Reunited Husband and Wife

I left the boys at the Roundy house so I could get on a plane to go visit Sterling.
I had not seen Sterling in person in two months. That's a long time. I missed him so much and was so excited to go see him.
The boys and I were doing great. I had been focusing on what I love about them and had adjusted my methods of disciplining. I try to not show anger at the boys. I try to be calm when I need to discipline them or correct them. I avoid spanking. I will put them in time out and/or threaten to spank them before I get to spanking. Plus, what has really helped a lot lately is the behavior chart. Behavior charts are hard to do because I have to keep up on it every day all day but they are very affective.
So there is a smily face side of the chart and a frowny face side: Good and Difficult.
If a child listens to me they get their name on the good side. If they disobey or ignore me they get their name on the difficult side. The big motivation is a special secret prize when they fill up the good side of the paper with their names.
Ty has his name on the difficult side two times in a day and a half but Luke has not gotten any there.

Anyway, things were going great. They are loving being at their grandparents' Roundy house. They love playing with soccer balls in the front yard with whoever will play with them. One afternoon Trevor and Simone came over to visit and they ended up with Travis and Hannah playing soccer with the boys.

It was hard to leave them even for just a few days. I was worried the boys would have a hard time with mom leaving for days since they've had to deal with daddy being gone two months already. SO I made them a count down chart so they can mark off the days til mommy comes home.

 Thursday October 24 I got up early and got ready to leave for my flight. The little boys were sleeping but I woke them just enough to say goodbye. Ty had a harder time with my leaving than Luke.The evening before I was using the restroom and I heard Tiberias yell "Mommy! Mommy!" looking for me. Then I heard Luke say "I think she's already gone" as if my leaving wasn't a big deal. I then imagined the sad look Ty must have had at thinking I was gone and didn't even say goodbye.

In the morning when I was about to leave I said goodbye to Luke and he went right back to sleep. I said goodbye to Tiberias and could tell he did not want me to go. After goodbyes I told Ty to go back to sleep. I left the room. A few seconds later he called "Mommy!" I went back in and said goodbye again.

Kelly and Denise both drove me to the airport in Salt Lake. I said goodbye to them and went in. I was already checked in and had my boarding pass with no luggage to check so it was pretty easy. Online the night before is so convenient.
I took as little as I could for the trip so I would not have to wait at baggage claim ever.

My flight was at 8:40a from Salt Lake to Dallas/Fort Worth. There I was blessed to have met someone from there , on my plane, who told me where I needed to go and which gate I was going to be at. He had looked it up on his phone for me as soon as we landed. I had to hurry to get on the shuttle to go over to the building that had my flight. I made it.
But I also needed lunch. The airport Starbucks had sandwiches but they were $9 and didn't look very appetizing. SO I got chips and a candy bar from the vending machine.

It was hard to fly almost 6 months pregnant. The seats were uncomfortable and I was cramped, leg room etc.  The first flight seemed to take forever. I read my book for about an hour but it felt like two hours. Then I tried watching a show on the tablet but didn't have headphones.

The second flight, from Dallas to Gulfport Mississippi, I had no one sitting next to me so I stretched out...legs on floor to my left.  It was a much shorter flight.

Sterling met me there at the airport! SO wonderful to see him! When I hugged him I smelled him and realized I had forgotten what he had smelled like. It was a nice remembrance.

We got in the car and drove to Biloxi, not far from the airport. It is beautiful here! Green trees and grass all over. The beach in Biloxi! Gorgeous! The base is right there by the beach and Sterling lives on the base in the hotel.

Thursday we got Papa John's pizza and a giant cookie and brought it back to the hotel. We enjoyed staying in that night.
Sterling surprised me with a colorful bouquet of flowers that were waiting for me on a bedside table in his room. Along with coconut chocolate granola bars and a big bag of Twizzlers, my favorite!

We did go out for a walk that night. Walked by the beach and back. It's not cold here. That night I walked without long sleeves. But it started to cool down in the mornings and night after that.
We had called and talked to our boys twice that day. Once when I got to Biloxi for the first time and then again at night. The boys were doing great.


Friday morning we hit the road to go to the temple. Now the closest temple is over two hours away in the next state...Louisiana. Baton Rouge temple! It's a small temple and you have to make a reservation to do anything inside of it.

We drove to Baton Rouge but still had an hour and a half before our reservation...for a session in the temple. So we checked out all the restaurants in the area and ended up getting a brunch at McDonalds.Most of the dining places were closed because it was still morning. Our temple reservation was at noon.

We took pictures outside the temple and went in early to get ready. We borrowed temple clothes etc because we don't have ours (they are in government storage) and that temple doesn't rent out temple things. They let you borrow them.  :)

We did a session. It was different from doing a session in a big temple! And different from a live session because it was simply a regular video session.

When we left the temple we stopped at World Bass Pro Shop which was on the way home. That was fun! It's decorated somewhat like Cabelas does...woods and animals. With some live animals too, fish in ponds and big fish tanks, a raccoon in a cage! We walked around the store then went into their restaurant. We ordered alligator and crayfish! The alligator was a little rubbery. I liked the crayfish...it was fried so it wasn't in it's full body form where I'd have to eat it all but the head or whatever. And they had a sauce for the crayfish that I loved.

We drove back to Biloxi and did not need dinner right away. We had eaten at the restaurant around 2pm. We ended up just getting ice cream from an ice cream shop nearby instead of dinner that night. It was delicious, but expensive. We called the boys, Skyped with them, that evening. They were still doing great. They are so cute! We love our boys! They were able to go "hunting" with grandpa. Basically they went walking with him while looking for deer. They saw a doe deer so they didn't shoot it. They didn't see any male deer.

Saturday morning we went to Waffle House for breakfast. Waffle House's are everywhere! Moreso than even McDonalds....here. I got strawberry waffles and ster got a mix of blueberry waffle and chocolate chip waffle. It was yummy! It was a fun friendly restaraunt too. When we first walked in the door most of the ten workers there yelled out a greeting to us. The kitchen was right there for you to see while you sat to dine. It was a Saturday and it was busy so there were ten workers there! It was really fun.

Then we  went on a hike. We drove 30 minutes or so to get to a wonderful place where they have a good long trail. There was a pond and it was a beautiful day! I had seen pictures of Sterling on that hike and near that pond and now I was there with him!

We hiked about 2.5 miles out then back again. So just over 5 miles we went altogether. Then we drove home.

We ate a salad as a late lunch then went out for an early dinner. We had hoped to beat the rush at Ruby Tuesdays by arriving at 4:30 but it was busy when we got there!
We had a delicious meal! Our waiter was so friendly and it was just a really good time. We both bot burgers after our appetizer of coconut shrimp...amazing! I had a peach drink that had chuncks of fruit in it. It was pineapple juice orange juice and peach. mmm.
Then we got pumpkin cheesecake for dessert!

After that we went to the BX so I could see it. We looked for souvenirs for the boys. Sterling bought them each a military coin that says military brat and has a cartoon boy on it. I like it! They boys always want to
play with Sterling's military coins so now they can have one of their own.


Sunday morning we went on a walk and took pictures in front of one of the decorative airplanes on the base for our boys . We played Guess Who together...the new animal cards are fun.
We ate lunch, got ready for church and drove to church. The LDS ward for military meet at the base chapel building on base. Church services start at 1pm.
I was expecting a very small turnout but was surprised. There were 20+ people there and quite a few were female. Only three were under the age 18.
All of the speakers were there to give their talks and there was an amazing musical number by a man in the ward. I think some of the big turnout were people he invited to come hear him sing.
We had sacrament meeting then Priesthood/Relief Society. The women were very friendly and it was wonderful. After two hours of church there was no more. There was a mingle with food downstairs for the ward but Sterling and I did not stay for that. He said that usually do that every Sunday but he doesn't usually attend.

Instead of going to the hotel room we drove around. He showed me the other side of the base where the ocean comes to the base! It's beautiful! Such a beautiful place here and a beautiful base too. You can rent boats from on base, lol.

We drove to find Stephanie's house. My friend Stephanie Dale ,who I met on my street in Italy, lives here now! I didn't know where she was living. She had moved some months before we moved from Italy. I kept contact with her on facebook. I knew all of her children are now in school and since she's not in Italy she can have a job. So she has two. I think they are both part time. She enjoys working.

So a few days before I came out here she ran into Sterling at the BX store on base! And so now I get to go catch up with her. So Sunday we drove to find where she lives so I would know where it is Monday when I go by myself to visit.

We called our little boys who are still doing great. And we drove to the beach because I had not been there yet. I knew, driving by those beautiful sunsets on those sunny days that I was taking a chance waiting for Sunday evening to go enjoy a sunset at the beach. And I was right. Sunday evening it was cloudy and began to rain. We went anyway. Walked in the sand a little before it got too wet, took a few pictures and walked down the pier...keeping an eye out for lighting. lol. We didn't stay long.

Today is Monday. Sterling walked to work early this morning...it's not raining. I slept in. At 9:30a I am meeting Stephanie at her house so we can hang out. I am hoping she will want to go to the beach to hang out because I want more beach time and today might be a better day for it.
If not I will likely go myself to the beach to enjoy it just for a little while before Sterling is done with work for the day.

I am going to get to see Sterling for his lunch break. I am picking him up at 11:45ish. We'll have lunch together then he will go back to work. He will probably take the car and leave me at the hotel. It's only for a few hours more and I will need to pack up my stuff.

When Sterling finishes work for the day we will have maybe an hour and half together before he takes me to the airport. We are going to go out to dinner together as our goodbye. Maybe Dennys. I really like Dennys!
This evening I get on an airplane to Dallas Fort Worth then another to Salt Lake City. My last flight is to arrive around 10:45pm. So my boys will definitely be asleep when I get home but I will wake them with hugs and kisses then let them go back to sleep.

There is about a month and a half left before we move to South Dakota. After two months away from Sterling, then this wonderful vacation with him, I can totally take on a month and a half! I am so excited to have that count down to our move.
I love spending time with our families but it's missing one important thing...Sterling!!! I can hardly wait until our little family is whole again...united and perfect.

10 Yr Reunion

Dear Journal,                                                                                                                                     October 12, 2013

Maybe two years ago I realized my 10 year high school reunion would be happening when we got back to America. I had hopes I wouldn’t miss it. I started dreaming of the reunion. Me with my perfect husband and adorable boys. I wanted to be thin and pretty and have my husband by my side…even if my boys were only there with us in photograph.

Well, we came back to America and then via facebook the most social girls in my high school class posted about the reunion coming up! I planned to make sure I was staying in NV when the reunion would be so I would be able to go. But then I realized Sterling would not be able to go. L

And I won’t be thin exactly…my tummy would be “5 months pregnant” big. But I made a goal to stay in shape so I’d be a hot pregnant mommy. It’s actually getter that way because Ster won’t be with me so I didn’t want to be too hot at my reunion.

I looked up some friends I hadn’t had contact with in a while, via facebook, and made sure they knew about the reunion. I wanted Kevin Johnson, Anthony Lomelin, Devon Blake and Michael Rodriguez to come. But Michael is not someone I can find …his name is too common and he might not even have a facebook page. I also made sure Liz Floyd and Keith Reed knew about it. And then people I knew live out of state so they wouldn’t come…Justin Henderson & Brittany Ginter. Hugo (Fernando) Hurtado doesn’t have a facebook page so he didn’t get invited.

Friday October 11^th, (Nephi’s 17^th birthday by the way) was the class reunion. 2003 Mojave High School 10 year reunion! 7pm at Mojave High for their Homecoming football game. I was so happy to go back to the school for the reunion! But…I didn’t know most the people there. I recognized some faces but did not know their names. I knew Erica Forstrom. We were friends for a bit in high school, enemies for a short time and just acquaintances most of the time back then. She was friends with Megan Rafferty whom I was friends with first then Erica and Megan became inseparable and Megan became more snotty because of Erica…that’s why I stopped being friends with both of them.

Anyway, I caught up with Erica at the game and she was so sweet. She invited me to sit with her when I was sitting alone for a while.

She’s a high school teacher now. Apparently she had a baby maybe a year or so after graduation. Then she got a degree and started teaching. She was a teacher at Mojave high for a while!

Devon showed up and I was the only person he knew at the game. We chatted a little. He said he’s doing fine but didn’t give me any details of his life. I think it was more awkward for him than for me. But being alone and knowing him more than anyone else there was weird.

I left a little early to beat the traffic after the game. I drove to Nicole’s house on the other side of town. I slept on the couch at her house. Watched an episode of The Mentalist…fell asleep during it.

Being at the game made me miss Sterling so much! He wasn’t there to sit with me or put his arm around me or keep me company. I felt lonely there and after that.

In the morning I got up and got ready for the temple. Nicole and the kids were still asleep and I needed to get started on my day. So around 8am I left a thank you note written on a paper towel for Nicole and I snuck out.

I drove to the temple…driving anywhere in Vegas takes forever! All the traffic and traffic lights and distance. Vegas is so huge!

On the way to the temple I stopped at McDonalds for breakfast. Ate it on the way to the temple. Went inside, feeling depressed that I had to do that without Sterling also.

Inside the temple I couldn’t help but remember that’s where we got married. The Las Vegas temple! Over 6 years ago and we have never been happier about any decision. We have 100% trust in our marriage. We support each other completely; maybe not when I want to do something like get a trampoline or when he suggests getting a new gun even though we’re in Italy and he can’t even use it.

We are so in love. We look out for each other and make sacrifices to make the other person happy or comfortable. We help each other’s dreams come true. We are one.

In the temple I reconnected with God. I have not been to the temple as many times as maybe other women who’ve been married 6 years. Ster and I moved to Italy 2 years into our marriage…where we only went to the temple once a year because of the distance (time and money).

So going to the temple is stressful to me. I’m stressed, usually being pressed for time to get in for a session. Stressed about doing everything right and learning what I’m being taught.

So I’m not always happy to go to the temple. I do it because we are commanded to and because I am suppose to. So today in the temple I prayed in the chapel as I waited for the session to start…or for us to be led up to do a session. I prayed and apologized for not having more of a desire to attend the temple. I thought about the reasons I don’t feel a need to go to the temple more often…Sterling and I do a good job of having the gospel in our lives. And of striving to be the best we can as members of the church, members in the community and as parents. We strive to have a close relationship with God and do what He would have us do.  And in so doing our home is a temple. With love and peace and the spirit. With God. 

I don’t have a job I go to where there are people and things that take the spirit away. I don’t need to seek refuge or a break by going to the temple. I already have that in my life and a closeness to God.

But I always feel better about myself when I’ve gone to the temple…when I’ve done what I am suppose to. Today I felt great in the temple. I didn’t think I “needed” it but it turned out I did. It changed my mood from feeling depressed because I have not seen Sterling in 2 months to being my normal happy self. Although…I was no longer wanting to go to the 10 year reunion pool party that day. I already bought my ticket online so I had to go.  I decided I’d be late though.

I left the temple and went to Walgreen’s. I changed my clothes and found out about vhs to dvd transfer services. They cost $30 to get one done. Ster, on the phone, convinced me that we should just buy an at home/do it yourself thing. I don’t know what it is but Ster said they are from $30 to $120 or something. Mom has like ten vhs homemovies she wants to transfer so I told Sterling to go ahead and order it and we’ll get them all done. I just have one vhs of home movies I want to put on DVD.

That Walgreen’s was the one I worked at when Ster and I met and were married. I ran into Jean; a nice older woman who worked there before me and with me and is there still.

Then I went to Ross and bought some cute maternity clothes. Then I drove over to Aliente to the hotel where the party was. It was a poolside party with pizza.

It turned out to be really fun. I had invited Zack so I wouldn’t be alone but he had to work the night before so he couldn’t go to the game. And when it came to the party it was $15 at the door to get in and I wasn’t even planning to stay very long. Zack was so busy today that I told him to not worry about it and that I wouldn’t even be there long.

I ended up staying longer than I had planned. I had fun chatting with the group, the very small group, that came to the party. Unfortunately they had spent way more money on the party than they were getting back because there were not enough guests coming! None of my friends came…disappointing.

We passed around a year book from our senior year. We had two poolside room things and they brought out fresh fruit…the hotel did.

There was a giant framed picture of our senior class altogether. It was awesome! But it had Devon with his arms around me in it. We dated off and on throughout high school. That day that we did that picture Devon and I got back together! Just in time to do senior pics. We didn’t kiss though. We were seniors and I had kissed other boys in the past but he and I didn’t. Our first kiss, I believe, was after his mission. In Logandale, NV at the reservoir we had our first real kiss. And there was no magic. No spark. I just didn’t feel it. He wasn’t the one for me and it kept showing in many different ways. I wasn’t truly happy. I was in a depression. I had some debt and I hadn’t met the right man for me yet and I was depressed. I wanted to get married so bad, hoping that would take away the unhappiness. But marrying Devon would not have fixed my problem because he wasn’t the one for me.

I was depressed when I met Sterling and we dated. But marrying him WAS the answer to fixing me. He was the one! I didn’t believe in “the one”…a single person picked out to be “right” for you. But God had a plan and it involved a specific picked out man to make my life Heaven on earth.

Anyway, I enjoyed the pool party and won the “guess how many gum balls in the jar” game. Somehow I’m good at those. At baby showers and things I often win that game. So I left with a jar full of green and orange (Mojave’s colors) gum balls.

Before leaving the hotel I stopped at the DQ in the food court. I was in the mood for candy in ice cream. Usually I like it smooth and without chunks…but I was in a weird mood. Actually, it happens more often than I ever thought it would…now. Maybe because I’m pregnant…maybe not.

So I tried their new Smores Blizzard and LOVED it! I ate it on the drive back to Logandale.

It was disappointing how few people came to the reunion events! Some people, I think, just were embarrassed that they didn’t do more with their lives in ten years. And some didn’t care to relive high school memories. And some just have contact with all the friends they want through facebook. They already know what everyone’s up to without leaving their couch!

We took pictures at the football game and the pool party. So I will have those pictures saved.

It was funny…the day I was going back to Mojave Sterling happened to come across a real rattle snake. Funny because rattle snake is the mascot of my school! He had taken pictures of it and sent them to me…without knowing it was my mascot.

In other news… Next week will be crazy busy for me. Monday I am teaching two 9 yr old Faith in God girls and their leaders how to handle and decorate with fondant. Luke is getting a ride to soccer practice that evening.

Tuesday is Luke’s soccer game in the evening. Wednesday I have to go to Vegas for a checkup on the base at the hospital. In the evening I am singing “Happily Ever After” by Jenny Philips at the young women’s mutual night.

Friday Justin, my nephew, is going through the temple for his endowments getting ready for his mission. So if I get a sitter I’ll go for that.

Sunday is the primary program where Luke has a part…”I am thankful for my mommy and daddy.” Then that afternoon we drive to Provo…stopping in Cedar City to visit Alissa and Justin and James and taking a break from the drive.

Life is busy..life is sweet.

~Tiffany