I'm Engaged!!!

News flash!!
I found Prince Charming. He's off the market, girls. Sorry. Or maybe he's just MY prince charming. He's far better than any fairy tale prince. He fights the dragons, and wins. He plays the music that sweeps me off my feet, and sounds like Mr. Michael Buble doing it. He doesn't need the white horse and sword to defend my honor, he breaks bricks (necks) with his bare hands. He took me to the white castle on the mountain the very first date. I've fallen in love with him piece by piece with each experience we've had together. I completely trust him and I can't wait to spend my life (and eternity) with him.
It's amazing how the Lord knows whats better for me than I do. There are things about Conrad that I never looked for in a boy that I'm now realizing I wouldn't have any other way. He is the greatest blessing, next to the gospel and my family, that I've been given in my life. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for letting this incredible person fall in love with me.

And we're.... Back!

Yes, it's been about a year. And yes, I'm a terrible blogger. I know! I'm sorry.. But we all believe in forgiveness, right? So lets give it another try, shall we? Great. Here we go, summing up the past year...

I think of 2010 in three parts. Three major decisions. I spent more time on my knees in this year than ever before. Making decisions is hard! Can I just say that? I'm quite exhausted to tell you the truth. Nevertheless, I made it through.

Major Decision number 1: Get outta dodge. I finished my Script/Breakdown class at Stella Adler and felt a little out of place in Los Angeles. You know the feeling when there's about to be a change in your life, you can feel it. I guess maybe the rose-colored glasses started to wear off... I found myself driving to the beach a lot and craving some simplicity. So I swallowed the California dream and dad came down to get me. So it's April, I'm home again in my big bed that doesn't squeak, mom's cooking for me downstairs, and I'm still completely in love with acting. Enter, Footloose at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse. The show ran from the middle of June until the end of July and it was an absolute blast. But, the show always ends at some point.

Major Decision number 2. School. Or Mission. It's easy, Haiz, just pick one. Yeah, okay, sure. It was the hardest choice I had faced up until that point in my life. A mission is scary! I really wanted to get married... I didn't want to be 24 before I got married! We live in Utah! But. I had a strong desire to serve. I felt like my testimony was at the point where both feet were firmly planted and I wanted to share it so bad. Acting in LA had taught me a lot about confidence and stepping out of my comfort zone and I was so eager to get out and do it. So I made the decision to go. I hit the books like crazy at that point, learning everything I could, filling out my papers, all that jazz. Bishop Muse advised me not to go to school in the fall because I could leave before the semester ended. Well I couldn't do just nothing every day. I wanted to do another show before I left. Seemed like a great plan. Studying, preparing, working in the day and dancing, singing, acting at night time. I started looking for auditions on a Tuesday morning. What do you know... Draper Historic Theater is holding their call-backs for Footloose that very night. A show I already know! Perfect. I called the director, he said come on down, so I got in the car and went. That's honestly as much thought as I put into it. I got cast as WendyJo. Awesome. Everything is just dandy, I'm happy as a clam. And then.... my life changes. Again.

Major Decision number 3. The initial cast reading at the theater. It was the following Tuesday after Callbacks. I sit down in the circle and we start introducing ourselves. "Hi, I'm Hailey. Playing WendyJo. Just decided to go on a mission." (They wanted us to say something interesting about ourselves...and I was super jazzed) Right as I said it, a boy with tan skin and biceps sitting across from me perks up his head and his eyes light up. My very thought was, Please say he just got home, not that he's just leaving on a mission...

Taiwan, Taipei mission. Just got home in July. Yes..

I wish I could say that the rest is history but it wasn't easy. I really did want to go on a mission and it took a long time for me to accept that this incredible guy really was interested in me and that I would have to consider giving up my mission. It started changing for me one Monday night performance when I was so sick and didn't know how I was going to perform. Have you ever been so sick that you felt like you could burst into tears at any random second? That's where I was that night. He grabbed me from my car, and took me into the dressing room where he had a rose in one of the prop vases for me. I hugged him, and unable to hold it in of course, cried for a few minutes and he just let me. Crying freaks guys out, lets be honest. But he was so sincere! I really needed him and he was more than there for me. And so with one sweet gesture after another, the decision to go on a mission or stay got really hard. When I said that Major Decision number 2 was the hardest one I'd ever made, well this one topped it. You can ask him, I was a wreck for a good couple of weeks. But as you've already observed, it's December 7th and I'm still here. In Utah. I made the decision to stay and things are just awesome. :)

His name is Conrad, by the way. And I think he's pretty great.

To Be or Not To Be...

Is that the question??

My acting teacher gave this performance of Hamlet's famous monologue today in class and it ROCKED! I was like, jaw to the floor, rocked my world, blown away.. She creates this scene without a word, using just actions to describe the emotion, she's about to burst into tears when she lets it all go and delivers the line. What... It was awesome. This class is pretty cool, let me just say that.
We get asked every day, "What have you been learning since the last time I saw you" and "What have you seen visually that held your attention?"
I started out having a hard time connecting because I didn't feel like I could be very vulnerable yet. I'm starting to let my guard down a little but I'm still struggling. Last week I was resisting tapping into any emotion when she asked me what I had been seeing lately so this was the answer that I gave, "Well.. my body lotion is supposed to be a gradual tanner... and let me tell you, it isn't gradual, my legs are totally streaked..." It got a good laugh out of the class but not exactly what she was looking for.. Today I had to get up and show her what the word "fuzzy" looks like... anybody? anybody? I won't sugar coat any of it for you, I rocked it. No sweat. haha. Just kidding.
We had to talk about ourselves for 5 minutes in front of the camera on Thursday and then we watched it without the sound yesterday to kind of type-class each other. I was pretty nervous to watch myself but it actually wasn't as bad as I thought. Everyone was so nice to me. They typed me as "All-American Girl" I got an index card from everyone in the class with all of their descriptions of me. Kind of interesting to see what people think of me.
She taught us a secret today that 99% of actors in Hollywood don't use. Sshhh.... can't tell.
Tomorrow, I have to speak about myself without using the word "I" so as to appear more universal rather than personal. Stay tuned... :)
Love ya!

What a world, What a life...

Hello Everyone!! and by everyone, I mean... Mom and Dad... :)
Crazy week I just had! I think the world turned upside down on me. 3 weeks ago I would never have thought that I'd be writing my blog and looking out the window to the city of Angels. But pretty cool, right? I'm learning so many things! Like for example, Halloween in Hollywood is no joke... 400,000 people on Santa Monica Blvd.! I guess there are other things to do on Halloween besides trick or treating? Whodda thought?? I think I'll call them... take it slowly... Hollyweirds in Hallowood on Hollyween. Also, driving... in LA, requires a certain skill. Did you know that? Not only is there traffic literally everywhere you turn, but the streets are like an obstacle course. Up and down the bridge, through the pot holes, under the tunnel, watch out for construction, no right turn, this is a one way, only park here during the hours of 7a.m. and 1 p.m. every other wednesday...Park next to a nicer car than yours and lock up everything electronic. I'm telling you, it's an adventure to get to class and back every day. Speaking of class... It really is true what they say about Los Angeles being a culture pot, we have a Russian girl, an Austrian, a German, an English and a French girl in my class. They're so cute, they always say things like, "What do you say, Integrity? This word I do not know" haha sometimes they mix their phrases up like Monalee does, it's really funny. More on my class later... The city is definitely a crazy place but when I get to come home and look out my window to see the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the city skyline, it's a pretty fun thing for me :) Dreams are coming true everywhere! "Anything is possible if you just Believe" haha. Okay Julie Andrews, that's enough.. Stay tuned for more adventures with Hailey and the city of Angels.
Love you all!

***Broadway Wishes***

Have you ever thought about what you would wish for if the Make-a-Wish foundation gave you a wish? Well.... there is a boy in Orange County that wished to be a Broadway Star. Apparently he's quite ambitious but the Make-a-Wish people basically made it happen last night. They gave him voice lessons with the best teacher in California and he performed with Broadway's biggest stars last night. I happened to be a volunteer at the event, thanks to my roommate who photographed the whole thing. So we're sitting in our little volunteer room and I hear, "I'll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix that hair, everything that really counts to be.... POPULAR" Holy crow it's Galinda singing Popular in the theater. I nearly passed out. We run over there and the stage manager says its cool we can go sit and watch. So here I am in the Orange County Performing Arts Pavillion watching real life Galinda rehearsing 20 feet in front of me. She's just in a pair of jeans without shoes on doing her thing and marking her performance on the stage. As if I wasn't already stoked enough, I hear someone say, "Bring Eden in, lets mark Defying Gravity" Oh PLEASE do!! I all but jumped right out of my seat. Elphaba and Galinda for real performing for me like it was my own private show. Really, does life get any better than this? There was a point during the actual show when Tim Halom was performing"One Song Glory" from Rent that I sat back and thought, "Nope, I don't think it gets any better than right here" Their voices were so incredible, I fell in love with music all over again. We had, Sandy from Grease, Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, Roger from Rent, and of course Elphaba and Galinda from Wicked, and I was in heaven.

Galinda Elphaba


Sandy


Elle Woods

Roger

The Whole Cast

What is it that Brightens Your Day??

Today.... was stressful.... to say the least. I flew in from Utah last night and I have been going nonstop since... Did I sleep last night? Nope, I don't think so. ALOT going on.. So this morning, I had to go take care of a lovely seat belt ticket. Really... a seat belt ticket. It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. Especially for someone as poor as I am. I spend about 2 dang hours at the court house, going from one long line to the next until finally, I get to, THANK HEAVENS, pay my fine....I think they give you the run around so much so that you just go crazy until you're practically begging to pay the fine. PLEASE let me pay you $142 for not wearing my seat belt!! Anyway, that was the beginning of the day. Now, I don't want you to think this is a spoiled brat, complainer, downer post... I actually have a good message. So I come home to face the hotmail... with 24 new messages, Great. I won't go into that because, well, I'm already a little bored of myself. But it was a work-filled day. Just ask mom. I did not leave my computer's side all day.. Okay, 3:00 rolls around and I decide to check the mail... Here it comes... a Brachen letter!! Yay! :) My roommates are all used to me going to the mailbox and screaming while running back up the stairs because I have a missionary letter. :) :) :) Moral of the story... it turned my day right around. :) Now I can go face whatever adventures Newport Beach will bring me tonight with a big fat smile on my face. :D
So, Packer people, what is it that Brightens your day???
- Oh, Brachen is doing fabulous, by the way ;)

Cleveland and the new babe!

I just got back from spending two weeks in Cleveland with Steph and her family and the new baby. He's the cutest thing I've ever seen, I can't even stand it :)

One day we got to go out to this family farm and play for a while, it was actually a really fun place. Here's my funny little video...