Read Awilda Lopez-Yolich's Blog

— -- Wednesday

Today was the last show for Dancing With the Moms on "GMA." I was ready to dance the salsa, but I was eliminated before I could dance it. I wanted so badly to dance and bounce back from yesterday's performance. It wasn't my best. The swing dance was pretty hard for me, especially when I was feeling all the emotions from the first elimination. Sy and Patty worked it today. I was so proud of both of them. They showed they can shake it and groove to SALSA.

Today I met the stars from "Dancing With the Stars." The were all so nice. In fact, everyone from the staff at "GMA" to the stars were just wonderful. They treated us like Dancing Queens :) I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life. I am now home in Chicago and I am so glad to be with my family. In some way though, I miss being in NY and practicing for another DANCE! It was so much fun.

Thank you, Chicago, for supporting me throughout this journey. Thank you ladies -- Ceray, Sy and Patty -- for being such good friends and keeping me balanced with your humor, high spirits and positive attitudes. I want to thank my family for supporting me, my friends for encouraging me, and the students at Uplift Community for voting for me. I will forever continue to DANCE with my children, dance while cleaning the house, and possibly dance with my husband :) That is, if he's up for the challenge! Thank you Sandra and Emily for this amazing opportunity. Congratulations, Patty!

Luv Ya, Awila

Monday

Today was our first dance. We all danced so nicely. In order to calm our nerves we kept talking to each other and giving each other encouragement. The other moms are great! The morning seemed so hectic and fast. When we arrived we rehearsed in front of the cameras. Then they took us to hair and makeup -- WOW! I felt like a movie star. It was so much fun. We then put our dresses on while our dancing partners waited for us. They looked cute too :)

Well, I hope everyone had a chance to see the cha-cha and the scores. I was so excited, I felt like I was on "Dancing With the Stars." It was INTENSE. After the show we went to practice again. My whole body hurts. Rodney and I practiced our dance over and over and over again. By the end of the day, I was exhausted.

Tomorrow is the first elimination. One of us will not get to dance the Swing. I know it's sad, but I have had the time of my life. Whatever happens from this moment on I can honestly say we are all winners. We have all worked extremely hard and have had so much fun along the way. I love what "GMA" has done in bringing all of us together. We will be friends forever. It is not over yet -- please continue to watch and vote!

Saturday

What a day! This morning I had three hours of practice with Rodney. I had to make up the time from Wednesday when the girls practiced with the guys for three hours without me. So today I made up those hours. It was great. I am feeling my routine a lot better and I am getting comfortable with my flip!

We then went to Chinatown and Little Italy. We took the train downtown and that was an adventure. Everyone seemed just as lost as we did. Not only did we have to figure out which way to go -- downtown or uptown -- we then had to change trains (the N, Q or R). When we got to Chinatown it was pouring rain and the streets were crowded. It didn't seem to matter or bother anyone. People were still walking around with their umbrellas and shopping. We were a little overwhelmed! We then decided to eat because we were getting a bit hungry. We went to a Chinese restaurant. It was great! We all had something different so we were tasting each other's food. I forgot the name of the restaurant but it was delicious. We then took out our map of New York and headed back to the hotel.

Oh my gosh, the big day is getting closer and I am getting more nervous. Everyone tells me to relax, but it's hard to when you have to remember so much. I think I will be O.K. I can't wait until tomorrow. My mom is coming from Puerto Rico to see me dance live! She is so excited, and I can't wait to see her. Also, my brother is coming on Monday from Chicago. He is my #1 fan. It's all going to be so much fun.

Well, that is it for now. Tomorrow I will be training for another three hours. I have to go get my rest so I can pull off my FLIP! Love ya, Diego. Thanks for thinking of me. Say hello to all your family and all the students in room 101. Thanks again to everyone who continues to support me. Please don't forget to vote on Monday! To my precious children at home -- I LOVE YOU :)

Friday

Today I met with my dancing partner again for 7 hours. It was grueling. We worked on the cha-cha. We practiced over and over and over again. We did flips and turns all over. Well, I tried anyway. It was really hard. Now I know what the dancers go through on "Dancing With the Stars." They make it look so easy -- IT'S NOT!

Until this week I thought I could groove and move. I thought I could really dance. Well, let me tell you, ballroom dance is different. It is very intense and hard work. Rodney is such a great partner, though. He helps me a lot. Aside from all the cuts and bruises (ha-ha) I am having a blast. Dancing brings me such joy. It is the one thing that keeps me connected to my children back home in Chicago. I talk to them every morning and night before they go to bed and I tell them about my dancing practice. They think it's the best thing in the world, and that I am so lucky to be doing it everyday. They are right -- it is!

This evening the ladies and I went to an Italian restaurant, La Vela. Again, it was awesome. So far I have been extremely happy with all the food we've had. We try something new every day.

Well, the grand day is getting closer. On Monday we start our first dance. Don't forget to watch and definitly don't forget to vote. Tell your family and friends. Love you all in Chicago. Again, thanks for getting me this far. I am having the time of my life! Thanks Angie, Emily and Gigi for those kinds words. I love you, Jada, Abel and Luke. Miss you!

Mingling With VIPs

Well I don't even know where to begin. This week I have met so many VIPs.

First I met Diane, Robin, Chris and Sam. Yesterday I met Lisa Rinna from "Dancing With the Stars." She was awesome. She gave us tips on our dresses for all the dances. And believe me we followed her tips! We were also on "Entertainment Tonight" with Lisa. WOW!

Never in a millions years did I think this could happen to me. I also met Jessica from "One Life to Live." I met her briefly on the elevator. She was so sweet. I am a big fan of hers. I was in shock when I saw her. How funny!

Today we met with our partners again and practice dancing all DAY! My legs and my thighs hurt soooooo bad. My partner Rodney is great. He is so talented and such a great dancer and teacher. He has taught me some cool moves. Can't wait to show you on Monday.

Well, just when I thought things couldn't get any better, guess who walks in on our practice? Chris Cuomo from "Good Morning America." He is such a cool dude.He is so down to earth. He makes you feel welcome no matter where you are at. Even though I was sweating like a DOG, I wanted to take a picture. Can't miss a moment :)

This evening we went to dinner at a Greek restaurant. We were so hungry we ate a lot. We all talked about our dances, turns and jumps. It was fun sharing our accomplishments and our mishaps during our dance training. This evening was special. We talked a lot about being a mom and how proud we are of all our children. Hello to Jada, Abel and Luke and honey. Hello to Jakoby and Beba.

Great Experiences With New FriendsToday was a jam packed day. We fitted for dancing shoes and we were all so excited.

All four moms have so much in common and similar in taste. We all loved the black heel with the rhinestones in the front -- how funny! We then went to shop for dresses, and boy were they great! We had so many to choose from I couldn't make up my mind. If you want to see what I chose you have to watch on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. :)

I met my dancing partner Rodney Lopez (just like my last name), and he was so nice. He made me feel comfortable on the dance floor. He could move, so I better get a lot of rest so I can keep up with him. Can't wait to practice some more so I can get show you guys my moves.

Well, after a long day all of us (Patty, Ceray, Sy and me) went to eat some Cuban food. It was awesome. Not only has this experience brought me joy in what I love to do (dance) but it has also given me the opportunity to meet and be friends with three WONDERFUL women!

Again thank you to everyone who voted for me. Especially want to thank Uplift Community School. The students and staff showed me mad love! Thank you to Inter-American School for supporting me and enjoying all my dancing moves on the Internet.

Day 1 in the Big Apple

I am having a blast. Today we met Diane, Robin, Chris and Sam on "Good Morning America." They are all so nice. Just like I imagined and much more.

We walked around Times Square and enjoyed the view of all the tall buildings, theaters, stores and people. It was so much fun. We also went to Central Park and enjoyed the beautiful breeze. We saw the Statue of Liberty and it was a speechless moment. New York is great! It just takes your breath away.

I am so glad to be part of GMA's Dancing with the Moms and havethe opportunity to revisit this beautiful city. I want to thank all my family and friends for supporting me and voting and getting me to where I am today.

Thank you to the city of Chicago and to my parents in Puerto Rico. I love you all! The voting continues on Monday so keep up the good work -- vote and spread the WORD!