Many who are followers of mine on Facebook probably have noticed in my status' and on the news feed that I am involved in a new hobby that is truly out of character for me. I would like to take this space in my blog to give a better understanding what this new hobby has brought to my life and the lives of others-And to also allow it to encourage other women who are interested in creating a new confidence and self-empowerment within themselves to be the most enticing wife/future wife for their man.
I was introduced to Dancing Queen on my very own bachelorette party. I wanted to do something different that wasn't the typical bar/scavenger hunt/wild and crazy party. So, I figured that I would be with most of my closest girl friends and we were all going to do something we had never done before. WE were going to do a strip tease/pole dancing class!! I mean, I was getting married in a couple of weeks! At first, I wasn't sure what to think of it all, but I knew I was going to share a lot of laughs and memories with my girls. I had such an amazing time and soon after joined every class offered by Dancing Queen.
Dancing Queen was started by an incredible woman of God whose heart was to empower women to be confident with themselves and to feel secure in their own bodies. Her private studio is a beautiful, comfortable, and safe setting where every woman coming in will feel at ease. Dancing Queen was started with the desire that each student will grow in strength and confidence to feel like a Queen. (Esther 2:17) I have been honored to be able to be apart of the Dancing Queen staff. I was trained under the owner and have been certified in Level 1 and 2 pole. I am currently teaching Pole Fitness classes as well as a Level 1 class that will begin next Thursday (1/20/2011). It is an 8 week class and I will teach you all of the Level 1 spins along with many other core building moves and routines. It is not only a great workout, but alot of fun! Dancing Queen offers many different classes such as : yoga, belly dance, bachelorette/girls night out/birthday parties. And we are always open to suggestions :)
What I have learned by teaching and training for Dancing Queen is how to be comfortable and confident in the body God has given me. To learn and adjust to seeing myself as a beautiful and wonderfully made woman. I have broken down walls that I have built and insecurities that were created by an abusive relationship. I have worked with many women who are facing and have faced many struggles in their lives and marriages and have come to Dancing Queen to make a new start and to strengthen their marriage by first building their confidence to recognize who God designed them to be. Often when people hear the words "pole dancing" "strip tease" and "intimate dance" they have a negative view and are immediately turned away. I can say that I was once like that, until I experienced the integrity and became a part of the mission Dancing Queen strives to carry. It also doesn't hurt that my confidence has grown and become a healthy influence to my marriage.
I encourage all that are interested and curious to atleast check it out. Coming from someone who has never stepped into a strip club and has grown up very innocently, I encourage you to break walls and gain a greater self-empowerment within yourself to be the best wife and future wife you can be. You can find more information on www.dancingqueen.biz and for the most update schedules and classes offered you can add us on facebook: Boutique D'Amour. I would love the opportunity to teach those interested and share more about what I have gained from this new found "hobby" of mine.
Queen Esther (a normal, plain, modest, submissive woman) was able to save thousands and to influence the king by her confidence, boldness, and beauty. She felt strong in her faith and stood apart from many others. My hope is that as a woman of God you feel bold, confident, and full of empowerment to be all God has designed and created you to be.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
im a deer huntress (so my man says)
The weekend of Thanksgiving my sweet Tripp made plans for us to go deer hunting in Taylor County. I consider it a gift that Tripp not only asks me to go with him, but truly wants me to go with him. All last year I felt rather selfish when I used the excuse over and over again that it was way too cold and way too early to hunt! So he took care of that: prior to this weekend 's trip he took himself to Bass Pro and bought me my very own warm coveralls and camo. So, I really couldnt let him down and not go.
We packed up and headed to Taylor County...and had a blast! Friday night we jumped into a stand and waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing. Saturday morning we woke up realllllly early and headed to another stand on the property. And all of a sudden Tripp punched my arm and there he was (an 8-pointer about 175 yards away mind you) I grabbed the gun, aimed, closed my eyes and pulled that trigger. I just knew I had hit him but as I pulled the trigger he was heading for the woods and we didnt see him drop so we werent sure. After not seeing anything the rest of the morning we called the troops (Brian, Stuart, Bad Brad) and went tracking my deer. Sure enough there was blood and muscle. I did hit him!! But where was he!?! So we tracked blood (piles of it) for 3 hours and never found it. :( So I didnt get my picture with him and I didnt get to keep his antlers (that I was honestly looking forward to putting up somewhere in my house). haha. But the experience was what it was all about. And again I state that I am so thankful Tripp genuinely wants me to go hunting with him and I plan to go again-next time Im bringing home the antlers! Here are a couple of pictures of our weekend hunting adventure:
We packed up and headed to Taylor County...and had a blast! Friday night we jumped into a stand and waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing. Saturday morning we woke up realllllly early and headed to another stand on the property. And all of a sudden Tripp punched my arm and there he was (an 8-pointer about 175 yards away mind you) I grabbed the gun, aimed, closed my eyes and pulled that trigger. I just knew I had hit him but as I pulled the trigger he was heading for the woods and we didnt see him drop so we werent sure. After not seeing anything the rest of the morning we called the troops (Brian, Stuart, Bad Brad) and went tracking my deer. Sure enough there was blood and muscle. I did hit him!! But where was he!?! So we tracked blood (piles of it) for 3 hours and never found it. :( So I didnt get my picture with him and I didnt get to keep his antlers (that I was honestly looking forward to putting up somewhere in my house). haha. But the experience was what it was all about. And again I state that I am so thankful Tripp genuinely wants me to go hunting with him and I plan to go again-next time Im bringing home the antlers! Here are a couple of pictures of our weekend hunting adventure:
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
*Love like you mean it*
On the weekend of November 12-14, Tripp and I were blessed with the opportunity to go on a marriage retreat. My sweet in-laws gave us a gift of a Family Life "Weekend to Remember" at the Chattanooge Choo Choo in Chattanooga, TN. Being that Tripp and I are still in the newlywed "honeymoon" phase of our marriage it was very encouraging, but also eye-opening to the commitment of marriage. There were over 300 people attending the weekend and all were in different stages and places in their marriages. There were some engaged, newly married, starting a family, those who have been going to weekends like this for over 10 years, and there were also couples who this weekend was a make it or break it weekend for their marriage. I was reminded how thankful I am for being in the stage in my marriage that I am in. Its new, its sweet, and its full of a future ahead.
Day ONE: The first night was an introduction to a very intense and informative weekend ahead. The message of the night made such an impression on my heart. *Marriages are never static-they are either moving towards oneness or they are moving towards isolation. Dennis Rainey (founder of Family Life) defines oneness: "Oneness in marriage involves complete unity with each other. It's more than a mere mingling of two humans-it's a tender merger of body, soul, and spirit." After each days' sessions we were encouraged to spend time between the two of us to work on a project of the day. The project usually had to do with the topics discussed in that days sessions. It was such a special time to really focus and learn from each other. After day one we were starving and tired. Staying at the Chattanooga Choo Choo was so fun. There was an awesome pizza place that was actually in an old train car. So fun!
Day TWO: The second day was a lonnng day, but it was full of information. The focus was on communication and understanding that each of us have our own weaknesses and differences. But understanding those weaknesses and differences helps us to appreciate the balance it creates in oneness. If we turn our thoughts to being thankful for our differences we then gain an appreciation for how God created us for each other to stand as a balance, because no two people are the same and absolutely no one is perfect. For the project of the day were were asked to write a love letter to our spouse. The letter was to tell them what attracted you them, to thank them for their differences and weaknesses, it was to tell them what we had learned from them and to write your commitment to them for your marriage and what it means to you. It was absolutely the sweetest moment of our marriage. As Tripp read his letter to me, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with his genuine sweet and sincere words. His letter is something I will hold on to forever. At the end of the sessions for Day TWO we were encouraged to have a "date night" in the city of Chattanooga. They encouraged us to find something to do that would be memorable, bonding, and a way to grow closer together. And while it is assumed most of the couples probably went to a nice dinner, or to the aquarium, walked by the river, or visited one of the many tourist attraction sites of Chattanooga-the Smiths had to do something completely off the wall. WE got tattoos: it was def. memorable, its was def. a bonding experience that will be remembered FOREVER, and I feel it grew us closer together. (I will be honest-I had many a meltdown days following this "date night" and am still getting adjusted to the fact I have something so sweet and meaningful to my heart but so ever permanent on my body.) But you only live once right?! My tattoo is a reminder of the commitment I made to Tripp and is something I have always admired and desired from a distant-but now have it as a part of the new me :)
Day THREE: The last day was a shorter day concluding all we had learned for the weekend. At the start of the day they separated the wives and the husbands and each group was led by a different speaker. Each group discussed the differences in the role of husband and wife, the needs of the husband and wife, and how to encourage and love each other better by understanding each aspect of the way God specifically created us. When they brought us all back together the speaker had us all stand and face our spouse.The speaker then prayed over our lives and our marriages and asked us as we faced our spouse to repeat the traditional wedding vows to each other. The speaker emphasized that this was a reminder of the commitment and covenant made before God and each other. Having the opportunity to say these vows to each other was such a special and intimate thing for me. When Tripp and I got married we chose to have a very private ceremony in the Dominican Republic with only our immediate families in attendance. We had chosen to say vows that were more personal, more modern, and were similar to the traditional vows but more personal to us. So to be able to say the traditional wedding vows to each other in such an intense and intimate setting again brought an overwhelming emotion to us both. It was another moment that I will never forget in how I felt, how to look into Tripp's eyes and feel the love he had for me, and to know the words we shared with each other were eternally binding. I could not think of a more appropriate and meaningful way to end such a great weekend. *And you may now kiss your bride.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been able to go to something like this so early in our marriage. I feel that every couple should attend a weekend like this. A chance to get away, be reminded, and to grow closer to each other. I feel that it jump started a greater passion in my marriage and truly grew Tripp and I closer together. Like I mentioned earlier, we attended a Family Life Weekend to Remember and they are held all over the US. I encourage you in whatever stage you are in your marriage to consider attending a weekend for just the two of you to reconnect and to strive for oneness. You wont regret it.
Sorry to have written a novel (as Tripp just pointed out) but I feel it is important to encourage each other and my blog is an opportunity for me to share more about my life. So I hope you dont mind all the wordage. May you and yours be blessed :)
Day ONE: The first night was an introduction to a very intense and informative weekend ahead. The message of the night made such an impression on my heart. *Marriages are never static-they are either moving towards oneness or they are moving towards isolation. Dennis Rainey (founder of Family Life) defines oneness: "Oneness in marriage involves complete unity with each other. It's more than a mere mingling of two humans-it's a tender merger of body, soul, and spirit." After each days' sessions we were encouraged to spend time between the two of us to work on a project of the day. The project usually had to do with the topics discussed in that days sessions. It was such a special time to really focus and learn from each other. After day one we were starving and tired. Staying at the Chattanooga Choo Choo was so fun. There was an awesome pizza place that was actually in an old train car. So fun!
Day TWO: The second day was a lonnng day, but it was full of information. The focus was on communication and understanding that each of us have our own weaknesses and differences. But understanding those weaknesses and differences helps us to appreciate the balance it creates in oneness. If we turn our thoughts to being thankful for our differences we then gain an appreciation for how God created us for each other to stand as a balance, because no two people are the same and absolutely no one is perfect. For the project of the day were were asked to write a love letter to our spouse. The letter was to tell them what attracted you them, to thank them for their differences and weaknesses, it was to tell them what we had learned from them and to write your commitment to them for your marriage and what it means to you. It was absolutely the sweetest moment of our marriage. As Tripp read his letter to me, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with his genuine sweet and sincere words. His letter is something I will hold on to forever. At the end of the sessions for Day TWO we were encouraged to have a "date night" in the city of Chattanooga. They encouraged us to find something to do that would be memorable, bonding, and a way to grow closer together. And while it is assumed most of the couples probably went to a nice dinner, or to the aquarium, walked by the river, or visited one of the many tourist attraction sites of Chattanooga-the Smiths had to do something completely off the wall. WE got tattoos: it was def. memorable, its was def. a bonding experience that will be remembered FOREVER, and I feel it grew us closer together. (I will be honest-I had many a meltdown days following this "date night" and am still getting adjusted to the fact I have something so sweet and meaningful to my heart but so ever permanent on my body.) But you only live once right?! My tattoo is a reminder of the commitment I made to Tripp and is something I have always admired and desired from a distant-but now have it as a part of the new me :)
Day THREE: The last day was a shorter day concluding all we had learned for the weekend. At the start of the day they separated the wives and the husbands and each group was led by a different speaker. Each group discussed the differences in the role of husband and wife, the needs of the husband and wife, and how to encourage and love each other better by understanding each aspect of the way God specifically created us. When they brought us all back together the speaker had us all stand and face our spouse.The speaker then prayed over our lives and our marriages and asked us as we faced our spouse to repeat the traditional wedding vows to each other. The speaker emphasized that this was a reminder of the commitment and covenant made before God and each other. Having the opportunity to say these vows to each other was such a special and intimate thing for me. When Tripp and I got married we chose to have a very private ceremony in the Dominican Republic with only our immediate families in attendance. We had chosen to say vows that were more personal, more modern, and were similar to the traditional vows but more personal to us. So to be able to say the traditional wedding vows to each other in such an intense and intimate setting again brought an overwhelming emotion to us both. It was another moment that I will never forget in how I felt, how to look into Tripp's eyes and feel the love he had for me, and to know the words we shared with each other were eternally binding. I could not think of a more appropriate and meaningful way to end such a great weekend. *And you may now kiss your bride.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been able to go to something like this so early in our marriage. I feel that every couple should attend a weekend like this. A chance to get away, be reminded, and to grow closer to each other. I feel that it jump started a greater passion in my marriage and truly grew Tripp and I closer together. Like I mentioned earlier, we attended a Family Life Weekend to Remember and they are held all over the US. I encourage you in whatever stage you are in your marriage to consider attending a weekend for just the two of you to reconnect and to strive for oneness. You wont regret it.
Sorry to have written a novel (as Tripp just pointed out) but I feel it is important to encourage each other and my blog is an opportunity for me to share more about my life. So I hope you dont mind all the wordage. May you and yours be blessed :)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thankful Thursday :)
Today I a thankful for:
-My Bible Study group. I have been praying and hoping to be a part of a bible study and finally I have a sweet group of girls to share in the word with and grow with.
-The mentors in my life. Thank you for the constant encouragement, motivation, and for never being to busy to minister to me.
-Again, I am thankful for my husband. I love him more and more every day. Our weekend marriage retreat was so refreshing, connecting, and enjoyable.
I am so blessed, and very thankful :)
-My Bible Study group. I have been praying and hoping to be a part of a bible study and finally I have a sweet group of girls to share in the word with and grow with.
-The mentors in my life. Thank you for the constant encouragement, motivation, and for never being to busy to minister to me.
-Again, I am thankful for my husband. I love him more and more every day. Our weekend marriage retreat was so refreshing, connecting, and enjoyable.
I am so blessed, and very thankful :)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thankful Thursday
Today I am reminded how thankful I am for :
-The extra free time my schedule now allows for. I am finally able to cook and (learn to cook) for my sweet husband.
-My wonderful in-laws. I am probably the most blessed and luckiest girl in the world.
-Lifelong friendships. The ones where you dont see each other or talk to each other daily, but you pick up where you left off and are confident knowing they will be in your life forever.
-Gods faithfulness.
May you be blessed this week :)
-The extra free time my schedule now allows for. I am finally able to cook and (learn to cook) for my sweet husband.
-My wonderful in-laws. I am probably the most blessed and luckiest girl in the world.
-Lifelong friendships. The ones where you dont see each other or talk to each other daily, but you pick up where you left off and are confident knowing they will be in your life forever.
-Gods faithfulness.
May you be blessed this week :)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Wordless Weekend: the places that we go.
PERU-Macchu Picchu
NICARAGUA
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA
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