On the ninth day of Christmas...

my husband gave to me

reason to believe

that I didn't actually have food poisoning.

Sorry husband... :(

On the eighth day of Christmas...

Burger King gave to me

a great case of

food poisoning.

Joy.

Never Eat Soggy Wheaties

Student: Hey, Mrs. Gish! Remember when you taught us "Never Eat Soggy Wheaties" to help us remember the order of North, East, South, and West?

Me: Yeah...

Student: I thought of another phrase you could use!

Me: Oh great! Let's hear it.

Student: Never Ever Smoke Weed

Me: ................ (trying to hide a laugh of shock and slight amusement of his obvious creativity and instead making a face that looks like who knows what...)

Student: What? Doesn't that work?

Me: Yes. Yes it does.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Let's first begin with the infamous Santa-face cookies.

These puppies have been around for three generations now- first made by my Grandma Gerri.

And as Ty and I made these, I got to thinking.... Hey family. When did we decide that it was a good idea to live so far away from each other? I just don't recall ever having that conversation....

Just saying that I wish we could have ALL been together making these. That's all.

(moving on...)

Finally- our poster above the t.v. matches the season.

First Christmas tree as a married couple!

And you can bet your stockings that it is real.

As we drove it home I kept thinking of that Allstate "mayhem guy" commercial and picturing our tree rolling right off the roof of our car at every turn. But we made it home safe!

P.S. If you haven't seen the "mayhem guy" commercials, check them out. They are some of my favorite.

Thank you Hobby Lobby for these little gems.

I couldn't resist...

Thanks Mom and Megan for the wreath and jingle bells! This was very fun to put together.

And I even waited until after Thanksgiving to do all of this.

Aren't you so proud?

HO HO HO

Wednesday

6:00 a.m. - wake up

6:30 a.m. - get to the school and get ready for the day

7:15 a.m. - technology meeting

7:55 a.m. - school starts

2:30 p.m. - school ends, clean up, plan, correct papers

3:45 p.m. - go home to get some grub- peanut butter on bread

to eat on the way to...

4:00 p.m. - new teacher meeting at the district office

5:50 p.m. - leave meeting to go to...

6:00 p.m. - institute committee meeting

7:00 p.m. - leave meeting to pick up husband at the school

7:05 p.m. - get home and.... sit

7:20 p.m. - work on lesson (getting observed tomorrow...again)

8:30 p.m. - realize my headache is not going away so off to bed

Okay. I am now done being a whiny baby.

On my mind...

1. I thought I would really hate it when the snow came... But the first two snows this year have come on Saturdays and I really quite like it. It's just an excuse to stay cuddled up in your house and watch old reruns of "The Wonder Years."

2. I forgot to show you my Halloween costume...

Harry Potter rules! Yes, that is me as Professor Trelawney. And yes, I wore this exact outfit to school on Halloween. The kids were so weirded out. And they loved it at the same time.

3. My fourth graders make me laugh and cry more than any other people on this earth. (My husband makes me laugh the most.. and my family too... but they certainly don't make me cry that often.)

4. I love my apartment. It is my safe haven. I am grateful that I have this little, quiet, cozy place to come home to every night.

5. Turns out that crafting is my therapy. To sit down and do something that is just for me and not have to think about anything else is just what I need sometimes.

Last Saturday, husband really wanted to see "Warrior." Well, it is a boxing/fighting movie and I am a total wussy when it comes to physical violence... as in, it makes me physically sick to watch people beat up other people. I made it through about 5 minutes of "Rocky: Number something..." (told you... wussy.) So husband went with a friend and I stayed home and played with old firewood that we didn't use this summer.

6. I am so so so so so tempted to start putting up Christmas decorations. Right. Now. I will try to wait until after Thanksgiving. "Try" being the key word.

7. Hardest Student moved to a different school about a month ago. Mr. Principal from New School called and said Hardest is not doing well and they don't know how to handle him.

Tomorrow.... Hardest is coming back to my class. He is a bully and the students are scared.

So am I.

8. There are certain moments when I remember how awesome marriage is, especially if you married your best friend. I had one of those last night: Cuddling with husband in bed while watching a documentary on space and then having pillow talk about how amazing and mysterious space is.

Yeah, we're nerds. And I love it.

Sweats

Slippers

Tomato soup

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

and "The Little Mermaid"

Beat that, 11 hour work days!

Lovin' this Season

Dear Fourth Graders,

Have you ever heard of the phrase, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder"? Well, I am only a few hours into fall break and I am discovering that there is a lot of truth to that statement.

So.......

See ya on Monday!!!

And trust me when I say that I will love each of you a whole lot more.

Love, Mrs. Gish

I Believe in Christ

A couple of weeks ago, my church held a conference. This conference takes place two times a year and it is where all the members of our church from all around the world take time out of their weekend to listen to messages from the leaders of our church. The actual meeting is held in Salt Lake City, UT, but most people watch it on t.v. in their homes, go to their local church buildings to watch a live broadcast, or listen/watch from a livestream on the internet.

As always, it was very uplifting. I know that all those who spoke were inspired by God. Many of my prayers and questions were answered. So many topics were covered and I learned a lot. However,there was one thing that really stuck out to me. One of the leaders spoke about how we can all be followers and disciples of Christ. And if we are, then we must be bold in testifying of Him. For some reason this really hit me. We have Facebook, blogs, twitter (although I am not involved), texting, e-mail, and so many ways to communicate with others. But how many times in my life have I ever used these wonderful devices to share my beliefs?

It seems that in the news lately, especially in regards to Mitt Romney running for president, there has been quite a bit of speculation about whether or not Mormons are Christians. Well, I am what you would call a "Mormon." I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that many people have different definitions of what makes a Christian and so I won't try to convince anyone of what I am.

But what I can tell you is what I know, what I feel, what I believe, and what makes me who I am. I love Jesus Christ. I believe in Him. I try to follow His teachings, and this is my testimony of Him.

I am a daughter of God. He created me, my spirit, my body. He knows me and He loves me. I lived with Him before and He sent me to this earth so that I could learn and grow. He wants me to learn so that I can become more like Him. Like any loving parent, He wants me to reach my full potential. I must learn to be faithful, patient, humble, meek, charitable, giving, loving... and much more! God also knew, that as a mortal, I would never be perfect. So He came up with a plan. He sent His firstborn son, Jesus Christ. Christ loved me so much that He was willing to leave His throne above and come down to this earth to fulfill His father's plan. He came and lived a perfect and sinless life so that I might have a perfect example to look to. He then suffered for all my sins, hung on the cross, and died for me. Because of this, I am able to repent, change, be forgiven, and become better. Not only did Christ suffer for my sins, but he felt all my pain, sadness, and suffering. He felt it all. When I experience hardships in my life, I can turn to Him because He understands. I do not understand His Atonement as much as I would like to or as much as I should, but I have felt its' power in my life. I have felt it lift the burden of sin from me and I have felt it strengthen me in times when I felt I could go no further.

I know that after Christ died, He rose from the grave. He still lives and He watches over me. Because of His great sacrifice, I may also have eternal life and I will have the opportunity to live with Him and my Heavenly Father in His kingdom. Nothing gives me greater comfort than to know that there is a purpose to this life and that there is something wonderful to look forward to when my time here on this earth is done.

I have felt the love of Christ in my life more times than I can count. Sometimes that love comes in the form of miracles, great or small. Or sometimes it simply comes in the form of a kind word or service from someone else that I really needed at that time. Sometimes that love comes when I am kneeling in prayer and a peace and warmth fills my heart and I know that I am heard. Sometimes when I am teaching my fourth graders and I start to get frustrated, I say a little prayer in my heart and suddenly I see these kids differently. I understand them a little bit better and I feel a love for them that I don't quite understand. I know that this is Christ filling me with the love that He has for each of these children. His perfect love for each of these children.

There is no doubt in my mind or heart that Jesus Christ is my Savior. It is through Him, and only Him, that I will be able to return to live with my Father in heaven. I love Him so much for that. I know that the only way I could ever repay Him (and nothing will ever be enough) is to try my best to follow His example and His teachings. To love as He loved. To serve as He did.

If there is ever anyone that wants to know if there really is a Christ, all they need to do is kneel down in prayer and ask. If they have pure intentions and a real desire to know, God will make it known unto them. They will feel love and peace like they have never felt before, telling them that it is true. I know I have felt it and I would never deny it.

If you have any questions about my beliefs, please ask! Also, you can visit mormon.org or lds.org and read more from other members and leaders of our church. It would be selfish of me to know of the perfect love my Savior has for me and then not share it with others. That is not what He would want and so I am now committing to be better.

One year ago this nice guy asked me to marry him.

I said, "Yes."

Duh.

Like mother like teacher

I have two chairs in my classroom that were purchased at the thrift store. Just these junky soft chairs that are very old and kind of... gross. But the kids love them! And they always want to read and work while sitting in them. So I assign two kids every morning that get to sit in the chair that day.

If either of the students that are assigned to the chair are busy working at their desks, other students can sit in the chair for the time being. I just tell them they need to ask the student whose day it is.

One day one of the boys came up to me. He was done with his assignment and was going to read. The girl whose day it was to sit in the chair was busy working on a project with her group on the other side of the room. He came up and asked me if he could sit in her chair since she wasn't. I told him he needed to go ask her if that was ok.

A few seconds later he came up to me, seeming a little annoyed. He said, "She told me that I needed to come ask you if it is ok." I laughed and said, "Yes, that is ok with me." Then he said, "You guys are just like my mom and dad. Go ask your mom.... Go ask your dad....Go ask your mom..." As he walked away from me, he was still muttering under his breath, "Go ask your mom... Go ask your dad..."

Poor kid. But I couldn't help but get a good laugh out of it.

Getting Crafty

A little something about me... I am semi-creative.

Semi because, while I do love making and creating, I can rarely come up with my own ideas.

However, I am a reeeally good copier.

I was on one of my new favorite websites, Craftgawker, and I came across these really cute fall wreaths. Of course, the person was selling them for like $40. So I said, hey, I could probably make something like that by myself for a much smaller cost. So I put my copying skills to the test and was pretty pleased with the results.

Styrofoam wreath from Michael's wrapped in yarn found on sale at Wal-mart+leaves bought in a little packet for $1 (at Michael's again)+beads that I already had lying around.

And no, it is not quite autumn yet..... But I already hung it up anyway. I've been ready for summer to be over for a while. No more 90 degree apartment- HUZZAH!

Why I Do What I Do

On Friday I had an experience that helped me remember why I teach. It truly can be one of the most rewarding careers on this planet! Today is the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and I got thinking on Friday that I really wanted to discuss that with my students. I also got an e-mail from a woman that works in the district asking for teachers to have their students write letters to soldiers so that they could send them in Christmas care packages. They often help boost morale of those men and women fighting in awful places.

I work at a Title 1 school. Many of these kids have day to day struggles that no kid should ever have to deal with. Family and personal situations that break my heart. For that reason, I thought it was important to talk with these kids about some of the things that they DO have to enjoy.

I began by asking them what they knew about what happened on September 11th. As they began sharing with me, I realized something that made me feel weird and old. These kids weren't even BORN when that event took place!!! So really, all that most of them knew was that there were these two buildings and airplanes crashed into them. None of them really had anymore detail than that. So I told them about how I was in eighth grade when it happened and how we watched it on the t.v.'s in the classroom and how we were all so scared of what was happening. We talked about who it was and how it was an act of hate. We talked about how many people lost loved ones. We talked about how people fought on one of the planes so that it wouldn't reach the terrorists' intended destination. We talked about the heroes.

The students were quiet. I had all 25 pairs of eyes on me (something that has never happened since the first day of school). I had hands raised that had never been raised voluntarily before. Everyone wanted to share. Everyone wanted to learn more.

And after all that, we talked about freedom. We talked about what it really meant to live in a free country. We talked about some of the things other kids in other countries don't get to do because they don't live in a country like ours. We even talked about how some kids don't get to go to school-- which at first, many of them responded with a "SWEET! No school!" But then we talked about what life would be like if they didn't go to school. They wouldn't be able to read... write.... communicate.... or get a chance to be what they want to be when they grow up. There was silence and then one boy quietly said... "Whoa. That would suck." Yeah, I know.

After talking about all the things they get to do in this country, I had them begin their letters to the soldiers- to thank them for fighting for our country. Here are a few quotes straight from these letters:

"Thank you for fighting for our country, it means a lot."

"What I do for freedom I play with my family, go outside, go to school, and go to church."

"You mean a lot to me because you make sure that the USA is in good hands."

"Thanks for fighting for our freedom and taking your time to do that."

"Freedom to me means being able to choose what to do: Going to church, going to school, being a bad guy or a good guy."

"I'm glad you were willing to leave your family. I can't be more grateful."

"Your work means so much to America."

"Thanks for protecting our state."

"My freedom means a lot to me because if we didn't have freedom, we could be slaves and that would be horrible."

"I'm glad I can go to school and get educated and smart because in some countries girls can't go to school."

"Let me just say again thank you so much. I could just hug you."

They were so sincere! And kind! And for some of these kids who come from really tough homes, kindness and sincerity are a rarity.

Perhaps you are reading this and wondering what was really so great about this moment, but I think if you've ever been a teacher of any kind, you know what this meant. To help kids learn to be grateful and to see the good in themselves and others is just a special thing to be able to do. And for that, I AM GRATEFUL.

So forgive me for the long post that may have meant nothing to you. But I need to record moments like these. Because it is moments like these that help me get up at 6:00 in the morning and stay on the go until 6:00 at night (and sometimes later).

This is why I do what I do.

A Post for August

Life has gotten mucho crazier and there hasn't been much time to think about blogging, but I had to squeeze one post in before the month was through.

This last month has been super packed with wonderful things:

-A church history tour with Ty's family

-Getting ready for school to start

-All my family coming into town

-And school starting!

Pictures and more details about each of these events will come soon!

But before I go (yes, I know this is kind of a pointless post, but I couldn't let August get away from me), let me share one thing about today.

We had an unexpected fire drill today and it happened to be right after my kids had finished their lunches and were on their way out to recess. So I headed out the door and proceeded to line them up and count them. As we were waiting for the "all clear" many of the kids were asking me if it was real or pretend. I honestly didn't know and I told them so. Then one of the girls came up to me with a legitimately concerned look on her face and this was our conversation:

Girl: Mrs. Gish, is this real or just pretend?

Me: I really don't know. They didn't say anything about it to the teachers.

Girl: Oh. (Pause) I really hope it isn't a real fire... because I left my three favorite chapsticks in my desk!!

Glad to know that was her biggest concern.

As Seen On T.V.

Are you tired of flat boring hairstyles?

Do you feel like you've tried everything to improve your totally drab hair?

Is teasing your hair leaving you with a mess?

Do you go through a whole can of hairspray trying to get that full volumized look?

Let me tell you, all of these things applied to me. I just didn't know what to do! I felt like I had tried everything and nothing was working. I just couldn't get that look that I wanted.

Then something magical happened!!!

My sister-in-law knew of my desperation for better hair so she sent me this in the mail:

I had seen the Bumpit on t.v. before, but I have to admit I was skeptical.

But at this point I had nothing to lose so I tried it out and...........

WA-LAH!!!

From flat to Fabulous!

Now I've got that salon-styled look that I've always wanted in SECONDS and all the confidence to go with it!

Sophisticated and sassy!

And if one lump on your head isn't enough, try this new look:

Double Bump Action!

Twice the volume and fabulous-ness-es is ONE hairdo!

Thanks Whitney! You are a lifesaver!

If any of you decide to use this wonderful product yourself, don't forget to read the "Helpful Hints" on the pamphlet that comes with your Bumpit. Here are some of my favorite:

1. The more you tease the bigger and smoother the bump.

2. Add a favorite rhinestone clip in back to help keep your hair in place.

3. Use aerosol hairspray - use medium hold hairspray while working with Bumpits insert, then finish with firm hold hairspray. If hair is extremely fine, use hairspray throughout all steps.

(It's so nice to not have to use a whole can now!)

And most importantly...

4. Be sure hair over Bumpits insert is not pulled too tight or it will look unnatural.

(Because you wouldn't want that.)

BUMP IT UP!

Midnight showings are for sissies

Well, the saga of Harry Potter has come to an end. And honestly, I feel like a little part of me has died. Okay, that's a little dramatic. But I can't even begin to tell you what a nerd I am about Harry Potter and his wonderful wizarding world.

As I'm sure you know, tickets for the midnight showing sold out pretty fast so we didn't have much of a chance at that. But Tyler surprised with matinee tickets for Friday. Sweet!! Our tickets were for 2:30.

A.M.

Yep. You read right. Now, I am the ultimate night person. I can stay up as late as you want and do quite well on very little sleep, at least for a while. Tyler, on the other hand, does not function on anything less than eight hours. So you can imagine my shock when he told me this. The boy must really love me. And yes, we're both completely crazy. I would be lying if I said I didn't like the feeling of being an idiotic college student again.

We thought about about trying to go to bed before... but the thought of sleeping through it must have weighed too heavily on our minds. So at 1:45 we headed out in our sweats and stopped at Macey's for some treats (a must when you're seeing a movie at that hour).

Note our glazed-over eyes... And this was before the movie even began. And yes, that is a full theater behind us. Turns out there are a lot of crazy Potter fans in Logan.

Don't even ask... You know I loved the movie. Tyler did too. I personally think he was just pleased that Voldemort didn't yell, "YEOOOOAAAHHH!" nearly as much as he did in the trailer (I think we counted 8 times? Watch it, it's ridiculous.)

I must also mention what an odd sensation it was to walk into a movie theater when it's dark outside and come out to find the sun coming up.

And if you were wondering... Yes. I think I will be rereading the Deathly Hallows.

Also, if you were wondering... Tyler is asleep. Love him.

You're a Grand Old Flag

Here's to hoping you all have a happy

Fourth of July weekend!

Enjoy it in anyway you can.

Be with family or friends.

Eat a hamburger.

Or a hot dog if you please.

And watermelon.

And probably some ice cream too.

Obviously, for some of us (me) holidays=eating good food...

Watch some fireworks.

Sing "Yankee Doodle."

And give thanks for freedom!

Cute flowers from a cute guy.

The end.

True Confessions

The other night I had a dream that I was teaching a class (I would say they were probably first graders). The kids were out at recess, but I knew that as soon as they were to come in I was supposed to read them a story. I also knew that I was going to be-- observed. DUN DUN Duuuuun. Well, in the dream, I had this giant tootsie roll- I love those things, but this one was HUGE. I popped it in my mouth and right as I did, the kids came in and so did the "observer". For some reason, it was very important that I get started right away so I opened the book and began. But I still had that darn tootsie roll in my mouth and it was now clogging my throat. And as I tried to read, it kept getting worse and worse! I was franticly chewing and trying to swallow. And while I was trying to swallow, there were these awkward pauses and all the kids were staring at me..... waiting. And THEN, the words on the page of the book started getting smaller and smaller andsmaller until I couldn't read them anymore. All the while the "observer" was becoming more and more irritated with me.

Needless to say I woke up cold, sweaty, and grumpy. Poo.

New job anxiety anyone?? Yikes!

That's the way I like it

Me + Tyler + tent + beautiful Green Canyon (appropriately named) + tinfoil dinners + plenty of s'mores + talking by the fire + stars + movie on a laptop + falling asleep to the sound of rustling leaves in the cool night breeze + bacon and egg breakfast cooked over the fire + did I mention s'mores already?

I'd say a weekend just doesn't get any better than that.

Congratulations! Oh... Uh, to us...

Last summer I worked as a telemarketer for a company that sold air-purification systems/vacuums. It was a very interesting job and the turn over rate for the telemarketers was very high so I met a lot of interesting people. There was one girl in particular that I worked with longer than any other.

My job was to call lists of people and ask them to take a survey for the company... I asked them questions like, what kind of vacuum do you use? do you rent of own your home? what age group do you belong to? Things like that. Then I would tell them that as a thank you for taking our survey, we would put their name in a drawing. Well, it turns out that everyone wins the drawing. The job of the girl I worked with was to call these people back a few days later and congratulate them on winning the drawing. She would tell them that they could choose between a six-piece knife set or a vacation package. The catch was that in order to receive their prize, these people would have to agree to let us come deliver it personally and let us show them our product while we are there.

Now before I move on, I have to mention that this girl was very nice. But she wasn't.... quite all there. Nice, but extremely ditzy. In fact, I often entertained myself at this extremely boring job by writing down the funny things that she said on the phone. Here are a few examples:

"All this excitement is very exciting!"
And it sure was.
"Oh! Your name is still in the gas give away, but this is just an extra little.... BOOM!"
Yes, she yelled that word.
"The knife set comes in its own......packaging. Do you have some nice knife sets?"
I hope it doesn't come in someone else's packaging...
"You were selected to be our grand prize winner.... SOOOOO YAAAAY!!!"
More yelling.
"Do you guys love health and keeping healthy?"
Only the health. But not actually keeping it.
"The hotels are located in 58 different states."
Puerto Rico....?? And..?
"You get your choice between a vacation package or a six-piece gold-plated knife set."
Gold-plated meaning.... cheap knock-off of Cutco knives.

I could never figure out how she was able to book as many appointments as she did. I think she was able to confuse people enough into wondering whether she was for real or not that they just stayed on the line.

There was this one day where we only had one representative (the guys who deliver the prizes and show the product) available. As he was getting ready to go do this, someone called because they wanted to buy our actual product. This obviously took priority over the gift giving appointment so they asked the girl I work with to call and reschedule with the other customer. Well, I guess she was too much in the habit of giving things away and congratulating people because this is what she said:

"I am calling to reschedule our appointment with you. Our representative actually got called out to deliver (said product) so..... CONGRATULATIONS!!! Oh.... uh, I mean....to US! Anyway... what day would work best for you?"

Yep. It was a great job.

But now I'll get to the real reason why I was writing this post in the first place. I have some good news to share. I'm so excited about it that I just can't hold it in. Buuuuut.... by posting it I kind of feel like I'm writing, "CONGRATULATIONS! Oh...uh, to me." So forgive me for that. Okay, here we go.

Starting this fall, say hello to Logan City's newest FOURTH GRADE TEACHER!

All this excitement is very exciting!

I don't know what's more exciting... The fact that I got a teaching job, or that I won't have to work as a telemarketer anymore. But seriously, I feel so blessed to have this opportunity. I have been dreaming about it since I was a kid. So thank you for all those prayers in my behalf because I know they helped a ton. I can't wait for the adventures that await me!

Meet Scout

Tyler works in a biology lab where they research the fertility of pigs and part of his job is to go to a pig farm three evenings a week to see which of the female pigs are in heat (glamorous, right?) Every once and a while I like to go with him to see the piglets. They are so darn cute. And pink.

Anyway, one night while we were there, I met a little friend. There are a few cats that they keep around the barn to catch the mice. As we were leaving I noticed a little gray ball curled up in a dark corner of the barn. A kitten! It was all alone and not moving. At first I was afraid it was dead, but as I came closer it began to open it's little eyes. It was tiny and shivering and none of the cats seemed to want anything to do with it. It was then I decided I wanted to foster this little guy. So my very nice husband let me take him home.

We stopped at the pet store and bought some cat milk formula... yep, they sell that. And wow, I was in love with this little guy. We knew we couldn't keep him permanently , but we figured we could nurse him back to health. Tyler's little brother had also been dying for a pet. Not too long ago he had found and taken care of a runaway cat for about three months and was crushed when they found the real owner. So we called Tyler's mom and proposed the idea of seeing how this kitten did and then giving it to Tyler's brother the next time we see them.

So here is a tribute to our little pet of three weeks, Scout. AKA Scouty, Scouterpants, Little Boy Cat (First named after Scout from "To Kill a Mockingbird" because we originally thought he was a girl. Turns out that at three to four weeks old, little boy parts don't show too well on kittens. Good thing we picked a pretty gender mutual name...)

Yes, he kind of looked like a little mouse. He was barely keeping his eyes open at this point. You could hold him in the palm of your hand.

Scout did NOT like being alone. The first night we put him in box (he quickly learned to climb out) and he just wasn't content unless we were by him. I turned around and saw him staring at us like this...

At first, all he did was sleep and eat. One of his favorite spots was in the soft green blanket (as long as you were sitting next to him). His other favorite spot... Curled up in between your shoulder and neck. Purring loudly. Man, I miss that little ball of fur.

For about the first week he really struggled in the walking department. He definitely waddled and I definitely loved it:

Little Scout provided us with hours of entertainment. Yes, we were totally lame. Worse than first-time parents I think.

He is now happily spending the rest of his days with Ty's family- enjoying all the playtime and attention he gets!

Still in Kansas

I love color.

As soon as we have a house, you can bet your bottom's dollar (yeah, that's a phrase we've somehow managed to ruin in our home) that most walls will have paint on them. Or wallpaper. I didn't think I would do wallpaper until I saw the picture on the top right. However, I hear it's a pain in the bottom... So maybe not.

For your enjoyment....

Yeah. I am never bored.

Lost and Found

So about three weeks ago, the strangest thing happened to me. Something that rarely ever happens to me. I lost..... my appetite. And it stayed lost for quite a few days. I blame it on that little thing we call PMS. Which was strange because usually during this time my little hormones cause me to eat every edible thing in our home. Anyway, one Saturday about a week later, I found my appetite! However, the appetite that I found was changed. It only wanted one thing:

Mac and Cheese.

I could not get this craving out of my mind!! But we didn't have any Kraft at our apartment and it was one of those Saturdays where, after cleaning up around the apartment, I never bothered to shower... or put on make-up... or change out of my pajamas. So I did not want to go out and burn the eyes of all the innocent shoppers at Smith's Marketplace. So I thought I would attempt to make my own. I remembered that some of the best mac and cheese I had ever had was at:

So I got online and searched for a recipe that would be similar and this is what I found:

1 lb. elbow noodles

1/4 cup of butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half and half

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups Monterrey Jack (or Colby Jack)

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour making a roux. Gradually stir in half and half whisking until thickened. Stir in salt. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stir in until cheese melts. Top with shredded mild cheddar cheese.

*All I had was skim milk so I just used that in place of the half and half. So if you want to do a bit healthier version, it tasted great with milk.

*Also, all I had was sharp cheddar cheese and that worked just fine too.

This definitely satisfied my craving and my hormones! It was very good. And SOOOO much better than Kraft would have been. That's for sure. It is possible that I had this meal for lunch AND dinner for about four to five more days after this. Tyler was starting to become a little concerned about me. Even today I wanted some... but I decided I need to overcome this strange new addiction. I thought maybe I could just blog about it and get all of you addicted to it instead.

You know you totally want some now...

Don't you....

Dear Eighth Grader...

1. You think this movie is boring? This is the SEVENTH time I have had to watch it. Don't bother complaining to me.
2. It takes three minutes to go to the bathroom (I know it's just around the corner). So either you need to get your bowels checked out or you better get your sluffing little bum back here.
3. I'm not the new student. I'm not eighteen. I am married. And no, I will not accept your "friend request" on Facebook.
4. If you walk into class and the first thing you do is ask me if I will be writing down names of kids that are bad, chances are I will be writing down your name before the end of class.
5. Justin Bieber-- You talk about how much you hate him, but you all dress like him and have the exact same haircut as him. Go figure...
6. Just because it's your three week mark of "going out" with the boy, does not mean you have to kiss him.
7. The more respectful you are, the more freedom you're going to get. If you want to know why I let 4th hour sit wherever they want, it's because they showed me they could handle it.
8. I understand you're in the most awkward stage of you life so I will cut you come slack. Life is all uphill from here. I promise.

Sincerely,
Your Substitute

Spring Break Dos

Since graduating in December I have been substituting in classes of every grade all over the valley. This means that I had two spring breaks. One was during March when Tyler had his spring break-- although we both worked the entire week so it wasn't so much of a break. But it was super nice that he didn't have to study as much at night. The second spring break was a couple weeks ago. All the schools here were out so I had nowhere to work. This worked out really nicely because my sister, who is a senior in high school, happened to have her spring break at the same time and came up for a visit. It was FAB-u-lous! Here are a few snapshots to summarize the week of ultimate sister bonding:

We took a few trips down to mainstreet and walked around visiting all the random little shops. I had always been meaning to do this and thoroughly enjoyed it. We found that this great antique store with all sorts of knick-knacks. This was the $6 rug that I almost took home.... but I refrained. I might be kicking myself for that one now :)










If I had a cabin, I would buy this lamp to put in it. Or maybe if I were rich-like, it could be the other way around-- If I had this lamp, I would buy a cabin to put it in...














And no antique store would be complete without feathery-Anne-of-Green-Gables hats. Sophisticated, I know.

Other stops on mainstreet included prom dress shopping, thrift stores, used book stores, and many more.

If I were to represent the rest of the week with pictures, there would be a picture of:
--Coloring books --"Pushing Daisies" --No-bake cookies --Sleeping in --Super Mario --Muddy buddies --Romantic comedies --Girl talk-- you know.

We also happened to have a snowstorm that week and we had to be a little creative in coming up with things to do.

So... we painted our old kitchen table...
Why not?

It's what you've all been waiting for!

Well, mostly just my siblings that live out of town..

Here is quick video tour of our apartment given by the one and only Tyler Gish.

Come on in!

Random Facts and Quirks.

We all have them and we're sure that you're dying to read about ours...

1. Our apartment is haunted. We think. We ALWAYS sleep with our bedroom door open, and even though we both have a tendency to get up in the night, we never, ever shut it. Not to mention that door naturally swings open. Buuuuuut..... one morning it was closed. And we know it was not either one of us. Therefore, we think our apartment is haunted. And I just happen to think that it is haunted by the spirit of my first future dog.... He is anxious to be with me.

2. I am really bad about buying produce and then forgetting to eat it before it goes bad. Me and my good intentions....poo.

3. Every night, if we are quiet, Tyler and I enjoy a nice firework show in very own apartment. Yes. In. Not outside of it. The only bummer is that it's just the audio. We think it either comes from our heater or the refridgerator. We're not sure, but it sounds for real. When we first moved in we really thought someone was setting off fireworks outside. We have also had other people comment on it. It's really a nice feature.

4. Tyler is really smart. He got a credit card that gives us rewards. But we don't use it. So.... no rewards. (He told me to write this...It all started with him telling me he just wanted me to write he is smart. Which is true, by the way.)

5. We bought a couch cover. Not because our couch was ugly, but because the color clashed with the picture that we have hanging above it. We put it on the couch. And it made it look..... ugly. It looked like a poorly made futon. And the color didn't really look that much better. We left it on for a few weeks because we kept telling ourselves it looked better. We took it off last week. Good thing it was on clearance.

6. Tyler likes no-bake cookies more than I do.

7. I wear Tyler's big, comfy blue sweatpants more than he does. Today he forgot that they were his in the first place.

8. Dog is blooming. And he looks real good.

9. "1-2-3! Eyes on me!" works really well on first graders. I wish it worked just as well on eighth graders and seniors...

10. We live in a magical land of Narnia, it's always winter but never Christmas. In a few months we will witness Aslan's presence in Narnia. Something both of us have yet to experience. We've always been under the brutal rule of the White Witch in Logan seeing that we've only lived here during the school months... "FOR ASLAN!"

11. Every morning we receive a Wallstreet Journal on our front porch that we don't pay for and we don't read. But we feel guilty for wasting them so we bring them inside and let them stack up for a few days, then get annoyed that they're taking up space in the apartment, and in the end we haul them all out to the recycling. If anyone out there has a creative use for newspaper, please let us know.

12. I have to sit on the counter while appyling and often times removing my makeup.

13. Tyler can play the accordion (which I always thought had two a's in it instead of two o's...) Bet you didn't know that- the spelling or the fact that he plays. I don't understand why he doesn't go around playing one all the time because it's the coolest skill ever.

14. If you're still reading, you must really love us. And we appreciate that. We really do.

We got a dog!

Exciting, right?

Oh wait, we're not allowed to have a dog in our apartment...

Not to mention... we can't afford one.

So......I settled for a plant that I have now named Dog.
For now.

Tyler and I went to Walmart a few nights ago for a few things like Advil and chocolate chips (you know, just the bare necessities) when we came across these little plants. I don't know what it was about them... maybe their mustard colored pots or the little yellow flowers on top, but I instantly fell in love with them. And like puppies in the pet store, I wanted to take one home with me. Of course I would prefer a real puppy, but I will have to wait until circumstances allow.

I think the other reason these little plants pulled at my heart strings was because I have needed a little greenery in my life. You see, it has snowed almost everyday this last week and this is what we see out our front window:

Now, I will be the first to admit that this is quite a lovely sight to see. But let me make you aware that, because I live in Logan, this view is not about to change ANY. TIME. SOON. So that's why I now have Dog.

And I'm grateful for a husband who, when I excitedly say, "Babe, look at those plants!" smiles at me and says, "Would you like one?" And even if he thinks I'm pretty strange for getting giddy over a little plant, he doesn't show it. I know, I got a good one.

Happy Birthday to my dear Tito.

Or Feliz Cumpleanos, I should say. FINALLY my husband and I are the same age so he can no longer tease me about rocking the cradle.

We may or may not (this time let's just assume "may not") have eaten almost an entire Butterfinger ice cream pie.

By ourselves. In the space of two days.

Hey! We would have shared it with the kids. But we don't have any.

And the highlight of the week....

The other day I went to the bathroom. Nothing out of the ordinary. When I came back, I found that this little gem was my new desktop background......

Thank you, husband.