It will be okay

I read a quote once: "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end." Everyone keeps telling us: "It will be okay, things will work out." 

It's easy to read these quotes.  It's easy to tell them to someone else when they're having a hard time. But they're not easy to remember, especially in times when nothing seems okay. So, that might be a little dramatic. Things are 'Okay' - whatever that word really means anyway. We still have each other. We're together. We have our health [or most of it ;-)!]. We have family and friends, many of whom we'll be able to spend the holidays with. Things are 'Okay'. 

But when do they get better? When do they become great? When do things go back to the way it once was? Do they ever go back there? When do we have to stop worrying about paying bills? When do we get to end unemployment? When do we go back to enjoying the simple things in life rather than worrying about all the things I wish we didn't have to worry about? 

I try. I try to be happy, I try to stay positive. I know that AJ and I are blessed much more than so many other people. And I am truly grateful for that. But it's still hard. Unemployment is taking it's toll. Hearing defeat, hearing rejections, or even hearing nothing at all is wearing on me. And how can I even complain? I left my job willingly. After sitting in a recent group interview and hearing that about half that room had lost their jobs and that they had no control over that? I can't imagine. 

I think back to last spring, when AJ first had his interview with Riverside. I remember the call asking if he wanted to job. I remember that next week, praying over the right decision. I remember being confident that saying yes to that job and moving to Western Iowa was the right decision for AJ and I. That is was what God was telling us to do. Then I remember trying to find a job. I remember opportunities that came and went just as quickly. Before long, our time was up and we decided we would have to be apart a while. But with new possible opportunities at work, again I felt confident that this is what God was telling us to do. I remember the time apart. The nightly phone calls, the four hour drive to see each other each weekend, the incredibly hard time saying good bye each Sunday. I remember things not getting any easier. I remember thinking new possibilities at work might not come through. I remember trying to look for jobs again. 

Then I remember the events that changed everything. I remember knowing that I could no longer be four hours away from my husband. I remember knowing it was time to make a decision. I remember making the decision of putting my marriage, my husband, above everything else and sacrificing my job. I remember giving my two weeks notice and I remember my last day at Kruger. 

I remember it all. I remember it very clearly. I remember because I never expected my life, our lives, to take this course. I never expected these... 'bumps' and 'potholes' in the road. But then again, who does? I remember it all. What I'm struggling with now is why. Why did it all happen? Why did things run the course they did? Why am I still not employed, why do we have to worry about the bills? Why are things not better yet? I'm struggling to see how this part fits into God's plan. I'm struggling not to second guess things. Was AJ accepting this job offer the right move? Was my leaving Kruger the right thing to do? Or was it all for nothing? This is where I'm struggling. This is where I'm searching to understand. I have to believe that this is where God wants us, that this is where His road has taken us. I have to believe that. But I'm realizing that believe that is testing my faith. It's hard to let go of all my thoughts and fears and just have faith. To trust God. I struggle with it everyday. 

But now I've laid it all out there. God, you know the struggles on my heart. You know my fears and my worries. I pray to you that you can help me find comfort. Peace. Patience. Faith. I pray that we're following your plan, your road. I pray that we're on the right track and that if we're just patient, you will provide. I pray that you're there with us every step of the way. I pray that you give us guidance and strength to get through these tough spots and I pray you give us the understanding that when it is time, and at the end, it will be okay. It will be great. Amen.

Christmas trees

I'm long overdue for an update. I know this. And I don't even have a good excuse on why I haven't written one. I mean really, I have no job right now. Maybe I've been unsure of what to say. Maybe I've been trying to just put everything behind us and move forward. I'm not sure. 

It's official. I'm officially a resident of Council Bluffs. The week of Thanksgiving was my last week at Kruger. It was a short week but a long week. It was really hard to say goodbye to some people there. I'd really developed some relationships over the two years I worked there and I'm really going to miss them. I also learned a lot and grew professionally over the years. And I'm very grateful I had that opportunity. I pray that when my next opportunity comes along, it will be just as satisfying as working at Kruger. 

Thanksgiving weekend was spend in Tipton for AJ and I. It was good to be out and just spend time with family. Unfortunately I was down for the count and spent most of the weekend sleeping trying to get over a cold. AJ spent the weekend with family and friends, including being a groomsman in the wedding of a good high school friend. Apparently he "danced it up" at the reception too, so it's good to know he can still have a good time when his wife is home sick and sleeping. :) 

This past week has been spent with AJ at school every day and me at home. And although it might sound awesome, it can get pretty boring pretty quickly. I've managed to watch two entire seasons of Grey's Anatomy within a week. But I have gotten some other things done. I've applied for jobs every day. I've finally started to get the apartment not looking like a bachelor pad. :) I got all of our fall decorations put away and all of our Christmas decorations up. Our stockings are hung on the fireplace and our tree is lit and decorated with ornaments. 

I think Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the decorations. I love the music. I love the spirit. I love the cookies! But I love what it stands for even more. I love the Christmas story. I love hearing how God sent His son into this world. I love the simple way Christ came into this world. Not in a fancy palace. Not with a big celebration. But in a manager. With just the people who loved Him. 

It's easy to forget what Christmas is really about. There's so much focus on the presents, on Santa and whatnot. But there is a real reason behind this season. (Cheesy rhyming, I know...) I think that this year is a year that AJ and I are really going to remember that. It's easy to remember what Christmas is really about when you're shopping for stockings at the Dollar Tree. It's easy to remember about Christ's birth when you're living on one income. It's easy to remember the Christmas story when all you want to do is just be able to spend the holidays with your family and that nothing else matters. 

One of my all time favorite things to do during this time of year is to go out in the living room late at night when everyone else is sleeping, and just sit by the Christmas tree. All the other lights are off except the tree. I've done it for as long as I can remember. There is just something so peaceful about sitting next to the tree, when all is quiet in the house and the snow makes the world so beautiful outside the window. In fact, that's exactly how I'm writing this blog. Okay, so there's no snow outside here, but I'm pretending. I guess I can't explain how much these moments mean to me. 

I recently read an Advent devotion about Christmas lights. It explained that we catch glimpses of light from heaven and that they can come to us in a hymn or song. But that they come as a renewed awareness of the forgiveness, acceptance and peace that God offers us. Jesus takes these lights and fills the darkness. He is the light of the world. Maybe that's what I see when I sit by the Christmas tree.

Moving forward

In my last post, I mentioned that we had been through some things that had tested us in a variety of ways. I mentioned that we, or at least I, had hit the breaking point. Well, it seems that God decided that it wasn't our breaking point quite yet and that He had a couple of other things in mind to test our strength.

I guess its true when they said 'things can't get worse', they do. I guess its true that when you think you can't take it anymore and you don't think you have the strength to carry on, you find that you must and therefore you can.

However, I continue to be blessed and amazed by all the love and support of our family and friends. I think sometimes it's easy to take that for granted, when its always there. But in the times when you really need it, and it comes through more than you ever expected, you are just so grateful. I am thankful for each and every person that has kept Austin and I in their thoughts and prayers throughout the past couple of weeks. And I can honestly say that I believe those prayers are being answered.

I admit that I was hesitant about God's timing for a long time. I didn't understand why things were or were not happening when I thought they should. But after all the recent events, things are making sense. God's timing is making sense. This shouldn't surprise me, because God's timing is always perfect, but it still does. God knows what He's doing. He has reasons behind everything. Reasons why things took place this week and last week. Reasons why it had to be now to leave my job. Reasons why I don't have another one lined up yet. Reasons for it all. 

There was something that I read lately. There is an application on Facebook called "God wants you to know". I had seen the messages pop up on my news feed from other friends but had never really looked more into it. But a couple of days ago when I was searching for some reassurance, I decided to see what God wanted me to know. And it is miraculous how God can even work through Facebook applications. This is what I was told: 

On this day, God wants you to know... that if you relax, it comes. Don't see, don't search, don't ask, don't knock, don't demand - relax. If you relax, it is there. If you relax, God shows you the way.

How amazing, right? I think this is just what I needed to hear from God. I was having a hard time relaxing this week. I was searching, I was asking, I was demanding answers from God. But I didn't need to. He knew what He was doing the entire time - He always does. I only needed to be patient and let God show me the way. And He has. 

God has allowed AJ and I to move on to the next chapter in our lives. We are taking steps every day. And I know that God is walking with us every step of the way. There was another quote that I read this week (again, on Facebook) that seemed to ring true with our live right now. It is a quote by C.S. Lewis.

We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.

Things don't always work out the way we want them to. Sometimes we have to put up a fight. Sometimes we have to go through trials and suffering. Sometimes there will be pain. But through all of this, God is there and God is helping us - making us stronger. These past couple of weeks have proven to AJ and I that life and marriage are full of ups and downs. But we can survive it all. We can move past it all. We will be better from it all. 


And for a piece of very good news: today is the last Sunday that I will have to leave AJ here in Council Bluffs by himself. This week is my last week at work, which will be sad and hard to say goodbye, but necessary. I'm excited to being this next chapter in life with my husband again, living together again! After Thanksgiving we will be home together again. I'll be interested to see how long it will take for AJ to wish I was back in Dike! :) 


Again, AJ and I appreciate all of your prayers, thoughts and support. We are blessed beyond anything we could ever imagine and have the greatest family and friends. Just knowing that you all have been thinking of us throughout this time warms our hearts. We are so thankful. God bless you all.

Trusting God and Taking Leaps

Just a quick note: Writing is a way that I express myself and it helps me to sort out my thoughts. So I apologize if some of this doesn't make sense, but it's just everything that is going through my mind.


Wednesday

Well, the week has been an eventful week, to say the very least. In fact, I'm not even sure how to begin. No details of our week need to be described here, but the events that took place were ones that tested both AJ and myself. They tested our marriage. They tested our strength. They tested the support of our family and friends. They tested our patience. They tested our (or at least my) trust in God.

I don't think that I've ever prayed harder than I did earlier this week. I don't think I've ever asked God to make things okay more than I have this week. There were points that I was literally on my knees, begging God to give me answers and wanting them to be the answers I needed to hear. I don't think my relationship with God has ever been this... raw. There was just so much going through my heart, my mind, my soul that I'm not even sure I still understand it all. I think I'm still trying to process everything. I know that I've never needed God more in my life than I have this week. I've never needed the reassurance I'm seeking from Him now.

AJ and I are at a point in our life where some changes need to be made, from both our ends. We've done a lot of talking this week trying to figure those changes out - what they are and how we go about making them happen. And while some plans have been made and some steps have been taken, we've still got a long way to go. There are plans up in the air and many more steps to be taken. And I'm struggling with this. I'm struggling with the fact that things are up in the air. I'm struggling not knowing exactly what our next steps are. I'm struggling not having answers. And I'm struggling - so much - not to worry about it all.

I'm a "worrier" by nature. It runs in my family. Ask anyone. And I think it's also a symptom of being the oldest child. But whatever the case, I worry. A lot. I'm trying to look at everything and wanting to find solutions. I want to fix what's wrong. I want to know the answers I'm desperately waiting to hear. I worry about it all. And I'm also a hypocrite in this sense. AJ is also a worrier, especially if he thinks he's the one causing "problems" or whatever the case is. And so I'm constantly telling AJ not to worry. I'm telling him to just let it go. To move forward. The problem is, I don't take my own advice.

I think in my current situation, I just want to have control. I want to be able to help. I want to be able to have the answers. But I don't. I am having a hard time letting go. I know that worrying about things is not going to do me any good. I know worrying is not going to fix our problems. I know that I need to push all of that aside and trust God. I need to let go and let God. But I'm still hesitant. Maybe it's because I've put my trust in God the entire time AJ and I have been apart. And so far, it hasn't gotten us anywhere. I've trusted God that He knows what He's doing and that this is all part of His plan. But this week was a breaking point for me. And I guess I'm tired of waiting. I'm trying my hardest to keep my trust in God. And I'm putting a lot of pressure on him to wrap things up and make everything okay by the end of week. I've given him a time line in my mind. And I know that's not fair and that's not how God works. But that's where I'm at. I am trying to put it all out of my mind and move forward. I am trying not to worry. I'm trying no to think about what will happen if I don't get the answers I'm so desperately hoping for. I am trying to put my trust in God. But right now, it's taking everything I have to do that. 

Friday

Well, the end of the week has come. I'm not sure the end of the week has necessarily gotten any better, or worse for that matter. It just is. I discussed everything I wrote above with AJ some more and we talked about our options, our wants, our needs. We determined the next step in our plan. But that wasn't easy for us to do. And it wasn't an easy step. But we were hopeful and trusting God it was the right decision and that He will see us through it.

On Thursday when I returned to work, I think I felt like a zombie. I wasn't really there. I wasn't feeling. I was just trying to put myself completely in work so that I wasn't thinking about everything else. So I wasn't worrying about everything else. So I wasn't driving myself crazy. While I was out of the office, my mom sent me a devotion she had come across. She mentioned it was a good reminder "that God walks with you and has both you and AJ in the palm of His hand" during a time of uncertainty and turmoil. And it was just what I needed to hear (or read). I know that these times of uncertainty can be times of pain, but also times of growth. I have to remember that God is in the process of His plan and He knows what he's doing. The devotion was based on Psalm 98 and the text from the devotion is below: 

The most joyful woman I have ever known is someone who has suffered some true tragedies in her life: loss of loved ones, health and home. Yet, I spend just a few minutes in her presence and I come away feeling refreshed and more positive than I had been in weeks.
More than a mere positive attitude, she has a joy that runs deep, founded in her trust in and gratitude to God. I think of her when I hear the words, "O sing to the Lord a new song!" Her life is a new song of praise composed every time she shares her joy in the Lord. It is heard not with lyre or trumpet, but with the instruments of faith, assurance and hope.
For what are you grateful to God? Is there a "new song" others will hear in you? What "instruments" will you use?
We praise you, God, for your saving presence. Help us today to sing your praise in everything we do. Amen.

What a great reminder, right? Especially for two people that love to sing as much as AJ and I do. We need to remember to rejoice in the Lord! God will see us through this time.

Last night once I left work though, I started to get anxious again. I was hoping for an answer that hadn't come yet. And I was disappointed in that. And I started to think about this next step (actually, it was more of a HUGE leap!) that I needed to take and it made me start to worry about other issues. I tried to be strong and keep it inside because I didn't want to burden anyone else, especially AJ. But he broke me down and got inside of my thoughts. But it helped, he helped. He reminded me, yet again, what I already knew but needed to hear once again. It seems these days, I'm needed to be reminded of certain things a lot. But the good thing is, I have a lot of people that are there for me and that will remind me as often as I need them to. 

And then today, Friday, came. The end of the week. The day I was hoping for some answers. The day decisions were going to be put into action. The deadline I had given God. And although I still didn't have everything worked out like I had wanted, there were other things I needed to do. After a lot of talking, thinking and praying this week, AJ and I decided that the best thing for us and for our relationship was for me to be out in Council Bluffs. So, I gave Kruger my two weeks notice today. 


This was a very tough decision for us, especially since I don't have another job lined up at this time. But AJ and I both believe (as does many of our family) that this is the best thing for us at this time. We believe that this is the right decision. We believe that God is going to help us through this. I think that this is the biggest leap, biggest risk that I've ever taken. And it's hard to leave a job you really enjoy, and that you have friends at. And it's hard to leave a job that's within your field, in this economy. This isn't the way I pictured myself leaving. But I'm putting my faith in God. I'm putting my trust in Him, my hope in Him. And I'm doing the same with our marriage. We made vows to each other and we're standing by them. I'm making our marriage my number one priority right now - making my husband my number one priority. 

I'm sure that this decision will in turn bring about some new struggles for AJ and I. But I also believe that it is going to bring us a lot of comfort, a lot of support for each other. And that is what we need right now. We know that we have the support from Riverside and we appreciate that so much. And once I'm out in Council Bluffs, we're going to start getting to church every Sunday so that we can gain that family and get their support as well. We're going to start building our lives - together - out in Council Bluffs finally. And I know that God is going to be there with us, every step of the way.

Little Things & Sand Dunes

Being apart from my husband has taught me to treasure the little things in life. Liking being able to cuddle at night. Like sleeping in my own bed. Like being able to hold hands. Like kissing each other goodnight. Like watching Friends before going to bed. Like eating dinner together. Like singing in the car along with the radio together. Like being able to stare at my husband whenever I want, just to know he's there. Like waking up next to someone. Like watching movies together. Like the amazing back rubs he gives. Like giving him haircuts in our bathroom. Well... I could go on.

I know I've said this before, but it gets harder and harder to leave AJ every time we have to say goodbye. Although I don't know if I want it to get easier... the fact that it's still hard to say goodbye tells me that our love is not faltering. It tells me that AJ still means the world to me and that we will be okay.

The weekend of our anniversary, however, seemed really hard to say goodbye. That weekend, we were together Friday night until Wednesday morning. I think this was the longest amount of time we have been able to spend with each other since being apart. On a normal weekend, we see each other Friday night until Sunday afternoon/early evening. It's an incredibly short amount of time, all things considered. And because of this, we tend to treasure every moment we have together. It actually feels like we're just starting to date again! Everything is fun and exciting and we're so eager to just spend that time with the other person. We don't spend those weekends arguing about little married things or getting on each others nerves. It's all happiness.

Back to our anniversary weekend - that weekend was extended. And I think that we - or at least I - fell back into our normal married routine. We got more comfortable with each other again and weren't afraid to pick some fights. And as strange as it may sound, I realized that I missed that. While spending our weekends like a new dating couple can be fun, I miss the normalcy of being married. I miss the "mundane" things like fighting over what to have for supper. I miss just being able to sit on the couch with each other, but not having to talk. I miss our routine. And because I had gotten a feeling of that routine again, it was extremely hard to say good bye to AJ on Wednesday morning when we both headed off to work. It was harder to leave what I once had, but hadn't experienced in a couple months. It was hard.

There are some days, those really bad days, that I start to question God. Okay, maybe not question God, but definitely question His plan. Because honestly, I don't really like the plan that He has for AJ and I right now. Actually, it sucks. I start to ask, haven't we been apart long enough? Haven't we proved that we're strong enough for this? Can we be rewarded and live together as a husband and wife should? But nothing changes, there are no job leads or phone calls and we remain separated. And so I think, there must be a reason. There has to be a reason. Maybe it's because the 'perfect' job hasn't come along yet. Maybe, heaven forbid, we're being tested now because of something that could happen in the future and this way we'll be better prepared - again, heaven forbid. Who knows. God does have a plan. I believe that. I've always believed that. But I wish I knew what that plan was. What the time line looked like. When things might start to look better.

I came across a quote the other day so I put it as my Facebook status. The quote read: "So maybe life is suppose to be hard. Maybe the people who have it easy are missing out on an adventure." But then someone posted a comment: "I would have to say that the adventure is just a different one. Do you want to get a workout with a hike or have a leisurely stroll?"

I have to say that I hadn't thought of that. But she made a very good point. This journey that AJ and I are on is only going to be what we make of it. We are the ones to determine what the adventure will be. Are we taking a hike? Or just a stroll around the block? This question, in turn, made me think back to an experience I had as a sophomore in college.

During May Term my sophomore year, I traveled to Africa and spent three weeks on a safari in Namibia and South Africa. One morning, when we were still in Namibia, we woke up extra early - when it was still dark out. Then we drove a little ways to this huge sand dune. The dune was about a mile high. Most of the sand dunes are off limits but this one is open to the public and you can climb to the top. So we started the mile high hike on the sand dune. I don't know if any of you have every tried to climb a giant pile of sand, but let me tell you. It is not the easiest thing to do. For every step you take, you go back a little because there is nothing firm to find your footing on. I got about half way up and I was exhausted. I decided that I wasn't going to make it any higher up and was going to wait where I had stopped. After about 5 minutes, with more and more people passing me on their way up to the top, I changed my mind. I worked my way up the rest of the sand dune and finally made it to the very top. I remember being so proud of myself for deciding to push myself and make the rest of the climb. And once I was up there, the reward was amazing. We all sat down and waited. We waited and watched. We watched the most spectacular sunrise come up over the desert and other sand dunes. To this day, it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. We literally watched as the sun made it's light fall across the desert. I wish I could describe what it was like, but it was simply too amazing. One of God's greatest creation. It was completely worth every hard and exhausting step of the climb up. 

Would the sunrise would have been just as beautiful from halfway up the sand dune? Probably. But would I have enjoyed the sight more? I'm not sure. Knowing how hard I had to work to make it to the top made the pay off that much more amazing. I'd like to think that this is the point AJ and I are at. We've been climbing for a while now... we're both exhausted. We're ready to be done. But it doesn't look like we're at the top yet. It looks like we still have some climbing to do. We have to keep pushing ourselves. We have to keep climbing. But I know that the top is in sight. There is a point that we'll get to when we'll be up there. And then we'll be able to enjoy that beautiful sunrise together. I know that when we get to that point, our reward will be great. And most importantly, we'll be enjoying it together. 

A Birthday, Homecoming, Anniversary and Concert

Well, it's been a busy couple of weeks in the Zaruba household. My 25th birthday has come and gone. We spent the weekend up in Minnesota and it was really nice to spend some quality time with my family. It seems like it had been forever since I had been home! The weekend was spent taking some more senior pictures of Daniel, eating a lot of food, having drinks with some friends and hanging out with my family. It was a great weekend! But again, it was too short and the end came too quickly.

Last week seemed to crawl by. Probably because AJ and I had such an amazing weekend planned out! Finally Friday came and it was the start of our Anniversary weekend! AJ even surprised me by sending a dozen roses to my office! The note on the card said: "A rose for every month we've been married." Loved it! :)

That night, AJ got into town and we walked down Main St. in Cedar Falls and stopped at Indulgence. There we enjoyed a nice glass of wine while sitting out on the sidewalk, enjoying the amazing fall weather. Then we had 8pm reservations at Bourbon St. It was the first time AJ had ever eaten there and it had been forever since I was there and wow was the food amazing! The best part was we had a $50 gift card from the hotel in honor of our anniversary. After dinner, we walked back to our hotel - The Blackhawk Hotel in Cedar Falls. It's a very cool old hotel that still has the vintage look and feel to it. The room was so neat and they had roses on our pillows and rose petals all over. We also had some champagne and chocolate. It was a great night.

Saturday morning we drove into Waverly for Wartburg's Homecoming. We went to a friends house for some home made breakfast which was great! Then we attended the Homecoming parade before making our way to campus. We spent pretty much the whole time running into people we knew from college and catching up with them. It's also so great to get back on campus and see the people who have been such a big part of our lives. It's truly like going back home. Wartburg's community is so close-knit and it's always nice to go back and be a part of that - even if it's just for a little while.

Before leaving town, AJ and I picked up our anniversary cake. The Waverly Bakery is where we got our wedding cake from. One of the cool things they do is give you a free cake for your one year anniversary. This is one thing that AJ was really looking forward to! For the past year, AJ has not let me forget the fact that he didn't get any of our wedding cake on our wedding night except for the small pieces we fed each other. So this free cake was a big deal for us... okay, for AJ. :)

That night, we stayed at a small hotel in Toledo, IA that had some themed rooms. It was a lot of fun because it was so different than a normal hotel. Our room was called Aces Wild and had a casino theme. This was a surprise to AJ until we got there and I think he really enjoyed it. We ordered in pizza, ate some cake and enjoyed some wine. It was another perfect night.

Sunday morning we were able to sleep in, which we did! Then we packed up and heading west back home to Council Bluffs. Yes, that's right, I said we. :) I took Monday and Tuesday morning off from work. On Sunday we pretty much just relaxed around the house and enjoyed each other's company.

Tonight was AJ's first concert at Riverside High School and I wouldn't miss it for the world. He did an outstanding job! And I was not the only one to think so! These were just some of the quotes I heard after the concert:

• Phenomenal! Just great, night and day difference from last year!
• You bring so much energy to the program.
• What a great concert! You really pick songs that the kids enjoy singing!

Of course AJ would be modest and tell everyone that it's really the kids that are doing great and he just waves his arms. But he does give them a great energy and he works harder than he gives himself credit for. It always amazes me to watch AJ when he's up on stage and in front of his choir. You can just see the passion in his eyes and when he talks and when he's conducting. You just know that AJ is meant to be in front of a choir. He makes it all look like so much fun too! And it really makes me miss choir! We did record the concert so if any of your are interested in watching all or some of it, just let us know.

All in all, it has been a great weekend and past couple of weeks. I'm not looking forward to having to leave again tomorrow. It's getting harder to want to leave Council Bluffs every time I get over here. It feels a lot like home (even though I don't live here) and it's so nice to be able to sleep in my own bed next to my husband!

Well, I have a lot of other thoughts, but this blog is more of a recap. I'll be sure to get those thoughts down for another blog! I hope you are all enjoying the nice fall weather before the next season comes along... :) God Bless.

Growing Up & Learning Lessons

I'm probably past due on getting another blog up and for that, I apologize. I know how many of you depend on this blog on a weekly basis and I have failed you. :) 

This weekend, it is my birthday. And I'm turning 25. Yup. 25. I am officially getting old. According to my dad, a quarter of a century! And apparently, the one thing I was looking forward to about turning 25 (a lower car insurance) is just an urban myth! I'm so disappointed! Now, I know a lot of you - especially anyone older than me - are probably thinking "Psh, 25 is NOT old! You're still young and have plenty of years to go!" And you're right. In all aspects, 25 is still very young. But it's also an age where I am getting older and maybe (if I'm lucky!) more mature. I definitely realize that I have a lot of growing up to still do, but I think I'm off to a good start. I'm sure learning a lot of lessons along the way. So I thought I would take the time to share some of these lessons with all of you.

One of the things I've learned is that the real world is not like college. And maybe colleges need to prepare you more for this reality. For one thing, there are no Outfly's in the real world. For those of you not aware, Outfly is a Wartburg holiday tradition. Once a year (in the fall), the student body president declares a day of the week Outfly. However, nobody knows when the day will come and you don't find out until 6:30 that morning when you are woken up by people yelling and banging on doors. Then all our classes are canceled for the day and instead students can do whatever they like - sleep, go shopping, play in the Outfly golf tournament, enjoy other campus activities and games, etc. It is one of the greatest days of the year to a Wartburg student. :) As alum, you get an email sent to you the day of Outfly as well, which is really just a cruel reminder that you are no longer in college and cannot take a day off to catch up on sleep or enjoy the nice weather. Lesson learned.


Instead of Outfly's and Movie Knights and everything else you get to do in college, the real world is made up of paying bills, budgeting to make sure you have enough money to pay those bills, remembering when to get your oil changed, keeping the apartment clean so it doesn't turn into a bachelor pad when your wife isn't there... so on and so on. Lesson learned. 


I'm also learning that work isn't everything. Making a lot of money doesn't make things okay if you're not happy. And making a lot of money doesn't matter when all you want to do is live with your husband. A job is just a job. You can make whatever you want from it - make the most out of any job. And you should - you should always work your hardest at any job you have and be grateful, but you also need to be happy doing it. Staying at a job for the wrong reasons isn't going to solve any problems. You need to do what's best for your happiness. For your marriage. For your life. Lesson learned.


As AJ and I grow together as husband and wife, I'm learning that marriage is not perfect. Okay, I'm not sure that 'learning' is the right term here. Maybe it needs to be 'being reminded'. I think that I was naive when it came to this thought. Marriage is a lot of things, but not perfect. It never is. It never will be. Marriage is hard work. It takes patience and courage. It takes commitment and trust. Marriage is trial and error. It's also a support system. Marriage is something that can make things better or make something easier. Marriage is a beautiful friendship. But all of it - the good and the bad - take some effort. Marriage is not like a fairy tale story. Lesson learned.


Another thing I'm learning is that Sundays are currently the worst day of the week. And every week, it gets harder and harder to say good bye to AJ. We have been fortunate enough to be able to see each other every weekend that we've been apart, even if it's just been for one night. But there is never enough time on the weekends. Not enough time when you try to do all the stuff you couldn't do during the week. Not enough time when you spend a lot of hours on the road getting places. Not enough time to  make up all that lost time from the week with your husband. Not enough time when you just want to spend some quality time with your family - who you also don't get to see enough. There is just not enough time and some things have to be pushed until the next weekend. Lesson learned.


So there you have it, 5 lessons I've recently learned. Maybe they've helped you gain some insight for yourself. Or maybe you have some already learned insight that you can share! Whatever the case, we all still have some growing up to do and there will always be lessons to learn.

Numbers & things

I thought you might enjoy some numbers... I do find them interesting....

Austin and I have have been together (as a couple) for 153 weeks.
We have been married for 48 weeks. 
In just 4 short weeks, we will celebrate our one year anniversary of marriage.
We have not lived together for the past 8 weeks. 
But of those 56 days living apart, we have been able to see each other for about 18 days (give or take).


It's different to take a look at our time together that way. To really break it all down. I'm not sure why I decided to figure this out, but I was hit with the realization earlier this week that I was going on week 4 on being out of my office and on the road for work. That in itself has been very exhausting and hard to get any real work done that is quickly piling up on my desk! 


When I totaled the number of weeks AJ and I have been living apart, I was honestly surprised it had already been 8 weeks! I'm not sure what I expected. It does feel like we've been apart for so long, but maybe being able to see each other every weekend still has been more helpful than we know. Or maybe I was shocked by the number because I've also had so much going on at work. Whatever the reason, it has still been a long 8 weeks. And I think it's starting to affect AJ and I more now. 

The last weekend I was in Council Bluffs for example, AJ really wanted to go out to eat or just get out of the apartment! I however, just wanted to relax, cuddle on the couch with AJ and watch Grey's all weekend! It's probably because I have been on the road so much for work and poor AJ is only ever in the apartment or at school. We did compromise though and AJ convinced me to go out for breakfast on Sunday morning before church. I think he really appreciated that as well. 


We also finally made it to a church service over in Council Bluffs that week (as briefly stated). We had been meaning to try and get to a service but it just wasn't happening. We had actually received a recommendation from a couple in the church choir at Zion. Their daughter goes to a church in Council Bluffs so they passed along the information. The neat thing was that I had already looked up a list of the churches in CB and the one they gave us information for was on my list to go and check out! :) The church is Saint John Lutheran Church. It is a beautiful church very close to downtown Council Bluffs - and close to the library!! (another one of the first places I Googled!) It was a really great service too - it was at 11am, which AJ and I both appreciated! ;-) And they had two pastors, one of which had just been ordained this past June. She was actually the one to give the sermon and she did a great job. We also heard the Choir sing! The senior pastor, Jon, came up and talked to us after the service and was so friendly! He made us feel very welcomed and made us excited to go back! AJ also connected with the choir director and the organist, who both said they were willing to help accompany for his high school and middle school choirs. And of course they invited him to join the choir which he plans on doing. 


It was nice to finally make a service over there. It feels like another step in becoming more apart of that community. It also sounds like we have a lot of chances to get involved. The church is actually relocating temporarily while they do some remodeling at their current building. So we'll have to see what happens and how AJ and will get involved. 


And finally, this past week also had another big step for AJ and I - but especially AJ. He received his first paycheck from Riverside!! It was very exciting! And also very cute as he woke me up early on Saturday morning to tell me the check had been deposited! :) For the first time in our married life (48 weeks!) we have a dual income. Even better yet was today was my payday! 

AJ and I have had a number of talks about our finances and bills and budgets. And we're so excited about what it will mean to us to have dual incomes. We are both firmly committed to putting as much 'extra' money into savings as possible. We did this with the money AJ had from his long-term sub job at Marion and those savings were what saved us during our transition from Waterloo to Council Bluffs and into AJ's new job. And as I typed that I realized the connection - SAVINGS can SAVE you in tough times! :) 


Well I think that's about it for this week. AJ and I are meeting in Des Moines tonight and spending the night in a hotel. I'm pretty excited because the hotel stay is free with the Marriott Reward Points I have gotten through work in all my travel and setting up other meetings! It should be a pretty nice hotel too! Then tomorrow I'm staying in Des Moines for Amber's bridal shower and bachelorette party which will no doubt be a great time! And finally, on Sunday, I'm meeting Amanda for pedicures and lunch. Should be a great weekend! I think AJ is still figuring out his plans for the rest of the weekend, but hopefully he'll have as much fun as I'm guaranteed to have! :)

Three years

It's been three years. Three years ago, I ran into a bit of bad luck but within 24 hours of that event, my luck had turned around. AJ and I started dating. I'm not sure either of expected what the next three years to bring, but we have been grateful and blessed by everything. Especially of the fact that we're coming up to just about a month away from our one year wedding anniversary - something we're very excited to celebrate! :)

This past week, I was out in Nebraska for the Husker Harvest farm show. I was able to take yesterday (Friday) off and spent it here in Council Bluffs with AJ. Luckily for me, this weekend was also Riverside's Homecoming! So yesterday afternoon I drove to Oakland to watch the Homecoming parade - which AJ was judging. It was so much fun to watch all the students throughout the parade and see their school spirit! And it was nice to continue to meet more of the people that AJ works with. Throughout the parade and then again at the football game that night, I heard numerous comments and praises from other faculty and community members about AJ. How excited they are to have him at the district, all the good things they've heard about him, how he brings so much enthusiasm to his work, and so on and so on. It made me so proud! :) I know without a doubt that AJ is putting his very best into all the work he's doing at the school, but it's so nice to hear it from other people to. And to hear that they appreciate all he's doing so far - and he's only getting started! It also made me feel very welcomed into this community and very excited to become a part of that once I'm over here full-time.

The parade and the football game were both a lot of fun. And I felt much more in place this game as I had ordered some Riverside Bulldogs sweatshirts for AJ and I to wear! Unfortunately, the football game didn't go quite that well... when we left at the beginning of the 4th quarter, the score was 0-57. But that didn't waiver any of the school spirit from the crowd! And that was good to see!

AJ has cast the musical for You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and they start having their first practices this week! And his high school choir has also been chosen to sing at the SIAC (School Improvement Advisory Committee) meeting this upcoming Tuesday, which is being held in Carson, IA. He's also been getting students to sing the National Anthem at various sporting events and singing the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at the middle school. Hopefully all this exposure will help him to continue to build the program and get more students involved!

Labor Day Weekend

Last week, I spent most of my time in Boone working the Farm Progress Show. Needless to say, it was a long week and when I finally left the showgrounds on Thursday night at 8pm, AJ had convinced me to come visit him in Council Bluffs. He is just too irresistible! :) And as I drove into Council Bluffs, I had such the strangest feeling. While driving on the interstate, you can see our apartment complex. In the short time we've lived at this apartment, we've made it more like a home than any other apartment. Probably because of all the extra space! And so this apartment feels like home to me - more so than any other place. But driving into Council Bluffs, I find it odd that I can call an apartment there home when I am so unfamiliar with the surrounding area. I really don't know where anything is in Council Bluffs. I can just barely manage to find my way to Oakland or Carson to the schools. It was a fairly unsettling feeling. Hopefully AJ is becoming more familiar with the area and one day (soon-ish?), I will know my way around the area. 

I love being back at that apartment though. I am having a lot of fun decorating it and making it a really nice place to live - even if AJ is the only one who gets to enjoy it! :) I was especially exciting when I was at Target last Friday to see the fall decorations! And of course I had to buy some and went straight home to put up all our fall decorations. And once we were back in Minnesota, I finally found a plant to put on top of our fireplace and decorated it with some fall accents. And then I plan to just switch out the accents for each season! 

AJ and I had a great Labor Day weekend. It really was perfect fall weather and that makes me very happy!! I obviously love fall and it is by far my favorite season! I love sweatshirt weather. I love the cool nights. I love the colorful falling leaves. I love the warmth from bonfires. I love the Friday night football games. I love the fall season smells. And of course, I love that in under two months, AJ and I will be celebrating one fabulous year together. We have been so blessed within the past year. And although we're apart now, we continue to grow stronger every day. 

AJ and I were able to enjoy a lot of time with family and friends over the weekend. We had a bridal shower for my cousin Courtney. We had our annual Reedstrom reunion out at the farm with a lot of family. And we were also able to get together with the Jones side, along with some of Matt's (Courtney's fiance) family. The greatest part about that night was that all eight of us cousins (plus AJ and Matt) were not only all in the same state, but in the same building! It had been a long time since that had happened - probably our wedding last year! We had a great time reminiscing and telling stories and getting our traditional pictures taken. :)

All in all, it was a great weekend. Although it went by way to quickly - as it normally does. And it was hard to say good-bye again. As it always is. Although I will be traveling this week, next week and the following week for work, AJ and I are hoping we'll be able to spend some time together. I'm hoping I'll be able to be out in Council Bluffs for Riverside's homecoming next week after work at the Husker Harvest farm show in Grand Island, NE. 

But we'll be sure to keep you all updated! :) 

Full-time Teacher; Part-time Lover

Finally, after much nagging (as a good wife should know how to do...), I finally got AJ to sit down and write up a blog on this experience during his first couple of weeks at school. It is below:

Wow, what an experience- my very first full time teaching job! For those of you that have read the earlier blogs – I am the new 5-12 Vocal Music instructor for Riverside community schools in Oakland, IA. If you were even the least bit curious as to how it is going for me, I hope to settle your wanderings in this blog- Here goes nothing…

Week one:

The very first full week of this new chapter in my life was actually more about learning than it was about teaching, The very first day of the week I was stuck at the UNairconditioned High school for the new year kick-off for teachers and staff. Sweat dripping down my back, I listened as the principal, superintendent, veteran teachers, and AEA professionals sprinted through their important information just so they could get to their offices to sit in front of a fan. I was already overwhelmed and to make matters worse I still had to find time to go to the middle school to sit through the exact same thing! As I staggered out of the auditorium I was able to find myself a few hours of planning time to get some copies made and some rearrangements done around my makeshift office. I really can’t explain to you how it feels to have 4 years of college waiting to be able to have an office to call my own – now I had it and I didn’t know where to start. When the first day was finished I was able to do some extra planning at my apartment back in Council Bluffs before finally calling it quits late into the night – only to do it over again the next day.

At night I can’t help but think about how nice it would be to have my lovely wife by my side. She is my rock, my comfort and my best friend. I would need to learn how to live in a new place, doing a new job, and meeting new people without her. This was something I thought we vowed never to have to do. I want her here, but I also want her to be happy which means staying at the job which prevents her from being with me. Our checking account likes her being there too!

The second day was much like the first – only THIS time I was at the middle school and was attempting to do much of the same things I tried to do at the High School. To my dismay, I was only able to get a fraction done due to mandatory meetings and curious faculty that just ‘needed’ to meet the new director. Don’t get me wrong I DO love it that people are so interested in me, but I also would like to have everything ready for the very first day of school. I ended up planning at the school until early evening before finally calling it good and heading back to my apartment.

The first day of school was finally here- I had a good night’s sleep all my stuff in my car and my confidence to boot. I was finally on my way to start my career and I was anxious/nervous/excited/ and everything in between but most of all – I was ready.  The bell rang and my choir students started to file into the room as if it was just another day at school – if only they knew how important they were to me. I did my speech, I talked about rules and expectations, and I talked about my hopes for the year. The students didn’t look terribly impressed, I expected that because choir students do expect the choir teacher to SOMETHING musical during class. After the students left I had 2 study halls of a mixture of students that just sat quietly and stared off into space like most students do during a study hall – which makes it much easier for the teacher! Now that the study halls were finished – it was now time for me to head down to the middle school and meet the 5^th grade students for the year! I wasn’t expecting what was to happen next.

The 5^th grade class started to file in, bouncing and trotting along like it was recess one after another… after another.. after another… until I had close to 45 fifth graders in my classroom at one time. I knew that the only way to get anything done was to establish the rules about talking very stern and very fast. So I did. By the time class was done – I was exhausted and so were they. I knew that they had not enjoyed the class or me very much because of how strict it needed to be. I was desperate – so I turned to a fellow teacher who gave me an idea of how to split the class into two smaller sections. I took this advice and ran with it – the new principal (who was having a MUCH harder time than me) accepted the idea and told me do please do what made me happy- so I did!

The last two days of the week went about like the first day, and by the final bell on Friday – I was ready to hibernate and see my wife. We went to the state fair with my sister and my soon-to-be brother in law, but to my surprise when Liz arrived – she was alone! Originally, she was going to come with a friend from work but backed out at the last minute which allowed Liz and I so stay in a Jacuzzi suite at a local hotel. Which was my idea that she stole!!! That little stinker!

Imagine if you will, that you are going to prison and you are looking at your loved one and saying your goodbyes. You are about to go to a place that is scary, unfamiliar, stressful and lonely. How would you feel? Pretty helpless? Sad? Depressed?   Well, those are the feelings I feel each time I leave my wife and have to do a 4.5 hour drive alone towards the place I am trying to call home. Nothing like being a full time employee and a part time lover….

I am in the middle of my second week here at Riverside and I must say that it is pretty much how I expected it to be – It is a lot harder to be away from my lovely wife than I originally thought, but the relationship I am building with my students is beginning to form and I can tell that it will continue to grow throughout the year. Stay tuned for more updates for the year AND about the musical that I am doing at Riverside: “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” based on the comic strip ‘Peanuts’ by Charles Schalk.

Time gone by

Well, about a month has past - just over actually - since "we" moved out to Council Bluffs. I say "we" since AJ's really the only one living out there still! It has been a tough month. I'm not sure either of us really knew what to expect other than the fact that it would be hard and we weren't going to enjoy being apart. We have been very fortunate in the fact that we've been able to see each other every weekend still, but as it is my busiest time of year at work and AJ in the first couple weeks of school in his first year, the weeks have not been fun. Every day and every night we are tested. The strength of our relationship is testing. Our patience is tested. Our sanity is tested! :) I do believe without a doubt that our relationship will be much better off from this time apart. I believe that we will learn to cherish each other more, love each other more and show each other our affection even more. I'm not sure I thought that was possible before our move, but now I am a firm believer. :) 

AJ and I are grateful to each and every one of you for your impact in our lives throughout this time. We are grateful for your friendship, love and support. And because of those things, we know we will be okay. We know we can remain strong.

I've been trying to pester AJ into writing a blog on his first couple days of school because I'm sure you're all dying to know about it! But he has been busy - apparently continuing to plan for his upcoming school days. :) As soon as I can though, we'll get something up for you. 

I'm not sure this is the best update, but just some thoughts as we reach our first month apart. May God continue to grant us the strength and patience we need. 

Go Bulldogs!

This past weekend, AJ and I were both down in Tipton for the first wedding shower of Matt and Amber. We were excited to be able to spend the weekend together. AJ started his orientation on Thursday of that past week and had two in-service days before the first day of school on Wednesday. On Monday night, the staff of Riverside School District has a supper and spouses and families are invited to attend. AJ had asked if I could come, knowing it was a long shot. Originally, I didn't think I could get off work because I was suppose to be in St. Louis for part of that week, but when that meeting got canceled, I decided to take the vacation day and surprise AJ. So on Saturday afternoon, when discussing when he was going to leave on Sunday, I told AJ I would be following him to Council Bluffs. He was ecstatic! :)

So, on Sunday after lunch, we headed back West. We ran into a bit of a delay however. Just outside of Grinnell we came to a dead stop on I-80. Finally, we slowly made our way (two cars at a time) off the Grinnell exit. For cars ahead of the exit, they were having some of them turn around and come back off on the on-ramp! Well thank goodness for our GPS! When AJ turned it on, it had already picked up that there was a delay. It routed us on a gravel road parallel with I-80. We could see trucks and cars just sitting on the highway. It took us to the next possible on ramp but before we got back on, we drove on the overpass to see if we could see anything. Well, we could see it all. It was a huge accident - a camper driving eastbound had lost control and hit an SUV heading westbound. It was a mess. Thank God no one was killed! 

We went back on our way finally ahead of the traffic but it wasn't long before we drove past some of the flooding that had occurred near Baxter. Luckily, that didn't slow us down though. We finally made it back to Council Bluffs and it was nice to be back at the apartment, even if it was for a short time. 


On Monday, AJ headed off to his in-service day at the school and I stayed back at the apartment and did some work. That evening, I drove to Carson to meet AJ at the middle school and then we drove to the staff dinner together. The dinner was simple, but everyone was so friendly! AJ had originally told everyone I wouldn't make it apparently, so they were all glad to meet me! And I finally got to meet some of the people AJ had been telling me about. We had a great time meeting new people and getting to know some of AJ's co-workers. The superintendent introduced all the new staff and there were 14 total. While it was pretty low-key, it was exciting to be a part of it. AJ finally belongs to a school district and so far, all signs point to the fact that he's going to fit in great and really enjoy being there. I'm also excited to get some Bulldog clothes so I can start to support the district! :)   

Stormy Adventure

8/10/10

This summer has been a summer of storms! And both AJ and I love storms! However, many of the major storms kept missing us and we were always disappointed. Don't get me wrong, we hate the damage storms can cause, but we love the cool factor of them! The clouds, the rain, the lightening, the thunder - we love it all. After the past couple of storms though, I think AJ and I have both had our fair share of summer storms. 

A couple of nights ago AJ was hanging out in Ames with a friend when a storm came through. He decided to wait it out for a while and then once it looked like it had cleared up, he hit the road home to Council Bluffs. On the way however, he ran into another storm. He pulled off to the side of the road on an exit until it would lighten up. He said the rain was coming down so hard it couldn't hear himself talk and the wind was shaking his car so hard from both sides, he swears the rear of the car was moved some! He called freaked out!! And I don't blame him! He said, for all the complaining I do about missing all the cool storms,  I'm keeping my mouth shut from now on! Luckily, the storm passed and he made it home safely. 


Then tonight, Abbi and I were in Waterloo shopping and when we were on our way back to Grundy Center, we could see a huge storm coming. It was 86 degrees when we left Target. We literally drove into the storm and the dark clouds surrounded the car. We were loving it. It was still light enough outside we could see all the cool clouds and lightning. And boy, it was starting to lightning a lot! We decided to pull over so we could take some pictures and watch the lightning. We saw this HUGE bolt of lightning that stayed for a few seconds! It was crazy! However, after we took some pictures, the wind had picked up and the temp was now 78 degrees. We decided to hit the road and continue to Grundy Center. Soon it started to rain, lightly at first and then it eventually was coming down in sheets. It was blowing right towards the front of my car and at times I couldn't even see the front of my car! We pulled over a couple different times because it was raining so hard. By this time it was dark and the lightning was so bright it was going from daylight to the darkness over and over again. It was freaking my eyes out! And of course it was only making it harder to drive. Finally we pulled into someone's driveway just to get off the road for awhile. After that, Abbi took over driving the rest of the way and we finally made it back to Grundy Center. Then once we got here, we had to get all of our bags from shopping inside the house. It took us two trips and needless to say we were soaked! 

All in all, it was quite the adventure but I'd be okay if it never happened again! I'll be more than happy to experience that type of storm from the comfort of my own home next time, rather than in a car on the side of a country road. However, we did get some cool pictures! :) 

The Perfect Surprise Date Night

Last week had been a long week at work. I was up in Minnesota for a majority of the week working at Farm Fest and it was hot. And then I had a mountain of work to come back to on Friday. All in all, it was a long and stressful week - and AJ had let me vent all my frustrations to him. 

On Friday we texted back and forth throughout the day. Late in the afternoon, I drove into Cedar Falls to pick up some postcards to be mailed out. On my way, I called AJ to chat. He asked if my day was going any better and what my plans were for the night. He mentioned something about going out to dinner and a movie and I said, if only you were here. 

When I got back to my office I had a surprise waiting on my desk! AJ had sent a beautiful bouquet of roses! I was in shock! I texted him, "You got me flowers!?!" However, as soon as I hit send, I turn to see AJ walking into my cubicle!!! He had driven all the way from Council Bluffs to come surprise me! I couldn't believe it! He said my face was priceless! I was not expecting it all but it was an amazing surprise! 

And what I didn't know was as I was driving into Cedar Falls, AJ actually passed me on the road! He said he ducked his head a little and hoped I wouldn't see him! I don't even think I recognized the Grand Am! AJ couldn't believe that I didn't see him! And I'm glad I didn't because it would have ruined the complete surprise! :)  

AJ waiting patiently for me while I finished up the work day - which didn't end until after 5pm... I think I kept looking over at him because I still couldn't believe he was there! We called and made dinner reservations at the Brown Bottle and once I was off work, we took some time to spend down on Main St, Cedar Falls. We went to this little shop called Indulgence and had some chocolate appetizers! Then we drove to the Brown Bottle and once we got there, we asked to be seated outside on the patio - it wasn't too hot or anything - seemed like a perfect night! The host was like, "Going to chance the rain, huh?" And of course that was no big deal to us - plus whenever we want it to rain, it never does. :) 

So we were seated outside and when our waitress came out, she also said to us, "Taking a chance on the rain, huh?" We just smiled and said we'd be fine. We ordered our drinks and AJ ordered some appetizers as well and we sat and just enjoyed each others company. Before our meal came out, it did start to sprinkle some, but we just moved the table under the umbrella more and we were fine. Then our meal came out and it was delicious! We had never eaten at the Brown Bottle before but we quickly realized why it was such a popular place! The food was amazing!

We were close to finishing up our meal when the waitresses came outside to round up the chairs and put down the other umbrellas. We told our waitress she could bring us our check so we could get of their way before any rain came. It had gotten a little darker, cooler and windier. It started to rain again and as soon as we were handing our check back to our waitress and they were clearing our table, it started to pour! AJ and I loved it! We rain to the car and were soaked when we got there! We couldn't think it could have been any better for two people who love the rain! We laughed about how wet we were and hoped we'd drive off before the movie. 

We took off to Waterloo next to head to the movie theater. On the way, we listened to a CD AJ had burned of choral music. When we parked the car, AJ said we had to listen to one song before we could go in. It's a song called Cloudburst by Eric Whitacre. If you have never heard this song, you must listen to it. It's an amazing song - especially if you love the rain. And listening to it inside a car while it rained outside... okay, so we might be a couple of nerds, but it was simply awesome. 

Once we got inside the movie theater, we bought our tickets for Toy Story 3 and still had some time before we could go sit. So we decided to play some games in the arcade. We had a good time. Then we went to find some seats and were the first ones in the theater so we sat in the very back row! I think there were a total of six people in the theater which was awesome. And the movie was great! Very funny and relaxing after a long week. 

All in all, it really was a perfect surprise date night! I feel so blessed to have such an amazing husband! It was sad to see him leave again the next morning, but we'll be seeing each other again this weekend. So while the weeks might be long and stressful, the weekends have at least been enjoyable and we've been able to spend that time together.

Council Bluffs Residents

Well, it's official. We are now Council Bluffs residents. We've been in our new apartment for one week now and finally getting settled in.

Last Sunday, my dad and AJ's parents arrived around 9am and we started to load up the trailer. Luckily it wasn't too hot out or anything. And boy did we work fast! We had everything packed and ready to go by 11:30! It took much less time than any of us expected I think! So we had some lunch on the floor of our empty apartment and were on the road by 1pm. And my mom and Daniel were nice enough to stay behind and finish cleaning the old apartment for us! They saved me some work to do on Thursday night and they did an outstanding job! :)

The rest of us hit the road and made it to Council Bluffs with no problems by about 5pm. Our parents went to relax in the hotel rooms and I dragged AJ out to Target to pick up some shelves and bathroom stuff. That night we ordered pizza and were all asleep at the hotel by 9:30pm! It had been a long day!

On Monday morning, we couldn't get into our new apartment until the leasing office opened up at 9. But we headed over there around 8:30 so we could find the building and a place to park the trailer. As soon as we could, we got into the office to sign our lease. Everything was pretty standard but we did find out that since we were moving in a week early (from August 1st) we were going to have to pay for that week. We weren't very happy about it but oh well. After getting everything signed, the lady handed us the building key (every building is locked) and said the guys were up in our apartment now finishing up some things and changing our locks - they would give us our new door keys.

Before we started to move anything upstairs (up three flights of stairs....) AJ and I went to check out the apartment. At first, we were not impressed. The maintenance guys still had work to do. They had their tools still in the apartment. None of the outlet/switches covers were on yet, there were no blinds for the patio door, the window in the bedroom had a huge crack - all the way through, it looked like someone had tried to kick out the deadbolt on the door and the kitchen floor was disgusting! Just to name some.  We were not happy. However, the guys seemed really nice and apologetic. They kept apologizing saying everything should have been done before we got there. And they let us start moving all our stuff in while they were still working. They kept telling us what condition the place had been in before they got all the work done after the last tenants. I can't even imagine. The good news is that we did get brand new carpet, some new doors and a new fridge! They actually were moving in the first on Monday. They also apologized for the kitchen floor and didn't understand why it didn't get cleaned. They said they would call the cleaning company and have them come take care of it this afternoon.

So we started hauling everything upstairs. It took a little longer this time since we had to go up three flights of stairs. It was pretty hot out too but luckily the building was shading the side we were moving in on, so that helped some. We finally got everything in and there were boxes everywhere. Luckily we had an extra bedroom so that was pretty much were everything went to start out with. We had some troubles getting the couches through the door, but other than that, really no problems. Meanwhile, the guys finished up everything they could - put the new fridge in, put on our new doors, put the blinds up, put all the covers on, put a plate on the door so we could lock it and called the cleaning company and the window guy. They were very helpful.

At lunch, we decided to head somewhere cool and sit inside and relax before our parents had to hit the road. It was a nice time and a good meal too! Our parents were on the road by 1:00pm roughly and the Qwest guy was here at the apartment waiting for us when we got back. He got our TV hooked up to Direct TV while AJ and I started to unpack some boxes. We also had the window guy stop by to get a measurement and he said a new window would be here in just a day or two. We spend the rest of the day just unpacking what we could. Finally around 5:30, a woman came from the cleaning company. She was also very friendly and apologized for not getting the floors cleaned. She told us that she thought the floor in the kitchen was going to be replaced so they didn't bother really cleaning it. But she worked as hard as she could and got it looking really nice. She did show us what she couldn't clean off - burn marks and cuts (from a knife?) on the floor. She also kept telling us what a mess the apartment was after the other tenants left. She said they spent 12 hours cleaning here and it looked like they never cleaned the toilets and the inside of the fridge was so gross, she wasn't even going to tell us what was in there. I can't even imagine!

On Tuesday, we tried to get some cleaning done - which was hard considering we left most of our cleaning supplies back in Waterloo so that apartment could get clean. And we got some more things unpacked. We also went grocery shopping and found out how much fun it is to climb the stairs trying to carry all our groceries in one load! We went shopping at this place called No Frills Supermarket and it was really cheap and right near our apartment! We loved it! We also did some laundry because one of the great things about this apartment is that we have our own washer and dryer!! :) However, as we were using the dryer, it kept smelling like something was burning. I check the sheets in the dryer and luckily they were fine. After we started the second load in the dryer, I noticed there was lint all over the floor! AJ asked if I had cleaned the lint trap so I said I would after that load. Well, when I went to do that, I discovered there was no lint trap! Hence the lint all over our floor! So that was it for laundry until we could get a new lint trap!

So we decided to try and cook some dinner. We had gotten some garlic bread at the store so AJ started to preheat the oven. However, when he went to put the bread in, a puff of smoke came out of the oven with a smell so bad it almost knocked AJ to his feet! He was NOT happy! I really wanted the garlic bread so we cooked it anyway. Once the oven had cooled down we took a look inside. It had obviously not been clean and black stuff was just caked on. Then we decided to try our luck at our dishwasher (another perk of this apartment)! Once they were done we took a look. The dishes were clean, but not extremely clean. AJ looked at the bottom of the dishwasher were he found pieces of food, a water bottle cap and cigarette butts, just to name a few... Again, we were not happy.

We sat down that night and filled out our move-in inspection sheet. We had to turn it in the next day and we made sure to mark down everything we've had problems with so far. On Wednesday we took it to the office and AJ asked if we could sit down and go over the form with them. We told them everything we've had problems with and they listened and took notes. They told us they would get someone up to fix the things we needed and they would call the cleaning company to come take care of the oven and dishwasher. AJ then said that while we appreciate everything that's been done and going to get done, we didn't think it was very fair we had to deal with these things while we were moving in - especially when we had to pay for the week. The lady said she would talk to her boss and see what she could do.

Unfortunately, I had to head back to Waterloo that night for work the next two days. I also got everything else taken care of at our old apartment and turned in our keys on Friday. I also got a call from AJ saying he had just heard back from the leasing office here in Council Bluffs. They were going to take $100 off our September rent and they agreed to replace our kitchen floor in September as well! We were very excited! Plus, we had our window replaced, we got our lint trap, we'll have a new door this next week and they were going to come and just do some finishing touches on the paintwork. They also said the cleaning people should be coming to clean the oven.

On Friday after work, I drove back here to Council Bluffs with all the rest of our cleaning supplies. On Saturday, we did a lot of cleaning. AJ - sick of waiting for the cleaning people - cleaned the oven and spent probably about two hours on it! But you should see the difference! We also cleaned the floors, did some dusting and just general cleaning. The place is looking great. It finally feels like a real home to us. I'll post some pictures below of the finished apartment and I'll also try to upload some to our photo sharing website so you can see the process. :)

Later this evening, I'm heading to Minnesota for a few days. I'm going to keep my dad company while Mom and Dan are in Guatemala and I'll be working at Farm Fest. I'm also excited because I get to stop in Estherville to see Amanda! :) Unfortunately for AJ I won't be back in Council Bluffs until the weekend of August 13th. But AJ has plenty of things to keep him busy now preparing for the school year and he starts orientation on August 12th. So begins the next part in our lives. We really have no idea how it's going to work but we're hopeful and I know AJ is eager for school to be starting.