zilch

I have no idea what to say. Maybe it'll come to me. Maybe it won't. Maybe I'll just delete the blog once and for all. Who knows, but I'll keep you posted.

Valentines Day....

I used to hate valentines day. I felt so alone and blah. But today is different. I had my students write in Spanish about one person that is important to them. I was so pleased as I read through them, at how many of them put their mothers or their grandmothers. Sometimes I wonder if all the important stuff has slipped through their minds. And then they surprise me.

One girl wrote...
"My grandmother is very important to me. She is honorable and worries about me. I can tell her anything. I love my grandmother." (this was written in Spanish, so I translated it.)

Another student said...
"The most important person for me is my mother. My mom is important for me because she helps me do things I don't know how to do. My mother is very protective of me."

And that is why I love valentines day. It isn't about loving just one person. It's about showing love to all and being a friend to all; serving others and letting them know that you care.

Happy Valentines day everyone!!!

Dear Dad...

Those are the best pants that I have EVER seen. It's too bad you didn't keep them. I bet you miss them.

I just want you to know that I think you're awesome!

Love,
Tiff

School

When I was a little girl, I was left at home while all of my siblings got to go to school. They each had their hair combed, shirts tucked in, belts on, shoes tied and brand new, shiny, candybar pencil boxes. I was so jealous and I was crying and crying becuase I wanted to go to school too. But I couldn't.

Therefore, my hair wasn't combed, I was still in my pajamas, and I was crying. Jared was the nice big brother and gave me his pencil box to hold so I would stop crying.

Today, I am still that little girl on the inside, but this morning, I am crying because I have to go to school. I am sooooo tired.

Cory

This is Cory. We took this picture many moons ago when we were in college. So, we are both older, probably fatter, and cuter. :)

Cory is and has been one of the best friends a girl could ask for. He gives great hugs, pretty steady advice, he's calm and never ever gets angry.

Cory is from Ferron, Ut. It's a VERY small town about 45 minutes south of Price. There is a grocery store and a gas station. And they have no stoplights in town. And they have fair grounds. And they have very few neighbors. And the stars are amazingly bright and the air is clear. And it's quiet in the mornings. And as of right now, I know of no place to go to get a pedicure. :)

Cory studied Food Science in school and it fits him. He LOVES food! He applied for a job at the nestle plant in Springville and we are hoping that he gets the job. He would be a quality assurance guy. (Whatever they do). He will get it...I have faith.

After we get married, we will stay in my town home for now, and then eventually move to a smaller place, but still fairly close. (Trying to please both of us) We have talked about Genola or maybe Payson. I guess we'll see what happens.

Isn't he cute?!?!

propriety

What is propriety?

I have been thinking about this since Monday night. Cory was over at my house, and we were reading scriptures and just relaxing before bed. On school nights, he sleeps at my parents house so I can still get up early and ready for school. So we were getting ready to say goodnight. I called my mother and told her that he would be coming over and she asked me a question I didn't know the answer to. I asked Cory. Mom asked if he was in the bedroom with me. She didn't like my answer. Cory then went out to watch tv so I could sleep. (He waits to go over to my mom's house at 11, cause he doesn't want to watch Amanda and Aaron play games.) But I didn't sleep well that night, worrying about what mom thought we were doing and what I should do differently in the future. So again I ask the question, what is propriety?

Our society has changed a lot over the last 60 or so years. We can look back at each era and see some changes that were great and wonderful and some that are not so great and wonderful. In the 50's our examples of a 'LADY' were June Cleaver and Donna Reed. And while tv made them into something a bit more extreme than real life, women of that day did act like ladies. They wore their hair just right and always wore dresses. They never raised their voices or used 'dirty' words. They took care of the family and were never ever alone with a male (unless it was their husband). And even then, the relationship between a husband and wife was purely innocent. Think of Lucy and Ricki on I Love Lucy. Separate beds and all.

By the 60's the styles were changing and the youth of this particular era were openly rebellious. They looked for ease and comfort over formality or propriety. During the late 60's hippie clothing came into style. And so began, in my mind, the downfall of proper attire for youth. And with that improper attire, always comes improper actions. We act how we dress. If we dress in sweats, we act more lazy and comfortable. If we wear a dress and heels, we act more serenely and calmly.

If we were to go back farther in time, we would find even more restrictive clothing styles and more rules on being proper in society. Think of Scarlett in Gone with the wind. They weren't allowed to show their ankles. For Shannon in Far and Away, it was improper for her to not do up the very last button on her dress. The one that choked her it was so tight on her throat.

We have come so far in our society with equal rights for women and there are many who still fight for more equality and more justice. But what have we lost in that fight? Have we lost the fact that women ARE unique and special? Have we forgotten that we need to act and dress in a proper way? Have we become so comfortable with the 'norm' that we don't work on being proper?

I think of myself and the ways that I have let the harshness of the world affect me. I use words at times that I am ashamed of. I am louder than I need to be on occasion. I am too relaxed at times with the fiance. I put myself in situations that could hurt me, and I need to learn from the past. I also think of my grandmother's and their examples to me and am amazed at the Ladies that they are. Some more than others, but Ladies nonetheless.

I guess from all of these ramblings, I am proud to be a woman. I am proud to be soft and gentle and naive and tenderhearted. I think that is what our Heavenly Father wants us to be. So, I will try to be more proper in my actions and in my speech. I will try to live my life as my Grandmother's would have lived theirs. While at the same time being equal to those around me.

Gangsta stye...I think?

This hat belongs to Yan.

Yan is from Brasil.

They aren't supposed to wear hats in school, but they do anyway.

They put it on me, so they could make fun of me.

The best part is that they thought I looked cute.


By the way...what is gangsta style, anyway? Anyone...?