New Year's Eve Dance

You probably know that our stake was in charge of the regional New Year's Eve dance, since it was all I'd talked about for months. I put my capable counselor Michele in charge of the decorations and she totally came through for us! She is amazing and talented. I learned a new way to tie a bow from her; other than that, I was manual labor until the dance started. Then I was point-person #1.

Our theme was Alice in Wonderland. The youth committee did a great job making a lot of the decorations under Michele's direction.

Conversation area.

No detail was spared; these table cloths were ironed and pressed, and alternating ribbon/bow combinations pinned on. 

How awesome did these silhouettes turn out!?

Giant roses.

My equally talented and amazing counselor Amy made two of these exquisite hats.

Her husband carved the form and she worked her magic on the rest.

View from the stage of the conversation area and balloon drop.

Refreshment tables.

The lovely Skye S. lettered these signs.

The Lake Mead stake YW presidency: Amy, Merridee, me, and Michele!

This awesome backdrop was made by one of the stake YM counselors and his sons.

Two of Mary's BFFs, Sara and Taya. Mary was 5 days away from being able to go (not that she would have, though these girls begged her to let me make and exception!).

I was shocked that although the dance started at 9, people were lining up at 8:30 to get in. 

Tyce took a turn swing dancing with Michele!

Another amazing thing: Brother Leja carved this incredible ice sculpture in the courtyard before bringing it inside. It was quite remarkable to see him turn a block of ice into this.

The kids formed a circle around the kids who did the "cat daddy". There's Tyce in the red hat.

Remember how I said that there were 10 stakes invited to this dance? Well, we had around 1,000 youth who came. Good thing we had the courtyard for overflow. It was packed and I must say, the kids had a BLAST. Best DJ ever.

Oh, I forgot to say that we had a lazer light show on the ceiling. Bam.

At midnight the balloons came down and two giant confetti cannons shot streamers and glitter everywhere!!!!

First photo of 2014, taken when I got home at 2:30 in the morning.

All night I was busy; checking here, answering a question there, making sure the chaperons rotated at their assigned times. It was a good busy. And can you imagine the clean up after having 1,000 kids eating and dancing, not to mention the confetti that got tracked over every square inch of the church? No, you cannot. Suffice it to say, with many, many helpers we got it done. But it would not surprise me if ward members find streamers in unlikely places even a year from now.

President Udall said that we hit a "home run" with the dance and I heard nothing but good things the whole night. That makes the effort worth it, for sure.

(That's even with one of the bathrooms flooding and having to be closed.)

Tyce had a great time and all the youth said it was one of the best, if not THE best dance they'd ever been to. That's saying something!

When we got home Mary had gone to bed and the twins were up, zombie-eyed, watching movie after movie on Netflix. All five of us stayed up to watch Lilo and Stitch, which we started at 3:00 a.m. (That was a decision each of us regretted the next day.)

I am looking forward to a great year and wish health, happiness, and the best for us all.