Ready to Dress Up the New Nest

Hi friend.

Having a happy weekend?  We are here.  Well, pretty lazy, but good. 

Jered has been studying nonstop.  (In my opinion.)  Yesterday he decided to take a break- which, in my opinion, was a good idea.  I woke up to his smiling face asking me if I wanted to go out for pancakes.  Why yes! Yes, I do!  So we enjoyed a long breakfast at our favorite corner diner. 

Then we lazed around the apartment most of the day.  I cooked up a ton of chicken for the next few days, tried making banana chips, and made some lime cilantro dressing from my Cast Iron Skillet Cook Book that I got from Grandpa Bill and Grandma Robbie for the wedding.  It turned out pretty good!

Jered and I have spent the last two afternoons in a quiet classroom on campus.  Yesterday we wasted a couple hours on the computer- he looked at land and listened to music, and I pinned and blog browsed.    Today we packed up a big lunchbox full of healthy goodies, and he is studying and taking practice tests, but I am doing the same old thing. 

I have found a blog that I am in love with- look up sweet-verbena.blogspot.com.  She does so many DIY projects, and better yet- makes them seem really easy and posts great directions.  I am basically stock-piling ideas right now for our new apartment.  I cannot wait to feel like we live in a grown up place and something a little less dorm roomesque.

But friend- if you could just see all the ideas piling up in my head, you would think we were getting ready to move into a big house, not a two bedroom apartment. Ha.  I'm going to have to do some major picking and choosing and planning to make everything work together and still look simple- which is ultimately what I'm wanting- nice and simple.

I'm also trying to figure out how to get some of the styles I like without making it too "girly" for Jered.  Although I don't think my taste is that girly to start with, he is definitely a "man's man," and I want him to love the look of our apartment too.

Here are some of my favorite finds of the week:

The wreath and the table are both from my new favorite blog.  I found the barrel tables on Pinterest.  I also found some great antiqued glass tutorials for candles and jars and such.

I've already asked Dad to help me with a father-daughter project. (That great TV table.)  I love how simple it it- and she say's it's crazy sturdy.  To me, it seems modern and rustic mixed together.  

Since we will be home for a few days over my birthday weekend, I've roped Mom and Kate into trying some of the other projects.  Hopefully we will have some beauties to share with you next week.

In case you were wondering, Jered is now playing his harmonica with a backtrack he found online.  Being the loving, supportive wife that I am, I have headphones in and am listening to old Mickey Mouse cartoons.

Well friend, time to get back to my lovely weekend with my handsome husband.  I sure do wish I had brought my camera with me so you could see him right now.  Maybe we'll venture back this way again this week and I can sneak a picture in somewhere.  Anyway- later!

Aim

The Fount

Dear friend,


Did you have a nice weekend?  I sure did.  We ended up having an impromptu visit to Jered's family's house.  While I enjoyed some girl time with Jessica, Kelly, and Beth, Jered got some much needed basketball and more importantly, hunting time.  He really needs to get out of doors more often.

We sang three of my favorite songs in church this week.

The first was Our God- which admittedly, I have sung in confusion, and often through tears as I sing lyrics that proclaim our God is healer and awesome in power.  I believe with my whole heart that it's true, but it's still hard to realize that sometimes God's plans are different than my own.

The second was In Christ Alone.  It gives me chills every. single. time.  No power of hell, no scheme of man could ever pluck me from His hand.  Til He returns, or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I stand.  Gosh, I don't even know what to say about that one, except that if you don't know the lyrics to it- look them up real quick.  Life-altering words.

We watched a video about the writer of the last song.  Turns out it was written by Robert Robinson, to which I initially thought, "Who would name their kid that?"  Then I learned that he was a man from the 1700s and had his life greatly changed by God.  They revealed that the song was Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.  This song is one that I don't think of often, but when it does come up on the Sunday morning worship list, it always breaks my heart.

Come thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise

I love that it points out that God's mercy demands our loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise His Name I'm fixed upon it
Name of God's redeeming love.

Won't it be wonderful when the angels are teaching us new worship songs?  Wow- what a picture in my head!  The second half creates so much conviction in me- I want to be wholly fixed on that name.

Hither to thy love has blessed me
Thou has brought me to this place
And I know thy hand will bring me
Safely home by thy good grace

He has blessed me in so many ways.  If it weren't for how He's worked in my life, I think I would be in a totally different place right now.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Bought me with His precious blood.

He desired to save strangers from the ultimate danger- eternity away from God.  He saved me when I had done nothing to deserve His smallest attention.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee:

I could never be "even" with Him for what He has done.  I will always be a debtor to Him.  

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love!  To know that in the depths of my heart, I will always be prone to sin, to leave this God who has so mercifully saved me, is absolutely heartbreaking.  How fitting that it ends with a prayer for God to "take and seal" my heart for Him.

Do you get why I love this song even when it breaks my heart so much?  It's just a "wow" moment for me every time I think about those lyrics.

Well friend, that's really all I have to write to you about today.  Hopefully I will talk to you again soon.

Aim

Perspective

Hi.

I've had a little more time to write recently, in case you hadn't noticed. 

Yesterday was glorious, if you were wondering.  We spent the afternoon by the pool at Jeremy and Kelly's.  While the boys played basketball, Kelly, Jessica, and I soaked up the sun.  I watched while Kelly and Jessa practiced their dives into the ice cold water.  It was a delightful time of togetherness.

So, I heard a message at church a couple weeks ago, and one anecdote really stood out to me.  I don't remember who the story was about at all, but I don't know that it matters.  It was a well known, much loved Christian leader of some sort, who had done a lot of good things throughout his life.

He was on his death bed and people were coming to visit him before he died.  One man knelt beside him and encouraged him by saying, "You are going to receive so many rewards in Heaven."

The dying man answered, "No, brother.  I am going to receive mercy."

I thought that was such a great reminder that we, as believers, are not receiving anything we've earned or that we deserve- thank God!  Since our good deeds don't make a lick of difference, I am so thankful that I'm not getting what I deserve.  That statement made me smile, but it also humbled me because I know I'm not nearly as good a person as that man was. I, too often, forget just how blessed I am that God chooses not to look at all I've done wrong.

Our God is merciful. 

Hopefully that thought makes you smile today.

Later,

Aim

Family Time

 Hey all.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  This girl was sick for the majority of it.  Have you seen Big Bang Theory?  You know how Sheldon is when he's sick?  You know how Leonard ran out of the apartment for his life while calling his friends, giving the warning, "code green?"

Well, if not, you should see it.  Hilarious.  And also, I felt bad for Jered having to deal with a wife who probably was alot like Sheldon this weekend.  Pitiful.

Anyway, I don't remember if I told you, but we visited my family last weekend after we stayed at Jacob and Molly's.  We wanted to surprise my dad for an early Father's Day since we couldn't see him this weekend.  I don't know if he was really surprised or not though... He always seems to know what's going on somehow.

It was a lovely weekend.  Mom and I did some bargain shopping, and Dad and Jered... you guessed it: played Wii Golf the whole time.  Except for when we went to The Farm and had a chance to see a bunch of family.  Then Jered jumped in on a Euchre game!  He's growing up so fast.

But our family time did not end there!  Last night we had the chance to spend time with alot of Jered's family while we celebrated Kelly's graduation.  Soaking up as much time together as we can before we're all more spread out again.  Justin's home for a bit before he takes off for his mission trip and then back to Cali.  Jessica's heading off to college in Arkansas for the first time in August.  Can you believe when I first met her, she was in 8th grade?!

 

And then, of course, we won't be living so close to Jeremy and Kelly for very much longer- which I've decided is going to be really weird.  Road trips will be a must.

To our delight- Justin stayed with Jeremy and Kelly last night, and Jessa stayed with us, and it's a GORGEOUS day today- so fun is in the schedule this afternoon.  Don't know how.  Don't know where.  But it is destined to be.  Woo hoo!

I was going to write more today, but I think I'll stop there. 

Til next time!

Aim

Good Bye Big City

Hey there.

So now that everything is official, and this huge burden has been lifted from our shoulders due to Jered's job offer, I feel another burden being dropped back onto mine.  How's that for short-lived joy?

Don't get me wrong- I am no less thankful for God opening the door and ushering us right on through- He is good.  I am no less happy for my fantastic husband, who just landed a smashing job.  I am no less excited that we will be moving to Des Moines shortly.  It's just that now it's Aimee's turn to start looking for jobs.  Aimee hates looking for jobs.  Hates it with a passion.

But looking for them, she is, and looking she will be, until God opens that door too.  I guess until then, Aimee will be learning patience.

Ok, enough of Aimee talking about herself in the third person.

I told Jered the other day that I think my problem is that I look for jobs until I find one that would be perfect.  I think, "Oh, this is just right!  It has to be the one!"  And then it's not.  And then it's devastation instead of just one more "not that one." 

So this time, I will not, or at least will try not to go about every application that way.  I will look and look and be positive without pinning my hopes and dreams on each application.  *Sigh* Wouldn't it be easier if just worked out my way instead?

I guess easier is not always the best.

Anyway...

How's this for crazy: Jered's looking up potential apartments for our very near future. In Des Moines.  Sorry- still not tired of saying that yet. 

 It was fun and exciting to move to Chicago, and I feel that we were here during the perfect time of our lives.  Newly married, no kids, nothing tying us down.  But let's face it: we are small town/country at heart.  A Kansas boy and a central Illinois girl.  And since it's a little hard to go back to that after living in the big city for a year, we think that Des Moines will be the perfect fit.

Well, I need to end my rambling because we are at the library right now, and supposedly there is a hefty storm coming our way, and I don't want to walk in it all the way home.

Bye!

Aim

PTL

Hi friends!

(Jeremy- I hope you appreciate this letter's title.  That was for you.)

Good news!  Great news!  Super news! Fantastic news!  Amazing news!

Jered received the call today that meant he got the job at Mercy in Des Moines!

In case you didn't know, Jered has been applying for psychiatric nursing jobs in Chicago, Peoria, and Des Moines.  First choice: Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines.

Last week, after calling several times to make sure they were going to be posting the job opening he had been told about, Jered sent in his application and very shortly after received news that he had a phone interview last Monday.  On Tuesday, they called him to set up an on campus interview.  Well, it just so happened we were planning on being in Des Moines on Friday, so they set his time up at 11:30 that morning.

I asked him what he was planning on doing about his hair... I told him to just call and be honest that he had long hair and wondered if it would hurt his chances.  When I asked him about it again, he said, "I'm just going to cut it. I'm 25, I'm not 21 anymore.  I gotta be responsible."  I sat on the bed and almost cried for him because I knew he wanted to grow it out long one more time.

Next step- what to wear?  We decided that on my morning off, we were going to scour the thrift shops to find him a jacket to wear with his dress clothes.  We walk in, and the first thing he pulls off the rack is a suit.  Just the right size.  For sixteen dollars.  We walk out of the door and see across the street: Same day dry cleaning.  Yes please!

After that, we stop by the Hair Cuttery and say good bye to his precious locks.

I go into work and get a text that Jered bought a tie clip at an antique shop near our apartment.  It is silver and black, so it matches his wedding ring.  Five dollars.

By the time we arrive at Jake and Molly's, we have a folder with multiple copies of his resume and references, a "fresh" suit for him to wear, and many practiced interview questions.

 

(Sorry this is so blurry.  I'm not the most technologically advanced.)

So he gets ready for his interview, and the rest of us get ready to go out for lunch.  I walked my husband out to the car and prayed with him that if this is what God wanted for us, that it would be abundantly clear.

Just about an hour later, we meet back up with Jered at the apartment, and he fills us in on how it went.  Just one interviewer, the questions he prepared for were basically unnecessary, and it sounded positive, except for the fact that they were nervous he only wanted to do adult psych, and not children, which he found was what they were interviewing for.  He, however, assured them that he would be happy to learn about it and would enjoy the experience.

They will contact him sometime next week.

Waiting anxiously.

Feeling good...  not getting hopes up...

The phone rings.  "Great.  Thank you, that sounds awesome."  *Thumb up to the wife*

There stands Jered being completely cool about the situation, and then there is his wife, jumping up and down on the bed and texting everyone she can think of that knew about the interview.

We're moving to Des Moines!

(You should know that Jered will read this and later ask me, "Why did you write all about that and make such a big deal about it?"  And to him I will say the same thing I'm telling you:  "This is huge!  This is life-changing!  This is something to be excited about!)

So there it is friends.  This wife and her awesome husband have been greatly blessed by God this week.  And we are excited to see what He has in store for us!

Thanks for sharing in, or at least tolerating my giddiness!

Aim

How It All Started

Hi friend.

Did I ever tell you about the first time Jered and I met?  Probably not because I started these letters a few years after we met.  I thought I'd tell you about it... less because you want to hear about it, and more because I love remembering it.

This is a shot of Mariah and me on our way back from church that morning.  Here you see an unsuspecting Aimee.  She had no idea that she was mere hours away from meeting an amazing guy, let alone her future husband.

That afternoon we went to our friend's house for a pool party.  When we arrived at her house, she was MIA.  Instead, we found three guys sitting on the couch watching TV.  Our friend, Tony, better known to us as his hometown, Washington, was there with three of his friends.  Two of them obviously brothers.  One of them I recognized as the cute flannel-wearing guy I had seen around campus the previous year.

Rather than be social with the strangers, we headed outside to play on the trampoline.  After our friend arrived, everyone else joined us by the pool and trampoline.  Introductions were made, and throughout the afternoon we had a nice time conversing with our new acquaintances.

 

We came to learn the other guys' names were Cole (more commonly known to us as Bam), Jeremy, and Jered.  We learned that Jeremy and Jered were brothers and that their older brother had graduated from TIU last year.

 

I talked to Jeremy the most during the afternoon.  Now that I know him, it's probably because he is more of a people person.  The only couple times I talked to Jered were when we were introduced, and I told him I thought I recognized him as one of the guys who always wore flannel, and when I heckled him for referring to basketball hoops as basketball goals.  I told him he wasn't in Kansas anymore.  (I had also learned that he was a Kansas native.)

 

At some point during the afternoon I texted Ashley, who stayed behind at school, to tell her that the cute flannel guy was at the party.  I also remember going inside to get the pizza with my friend and telling her that I thought Jered was super attractive.  She told me I should go for it, and I laughed because I was not the type of girl to actively pursue a guy I had just met.

I think that Washington noticed my attention being drawn to Jered because he made a sarcastic comment to me about how disgusting it was that the Flinkman brothers had about six percent body fat between the two of them.  My answer: "Oh yeah. Gross."

Mariah and I took off early to go to a movie.  I don't remember, but I'm sure that I told her I was digging the cute flannel guy.   This is us on our way back from the pool party.

I returned to our dorm room that night to tell Ashley that I really wanted to "friend" Jered on Facebook, but I was going to wait so I didn't seem too eager.  So I waited.  A day.  The next day Jered accepted my friend request... or maybe he sent me one... I don't remember.  What I do remember is him striking up a conversation, saying, "Hello there new found friend."  And that's how it all started.

Just thought I'd share that story with you.  Maybe I'll tell you the rest sometime.

Later,

Aim

A Drive to Iowa

Good morning.

I feel like I’ve just officially become a true English major.  I read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time a couple months ago.  I am also currently reading Fahrenheit 451 for the first time ever.  I have been curious about this book ever since I saw a Famous Jett Jackson episode about it.  I always wanted to know what it was about after watching that.  

Turns out it’s about a time, probably around our current time, but was written in the 50s.  In this particular time, books of all kinds are illegal, and although houses have been fireproofed, the civilization has kept firemen around to burn books.  (Maybe it’s silly that I’m giving you background about it- I may be the only one who didn’t know what it was about. Haha.)

So I started thinking about what would happen if books were illegal now.  Yikes.  What a terrible world.  Honestly, it already makes me sad how much reading and writing has been replaced with new technology.  I mean, real writing, with a pencil and paper.  Did you know that a bunch of schools have stopped teaching cursive?  And several are taking out spelling??  Are you kidding me?  

It’s not enough that they are cutting down on art and music classes in smaller, poorer schools, now we have to take away some English fundamentals too?  I don’t care if we have spell check now- we should still know how to spell.  Just because we have fantastic technology doesn’t mean we should sacrifice education in the most basic communication areas.  Golly gee.

Enough soap box.  Currently, Jered and I are driving to Iowa with the windows down, listening to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing, talking about living in this fresh country air, and anticipating meeting little Lily.  (In case you were wondering, I wrote this a little while before I posted it.)

I’m seriously wishing I hadn’t forgotten my camera at the wedding a couple weekends ago because then I would treat you to a picture of my newly clean cut looking husband.  He looks incredibly handsome, although I do miss his curly locks.  Plus I wanted to take about a billion pictures of Lily this weekend.

I don’t really have anything else to tell you right now, plus the sun just came out, making my computer screen impossible to read.  I’m writing blind right now.

So until next time- hope your weekend is marvelous.

Aim

P.S. (I'm writing this part after spending our first night at Molly and Jacob's.) We met little Lily last night, and let me tell you... Wow.  She is absolutely perfect.  It's pretty safe to say that Jered and I are in love with her.

(This is Molly's picture... I stole it.)

Ok, that's really all.

Talk to you later.

Aim

Young Adult

Hi friend.

So, I watched the movie Young Adult this week.  I was pretty excited to see it because I really like Charlize Theron and I thought it was going to be funny.

It started out funny.  It was that kind of quiet, dry humor, I guess.  And then it took a turn for the depressing and twisted. 

Basically, Mavis was the Prom queen, who ruled high school, turned into a had-been writer of "young adult" novels, but didn't know she was a had-been, and became an alcoholic loser who thought she was amazing.  Sorry about that sentence structure.

She gets a notice that her high school sweetheart had a baby, and takes it upon herself to go back to her little hometown, which she loathes, to save him from what is most assuredly a boring and terrible life.  Little does she realize that there is more to life than her designer swag, hair extensions, and remarkably good looks after boozing every night and passing out on her hotel bed.

 

(This is the face she wore for most of the film.)

 

She is a rather disgusting creature, who hits rock bottom when she explodes on her ex's wife at the baby's party in front of everyone, and just when you think she's going to turn into a decent human being and see the errors of her ways, she goes right back to her old life thinking that she has been in the right all along and is just plain above everyone else.  (Because clearly the girl who shuffles across town in her Hello Kitty shirt, terry cloth sweats, Uggs, and melted mascara hiding behind her big sunglasses has everything we all need in our lives.)

Anyway, the film got me thinking about what kind of person I am, as Mavis had evidently not changed, or perhaps gotten worse since her years in high school.  I wondered if I am a better person than I was at that time.  Or maybe I've just stayed the same.  I sure hope I'm not worse.

I figure, we should probably become better people as we age, right?  Wiser, more patient, more thoughtful, stronger, and a host of a variety of other positive qualities.  Here's hoping that I become more active in making that happen in my own life...

Oh- in other news- we get to meet our brand-spankin' new baby niece tomorrow!  That's right- my very first, completely official niece!  I can't wait to meet her perfect little face.  It will be a good weekend. 

Also, Jered chopped off his hair today.  Bittersweet time at our house. Haha.

Well, talk to you later guys.

Aim

A Little Bit of Ukraine Continued...

Hello again.

Three years ago today, we woke up in our temporary Ukrainian home and packed up our suitcases for the last time.  A few of us ceremoniously threw away our worn down, sweat ridden, and sometimes ripped concert dresses.  I passed along my khakis that were never worn except for band occasions to a younger student who could get more use out of them.  We ditched our travel sized toiletries to make our suitcases as light as possible.

Our final day in Ukraine was spent souvenir shopping from vendors along the streets of Kiev.  I bought leather bracelets and scarves for Katie and me, a giant Kiev mug for Dad, and some handmade ornaments and nesting dolls for Mom, and a handmade pipe for Jered.  (I saw a variety of knives and guns that I would have loved to get him, but I didn't want to go through that hassle in customs.)

 

We also went to see a WWII memorial.  I don't have my journals, so I don't remember the name, but it was the site of major trenches that had been filled with bodies.  It was heartbreaking.

We finished out our day as group at a little buffet style restaurant.  The dark wood and style of the restaurant reminded me of vague memories from childhood. (I think it probably had to do with my cousins' house because they had lived in Germany for part of their lives, and it seemed like there were similarities to Ukrainian styles.)  By this point, we were completely exhausted.  (Sorry Whit- I had to.)

 (I know- incredibly flattering footage of us all.)

Then we went our separate ways.  Well, sort of.  We had to be back to the hotel by dark, but we were on our own.  So a few of us stopped by the market and picked up some goodies and headed back to the hotel for a long night of hanging out and playing cards.  Our group had to leave for the airport at 3 in the morning for our flight, so we decided... wisely or foolishly (?) to stay up all night, rather than sleep, and then try to sleep on our flight.

(In our slap-happy, totally exhausted state of mind.)

So around 3 o'clock, we gathered around in various zombie-like stages, and loaded up the shuttles for the last time.  I remember eating our sack lunches on the way to the airport.  I also remember being totally miserable at the airport and wishing we had taken a nap.  After what seemed like an eternity of waiting in line after line, we boarded, settled into our seats, and slept off and on through movies playing throughout the day.  Alice and Wonderland is the only one I remember.

Many hours later, the pilot alerted us to the fact that we were entering the air around Chicago.  Cheering filled the air, and we anxiously waited while we watched the countdown to landing.  Once we landed: more cheering.  We were home.

When we walked into the airport, we found a huge, winding line of people waiting to go through customs.  I almost cried.  Luckily, it turned out that the infinite line was for non-U.S. citizens.  Our line went much more quickly.  We shuffled through customs, and then on to baggage claim, and then up to meet our families.  

It was only three weeks.  Three weeks was nothing compared to some of the lengths of time I had spent away from my family while at college.  This trip, however, was amazing, and exhausting, and life changing, and although it was filled with positive stress, it was still stressful.  As I ran to hug my mom and sister, tears filled my eyes.  Then, up walked my future husband.  My excitement could not be withheld.

Thrilled as I was to see my family again, it was also time to say goodbye to many friends.  Some of which I haven't seen since that day.  If they happen to be reading this- I want you all to know that you forever impacted my life, and I will never forget the wonderful time we had in Ukraine together.

Well, there you have it.  Just another little bit of our adventure in Ukraine.  Maybe next year, I'll look up some more stories for you. 

Talk to you later.
Aim

Ukraine... My, How Time Flies!

Hey.

So this week, Jered and I spent our Memorial Day afternoon looking for steals at a thrift shop.  One of my deals was a three in one Lord of the Rings book.  For a dollar. 

I partially bought it because I've been wanting to read them for a few years now, but I also have very fond memories of the book in relation to our Ukraine trip in 2010.  That's right fellow Trinity students- three years ago, right now, we were in Ukraine.  I can't believe it's been that long.  I honestly dreaded that trip most of the year, and it ended up being one of my most cherished memories from TIU days.

Wondering how Lord of the Rings played in there?  Well, in our spare time at night, Eric Anderson would seek out one of the many songs throughout the book, and perform them for us.  It was a great source of entertainment for us.

Hopefully I posted that correctly, and you are able to see it.

It truly was a wonderful experience.  I kept a daily journal in the form of letters to tell Jered all about what we did. 

We had a translator who was with us for a third or so of the time, and by the time he had to go home to his family, he told us he was heartbroken because he felt like he was leaving another family.

We performed an outside concert with the Ukrainian bands at a park, and there was so much cottony fluffs flying through the air that it was hard to breathe and we were constantly itching our faces because it kept tickling us.

We went to the Chernobyl museum, saw many old churches, shopped at all the little street booths for souvenirs, got upset when there wasn't enough quiet time on the tour bus, and ate a lot of borscht.

We got ridiculously excited when we found a McDonald's.

We really missed "flat" water.

We visited a bakery.

 

 

We broke the dress code.

 

 

We played a ton of music.

 

 Some of us played our last concert ever.

 

Maybe I'll dig out my old letters and let you know what else we did later this week.

Until then,

Aim