when things don't go our way.

It's taken me forever to want to write this post... but I feel like there have been some great blessings that have come from our ordeal that I need to openly recognize. 

As some of you may already know, Josué and I are supposed to be back East but as life would have it, I am currently sitting on Josué's parents couch in our hometown writing this. 

Things we've learned since being back:

DO WHAT YOU LOVE.

A major blessing was that we decided life was too short to work a "job" just for the money. This experience gave Josué the push to change his major back to exercise science and to finally sign up for a personal training course. Being away from the kiddos made me realize how much I enjoy being in the classroom. We both feel we found career's that we can be pleased with for life. We might be poor for the rest of our lives, but money can't buy you happiness!

BE GRATEFUL.

I can't begin to express the gratitude I feel towards my family, friends, and co-workers as they've supported us throughout this whole thing. Both Josué's parents and my parents have made HUGE sacrifices to help us get back on our feet. 

HAVE FAITH.

"Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come."Jeffery R. Holland (watch or read, here)

I believe God has a greater plan for us. I also believe my husband would do anything to succeed and provide for me. I trust in both. I have faith in both. I know it's hard at times, but really, let's learn to "fake it till you make it" it's a proven fact that if you smile at yourself your mood is instantly lifted. :D

Thanks for your love and support! Have a great day! AND SMILE!

See? We're smiling and genuinely happy! 

the taco song.

every time that "cups" song from "pitch perfect" comes on i picture this.

another fine photoshop job, if i should say so myself! and yes, you can thank me the next time that song comes on and you hear, "you're gonna miss me by my taco"

what to say when you don't have anything to say...

Josué and I had a fun weekend. Instead of boring you all to death with details, I'm going to do a quick checklist:

• Friday night date to Smashburger (Divine, fresh burgers if you like stuff like that) and watched "The Croods" (Josué would give this a C+ at best and I would give this a B-)
• Saturday Gen. Conf. Me and Josué decided to help each other stay awake... Keep in mind we were sitting on opposite sides of the same couch... texting each other these photos:

• Sunday morning we got to go to Gen. Conf. which was a real treat! I think from the whole week, my favorite talk was this one. 

Monday was back to school for me. Boy, were those third graders hyper to say the least. It's good to be back though, I started to miss them a little... just a little!

Learning new things!

So I have 2 sisters that are professional photographers. They stole all of those cool genes and I was left with none. I was on my family's blog the other day and realized the family picture was a little out of date and I was looking lonely. So I went onto that onlinefreephotoshop dot com place and youtube'd how to add a person to a photo.... and voila!

I'm obviously really good at photoshop so far... so look out world!

P.S. This spring break, I have wayyy too much time on my hands. 

P.S.S. I am available this week and this week only for freelance work! Give me a call if you'd like to have someone added to your photos... because I know how to do it now at such amazing quality! *sarcasm*

almost 4 months

It's been almost 4 months since I married the man of my dreams.
There are a few things I've learned/figured out/have been reminded of since December:

1. I hate canned veggies. Thanks to my parents who have an amazing garden or always bought frozen vegetables, I literally gagged down the canned corn and green beans we had the other night.

2. I am NOT a bad cook, in fact, I'm actually pretty alright! In college, I either ate out, made mac n cheese, or didn't eat at all. I never trusted my cooking skills... plus I never wanted to be the roommate that used all the dishes in the house.

3. I am a messy person. Josué is the one that keeps our house clean 80% of the time, even as I look around our bedroom, I see MY towel on the floor, MY boots laying out, and MY clothes laying right next to... not in the clothes hamper.

4. I hate laundry. I always have. I always will. It is never finished.

5. Josué is a hardworking man. He is a working machine and you can tell he's driven by the fact that he wants to provide for our little family. I am the luckiest woman alive. Seriously.

6. I am terrible at keeping secrets or surprises. Josué's birthday was last week... let's just say I couldn't wait until his actual birthday to give him his presents! Oh and I made him a birthday cake while he was at work... he got off early that day and walked in on me frosting handed! One day, guys... I WILL surprise him.

7. I married my best friend. I fall more in love with him every day. Many people told me that would happen and I just couldn't believe it... "how could I love him more than I do today," I would ask myself. It's true though... I don't know how to explain it, but it's true!

8. I'm super sappy now. And sometimes it grosses me out.

I've changed a lot in the last 4 months, yet, I don't feel like I've changed at all. Weird feeling!

Getting Hitched!

It's not a secret to anyone any more.
I'm getting married to Josuè!
The most amazing guy in the whole entire world!
He doesn't make me cry.
He doesn't make me feel guilty.
He doesn't twist my words around to fit his agenda.
He encourages me and makes me want to be a better person.
He is sweet.
He brings me flowers a lot.
He holds me when I'm scared.
He makes me feel better when I'm feeling down.
He forgives me so easily.
He's patient with all my shortcomings.
He's not perfect.
But he's perfect for me.

It's only been a few short months,
but I feel like it's been years.
Time flies when I'm with him,
but when we're separated
or looking back on our relationship,
it seems like time stood still.

I'm very lucky! :)

Change.

it's been forever since i've posted.
planning a wedding is insane.
everyone says that to you...
but nothing prepares you for the reality of it.

i am about to rant. just a warning. quit reading now if you're not ready.

the other day at work "B", a co-worker of mine asked me if i really believe that people can change.
granted she was talking about addictions to pornography (yes, i agree with her that it will always be a struggle for those that are addicted, but that applies TO ANY ADDICTION) saying that she didn't think it was something that could ever be changed. she said, "tiffany, people don't change. you can't change them and they can't change just because they want to."

here's where i completely disagree:
if people couldn't change, i would still be in a very dark place in my life. i never had an addiction but i did have some serious problems. i was once very numb and hurt. i wanted to change but had a feeling i was already headed down a dark path and that's who i had become. i wasn't sure if i could be labelled anything but "bad" for the rest of my life.

someone amazing had come into my life just in time... telling me that just because my past wasn't the best didn't mean i WAS my past. people CAN change if their hearts really desire it.

he gave me a parable: you're traveling down the road of life... you stop at texas... you visit all the sites, you stay there for a month or so, you decide that texas isn't all that great and you head back home.

just because you were in texas does NOT make you a texan. you are still a utahan (in my case) who had the experience of texas. never regret your texas experience... regret does nothing for the learning process. take that experience as it comes and decide what you want to do with it.

am i a texan or am i a utahan?
i had a texan experience and just decided it wasn't what i wanted out of life. i learned so much from my "texas trip" but i am not a texan and i will never be a texan. texas is not where i want to be. but texas was a learning experience. i now know that i never want to be a texan.

change is possible. B is not religious in any way... and that's okay. but i cannot tell you how hopeless i would feel if i didn't have the knowledge of the atonement. in fact, we are here just so we can learn to use the atonement: to change, to progress, and to become someone we can be proud of.

like i said... it was a rant. but i feel like it really needed to be said.

P.S. i've really never been to texas and this wasn't a story about my texas trip. i'm sure the real texas is great! i actually DO want to go to texas one day.... i was just using it as an example. :)