Reliving Independence Day

I started work today for the upcoming school year with full-fledged meetings, contract signatures, and a department lunch a Cafe Rio... That Cafe Rio solidified it for me - I'm gonna like this year. Haha! No, our new department head is fabulous and very understanding of our needs as paraeducators. She's a grad from BYU and only five or six years older than me, moved around a lot growing up, and served her mission in the dirty dirty (NC)- Oh yea! Haha... I really think this year is going to be WAY more organized, less stressful, and more fun for me. Plus, I am just so dang excited to see my two specific little buddies! I'm missed them!

Okay, now on to a little post of the past... Annnnnnd, begin.

I never did record another important event that I was able to be a part of this summer. Last summer I was asked to work with a team of producers and stage managers out of LA as an Assistant Stage Manager (ASM) for our local Independece Day event called Stadium of Fire. It was an awesome opportunity and a big deal in the sense that Stadium of Fire is broadcast to all the troops and their families around the world. Plus, it's one of the biggest firework shows/concerts there is in celebration of Independence Day. Anyway, this year I was asked to help out again as an ASM and jumped on the opportunity!

Being a part of Stadium of Fire was AMAZING! I really loved working with the whole crew from last year - The stage managers were all the same and almost all the ASMs were the same. So it was a lot more relaxed of an atmosphere. We were joking on the radios and dealt with problems with greater understanding of what others were capable of... It was a blast and I had some time to snap pictures, which didn't happen last year... In fact the pics below are of the Joe Bros during their set!
Jonas Brothers and SheDaisy were the talent and they both did a great job - I ran into the boys backstage, oddly enough, but didn't get to see the girls much. I watched their sound check though so it was fine. I have loved them since HS and I think that they are SO talented - apparently they are very nice girls too. That's what the talent crew said, AND my brother served my mission in SLC where he met them and their family and went t0o their house for Christmas one year. Haha! Just a sidenote there for ya... There are some pics of them below at their sound check and then the actual performance!

I was running around during JoeBros sound check, so that was a no-go, but I was good just seeing them perform. They did a fairly good job - I'm not a huge fan, but I do like them. These pictures of the "oil cans" with Jonas Brothers and SheDaisy logos and names on them were part of the "sanctum" as we called it - AKA: The trailers that were not allowed around after breakfast on Saturday morning.

I think they're a BIT over the top... Especially with the current economical state of our country, and we're spending money making celebrity oil cans as decorative props that the celebs don't take with them and won't really care about... Kinda superfluous. The end of that mini-rant - haha!

Sidenote: My favorite part of the WHOLE event was these boys (13 and 15) that were some of the stage dancers and were AMAZING! I told them that So You Think You Can Dance better watch out in a few years - They are SUCH talented boys!

Funny Bit: The put me in charge of the hardest portal - and it was kinda cool cause I ended up helping with all the executive decisions and learning to be a real stage manager. Plus, I had to deal with all the volunteer issues that we had, which was not fun, but good experience. Anyway in that portal they had all the vehicles coming out of it - tractors to pull and change set, a giant cauldron and torch on wheels, a mini stage, a motorcycle... and also an incinerary circus - YEA. A FIRE CIRCUS! It was insane.

Anyway, they joked that I must be really bad with people cause all I got to deal with was vehicles - cause I am loud and not afraid to yell at people to move - haha! At the end of the night I saw Shari, the main Stage Manager, and said, "My portal stuff went great -I even got to work with some people!" She replied, "Damn! Next year - strictly animals. You are too dangerous with people." Haha... I thought that was pretty rich and quick.This is a picture of me and Lisa (another ASM) during our ten-minute dance party to the Jonas Brothers performance in my portal - This girl is AMAZING!

On a more tender note, I realized what a big deal Independence Day is in the reality of the gospel. Without the independence we earned, we would not have had the extreme religious freedom we were given. We were able to have the restoration in its fullness because of our religious freedom in OUR country. It really is all a giant plan... :) I am thankful for the right I have to choose to be LDS and the knowledge I have because of that... I got a little emotional realizing this during the fireworks that night thinking about it all... I didn't cry though. Haha!

Anyway, that was my AWESOME experience... There are pictures throughout the entry and pics of the after-party posted below!
The picture above is Evan & I at the after party with our Margaritas! Yea! Haha... Below is Chantz - Hilarious boy who made us all bust up laughing at every turn. I told him I'd be his agent after he gets back from the mish!

The pic below --> Aubrey (ASM) has worked with me for the past two years and is great! Next to her is one of the LA team members, Tom and he is my FAVE! He is SO flippin' hilarious and just a good guy!
*muah*


Song of the Day: Today I have another song from the past to revel in... This is an artist most people might not know, but she is incredible. Her name is Anouk and the song I have chosen is Lost. Honestly, I only own a few of her songs, but I really like what I have... I should check out more of her stuff - and so should you! Haha... Anyway, here is Anouk's, Lost. Enjoy!