Some thoughts on Omaha

I thought I'd write a few thoughts I have on this new place we're now calling home. It's amazing how it already does truly feel like home to me. I was talking with my cute neighbor the other night (who came out the same time we did) and we were talking about how much we already feel like this is our home.

Omaha is so much different than I expected it to be. I think this place is very "stereotyped", and I am somebody who had that stereotyped vision of Omaha in my mind. I thought this place was just a "flat as can be" place with nothing but cornfields. Boy was I wrong! This is the most beautiful, green, trees everywhere, hilly place! It is so much more beautiful than I thought it would be. I love especially where we live which is right on the river. We're right on the border of Iowa and Nebraska and it is so fun to drive over the river each day. The city isn't too big, but it's got everything you would imagine you'd need. There are fun little places to go. For example, there's a place called Old Market just down the street from us with cobblestone streets and tons of fun restaurants and shops. We are about a 1/4 of a mile away from Rosenblatt stadium which is where they hold the college world series for men's baseball. It's going on right now and so it's crazy around here!!! People are everywhere from all over the country and we can hear all the fireworks going off at the stadium! It is fun to be in the middle of it all. We are excited to go to a game next week!

The people here are so nice and very educated. They are definitely not just a bunch of farmers like I was expecting. I am yet to pass somebody by without a hello being exchanged, everyone goes out of their way to be kind. I just love that.

The drivers here are TERRIBLE! And people think Utah drivers are bad?! Wow I tell ya these drivers are killin' me! For one the speed limit on the freeway is only 55 and people just take their sweet little time! The minimum you can go is 40 and I'm tellin' ya, A LOT of people just go 40. I feel like a maniac on the freeway going 65. Everyone is just so easy going and just movin' right along. It's going to be good for me to slow me down. I have just always been a fast driver!

We go to church over in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It is about a 20 minute drive which I am not used to. I have always had my church right down the street from me. Our ward building is up in a really nice neighborhood and we have a really big ward. The people are all very kind, a lot of converts and it's very interesting to talk to people and to hear their stories. I love being outside of Utah and in the mission field. It's so different in many ways and it's been such a neat experience already.

The best part of living here is this complex we live in. It is seriously the craziest place. Just imagine a great place with tons of students in your same situation, people just like you, always around and hanging out all the time. I'm serious, there are the funnest, neatest people here that already I know will be our lifelong friends. There's something going on every night whether it's somebody just made cookies and invites everyone over, or a BBQ, or the girls watching the Bachelorette, game night, and when all the guys go and play basketball every Thursday night, all the girls get together and watch a chick flick. There have been many nights we've all just brought out our camping chairs and sat on the lawn till late in the night just talking. It is such a fun place, I couldn't ask for a better place to live.

Well I got a job! I feel very blessed to have been able to find one so fast. I did a phone interview with this place when I was still in Salt Lake and they called me when I was about an hour outside of Omaha driving in! I went in and did a 2nd interview, and then a 3rd and then was offered the job and started last week. I am teaching preschool kids and it doesn't get much more fun that that. The kids are darling, and so smart and it's been a kick to be with them all day everyday. I am learning so much already and they are wearing me out!

Scott is doing great in school. He's working so hard and studying away. We are only about 5 minutes away from his school and so it's been great. All the guys try to carpool and it's fun for them to all have each other. He is a total stud. It's been so great for Scott and I to really get even closer than we already were. We realize that all we have is each other and already I just feel like we are our own little family. We couldn't be happier!