthouse was beautiful...the view - even more!!

Really purty...and who knew that 85 steps seem like forever.

This is a view of the beach we spent the day at a few weeks ago - Clearwater Beach!

And Ryder...ready to fly away, even though he was terrified of the height.

While walking back to the bus stop, Lola made a new friend.

This is just before he head butted her in the stomach. She's ok.

Unfortunately, it was time to head back to get ready for the show that night. Fortunately, at the bus transfer stop...there was ICE CREAM!!

But not to worry! There's a Part 3! It's an extended weekend for the Huntsman's as school started at home today. So, might as well make the best of it! One more full day until we head home.