My Husband Got Arrested on Our Wedding Day.

So today is Friday.  And for us here in Provo- that means only 2 things.  First- tomorrow is a football game!! Second- no school until Monday! So in all of this free time I find on my hands, I decided to finally update this blog of ours. 

First-- and definitely most important-- WE GOT MARRIED! I know everybody knows already- but it just has to be said.  July 10th we sealed the deal- pun completely intended- and what an eventful day it was! More on that shortly :)

Second-- we BOTH moved in to our very small, very!!! cozy apartment.  We love it! As pathetic as it is, I couldn't imagine cleaning anthing any bigger. Its perfect for us.

Third-- of course we started school- at BYU of course.  Jed is diving right in with hours and hours of homework every night- I dont have so much, so I do tons of other little things to keep me busy. (FYI Jedediah is studying Mechanical Engineering, and I am studying Elementary Education. Jed's getting a minor in Math and I am getting a K-12 TESOL minor.)

Continuing on--
We recently were called as Gospel Doctrine teachers-- nervous about that! for reals! At least we get to teach together :) Then I am also a District Visting Teaching Supervisor- and love getting to meet all the women in our ward.

Okay-- so the story... this is by far the best story you have ever heard, and I am not kidding.  No part of this story is fabricated in any way- Girl Scout's honor!

So we got married on a Friday- and I had gotten up early (of course!) to get my hair done by my cousin.  I still had a little packing to do, and thus was very flustered when the time to leave had passed.  We left probably 15 minutes late, and boy was I annoyed.  IT was RAINING!  This had not been factored into my hair plans, so with the very HUGE and awkward umbrella my grandma had let us borrow- we were off.
    Jed was driving, and Boy was he driving S L O W. This got me even more annoyed, and we started arguing.  (We both agree neither of us were actually upset, we were both just so darn nervous.) So as we were driving out of my neighborhood, Jed stopped the car and I got out. Yes, in the pouring rain, I got out and started heavily walking away from the car.  Jed came, picked me up over his shoulder, and walked me back to the car, where I got in.  We didn't talk much, and by this point I am sobbing because of everything that happened.
    We drove a few more miles down the road, and were now in the center of the very small town I live in. Jed pulled over to the side of the road, and I got upset.  "This is not the time to stop and discuss our feelings! Let's keep going, and we can talk about it on the way!"  Jed shortly replied, "Well the cop is the reason I pulled over." Oh Man! My thoughts were racing! What was going on? We were already late! We had just gotten the car! Then as I wipe away my tears, the cop opens the door, with his GUN pointing at Jed, and says- "Get out of the car, and keep your hands where I can see them." My brother had called, and I start freaking out-- "Aaron, Jed is getting arrested- I don't know what's going on!" Then I hung up- and got out of the car-- OH GEEZ!  The next few mintues are a HUGE blur in both of our memories.
   I get out of the car- trying to supress the already gushing tears to ask "What is going on?" The officer replied that a neighbor had called and witnessed this man kidnapping me.  (HAHA) I said, "We are getting married today, and I was nervous, and my husband was helping my back in the car.  Wouldn't you be nervous on your wedding day?" (With a little sass). By this point, we are all drenched- because yes, its still raining, and yes we lost all dignity- because the factory workers were on their break at this time, and watched the whole thing. (Not to mention 2 of my co-workers, and my photographers mom).
  So after the police officer finally removed the cuffs from Jed's hands, he asked us to go back to the people who complained and apologize.  (WHAT?!) We did as we were told, being law abiding citizens, but we were not too happy.  I of course cried the whole time, which made everybody feel bad, but it was my wedding day. 
Of course we laugh about it now- and even that afternoon when we retold the story to our luncheon guests. Life is for us to laugh at- and this is HE-LARIOUS!
        ~~~~
The rain stopped during our luncheon and for picture taking after the wedding- it cleared up, and was once again the hot, humid, muggy Nauvoo everyone knows.

 On the way to Nauvoo- where we got married, I reapplied my make-up and tried to redo my hair. It never fully came out right, but Jed lovingly said, "I think you look beautiful," which made me feel like the queen of the world.

 

Jed's final project

Well, finals are here for us cougars. Aubrey and I are right in the middle of our test taking. So that means final projects are finished. One of my classes had a fun project where I worked with a great group of guys to design and build a little pneumatic engine. It took most of the semester, but we presented it a little over a week ago, and it ran wonderfully. I had a lot of fun working on it, and I was really happy with how it all turned out. It's made out of aluminum, brass and steel, and runs on one cylinder. We designed and manufactured all the parts ourselves (except for a few bolts and washers). Here is even a video of it in action.

Queen of the Playground

Saturday's feel like the single day that whatever needs to get done can. Last Saturday I was able to go to a 2 hour Stk. Enrichment, then help my Aunt move for a few hours, get home, make Jed go grocery shopping, make pretzels dipped in chocolate, and yes, totally dominate a 4-Square game. If you don't know how to play 4-Square, I am very sorry. This is easily the most competitive playground game. As I was chasing Jed, for no other reason than to get water on him, we ran outside, to stumble on a 4-Square game. My Sunday School teacher was there, and he asked if I wanted to play (remembering that at BYU he is also 19 yrs old). I don't even remember asking Jed if he wanted to, but I jumped in. The other two couples that were making pretzels with us came out, and we had a serious game on our hands. I didn't pull out all of my tricks immediately, but as soon as I did, everybody realized how stellar I was. Now, to eat some humble pie, I have played for 5 years working at a school, and those kids beat me all the time. But sometimes I get in my groove and nobody can get me out of the 1st square. When I inched my way into the first square, nobody realized how long I would be there. There were cheers of "Get Aubrey out! Get Aubrey out!" (Music to my ears!) After having everybody get in and out again, probably a few times, I did get out (only to a cheap shot of course!) But then I was able to revive myself, and the game ended with me in the 1st square. If I recall the rules of 4-Square (the rules we play with at work, I usually make up) the person who is last standing in the 1st Square gets to have bragging rights for the rest of the day. Well, it was midnight by then, so I understood this to mean that I have bragging rights for a few days. So here is my bragging post, and a challenge to anyone who thinks they can beat me at 4-Square! :)

What can I do?

Tonight Jed and I went on our weekly date. I guess everyday is a date for us, but we try to have one actually scheduled date each week. Obviously, being college students, and us being us, they usually don't cost much money, or take much prep work. Well, this week we went to the Hunger Banquet, which did cost a few dollars, but it was so worth it. It was put on by a club at school (one of the very few I am not apart of, but that will be changing!) We had heard many observations about how the evening was going to go, but nobody really knew for sure.
We got there a little early, so we were one of the first "seated". We found out that seating was decided by complete chance, and we happened to get what was considered "Upper Class." As we were seated by our waiter, wearing a suit, who pulled out our chairs, we noticed we were definitly in the minority. There were only a few tables set up, and then a few rows of chairs on the outside, but the entire ballroom was filled with flattened cardboard boxes, which is where the majority of the people sat.
Not only was the seating different, but depending on the level that you were seated, determined your food. We ate bread, a salad, potatoes, pulled pork, corn, a cookie, and ice cream. We were served first, and both Jed and I felt a little weird eating in front of everybody else. There were a few other tables, but we really were eating in front of a few hundred people sitting on the floor, eagerly waiting their own food. The middle class people were fed hotdogs or pizza, which wasn't that bad. The rest of the people in attendance were served rice and beans, which they shared with those around them. I didn't see them get any silverware either.
I think the thing that touched my heart the most was the stark difference between each level. There were sooo many more people living in poverty compared to the middle or upper class.
Then when they said that 85% of the population of the world lives on less than 2.5 dollars a day, I wasn't surprised. Not only 2.5 US dollars, but compareably, they live off of what it would be like to live off of 2.5 dollars a day in the States.
There were a few keynote speakers, one talking about his experience in a small village in Africa, being able to help build a school there; the other a woman who works in Utah County in an organization for Adult Illiteracy. Both of which were touching, and very interesting.
I think that the thing that I will most remember from this experience isn't the awkwardness of eating in front of other people. I don't think it will even be the children who were rescued from Congo who came and sang and danced for us. No, I don't think it will even be the grown man and woman who both cried as they spoke about their life's experiences with poverty. By far it will be the way that I felt as I looked at the children who had just recieved a school, the first for them. They never before had a school where they could learn to read or write. No crayons, coloring books, playgrounds, toys of any kind. This was all a first for them. What I will remember is the little boy who reached up to share his book with a girl who didn't have one. That is what I will remember from the 17th annual BYU Hunger Banquet. "It's not about what you can't do for the world. It's about what you are able to do with what you are given." "Where much is given, much is required."

Plans, Plans, Plans!

I'm sure, whether old or young, every married couple can attest to the craziness that wedding planning is. Jed and I are getting a taste of this, especially as we try to plan our wedding 100's of miles away from the actual location. Among every tiny detail that has to be made (needless to say the amount of time before the wedding the plans need to be made) we also have the after-the-wedding details that need to be decided. Well even when it seems like all doors are being slammed in front of us, one was just left wide and open... Jed and I got our apartment for next fall. It's small, REALLY small, but it's ours. Everything worked out really well, and the price is right (cheap!) We've heard that the these will be the best years, that we will grow the closest. I think I am starting to understand how this is going to happen. The house is so small... we're bound to be close all the time. We will eat, sleep, do our homework, and exercise all within 10 feet of eachother!

Here is my blog. Ta Da!