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.