Sioux Falls Fun Fact!

Sioux Falls has more casinos per capita than Las Vegas! 

There are little casinos on almost every block in the main part of the city! 

Ben's Job Luck!!

Ben has the BEST JOB LUCK EVER!!

A few summers ago (2009) Ben really wanted to live in Marquette for the summer. He searched for jobs and couldn't find anything. We packed up our belongings and prepared to say that dreaded goodbye. We wouldn't be able to see each other for 2 months. We had about 20 minutes before Ben and I had to say goodbye when BAM Ben received a phone call offering him a job in Marquette. He made one phone call and had a place to live. Within two weeks he got a live in position on campus so he took that job too. 

This past fall Ben was struggling once again finding a job. He wanted one that he could walk/ride his bike to. Campus wasn't hiring anywhere and he began to get frustrated. One trip to the Housing Office and they offered him a job. Unfortunately it didn't work with his class schedule so the woman said she would send out a notice to everyone with Ben's information. And BAM Ben was quickly offered a job in his old building as a student custodian. 

When we got to Sioux Falls, Ben did not have a job. The first few weeks were spent filling out applications and following up with the different businesses. They all were saying the same thing, we aren't hiring until March. Ben was very disappointed. Then his luck changed and BAM he was offered a job as a InterActor at the Children's Museum, BAM a job at the Boy's Ranch (both jobs he really wanted!) and BAM a job at Culver's! He took the first two positions and he will begin at the Boy's Ranch on the 15th. 

Good things really do happen to good people! :)

I hope his good job fortune continues for the rest of his life! 

Two Big Announcements!

I have kept forgetting to put our two big announcements up on here but I have FINALLY remembered!! 


So without further ado.....


On August 6th there will be another Hannink wedding!! Ben's sister Alyssa was proposed to on New Year's! Bill and Alyssa are getting married this August! We are so excited for them and can't wait for another big wedding! After all, the last Hannink wedding was pretty awesome... :) 

Congrats Bill and Alyssa! 

Our other big announcement is Ben got a JOB! He works at a Science Discovery Center for Kids as an InterActor. Ben describes his job has one where he plays all day! He spends the day doing demonstrations for kids and playing with all the interactive exhibits. He is alway waiting on word for another job that he interviewed for yesterday. We are blessed! 

Christmas: Part 1

Ben and I were spoiled this Christmas. We received so many wonderful gifts and had so much fun seeing the special things that our family and friends picked out for us. I love Christmas and the thought that goes into it. I wanted to share with you a few gifts that I was blessed with at Christmas. By the time I thought about taking pictures of my gifts most of them were already put away but I did snap a few pictures.


But first, here is a few pictures of our first Christmas tree!! 

With the chaos of everything we never bought a tree so we made our own using crepe paper! 

 Our beautiful tree!

 We put up some of our ornaments (the ones that wouldn't break!) and put our presents under the tree. 

Now on to the gifts, just a few of the many that we received. 

 A calendar from the DeRuischer's filled with pictures of their family with important dates labeled like our 1 year wedding anniversary. 

Some goodies for our kitchen.

                                                  

 A housewarming gift from Ben's parents. 

 A rip stick from the Kruithof's.

 Housewarming gift from my parents. 

 Lots of recipe books! I love them all!

 We bought a new computer with our Christmas money and with money Ben received for Graduation.

 Notepads for every season!

 Ben got a firesafe security box! We really needed one!

 A cute little laundry money holder filled with money!

Flannel sheets!!! Drying in our apartment because we don't use the dryer, it costs 50 cents and we are cheap! :)

Told you we were spoiled!

I also am working on a post filled with some of the Christmas crafts I made this year! 

11 Fun Facts!

At the start of the New Year I saw a lot of blogs that were doing something clever with the number 11. I thought it would be fun to come up with a list of 11 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Jessica (Unless You're My Mother!)


So without further ado:


11 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Jessica!


1. I really dislike vegetables! I just really started eating a few veggies this year and now salads too!


2. I can't drive/ride through a tunnel without thinking of Princess Di's death. 


3. My toenails are ALWAYS painted. I think I've gone a day or two without them painted for as long as I can remember. 


4. I LOVE Blow Pops but would never buy a bag of them because I can eat through an entire bag in a day if I had one around the house. 


5. I would love to be a veterinarian. 


6. I love the name Bindy! It is the name of Steve Irwin's daughter and I think it is the coolest name! It also happens to be one of my nicknames. 


7. I can't go to bed with the closet door open. 


8. I fear someone cutting off my toes if they hang off the end of a bed. 


9. I have dated two guys named Ben. Only married one though! :)


10. I am a murderer. My pet hamster had babies and I was holding one in my hand and it rolled off and fell to the ground. He didn't make it. This memory haunts me!


11. I REALLY want a horse!


Now tell me a fun fact about you!!!! 

2011 - In Review

On December 31st, 2009, I was in my 1st apartment celebrating the end of a year with my fiancée and friend, Rich. I remember thinking about where I would be the next year.I never thought that on December 31st, 2010 I would be celebrating the end of the year in South Dakota! My family has a tradition that we start a small fire in a container outside and on small slips of paper write the things  that we want to "get rid of" before the start of the next year. This way we can start get the New Year started off on the right foot! It is a tradition that Ben loves too so even though I have not spent New Year's with my family we continue the tradition. 

This year was no exception!

I kept thinking about this past year and how amazing it really was!! 

Here is a look at some of the fun we had this year! (In no particular order!)

We got married!

 We planted our first garden! 

 Aunty Jodi and Aunty Lisa came up for the day to Geocache!

 Justin visited us and the boys spent an afternoon playing games!

 Raena also visited too and went cliff jumping for the first time!

 We went to see Tahquamenon Falls with the Hanninks!

 Said goodbye to my teaching friends that I've spent the last 5 years with!

 Met baby Erin who was born in November!

 Slept over at Grandma Hannink's and made breakfast with the Kruithof's!

 Spent some time hanging out with the DeRuischer's!

 Picked a TON of wild blueberries and bear berries!

 Celebrated Addie's first birthday!

 Took Raena Geocaching and she found her first one!

 Walked the Mackinac Bridge with this crazy crew!

 Ben took up fishing!

We took our friends Geocaching too! 

 Got together with some of my old Breakwater Residents from my year as an RA!

 Watched Mikayla swim in her first swim meet!

And said goodbye to Marquette before saying hello to South Dakota!

Quick Update!!

Hello everyone!! 
Thanks for bearing with me on my blog vacation.


The last few weeks have been so wonderful and I really focused on spending as much time with my family as possible. I took a break from the internet and even my beloved camera. I soaked in every second of my vacation. I read a lot, slept in until noon, didn't get dressed until 3pm, spent countless hours playing games, reading and relaxing. 


After a week and half with our families and 30 hours in the car, Ben and I spent my last weekend before student teaching by being very lazy. It was very nice!! We did visit a church on Sunday but then crawled back into bed for an afternoon of reading and again - relaxing! 


My first week of Student Teaching was beyond amazing! The days are long I leave the house at 7am and get back home around 4pm, then dinner, preparing for the next day and on top of everything I've been fighting a pretty bad cold - yet I wouldn't change anything!! 


Right now I am only responsible for the read-aloud part of the day where I read for 20 minutes each day and then I have picked up smaller responsibilities like bringing the students to their bathroom break, staying in for recess to work with students individually and in small groups, etc. Next week I pick up Spelling which occurs three times a week and then every week I pick up a subject or two so that I am teaching all day in a few weeks. I'm so excited! My teacher is amazing and while I am nervous I know she will help prepare me to lead the class well! 


Ben is getting pretty antsy. He is still looking for work and spending his days doing just that! Pray that we hear good news soon! 


Other than that our friend Rich is coming to visit us tonight! It will be so nice to see a familiar face and to spend some time catching up with a good friend we haven't seen in a few months! 


Watch for a Christmas post soon filled with photos of all the goodies we got for Christmas! 

Blog Vacation

Hello everyone!!
Sioux Falls is wonderful. We love our apartment and the city isn't as big or crazy as I had imagined. I've been snapping pictures of our new place and the progress we've made but I'm unable to put my pictures on my computer. Something is wrong and I don't know what!! So I'll continue taking pictures but won't be able to get them up until I get access to my parent's computer with a card reader. :( 


I found out my student teaching placement and I'll spend the semester in a 4th grade classroom! I will be spending some time in the classroom tomorrow and I can't wait. From the one e-mail I received from the teacher she sounds fun, lots of exclamation points in her e-mail! :)


Ben is trying to find a job here in Sioux Falls. It is a slow process right now because we are also busy finishing up our Christmas shopping, unpacking and organizing our apartment and setting up specific apartment related things - Internet, setting up an account with the power company, etc. On top of all that he is fixing up his resume and applying for jobs. 


Ben and I as of right now are planning on leaving to visit my hometown on Monday. Monday will be a travel day, we'll spend Tuesday and Wednesday with my family. Thursday will be another travel day as we head to Ben's hometown. Then we'll spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday there visiting family and the DeRuischer's. We'll head back home on Monday. 


We still don't have internet at home so our internet access is very limited. I think I will have to take a bit of a blog vacation for a bit to catch up on everything and to really enjoy the time we have with our family. After Christmas I'll have some crafts to show you that I've been working on for Christmas gifts and I'll have lots of pictures of our apartment!! 


Until next time.. 

A Wonderful Surprise!

We've been in the hotel since around noon today and well there is only so much you can do to occupy your time. Ben didn't bring much to do besides a book so he was feeling kinda antsy. He picked up a shovel and shoveled the sidewalk in front of the hotel. He has done this a couple times tonight because he was bored. 

While we were sitting in the lobby a woman came over and asked what room we were in. Ben and his dad went to the desk wondering if something was wrong. The desk receptionist was on the phone with her manager and told him about Ben. He said Ben deserves a free room! So... Ben's boredom got us a free room!!!! 

Minor Setback

Hello everyone,
This isn't the post I expected to be writing. I thought I'd be telling you about our apartment, about all the progress that we made unpacking everything and about the beautiful city of Sioux Falls. That post will have to wait until tomorrow because....


WE ARE STUCK IN BLUE EARTH, MINNESOTA! 


Just under six months ago Ben and I were arriving in Minnesota with new rings on our fingers and hearts so big we thought they'd burst at any moment. The weather was beautiful and our drive was filled with many little pit stops because we weren't in any sort of time crunch. 


Today we arrived in Minnesota with all of our belongings in a U-Haul and hearts saddened by our departure from the UP. The weather is.... AWFUL! I can't recall a time where the weather was this terrible. The wind, cold and snow can truly be defined as a BLIZZARD! 


We are about 130ish miles from Sioux Falls. We were forced off the Interstate when it was shut down and led us a city called, Blue Earth. We couldn't see a thing and all the roads are closed so the first hotel we found we reserved a room. 


We have been chilling in the lobby of this hotel chatting with others who are unexpectedly spending the night here too. A restaurant employee, mail man, and others have walked through the door and have added some excitement to this relaxing evening. I really feel like I'm in a Lifetime movie. A family stranded during the holidays in a hotel filled with all sorts of interesting characters to add some excitement to the plot. (Okay, maybe I've just been watching too many holiday movies on Lifetime...)


There have been a few varying weather reports so we don't know exactly what is going on. Some reports say that things should slow down late tonight and roads should be open in the morning and others aren't as optimistic. We'll see what happens but I know at some point we will be in Sioux Falls! 


Until then, keep us in your prayers!

The Start of Something New

We left Marquette today. Overall, the trip has gone well. Everything fit in the U-Haul, the roads have been clear and not a single snowflake was seen. 


We are staying in Lacrosse, WI for the night. We are leaving bright and early in the morning to finish up the drive. It is about 5 hours to Sioux Falls. We'll get there around lunch time and the unpacking fun will begin. Ben's parents will be leaving Sunday morning. 


It is so crazy to think that just yesterday I was relaxing in our apartment. 


We will not have internet for awhile but I'll be back to the blog world soon. 

9 days

We are moving in 9 days. 


This is so surreal. 


Ben and I were talking last night how we don't really feel like we are moving. 


We are starting to say our goodbyes. 
My goodbye party is tomorrow.
More than half of our belongings are packed.
Classes are over tomorrow.
Moving plans have been made. 
Our apartment looks like it is getting ready for a big move but we still don't feel like this is really happening. 


Our relationship has only ever known Marquette. We're anxious to see where God will lead us next but a large part of us will stay in Marquette as we leave this beautiful city that has taken care of us so well over the last 4.5 years.


(Please continue praying for Marinette students and teachers. Today is their first day back after the tragedy. It will most certainly be a tough day for many.)

Give Them Strength

Yesterday was a very sad day. I spent most of my evening glued to my computer as a terrible story was unveiled. 


A sophomore at Marinette High School (A school in Wisconsin - just minutes away from my parent's house) held his classroom at gunpoint yesterday afternoon, 23 students and 1 teacher. After a 5 hour standoff 5 students were released and then minutes later the situation ended quickly when the gunman decided to take his own life. At that point a Rescue Crew quickly got into the room and brought the rest of the hostages out and to their families. 


As far as we know the only injured person was the gunman. It hasn't been announced yet but from what my dad heard on the scanner, the 15-year old gunman passed away last night and his body was sent to Green Bay for an autopsy. 


The school has been closed down for at least today.


You can find more information at http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/north_counties/hostage-situation-at-marinette-high-school.


Please pray for all of those affected by this tragedy. Give them the strength to get through this!


Pray especially for those who witnessed the end of this young boy's life. 

Wedding Videos!!

My cousin Kelly put together two super fun videos from our wedding!!


CHECK THEM OUT!!


This one is a 10-minute video of different parts of our wedding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzmly9KCwUM


This is a quick little "extras" video which includes a lot of shots of my little cousin Logan! He is such a cutie!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJzKxCUF-Og


Let me know what you think! :)

Preparation

We are preparing to make our big move to South Dakota, with only 18 days until we leave, things are getting pretty hectic. 
Both Ben and I got SLAMMED with extra homework today. Assignments that were not expected and will take more time then we'd like but life is good.

• We leave for GR tomorrow.
• We get to meet baby Erin on Wednesday and see Lauren, Eric and Addison!
• We received a phone call yesterday saying we got the apartment we wanted. 
• We've made some serious progress on cleaning and packing up the apartment. 
• Tomorrow is Ben's last day of work and I've only got one more shift at work. 
• Today was my last day of undergraduate classes, ever.... 
• I'll have all of my CA paperwork done for the semester tonight!

(One of these days I'll get my computer fixed so I can put up pictures on this blog again... on a day where I have a free moment... There are so many I would like to share)

Happiness. Pure Happiness.

Today has been so wonderful and I've been in the BEST mood. 


It didn't start out that way. Both Ben and I were not feeling very well this morning.  Ben missed a class and I thought I might have to too. 


But things turned quickly. 


I had my last Integration of the Arts class. The day was filled with music; singing and playing various instruments. It was very relaxing and I really enjoyed the company of my classmates. 


Then shortly after I got home I found out that Lauren was in the hospital and in labor!! 


I ran some errands and got  some supplies to make some more Christmas gifts. 


Then I had a wonderful meeting with my boss where I found out my survey results. 72/73 tenants took a survey where they answered questions about me and the area that they live in. My results are even better than last semester and I couldn't be happier!! I reached all my CA goals this year. 


My happiness caught on to others throughout the day. I was told by the mailman that I should be NMU's student of the week (because of a small favor I did for an old tenant) and a random student told me that it is amazing how happy I always am! This made my day and made me even happier! I noticed people are super friendly when I'm in a SUPER happy mood. 


I got home from work and shortly after I got the phone call I had been waiting for from Eric saying baby Erin was born at 5:45pm this evening. She is a beautiful, dark haired, 6lb 15oz, 19in, perfect baby girl. A few pictures have already been uploaded online and it is amazing to see how much Erin looks like her big sister, Addison! 

These pictures are so beautiful!! 

The evening continued with a Christmas Bake-A-Thon with a few good friends. I made smores' bars and started candy cane spiral sugar cookies. On the agenda for tomorrow, more sugar cookies! 


Now I'm watching Grey's Anatomy and about to work on Christmas gifts. 

LIFE IS SO GOOD AND GOD IS SO GREAT!! 

Travel Update

I just talked to Ben. He went through quite a bit of bad weather including snow, snow/rain, and rain. He is almost into Michigan so he'll be home soon!

A Hunting We Will Go

Ben and Rich (one of our groomsman) have traveled out to Sioux Falls to look at apartments. 


Here was the original plan:
Thursday Ben drove to Rich's apartment in Minnesota.
Friday they spent the day looking at apartments and getting to know the town a bit.
Saturday, they were going to look at a few more places and Ben was going work on getting a job. Then they were driving back to MN to spend the night.
Sunday, Ben comes home.


BUT.. I am an IDIOT! I have a HUGE test tomorrow that will determine if I will get my teaching certificate. I need to show my license.. but I gave it to Ben along with our credit card in case he needed it for the application process.


So less than an hour ago I realized this and now Ben and Rich are on their way home right now so that I will have my license in time. 


This was such a silly move on part. The exam costs $75 and I have to take it here so I'd have to drive the 13 hours to get back here for a test that lasts about an hour. I'm thankful that things seem to be working out but I feel so terrible that Ben's weekend of SD stuff and hanging out with Rich is cut short.


BUT..
Ben made some serious progress on the apartment hunt. It looks like they have narrowed it down to house-type apartment that has 5 apartments in it. Ben wasn't able to get any pictures (he was going to do that tomorrow, Saturday, but now he can't) but he seems to be in love with it so I'm sure I will be too! 


Ben said they saw some pretty sketchy apartments today and some great ones that were just a tad bit expensive for our budget. Ben is going to create a sketch of the layout and I'll be sure to put it up when I get it. :) 


Pray for safe travels for Ben and Rich (they might run into a snowstorm in MN)!

Thankful Thursday

I've had a bit of a rough week but there is truly so much to be thankful for this week. 


I'm thankful...

• that Meghan's full body scan came back showing no other signs of cancer.
• we did have some extra money saved away in case of emergencies and we were able to pay the large amount of money to get our car fixed. 
• for the beautiful weather we've been experiencing! Mid 50s all week!
• that Ben gets to spend the weekend with his best friend looking at apartments in Sioux Falls. 
• to be catching up on homework.
• for a friend who always knows the right thing to say.
• for Thanksgiving break that begins in 12 days!!

Here's to a productive weekend filled with packing, homework, working, taking my final education exam, and cleaning!  Oh and watching Grey's Anatomy Season 4! :)

Prayer Requests

I have two special prayer requests.


Meghan, is our best friend's "little" sister. Lauren (a bridesmaid at our wedding and her husband, Eric, was our best man). Three years ago she battled osteosarcoma and won the fight. Last week a mass was discovered in her lung and it was removed on Friday. The results of the biopsy came in today and it was osteosarcoma. Meghan and Lauren's mom began a blog back when Meghan was diagnosed the first time and I encourage you to read it. Right now things are looking up and pending the results of a full body scan it looks like the cancer was isolated and Meghan will not have to go through chemo treatments. 


Meghan and her family are very special to us and I know many of you met them at our wedding and would like to be aware of what is happening to our good friends.


You can find the blog here. (click on the colored word)

(I snagged this picture from Lauren's Facebook)

My sister-in-law Eryn also could use a few prayers. She has been sick for awhile (strep throat) and is also encountering some challenges at work. Please keep her in your prayers too.