Hello Fall, Are You There?

There have been lots of changes since my last blog, the first of which I am always overtly unhappy about.  In a matter of one day, Iowa has officially moved into the miserable season of Winter.  And when I say one day, I mean that we went from a beautiful high of 17 degree early November day, to a high of 0 degrees the next.  It literally happened in a day.  We went from what I would consider a warm September day, to freezing January temperatures overnight.  Since then, the temperature has not risen above freezing for almost 2 weeks now, and has only gotten colder and more disturbing.  Is this really November??  Get me out of here!!  Oh wait, this coldfront is happening across the US and Canada.  I think it is time for a vacation!  There.  All my Winter pessimism is out (for now), and I shall continue with the much less depressing and much more entertaining blog!  At least we are not in Buffalo, which accumulated over 6 feet of snow!  It's the little blessings!

Let's talk about the Fall - and I mean the REAL Fall; not this sneaky Winter pretending it's Fall.  On a beautiful warm fall day in late October, Andee and I decided to take a walk around one of the Prairie Lakes near our church.  There were little critters everywhere, including grasshoppers, fuzzy caterpillars,and we even spotted a preying mantis!  I had never seen one in real life!  It was super amazing!  One of my favorite things on this earth is admiring the creativity and diversity of our great God revealed in nature and wildlife.  Of course, I am a lot more appreciative of this when it is warm outside - Ha!  In the late afternoon, Andee and I also managed to carve a couple pumpkins to get in the Fall spirit!  I decided to veer from my standard pumpkin face and move to something a little more creative - a cat.....okay so maybe not so creative.  I like what I like!  A wonderful day of Fall festivities!

The following week was Halloween!  I love dressing up, but on a tight budget, we did what we could!  I was a cat (so predictable) and Andee made his second appearance as Howard from The Big Bang Theory!  We went out for dinner with a few friends, followed by an get-together with some of the Residents.  Fun!  Happy Halloween!

Continuing our Canadian tradition, we decided to put up our Christmas tree the day after Halloween!  With Canadian Thanksgiving in early October, we get a full two months of Christmas prep!  Just as it should be!  And no one was happier about this than our sweet little Aloe cat, who quickly claimed his spot under the tree.  The holiday season is always one of my favorites, excluding the crappy weather of course.  It's the most wonderful time of the year!

The same day we put up our tree I received a very long anticipated item in the mail - my Employment Authorization Card!  Which meant, in God's perfect timing, that I was officially able to start work at Prairie Lakes Church as the Receptionist - just 2 days after receiving this card!  God is so Good!!  So, for the first time in over 4 years, I will be receiving a regular paycheck!  Hallelujah!!  Four years ago we entrusted our bleak financial situation to the Lord as we embarked on this fantastic, difficult, and expensive season of life, and He has blessed us so much and given us everything that we needed and continue to need in terms of financial provision.  We are now even in a state financially where we can start to bless others - and I am loving this!  I seriously cannot praise Him enough!  They even had a nice sign at the front for me when I started my first day!  PTL! 

Later in the month, a few of the Residents were able to be involved with a Resident Jeopardy competition in Des Moines, where all the Family Medicine Residency programs in Iowa competed for a trophy!  The University of Iowa even put us in in hotel for the night, and we enjoyed a glass of wine and hors d'oeuvres during the competition.  Northeast Iowa Family Medicine Residency program came in a respectable third place, and it was fun to make the trip to Des Moines!  For dinner, Andee and I went to Zombie Burger and had the most deliciously disgusting fried Mac and Cheese burger with a side of fries and gravy.  It was amazing!!  Too bad it's 2 hours away!

The next day we visited the big mall in Des Moines - Jordan Creek Mall.  If you know me well, you know I am not much for shopping, but what I do enjoy are Christmas decorations and atosphere - and that is exactly what we found!  And not only that, but there was a giant Bass Pro Shop in the mall, where we found lots of old animals that lived a long life, and after passing gave their lives for us to marvel at their beauty and sheer size and strength!  God made some pretty amazing things!  We didn't buy much, only a couple Christmas gifts, but it really got us in the Christmas spirit to see so many beautiful decorated trees!  We arrived home just as the snow started to fall, and were greeted by a very needy kitty!  Life is good!

Since August, I have been a part of PLC's Worship Team, and I just love worshiping the Lord and leading others into worship through singing!  It is one of my favorite things to do, and I am so blessed to be part of such a great team!  Somebody captured this great shot!  Love it!

Andee and I are also very excited to announce that we will be home for Christmas!  In just one month exactly today, we will be driving through the U.S and Canada making our way home to Christmas shenanigans aplenty!  We were extremely fortunate to get this week off, and we are making the most of it by trying to see as many of our Canadians as possible!  Hoping and praying for good weather for the drives, and we will see everyone soon!

Autumn Leaves

Well hey there blog readers!  I missed you!  Since my last post, Iowa has fully transitioned into the beautiful season of Fall!  Of course, any season will always pale in comparison to the delightful treat each year that is Summer, but if I had to pick a second favorite season, it would most definitely be Fall!  I am such a sucker for colorful, changing leaves, and am always on the lookout for a beautiful, sunny Fall day to take advantage of God's beautiful design!  And so that is what we did!  Yesterday Andee had a rare afternoon off work while on his busiest rotation, and we were able to walk and drive around town enjoying the beauty of Fall!  Enjoy our pictures!

Let's backtrack!  Although Andee had a very long day at the hospital on the day of his birthday, and spent a large chunk of the day not knowing it was his birthday, all was redeemed when he (finally) made it home and we were able to enjoy a delicious homemade birthday dinner, presents, and a homemade yellow cake with chocolate icing...Andee's favorite!  At least we had a couple hours of birthday fun! 

Andee and I were also able to be mildly social with his busy schedule!  My Husband is a rock star!  We were able to enjoy our weekly small group, a games night (involving some adorable kittens that we got to play with!), and a birthday, as well as making it to a church service every week!  Pretty good for working 70-85 hour weeks!  Residency is busy!!  I miss my Andee!!

While Andee was bringing home the bacon and working hard for the both of us, (hurry on up work permit!), I was able to spend some quality time with my Savior at the beautiful George Wyth Park!  To me, there is nothing better than a beautiful, warm sunny day enjoying God's marvelous creation and spending time in worship!  I also found some friends along the way!  And yes indeed, wildlife makes me incredibly happy!  I saved the little guy from the middle of the road, and the big guy, well, I couldn't believe that this creature existed in Iowa!  He looked like Bowser!!  I hope you are as excited about these guys as I am!

Andee and I were also able to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with our wonderful small group!  For all you Americans reading, Canadian Thanksgiving is just about the same thing as what you all Celebrate in November, but it occurs on the second Monday of October.  The food and family are virtually the same, but no pilgrims; just a day to celebrate the harvest and be thankful for the blessings in our lives!  And there is no Black Friday....kind of defeats the purpose of being thankful, don't you think?  We do however, have Boxing Day, which is the day after Christmas, which is quite similar to Black Friday.  Because after receiving tons of presents on Christmas Day, you of course need to go shopping the following day.....North America problems.  Anyway, back to Thanksgiving!  Kyla and Paul were gracious enough to host this holiday dinner, and they even smoked a turkey!  We enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving feast, and we are so thankful for our new friends we have met here in Iowa! 

Speaking of thankfulness, let's make a list!

We are so thankful for...

Jesus!  Can I get an Amen??
Andee's Residency
Prairie Lakes Church
Our awesome apartment
God's provision in our finances
Our Aloe Cat
Our family back home
...a lot more than this, but seriously, this list could go on and on!

God has blessed us so much in this season of our lives, and we are so happy to be following God's path for us!  To top it all off, my sweet sweet Aloe cat has recently become a lap cat!  He is just the cutest little heating pad you ever did see, and I couldn't be happier!  Until next time!

September Birthdays!

The month of September is always a fun one for Andee and I, as the weather is (mostly) still warm, we have an excuse to start making fall soups and eating pumpkin flavored baked goods, but most of all, we get to celebrate each other as we both have birthdays in September!  I am not much for making a big deal out of a birthday, but I am one to always find an excuse to celebrate!  And that is what we did!

The best part of this September is that my parents were able to come visit us in Iowa for a few days!  Although the weather was less than ideal for the bulk of their vacation, it was still great to have them see our new apartment, new workplace for Andee, our new church, and our new State!  It was especially amazing that we have upgraded to a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment, which is perfect for hosting guests!  Andee and I bunked with Aloe cat, and we all enjoyed some Iowa festivities!

My parents started out the trip by surprising us and arriving a day early!  It turns out they drove the whole way in just one day!  This is great news, as we will be driving back home a few times a year, and were hoping to make it in one day!  Of course, a day full of driving is always exhausting, so we headed to bed early to prepare for the fun days ahead!

The first day was quite cool and a bit rainy, so we decided to just have a relaxing morning inside, followed by a little bit of shopping and exploring!  It was great to relax with my parents after 3 months of skyping!   Aloe cat enjoyed it too! 

The second day was a little cooler than I had hoped, but it was still decent walking weather if a little bundling ensued!  We spent the afternoon exploring downtown Cedar Falls, stopped for a scratch cupcake with coffee/tea, and enjoyed the beautiful views of the Cedar River!  It was a beautiful day to explore!

On Friday, September 12th, a cold rainy day, we celebrated my and Andee's birthdays in true Aldridge fashion with a trip to the arcade to try our luck at our favorite claw machines!  Not that it matters, but let's just say I am still the reigning champ!  We finished out the day with a delicious birthday dinner at Red Lobster!  We enjoyed delectable endless shrimp, yummy soups and salads, and the always amazing garlic cheddar buns!  YUM!!  My mouth is still watering!  We were also able to open up some gifts from home from my parents, Andee's parents, and Cassie and Trevor!  Andee received a video game, some dress pants and tie, candy, and some U.S. money, and I received some clothing accessories, a pair of earrings that I have been looking for FOREVER, some cookies, a wall plaque,U.S. money, and a hilarious stuffed animal of Tard, the Grumpy Cat!  Since Andee's birthday is still a few days away, his gift from me is still in the mail!  What an amazing birthday celebration with some of my favorite people!  We are so blessed!!

The final day of my parent's visit, we decided to make a trip to the Cattle Congress Annual Fair!  Woohoo!!  We were very pleasantly surprised with all the fun stuff to do, including a number of really entertaining shows!  We saw a man wrestle an alligator, kangaroos and their babies bouncing around, dogs catching frisbees like pros, and a family circus!  We also enjoyed some delicious fried fair food, and Andee was successful at his favorite game, skee ball!  We ended the evening with the Saturday PLC church service, and were treated to some amazing worship music and an extremely moving sermon!  What a great way to end our time together!

The next day, my parents left super early in the morning, and it was sad to see them leave!  This is always when I thank the Lord for Skype!!  What a wonderful vacation with some family!  Sometimes it gets a little lonely with no family around, and it is always appreciated when people we love come to visit!  So what do we do when we are lonely?  Hang out with friends!  We recently enjoyed a summer BBQ and birthday dinner for the 3 September babies in our Small Group!  FUN!

Well, that's all folks!  As residency interview season is approaching, it will be interesting (and a whole lot less stressful) to be on the other end of the interview process!  Thank the Lord!!!  We are so beyond thankful for the residency that God has given Andee and I, and that we are in a great location in small-town Iowa!  Praise the Lord!  I am singing this week at PLC, and if you want to catch the worship online, here is the link!

http://www.prairielakeschurch.org/default.aspx 

Love you all!!  See you in the Fall!