My BFF Roommate's Big Day!

Alison got married on Friday!  I wish I could have been there with her.  She has been one of the greatest friends that I have made out here and living with her for two years was always so much fun.  We partied together all of the time and once someones said, "It is so cute that you two are like BFF roommates."  It has stuck.  That's what she is to me.  Since I could not make it to the wedding, I made her a hairpiece.  I think it turned out pretty good.

Anyways, I love Mrs. Alison Cundiff (ahh! So crazy to say!)  She has grown so much while we have lived together and it has been so neat to watch.  She has helped me to grow so much too.  The self control she was continually practicing, goodness, this girl can do anything.  I am so happy for her and I love seeing her so happy.

We have made so many memories together...we wen't everywhere together.  She even got me to run for an entire summer, a huge feat considering how much I dislike running.  We were always supporting our then DJing friends in all of their dance extravaganzas!

Oh and football.  She was so much fun to have at games!  She went through a whole year at BYU without football - I fixed that our second year together.

Road trips!  It was so convenient that she lived off the 15, on the way home and even came down to good old San Diego for Halloween festivities.

She is strong and beautiful.  I am so proud of her and I love her with all of my heart.  I have been so blessed with such a fabulous influence in my life and the greatest BFF roommate a girl could ask for.

faces

While watching a basketball game at the gym, I realized that I was making some really ridiculous faces.  I think it was to make up for the fact that I couldn't really scream and yell without getting some really strange looks.  Then I looked at the girl to my right, who was trying to text and ride on the elliptical at the same time, causing her to make a great face which then cause me to smile.

Since then I have been thinking about silly faces.  I might be the queen of silly faces.  I am so animated (I think that's what I'll call it) when I talk, especially when I teach!  My poor students.  I had never realized I made faces until a few summers ago when I had Kelsey come take pictures of me teaching some swim lessons...

I make faces.  Sometimes they aren't the most attractive.  The best part is that I am not talking about silly faces you make in posing.  These are faces I make when no one has a camera.  Melanie has been great at catching them with hers though.  Then she laughs at them for hours.  Rude.

Ok. That's all for today.   :)

today's thoughts

1. It suddenly became winter on Monday.
         I had to leave work a half hour early because a storm was coming in.  Very considerate of my administration staff at school.  So, this weekend was BEAUTIFUL.  The sun was out and it was really just one of the prettiest weekends this fall.  Sunday was a little bit cold, but come Monday - it has been freezing ever since.  I am not ready for snow.  I never am.  I have decided that this year, I need: tights, boots, closed toed shoes, and legitimate gloves.

2. Basketball is on!
          The Season Opener against Fresno State is on Friday!  I seriously love BYU ball.  It is amazing how happy it makes me.  We have had a tent up since mid last week.  Of course, I have been to every preseason game.


          We played BYU-Hawaii on Friday and I had to meet up with everyone at the Marriott.  I hate going to things alone, especially where there will be a lot of people, even if it is just driving the the Marriott and waking to meet up with my friends by myself.  At this point, I had no idea that they (my amazing sport fanatic friends) had set up tent already.  I turned the corner of the Marriott, saw all my friends and TENTS and I might have started crying...just a little.  Call me crazy, but I love that atmosphere, I love the people that I have gotten to know over the last few seasons, and I love having games to look forward to.

3. Halloween catch up
          Melanie and I were ninja turtles.  I say we look pretty sweet!

4. Grey hair...shoot
         Today, out at recess, I was talking to Cami and one her aides, Loretta, when all of the sudden Loretta goes, "Oh my goodness Tati!  Are those grey hairs?!"  She found tons and wanted to pull them all out.  Oh no.  I am only 22.  Sad.

5.  Nice lady at Thanksgiving Point
         Planning field trips for 18 students with severe disabilities is not an easy task and Cami and I get to do it once a month.  Of course, we 9 teachers and of course, we want to try to get them all in for free. Then we want it to be a fairly cheap trip since we do it once a month.  So we decided we wanted to go to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point this month.  I called and asked what type of accommodations they might make for a class of students with severe disabilities.  They were SO wonderful and we are getting all of our teachers in and the lady thanked me for the work that I do.  She told me that she had worked in a school, never with special ed, but she was so impressed with all of the work we do.  Sometimes it is nice to receive that recognition, especially from a stranger.

6.  CRAZY day in basketball!

          I went to the gym tonight and watched the highlights of some wild games on SportsCenter.  The JAZZ beat! the Heat!  They were down most of the game (up to even 22 points!) and the last quarter they were on fire, but never let by more than 3.  Millsap who has only made 2 three pointers in all of his career scored 3 tonight and made a total of 46 points during the game!  The Jazz turned around to win 116-114 in overtime.  AND then the Pacers had a nearly perfect 3rd quarter making 20 of 21 consecutive FGs.  They missed the very last one with less than 2 seconds left in the quarter.  They made 54 points in the 3rd quarter alone beating the Nuggets 144-113.  I got an adrenaline rush just watching the highlights of these games!

AND of course, the Lakers are 7 - 0...Still UNDEFEATED!!!

my totally fabulous weekend

described in pictures, because I LOVE pictures!

Aubrey brought CRUMBS CUPCAKES in her carry on.  YES!  A bit of New York in Provo :)

Kendrick saved the pancakes.  Thank you!

Aubrey appreciation breakfast!

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Cougar Football with Aubrey...How I have missed this.

Jordan.  My favorite football player.  Love that smile.

COSMO! He loves us.

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Favorite Lacey moment: 

after the football game...Lacey: Don't eat the cupcakes without me!

Aubrey: How'd you know we were eating them?

Two minutes later, Lacey busts through the door.  She ran the two blocks to make sure that we didn't finish the cupcakes without her.

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Cafe Rio before the RSL game!

Post-game photo shoot

happy happy birthdays

to: Drew, or rather, Elder Livingstone!

We met the beginning of freshman year and did everything together...for about a month, maybe.  We lost contact until one fateful day during our sophomore year.  We spent that year becoming friends again.  November of my junior year, he left to serve a mission in Chile.  While we were friends, his parents were serving as mission presidents in the Congo, so I never had the chance to meet them.  They have been home for a bit now and Drew made sure that we met, even without him.  The Livingstones are wonderful and I am so grateful for them in my life.  Drew comes home in 19 days.  I am so proud of him.  It was fun to watch him leave, but I am just as excited to see him come home.

In fact, I mentioned Drew in a blog a few years ago:

"Drew - I could easily write an ENTIRE blog on Drew. We met freshman year - one of the greatest stories I have. A pick up line gone wrong and a boy too nice to let the poor girl make the mistake again. We did have a period where other girls came between us, but as of about a year ago, we have been as close as they come. He is my best friend and I have seen him grow so much. He has such an excitement for the mission - I know he will do amazing things. AND he gets to serve in Chile...the mission my aunt and uncle live in!"

He has done amazing things. He has not met my uncle and his family, but it is a good thing they are coming to Utah for December so Drew can meet them then.

Happy Birthday Elder Livingstone!

Drew came to visit in San Diego!  He got to meet the whole gang.

This was just a few weeks before he left.

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to: Berto

That's right!  My guinea pig is a year old!  I picked him up a year ago today.  He has been a wonderful companion.  He is not the cuddliest, but I knew that when I picked him.  He was the only one of three babies with all three colors, black, white, and red.  Just what I wanted, but the hardest piggy to pick up.  He gave me and my friend Matt a hard time, but once I got him, I knew he was the one.

He spent summer up in Draper with my family and I have just recently moved him back to Provo with me.  I think my roommates love him...every time they walk in through the garage I hear someone say, "Oh hi Berto!" "Hello rat." "BERTOO!" Or if you are me, "Hey, berto butt."  It's all out of love.  I think that we might watch G-Force or Bedtime Stories together tonight in celebration of him being a whole year old!  *I just reserved G-Force. YES!*  Love him.

I picked him up today and he instantly threw his head back and started nibbling his hands.  Love it when he does this.

You can't really tell, but he is so big!

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Also - I have been reading through lots of past posts.  There is so much that I have forgotten.  I love my life.  It has been good to me.

AND AUBREY COMES TOMORROW!

the gym and I

My new favorite place...

the gym.  Especially when I can watch NBA games, and even more especially, while my Lakers are playing.

It has become a new release for me.  After a long day at work, I crave a nap and a trip to the gym.

So, thank you elliptical on the second row and three machines in.  Thank you NBA for giving me something to enjoy.  Thank you Lakers for being 5-0 once tonight's game is over.  Thank you Gold's Gym for always being there.  And thank you to my Aunt Michelle who got me my membership.

I also got to see my good friend Cameron.  We have known each other since my family moved to San Diego, but our parents have known each other for even longer.  We went to get frozen yogurt and ended up talking about everything for forever.  Cameron is a favorite of mine and I am so glad that we are still so close.  Love you Cameron!

** Story for today.  One of my student's did not come to school today. He had a rough day yesterday and had told me that he wanted to stay home today.  His mom called me this morning and told me that he was going to just stay home.  Then, I got a call from her around 6:00 this evening.  She told me that he just wanted to make sure that she had called me to tell me that he would be back tomorrow so she figured she would just call me while he was with her.  Of course, he wanted to talk to me.  I said hello and he says "Hi Miss Thorkelson." (in his very unique way of talking. adorable.)
"We missed you today." I said.
"I missed you."
"You will be back tomorrow?"
"Ya, I'll see you tomorrow."

It seems like a simple conversation, but it was the sweetest conversation I have had.  This boy cares more than anyone I know.  Yesterday, when he told me that he wasn't going to be at school today, he told me to make sure that his classmate knew that she would have to go to specialty without him.  Who thinks about that?  Just this sweet boy.

Yes, I do love my job.

the start of something great!

Friday night I went to the first BYU preseason game!  We played Laval, some Canadian team, and did a fabulous job at dominating 101 to 55.  Michelle got courtside tickets and invited me, syd, and beans to join her.  I just love it when that happens!

And there they are, our team, ranked 24th in the preseason pole!

ALSO notice slideshow to your right.  There they are.  The best of NYC pictures!

***Melanie and I created the best Halloween costumes.  Those pictures to come!***

Which reminds me.  Aubrey is coming on Friday!  It will be a quick, short trip, but I am so unbelievably excited to have her back in Provo!

Cute story:  I have been meaning to write about this for awhile now.  I have one student who gives everyone animal nicknames like alligator and bear.  I am the octopus.  He calls me teacher octopus.  Then he read some book and there is a teacher who is an octopus and she wears a pearl necklace and her name is Miss Cutie...therefore I am Miss Cutie octopus.  Super cute right?