Simply Sarina

Viva Las Vegas

2010-01-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

Having just got paid, my roommate Katie & I set out this weekend to spend a girl's day in Vegas and we splurged! We spent a fabulous day full of food, shopping and shows!

We started with the Belagio for some gelato. I got peanut butter, of course! It was delicious.Then, it was off to the mile long mall. Although I am not a big "shopping person" and Vegas certainly does not have my thrift stores, it was fun. We got 10 minute massages there at the mall which was well needed and had lunch at the Cheesecake factory. I got peanut butter chocolate cheesecake, of course.
Noticing a trend? All I write about is food! You know what makes me happy! And the food items all have peanut butter:)

Our original purpose in going: The Lion King. We had fabulous seats in the 6th row a little off to the right but in the aisle. Right from the start I had chills & by the end of the first number (Circle of Life) I was in tears. We both were. I appreciated being with Katie, how understood and felt the beauty that is theatre with me. Every moment was magical. It was absolutely fantastic. I cried several times and had chills. It was so beautiful.There were some additional "Vegas" moments that they threw in including Zazoo singing "Viva las Vegas" instead of the coconut song, Timon & Pumba dancing the Charleston instead of the hula & our personal favorite - the additional dance of the hyenas. What could only have been a Las Vegas addition, the hyenas, had a very . . . sexy vegas - style dance number with lights, heavy music &, of course, their hyena shirts off. We were laughing so hard. Only in Vegas!

Side note: while waiting for Katie who was in the restroom, I looked over in the casino and there was a full on dancing girl on a stage with lights, heavy music & very little clothing right before me. My shocked little eyes quickly diverted & then curiously got the best of me. I observed a bit more. I was appalled! Yes, because of the indecency but mostly because she was an awful dancer! She wasn't sexy it at all! There was no isolated hip movement, no rhythm etc. She did half-hearted step touches. I realized in that moment that I would make a great Vegas dancer! I could do so much better than her. Too bad I have too much decency, integrity and respect for myself. Vegas is missing out!

We happened to be in Vegas the day of the famous Miss America Pageant. We saw a lot of people there for it. We thought it might be fun to go to it and were told that tickets were something like $20 so we went and checked it out. With ticket prices at $152 we quickly agreed that it was not worth that and thought, "for $150 we might as well see another show, like Phantom or something" and then it occurred to us, "Why DON'T we just go to Phantom too?" Why not? So we did. We called the Venetian right away & got our tickets. We got the cheaper ones, but no worries, because as is my luck in life - we got an upgrade when we got there for free for the 8th row in the center section :) We were thrilled and very grateful to have had such a great view for who was the best Raoul I have ever seen. Sigh. He was dreamy.And I can't forget to include my first experience with the Belagio foundations. The water show was accompanied by a beautiful waltz.

Hawaii (coming . . . )

2010-01-16T12:17:00.004-07:00

Ms. Thomas

2010-01-16T12:16:00.005-07:00

I am officially a teacher. I have classes, they call me Ms. Thomas and I have a desk with brand new school supplies. Teenagers ask me permission to do things. Wow. It is all so mesmerizing and a bit overwhelming.
August 2009 I started teaching at Desert Hills High School in St. George. It is a school in its second year and I teach two subjects: Theatre & Spanish. I love the school, the faculty & especially the students. In addition to teaching I will be directing 2 plays, "Bye Bye Birdie" which will perform in November 2009 & "Our Town" which will be February 2010.

You can check out my classes' website to see what I have been up to with my students by clicking HERE

Enjoy!

Aw the Mission

2010-01-16T12:16:00.003-07:00

Tonight I went to a fireside for the Provo Mission to despedirme de Elder Salinas who was someone I taught/worked with in Chile. It was a very emotional experience for me that left me with tears for many reasons. First, it was powerful to hear each of the departing missionaries speak of the way that their missions changed their lives as they told stories of hardships, miracles and conversions. I was filled with enormous gratitude for having had the privilege of serving a mission. I got to serve a mission. Not every girl can say that, but I did and I am eternally grateful for that experience because, as those missionaries said tonight, that experience changed my life. Also, it was emotional for being to see a small fruit of my mission and to see the powerful influence one can have. Many people supported and helped Michael Salinas and I would never take credit for what he is today, but I did get to be a part of it and I feel grateful to see fruits of that labor. There he stood, strong. He has influenced countless during these last two years and I have no doubt that there will be countless more blessed because of him in Chile where he will be a great leader.

Summer 09

2010-01-16T12:16:00.001-07:00

This summer was one of the first times in my life that I had NOTHING! Having just graduated, and my job as a teacher not starting until the fall I had four months to play! And I played! Summer of 2009 highlights include:

My niece and nephew visiting for the 4th of July
Traveling to Arizona to visit Jeff & see Wicked
I bought a new car - a 2005 Honda Accord whom I have named Maleficent.
Teaching dance & directing a play at Freedom Academy (see blog post)
Spontaneously flying to LA & sitting 7th row at the American Idol Finale Concert with Linze!
Academy awards night with my best friends
BBQs
Floating down the River
Lot's of cooking
Going to the Kelly Clarkson concert
Hosting a mystery dinner with my BYU ballroom team friends
Taking up cake decorating
Making a 90's music video
Attending the temple dedication
Reuniting with friends that I have not seen
And finally - moving to St. George, Utah

Addiction

2009-07-15T16:36:00.000-06:00

I follow dance reality shows. I proudly admit it. So You Think You Can Dance is one of those. Here is a video of one of the dances that was so powerful to me. Enjoy!

kandk1 12 @ Yahoo! Video

Chef Sarina

2009-06-24T00:48:00.005-06:00

I don't know when exactly it happened but one day I was thinking about how I love to eat. I realized that unless I learned to cook I would not be eating WELL. Cooking is a life skill that you are ALWAYS going to need. Even if I never have a family with children to feed, I have to eat so why not eat well? This thought process has led to a class at BYU, lots of experimenting in my parent's kitchen, lots of experience while living in the mission home in Mendoza and (my favorite) informal lesson from Chef Paul.

#1 We choose a theme (yeast breads, quick breads, pastries etc.) #2 We make it together and #3 I make it on my own with little to no phone consultations with Paul.
Here we make Challah (prounounced Halla) Bread.
And here is the pie crust that I made all by myself! I went with a triple fudge walnut for the filling. Very Sarina - like no?

American Idol

2009-06-24T00:48:00.001-06:00

I went to the American Idol Finale Concert!!!! This is my first year watching American Idol. I avoid T.V. as much as possible, but I have fallen into the reality T.V. shows. So this is how it went: Monday night 11:00 p.m. I was returning from a quick trip to St. George. I got a text from my great friend and former roommate Linze "I just won tickets to American Idol finale, too bad I can't go" I immediately called back. "Why can't you go?" "It is tomorrow in L.A. and no one is going to be able to go with me such last minute" "I can!", I said and that was that. We bought our tickets at midnight, got on a plane the next morning and went. VERY spontaneous and VERY worth it. The concert was AWESOME!!! Our tickets were only for Tuesday night and we had to scrounge to find some for Wednesday night but we did and for Wednesday's night performance I was in the 6th row!!! I was surrounded by celebrities! The concert included: Carlos Santana, Lionel Richie, The Black Eyed Peas (including Fergie), Steve Martin, Cindy Lauper, Jason Mraz, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, David Cook (last year's winner), Kiss, and Queen. It was AWESOME! What a lineup and I was sixth row! I was also on t.v. as the camera focused in on my row during Carlos Santana's song. I was, of course, up out of my seat dancing :) If you watch the video - it is at 3:01 ha ha - my claim to fame!

I also got into the red carpet interviews afterwards :) We also spent a day running around Hollywood. The trip was so spontaneous and I loved it! Love you Linze!

Post- Graduation Celebration

2009-06-23T23:38:00.003-06:00

CRUISE
As a graduation celebration - I went on a cruise with some of my best friends. For most of us it was our first cruise and we were in awe of the size of the boat! Our Cruise went from San Diego to Catalina Island, enroute to Ensenada, Mexico and back to San Diego.
For our safety, we actually never made it to Ensenada, Mexico as it was the week the Swine Flu broke out. We had an extra day on the boat.
The highlight of my trip was getting to go scuba diving. It was the first time since I had gotten certified last year that I have been able to use it. Morgan was even brave enough to do a quick crash course and come with me. I loved it!
Closely behind scuba diving as a highlight would be the all-you-can-eat factor. The food was delicious! My favorite: chocolate melting cake

THE BEACH
After the cruise we took some time to go to the beach. J.D. lived in San Diego for a time so he took us to one of his favorite spots. We buried Jared and then myself in the sand. They did a good job - I really struggled to get out!

DISNEYLAND
You can't go to southern California and not go to Disneyland. Jeff even drove up from Arizona to join us. He is an expert in all things Disney.
Someone convinced us to go on Splash Mountain as the last ride of the night. The line was short - for good reason. We were soaked!

Freedom Academy

2009-06-23T23:38:00.001-06:00

I was asked to help with the Freedom Academy dance festival that they had at the end of the year. I choreographed and taught a dance to the music of Zorro for the 6th grade classes.

During the rehearsal process one of my dance partners, Mark, was kind enough to come and perform with me for the kids so they could get the idea of how a Paso Doble should look/feel.

Graduation

2009-06-23T23:37:00.006-06:00

I, Sarina Louise Thomas have officially graduated! I received my degree in Theatre Arts Education with a minor in Ballroom Dance. As I look back on my college experience I have no regrets. I feel like I was able to get a full experience. I worked my way through college starting as a waitress at Los Hermanos and then as a teacher at the MTC. I did 3 study abroads (Mexico, London & The Holy Land) was a member of the BYU Ballroom Company, served a mission and lived abroad in Argentina. I had a student teaching experience and an internship teaching dance. I took time to take fun classes as well. Some of my favorite unnecessary classes included: scuba diving, book binding and yoga.
So now, the question that I get almost everyday:
"What is next for you?"
Well, what is next for me is simply a summer of fun and a job in August. In August I have a job lined up in St. George to teach Theatre and Spanish at a high school that just opened up this year. It is exactly what I would have wanted.
Even better - my friend Katie, fellow Theatre Arts Education Graduate, also got a job at the junior high in St. George. We've already got our place picked out and will be roomies! I am so excited. Everything fell into place just perfectly.
I was able to fufill my goal of having a job at graduation!
The following pictures are all from my graduation photo shoot with Paul. We spent a day running around BYU campus taking pictures in our caps and gowns.

Farewell Red Devils

2009-06-23T23:37:00.003-06:00

My last day of student teaching was on Friday. I can’t believe it is already here. I feel like I am on the mission again and I just got transferred! It was sad to pack up my things in the car and drive away. My students showered me with hugs, gifts, flowers and cards. I felt so loved. It is nice to know that I wasn’t the student teacher that everyone can’t wait to leave (as far as I know anyway)!
I truly loved my experience and I think that the greatest reason why I loved it so much was because I loved the students (not unlike missionary work, eh?). Even the hard ones, I thought about outside of class. I missed them when they were not there and I even prayed for some of them often. I don’t know how much they know that, but after all of the expressions of love and gratitude from them today, I can wager to say that it was evident how much I cared about them.
This is our final meeting with our professors. We all survived student teaching and now you are looking at the theatre teachers of the future.

Black Comedy

2009-06-23T23:37:00.001-06:00

As part of my student teaching experience I got to direct the competition one-play. It was so much fun! I chose for my play, "Black Comedy" by Peter Shaffer. THE PLOT:
The play is a farce set in a London flat during an electrical blackout, and is written to be staged under a reversed lighting scheme: that is, the play opens with a dinner party beginning on a darkened stage, then a few minutes into the show "a fuse blows", the stage lights come up, and the characters are seen shambling around apparently invisible to one another. The plot in brief is as follows: Brindsley Miller and his fiancée Carol Melkett have "borrowed" the fancy furniture from neighbor Harold Gorringe's flat in order to impress Carol's father, Colonel Melkett. Brindsley, an artist, is afraid that the Colonel will not give up his daughter to a starving artist. Things go awry when the lights go out, leaving Brindlsey helpless as characters arrive, one by one. First is Brindsley's elderly neighbor, Miss Furnival. Colonel Melkett, unimpressed by the blackout, arrives, and Brindsley's worst nightmare comes true as Harold returns early, and Brindsley tries desperately to return the furniture without Harold noticing.Because in this play the characters are to act as though they are in the dark, I had my cast rehearse blindfolded. This meant that they had to come to each rehearsal completely memorized. They were very good about it and it made a big difference. I was so proud of them and we had a lot of fun too! We would begin rehearsals with a blindfolded task. Everyday was different. They had to find a specific person while blindfolded, they had to find a hidden treat (reeses peanut butter cup!) or had to set their props all blindfolded! We had a lot of fun.
Not only was it a fun project, but they also did really well. The cast received straight superiors at region and were able to go to state competition.

Ms. Thomas' Class

2009-06-23T23:36:00.000-06:00

Here is just some highlights from my student teaching experience.

One of my favorite activities was a Comedy Sportz competition at lunch. Both drama II classes were studying improvisation. They met head to head for a show for the rest of the school during lunch. I even called in a referee from the Comedy Sportz troupe on Center St. in Provo.
Learning about theatre history and specifically about the use of masks in Greek theatre.
As part of a storytelling unit, I emphasized creating an applicable environment to tell your story. This student chose to take us to the rafters to tell her story of a construction worker. She even put small toy cars on the ground to assist the imagination :) For a drama guild activity we did a murder mystery diner entitled "Murder Among the Matey's"I was invited to participate in the school assembly as a representative of the Springville Faculty for the relay race. Notice the pitchfork - yes their school mascot is the devil. Yes, this BYU student, MTC teacher, returned missionary was a Red Devil and I liked it ;)
One thing that I learned about being a drama teacher: yours will always be the only car in the parking lot when you leave school. Unless you have a student teacher, of course, then there will be only two cars.
This letter I wrote to someone during the week of the school play best sums up my experience. I wrote:

"This has been the longest week of my life, but surprisingly not the worst. I think that I realized that if I didn’t LOVE my job I could easily hate this. We had the school play, The Diviners, in which I was the assistant director. That means this week has been full of technical rehearsals and performances. Because I am directing my own play I have been teaching from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., rehearsal for my play 3:00-4:30 and tech rehearsal for The Diviners from 5:00-10:00. I am exhausted! The long hours have gone by extremely quick however, and I have enjoyed it. I really do love what I am doing. It is very rewarding and fun and I look forward everyday to coming to school."

Student Teaching

2009-06-23T23:34:00.000-06:00

Springville High School. That is my assignment for student teaching. Tomorrow I have my orientation meeting to explain to me what I will be doing in Student teaching. I admit that I am a little nervous, intimidated even by the thought of returning to the halls of high school again. ugh. Corynne gave me a book entitled "Teacher Therapy 101, How not to throw Jack and Jill off the hill" As I think about it more now that it is closer, I realize that any profession that requires a therapy book to survive should either be avoided at all costs or receive REALLY high pay. I am getting/doing neither. Ha ha. I just see it as yet another adventure. I can survive the Middle East, South America and now . . . Springville. I think that it might just be my toughest challenge yet!

Thoughts from General Conference

2008-10-10T14:47:00.000-06:00

"There may be some who think that General Authorities rarely experience pain, suffering, or distress. If only that were true. While every man and woman on this stand today has experienced an abundant measure of joy, each also has drunk deeply from the cup of disappointment, sorrow, and loss. The Lord in His wisdom does not shield anyone from grief or sadness . . . How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life. If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness"
Elder Wirthlin "Come What May, and Love it" October 2008

I really appreciate Elder Wirthlin's honestly in the face of despair. I think there is oftentimes a Mormon myth that says that if we are disheartened it must be because we lack faith and hope in our creator. While sometimes this is true, I appreciated Elder Wirthlin's understanding that pain, discouragement and loss are a reality and do not necessarily need to be suppressed or "smothered beneath a cloak of pretended happiness" I have passed through days where I avoided being asked a question I dreaded, "How are you?" This simple, everyday question weighed upon me because I knew that the only socially acceptable response was "good" and that, at that time, was a lie or as Elder Wirthlin put it a "pretended happiness"

I know that the Lord does not "shield anyone from grief or sadness" not even, or especially not, his followers. Nowhere in the history of the gospel will you find a follower of Christ that is free from affliction. In fact, it is often those closest to Christ who face the greatest hardships. Why, then, should we feel ourselves any different? It is almost as though an acceptance to follow Christ is accompanied with an invitation to the front door of the refiner's fire. We learn from the scriptures, that "tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope" (Romans 5:3-4)
We know that it is through the afflictions, loneliness, despair and tribulation that our truest self is exposed. It is in these moments that our feeble frailty and weakness are uncovered to reveal a follower of Christ with a great distance still to go. This humble recognition moves us to improve in Christlike attributes such as patience, hope, faith, our charity/understanding towards others and a diligence in consistently doing the Lord's will even when it is unclear. It takes Christlike attributes such as these to not only endure the dark times, but to endure them well.
A good friend shared with me his favorite quote: "a man that has a WHY can stand up to any HOW" Christ and his plan for eternal salvation gives us the "why" to go one more day when the days seem unending. Elder Uchtdorf said, "His goodness, and His power refreshes us with courage during difficult challenges and gives strength to those who feel threatened by enclosing walls of fear, doubt, and despair"
Elder Holland is known for sharing his personal insight as to our suffering in connection with that of Jesus Christ. He said,

"Salvation is not a cheap experience. It cost Christ his blood, pain and even his life and it has to cost us a little. How can we call ourselves disciples unless we are willing to suffer? The road to salvation goes through Gethsemane. We can't get to the kingdom of God without walking the path the King walked"

As I read Hebrew 11, which I title the "Hall of Fame of Faith" chapter, it is so clear to me that following Christ can not be equated with freedom from affliction. Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses - "all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off" (Hebrews 11:13)
When the future is blurry and when the promises see "afar off" We, like those who earned their place in the "hall of fame of faith" can "[choose] rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (:25) and we can know that God provided "better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect" (40)

Meet the Family

2008-10-02T22:13:00.003-06:00

Meet the family. I, Sarina Thomas, am the youngest of three children. I have two older brothers which means: I am the youngest AND the only girl. I have truly been treated like a princess having lived up to my name which is the Spanish derivative of Sarah meaning "little princess"
From left to right: Presleigh (niece), Dad, Mom, Mike (brother - Mikey to me), Dalan (Nephew), me, Kristen (sister-in-law). *Sophia Maria (cat) and Charley (dog) are also present and are also part of the family.
Like any family we have our quirks. My dad, for example, is an avid autograph collector and plays the electric guitar. My mom is from El Salvador and can fairly accurately predict anyones future. At Halloween she officially reads palms and calls herself Madame Zoila. We also hold annual easter egg hunts for the neighborhood dogs.
Speaking of dogs. This is Charlie - the family love. He was adopted from Lost Paws, an animal adoption agency. Charlie serves many purposes in our home . Most interesting and unknown to most, Charlie serves as a tool for acceptance into the Thomas family. My mom has always been careful to notice how any boy I bring home (or girl in the case of my brothers) treat our canine family member. She believes you can tell a lot about people by the way they treat animals. I share this tip only with those in which I have the most interest. Those that reciprocate that interest and are aware of this secret tip provide our greatest entertainment as we see the particular suitor smother Charlie with love in my mom's presence.

Me

2008-10-02T22:13:00.001-06:00

I am fascinated by other people and their lives and find no shame it talking to everyone who I meet * I love personality quizzes and books like “The Color Code” and the “Five Love Languages” * I am very loyal * I think that the eye doctor is the scariest place in the world * I guard my heart and have never been one to “wear my heart on my sleeve” * I love animals and I talk to them just as I would any human being * When I travel I like to take pictures of the people more than of the actual site * I am creative * I rarely watch t.v. * I can fall asleep almost anywhere * Quality time and conversation is my love language (how I give and receive love) * I color coordinate anything that I can * I try to fill every moment of my day with productive activities * I like to cuddle * I squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom up * I have a fear of marrying someone with a horrible last name * I do yoga/practice meditation * I hate running * I drink strawberry milk when I am sad * I would MUCH rather be hot than be cold * I peek at my presents before Christmas * I sometimes wear glasses even though I don’t have to * If Elder Holland had a fan club I would be president * I love the beach * I don’t like driving on the freeway and I didn’t drive on the freeway until I was 24 * I listen to country * I make my bed everyday * When I travel I like to live in the place for awhile and feel like it is home * Different people can bring out very different sides in me * My favorite food ingredients are: Peanut butter, chocolate, powdered sugar and/or whipped cream * I am very independent *I love to stay up late and sleep in * Despite my very best intentions, I am not very punctual * I can imitate my mom’s accent pretty accurately * I love to eat out * I love to be dipped * I love people-watching * When I go to athletic events I usually watch the spectators more than the actual game * I sing along to the music * I don’t own grubbies * I think Audrey Hepburn is classy * Super Target is my favorite store and sometimes I go and just walk up and down the aisles, even if I don’t have anything to buy * I clean when I am stressed/need to think * I love my name * I don’t like Jell-o * I love to dance * I like to take charge * I am a hopeless romantic * I like trying new things * I am not claustrophobic * My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast * I like to get dressed up * I am horrible at estimating distances and/or sizes * I love to go to the theatre * I like to walk through modern art museums and interpret the art * I like to speak in foreign accents * I love teaching * I don’t eat beans * I am known to babble * I always thought the bass part would be the most fun to sing * I always try to predict the end of the movie but have learned to keep my predictions to myself * I like photography * I don’t get sick on roller coasters * I have never dyed my hair *I think a guy who wears hot shoes is more attractive * I like to host parties * I am never up to date with movies or music * Foxtrot music always cheers me up * I love musicals * I love to mark up my scriptures * I sometimes wish I lived in the days of formal balls and gowns * Weather effects my mood * My favorite number is 8 * I never wear a watch * I love cars that have a heater built in the seat * I love the Spanish people * I eat cookie dough raw * I cry * I believe in chivalry * I like to wear unique coats * I am really good about writing letters, but really bad at mailing them * I love scary movies * I sleep with at least 4 pillows on my bed * I always wanted to have naturally curly hair * I pride myself in finding good deals (especially on clothes) * I love to check off to do lists and sometimes add things to the list just so I can check it off * I like to wear big earrings * I am a fan of facebook * I love candles * I dance in the kitchen when I think I am alone * I usually have a song playing in my head * I am sometimes awkward but have learned to just laugh at myself * I worry about other people’s feelings * I actually like to speak in front of large crowds * Sometimes I smile until my face hurts * I wear purple genie pants for my pajamas * I like to sneeze - I think it is cleansing * I don’t wash my face and have never had acne * I like to wear black * I think that good theatre leaves you seeing the world differently * I like to make lists *