Christmas Newsletter.

Dear Friends & Family,

It's Christmas! WOW! My mom was right, time does speed up when you get older! I decided to write this letter despite the fact that anyone who would read this probably already knows everything because they probably read my blog, but non-the-less, I started this tradition last year so here goes :)...

I spent the beginning of last year not eating sugar, but that came to a halt one day in April. It seems that sugar isn't everything and didn't affect my diet too much. I also spent A LOT of time at home and at school working on my capstone project for my masters. I'm glad to announce that I finished that project with flying colors and I am now a proud graduate of SUU, weird!


In May I ventured off, as I sometimes do, to a new land, NEW YORK CITY! Boy was that an adventure! It was so much fun to be with good friends and see some pretty amazing sites! I absolutely loved going to Ellis Island, I could have spent a few days there! I was also pretty impressed by the Empire State Building. WICKED, the musical, was fantastic too!

Then in July after my friend Molly and I finished up with our masters classes, we went on a 2 week road trip from Utah to Wisconsin! It was BLAST! We stopped to see friends and family along the way! After I got home, I turned around and got on another plane, this time headed to Disneyland...I know what you're thinking, this girls needs to stop playing and start working! Don't worry, I do feel guilty, but I also have ants in my pants and can't stop, I figure I should follow the advice of nearly every married friend that I have, which is, "live it up now before you have kids!"

In August, I unpacked all my teaching stuff at Taylorsville Elementary, where I now reside as a third grade teacher in Room 16. I am really liking it! Change is always hard but I think the pro's outway the con's with this one. I love having my very own classroom, none of that rotating business of a year around school. Learning the third grade cirriculumn has kept me busy and on my toes. Third grade feels like my nitch, I hope not to change grades anytime soon. I work with a great staff and wonderful students, the parents are the only disappointing factor...

For my fall break, I went with my mom and sister down to Sacramento and San Francisco. We had a great time! Laughing, gettting lost, yelling at the GPS, and meeting up with friends and family was awesome! We're thinking that we should go on yearly roadtrips from now on!

A couple of weeks ago I went to Chicago and hung out with Molly! We went to all the fancy stores, had the famous Chicago Pizza, and went to the top of the SEARS tower...I think I've been to most of the tallest buildings in the world now...I'll have to think about that one.

I took a balloon art making class this year, my students are quite fond of this new skill;)! My piano lessons have been kind of touch and go lately...between the masters and transitioning to a new school they got a little neglected. I learned a little more about myself this year, that's been good and bad, but mostly good, lol. I've learned that I love the temple and I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm excited to celebrate Christ's birth. I love this time year, where I can reflect on the Saviors life and make an extra effort to become more like him. I wish you all the Most Merry Christmas of them all! Thanks for being great influences in my life!

Love,

Tiffany

SuPer SaTuRDaY!

I had a busy day yesterday! I signed up with the ward to go to the homeless shelter in the morning. When we arrived they were overloaded with volunteers, so we decided to go to the food bank and they had too many volunteers too! Then we decided to go to Highland Cove Assisted Living and visit the elderly people. It was so much fun! Those old people crack me up and love visitors!

Next, I came home and took a little nap...I sure needed one! I had a hard time sleeping Friday night and all week for that matter...just restless that's all, there's been so much to think about this month!

Then my sister Leslee and I went to go pick up Natalie and Kate our "adopted" nieces for a date night! The girls really wanted to go to the mall to shop, so we did! They even got to use their money! We went to Hello Kitty first, their favorite store!

Next, we went to the Festival of Trees. The girls loved the trees! I did too! I love that all of the proceeds to Primary Children's Hospital.

We needed a little snack to tie us over:). Katie bug loved the diet coke!

Natalie and Kate by their favorite trees!

Leslee and I both knew people who put trees in the festival in remembrance of a loved one who passed away, these are their trees.

The girls legs got tired so what did we do? Carry them!

Then we headed to Burger King so we could wear a princess crown! It cost $22.94 for everyone to eat! Sheesh! I'll never go out to eat when I have kids...it's so expensive! But it was worth it. It was funny because I just started eating and Leslee said to me, "aren't you going to help Natalie get her food out of the bag?" I laughed because I had forgotten I was with small children! I like to think I'm good with kids, I guess I just forget sometimes what to do... :) (Plus no matter what grade I've taught, I've taught them to do things on their own:)). Then I had to help Kate in the bathroom...it was gross because I had to help her wipe and my hand touched the water that she just peed in, SICK! Overall, it was an AWESOME time! I love those kids soooo much!

I ended the night by going to see Twilight! It was NOT what I expected. Parts of it were AWESOME...some parts were not so awesome... I liked feeling like I was reading a book again:).

Oh and tonight, Sunday, my roommates and I decorated the tree! Doesn't it look great!

Oh #2, I'm collecting plastic bags for my classroom! Yay!!!! My ward has helped sooooo much! One day after I sent out a ward/H4 email, 700 bags were left at my door! Yay! Thank you friends!

Christmas Work Party

Left: Jana & Leslee (2nd Grade) Right: Alisa (Kindergarten)

Left: Aubrey (6th grade) Right: Marcy (Principals wife and old co-worker.)

Marcy (Jon's wife & old co-worker) Susan & Dianne our Awesome secretaries!

Tasha & Becki, these are my third grade teammates! They are so fun to work with!

Our Christmas work party was held at our principals house. It was so nice! All but 2 or 3 people came! It was one of the nicest work parties I've been to! Thanks to our awesome secretaries! I am beginning to really like my new school and the staff.

First, Smokey Moutain. Next, Spoon Me!

"Okay, fine, we will stop reading and go PLAY!"

BELOW...Tiffany's six step half-up hair process! Natalie had a little fun with the Camera!


Left: Step 1 Right: Step 2

Left: Step 3 Right: Step 4

Left: Step 5 Right: Step 5, Ta da!

Niki and Me

Nat and Me

Middle: Natalie does take out the trash!!!!!!!! Left and Right, the middle windows of this apartment is our place!

Memorial Park!

Continued...

Awe...the roommates...2+ years and going strong!

Smokey Mountain!

Our "Wilson" pictures! Inspiration=Natalie!



Salt Lake Cemetery

Yesterday was Labor Day as you all know! I started out the day very lazy and really not feeling well...so what did I do? Read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??!?! I've been meaning to read the second book in the Twilight series for months now...well now I have little to no distractions and finally finished, thanks to my lazy morning yesterday! I read a total of 400 pages this weekend and still had a fun, busy time! Well, after my lazy, but yet VERY productive morning of lounging and reading, Natalie one of my favorite roommates suggested that Niki I get out of the reading grove and do something! PS Niki was a little more productive than me, she also did homework! So we decided to go to lunch and a movie! We went to a restaurant called Smokey Mountain, and I must say it has highly recommendable food, but SLOW service! Then we couldn't help but notice the frozen yogurt joint next store, Spoon Me! So we decided to meander over there and check it out, it was pretty good, but not on my top ten list (however, I do think the name is catchy! hehe!) Then we headed for the movies only to find out that it was all sold out!!!!!!!! Sad day! Have no fear, Tiffany is here with tons of suggestions! I started giving ideas of places to go, and my roommates looked at me like a was crazy, I suggested going to the Copper Mines, the Planetarium, the Aquarium in Sandy, This is the Place Monument, the gun Museum up in Ogden, the Alpine Slide, the Heber Creeper...so I have just happened to hear about all these places over the years and have started storing them in memory in case I get bored and want to do something...turns out I'll have to do them ALONE because no one seems to think they're great places to visit...So if you want to go, just let me know! Or if you know someone who would want to go, and they aren't too creepy or weird, let me know:). Okay, enough rambling, what did we end up doing? We went to Memorial Grove! Not a place on my list, but it was great non-the-less, it was beautiful!!!! Then we went to the Salt Lake cemetery to check out a grave sight that Natalie had heard about that says "victim of the beast 666" on it! Good thing it was daylight or else I think I would have had to change my shorts later!