Ezra's Baptism

Friday July 26th
Around 4pm Eliza and Chubbz drove down from Salt Lake City. By 4:15p we were on the road. All 6 of us in our new van.
It is a 5 hours drive from Provo Utah to Logandale NV. We had to stop every two hours for bathroom breaks and to get the kids out.

We stopped for dinner at McDonald's and let the boys play at the playplace. Ty was tired and just wanted to eat but Luke was excited about the play area. In Italy we did not take the kids to McDonald's because it was expensive and not very good. So our kids missed out on the playplace for four years.

We got to Logandale pretty late. Stayed up late.
We saw mom and dad, Autumn, Tereasa, Jacob, Justin, Nephi, Isaiah and David that night.
Autumn in not yet 16 but she's as tall as a model. Long legs. And she does her hair and makeup as if she's 17.
Jacob just turned 13 and he looks 15. Justin is 18, graduated high school and turned in his mission papers! She's a good looking, muscled athlete. These kids are definitely David's kids! Big, built and beautiful. Tereasa is thin and beautiful but the kids definitely look like David, dark skin, eyes and hair.

All three of my little brothers are good looking. Isaiah is old enough he should be on a mission but I don't know if that's going to happen. Moroni is back from his mission and living at my parents' house. Nephi is not old enough yet but I am sure he will serve. He's always been a good boy on the right path.

Saturday morning we all got dressed for the baptism then drove down to Vegas. Eliza and Chubbz came with us. We had to stop at Walmart because I forgot to pack church clothes for the boys for our weekend trip. I did pack their Sunday shoes and socks though. We had to buy the boys new Sunday outfits at Walmart. But they needed extra clothes for church anyway.

We drove to the church on Jones and Alta...not far from the Meadows mall. It was a pretty church on the outside, though old. But the baptism started at 11am and the sun was so high that we wouldn't be able to do portraits outside in front of the building. The sun would be in our faces and everyone would squint.

Nephi and I both brought our cameras because mom wanted a group family portrait. Everyone in the family would be together for Ezra's baptism except Corinna's family. They wanted to be there too but Aaron and Nicole couldn't get the baptism planned for enough in advance for Wang and Corinna to get work off.

The baptism was nice and short. It was cute...I had never seen that before...they had two youth give the baptism talks. They were maybe 11 years old. A boy talked on baptism and a girl talked on the holy ghost. They did a great job.

They had time for anyone to bare their testimonies. Nicole's family was there and our family. 

When Aaron baptized his oldest son, Ezra, it was a very emotional time. That Aaron was on the right path in life and raising his sons righteously. Aaron got chocked up trying to say the baptism prayer. The spirit was very strong in the room. I'm sure there were more than just Aaron and I crying in that room.

After the baptism we went to the gym and took a giant group portrait. Then some of just the Boren clan. Then we followed Aaron to his house for lunch. A potluck feast. It was so delicious! chili cheese dip, mexican bean dip and tons of chips, a giant fruit bowl, whipped cream apple and snicker's dessert Tereasa made, sweet beans, and much more. Nicole's family and Aaron's family ate and ate and visited. Then relaxed and chated for hours. It's Nicole's grandma's house they live at. It's a nice small house but it is in a kind of ghetto area.The houses are small, old and don't look very good on the outside. But the house Aaron lives in is very nice on the inside.

The house was full and we all just hung out all afternoon.

At 3:30p I couldn't be contained any longer. I had to get out and walk. So Ster, Chubbz, Eliza, my nephew Jacob, my little boys and I went to a park nearby. We drove there. Zack Guymon met up with us and we had a nice visit after years of not seeing each other. Well, I am not sure when Eliza saw him last. I saw him two years ago when I went back for Eliza's wedding. And Ster hadn't seen him since we lived in Vegas four years ago.

Zack is working security and now carries a gun. He is thinking about interning for a lawyer's office. He got an offer from a friend who owns one.
He is waiting for his fiance who is serving a mission. I hope that works out!

At 4:20 we went back to the house and Zack got to see everyone. Then we said goodbye. My family loaded up in our cars and went to Applebee's for dinner. We had called ahead of time to let them know a group of 22+ would be coming for dinner at 5. When we arrived we did have to wait maybe 15 minutes. They set up a whole row of tables and got it ready for us. We had an awesome dinner. The food was amazing! I was full from lunch ...so I couldn't eat much of my meal. Luckily we're in America where they do take home/doggy bags. In Italy you eat what you pay for or leave it. They don't supply take home boxes.

Sterling paid for everyone's dinner. It turned out to be less than we thought it would. $230 to feed us all.

What a wonderful day catching up with my family. Visiting, enjoying food, etc.

As we were leaving the restaurant mom suggested the girls go shopping at Ross which was nearby. So Sterling took Chubbz and the boys back to Logandale. I stayed with mom, Tereasa, Autumn and Eliza to shop. Justin and Alissa were staying the night in Vegas at Aaron and Nicole's but decided to go shopping with us.
We were there for a long time but we had fun. Bought some cute clothes.

Mom drove Tereasa, Autumn, Eliza and I back to Logandale. But we all got Frosty shakes from Wendy's first. My first time having one in two years.


Sunday morning my mom's church starts at 9am. Eliza and Chubbz, Ster and I went to that ward.  I was really sleepy but was able to atleast fully enjoy Relief Society. Luke and Ty did great in Primary and Nursery.  And we headed back to mom and dad's house. Lunch was amazing. The typical Boren Sunday roast, potatoes, carrots, salad and punch. MMmmmm.
Alissa and Justin joined us for lunch. Of course David and Tereasa's family was there. Lots of people together for a big meal.  :)

After lunch I put in an old home video to show Sterling my 11th birthday. I was chubby. We watched home movies while mom made brownies. We celebrated July birthdays by eating brownies and ice cream! Justin, Jacob, Ezra and Luke have birthdays in July.

Then we said goodbye, loaded up the car and headed back to Provo. We made good time on that drive. We stopped for two short stops. The boys did awesome! Until we got about an hour away from the Roundy house. That's when Ty started to break down, wanting out of his car seat. We made him wait until we got to grandma's house. He survived.

Now that we've done SO MUCH travelling. We get to relax for a few weeks. Hang out in Provo 2 1/2 weeks before heading down to Logandale again.


We really did miss being with family while in Italy! So happy to be home!

Felt the baby at 12 wks

Four days ago I did not look pregnant. I felt so fat. Two days ago I realized I might be starting to show. Yesterday I decided I am definitely showing. Some shirts make me just look like my stomach has gotten fat and some shirts/dresses make me look so pregnant!

I am turning 12 weeks tomorrow!
I feel so much better about the way I look now that I know it's not all just fat and weight I gained because of me...it's the baby!

I was planning to have nobody in my current ward being able to see that I'm pregnant. I have two Sundays left, Luke's birthday party this evening, and a goodbye party from the ward for the three families who are moving away. So I am betting some of the people are going to wonder "Is Tiffany pregnant?!" I doubt anyone would dare ask ...in case I am not pregnant.

I have felt the baby swim around in there a couple of times at night. Then this afternoon as I was walking over to sit with Sterling on the couch I felt as though the baby were leaning against my stomach wall. I felt it with my fingers. I thought "How can I feel the baby this early?" I sat down and Sterling was sitting so close his arm was pushing against my stomach. Then he and I both felt the baby lean against the wall where his arm was.

Between this and the ultrasound, where the baby was moving around like crazy and playing with the umbilical cord....I think this child must have some super powers....atleast super strength and brain power! lol

 The only one here who knows I am pregnant is Melanie Archuletta. I call her up to tell her baby stuff I'm excited about...new things that happen. Because she's on the same time zone as me, being here and not in America, convenient times to call for me are the same as for her.
This pregnancy has been so different from the first two. My body seems to be doing everything sooner because it's done it twice before and knows the routine.

1st Ultrasound 3rd baby

This morning I went to the hospital for my 10 wk OBGYN appointment. Sterling works 2p-10p so he was home to watch the kids.
I was expecting they would simply listen to the sound of the baby's heartbeat. I think I remember them just doing that at my 10 wk with Tiberias at this base. So that's what I expected.
Sterling's been to a few ultrasounds but none have been that cool. Not cool enough to make him want to go to an ultrasound.

Anyway, I got there and found out Ster could have come and brought the kids. I'm just not allowed to take the kids without another adult to supervise them.
And it turned out they were doing a full ultrasound today.

The baby is father along than the doctor's thought. Even though I had told them when the baby was conceived exactly. We knew.
The baby was much more formed and active than I imagined! That baby, during the ultrasound, would not hold still for more than a second. It was moving all over. And it was so funny...it was playing with the umbilical cord! Kicking it, grabbing it, pushing it! I never thought I'd see something like that! hilarious!
Funnest ultrasound ever! Too bad Sterling missed it. My bad.

It was amazing to see my baby! And so active and silly. It makes it so much more real. It makes it feel like I'm farther along too. I wish they could give us a recorded dvd of the ultrasound! That would be way cooler than the pictures. The pictures suck actually.

I am over 11 wks along. Some places can give you an ultrasound to determine the gender as early as 12 or 13 weeks! So When we are in Provo visiting Sterling's family we are going to pay for an ultrasound....otherwise I have to wait until Sterling is already in Mississippi for training at my 20 wk mark. The military hospital will only do one...at 20 weeks.

I won't have another appointment at this base. In six weeks I am to go in again but I'll be in Logandale, NV by then. In two weeks we'll be almost leaving Italy.
I am planning to have a doctor at Nellis' hospital. When Ster and I get to Logandale we'll go to Vegas and see if we can get me set up to be seen there until December.

The due date is January 18 2014!  :)
It's so weird to think that the year will be 2014....so futuristic. I live in the future. Weird.

Sterling and I are doing GREAT! Just before he left for work, I had come home from the ultrasound and was cutting up our 4th of July week watermelon, Sterling said "Our life really is perfect!" And that's how we feel. We love our life together! We'll love it in South Dakota too. No matter where we go together we'll be happy.

This week is a holiday...Independance Day. This week for school the boys and I are going to only do America based stuff. Making decorations for the holiday for our house, learning a patriotic song (I have not picked which one yet) and learning a little about America's history.  I love the first week of July!!!

Sterling wishes we could be in Provo to celebrate the 4th this year. I told him...next year we'll drive to Provo for the 4th of July!

Luke's birthday party is also this week...way fun! I'm making him a checkered (when you cut the cake you see checkers) ice cream and cake kind of cake. It'll have checkers of chocolate ice cream and green (Luke's favorite color) cake! And of course it'll be decorated Wreck It Ralph racing in Sugar Rush Land.

Last Saturday we organized a bunch of our belongings. Took everything out of the attic and stored in neatly in our spare room for the movers. Next Tuesday the movers come to pack up our stuff. Tomorrow they come to get a look at our belongings and see how many boxes they think they'll need and if we have any items that need special sized packaging.

Life is sweet.  :)
Love, Tiffany