5 Second Crush...

So that's my latest term for those guys I see once or twice and they intrigue me... the 5 second crush can turn into 6, 7, 8...you get the picture. It seems like lately they start at 5, move up to 7 or 8 and drop to 0 instantly when I realize I was totally just fantasizing them into my ideal, decades of emotion, take my breathe away, type of crush!

As lame as this sounds, I just dictionary.com'd the word "crush," as I often do with words that are on my mind and this is what it came up with:

CRUSH

1.to press or squeeze with a force that destroys or deforms.
2. to squeeze or pound into small fragments or particles, as ore, stone, etc.
3. to force out by pressing or squeezing; extract: to crush cottonseeds in order to produce oil.
4. to rumple; wrinkle; crease.
5. to smooth or flatten by pressure: to crush leather.
6. to hug or embrace forcibly or strongly: He crushed her in his arms.
7. to destroy, subdue, or suppress utterly: to crush a revolt.
8. to overwhelm with confusion, chagrin, or humiliation, as by argumentation or a slighting action or remark; squelch.
9. to oppress grievously.
10. Archaic. to finish drinking (wine, ale, etc.).–verb (used without object)
11. to become crushed.
12. to advance with crushing; press or crowd forcibly.–noun
13. the act of crushing; state of being crushed.
14. a great crowd: a crush of shoppers.
15. Informal.
a. an intense but usually short-lived infatuation.
b. the object of such an infatuation: Who is your latest crush?

I laughed out loud as I read some of those definitions..."to press or squeeze with a force that destroys or deforms." Yep, I'm pretty sure I've destroyed a lot of chances with guys by crushing too much...ha! I also like the one that says "to overwhelm with confusion," been there done that... and I especially like the one that says "short-lived." That one hits the nail on the head!

Anywho, today I'm just grateful for my short-lived crushes that give me hope. In the past little while I've decided that one of my very favorite attractions and is a must for the man I marry, is ABILITY TO LAUGH! I love to laugh, I love when people make me laugh, I love to laugh about stupid stuff, smart stuff, crazy stuff, weird stuff, stuff that just ticks me off, and mainly I just love to LAUGH...my dad calls me giggles, I just can help it, I LOVE to laugh!

So there you have it, my little thought process I had tonight, sorry if it's hard to follow, if you don't understand, don't worry, I'm confusing, I know:). Just smile and nod for me k?

Life without laughter, would be no life at all...

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!

Thankful, Thankful, Thankful

Click on the picture above and check out Beau's tounge! He's so funny! He loves table scraps!

My hottt sister! Guys watch out, she's available...but not this Friday, Saturday?!?!

My adorable brothers!!!!

And Ryan trying to put us in a head lock...

Thankful, Thankful, Thankful, Am I, Am I, Am I...I am currently reading Charlotte's Web and the goose always repeats itself 3 times, I guess I'm trying to be a goose, I am weird. This thanksgiving was so much fun. Everything just seemed to flow nicely:). The girls made the desserts the night before and then dad and I got up early to make the stuffing and sun tan the turkey with oil...tradition...or more like I want survive this lifetime and if I don't learn my dads amazing tricks in the kitchen I might not. Then the rest of us pitched in to get the rest of the fixin's made. It's still a little strange that Joey's on a mission, I can't wait until next year! We all went around the dinner table and expressed our gratitude...Aaron is grateful they had Turkey on the first thanksgiving and not donkey.

I am soooo grateful for my family, I love them so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am also grateful for many things in life...the gospel of Jesus Christ, good friends to hang out with and laugh with, incredible roommates, education, my students, my job, parent volunteers, books, airplanes, my little sister (the Liberian one and my real one), having the opportunity to be single, health, hope, prayers, love, laughs, teasing, sarcasm, warm blankets, an apartment, a paycheck, my friends at the gas station, my computer, my friends around the world, temples around the world, paper, scissors, paints, cutting boards, copy machines, ice cream, peanut butter, freedom, to be born in America, long walks, parks, mountains...I could go on...I am so thankful for the peace that comes when I sit down and realize how blessed I am...I am one lucky girl. Thanks to you know who, the Man who created it all:).

Don't bite off my head already Aaron!

PS I went shopping today! I loved it so much! I spent so much! But saved so much! And bought myself too much!

What a Girl Wants...

What a girl wants from her boyfriend/husband when she is sick....

As you already know from my previous, ridiculous posts, I was sick over the weekend. It's was and is, an insane head cold that haunts me day and night! I'm getting over it, just slowly...

On Saturday, I felt terrible, I forgot what it's like to be miserable. I decided that I needed to go and buy more medicine... in my mind I was wishing I had someone to go and get it for me, but I didn't so I decided to suck it up and go to Wally World. Dressed in my dashing, gray pj's and hoodie, I was off to Wal-mart. I decided to buy myself everything I think a boyfriend/husband should buy his girlfriend/wife when she is sick (boyfriends/husbands take notes)...which includes:

• Medicine (Name Brand is always nice:)).


• Tissues made with LOTION.


• Progresso Vegetable Soup.


• AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, A MOVIE! NOT JUST ANY MOVIE, BUT A CHICK FLICK...THOSE ALWAYS MAKE A GIRL FEEL BETTER.

I know, I'm a dork and I feel ridiculous even writing a post about this, but what the hay, you all know I'm crazy already:). I think I'm an even bigger dork because I took a picture of my purchases! Who does that!?!?! This was actually a lot fun! It makes me want to play pretend all the time, hehe!

Miss Finley & Miss Radman GO CAMPING!

My students are going to have a hay day when they see all of these camping pictures! As most of you know, I have a camping theme and even have a tent for reading and stuff in my classroom...so naturally the kids know that I love camping and the outdoors!

This was a first for me, going camping with another teacher that is... I went with Tasha's branch, yep you read that right, BRANCH! There are branches all over Utah apparently...she lives in Sugar House and goes to a branch, weird. We went camping up by Kamus. It was beautiful up there! With all the leaves changes...I wish I had some pics of that, gotta love the foliage!

PS Ask me about our crazy directions some time! It took us like 5 hours to get there, just kidding I'm exaggerating, but it really was quite the adventure, let's just say a man wrote the directions, hehe!

Guess WHO Came to Dinner!

My ward does this thing where you sign up to go to "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!" A few weeks after you sign up, someone calls you, tells you that you are in their group and what to bring when you go to dinner. It's a surprise who's coming, well except for the host and even then it's still a surprise (there's a lot of people in the ward!)

Today I hosted "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and it was a B-L-A-S-T! I decided to spice up the night and I made name tags for everyone. The name tags said their name really big and then had five questions underneath that said...

You’re going to ask anyway…so here are my answers…
1. I grew up in… ___________________________________________________
2. I went to high school at… _________________________________________
3. I spend my time….working at…going to school at....______________________
4. When I have an hour of free time, I like to… (Ex. Video games, Shopping…hehe!) _____
5. There are three adjectives which describe me?_____________________

We also played a game called, "Two Truths and a Lie." Everyone wrote two things that were true about them and one lie on a piece of paper, then we read off the papers and first tried to figure out who it was and once we figured out the person, we tried to figure out their lie. It was fun to get to know other people and have fun while doing it!

For dinner we had English Muffin Pizza's, which were surprisingly good!

Shopping and Movies, Girls Day OUT!

This is Rita, my "little sister" in her new shirt!

Rita and I went shopping to buy her a new outfit for back to school! We came home with two really cute outfits! Her favorite was her High School Musical Shirt! After shopping we went back to my place and watched a movie! It was so much fun!

The other day when I called her to see if she could hang out, she said that it had been a long time since we hung out (2 weeks). She proceeded to tell me that she would still keep me as a Big Sister even though we haven't hung out in a while and she wouldn't trade me in for a new one. Sheesh, we know who wears the pants in this relationship!

Nothing Like a Good Friday Night!

This is my mom when I told her that the fortune cookie she was eating had 300 Calories in it! She said "that is defiantly not worth 300 calories!" PS I have no clue how many calories are in fortune cookies, I just wanted to see what she did and I got the reaction I was looking for!

Friday night, Leslee, my mom and I all went to dinner. Then afterwards, Leslee, her friend Sarah, and I all went to a singles activity in Draper at Boondocks.

This IS the RIGHT PLACE!

This past Thursday I was finally able to go somewhere, I've always wanted to go...THIS IS THE PLACE monument!

"This Is The Place Monument marks the spot where the Mormon Pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley and marks the end of the 1,300-mile Mormon trail.It was here that Brigham Young stopped his carriage in July 1847 and, after surveying the desert valley near the shores of the Great Salt Lake, declared, "This is the right place." On July 24, 1947, exactly 100 years after his declaration, a heroic-sized bronze sculpture of Young and two of his colleagues was placed atop a 60-foot pedestal overlooking the Valley." Source: http://www.thisistheplace.org/

It was kind of late, so we didn't go on a tour or anything...so if anyone wants to, let me know (or wants to find me a hottt date to go with, hehe). It was amazingly beautiful up there, you could see the whole valley, and it just brought this subtle peace to my soul. Alanna and I talked about the importance of having an eternal perspective and making the best of what is here and now.