hello, pocatello!

Let me tell you a story. 

Once upon a time there was a boy named Trager and a girl named Jena. They were married in a beautiful, white castle and began a happily ever after life together. Trager was to be a doctor and Jena a writer and all would be well in the land. Everything would happen immediately and would come without any trial.

Sounds too easy, right?

What we quickly learned is that no matter how long you've been planning for something or how much effort and prayer and money you put into an endeavor, sometimes the Lord has other plans. Trager and I spent the last three years with a big "What's Next??" looming over our heads and in a figurative limbo. There were a lot of tears and some serious frustration. I can honestly say Trager put 110% of everything he had into pursuing medical school and, you know what, it didn't work out. 

Looking back from where we are now I see why it happened that way. 

It wasn't what he was meant to do. 

At first that was so hard to take. Especially as his wife, all I ever want for Trager are all the good things in life because I ardently believe he deserves them.  To watch him struggle was the worst and as the planner that I am I was desperate to know where our life was headed. 

And now we do!!!

After multiple medical school applications, a brief flirtation with law school, Trager will be starting pharmacy school this fall at Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID.

We are over the moon about how it all worked out!!!! My cousin's husband has been attending ISU for three years now and has absolutely loved it. We talked with him and my uncle a few times about pharmacy school over the past couple of years. Last year was too soon; we weren't quite ready to stop pursuing medical school. We were ready this year.

In January my uncle talked with Trager again about the idea and the more he thought about it the more excited he got about it! We talked it over and decided he should apply. 

This was the last part of January and the application was due February 1st. 

Three weeks later he found out he had an interview.

Two weeks after that we flew out and he went through the process.

Two {slow} weeks later he was ACCEPTED!

Boom. Boom. Boom. 

It was just so easy and just felt so right.

All along Trager has said he wants a job that will allow him to live the life he wants: to be a worthy priesthood holder who can attend his meetings on Sunday and give extra time throughout the week; a father who can come to the ball games and help with homework at night and go on evening horse rides; the husband who does the dishes after dinner and comes home to his wife every night.

Pharmacy will let him do that!

We are beyond grateful for the path we were put on three years ago that has led us here. We are so sad to be leaving Oklahoma, but are ecstatic to start this new chapter! 

And we may just have to try some of that potato flake chocolate milk ;)

Review #14: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Favorite Quotes:

"'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, 'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'" -page 1

"And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer." 

-page 4

"And I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."
-page 17

"He hadn't once ceased to look at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes." -page 91

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." -page 118

"Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away." -page 177

About the Main Character:

Simply because I think everyone knows a lot more about Jay Gatsby than they do about Nick Carraway, I chose the narrator as the main character. Nick writes this account of his time with Gatsby two years after it occured. He talks about having taken some notes on a timetable that was withering away with barely legible notes by the time he returned to them to write this account. Nick is Daisy Buchanan's cousin and helps to reconnect Daisy to Gatsby. He represents normalcy and the reality of life in the very pomp and circumstance world that Gatsby lives in. He was from the "Middle West" as he called it and then went to Yale. He served in the war before moving to New York Ciry, Long Island's West Egg specifically, to sell bonds. His love interest is Jordan Baker.

Another Character to Note:

The conundrum of The Great Gatsby this time was Jordan Baker. I've read this novel several times and really never noticed or focused on her character until this reading. Jordan is a friend of Daisy's that she knew from her youth. She is a professional golfer whose closest relation is an aunt. Jordan carries herself in a very confident "I don't need a man" manner and she is unmarried. She becomes somewhat romantically involved with Nick, although extensive details are not given as the main love story is between Daisy and Gatsby. The reason I think she is noteworthy and frankly a little confusing is because I really can't decide why she is in the novel. She and Nick don't end up together. Her encounters in the novel are not monumental {she does help in connecting Gatsby to Daisy, but I think Nick could've been sufficient to make that tie.} The only thing I can think of is the contrast she provides to Daisy and the balance of male to female ratio she aides in. Daisy is rather silly and over-the-top. She was much sought after in her youth and holds no sort of position outside of her home or that of a socialite. Jordan is a competitive, unmarried athlete who doesn't throw herself on Nick in anyway. And there would be one less female presence without. I'm 100% open to other theories because this is all I got.
 

Plot Breakdown:

1. Nick Carraway pays his cousin a visit...and takes a peek at the unhappy marriage of the Buchanans.

2. Tom introduces Nick to his mistress...and they buy a dog and throw a really odd party/gathering. Also, I love Fitzgerald's description of Myrtle. Hilarious.

3. Nick meets Gatsby...at one of the parties that never end.

4. The History of Daisy and Gatsby...Nick and Jordan help Gatsby reunite with Daisy. And he's so awkward about it.

5. Tom, Daisy, Jordan, Nick, and Gatsby...all at the same party. Tom decides he needs to know more about this Gatsby fellow.

 

6. Say you never loved him...a hot day and a heated argument.

7. The "Death" Car...it was yellow in case you were wondering.

8.  An angry husband and a gun...Nick is the only one who stays behind.

 

 

Something Interesting to Note:

 

George Wilson, Myrtle's husband, realizes that she has been cheating on him for awhile and basically has a breakdown and locks her in their house. He yells at her that God knows what she's been up to and that He's been watching. Yet, the eyes he is referring to are the literal eyes of an advertisement for an eye doctor, specifically Dr. T.J. Eckleburg. These eyes are just across the street from his garage. Dr. T.J. Eckleburg knows that Tom and Myrtle are cheating on their spouses. And he knows what really happened with the "death" car. {No, I'm not telling.} I loved this very literal reminder from Fitzgerald that nothing that happens goes unnoticed. Someone always knows the secret.

 

Should you read The Great Gatsby before you die?

 

I'm a huge fan of this novel, so my vote would have to be a resounding YES! Fitzgerald perfectly captures the time he writes about. The 1920s were filled with flappers and liquor and happiness. The American Dream was thriving...only to be followed by the stock market crash of the 1930s. Gatsby had this idealized version of Daisy in his mind, just like many people idealized what their lives were going to be like. Both parties were disappointed.

It's just really, really good. I notice something new every time I read it.

Idaho/Utah Trip: Part 3

The last leg of our trip was spent in Utah seeing some of our very favorite peeps! My Aunt Mel and Uncle Ster live in Ogden, UT and I don't see them near enough so on our way south we stopped and spent a day or so with them. As usual, it was a blast! 

Trager and I got to tour Uncle Ster's company...I have that gem of a photo below to prove it! And no, you shouldn't take off your safety goggles when taking a photo because it's obvs so much more attractive with them on. {Duh.}

^^^It was so neat seeing the ins and outs of what Uncle Ster does! Trager was especially impressed...I was mostly in it for the hard hat ;)^^^

Later that night, after eating all the pizza we could handle, Trager, Uncle Ster, my cousin Chance, and I all went for a ride in Uncle Ster's company plane! It was so weird to be in the plane for like 10 minutes and be somewhere that takes about an hour when driving. The lights of the city were beautiful, but it was a touch too dark to document. You'll just have to take my word for it!

^^^I may have found my true calling in life....taking pics in the driver's seat of the plane! Not actually flying it, just taking pictures! I ended up with about 16 pictures and my eyes are open in all of them, which is basically a record for one sitting!^^^

The last few days of the trip were spent in sunny St. George, UT with Trager's family! We love any and all time we get to spend there because the Hintze house is always a good time! We got to watch Tegan perform with her competitive cheer squad which was so fun! What's even more fun is she just made Varsity Cheer for her high school next year!!

 {Yay, Tegan! Also, when did you stop being 11 years old like when I met you?!}

Probably my favorite part of being in St. George this time was watching Trager and his dad spend every extra minute roping in the backyard. Trager has been taking some informal roping lessons in Oklahoma and his dad has been working on it too so it was extra fun to see them get to practice together!

 ^^^Also, can we talk about how pretty St. George is ALL. THE. TIME? It was like summer in late March! So, so nice!^^^

We can't wait for our next trip out to see these favorites of ours! It may be sooner rather than later :)

Idaho/Utah Trip: Part 2

On Sunday, Trager and I headed south to visit more friends and family. We began in Logan, UT with one of my closest friends from college, Whitney. Whit and I became roommates at the beginning of the second semester of my freshman year. We were both looking for a constant in our lives that we weren't finding with anyone else. So Whit moved in with me and looking back on it...we barely knew each other when she did. But, lucky us, we clicked and had quite a bit in common and whole lot that made us different from one another which is part of why we worked so well as friends. She was just what I needed right when I needed it.

We met up at her parent's house and got to spend and hour so catching up. She somewhat recently came home from her mission and even more recently got engaged so there was so much to talk about. I think she would agree that we could have talked for a couple days worth and it wouldn't feel like a complete visit without a few episodes of something funny and a few impersonations. But this trip didn't allow for that much fun :) we went to church with them and then headed to the next friend's house. I can't wait to see pictures of this babe in a wedding dress!

Up next we got to see the Bayles family! They were some of our closest friends in Oklahoma when Trager and I moved back from Virginia. I remember the first time I met Bailey was the day my mom took her dinner after she had her second little boy, Taos. Not long after that I held her oldest son, Cinch, at church and I was toast. If you got to be around her sweet little boys and then got to talk to her for about 3 seconds, you would definitely want to be her friend. Added bonus, our husbands clicked and became good buds as well! Over the next several months we went to dinner often and grew to love those sweet boys and their awesome parents! It was such a great afternoon getting to see them again. We played with their new puppies, saw their horses, and had a great meal. Once again, we didn't have enough time with them, but we took what we could get! And we managed a picture with both boys {somewhat} looking at the camera! Yay :)