Last time was a happy occasion. My beloved graduated from high school, and I couldn't be prouder (ok, maybe if I was his mom, but still). No drama occurred and I feel that my relationship with his family has gotten stronger once again.
I went to his house right after volunteering. The first thing that happened was he introduced me to his grandparents. His grandaddy hugged me. It felt nice that he automatically accepted me. We still had quite some time before he had to leave so we went down to his basement and watched his favorite movie, "Forever Strong". We cuddled and he gave me a back massage (he's really good at them). Near the end, it was time to eat. Some of his neighbors came by to eat with us. One of them was this little girl who was about to enter kindergarten. Boy, was she a pistol! She saw how Darren and me were together and asked us if we were married! The whole time she was there she kept on saying that we were married because he had a ring on (the ring I gave him for his 18th birthday). It was cute though. I know one day we will be :)
Shortly after eating, he had to leave. I stayed behind with his family. I talked with his mother and grandmother. It was nice with his mom. Like how it used to be. I felt a sort of comfort with them, as if I was part of the family. We headed over to the school and prepared for the ceremony. I sat right in between his parents. We kept on talking, and there was no friction or forced conversation. It went very smoothly. Then, the graduation went on. When they called his name, I was smiling widely and (thankfully) no tears came down. I'm still so proud of him. After it was over, we found him and took pictures. I got one of all of them together, and his dad took some of just him and me. I went with him to get his actual diploma and then he walked me back to my car. We kissed goodbye and both went home. He told me the first thing his grandaddy asked him when he got back was, "Where's Leah?". It was so nice knowing that they're fond of me. Hopefully they'll continue to do so over the years when he's gone. I'm sure I'll see them again next year since my sister and Darren's brother will be graduating together.
Overall, it was a good night. I reconnected with his family and once again felt like I belonged with them. Just praying it stays that way :)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Venting
One simple question.
And it ends with a debate about who's beliefs are right. I really did not mean for that to happen. It was completely not my intention. I despise religious arguments because someone always gets hurt or offended, even if the other person didn't mean for it.
The question I asked was:
"So I was wondering how many non-Mormons are waiting for a mish and what you plan on doing religion-wise when he comes home?"
Is there anywhere in that question that indicates I wanted to know what the girl's opinion of eternal marriage was? Or is there anything that asks for opinions of interfaith relationships?
Because I couldn't find them. So why voice your opinion when it's not the place? I didn't ask for it, and neither did others who are in the same position as me. I just wanted to know how they plan on working it out. An interfaith relationship is hard, especially with a Mormon guy. That wasn't an easy decision. It isn't easy either deciding to wait for him while he's on a mission. Why? Because I love him and I want to be with him.
For those who say I will only hinder him because we will not get married in a temple, let me just say this: It is his choice to be with me. If he wanted to marry a Mormon girl, he would have never even considered going out with me, and I wouldn't be writing this now. He and I have both talked about how we will work out our religious differences and what we will do with our future children. I have no plans for conversion, and neither does he. It wouldn't be fair to do that when our hearts are not in it. I have investigated other religions (including Mormonism) and I know that I'm meant to be Catholic. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
To the girls who are interfaith relationships and/or are products of those marriages, or know people who are in it: Thank you. I enjoyed listening to those stories and it's nice knowing I'm not the only one going through this. I wish you all the best.
To the MGs who were talking about temple marriages: I understand that it is a big part of the Mormon faith. I do get it. However, it was not the place to be talking about that. I know you didn't mean to, but it made several of us feel like you have something against interfaith relationships. That's just how it came across. Because of it, I feel like I can't ask anything on the group site anymore without having some sort of attack-like discussion happen. Again, I know it was not intentional, but it was not the right time.
Right now, I have reservations about the group. I'm not sure if I want to put myself in an environment like that for two years when there is already chaos before he even leaves. I hoped that it would be a good source of support, especially since most of you have been raised to believe that this is how it's supposed to be. I wanted advice and ideas for care packages, things of that sort. It feels like I may not get it without something going into disarray. I know I'm ranting on, and I apologize if anything I said is offensive. I'm just expressing how I feel right now.
In the end, it is about Darren and me, not anyone else when it comes to our relationship, but we're already having to deal with our families not being supportive of us. We don't need a group stating negative opinions either, but thank you to those who have shown support. It means a lot to us.
And it ends with a debate about who's beliefs are right. I really did not mean for that to happen. It was completely not my intention. I despise religious arguments because someone always gets hurt or offended, even if the other person didn't mean for it.
The question I asked was:
"So I was wondering how many non-Mormons are waiting for a mish and what you plan on doing religion-wise when he comes home?"
Is there anywhere in that question that indicates I wanted to know what the girl's opinion of eternal marriage was? Or is there anything that asks for opinions of interfaith relationships?
Because I couldn't find them. So why voice your opinion when it's not the place? I didn't ask for it, and neither did others who are in the same position as me. I just wanted to know how they plan on working it out. An interfaith relationship is hard, especially with a Mormon guy. That wasn't an easy decision. It isn't easy either deciding to wait for him while he's on a mission. Why? Because I love him and I want to be with him.
For those who say I will only hinder him because we will not get married in a temple, let me just say this: It is his choice to be with me. If he wanted to marry a Mormon girl, he would have never even considered going out with me, and I wouldn't be writing this now. He and I have both talked about how we will work out our religious differences and what we will do with our future children. I have no plans for conversion, and neither does he. It wouldn't be fair to do that when our hearts are not in it. I have investigated other religions (including Mormonism) and I know that I'm meant to be Catholic. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
To the girls who are interfaith relationships and/or are products of those marriages, or know people who are in it: Thank you. I enjoyed listening to those stories and it's nice knowing I'm not the only one going through this. I wish you all the best.
To the MGs who were talking about temple marriages: I understand that it is a big part of the Mormon faith. I do get it. However, it was not the place to be talking about that. I know you didn't mean to, but it made several of us feel like you have something against interfaith relationships. That's just how it came across. Because of it, I feel like I can't ask anything on the group site anymore without having some sort of attack-like discussion happen. Again, I know it was not intentional, but it was not the right time.
Right now, I have reservations about the group. I'm not sure if I want to put myself in an environment like that for two years when there is already chaos before he even leaves. I hoped that it would be a good source of support, especially since most of you have been raised to believe that this is how it's supposed to be. I wanted advice and ideas for care packages, things of that sort. It feels like I may not get it without something going into disarray. I know I'm ranting on, and I apologize if anything I said is offensive. I'm just expressing how I feel right now.
In the end, it is about Darren and me, not anyone else when it comes to our relationship, but we're already having to deal with our families not being supportive of us. We don't need a group stating negative opinions either, but thank you to those who have shown support. It means a lot to us.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The Luckiest Girl in the World
Tonight felt like magic. I'm pretty sure it was. I'm so incredibly happy with my life, and it's all thanks to the love of my life. Today we went out to dinner at Taco Mac, with is a sort of sports bar. Really good food though. We talked and had a good time there. In the parking lot, he presented me with a rose. Boy, were those butterflies kicking in hard. Then, we went to a nearby lake. We would have watched the sunset if it wasn't happening right behind us, but it was still beautiful. He kissed me so softly that it took my breath away. He always knows how to do that. We sat underneath a tree, cuddled, and looked out into the lake. It was a picture perfect moment. Afterward, we went to this frozen yogurt place. As we were trying to find a parking spot, a commercial for a jewelry store came on the radio advertising engagement rings. He said, "I hate this commercial. It's too tempting." So I asked him if he was already looking at engagement rings, and he said he was! My heart melted hearing that I was so happy. I wanted to ask if he found any hopefuls, but I know he wants to keep it a surprise. The Mix is the name of the frozen yogurt place we went. It was really good, but I have to do a better job at picking toppings. After that, we texted my dad to see if Darren if could come over the house for a little bit, and he said yes! This was the first time in almost two years that he has been in my house. When we got there, we were greeted by my dog, Maggie. She's a big dog who is a little crazy when meeting new people. She jumped all over him and actually ended up scratching his neck. He was still good about it. Overall it was an incredible night and I can't wait to see him next week when he graduates!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Life as a Pre-Physical Therapy Student
That is the name of my latest blog. I decided to create a new one just for reaching that goal. Mainly so I remember what I did when it comes time to apply to PT school. Also, it would be nice to look back at my beginnings and see how far I've come once I've accomplished my goal. So here is the link to it and I hope you guys will read it, but that's up to you: http://pre-ptstudent.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 15, 2011
570 Days
So today I was looking at my "Days We've Been Together" gadget on my blog and I saw that Darren and I have been together for 570 days. A week shy of 19 months for us! Realizing this goal makes me feel that perhaps it is possible for me to wait for him. He and I hardly see each other as it is, so I'm totally not worried about that part of our relationship. The part I am worried about, however, is the fact I will not be able to talk to him on a daily basis. In fact, it scares me. I've become so reliable on him and talking every day, being able to say whatever is on my mind at the moment and him listening to me and make me feel better. Sadly, I've come to realize that it won't be like that soon.
I've had a mixture of emotions about him leaving. I know it will be good for him and it will help him figure out who he is as a person. Also, ever since finding other MGs, there has been a ton of support and suggestions of what to do while he's gone and how to deal with it. For a time, I really felt prepared, almost excited to send him off, just so I can do all that I planned to do (I can't name them since he also reads this blog).
On the other hand, I am also starting to realize how different things will be when he is gone. I'm used to very little hugs and kisses so that's not much of a problem. Who do I call when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep? Who do I tell all my news to first? Who is going to be there for me when I'm going through a rough time and need to smile? Sadly, all these were him, and they will no longer be soon enough. And I also realize exactly how much he'll miss when he's gone. He'll miss two of my birthdays (21st and 22nd), our third and fourth anniversaries, me graduating college and getting accepted to physical therapy school, moving into my own apartment wherever I choose to go, and so much more that could happen. It does hurt that he won't be there for this stuff, especially since he's always been there for other important events in my life. Not to mention we have had drama with our parents about all of this.
What makes it more difficult is that after I graduate from UGA, I have no idea where I'm going to go for PT school. I want to go to Savannah, but really, I could be anywhere from Orlando to Chapel Hill, NC. Then what happens when he comes home to Atlanta? What will happen to us then? I know only he and I can figure out what will happen when that moment comes, but it worries me. I want to be with him, but I can't stop living life just because he's not here. That wouldn't be fair.
Thinking about all this makes me wonder if it will work between us. Then I look at the 570 days we have been together, seeing that majority of it was spent away from each other, and I start to see the possibilities of it all working out. When I'm at school, I live two hours away so we only see each other a couple times a month. We have made it through a week without talking to each other before when he was on vacation, so I just have to think of it as 104 week long vacations and getting a reward (letter, package, etc) at the end of it. I can do this. It will be hard- possibly the hardest thing I will ever endure- but I love him. He means the world to me, and he's my best friend. I will wait for him, but it's the question of whether to wait for him as a friend or as his girlfriend. For that, I will have to open my heart up to the Lord and have Him lead me to the choice.
I've had a mixture of emotions about him leaving. I know it will be good for him and it will help him figure out who he is as a person. Also, ever since finding other MGs, there has been a ton of support and suggestions of what to do while he's gone and how to deal with it. For a time, I really felt prepared, almost excited to send him off, just so I can do all that I planned to do (I can't name them since he also reads this blog).
On the other hand, I am also starting to realize how different things will be when he is gone. I'm used to very little hugs and kisses so that's not much of a problem. Who do I call when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep? Who do I tell all my news to first? Who is going to be there for me when I'm going through a rough time and need to smile? Sadly, all these were him, and they will no longer be soon enough. And I also realize exactly how much he'll miss when he's gone. He'll miss two of my birthdays (21st and 22nd), our third and fourth anniversaries, me graduating college and getting accepted to physical therapy school, moving into my own apartment wherever I choose to go, and so much more that could happen. It does hurt that he won't be there for this stuff, especially since he's always been there for other important events in my life. Not to mention we have had drama with our parents about all of this.
What makes it more difficult is that after I graduate from UGA, I have no idea where I'm going to go for PT school. I want to go to Savannah, but really, I could be anywhere from Orlando to Chapel Hill, NC. Then what happens when he comes home to Atlanta? What will happen to us then? I know only he and I can figure out what will happen when that moment comes, but it worries me. I want to be with him, but I can't stop living life just because he's not here. That wouldn't be fair.
Thinking about all this makes me wonder if it will work between us. Then I look at the 570 days we have been together, seeing that majority of it was spent away from each other, and I start to see the possibilities of it all working out. When I'm at school, I live two hours away so we only see each other a couple times a month. We have made it through a week without talking to each other before when he was on vacation, so I just have to think of it as 104 week long vacations and getting a reward (letter, package, etc) at the end of it. I can do this. It will be hard- possibly the hardest thing I will ever endure- but I love him. He means the world to me, and he's my best friend. I will wait for him, but it's the question of whether to wait for him as a friend or as his girlfriend. For that, I will have to open my heart up to the Lord and have Him lead me to the choice.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Classes Ending and Volunteering
I finally completely my first semester at UGA. Needless to say, it was definitely a difficult time. Don't get me wrong, I love it there, it was just a lot harder than my previous college. I knew it would be, but I had no idea it was going to be that hard. So, long story short, it was my worst semester ever. I'll just say this: I did pass and I still have my scholarship, but I know I could have done so much better.
So now, for May, I am at home for a bit until I go back in June for summer classes (I need to in order to be on schedule for my major). So, what am I doing while at home? Making the most of my time and preparing for the future. I plan on becoming a physical therapist when I'm older. That means after finishing up my undergrad work, I have to go through three more years of schooling. So basically, I'm able to keep myself busy while Darren's gone.
I have already begun my journey towards becoming a physical therapist this past Wednesday by volunteering at the local rehab center. I love it there! Seriously, I have so much fun. Pretty much I wipe down the beds, replace the pillowcases, bring heat and ice packs to clients who need them, and anything else that the PTs need. But that's not the interesting part. I also get to observe the PTs in action about how they diagnose where the problem area is, and how they go about treating it. I have seen many different problem areas such as hips, shoulders, backs, knees, and even glutes (yes, the buttocks can have problems). Anyways, I have learned a lot about what goes on and what is needed to treat people. I also figured out you can't always really trust what a client says. Some will exaggerate the problem but then do something that would cause a lot more pain and they're fine.
Overall, I am going through such an amazing experience. I am working with a lot of nice people, and I really enjoy hearing about the client's stories about what happened to them. It's a fun environment, and one of the PTs went to UGA, went through the same major I'm going through, and also had the same Anatomy professor as me. Talk about getting inside scoop :)
So now, for May, I am at home for a bit until I go back in June for summer classes (I need to in order to be on schedule for my major). So, what am I doing while at home? Making the most of my time and preparing for the future. I plan on becoming a physical therapist when I'm older. That means after finishing up my undergrad work, I have to go through three more years of schooling. So basically, I'm able to keep myself busy while Darren's gone.
I have already begun my journey towards becoming a physical therapist this past Wednesday by volunteering at the local rehab center. I love it there! Seriously, I have so much fun. Pretty much I wipe down the beds, replace the pillowcases, bring heat and ice packs to clients who need them, and anything else that the PTs need. But that's not the interesting part. I also get to observe the PTs in action about how they diagnose where the problem area is, and how they go about treating it. I have seen many different problem areas such as hips, shoulders, backs, knees, and even glutes (yes, the buttocks can have problems). Anyways, I have learned a lot about what goes on and what is needed to treat people. I also figured out you can't always really trust what a client says. Some will exaggerate the problem but then do something that would cause a lot more pain and they're fine.
Overall, I am going through such an amazing experience. I am working with a lot of nice people, and I really enjoy hearing about the client's stories about what happened to them. It's a fun environment, and one of the PTs went to UGA, went through the same major I'm going through, and also had the same Anatomy professor as me. Talk about getting inside scoop :)
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Prom
Okay, so Darren's senior prom was Saturday night, and it was AMAZING!!!! I don't think I've ever had that much fun at my own prom! It has been the longest that we ever spent together in a single setting, and I cherished every single moment. It began with him coming to my house to pick me up. My parents took a few pictures of us together, and then we headed out to our friend's house. We met up with the rest of our group (there were only three couples), took even more pictures, and then headed out to Atlanta for dinner. We arrived early, so what did we do to spend time? Went to TARGET!! It was fun and we found one of the guys in our group a hat that completely matched his suit. We ate at a place called The Lobby at Twelve. It was inside a restaurant. It had a nice, modern feeling to it. The food was awesome! I really need to find what was in that steak sauce. Anyways, prom was held at the train depot in underground Atlanta (a bit sketch if you ask me, but it was a nice place). I got to see some familiar faces, including my old band teacher's, and Darren and I danced the night away. We cuddled in the car on the way back to our friend's house, where we spent an hour watching random YouTube videos. Afterward, it was time to go home, and I ended up sleeping on his arm on the way. Overall, it was definitely one of my favorite days so far with him, and I wouldn't have changed anything about it.
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