December already?

I've decided it was time for another update blog post. I mean, I know how much you all love these! ;-)

November came and was quickly gone again. Sometimes I can't believe it's already December! But November was still a fairly busy time for us. I was busy finishing up my high school visits and AJ was busy preparing for his all-school talent show. I spent some time up in Minnesota for a friend's baby shower and it was so good to see my high school friends. We always have a great time whenever we can get together! But you can tell we're all getting older as our gatherings now include babies! :)
The all-school talent show went great for AJ and I think he was really pleased with all the acts and how well all of his students did. And then we even had some visitors! Amber and Ariel came over and the three of us (we left AJ at home...) went to go see Breaking Dawn. We've seen the last two Twilight movies together so it's become a fun tradition for us!

And then it was already Thanksgiving! We spent the weekend up in Minnesota with my family. It was great to not only have some time with just our immediate family, but to also spend Thanksgiving day with our extended family as well. And again, you can tell we're all growing up as we now have little ones to entertain us throughout the day. :) AJ especially had fun playing Ring-Around-the-Rosie with them! We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and enjoying our time off from work. We did do some Black Friday shopping - but not until later in the morning! And seeing some other friends while we were home as well. Overall, it was a great weekend! And plenty to be thankful for!

And now it's December! We welcomed December with a bit of snow on the first but nothing that really stuck. And then that first Saturday we had quite a bit of snow! It was one of those really beautiful snowfalls with the big fluffy flakes. Unfortunately, we were in Omaha for the day as I was at work and we had some shopping to do. Luckily though, we didn't run into too many problems on the drive home. Now however, all of snow has melted! And I must admit, I don't like it. I'm a big fan of having a white Christmas! Must be the whole growing up in Minnesota thing... :) But I need to have snow on Christmas. And from what my parents tell me, they don't have any snow back at home either! So here's hoping that we do get another snowfall that sticks - here, in Tipton and in Minnesota! Give me snow! :)

On Dec. 2nd, AJ had his Middle School Winter Concert. The fun part about that is that he had family that came over to surprise him! I knew ahead of time and it was fun to see his surprised face at the concert! His Mom, Grandma, Aunt Lisa and Amber all came for the concert. It was fun to have AJ walk around the corner and see them standing there! We are so blessed to have such amazing family that supports us so much! The concert itself was also amazing! Especially for a middle school concert, the sound was very good. The students were engaged and focused on what they were doing! AJ definitely knows what he's doing. I think his family were very impressed with the quality of concert it was as well, for being a middle school concert.

This past weekend we had some guests come and hang out with us! My friend Amanda and her baby Thor drove down for the weekend! The visit had been a long time coming and we were so happy it finally happened! We had a fun-filled weekend of playing with Thor and getting in some quality clans-people time! :) On Saturday we spent most of the day in Omaha at one of the malls. Amanda wanted to take Thor to see Santa! And the pictures she got were priceless! Definitely worth the 45 minutes we spent waiting in line! We all got some shopping done and ended the day at the Cheesecake Factory - which made my husband very happy! :) On Sunday we all just relaxed and didn't really do much of anything! Although we did give Thor a bath and taught him how to splash... haha They drove back home yesterday (Monday) and it was sad to see them go! We had a lot of fun! And we got a pretty good idea of what it's like to have a baby around 24/7! :) Not quite sure if we're ready for that yet... haha

Our string of visitors didn't stop there however! Yesterday we also welcomed my parents into town! They came down to see AJ's concert last night! It was wonderful of them to drive down and always great to see them! Plus, it was the first time my mom had seen our new apartment! After the concert we all went out for dinner and definitely had a good time! No offense to my sister and brother, but it was nice to spend some quality time with just AJ and my parents. I'm not sure we've really ever gotten the chance to do that. And it was really great. Again, we are truly blessed to have such supportive families! :) And today, before they headed back home to Minnesota, they drove into Omaha to see where I work and walk around UNO's campus! It's always fun to show off the place where I work and tell them about campus! :) I was even treated with a Jones Bros Cupcake before they left! Lucky me! And AJ... we of course bought one for him too!

So, as I mentioned, last night was AJ's High School Winter Concert - and his last concert for the year. The concert was incredible! It's been amazing to see how far the choir has progressed in just one short year! AJ has tripled his choir size and you could definitely tell the difference in the concert last night. Their sound was so good and the level of singing has definitely improved. AJ just has a way with students and knows how to get them to focus on what they're doing and to really put on a great show. The level of one of the songs they did was so impressive - it was a very difficult song - an All-State song, especially for such a young choir like AJ's but they did outstanding! Like I said, they've come a long way in just one year and it'll be exciting to see how Contest will go this spring and what will happen next year! It was a great concert!

I was thinking last night during the concert about when AJ first got offered the job at Riverside. I remember thinking that after he accepted the job, even though I somehow knew it was the right decision, I couldn't imagine leaving Northeast Iowa... I couldn't imagine living in Council Bluffs, in a place that was so foreign and far away from our family and friends. It was hard for me to picture what our life would be like here. But last night, as I watched AJ conduct the choir and watch how the kids responded to him, I can't imagine us being anywhere else right now.
Yes we're far away from our family. But this is where we're suppose to be. I know that without a doubt. This job at Riverside has been the perfect job for AJ. It's allowed him to really build up a program. It's allowed him to start making a name for himself. It's helped him to really develop his teaching skills and styles and to develop the program. We're in a community that has welcomed us with open arms and one that simply adores AJ. I love tagging behind AJ after a concert to listen to all the amazing compliments he receives from parents and members of the community. I love hearing AJ come home and tell me the nice things that the principal said to him that day after observing his class. I love reading emails that AJ gets from mentors or parents that talk about how they've never seen a skill and energy level like his from a second year teacher. I love being able to be so proud of my husband.

Not only has this place been great for AJ and his career, it's also been perfect for mine. I remember having to leave Kruger, a place where I've become comfortable and try to figure out what I was going to do over here. I remember applying for job and job, just trying to find anything. And then I was lucky enough to interview at UNO for the Admissions Counselor position. Getting in to admissions work in higher education is something I've always wanted to do since I graduated. I worked as a student in Wartburg's Admissions Office and loved it! But it can be hard to get into the field without having experience! So I have been so grateful for the opportunity I've been given here at UNO. And I believe that this job has helped me realize that I want to continue my career in higher education. Trying to figure out what I've wanted to do with my life has been a struggle of mine since college. And while I still don't know entirely what I want to do in life, I know I would like to stay within education - specifically higher education. And that's a good feeling.

I know I say this a lot, but God really does know what He's doing. It's just always amazing when you think back over the past year or two and you can see how everything has fallen into place exactly like it's suppose to. Looking back and and then looking at the present, seeing everything is how it's suppose to be, it makes going through those rough patches easier. It's helpful to know that those rough patches are sometimes necessary to make you stronger or to help get you to the place you are now.
Everything just takes time. Time and patience. And that's something that not a lot of us have. God's timeline is much different than ours but His is the one that counts. And it's always good when you can finally see that.

So, I strayed a bit and didn't just keep this an update blog but hopefully that's okay. :) And anyhow... right now I think AJ and I are both looking forward to Christmas break! One thing I love about my job is that we get the week off in between Christmas and New Year's! And since AJ also has a break, this means that we get some extended time with our families!! Which we love!! :) So next week we'll be heading to Tipton for a Zaruba Christmas and then the following week we're driving up to Minnesota for a late Reedstrom Christmas. It should be a great, fun and relaxing time! Now if it would just hurry up and get here! :)

I'm thankful for...

So I know I'm a couple of days late on this post, but really Thanksgiving isn't the only day you can remember all that you're thankful for! So that's what this is post is for! Creating a list of all that I am thankful for and so grateful to be blessed by God! I have so much to be thankful for. So much that I'm not sure I'll even be able to write it all down! :)

I am thankful that Austin and I have a place to call our own. We have a roof over our head. We have a place we can come home to every night and relax. And if I'm being honest here, I'm thankful for my jet whirlpool tub! ;-) We have a kitchen and plenty of food to eat. I am thankful that we always have food and never go hungry. I'm thankful for a husband that will cook for me so I don't go hungry!
I'm thankful that we live in a small town and a great community that has welcomed us with open arms. I'm thankful we have found a church that has always welcomed us in and is eager to help us become more involved in the church and community.

I'm thankful for mine and Austin's good health. I'm thankful we don't have thousands or even hundreds of dollars in medical bills. I'm thankful we're both able to do what we love. I'm thankful we have jobs that we not only love, but pay the bills - especially in a hard economy. I'm thankful that we can pay our bills - even if we don't want to! I'm thankful for co-workers that have made us each feel like we belong.

I'm thankful for my friends. Friends who have made my life better. I'm thankful for old friends and the fact we can still get together, if only a couple times a year, and still be able to pick up like it was only yesterday. I'm thankful for friends with whom I can enjoy an evening of conversation and a bottle of wine. I'm thankful for friends that will always let me stop by their house to see them, even when they know I'm really only there to see my little clans-baby. ;-) I'm thankful for all my friends and for all that they've done for me, for the impact they've made, for the jokes and stories they've share, for the memories they've created.

I'm thankful for my family. My crazy, goofy, lovable family. I'm thankful that they always put up with my nonsense. I'm thankful for all the fun times that we share together. I'm thankful they always welcome Austin and I back home whenever we want. I'm thankful for their support - whether it be financial, physical or emotional. I'm thankful for the way they've raised me throughout the years. I'm thankful for their company. I'm even thankful for their bad jokes. ;-) I'm thankful that no matter what, my family is always there. I'm thankful that we've grown closer as we've grown older. And don't think I'm not also talking about my wonderful in-laws! I'm thankful for having married into such an amazing family and one that has accepted me as their own.

I'm thankful - so thankful - for my incredible husband, Austin. I'm thankful that I have found my soulmate. He is truly my other half. I'm thankful for our two years of marriage. I'm thankful for every day we have to spend together. I'm even thankful for our time apart as it really does make us appreciate our time together even more. I'm thankful I can be my complete goofy self with him and he can do the same. I'm thankful for those lazy Saturdays we spend together. I'm thankful for our crazy road trips. I'm thankful for our fun date nights. I'm thankful for all our good times and all our bad times. I'm thankful we've been able to grow together and learn to love each other even more. I'm thankful that he appreciates me for all that I am and I'm thankful I can do the same to him. I'm thankful for his nerdy, goofy personality. I'm thankful for his passion of music and teaching. I'm thankful for his cooking skills. I'm thankful that he loves me for me. I'm thankful for his desire to always look out and take care of me. I'm thankful to be married to my best friend.

I'm thankful for so much. God has blessed me beyond belief. And I am so grateful. 

A year ago...

It's hard to believe it's been a year. A year has past since Austin and I were put through some things. A year has past since we made some hard decisions. A year has past since we've been at some of our lowest points. A year has past since I've really tested my trust in God.


A year ago this month, Austin and I went through some hard times. I didn't discuss the details on this blog back then and I'm not going to now. A lot of things happened and every event that took place tested us in a variety of ways. It tested our personal strength, our marriage, our jobs. It's hard to image what things were like a year ago. I really try not to think about it and not to focus on it. We've moved on. We're past it. But I also believe it's good to think back and reflect on it every once and a while.

I went back and re-read the blogs I had written during that time. Reading the struggles I was having brought them back to the surface. I remember the anxiety. I remember the pain. I remember the sadness. I remember worrying. I remember wanting everything to be okay but not having any idea how to make it be okay.

Leaving my job a year ago was both the hardest and the easiest thing I've ever had to do. It was hard to give up a good paying job, one that I enjoyed and had friends at. But it was easy to give up for my husband. For my marriage. And that was what mattered in the end. Like the verse from our wedding from Ruth - "I will go where you go." I meant that. Unemployment was hard. I was questioning God a lot. Did we make the right decisions? Are we doing the right things? It was hard to believe things were ever going to get better.

And now here we are, a year later. I ended up finding a job - one that I love and enjoy doing so much. And while yeah, I did take a pay increase, I'm now doing something I've wanted to do since I graduated from college - working in college admissions. I know that this is what I'm suppose to be doing - and it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for what happened a year ago.

Austin is enjoying his second year so much better and is really getting to know his kids and getting to know the community. We love living in Oakland and are trying to get involved however we can. We are grateful the community and the school district have accepted us as much as they have in just a year.

I also believe that our marriage is in a much better place. We are in a better place because of what happened a year ago. Those events tested our marriage. But we endured. And we are stronger because of it. We are closer as husband and wife and have a better understanding of things now. We have learned to appreciate the little things in life and not take them for granted. We have learned a lot. We've made a lot of changes throughout the year and I think we're better because of all of them. And yeah, we still have some ups and downs but everyone does. But we are in a much better place now overall. We have recently celebrated two wonderful years of marriage and we know there are going to be several more years to celebrate as well.

In the end, I guess God does know what He's doing. :) 

Keeping Busy...

So, I realized that I haven't done an update blog on our lives in a very long time. To say the least, we've been keeping very busy around the Zaruba household! If you've read my post on "Life as an Admissions Counselor", you have an idea of what I've been doing. Honestly I haven't had much time for anything else.

AJ has been busy with school, getting ready for his fall concert - which is next week! - and preparing students for their All-State auditions, which are happening this weekend. He's also helping put together the All-School Talent Show which will take place in November. But they've been doing a lot of pre-planning and having auditions and interviews before hand. It's actually good that I've been gone so much because AJ has been working early mornings and late in the evenings with all these different activities! And whenever I am home, I like him to be home too, so it's good he's been keeping busy!

A couple of fun things that we've gotten to do this fall...

At the end of last month, we spent a weekend back home in Minnesota. My mom had managed to get tickets to the NDSU vs. U of M football game in the Twin Cities! With Dan being a freshman at NDSU and in the Marching Band, they were going to be at that game and perform during half time. So AJ and I went up along with my parents and we met my sister there. It was a blast! The game itself was awesome!! With NDSU winning! ;-) The people were a little crazy... it was my first Big 10 football game and I'm not sure I'd ever do it again... haha But the band performance at half time was awesome! It was so fun to watch! We even managed to find Dan with the binoculars we had brought and got to talk with him after the game for a little bit. It was a great time. 

 We were also able to go to a local apple orchard near my parents house and get some famous Minnesota apples and the best caramel there is! :) Definitely made the entire trip worth it! haha

Last weekend, AJ and I also got to head back to our old stomping grounds. We actually meet there because I was coming from Minnesota... but we were able to both head back for Homecoming at Wartburg! We even managed to make it back for the Wartburg Choir alumni reunion and open rehearsal.

For those of you that don't remember, it was actually through the Wartburg Choir that AJ and I met. And it was on our European Tour that we got engaged. The Wartburg Choir holds a very special place in both of our hearts. We learned about a special concert they want to do next year at Homecoming with about 5 or 6 pieces sung by an alumni choir! We really hope that we're going to be able to attend and be a part of that! At the rehearsal, it was great to listen to such an amazing group sing - even if it was just the practice! They've come along way with the new director and I think he's going to do some awesome things with the choir! Sometimes I hope that maybe someday down the road, that will be AJ conducting the Wartburg Choir! :) One of the greatest things that happened at the rehearsal was that Dr. Nelson actually invited all the alumni to join in and sing "Give Me Jesus". That song is a traditional song of the Wartburg Choir and is sung at the end of every concert. The choir actually circles the Chapel and holds hands. Being back in a large group of people like that, so passionate about music, was amazing. Even though it's been a couple years since I've sung that song, as soon as it began it all comes back. I wish I could describe what it felt like to be singing that song again with the Wartburg Choir, but I can't. I know for anyone else that was there singing it with us, they'd understand. But the feelings were so powerful. After the last note of the song, I think it either took your breath away or you were holding you breath in. That feelings of belong, unity, family, praise, meaning - it all hung in the air. It was unbelievable.

On Saturday, we spent the day walking around campus and meeting up with old friends! You couldn't even walk 10 steps without being stopped by someone you knew! It's an awesome feeling. Wartburg, I believe, will always feel like home to me. It's where AJ and I both meet some incredible people who we consider to be life-long friends. It's where we meet. It's where we got married. It's the place that's helped define us. It will also be home to us. I think that's another reason why I love to go back every year to Homecoming. Homecoming will always fall right around our anniversary, and since campus is where we got married, it's fun to be able to go back every year and not only celebrate homecoming and see all of our friends, but to also celebrate us and our marriage. 

Trying to recreate a wedding picture :)

On Saturday night, we drove down to Tipton to see AJ's parents! It had been a long time since we had seen them and so it was nice to be able to spend some time with them! AJ was able to stay the night and I unfortunately had to leave that night to drive down to St. Louis for work. But it was still great seeing them! They even got me a birthday cake that we were able to enjoy before I left! And I must admit, it was nice to just hang out there in front of the fireplace before I had to leave! :) We're looking forward to the next time we'll be able to make it back over there and spend some more time with them!

So, overall I think it's been a good fall. I think we're both looking forward to the upcoming holidays and things slowing down a little bit to enjoy each others' company and see some family. But until then, we'll just keep going along!

Life as an Admissions Counselor

I thought for this blog, I would give everyone a taste of what my life as an College Admissions Counselor is like - at least during the fall recruiting season, because that is the most exciting time. :) Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll be able to get Austin to write a blog about "Life as a Music Teacher"!

So, the fall is the busiest time of year for college recruiters. There are high school visits, college fairs and also a lot of students coming to campus to check us out before applying. This busy season goes from September to about mid-November when it slows down again until around March. During the spring we pick up again with some more high school visits and college fairs, although not quite as many. When I first started at UNO, I started about a month and half before that Spring recruiting season began. During the last spring, I did about two, two and half weeks of college fairs and visited about 23 high schools that were in the three counties in Iowa that were part of a program we offer those students to get a reduced tuition. This fall, we've decided to step things up a notch.

The MAP program that was originally offered in three Western Iowa counties has now been expanded to 11 counties which now means I have 52 high schools to visit this fall. We are also trying to recruit more in Minnesota and Kansas. This month, October,  is by far my busiest month. I will be in the office for roughly 4 days out of the month. I've rented a car from Enterprise for the entire month, which I'm currently contemplating keeping for another couple of weeks in November for my remaining high school visits.

It's only October 7th and I've had my rental car for one week. Today when I was in the office I determined that I have already been on the road for about 24 hours total and driven just under 1500 miles. In just seven days!! I'm both a little scared and excited to see what those numbers will look like at the end of this month.

To give you a little bit of idea of what I'm doing this month (and if you're curious why you might not hear much from me), here is my schedule - starting with October 1st.

On Saturday Oct 1st, AJ drove with me to Council Bluffs to pick up my rental car. From there I went into work for our Homecoming Open House. On Sunday, AJ and I drove to Des Moines where he hung out with his sister and brother-in-law while I was at the first college fair of the month. On Monday I had three high school visits before going back into the office to get some things done before leaving. Kristina and I then drove to Minneapolis where we worked the National College Fair on Tuesday (two 4-hour parts) and Wednesday morning. We drove home on Wednesday night where I enjoyed the night back in my own bed. On Thursday, I drove down to Topeka, KS for a college fair and home again that night. Today I was back in the office for a Friday Mav Day (a fairly large visit day on campus). I'm home this weekend until Sunday when I'm heading back to Minnesota for the week. I have college fairs Monday through Thursday. Thursday night I'll be able to stay at my parent's house for a quick hello before leaving again Friday to head to Waverly, IA. AJ plans on meeting me there so we can attend Wartburg's Homecoming. The party will be short lived as I head off to St. Louis on Saturday night for another National College Fair down there on Sunday - my birthday. :) Then it'll be a long 7 hour drive home to get back for some more high school visits on Monday. Tuesday I'll have some time back in the office again before leaving around mid-day to head back to Kansas for a college fair that night and two more on Wednesday. After driving home late Wednesday night, I'll be back in the office on Thursday and some of the day on Friday before doing another high school visit. Another short weekend as I leave again that Sunday for another round of college fairs in Minnesota, this time along I-90. The good thing about this is I'll be able to see my parents and some friends along the way! Those college fairs go from Monday until Thursday where I'll crash at my parent's again before driving home on Friday. Saturday will be my day of rest before we have a large college fair on campus on Sunday along with an Open House for a couple of colleges on campus. And on Monday, October 31st, I'll be back in the office for an Information Session (a campus visit).

And there you have it. My October. Exhausted just reading it? Yeah, me too. I could tell you about the start of November which is filled with the remainder of my high school visits, a conference and a couple more college fairs, but I won't. :) Welcome to the life of an Admissions Counselor! 

Falling in Love with the best time of year!

Fall is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite time of the year. There are so many reasons and for this blog, I've decided to try and write them all down. :) 

Reason I Love Fall: 

1. I was born in October :) 
2. I also married the love of my life in October :) :) 
3. The start of a new school year - a new beginning of sorts
4. Beautiful weather - the nice fall breezes and sun shining 
5. Sweatshirts - who doesn't love sweatshirt weather?!
6. The world is surrounded by beautiful and rich fall colors - the reds, oranges, yellows 
7. Minnesota fall apples (and of course caramel!)
8. Perfect cool evenings for a bonfire
9. The sound of fallen leaves crunching under your feet
10. Football games
11. A fall rain
12. Jumping in piles of leaves as a kid (or an adult...haha)
13. Pumpkin patches, carving pumpkins and pumpkin seeds
14. Hay rides 
15. Halloween - YAY for candy! 
16. Thanksgiving - YUM
17. The cooler temperatures which means open windows 
18. Cuddling up in blankets on a cool fall morning
19. Harvest - so many memories of going to the farm to bring dad lunch or dinner and helping drive the combine 
20. That fall smell - maybe a combination of woodsmoke, cinnamon and spice, wool, apple cider, dried leaves and pumpkin pie
21. Fall premiers of new and returning favorite TV shows 
22. Homecoming at Wartburg 
23. Candy Corn and Pumpkin candy 
24. Oktoberfest celebrations

I am tempted to stop at 24 since October 24th is our anniversary... :) And so I think I will. If I think of more later, I might add them.

So welcome fall! I am happy to have you back again! :)

Remembering 9/11...

It's been 10 years. Ten years since that day that changed America. That changed us all. It was a day like no other. An attack on America, that folded out on live television. Everyone watched. Everyone watched in horror. In shock. It was a day that changed America.

I was a sophomore in High School. It was picture day at school and I had on my favorite light pink sweater. I was sitting in Mrs. Ehlers' Spanish class, our classroom right by the Superintendent's Office. Someone came up the stairs and motioned Mrs. Ehlers outside. They were whispering and we couldn't hear what they were saying. Mrs. Ehlers walked back in, with this look of shock and utter disbelief on her face, stared at us for a moment, then went back out into the hall. I remember wondering, what is going on? When she came back in, again she looked at us with that look on her face and told us, "Your country has just been attacked." I remember not understanding. I remember questioning how could that be. Mrs. Ehlers told us briefly what had happened, what she knew. And then she told us, "I don't know who your God is, but whoever He is, you need to pray to Him right now. You need to pray for your country." The rest of the day is a blur and I really don't remember much else.

Looking back, even as a sophomore in high school, I don't I understood what really had happened that day. I didn't understand how everything was going to change. Sometimes I wish I could remember more, wish I understood it better. But every year, every anniversary, I look back and read news stories, look at pictures, watch video. And every year, I understand more. As I've grown up, I've watched how the events of Sept 11th have changed so many things - the unity we feel as Americans, the patriotism we share, the increased security at airports, the War on Terrorism and the rise of the voice of the American people.

Watching video of that day and the days after, reading stories, listening to survivors and looking at pictures, I have a lot of emotions and thoughts that run through my head. I think about how lucky we were that some of the planes weren't full. I think how there was enough time in between the impacts and the collapses of the building, that many people did get out. I think about all those brave men and women of firefighters and police officers that ran into the building to help who they could when everyone else was running out. I think about the people of Flight 93 who fought back so there weren't any more deaths elsewhere. Their stories are incredible and the sacrifice they made were unbelievable. And the continued efforts of rescue and clean up for the days and months after - each of those people deserve our thanks.

And while what happened to America on that day was horrible and should never be forgotten, I can't help think about the areas in the world where things like attacks or suicide bombers happen daily. We are blessed to live in America where we do feel so secure a majority of the time. I can't imagine living in a place where you feel constantly under attack. How do you live like that? How is that okay? I have to remember that there are places like this and that so many people are much worse off than we have ever been. And for that, I am grateful. Grateful of where I live and for all the people that make that possible.

And at the same time, I think about hate. To me, what America stands for is freedom, for opportunity. What American doesn't stand for is hate. And I am ashamed to admit that 9/11 did bring out some hate in people. I'm not saying I haven't been angry about what happened, because I have. But never hate. Yes, there are some people out there who hate America, but we shouldn't hate them back. In watching a documentary on TV today they showed video at an Islamic Center in New York just days after 9/11. People had called and left messages of hate. Messages about how they hoped they would die and that people would be coming after them. And that makes me just as angry as the events of 9/11. I just don't know how people can hate like that - especially to a group of people that are completely innocent and just as hurt by the events of 9/11 as the rest of us. There are bad seeds in all groups of people - that is true for America too. But it doesn't mean we hate that whole group. That is not American. And that is something I feel like we didn't learn correctly from 9/11. But 10 years later, maybe there is still time to learn.

It's hard to believe 10 years has pasted. But it is still feels like a recent event to most of us. Especially with all the media we have available. And I think it's good that we have so much video and pictures, it keeps it real, it keeps it recent. It makes it so that we don't forget. And we never should. 9/11 will always be in our hearts. Along with all of those people who lost their lives that day. We will remember. 

Losing the Music?

Okay... so this post is obviously not about Austin. It's pretty hard for him to "lose the music" as a music teacher... :) This is really just going to be one of those rambling posts that probably don't make any sense. I might do an update at the bottom, so you could always scroll down and read that if you want to skip this section. :) 

A couple of weeks ago, AJ had the opportunity to have some of his students perform at a local town celebration - one of the towns in the district. He was a little short handed since they had only had two days of school to practice before hand, so I got volunteered to help out. (I didn't really have a choice... haha) So we had a quick performance in Macedonia for probably about 30 people. It was a short concert, but the students he had there did a great job. But it made me realize something - how much I miss singing.
 
This past weekend, AJ and I drove up to Minnesota. On the way, we listened to our recordings from our wedding - songs that we had song and songs from the Wartburg Choir. Again, I realized how much I've missed singing. The Wartburg Choir was much more than just singing - it was about a family, about emotion, about story-telling, about praising God... and I miss it so much. 

At home, I decided to sit down and spend some time playing the piano. Something I keep telling myself I need to start practicing again so I don't lose that talent. I tried to sing along to some songs while I played, but I've never been very good at that. AJ and I also took a big stack of song/piano books that we've brought back home with us. Although we only have a small electric piano right now, I'm going to start playing again. 

We also went to church on Sunday - luckily for us, it was a service with a little bit more music than normal and some of my favorite hymns (although I think I probably have like a hundred!). Since moving out to Council Bluffs and now Oakland, AJ and I haven't really gotten into a church routine. We found a church we really like in Council Bluffs but now that we're living in Oakland, we're probably much less likely to drive all the way to CB to go to church. There isn't a Lutheran church in Oakland, but there is a Methodist church just down the road from us that has a pretty active church choir - or so we've been told. I think they're starting to put a bug in AJ's ear about potentially taking over the choir director position there... but for now, we both want to try to get back in that habit of going to church every weekend and getting involved in the choir. 

Music has always been such a big part of my life growing up - piano lessons, violin, flute, school choir, community choirs, church choir, different honor choirs, singing at friends' weddings and even just singing around the piano with my family. Music has always played such an important part in my life. It's allowed me to connect with my family, meet some incredible people, travel the world and of course - meet the love of my life. More than all of that - it's a way that I've always praised God. It's always been my number one communicator to Him. I'm not sure why I've let it slip through my fingers. But I am determined to keep music as a big part of my life. After all, it is a lot of who I am. 

Okay, now for the updates on our life. :) August is pretty much gone and the month went by pretty quickly! For some reasons, I am grateful for that. I'm very much looking forward to getting our finances under control come the month of September. I was also glad because AJ has started school again and I'm not sure how much longer he would have lasted around the house. :)

We were able to spend a couple weekends up in Minnesota - one the second weekend of August. We drove up on Thursday night and on Friday, AJ, Megan, Dan and I all went out for lunch - kind of like a "last sibling meal" before Dan headed off to college. It was nice for us all to be home one last time (we think the next time this will happen will be Thanksgiving!) and I think my parents really appreciated it. However, it might have made it a little bit harder on them once we all left. They are now officially "empty-nesters" but I think they're dealing with it pretty well. ;-) We were also able to help with the freezing corn this year! We had to since we always steal so much of it when we go home... :) But as always, it was a lot of fun. Although... no one warned me a head of time about having to actually go pick the corn! So my allergies did not appreciate that. And it also brought back some "great" memories of my time at Pioneer... haha
We were also up in Minnesota just this past weekend. We drove up to my parents house on Friday night but left again Saturday morning to drive up to New London to see some old high school friends. We were celebrating our second baby shower of the group and will soon have to celebrate another couple more! :) It's very exciting and it was great to see all of them! We did send the men out to the bar during the actual shower part so they wouldn't get bored, but then enjoyed dinner and some games later that night. I'm so grateful that all of my high school friends and I have managed to stay as close as we have after high school. We all miss seeing each other so much and try to get together as much as possible - which can be challenging as we all live in different cities and states! But we make it work whenever we can! On Sunday we spent the day with my parents and had lunch with them and my grandparents. It was great to see them and we definitely appreciated the amazing home-cooked meal! :) On our way back home, we decided to make an impromptu stop to see Amanda and Thor - and that is always a good time. :) 

This week starts off my busy season at work and I start my traveling. I will be out of the office much more than I'll be in it for the next couple of months, but I'm very excited about going out and talking to students about UNO. AJ is also getting in the full swing of things at school with All-State auditions, preparing for his fall concert and organizing an All-School Talent Show. It's going to be a very busy fall indeed! :) 

Siblings in our school colors/shirts

Wartburg vs. NDSU :)

High School Friends

PB&J: Straw Poll

It's official (officially). The 2012 Presidential Election race has begun. This past Saturday, August 13th, the Iowa Straw Poll was held in Ames, Iowa. For many, this is viewed as the official "kick-off" of the presidential race. At the Straw Poll, Iowa Republicans take a vote on if the election were right now, who they would vote for. At the Straw Poll on Saturday, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann won with 29% of the votes. Ron Paul came in second and Tim Pawlenty came in third (who has also already dropped out of the race). Luckily (in my opinion), the Straw Poll has no actual pull in the Presidential race and those that win the Straw Poll have historically lost later on and not gained the GOP candidate position.

The fact that someone like Michele Bachmann could have so much support is actually scary to me. I'm not so much frightened by her far right-wing ideas and positions as I am to her (and the Tea Party's) inability and unwillingness to compromise. This is not what is best for the country. Everyone has their own ideas and opinions on issues - that is good, that is what's great about America. But because everyone has such different ideas, we - as a nation - need to learn how to work together to find a compromise that is going to make a majority of people happy, or at least some-what happy. And this is what the Tea Party is unwilling to do! And if they continue to act like stubborn teenagers, things could go downhill very quickly - as we saw with the financial crisis in Washington or even the government shutdown in Minnesota. A successful democracy must be about compromise.

There seems to be a lot of other talk around that doesn't make much sense either. Again, going back to the financial crisis - politicians on both sides are trying to come up with answers to fix the problem. And while I still believe that some sort of compromise is going to be our best bet, I am amazed at some of the suggestions being thrown out there. I like to watch a show call The Daily Show on Comedy Central with Jon Stewart. I actually like watching this as a (one of many) source of news. My reason for this is because Stewart tells how it is - from all sides. One of his recent clips was about some of the solutions to help with our nation's debt. I was just astounded by some of the things I heard. The description basically said this: "The government could raise $700 billion by either taking half of everything earned by the bottom 50% or by raising the marginal tax rate on the top two percent." I mean, why should we ask the top two percent to give more when we can ask everyone else - who might be just barely getting by - to cut back and give more of what they don't have. I just don't understand the logic.

I sometimes wonder if I should stop paying attention to politics and what goes on in Washington. The things I hear just end up making me upset and if I stopped paying attention, I could be blissfully ignorant! Ah... wouldn't that be nice? haha

Pictures of our new place!

Okay, here they are! The pictures I know you've all been waiting for! :)

Living Room

Living Room & Kitchen Island

Built-in Entertainment Center (ignore the board under the TV...)

Built-in Book Shelf & Window Seat (with additional storage)

Living Room towards Kitchen

Dining Room

Bedroom

Bedroom  (door goes to bathroom)

Bathroom

Washer & Dryer (in bathroom)

Kitchen looking towards Living Room

Kitchen with all custom cabinets

Our "Little Italy" Center :)

Our Deck

 Well, there you have it - our new place! We would love to have you all come visit anytime! :)

A year ago...

It's hard to believe but it's been a year since we first moved to Western Iowa. Last year this time we had just become Council Bluffs residents. I remember how different and foreign everything seemed back then! Now this place is very much a part of us.
This past weekend we made yet another move. We swear this is going to be the last for a while! :) And we've made our home Oakland, Iowa. We're really looking forward to all the benefits of living in a small town and living in the school district! Plus, we love our new apartment! A big thanks to all the help we had and made the move quickly and smoothly! I must say, it's much easier carrying things down three flights of stairs, rather than up! And we have everything in our new apartment and a majority of things unpacked already! Again, we are so grateful for all of our family that came and helped us!

I know that this is the last thing you're suppose to do, but I'm wishing away August. And I'm sure most people will think I'm crazy and believe that's the last thing they'd want to do - wish away the last month of summer before a crazy and busy fall/school year starts again?! Yes... And as much as I'm looking forward to this new school year (for both AJ and myself) that's not the reason I'm wishing for September. I love summer and I am sad to see it leave. But AJ and I are paying dual rent this month - necessary in order to get our lovely new apartment and while we have the money to do that, we don't have money to do anything else. haha We're both so looking forward to the month of September and getting back on track with our finances. Being able to pay a lower rent and with both of us seeing a little bit of a pay increase at our jobs, we're looking forward to being able to start putting away some money into our savings account again! And we're going to especially need to start saving if my family is planning a "last" family vacation next summer to Harry Potter World! :)

But other than those reasons, I am sad to see summer come to an end. It's been a great summer for both AJ and I and I think we've been fortunate enough to be able to see quite a bit of our families as well, which is something we always look forward to. This fall will be a new experience for both of us though! AJ will be in his second year of teaching and is excited to go back with a year under his belt. I know he's already got some big plans in place and is excited with the growth of his high school choir. This fall is also really going to teach me about the aspects of my job because it is our busiest recruiting season. I will be on the road a lot to high school visits and college fairs. While I'm use to traveling for my job, I think this is going to be more than what I've done in the past. But I truly am excited for it and ready to start talking to high schoolers about UNO!

AJ is heading to Waverly this weekend to go back to Wartburg for a few days and he's taking some Riverside students with him! They're heading there on Saturday for a three day All-State Music Camp! I know AJ is so excited to bring them back to Wartburg and to also see some of his fellow music teachers/friends. I'll be eager to hear what the students thought about Wartburg as well! :) So I'm going to spend the weekend enjoying the new apartment to myself, finishing unpacking some boxes and getting things in place. I'll get some pictures taken and posted soon so you can all see our new digs! :)

PB&J: News & Money

There have been a couple of things that have happened in the news recently that I thought I would talk about...

The biggest and most exciting (I think) is the news that came out of New York a couple of weeks ago! So much to celebrate as New York became the largest state to recognize same-sex marriages. Hopefully this will keep the ball rolling in other parts of the country.

Maybe more of a serious issue and one that is running on a deadline is the Debt Ceiling talks and the budget crisis. Now I will admit, that there is not a lot I don't understand about the economy, the debt ceiling or how the government's budget works. In fact, I know very little. However, when the President addressed the nation last night (6.25.11), I listened. And what I heard was that Congress was not working together - like they should - to reach a compromise in time. And if that isn't done, a lot of damage could be done to the United States. I heard that in the past 8+ years, things were not done correctly to help our deficit. I heard that some in Congress (specifically Republicans, it seemed) were not willing to compromise but instead were putting their own political agendas in front of the need of this country.

When I heard this, I thought of what has happened recently in Minnesota and their state shutdown. That lasted more than a week. And, when I look at it, the same thing was happening in Minnesota that is right now in the capital. Members of Congress (again, mostly Republicans) are not willing to work together and find a compromise. And because of this, in Minnesota, the state shutdown lasted for days and was devastating to the entire state. Finally, Governor Dayton decided to go with the proposal from the Republicans - not because he agreed with it, but because he knew it would be for the better for the state of Minnesota. But in my opinion, it shouldn't have ever reached that point. The Republicans and the Democrats should have worked together from the beginning so that the state never needed to shut down. This is their job - the job they are elected to do. And if they can't do it, then they shouldn't have that job. 

I think the same is true for our elective officials in Washington. If the budget doesn't get balanced in a fair way, there could be serious consequences for years to come. And the American people shouldn't have to pay those consequences because our elected officials couldn't work together. 

I don't do this a lot and maybe I should, but today I took the time to write my elected officials. Right now they are Rep. King, Senator Grassley and Senator Harkin. You too can contact your representatives and ways to find out who they are and how to contact them can be found here. This was my letter. 

I listened to President Obama address the nation last night about our financial crisis. I also listened to House Speaker John Boehner give his response. After listening to both speeches, I agree with what President Obama stated. There needs to be a balanced compromise. Cuts do need to be made. But we should also stop the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and ask them to contribute to this problem.

I ask you to work together, find a compromise. No one will ever be completely happy - but we can find a happy medium. That is your job as our elective official. Put politics aside and help this country.

Thank you.

While I was searching for the sites to contact my elected officials, I came across another website. This website is called Votizen and it is a place where you can contact your representatives, sign open letters that other people have written or write your own letter and get support. There was one letter that caught my attention on this same subject. I thought it was well written and straight to the point. I added my signature. I've included the link to that letter here. I encourage you to read that letter and if you feel the same way, to join the site and sign your name too. 

To be completely honest, who knows if our elected officials ever even see these letters or notes that we send them. But somebody must be reading them. And sending nothing - especially if you feel so strong about something - is worse. 

With the Iowa Straw poll just around the corner and caucuses and primaries not long after, the debates have started for the next Presidential election. It's our right and our duty as Americans to listen to what the candidates are saying and then voting in these elections. That is how we can make a difference. But, if you're still a skeptic about our democracy, I'll leave you with this quote I heard while out in Colorado for the DNC back in 2008. "Voting is a lot like peeing in the ocean. It might not make much of a difference, but it sure feels good once you've done it."

Moving on... again!

Apparently, the time has come to move on, again. :) Austin and I have decided to move to a new apartment! We're really hoping that this will be our last move in a while because after all the grief our parents have given us... (the fourth move in four years... not bad, right?) I'm not sure they're going to help us anymore. haha

We have been talking about moving out of Council Bluffs for some time now. While we love our current apartment - we're not in love with the management or the cost of renting. We don't feel we're getting our money's worth. We've also discussed wanting to move so that we're living in the Riverside school district - something that will be helpful to AJ! So we started looking and came across two different apartments - each with their pros and cons (we know, we made the list). In the end, we went with our gut (and a smaller bill) and have decided to move to Oakland, Iowa.

Oakland is about 30 minutes east of Council Bluffs. It has a population of about 1,400 and is home to the Riverside High School. We found a very cute one bedroom apartment with custom kitchen cabinets and a built-in entertainment center and bookshelves. I am also very happy to say it has a whirl-pool tub in the bathroom! :) We're both very excited and AJ is extremely happy about being so close to the high school. We're really looking forward to getting move involved with the community and going to school events. While it is going to be a longer drive for me to go to the office, it will be a great location for when I'm doing high school visits since my territory is in Western Iowa. I'll be sure to post pictures once we're moved and settled in.

So for now, we've spent most of our time packing up boxes and getting ready for the move. We spent a great 4th of July weekend in Tipton and spent most of that time outside and in the pool. 

It was a wonderful weekend and so great to relax and enjoy time with some family and friends. I look forward to this weekend every summer since it has become a tradition to spend it at the Zaruba pool. And the weekend never seems long enough, either! :) Other than that, we haven't had too much of an exciting summer. AJ is getting a little antsy around the house (although packing has helped!) and is ready to get back to school. He will be taking a group of students to Wartburg in a few weeks for an All-State Camp and I know he is looking forward to that - especially to show the kids what a great school Wartburg is! :)
 

In other terms of "moving on"... AJ and I went see the midnight showing of the last Harry Potter film last Thursday. It truly is, in my opinion, the end of an era. It took some convincing to get AJ to go to the show with me - he remembered all to well the last midnight showing we went to where we didn't get to sit next to each other and couldn't even enjoy the show with all the kids around. I explained that none of that mattered because it was such a big deal and a great end to something wonderful. I am happy to say that we were able to sit next to each other this time and everyone was so focused on the movie that we were able to thoroughly enjoy the final movie. It also made me think - as I held AJ's hand and cried during the movie - why this was such a big deal. And the reason it was such a big deal is because I've literally grown up with these books. I started reading them as they came out. I wanted for each new book to hit the shelves. I even went to a midnight opening of one of the books! I grew up along side Harry and his friends. It had a large affect on my life. And one that I am forever grateful for. I've always been a fan of reading, but it is such a wonderful thing to see so many people get excited about the release of a new book. And I know that I am extremely lucky to have actually grown up with the books, but I'm also looking forward to reading these books to my children someday, showing them the movie - and helping they'll understand why I love them so much. Harry Potter will always have a spot in my heart. And I'm not sure I'll ever be able to say "Mischief Managed".

Growing Up

The time has come, I believe, for another post about growing up. Because no matter how many times I'm reminded daily that I'm growing up and getting older, I still seem surprised. It's like there are a set of giant steps that each of us must climb. And you can always tell by the events that are going on around you when it's time to take another step. The first big change happens around high school - entering a new building, taking harder classes, etc. And then it's taking your driver's test - wondering how many times you'll have to take it before you pass! Then it's graduation and we're all heading off to college. At college came a lot of other changes - freedom, even harder classes and more homework, new friends and making and learning from mistakes. Then it was the 21st parties, then college graduation and having to find a "real job". And then it was engagements which came along with bridal showers and bachelorette parties and finally the wedding. 

Now I'll admit. All of those steps were pretty easy to handle. None of those steps seemed like that large of step. Maybe had to stretch my legs for a couple of them, but fairly easy. It's these next steps. The next phase of life that's really changing everything up. It's the process of buying our first homes. It's the idea of starting a family. Of having to be so responsible for another person's life. That's a BIG step.

I've had my first couple of baby showers already so I know I'm officially in this next stage of life. That's not to say that AJ and I are ready to have kids - because we're not. :) But I know we're at that point where we're starting to have those serious conversations about our future and what we want for our family someday. And I will admit, although AJ and I are not yet at that stage in life, we are so far enjoying that stage with some of our friends. :)

Liz, Thor & Amanda

My best friend and roommate from college, Amanda and her husband welcomed a baby boy to this world at the end of February. Amanda is one of my closest friends and we've always agreed that we've wanted our children to grow up together. And so it was assumed that we would have close relationships with each other's children as well. So before Thor was born, we tried to come up with a nickname for the baby to call AJ and I. See, Amanda has a really big family and this baby was already going to have a lot of aunts and uncles and we wanted to have something a little different. And so we looked and thought and looked some more, but found nothing. There are just no good nicknames out there for close family friends! However, AJ happened to stumble upon the word clans-people and made a joke that should be our nickname. Well, it stuck. :) Thor is now our clans-baby and AJ and I are his proud Clans-Uncle and Clans-Aunt (or Clans-People). Although Thor is just a couple of months old, AJ and I are looking forward to watching this little one grow up and being apart of his life. 

I would also like to add that part of this growing up has domesticated me in some ways. I have even been able to surprise my mother with that fact! :) I have learned how to cross-stitch and have been cross-stitching bibs for my friends. This one was my first one and it was for Thor.



Another great friendship story is one that is about all of my high school friends. 

The Oven Mitt

There is a group of us that have managed to stay pretty close since high school and trying to get together as much as possible - although you have no idea how difficult that has become since we're literally all over the place! But I think we've done pretty good. And we had this fun little tradition that we started when the first one of us was set to be married (although I'm not sure we knew it would become a tradition). Naomi was given an oven mitt at her bachelorette party that said "Newlyweds heat it up in the kitchen". Then she passed it on to Shateen, the next in line getting married. And soon it became a rotating gift between us. It was fun to always expect that gift to show up when we celebrated the next one to get married.

But now, before we knew it, we're starting to have baby showers for each other. Well we wanted to keep the tradition alive and had thought about what else we could pass along at each other's baby showers. Finally we decided on a quilt with a quote on the back where each child will leave their foot print and name. I wrote a little something to go along with the blanket as well.

What started out as a fun little gag gift,
has turned into an anticipated tradition
It started off in high school with our silly boyfriend drama
Then it became celebrations on getting our driver's licenses and debating who would drive to whichever house we would be TPing
Next came the graduation parties, learning to temporarily say good bye as we each headed out to explore the world
With that came more boyfriend drama and
hours of homework on top of that
But then we were turning 21 and learning how to celebrate
and make mistakes as adults
We starting celebrating bachelorette parties and making sure we would be "heating up the kitchen" as newlyweds
After that it was debating about what color flowers we wanted and praying it didn't rain on our big day
Now it's become something bigger than the rest
We're making homes and starting families
Soon our stories will be about first steps and first words
They'll become stories of spelling bees won
and first playground crushes
And before we know it, we'll be dreading those first driver's licenses and graduation parties
But throughout the past and forever in our future,
one thing has stayed the same
Our friendships grow stronger with time and
we can see no end in sight
As this next chapter in our lives begin, we pray God will continue to bless our friends and our new families
And we pray all these children will grow to know,
these friends we hold so dear

High School Friends Baby Quilt

Inscription on the back

Father's Day

Since we recently had a post dedicated to our mothers for Mother's Day it is only appropriate that we do the same for our fathers. Both of these are great men who have blessed us throughout our lives. Here we go.

Steve Reedstrom

Dad. It's hard for me to put in words how amazing of a father you've been to me. I remember thinking as a little kid that you were a man of little words. But looking back now, maybe I just wasn't listening enough. When I actually start to listen, you speaks words of encouragement, of faith, of life lessons, of love. And your words speaks even more volumes through your actions. Because of you, I learned what to expect from a husband. I learned to find myself a good husband who will cook for our kids someday, like you did. (and still do!) I learned to find someone who is always helpful and supportive, like you have always been. I learned to find a hard working husband so that our kids will look up to him and know the value of hard work, like I have with you. I have learned to find a husband who cherishes and unconditionally loves his family, like you do.
I have so many memories of us that I could share but I think I'll just pick out my favorite ones. I loved growing up (and even now) and having friends over and having them be able to call you Dad. You were always the friendly and fun Dad who would always joke around with my friends and scare off any boyfriends. :) I love watching you interact with little kids, whether it's at church or a family event. And it makes me excited to have children someday so that they'll be able to have such a fun and loving grandpa!
Growing up  I always knew that during the fall and then again in the spring, you would be busy with farm work and not at home as often. But it was also during those times that I looked forward to some of the other things we got to do. Like bringing you dinner in the field and you letting us ride along in the combine or tractor. I remember the first time that you let me drive the combine by myself and even stepped outside the cab so that I was completely alone inside! I was terrified I was going to screw up your harvest! :) But you had faith in me and trust that I wouldn't. And I don't think I ever did, right? Or those summers where you paid us to help walk beans. It was no fun walking beans, but it was a nice chance to be with you. And it was then that I started to realize the importance of hard work. The Dairy Queen ice cream mom would bring us always seemed to help too!
I have one memory that I believe was the summer before or after my freshmen year of high school. I don't remember but I couldn't drive yet but it was my first summer working at Pioneer. It was within my first week that we got rained out and were sent home early. You came to pick me up and it must have been a day that you were farming but we were both so muddy! And I can't tell you why I thought this, but I remember thinking how cool that was - father and daughter muddy with proof from a hard day in the field. In that moment, I felt so connected to you.
Another favorite memory is when you returned home from a Via de Cristo weekend. As soon as mom left for her weekend, you ran out to your truck and brought in your bag of goodies. You spread it all over the table and told us all about your weekend - what you did, the people who were there and what it meant to you and your relationship with God. It was the first time I remember you talking so much out loud about your faith. But at that same time, I realized that you don't always have to speak about your faith. That day proved to me that a silent faith can be just as deep and powerful as a spoken one. I saw you differently from that day on.
And finally, there was my wedding day. The memories of you walking me down the aisle and giving me away, your seven page speech (which you said you weren't even going to give!) full of advice and wisdom to a new husband and wife and our father-daughter dance. Each one so special by themselves. I remember those memories often.
You have blessed me so much throughout my life and I know that you will continue to do so. Again, I don't know how to put into words how much I appreciate all that you've done for me (and all that you will do) and how grateful I am. And of course, how much I love you. I thank God for you every day because I could not have asked for a better father and a role model. And I will love you until the sky ends.
Happy Father's Day!

Bruce Zaruba

A few years ago, during a college class, I was asked, " Who is your favorite person in life?" Without hesitation I said, my Dad. He is my Hero! A man who has been an incredible role model and quite honestly means the world to me. I do have to admit that I have not done a good job of letting him know that. Let me change that. So here we go...
There are so many memories I have from the past with Dad. Like when he would get done doing chores and after eating lunch - all of us kids would climb all over him and drink pickle juice which of course gave us super strength so we could interrupt his naps (sorry about that by the way). Or riding in the tractor or combine with him back in the Zaruba farming days; really it was more about just being with him and learning about what a real MAN did! But there was one memory that is still very special to me. It wasn't pickle juice. It wasn't even on the farm. It is forever attached to one of my cherished memories from my childhood, and that is the day I was selected for the Iowa All-State. Quite possibly THE life altering moment for me - I believe that day is what defined the career path I chose.
Dad was the very first person that I hugged after seeing my name on that list. Amongst the screaming, the hugging and the celebrating - was still that initial embrace. I know, a hug seems so simple - but let me tell you, this hug was slow motion for me because it was more than just a simple hug. My life had just been changed for good. For me, it was one of the those moments where i truly reverted back to kindergarten - I was just a small boy in my Dad's arms. To top it off, I remember him saying, "Good job, Son!" which made the moment authentic.
There were sons in that same gym, at that very moment which did not have their dad there. I did. Thank you, Dad.
I hope that you will always know, whatever I do, where I go, there is one thing I will never outgrow and that is my love for you. In my eyes, you are the most talented individual I have ever known, no son could have ever asked God fora  better Dad than you.
Dad, I want to be a son that you are proud of, and sometimes I wonder if I have ever let you down or if maybe you have ever been ashamed of the person I have become. All I know for certain is so much of me is made from what I learned from you. And I love you.
Let me write that one more time to be sure you really "hear me".
So much of me is made from what I learned from you and I love you.
Happy Father's Day!