Christmas in California part 2

Best Christmas ever!

PART I: BJ's PIZZA and PACIFIC OCEAN




PART II: MISSION INN


PART III: DISNEYLAND

Will and I in front of the TOWER OF TERROR.

The best news ever: THERE IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE MERMAID RIDE AT CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE! Dreams really do come true!

While we were in Disneyland we experienced a world just like THE JETSONS. It was amazing! There was a robot named ASIMO and he can walk, talk, run and jump just like a human. I was in awe the whole presentation. If you go to this site you can see the robot and a video about it.

Will and I in our "secret" picture place.
This is where we got a picture of us last year. And just think a year ago we were only dating for about a month and now we have been married for 7 months.
What a year, what a Christmas - this is truly what love is all about!

Sicky Sick

Pardon me for not posting from Christmas yet but Will and I, and basically his whole family have been really sick. It has been one cough infested, movie watching, HOUSE marathon, napping, Wii playing, tearing, sneezing, sometimes wanting to cry week - in which I have learned that family gets you in the good and the bad. And I sure do LOVE this family! (Even Floyd the cat...)

Christmas in California part 1

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM CALIFORNIA!

We are not experiencing a white Christmas but it has been cold and raining since we got here on Saturday. Will and I surprised his family by driving a few days earlier than we had planned. On Saturday morning I got home from the gym and said to Will - "Lets leave today!" So in two hours we were packed and on the snowy I-15 south to California.

So far we have played the Wii, decorated cookies, played games, had a very exciting sing-a-long for family home evening, played with the newborns, ate really good food, laughed, and spent time talking with all the family at Will's parents house. It has been exactly what the doctor ordered for both William and I.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

Here are some pictures from my 6th grade school party and also from decorating cookies:

Jake and Will taught Art lesson's on the last day of school for our class party! It was so fun and the hot chocolate bar was such a great idea!

Isn't my class cute?

COOKIES COOKIES EVERYWHERE!

William and I one year ago!

I can't believe this was a year ago...

I traveled to California to visit Will and meet his family over Christmas break last year. I fell in love with him at Disneyland and we were married in June 6 months later. I love him more everyday, and love being a Strong!

Christmas is coming...

Christmas is coming so fast this year!

On Friday we had our amazing and early faculty party. I think that Rachel's blog says how the faculty felt about our 7:30 AM mandatory party. Lets just say on Friday, the Friday before Christmas week at school I was at school for 10 hours. And the kids were only there for 5!
So please take a good look at her BLOG.

This was a very very busy weekend! And I think that means it is the holiday season right? On Friday night we had a party for Jason, he turned 15 years old on the 10th of December! I can't believe that he is going to be driving! Watch out on the roads.
Jason is such a great young man and has become a part of the Strong family. We had a fun filled night full of Rock Band, home made pizza, cake, and of course a little Wii playing!

Chocolate Rain is a music video on the internet that Jason LOVES!
It reminds me that Jason is a 15 year old!

We are cute! And very smiley!



The Who!

Then on Saturday night Will and I babysat for our nieces and nephews so their parents could go out and get some Christmas things done. Santa only comes once a year!
Will and I had a blast. We sang songs, we decorated gingerbread houses, we ate tons of candy, we took naps, and watched Monsters Inc. I wish I were six again!

Hayden was more interested in eating the little tree cookie than doing any decorating!

I think most of the candy got on the floor. Sorry Beth! And I think some even got in our hair. But the kids, Will, and I had way to much fun and Will and I can't wait to one day decorate Gingerbread houses with our own kids. Thanks Stacey and Beth for letting us play "parents" for a night!

Here are some videos from the night. The first one is of Will ROCKIN' out to "Say it Ain't So." The second is Bailey and Brooklyn singing "Must be Santa!" - it is adorable!

Choir on "AIR"

My cute 6th graders made it to the BIG TIME!
The choir is featured on Utah's KOSY 106.5 radio station and radio station's web site. They sang two songs and entered a chance to be heard over the radio! You can listen to their songs and see a cute picture on this web page:

You need to scroll down to the bottom of the page to see their picture.

My KOSY kids

Singing with Mickey

It is a tradition in my classroom to sing along with the old school "Mickey Sing Along Songs: Christmas Songs." Remember - following the bouncing ball to the words of Disney music? My rule is that if everyone is not singing we stop the tape and do something else.
My class this year is the best! The boys especially. Yeah they get a bit silly, you can't really understand what song they are singing, and yes I laugh each day at how they sound, but I figure it is good old fashion fun and they are still 12 so the deserve it!
It is all in the spirit of Christmas and I am officially in the Holiday Spirit after their performance today!


Can you guess the song?

Thanksgiving 2008 - Tiff's TOP 10 List

TIFF's TOP TEN THANKSGIVING 2008 EVENTS:
Pictures are included. No particular order.

1. Beth's house was a perfect place to be on Thanksgiving. She was so great to have everyone over. She made a great meal - but my favorite had to be the little "kid" pies.

2. Jake and Will singing 80's songs. Especially Jake and his intense facial expressions. Jake you did ROCK it!


3. The bathroom flooded and the kids thought we should call 9-1-1. (sorry no pics)
4. Sliding down the stairs using pillows and sleeping bags.

5. Bailey and Brooklyn have such great lives they switched clothes, put on make-up, and sang to high school musical. Wow to be 5 again!

6. Trying to make Will be serious for a picture together. He is cute, huh? Even when being silly.

7. Being with Jake and Kat all day on Thanksgiving. It was so fun and next year - Boston right?
8. Going to a movie. AUSTRALIA was awesome!
9. Being with family. Smiling with family. Being with Will.

PS: This is the first picture I have EVER gotten on Brandon where he was looking at me!
I was so excited! He is so cute.

10. Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was my 27th year of watching the parade. Yup I have not missed one.

Thanksgiving 2008 was great and now I just have to wait for 4 weeks until Christmas!