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