Goodbye 2015

I thought it was time for a quick family update before we end this year and start fresh again in 2016! I look the idea of a fresh start in a new year... what I don't love is that I rarely have what it takes to actually have that fresh start. Oh well... another story for another time.

Life in Minnesota is moving along quickly! I am still loving my job and all the crazy that comes with it! I've had a couple of very busy weeks with National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Kiwanis Holiday Lights and our Adopt a Family program for Christmas. I can't even say things are going to slow down because now we're gearing up for biggest signature event, Pedal Past Poverty. Maybe after March I'll have a little break! ;-) But I can't complain... I'll be leaving on a plane with my sister in less than a week to spend a week in Hawaii! Woot! 

Anyway, back to the job. The only downside is wishing I got paid a little bit more. But honestly, I love what I'm doing. I love making a different and helping others. And that really means so much more. In other news, I hate insurance. Being a small nonprofit, we don't have employee health insurance so I've been forced to work through the state for my Obamacare. Let me just say that I am all for universal health care. Let me also just say that we are not going about it correctly. It sucks. But you don't really want to hear about that. 

Austin is doing great as well. He's in between jobs right now, hopefully working on finalizing something more permanent and full time here shortly. He's been going to treatment and meetings and has just really shown what an amazing person he is. I'm so proud of him and all the hard work he continues to do. There is not a day that goes by where I'm not thankful that we're still climbing this sand dune. 

And the joy of our world - Jacob. Every single day, sometimes every single hour, we are simply amazed by our little man! He is growing up so quickly into a handsome little boy! First and foremost, he is a healthy kid. And we thank God for that every day. We can see the imaginative play starting to come out which is so fun to see what his little mind comes up with! His speech is getting better every day as well! We've been working on full sentences with him when he asks for something instead of just saying please. So when he asks, we tell him to say: "May I have _____ please?", repeating each word after us. Then we say the full sentence and ask him to repeat it. Well he gets so excited about getting what he wants, he blurts out a mixture of words and garble but always getting it what he wants and the word please! It's honestly one of the cutest things. Well lately, he's actually been saying the full sentence slowly in order! And then of course, how can we not give him chocolate at 7:30am? :) 

He likes to say goodbye to every one and every thing... "Goodbye Mickey. Goodbye House. Goodbye Grandma. Goodbye Michael (his monkey)." And then he always says "See you at home!" It's really too cute. As well as talking all the time (wonder who he gets it from...), he is really starting to sing along to his favorite songs: the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song, the Hot Dog Song (again Mickey Mouse), Row Row Your Boat, Jingle Bells, just to name a few. He also loves to dance! We have little dance parties all the time! He especially enjoyed dancing to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music! He even enjoyed some Karaoke at Christmas with the Zaruba side of the family! He was dancing and singing up a storm! 

We are not closer to potty training... sometimes I think we could be because Jacob doesn't like getting his diaper changed but I think it's mostly because he doesn't want to sit still that long. But we try to get him to sit on his potty but he's just not interested. And I've heard not to push it so that we don't turn him away from it even more. So we're waiting. 

He's such a polite boy, always saying please and thank you. He makes sure we pray before every meal and often offers to "sweep up" after putting his highchair away after meals. In fact, he even got his own broom for Christmas! :) He still LOVES Mickey Mouse, Frozen and bathtime. He also likes Cookie Monster and the Magic School Bus! We don't read quite as many books with him as we use to but hopefully that's something we can start doing again. He still loves books. He also loves to move! So much that we got him a trampoline for Christmas! It's a fairly good size one that is currently in my parent's basement. Jacob loves it! And I love that he has a place to get some energy out that is not the couch! 

He's also a huge fan of Christmas Lights. We've been to the Kiwanis Holiday Lights show multiple times with him and each time he is never ready to leave! He could look at those lights all day (or night!). He continues to work on the ABC's and counting. He can easily count until 10 and sometimes even to 20 (with some help)! He likes to sing the ABC's and while he may miss some letters while singing, if you point out a letter and ask him what it is, he'll be able to tell you. He also does amazing with shapes and colors! He's a pretty smart kid! 

And finally, he's not a shy kid. He might take a little bit of time to warm up to people, but then he's good to go. He'll talk and tell stories. And he loves to play with other kids... and by that I mean, run after them and get all excited! His older cousin Evie has learned that she can tell Jacob what to do have him follow her around, which is also pretty cute! And if he's warmed up to you enough, he'll always give you a hug goodbye! And of course, a "see you at home"! 

I think that's about it for us. We're looking forward to the new year and continuing to work on those things that we've recently started to take time to address - our relationship, communication, our own personal shortcomings, appreciating more time with Jacob. Life is short and we're remembering how to enjoy every bit of it. Let's see what 2016 will have it store! (Hopefully nothing too exciting??) :) 

A time to feel overwhelmed

Life has these stages or periods when you're going through a change. First, we were in that Waiting Period of the unknown. Luckily, we seem to be moving from that phase to the next fairly quickly. While there are still plenty of unknowns, at least we're moving along. This next phase, I'm going to call the Overwhelming Time. 

These past two weeks have been some of the most overwhelming. Austin and I have been living/working in two different states. We've spent our weekends and any free time packing or arranging space. And so much time on the road. It has been exhausting and overwhelming to the max. From one job ending to another one starting right away. Living out of suitcases while you start to pack and move, not really knowing where anything is. Worrying about finding a daycare as soon as possible to bring some structure back to your kid's life. To searching for jobs, getting an interview and then a job offer. To finally doing that big move and returning the keys to the apartment. It's been a busy two weeks. And there has honestly not been a minute to rest. Or at least it feels like that. 

So in case you had a hard time following all that... let's break it down. :) 

I started at Partners for Affordable Housing on Thursday, July 9th. My first two days flew by as they were filled with information and meeting people. I quickly realized that this job is going to keep me busy. I have so much more to say on this job but I think I'll save that for a completely different blog post. On Saturday, we were back down to Iowa, meeting Austin half way to exchange car and truck. The rest of the weekend was spent packing and cleaning while Jacob spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa Z. 

On Sunday, Austin actually was able to drive back to Minnesota with us (and bringing another car load of stuff) as he had gotten an interview on Monday at a fabrication shop in North Mankato. This allowed him to spend some extra time with Jacob and we even got to meet for lunch! After his interview however, it was back down to Iowa as he had to work on Tuesday. My second week of work was another great one, and another busy one! Also during the week, Austin got a call and was offered the job! Although this meant he had to come back up to Minnesota Thursday night for an early Friday morning drug and strength tests and back down to Iowa to work the rest of the day. Then on Friday evening, it was back down to Iowa, this time with the truck and trailer in tow. 

Austin and I spent all weekend getting everything else packed up. I mean, everything else, as in, nothing else had been done. Ha! Sunday morning, his parents came and helped us load up the trailer. Then I took off for Minnesota while they stayed back to do the cleaning and the final walk though with our landlord. After getting to Minnesota, we unloaded some stuff and put it all in the basement of my parents' house and took the rest to a storage unit we're currently renting. As for the stuff we put in the basement, none of it has been put away yet so there are boxes and bags everywhere. At least Jacob's crib is up for him to sleep in! 

Austin is still down in Iowa has he has his two weeks to finish up. So he's staying with his parents and making the 45 minute drive into Cedar Rapids every day. He starts his new job on August 3rd. He'll have about three months of training and then he will be working this 2nd shift. This will be a new adjustment for all of us but I think we'll be able to figure it out. 

And so this is where we are. After two weeks of non-stop going and packing, things are maybe starting to slow down a bit. But honestly, I think we're both just trying to catch up on some sleep and let our bodies rest. So if you happen to see either one of us and we don't look too excited, or awake - that's to be expected. :) 

Minnesota, here we come!

Well, it's happening. The Zaruba family will soon be residents of the great state of Minnesota! :) 

If you haven't already heard, I accepted a new job as the Communications and Volunteer Coordinator at a non-profit called Partners for Affordable Housing. I'm really looking forward to trying my hand in the non-profit world and taking on this new challenge! 

We're not entirely sure what the month of July is going to look like for us. Our lease is up at the end of July so AJ is actually going to stay in Iowa and keep working while he looks for jobs in Minnesota. This will also give us some extra time to get everything packed up and moved. And I don't know if you know this, but we're pretty good at this whole moving thing. :) Temporarily, we'll be moving in to my parents' basement while we figure out where we want to live. Ideally, I'd love to start looking for houses as soon as possible. 

Back before I knew the job was mine, I knew I wanted to get back to Minnesota. But at the same time, I felt that anxiety about leaving Iowa, the place I've lived for 10+ years. Now that I've accepted the job, I feel excitement to get back to Minnesota. To be closer to family and friends. Back to a place that has always really been home. But leaving Iowa will be hard. 

Iowa will also hold a very special place in my heart. And without a doubt, we'll be back to visit often. But Iowa, you've given me so much. You gave me an education. You were the place I grew up. You were the place where I met some of my closest friends. You were the place I met the love of my life. Iowa, you gave me the chance grow, make mistakes and learn. You were where we were married. You were the place where Jacob was born. Iowa will always be like home to me. We've been so blessed in this state. 

So, stay tuned to our next great adventure! It sure will be a good one!  

The Waiting Period

So, this is the time I hate. The waiting period between jobs and a move. There is so much unknown and I like to plan. But I can't plan yet. 

I want to know how much my paycheck is going to be so we can figure out bills. I want to know when AJ will get a job and how much he'll be getting paid. (Please don't read this as greedy, it's a feeling of anxiety about paying bills and paying off some debt) I want to know if we'll be able to pay off some debt while saving money by staying with my parents. I want to know when we'll do the big move of all the furniture and everything in the apartment. I want to know where we're going to put it all! I want to find a good daycare for Jacob, one that we will all love as much as our current daycare. 


I also find myself wishing time away. I long for the day when we can buy a house. To finally be settled somewhere. To put down roots. In my mind, I associate buying a house with the opportunity of being able to accomplish everything else that's getting pushed aside right now. 

Once we have a house, we'll finally be able to have all of our things, boxes and unopened wedding presents in one place. Once we have a house, we will finally go through all of our boxes, get rid of what we don't need and then completely organize everything else on shelves in tubs with detailed lists of everything inside. Once we have a house, we can finally get that king size bed. We can go back to having dish and a DVR! Once we have a house, Jacob will finally have the space to run around and a yard to play in. Once we buy a house, I'll find more time to work out, maybe join the rec center. AJ and I will be able to slow down and spend more time on us. 

These are the things I hope/want to happen. I know it's unrealistic. But that's what my mind thinks. And while I ponder away at these things, I'm missing life right now. I'm missing my last few days in Iowa. I'm missing Jacob watching the trucks drive by our apartment. I'm missing spending time with AJ before we have to be a part for awhile. 

So this is where I struggle. I struggle to stay in the presence and not worry about what I don't know will happen in our future. But that's exactly what I need to do. And I know God is telling me the same thing. In fact, just this morning, there was an email in my inbox. A prayer from the Unveiled Wife. This morning's prayer was a prayer for couples moving.

Dear Lord, I pray for husbands and wives who are in the transition of moving. There can be so many reasons for couples to move, such as job opportunities or fresh starts. I pray that these couples would not feel overwhelmed by the work it takes to move. Send them helping hands to get it done! I also pray that where they are moving to is a healthy environment. I hope that these couples do not feel alone or friendless. Send people to welcome them and get them connected to the community. May You bless their move and show them all the awesome things about the new move. I pray that their would be no contention within their marriage about the move, but that they would submit to and rely on You in Jesus' name. AMEN! 

Transitions

I've been thinking a lot about transitions in life. When I think about the past five years, I think transitions. That's what our life has been. A lot and a lot of transitions. Or at least, it certainly feels that way. 

Transitioning from college to a job. Transitions from living with your parents to living on your own to living with your husband to living with a kid. Transitions from your first job to a new job. And another job. And another job.... Transitions to new places to live, new communities, new people to meet. Transitioning from raising a baby to raising and parenting a toddler. 

This is what I feel the past five+ years have been for us. Transitions. Always waiting for what's next. Waiting on new opportunities. Waiting to see if this is a good fit. And then preparing for what's next. Preparing for the next opportunity.

And when I think about it this way, it actually exhausts me. It makes me tired. It makes me yearn for something permanent.  I want to find a job that I know I will be at for at least five years. I want to find a place where I know we plan on staying. I want to find a place that we stay long enough to really become a part of the community. To meet fellow parents. To develop close friendships. I want to find a place where we can buy a house. 

We still have wedding presents in their boxes because we haven't had the space for them. We have boxes at both parents' houses because we don't have the space or didn't want to keep moving them. We still have packed boxes in our apartment because we know it's not going to be long term. 

This is what I'm most tired of - the boxes. I hate that things are all over the place and not easily accessible. I want to be able to unpack every box and have a place for it. Or throw away the junk. I want a yard for Jacob to be able to run and play. I want a space for visitors to be able to stay. I want that permanent feeling. 

I believe there have been a couple times where things have started to feel more permanent to us, then life throws a curve ball and we have to adjust. And we've always managed to adjust well in time, but I want more stability. I know that life will always be throwing curve balls and we will constantly be adjusting to things. However, when I think about this, I think that if we have a house and a permanent place to call home, the other adjustments might not be as bad. So this is what I crave. 

And if I'm being completely honest, what I crave is a home in Minnesota. I want to be closer to family, closer to a place where I have more friends close by. I want a place that feels like we belong. I want a place to raise Jacob in a world that plays Duck Duck Grey Duck. ;-) And that place is Minnesota. 

But here's the funny thing. When I think about honestly moving to Minnesota, about the very real possibility that it could happen in the near future, I start to have anxiety. Anxiety about leaving Iowa, leaving this place I've called home for over 10 years. I believe that it will be hard to say goodbye. It feels different to be possibly leaving Iowa than it did to be leaving Minnesota when I left for college. Probably because at that point, I didn't know what would happen after college, there was always the possibility of returning to Minnesota. If we move to Minnesota now, that will most likely be it. So it's hard to think about having to say good-bye. But. We're not going anywhere yet. 

I do feel like we're in the middle of another transition though. With GE announcing the sale of GE Capital, my job could be eliminated or I could move to another company. So we sit and wait in this transition period again. Wondering what's next and where it will take us. I guess only time will tell. 

An Update - what? :)

Okay. I know, I know. I have been basically non-existent on this thing for a few months. I don't know where the time has gone honestly. It's not like things haven't happened, because they have. But time just slips away. 

And quite honestly, I don't even know how to begin to tell you everything that's taken place over the past few months. I guess we'll start at the basics. I'm no longer at P&K Midwest. It just wasn't working out and after a couple months of unemployment, I accepted a job at GE Capital working corporate collections. To be completely truthful, I wasn't that excited about the job. It was just a job and I needed a job. But even after just the first week, I knew this would be more than just a job. Not because of what I would be doing, I still wasn't too thrilled about that, but I was excited to be working at GE. I quickly learned how amazing of a company it was and to this day, that hasn't changed. They really know how to treat their employees and that is why I've loved my job so much. And not only that, but I'm quite good at this job. I'm enjoying having a job with set goals to work towards and meet. It's so different from any other job that I've had and I'm really enjoying it. I was really excited to explore my options with GE and see where it could take me. However, just a couple of weeks ago, we got news that GE was selling GE Capital. We have no word yet on if we'll still have a job or if we do, who it will be with and that's pretty hard. The reason I love my job is because it's GE. I really don't know that I want to continue to do this for another company. 

So as much as I hate looking and applying for jobs, I've started the process again, although not a whole lot yet as I still have a job I enjoy. However, the potential bright side to this is that I'm finally looking for jobs in Minnesota. It's no real secret that I've always wanted to get back to Minnesota and closer to my parents at some point but I really didn't think it would be anytime soon. So we'll have to see what happens! 

When we first moved down here, AJ wasn't finding a teaching job and so he took at job at Tipton Structural Fabrication at their Cedar Rapids location as a CNC operator. He thrived at this job, picking up an entirely new career and just running with it. He learned everything so quickly, he even got promoted to an office position within a year of starting! He's such a hard working and really enjoying this new work too. 

It's funny how we're both in such different careers than we ever imagined we'd be, but also really enjoying it. Life is funny that way, I guess.

And Jacob. Oh, Jacob. This little boy keeps us busy. Keeps us on our toes. Keeps us tired. :) He is a boy always on the move, full on constant energy. He loves being outdoors, swinging or watching trucks go by. He loves to jump on the bed or rough-house on the couch. He's still a big Mickey Mouse fan but he's also a big fan of Big Block Sing Songs on Disney Jr. He also still loves to read books! And he's still a big talker. Always talking up a storm. While we know he's trying to talk more and we can understand some words, they're not always clear. We'll have to see if speech therapy is something in his future. 

Every day is an adventure with Jacob. He's at such a fun (and exhausting!) age right now! Every day I am amazed at something new he learns and I love watching him discover something new. His personality is coming through more and more and I hate to say, that he's gotten some stubbornness... but definitely not from me. Just his dad. ;-) He also still does his little "Jacob jig" which I can never get enough of! And that hair is finally starting to come in!

I feel like when I would think about doing a blog update, I would have so many more details to talk about. But now that I'm actually writing it, no details come. 

I will say that the past few months have been a challenge and an adventure. Life continues to throw curve balls and we continue to adjust to change. Just when we think we have Jacob figured out, something changes and it's like we're learning to be a parent all over again. It doesn't get easier. But now that Jacob has finally figured out how to call me "mama" or "Michael", it warms my heart to hear him say it every time. Or when I ask for a hug or a kiss and he comes straight to my arms. It is a feeling like none other in the world. 

I'll try to start blogging again on a more regular basis, so I can add in some more details on our life. We hope all is well with you. 

A New Place

Well we've gotten ourselves through another successful move! Seriously, we are pros at this whole moving thing! I actually starting thinking about this the other night... how many places I've lived at in my 28 years. And it is a lot. Let's review...

My first home was the red and white house on Prince St, from there it was the house on Oakland, then that little blue house next to the fire station. Then we lived at Lily Lakes Estates and then the little yellow house we rented until we moved out to the farm. Now some of these were during college so I wasn't always living there, but I'm counting them. These were the places I called home. Then there was college: I lived in Centennial Hall for two years, and in two rooms so I'm counting this one twice because I did have to move completely out and back in again. Then there was Founders Hall, I did a brief stint in the Manors for May Term before moving to a condo in Waverly for the summer. There were also the Wartburg West apartments in Denver and finally, Knights Village my senior year. Then it was my first apartment after college, the place on Pinehurst in Waterloo. Crappy apartment, but for the right price. Then Austin and I moved to an apartment on Edgemont (still in Waterloo) for a short six months. After that was the "big move" out west. We lived in a really great apartment but on the dreaded third floor in Council Bluffs before moving to a neat little apartment in Oakland for two years. Next we moved back east and lived in a small house in Reinbeck before a temporary move to Austin's parents until we finally found a place of our own in Lisbon. Where we are now. 

Did you lose count? If you did, that's 20 places. 20 places I've called home for any amount of time. 20 places in 28 years. Our family are angels for helping us move so much. We have a reputation among our friends as the ones that move the most. And it's probably true. It's just been how things have worked out. For the most part, we probably could have stayed put a couple of times. :) 

And as much as I hate packing and moving boxes and furniture, there are somethings I love about a new move. I love the way a place is empty before you bring everything it. It offers a new beginning. It offers the possibilities of making this place your own. Making it a home. And I do enjoy the unpacking part. I love finding places for everything and making sure everything is organized - even if it never stays organized! I love added the personal touches to make it our home, hanging pictures on the wall or a rug on the floor. I love that feeling of a new place. Your own place. But then the novelty wears off... maybe that's why we keep moving. :) 

I would like to say that this is our last move before we look into buying a house and really settling down, but I can't. I can't say something like that because I've learned that life is going to happen. Events happen, people change their mind. Would I like to be looking at buying a house? Absolutely. Both Austin and I feel like we're at that point. But because we have moved so much, I think we're both hesitant about making that big of a commitment to one place. Are we really ready to settle down here? Is this where we want to be? What we want to be doing? Those are questions we don't know the answers to yet. But maybe someday. 

And now back to updating you on our life...

We've moved to Lisbon and so far we're really enjoying it. We're working on getting into our own routine. The shorter commutes to work have been so fantastic. I feel like we get to spend more time with Jacob. 

And speaking of Jacob, some of you may have seen, he got to spend almost a full week up in Minnesota with his Grandparents. He went up right after we moved and Austin and I were able to take advantage of the Jacob-free time to really unpack and organize everything. Jacob had a great time in Minnesota and even got to venture way up North to visit his Aunt Meg and Uncle Dan even came over from Fargo for a visit! As much fun as he had, we were sure glad to get him back home. It was crazy how much we missed him! I've honestly never missed anyone more in my life. A parent's love is a crazy thing! 

Jacob is still being stubborn and not really walking. He's more than capable, just lazy. :) He is standing a lot more and taking steps away from furniture own his own, so it's really just a matter of time before he figures how walking is so much better than crawling. Jacob seems to really like the new apartment, especially the sliding doors -they're perfect for him to look outside. We do have a small balcony and we've spent some time out there blowing and popping bubbles - something Jacob loves to do! 

Jacob continues to be a good eater, but he's not always interested in his own food - he wants to eat whatever you're eating! So there's a lot of sharing at our house now. He also is getting better at saying new words - which I love. He can say "cracker", "bye", "gone" "baby", "nigh nigh", "duck", "quack", "kitty", "dog", "bubble" and "z". :) He also tries to say "thank you". We've starting saying "all gone" when Jacob eats all of his food otherwise he'll continue to ask for more so we hold up our hands and show him that they're empty and say "all gone". Well Jacob has started to do it too! He'll put his arms out and say "gone" but he puts his arms out behind him - too cute. This morning when Daddy left for work, I said to Jacob, "Where'd Daddy go?" Jacob held out his arms and said "gone"! It was adorable. :) 

He does do a lot of "talking"... he'll "read" books to us, talk to his toys or the cupboards. And he also has "learned" how to talk on the phone... if you haven't see the picture or video, you check them out on Facebook. It's so funny! Sometimes when he reads a book, he has to put it right up to his face. And sometimes he puts a lot of emotion into his readings! :) He also LOVES to have you point to things. Anything. But he has to help. He likes to grab your finger and have you point to things. Pictures in a book, pictures or hangings on the wall, the ceiling fan, the mouse in Goodnight Moon, the Owl on the rug... it's endless. And only cute until he won't let you stop. :) The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is still his favorite TV show and he will dance up a storm when it's time for the Hot Dog Song! 

Jacob has also already started the Terrible Twos... which I thought weren't suppose to start until he was actually two! Nope! They've started already. Now, some of this might because we moved to a new place and then sent him to Minnesota so his routine was very much disturbed, I don't know. But he has started to throw fits. When you won't let him play with your phone, when you tell him no and stop playing in the blinds, when you won't give him another cracker, when you won't pick him up because you're doing the dishes, when his toy shapes won't fit in the hole they're not supposed to go in.... you get the idea. And I know it's hard because he can't really communicate to us any other way. Just another joy of parenthood. 

Jacob has finally started to do more and more walking. And he'll do it on his own, without us trying to get him to walk. He'll pull himself up and slowly walk around. He also loves to dance - to pretty much any music! But he will almost always stop when a theme song for a TV show comes on and dance to it, it's pretty cute. He also likes to nod his head yes or shake it no, although I'm not sure he knows what that means yet. :) And he just recently started doing this "big smile" thing where he will show all his teeth and squint his eyes! And he finally enjoys brushing his teeth! Every night, after bath, we go look in the mirror and Jacob will try to push it open. I grab his toothbrush and he'll open his mouth and point to his teeth, ready for me! It makes me smile!  

This is such a fun stage because Jacob is constantly learning and developing and I can't tell you how fun it is to watch! :) 

Happy (Belated) Birthday Jacob!

Our sweet, funny, amazing, goofy, smart, adorable, lovable baby boy is no longer a baby. We officially have a toddler on our hands now. Jacob turned one (almost a month ago already, due to my poor blogging skills...) and I have no idea what happened to the past year. By all accounts it was the most interesting, most stressful, most fun, most difficult, most exciting, most amusing, most sleep-deprived, most adventurous year I think I've ever had. There were tears, laughter, mistakes, learning, growing, moving, challenges and love. More love than I've ever known possible. Becoming a parent really does change everything. And in ways you will never understand until you become a parent. 

I created this fun poster to help showcase Jacob's first year. 

Also during Jacob's first year, he has already lived in three different places (in three towns even and different parts of the state!), been to Nebraska and Minnesota in addition to his home state of Iowa, has visited a zoo, gone for some tractor rides, loves looking at himself in a mirror, looking at pictures of himself or watching videos of himself. He has developed an adorable belly laugh that I cannot get enough of. He's made new friends at two different day-cares, both of which have been great. He loves to go swimming and making noise - any kind of noise. He loves to eat and can make the funniest faces. He went as both Charlie Brown and Jake from State Farm for Halloween because we couldn't decide and he spent is first Christmas at home with just Mom and Dad. He's also already been to a Wartburg Outfly and Homecoming, so he's well on his way to becoming a Knight. And that cute little cone-head he was born with turned into an even cuter perfectly round head. :) 

Jacob is already a spoiled kid and had two birthday parties! We had one in Minnesota and then another one a week later in Iowa. I figured it would be easier for family and friends this way. And Jacob was blessed by everyone that came and helped out. We are so grateful for you all. The birthday party theme was of course, Goodnight Moon, after Jacob's favorite book! As much as Jacob loved the cake during his cake smash photo shoot, he wasn't into it at either birthday party. For his credit, he was probably tired and overwhelmed with all the people and a different schedule though. He did want to eat a lot of the fruit though, and I know I should be thankful my son wanted the fruit rather than the cake, but where's the fun in that? :) 

Jacob also had his one year check up and of course, is still a healthy baby! And he's finally a well proportioned boy! :) Haha! He weighed 23.3 lbs (81%), is 30 3/4 inches tall (83%) and his head was 18 3/4 inches (87%). In the 80% for everything - first time that's happened! He also got some more shots which I was nervous about because Austin couldn't get off work to be there with me, but I successfully distracted him with the "Hot Dog Song". 

Jacob is getting closer and closer to being able to really walk on his own. He has taken his first steps, but won't go more than a half a dozen steps before sitting back down or falling over. He's great at standing unsupported though. And those first couple of steps he took? They were towards mama, but I was also playing the "Hot Dog Song" on my phone, so I'm not sure I can take the credit. :) He also loves to talk a lot, but we're not hearing any real words yet. Although he is getting closer I think. The other day it sounded like he said "yeah" to a question we asked him and last weekend, it sounded like he was trying to mimic the words "I love you". 

We also successfully quit nursing. I was actually very surprised at how well Jacob did with this. I had been slowly weaning him, cutting out feedings until we were just nursing at night before bed. But Jacob started taking a bottle instead with no problems! In fact, we've even stopped giving him bottles already and just use a sippy cup. The doctor had told me at his appointment that he'd like to see Jacob not using a bottle or his pacifier by 18 months. So the bottle is done but I think his pacifier might be a bit more of a challenge. Although, I generally just let him have it in the car and at nap and bedtime. 

Jacob has also started cutting his molars and it has not been fun. I think this has been much worse than his other teeth. He seems to get fussy at random times but especially at meal times. When he's normally been such a good eater, now it can be a give or take. Although he does like things that he can crunch, probably feels good. And he also loves to eat whatever we're eating. So my food is no longer my own... I better get use to sharing! :) 

In other news, Jacob and I got to spend the week of July 4th up in Minnesota with my family. My sister Meg was down on vacation too and she was able to get in a lot of Jacob time, which is good because we don't get to see her much now that she lives up North. :) Austin was able to come up and join us on Thursday and it was nice to finally have him there too. It was a perfect week of relaxing and spending time with family and friends that we don't get to see nearly enough. 

Writing this also reminded me that in mid-June, I had my 10 year high school reunion! I don't think I ever mentioned that here so I'll do it now. It was so great to be able to see those friends again. Some of us were able to get together a day early and brought the kids and husbands (if they weren't working) for some nice family time. And there sure are a lot of kids when we get together now! :) Then at the reunion, it was great to just have some fun adult time with no kids! After that, I realized how much I miss my high school friends but how thankful I am that we can still get together, even if it's just once a year, and it's like nothing has changed. We also had a great time going over old yearbook pictures and memories! Always a good time! 

And finally, we're moving! Again! I know, shocker. We found a two bedroom apartment in Lisbon and will be moving around the second week of August - let us know if you're available to come help. ;-) It's a little smaller than where we've been, but it's nice and super close to work for me - only 8 minutes! And it's only 20 minutes for Austin. Hopefully within a year or so, we can start looking for a house to buy. It's about time we try to settle down in one place, right? No? Maybe. We'll see. :) 

More Jacob Updates

Who doesn't love Jacob updates? :)

Jacob is teething again, this time he's working on cutting those top front teeth. We've noticed some of the same habits from the last time he was cutting his bottom teeth: waking and feeding more at night, drooling, fighting sleep at night. So we know he's probably in some pain, which is no fun for him. Hopefully they come in sooner rather than later!

Eating solids is still going great. We've tried carrots, bananas, sweet potatoes, green beans, apples and pears. We've made more food and we also have broccoli and peas in the freezer. We did buy some yogurt melts but they're pretty tart, so Jacob isn't a huge fan. Dad is though... :) And we have a couple mesh feeders so I've put banana in that so he can work on feeding himself and maybe work on chewing and not just sucking. Pretty soon we'll have to make another batch of food! Jacob has started eating solids twice a day.

Jacob still loves the sound of his voice and he has started to screech and scream a lot. It's pretty cute and only sometimes annoying. :) He still babbles some other sounds as well, mostly when he thinks we're not listening.

He is also a little wiggle worm, he just wants to move around so much! But he hasn't figured out the crawling thing yet! He's great at rolling to where he wants to go though. This past weekend, he also really started to pick up his feet and "walk" when we hold him up. He had a lot of time in his walker at Grandma and Grandpa's and was just moving all over the kitchen and dining room.

Jacob also has the cutest laugh. And boy does he get going if something is really amusing to him! He's very easily entertained too!

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To continue on the Jacob updates, he is becoming a master at getting what he wants. Ha! He has started to whine if he wants a toy out of reach, or if he falls over and can't get back up, or if you leave him alone in a room. So we're working on not immediately giving in to what he wants and trying to help him understand he has to do some work too! He will also hold out his hands and open and close his hands over and over - when he does that you know he wants something! He will also do a little bounce! It's pretty cute to watch.

We also had a very productive weekend of making more baby food. We were actually up in Minnesota at my parents' and the extra space and help was greatly appreciated! We left with three plastic bags full of frozen baby food! We made apples, pears, zucchini, nectarines, peaches, plums, prunes, cauliflower, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, peas, chicken stock, and chicken with veggies. Jacob is such a great eater and does really great when trying new foods!

We've also started giving him puffs and rice cakes so he can work on feeding himself. It started off a little rough, but he's really got the hang of it now! In fact, when we went out for breakfast this past weekend, Jacob managed to grab a little handful of pancakes before I took it away from him! :) I'm sure it won't be long now before we will start giving him small pieces of food to eat.

We did end up going into urgent care while we were up in Minnesota too because Jacob looked like he had pink eye. Luckily, we took him in early enough, that it was just starting so he got some drops for his eyes. He is not a fan of those! But it cleared up in just a few days.

Since he still hasn't worked out crawling yet, we've started to "walk" with him. We hold on to his hands and let him take steps forward. It's so cute and fun to watch him do this! Some of the steps are really big, others very small, and sometimes he'll cross his feet in front of one another! I know we're just asking for trouble as we encourage all this moving! :)

Jacob has also started a Kindermusick class in Cedar Falls! We go every Tuesday night and have had two classes so far. They've been a lot of fun, but I think they've been more of a workout for Mom and Dad than they were for Jacob! :) But he loves to watch the other kids run around. The class we're in is for newborns to 18 months and there are some other babies younger than Jacob so he isn't the only one not moving on his own. But the class is great, we love the music and the movement and so does Jacob! He especially loves the bubbles at the end of each class!

I think that's about it for now! :)

Two Months Old

Jacob is officially two months old! I'm not really sure where the past two months have gone but they've gone quickly! We've finally settled into a routine here  in our new home and that makes things easier with Jacob. There are certainly days that are still hard because Jacob is changing and growing every day! But we're learning to adjust better. 

With Jacob being two months old, that means we were back at the doctor for his two month check up! This was our first appointment with our new pediatrician and I think we're really going to like him. The great news is that we were told we have a "perfect baby"! Everything checked out great with Jacob and he's right on track. He weighed 12lb 9oz, which is in the 55 percentile. His height was 60% and his head a whopping 100%! Big headed little guy! :) The bad news about this appointment is that Jacob got his first shots. This was probably harder on mommy than it was for Jacob! Luckily the nurses were great and it was over fairly quickly but when they stuck him, his eyes shot open and he was crying so hard he couldn't catch his breath! It made me cry! Austin told me I'm not allowed to watch Jacob's face the next time he has to have shots! But once they were done and we fed Jacob, he was just fine. He was a little fussy the next couple of days but nothing too bad. 

Jacob is definitely growing and changing every day! Towards the beginning of August, when he was around 7 weeks, he rolled from his tummy onto his back for the first time! He did have to have a little help from mom and dad because he was on the edge of a folded up blanket and couldn't get over the little bump. And he hasn't rolled over since then either because he's not a fan of tummy time (as you can see from videos on our vimeo site!) and I can only listen to him cry a little bit before having to make it better! He has also rolled from his back to his tummy once as well! This was recently, at 9 weeks old. I put him on the ground to change his diaper, went to the bathroom quick and when I came back he was on his tummy! I was very impressed and I think Jacob was a little startled and not sure how he got there! Haha! 
Jacob also loves to sit up so he can look around at the world. We often prop him up on the couch or hold him on our knees so he can see everything around him. We did buy him a little seat with an activity tray but he's not a huge fan of it yet I think because it doesn't have a full back like he's use to having from sitting on the couch. He's also interacting more and more with us every day! We get a lot more smiles out of him and every time I see one, it literally melts my heart! We haven't gotten a full giggle from him yet but it's probably going to happen very soon! You can tell he wants to laugh! 
I think he's also starting to want to reach out and grab at things, he hasn't yet but I think he wants to. He'll hold on to certain toys or blankets if you help him. He also wants to put things in him mouth, again toys, blankets and his fists or fingers! :) Every day it's something new and a different adventure. And I love it all! 

I still don't have a job but I've had a good number of interviews so hopefully something will work out here soon. As much as I know I need to go back to work since we need the money, I really wish I could stay home with Jacob. I'm not sure I'm ready to leave him yet! But I've been fortunate to have been able to spend so much time with him! 

Austin, on the other hand, is in full swing at school. Last week was a little different because the school had early outs every day due to extreme heat. So while it made things a little difficult because Austin didn't have full class times, it might have helped with the transition of starting school again. He's busy learning what his 100+ student choir is capable of and helping students determine their voice parts. He's also getting adjusted to teaching 3rd and 4th grade again, something he hasn't done since student teaching. And finally, starting to get ready for the fall musical. So he has plenty to keep him busy! He has also realized how much work this year is going to be since it's a new school and a new program. Like anything, it's going to take time for him to find his pace but soon I know he'll have a success program on his hands, like he did at Riverside. 

A couple of weeks ago we were finally able to make it down to Tipton and introduce Jacob to most of Austin's family. We had a big birthday party on Saturday for his grandma and a family reunion on Sunday. So we were definitely busy! But Jacob did great. Although he is at that stage where he's recognizing faces so it is taking him a while to warm up to people. He might be a little use to his mommy as we spend the most amount of time together. :) 
This past weekend we went up to Minnesota for another family reunion. Again, we had a great time and kept busy. Jacob did great, once he got use to all the different people. :)  

Jacob's grandparents (on both sides) are definitely loving all the time they get with the little man! And we love making sure he has time with them! And it's been awesome being back so close to family, or at least closer than we were! It's made things easier too, especially when we've needed some help babysitting so I could go to job interviews. 

I think that's about it for us at the time. More later! 

A Blessed and Busy Weekend

Last Thursday we woke up, did a couple of feedings with Jacob, packed up the car, did another feeding and hit the road. It was our first real road trip with the little man, and it was a long one. We were heading to Minnesota, just under a five hour drive. Luckily, Jacob does great in the car! He seems to really love the carseat and will normally just nap! We ended up stopping only twice to feed and the second stop worked out so we could stop to see Jacob's clans-aunt! 

We made it to Minnesota around dinner time on Thursday evening. On Friday we ran some errands in Mankato and then stopped to see Grandma Reedstrom at work so she could show Jacob off. On Saturday morning, we headed into town for a baby shower for Jacob with some of my high school friends. I love that even after all this time, we can still get together and have plenty of things to talk about. Our get togethers have also become more noisy with toddlers running around and babies crying - but still a ton of fun! Jacob got to meet a lot of family and friends all weekend! Saturday night, Austin's family drove up to Minnesota and we enjoyed a really nice dinner outside and spending time on the porch. But Sunday was definitely the busiest day! 

On Sunday morning, we woke up early and headed to church. It was time to baptize Jacob! My mom suggested it when she was down visiting. Megan was going to be giving the sermon back at my hometown church - the same church my parents got married in, my siblings and I were all baptized and confirmed in. We weren't sure it was going to work since the date was only a couple of weeks away when the idea was brought up but luckily it worked for immediate family so we went ahead and set it up. There was a baptismal gown that my mom had made which my siblings and I all wore at our baptisms and I wanted Jacob to be baptized in it as well. And with the way Jacob has been growing, I didn't want to wait too long! :) 

It had rained some that morning and on our way to church, we saw a rainbow. I had been nervous about getting Jacob baptized because I was worried he was going to scream either the entire service or at the very least during the baptism. And I really didn't want that! But when I saw that rainbow I thought of it as a sign from God that the service was going to go well. Austin later suggested that maybe my Grandma Reedstrom had sent the rainbow to let us know she was with us that day. I like to think that's true. And Jacob did great during the service! We ended up feeding him right at the start of the service and he pretty much slept through the whole thing! Megan gave a great sermon and Jacob even helped with the children's sermon! Then it was time for the baptism! Jacob's sponsors are Megan (my sister) and Amber and Matt (Austin's sister and brother-in-law). Jacob pretty much slept through the baptism but right after Pastor Salim got done pouring the water over his head, Jacob let out a cute little sigh. Jacob is so blessed to have such great family and now he is a part of even a larger family - God's family. It was a great service. 

After church, it was back to the house for lunch with family and friends. Then in the afternoon, we headed back out to church. My little sister was getting ordained! Megan graduated from seminary this past May and recently received her first call (aka, her first job!). She will be heading to the Minnesota north woods to a two-point parish in Bigfork and Effie, Minnesota. So on Sunday afternoon, the bishop of her synod came down to perform her ordination service. It was a really cool service to be able to witness and I could not be more proud of her! She's going to do great things up north! :) We're also excited to be able to head up there eventually and see her house and the churches she'll be working at. Although, it will probably be a little while because it's quite the drive! 

On Monday, we were going to head back to Iowa but the weekend had been so busy and exhausting, we decided to take one more day to rest up and take advantage of family who was willing to hold and watch Jacob while Austin and I slept. :) And on Tuesday, we finally headed back home. As nice as it was to be around so many family and friends, it was also nice to be back at home again. 

During our time in Minnesota, Jacob was more fussy than normal. I think that the change in location, routine, meeting new people and all the new noises were a lot for him. Understandable! But it made the weekend very exhausting. Even though I may have gotten more sleep, I felt more exhausted from trying to comfort Jacob so much and feeding more than normal. Now that we're back at home, we're trying to establish our routine again. And we're slowly getting there. 

But Jacob is definitely growing! He'll have spurts throughout the day where he'll feed every hour! Mostly this happens in the evening and that's also when he's the most fussy. It makes me sad because I don't know if there's something bothering him or if he just feels like crying. We did buy some gas drops to give him when he's being really fussy to see if it helps with tummy problems. And so far it does seem to be helping. 

I read a blog post the other day about surviving the first few weeks home from the hospital with a new baby. Reading it, I could have sworn it could have been taken from a journal I had written. (You can read it here) I had all this energy when we first got home from the hospital, which was surprising because I thought my recovery after a c-section was going to be harder on me. But I had a great recovery with hardly any pain. I wanted to be up and getting things done. But I resisted. Having family there to help me get those things done for me really helped. After the first couple of weeks my energy did start to slow down. I wasn't feeling exhausted but I was definitely finding it easier to stay and bed and take naps with my little man. The blog post had some good tips and the one I loved the most was to watch your newborn sleep. I love doing that so much. He's so peaceful looking when he's sleeping and I can't help but stare. It's very distracting. :) 

Another thing the blog briefly talks about is breastfeeding. This was something I always knew I would do. I wanted to do this. It's healthier for the baby, cheaper for us and I wanted to experience that bonding I had read about. But I have to admit, I don't love it. I don't necessarily enjoy breastfeeding. Please don't get me wrong, I love the fact that I am able to breastfeed because I know some women can't and I can't imagine not being able to provide for my son that way. But it's not something I just can't wait to do again when feeding time comes around - especially during Jacob's cluster feedings! It's exhausting knowing that my body isn't my own during those times. It takes time to get it done. And when we're with other people, I don't like having to excuse myself for 20 plus minutes at a time, missing out on conversations and taking Jacob away from people (because let's be honest, it's him people want to see!). I know I could use a cover (something I still need to buy...) and breastfeed in the room with people, but I just don't feel comfortable with that yet. Jacob and I are still figuring out how to work together. Right now, it just feels tiring, messy and time-consuming. But I know it will get better. And again, don't think I don't want to breastfeed, because I do! Jacob and I just need some more time to get it down to a science. 

But back to the what matters: Jacob! Jacob is officially one month old! And he now weighs just over 10lbs! And my growing boy is getting stronger every day! We're still working on tummy time to help strengthen his neck and back muscles, but he's working on that even when we're not doing tummy time! Putting Jacob up over our shoulder, he'll push himself with arms and hold his head up and look around! And he's doing it longer each time! The other night during tummy time, again he used him arms to push himself up to look around! It's just amazing! His legs are always getting stronger! He will push up against either Austin and I with his legs and hold his cute little butt up in the air. :) I just love watching to see all the new things he does every day! He also continues to find new noises to make, which are too cute! I can't believe one month has gone by already! Time can certainly slow down any day! 

One Month Old - July 26, 2013

Baby This & Baby That

With our doctor appointments taking place every two weeks, they've been pretty boring. So nothing really new to report. These visits are just a quick check - weight, blood pressure, measure the belly and baby's heartbeat. Nothing too exciting, except for hearing that heartbeat! :) I believe that we'll have one more ultrasound before the baby comes to check the growth, but I don't know when that will happen. 

It's crazy to think we're already in May and that NEXT MONTH is when this baby is coming!!  I think we're slowly getting more and more prepared for this baby. The first thing being birthing classes! We started a four week course last Thursday night. The first class was pretty basic - talking about different symptoms and what to do, what to look for with signs of early labor, some breathing techniques, etc. We also got a tour of the birthing center at the hospital we'll be having the baby at and that was pretty neat. I'm really interested in our next class because we'll be talking about pain management. :) 

Another way we're getting ready is with some pretty awesome baby showers being thrown by some pretty awesome people. :) My aunts threw us a great baby shower a couple of weeks ago when we were back in Minnesota. It was a lot of fun, great to see so many people and we got some really great stuff. Austin's family is throwing us a baby shower this weekend as well! We are so grateful and blessed to have such awesome family and friends! It also makes it more real as we start to get more and more baby stuff around the apartment! 

And speaking of our apartment, my nesting skills are coming in handy! As we'll be moving after the baby comes and we only have a one bedroom right now, I'm using my nesting energy to start getting ready for the move! Austin doesn't really enjoy this as much as me. :) I'm making sure we go through everything before we pack anything and get rid of everything we don't need. It's been great to get rid of a bunch of junk! And then we've slowly started packing up things we don't need on a day to day basis. 

That's about it for baby news. In other news, we spent a weekend in Minnesota a couple of weeks ago for the wedding of a very close friend of mine. It was the same weekend as the baby shower so needless to say it was a long and exhausting weekend - although a lot of fun! 

As the school year is coming to a close, Austin has been wrapping up with final concerts and performances. He has had a lot of great things happen at the end of the year as well! The first was a day at Solo/Ensemble Contest. Austin took 17 entries and walked away with 9 Division I (Superior) ratings and 8 Division II (Excellent) ratings! This was a record day for the choir! The choir also had a workshop day with the Wartburg Choir and during the workshop they performed for the choir and received comments and tips from members and Dr. Nelson. It was a great experience and the students really learned a lot! The Middle School concert was next and it was a great concert! The students really worked hard! Next the Concert Choir and a Treble Choir went to Large Group Contest and after two amazing performances, each group walked away with a Division I (Superior) rating! Finally, Austin had his final high school concert. Again, it was a great performance and the students did an outstanding job! The students also presented Austin with flowers and a card and thanked him for taking a "Division IV choir to a Division I choir". He then received a standing ovation from the crowd. It was amazing to see the support that Austin has received for the past three years at Riverside. 

This weekend we're heading to Tipton for our baby shower and to see a Cedar Rapids Titans game and see Ariel dance. But it'll be a quick trip as we have to return Sunday morning to get ready for the Choir End of the Year Awards Banquet on Sunday afternoon. The following weekend we're off to Dubuque for my sister's graduation! It'll be two busy weekends but should be great times with family! After that I'm done traveling until after this baby comes! I'm taking the rest of those weekends to rest and nest! :) June will be here before we know it! 

Just another Baby Appointment

We had another baby appointment with the doctor earlier this week. This was a pretty quick and easy check up. Weight check, blood pressure, etc. We also got to listen the baby's heartbeat again! Still a strong heartbeat in the 150's! So everything checked out great.

We go back at the end of March for our 3-D ultrasound. They'll be doing some checking for any problems but this is also a great time for us to get some face shots of our little baby! :) Then at the beginning of April, it's back again for my 28th week appointment where I get to drink a "yummy" sugar drink to test my glucose levels. I can't wait for that... ha! And then, surprisingly enough, we're back at the doctor every two weeks! 

I'm at week 22 right now so we've officially passed the halfway point! And it's all going to be a downhill slide from this point out I think! And June will be here before we know it! 

This past weekend, Austin and I headed to Target to start a baby registry. This wasn't as much fun as I was expecting it to be and maybe I was just over-thinking everything. There were so many choices and options that I felt overwhelmed at times! Austin kept telling me that people will buy what they know works and not to worry. He's probably right... And then there just wasn't a huge gender neutral selection. A lot of things they did have for gender neutral were out of stock so we couldn't add them to the registry at the store, we'll have to go online to do it. Just a little frustrating, but not enough to change our minds on finding out the sex of the baby! :) But it was nice to have that task done. 

In other non-baby updates... We went to Minnesota this past weekend to spend some time with my family. I also went to a bridal shower for a very good friend of mine and it was great to see her as well. I've been busy at work trying to schedule high school visits and soon I'll be traveling quite a bit for my spring travels. Austin is of course keeping very busy with solo/ensemble contest coming up and has been spending many late nights working on a variety of things - which never pleases me when all I want to do is cuddle! :) 

Otherwise I think that's about it for us right now! Thanks for reading! 

Beginning of Fall

The start of fall is here. You can't really tell by the weather yet, but you can by the activities! We have had some nice cool fall-like days and they've been great! I'm looking forward to when this is the case every day! To me, there is nothing better than a nice cool fall day. But there have been other things that tell us fall has arrived.

Austin has started school. This will be his third year teaching already! It's crazy how fast time flies! Austin was definitely ready for school to start this year. The week before school started  he was at the high school or the middle school until 10pm or later getting things and his classroom ready! I admire his commitment and the focus he had those days, but at the same time I was ready for him to be home when I was getting ready for bed! :) This year, while the final numbers are still being determined as students finalize their schedules, it looks like Austin will have his biggest choir yet. It's amazing to see the choir grow under Austin's leadership. If you haven't done so already, head over to Facebook and "like" the Riverside Vocal Music page. That way you can keep up-to-date on everything that is happening at Riverside.

Another thing that tells me fall is just around the corner is my work schedule. It's quickly filling up with college fairs and before I know it, I'll be scheduling my high school visits as well. This will be my second year of fall travel season and I guess we'll see if it will be as busy as last year. My guess is yes. :)

A couple of things that we've been able to do to enjoy the last of summer... A couple weeks ago we were back in Macendonia for Donia Day, the town celebration. Austin was a judge for the parade. It was a fun day and we got to see a lot of people from "Annie" that we hadn't seen in a while, so that was really great. We also saw probably the coolest thing I've ever seen during a parade. The John Deere Implement just down the road had a pretty sweet surprise for all the kids. They had one of their tractors pulling a grain auger and the arm swung out over the streets and from it dropped hundreds of Tootsie Rolls! It was pretty amazing! And the kids loved it! 

This past weekend we went up to Minnesota to spend some time with my family. Originally we had planned on going to the Minnesota State Fair. But then we found out that weekend was going to be the time to harvest grapes at my uncle's vineyard. Well that is just simply something we can't miss, so we ended up helping out with that instead. It always promises to be a good time.

We normally spend the morning picking grapes and then celebrate the end of the harvest with a big potluck and lots of drinks to go around! This year was no different! Now, as you may already know, this summer has been particularly dry with not a lot of rain. Well Saturday, this was not the case. The one day pretty much all summer it decides to rain is the day we're out harvesting grapes. Well it made things interesting at the very least. It was pretty cold and very wet, but we managed. 

Harvesting in the rain!

By the end of the day we were very tired, wet and muddy. But the harvest was a success! I also got second place in the "Perfect Bunch" contest! I was really aiming for first because that prize was a giant wine glass that fits an entire bottle of wine! But second place wasn't bad! 

My second place bunch!

Overall it was a great, but very tiring, weekend! Both Meg and Dan were home as well. It's always great to see them before the busy fall begins!

This next weekend we're heading to see the other side of the family in Tipton! We're having a big party and I think it's going to be a great way to wrap up the summer! It'll be really great to see this side of the family as well since it's been a while!

God and His Plans

You know, life has a funny way of working itself out. Or maybe it's more God's planning. I'm always truly amazed when things in life get complicated and I start to worry and fret and wonder how it's all going to work out. But then something happens and I see that God truly had a plan in place all along. I suppose you're wondering what on earth I'm talking about?

There was a new position created at Wartburg in the Alumni and Parent Association Office for an Event Planner. I decided to apply and landed an interview. (Now, I don't want you to think that I don't love my current job at UNO because I do. I love what I'm doing, I love working in higher education and I love the people I work with. This was just something I thought I should apply for.) The interview itself went great. The staff at Wartburg were friendly and welcoming and of course it's always great to be back on campus! The position would be helping plan different events throughout the year including Family Weekend, Homecoming and area Outflys. And as it was at my alma mater, it could be a dream job for me. I love planning events, I love all the work that goes into them, the details, the organization. And I love seeing the end results. And who wouldn't want to work for such a great place and one that is so close to my heart?

But after the interview,  I wasn't sure what was next. I didn't know what I would say if they offered me a job. AJ has a much more specific job and he can't just move anywhere. I followed him out to Western Iowa for his job at Riverside. And I realize that it's probably going to almost always be that way - me following him. And I honestly have no problem with that! AJ knows what he wants to do, has that passion and a true talent for it! I will gladly follow him wherever his career may lead him. But AJ doesn't have anything lined up for a job in Eastern Iowa. He has this great job at Riverside and is excited to see how the program continues to grow. I'm not sure I could ask him to leave that. Especially if he doesn't have another teaching job lined up. AJ thought if I was offered the job I should take it. We've lived apart before and although that didn't really work out in our favor last time, he believes that we're in a better place to do it now. It would be his third year of teaching and we know a lot of people in the area now - he's more comfortable. And while I agree with all of that, I still wasn't sure living apart was something I wanted to do. We've begun to talk about when we want to start a family and living apart isn't exactly ideal for that.

And so we were at a crossroads. Waiting. Waiting to hear back from Wartburg. And trying to figure out what I would say if I was offered the job. Well the call finally came on Wednesday afternoon. Wartburg called and told me that it was down to me and one other person and after a lot of discussion, and not without some hard choices, they offered the job to the other person and they accepted. I was told however that they had nothing but great things to say about me and would keep me in mind if any future positions opened up. And while I was bummed about not getting an offer, I was also relieved. I honestly believe that God knew I would not be able to make that decision. So He made it so I wouldn't have to. I am glad that I did the interview. I love Wartburg and would jump at any chance for another interview down the road. And maybe this interview will have been my foot in the door for something else. Something down the road that has better timing for both me and AJ and his career track. Everything happens for a reason. And this situation was no different.

Ironically enough, after receiving the phone call from Wartburg, AJ and I had our Financial Peace University course that night. This lesson was called Working in your Strengths. The class description reads: "This lesson will show you how to avoid dead-end or mind-numbing jobs and provide tips for job hunting, writing a résumé, and acing an interview. Plus, you’ll learn tips for finding extra jobs if you need cash to attack your debt snowball." And our homework for this class period was to come up with a three year professional plan. Well this is something I've always struggled with. I admire AJ so much for knowing what he wants to do and the fact that he's able to do it and do it so well. And while I like the fact that my degree gives me the opportunity to be flexible and do a number of things, I still struggle with what I want to do for the rest of my life. There are a number of things I love to do. And I do love working in Higher Education and I believe I want to stay working in Higher Ed, but doing what exactly? I'm not sure. We were even asked in our discussion after the lesson if we could do anything in the world and money was no object, what would it be. I couldn't answer. I don't know what my dream job is. I'm still searching. I wish someone could tell me what I'm really good at, what my strengths are and what exactly I should be doing. But I know this is something I have to discover for myself. I need to figure out what God put me on this earth to do. But if you have any suggestions, I'll take them! ;-)

Let's get on with some updates now, shall we? March was a busy month for both AJ and I. For me, the month was filled with high school visits and college fairs. For AJ, he was busy working as the National Honor Society adviser and planning the ceremony as well as getting his students ready for solo/ensemble contest. We were also lucky enough to have some visits from friends as well! Amanda and Chelsea were able to come down and we had a pretty fun girls weekend! Even AJ said it wasn't too bad with the three of us together! ;-) The last two weeks of March I was actually up in Minnesota at college fairs. It was a long two weeks to be away from home and from AJ but we survived. I was also able to go to Osseo, WI and visit Meg the weekend in between! It was great because I hadn't been able to visit her yet or see her preach! It was a great weekend and really great to have some sisterly bonding time as well! :) I also managed to get in some time with some high school friends for another baby shower! It's so much fun getting together with these girls and catching up with all of them, but it's also fun to see how our get together's have changed! We had four adorable babies that we kept passing around and it was just so much fun! I can't wait until the next time we're all able to get together again! Maybe next time we'll even have to bring our husbands!

Easter weekend AJ and I drove up to Minnesota where we were able to spend a nice long weekend with family and friends. We managed to get in some good cousin bonding time as well during the weekend since all of us were back home (even if not all quite at the same time...). It's always fun when we can get together which is so hard to do now! But we can always have a good time. Easter itself was a joyous holiday and it was good to be back in church! I'll admit AJ and I have not been very good about getting to church lately! We need to get back in the habit because it's always so great and refreshing! The Monday after Easter we headed back home which of course included a stop to see our growing clans-baby! We just love spending time with him and he is just the cutest baby! :) Monday was a long day though spent in the car, at the doctor's office and getting our taxes done. I am so glad that we finally have our taxes done and it was a lot easier than I thought! We decided to take them into H&R Block because we had too many questions and concerns, especially with me working in Nebraska but living in Iowa. And while it did cost us some money to get them down, the payoff has really been worth it. We originally thought we were going to have to pay a huge chunk of change to the state of Iowa but it turns our we had been filing wrong! So while we still had to pay in, it wasn't nearly as much as we first thought. We also found out that we filed wrong last year (2010) as well! So he was going to look into it further and see if we could possible get some money back from that! So we are keeping our fingers crossed!

Well, that's about it for us right now! School will soon be ending for the year for AJ and then he'll be busy working as the Musical Director of "Annie" for the community theater. We hope to spend this summer with some family time and maybe taking a vacation or two! No matter what we do, we know we'll have a great time!

Happy New Year!

Well, as quickly as they came, the holidays are now gone. But I think I speak for both Austin and I when I say that we had a great holiday season this year.

Last year over the holidays, I was unemployed. As such, we were able to spend more time with family since AJ has a bigger break over the holidays off from school and so it worked out very nicely! But then of course I got this job. Come to find out, the university shuts down the week between Christmas and the New Year so we were able to enjoy just as much of a relaxing break this year with our families!

We started out in Tipton, spending the actual holidays with Austin's family. We had a blast - as we always do! :) We played board games, Wii games, ate A LOT of food and of course, had our traditional scavenger hunt! AJ's parents would always make a scavenger hunt for the kids growing up and it's something they continue to do, only now Matt and I get to join in on the fun as well! But this year, I decided to mix it up a little bit - we created a scavenger hunt for them! It was fun to see them "run" around the house and yard looking for their clues to find their present this year! Although, I'm not sure we'll make them do it every year... :) We even had time to make some awesome gingerbread houses... and one boat. haha Overall, it was great to be back in Tipton and spend some much needed time together with the family! It had been way too long! Here are some pictures from our time there! 

After spending some time in Tipton, we headed up to Minnesota to see my family. I think they were eager for us to get there because they were waiting on us to open presents! :) Again, we enjoyed being able to just spend some relaxing time with family and seeing old friends while we were there. We also enjoyed watching an old video that we made last Christmas while our parents were away... it was quite funny. :) We even got some snow while we were there - very little!! - but enough to make it feel a little bit more like Christmas. Otherwise it was a very brown Christmas - everywhere (home in Oakland, Tipton and Minnesota!). And I mean brown, no snow whatsoever. Not even piles in the ditch. It was very sad. But anyway, we did get a light dusting in Minnesota just in time to celebrate the Reedstrom family Christmas. We had a houseful and it was so much fun! We always have a great time! 

We did celebrate Mom's birthday while we were around on Friday night before we all had to leave as well! We decided to drive back home on the 31st so that we could spend a relaxing New Year's Eve at our house - really just being a boring old couple. :) But it was good to be home after being gone for so long. We really wish the rest of our family would just decide to move so that they would all be closer to us! ;-) And it was nice to have a relaxing day on Sunday before AJ had to go back to work on Monday. AJ had a professional development day on Monday, so no kids yet and then he even got the afternoon off. But that meant he was stuck at home with me cleaning the house, putting away Christmas decorations and re-organizing all of his clothes! :) I would say it was a very productive day!

Over break, AJ did have some excitement when it comes to his high school choir! They were featured on a local radio station that was featuring local talent singing Christmas songs! The recording he sent in is absolutely great (if you haven't heard it already!) and the radio even did a little bit of a back story!! You can listen to it here and you really should!!

And now it's back to the old routine of things, but in a new year. I love the start of a new year. It's a new beginning, a fresh start. A time for resolutions, although who really ever keeps those... haha The new year is a time to make new commitments. New ideas. A time for new adventures. And that's really what AJ and I are hoping for this year. We have some new ideas, some new plans and hopefully some new adventures in the works!

But, at the same time, you have to stay somewhat down to earth. You have to also realize that things don't always work out. Resolutions aren't always kept. Plans don't always go accordingly. But that's okay too. Because in one year, there will be a chance for another fresh start.