Graduations, Weddings and Babies

Doane College was an amazing place to go to school.  I will be forever thankful for all of the experiences and friendships that came out of the family friendly college in Crete, Nebraska.  From the late nights, to volleyball games, track meets, Relay for Life, STOP Day, etc. it was the perfect place for my sister and I to attend college.  

Rochelle was recruited by Ed Fye, one of the track coaches at Doane.  He stopped by Republican Valley High School when Rochelle was a 7^th or 8^th grader.  He happened to stop by the school on spirit day.  Rochelle was dressed in her Jr. High cheerleading outfit, pigtails and face painted in purple and gold (Go Mustangs)!  We laugh about their first meeting to this day.  Ed knew there was something special about Rochelle, both as a person and as an athlete.  She was breaking records left and right in the long jump and triple jump.  

Rochelle was invited to attend a private lesson from Ed at the indoor facility at Doane College.  Dad and Rochelle went to Doane and spent several hours learning the secrets from Ed.  This experience proved to be invaluable to my sister.  She and dad were so motivated following her private lesson that plans were made to put in a pit at home so Rochelle could continue to practice long/triple jump.  It didn’t take long for Rochelle to become one of the best jumpers in the State of Nebraska.  During her freshman year of high school she jumped 39’3”!  There was only one other girl in class C that was coming close to meeting these marks.  Rochelle and Jaime Volkmer of Kearney Catholic competed against each other for the next few years.  Rochelle ended up winning the all class gold medal for the triple jump at the Nebraska State Track Meet her freshman year.  

During my senior year of high school, after our team won our 4^th consecutive state volleyball championship and I was offered a scholarship to play volleyball for Doane.  I accepted and was so excited to get to play volleyball with Rochelle for another two years!  (By the way, Rochelle was given the nickname “Ro” at Doane.  It took some getting used to but now that is what we call her).

It was always exciting having Mom and Dad attend the events at Doane.  I always dreaded seeing them leave but I knew it would be a matter of days before we saw them at the next event.  One thing we always said when we parted ways was “see you later” rather than “goodbye.”  Mom once said, “Goodbye is too permanent.  It’s see you later.”  This is something that stuck with us and it has more meaning to me now than ever before!

Doane has a ridiculously high marriage rate among its students.  I do not know the actual statistic but I know several people who married their Doane College sweetheart.  Ro met Scott at Doane.  Scott was a member of the men’s basketball team and the men’s track team.  Ro described Scott to us so at the Kearney indoor meet, Mom and I were scoping out the place, looking for a “tall, redheaded jumper.”  We thought we spotted him but Ro later told us that Scott was not at that meet because he was finishing up basketball season.  We met Scott’s family at an indoor meet at Doane and we spent more time getting to know his wonderful family during the indoor national meet at Johnson City, Tennessee. 

I met Josh in March 2003, during the Spring semester of my freshman year.  I had just gotten back from cheering Ro and Scott on at the indoor track and field nationals.  My awesome roommate Amanda told me that she spent some time getting to know the people in Hansen 201. She invited me to meet them and I am so glad I took her up on the offer.  Josh was one of 7 that lived in Hansen 201.  Strangely enough, Scott lived in Hansen 201 the year before.  I really let my hair down and had a lot of fun.  Josh was introduced to Doane by family friends Rich and Dena Bartlett.  Josh worked for the Bartlett family throughout high school.  As of May 2001 (Josh’s senior year of high school) he hadn’t decided where to go to college.  Rich and Dena are both graduates of Doane and talked Josh into a campus visit.  More on this wonderful couple (Rich and Dena) later!

Following graduation from Doane, Scott moved back to Utica to work on the family farm.   Ro finished up her senior year at Doane and was accepted into the accelerated nursing program through Creighton via the Mary Lanning Campus in Hastings.  Ro moved into a two bedroom apartment in Hastings and charged forward with the program.  She and Scott got engaged in June 2004 and were married on September 3, 2005 at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Indianola.   Scott went back to Doane and received his teaching degree and Ro worked the night shift at Mary Lanning on the ortho/neuro floor. 

Ro and Scott bought their first home in June 2007 in Gretna, Nebraska.  Dad and Mom spent several hours touring homes in Gretna and after a long day they found the perfect place!  The layout was nice and open and it was exactly what they were looking for.  Later that week, Mom informed us that she was having some female problems.  She went through menopause in 1994 after her high dose chemo.  She was shocked when she started spotting.   Mom had a biopsy and the pathology report came back clean, however, her doctor recommended undergoing a preventative total hysterectomy.  Mom was proactive and she went for it!

Josh graduated from Doane in 2005 and moved back to Olathe.  He lived with his parents for almost a year and then he moved into an apartment in Shawnee, KS.  He worked for two years at Biomune and then accepted a lab job at Merck Animal Health.  I started the Paralegal Certificate program through the College of St. Mary’s (CSM) in the Fall of 2005 while I was finishing my undergraduate studies at Doane.  I decided to live off campus my final year at Doane.  I moved into a three bedroom apartment with two other girls and I commuted to Crete.  I completed the 36 hour program in one year and received my Paralegal Certificate on December 2, 2006.  Josh and I were married on December 9, 2006 at St. Catherine’s in Indianola.

  

The weather in 2006 was strange.  Harvest was running behind and I offered to help drive the tractor/grain buggy.   I was still attending the weekend program at CSM, planning a wedding and looking for a job.  I previously interviewed at some placement agencies but I was underwhelmed with the jobs they offered.  As it turns out, Rich Bartlett gave my resume to an attorney in Leawood, Kansas.  Rich told me that the attorney would be calling me to set up a time for an interview.   One afternoon, Dad and I were in the field trying to get the corn out.  Before we started for the day, I told him I was expecting a call from an attorney and if he called while we were working, I would need to stop and take the call.  Of course, Dad agreed.  

I “patiently” waited for my phone to ring.   It felt like I waited all day for my phone to ring.  Since we were harvesting irrigated corn, we unloaded on the go.  Naturally, as we were in the process of unloading on the go, an 816 area code showed up on my phone.  I knew this was the mystery attorney calling so I waved at Dad, signaling him to stop.  He didn’t see me waiving like a crazy person.  He was so focused on unloading that he didn’t see the panic in me.  I knew this was my one opportunity to take the call.  “What if I miss the call and miss my opportunity for a job?”  Finally I got Dad’s attention…on the last ring.  I quickly called the number back and thankfully, Mike Matteuzzi answered the phone.  I was panicked but tried to be as calm as possible.  I apologized for missing his call.  I explained that I was in the tractor helping with harvest.  He understood and asked when I would be available for an interview.  I told him I could be at his office at 8:00 a.m. the following day.  He questioned me knowing I had a 7 hour drive a head of me.  Now that I look back, it almost sounded like I was desperate.   We finished for the day and I went home, packed my bags and headed for Kansas City. 

The following day I showed up in my new suit and interviewed at Waldeck, Matteuzzi and Sloan for a paralegal position.  After a three hour interview with the paralegals and two partners, I was offered a full time position!  I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I knew I would give it 100% and prove that I was the right person for this job.  I always tell people, “It’s not what you know it’s who you know.”  Rich and Mike are good friends and Mike hired me as a favor to Rich.  I do not think Mike thought it would work out but regardless he took a leap of faith.  I am happy to report that 7 ½ years later I am still with the firm.  Mike will occasionally bring up the story of our first telephone conference when I was in the field and then in Kansas City for an 8:00 a.m. interview.   God’s master plan is amazing!  He knew the whole time I was stressed about finding a job what the final outcome would be.  I truly believe we meet certain people for certain reasons!  

-Rich and Dena were neighbors to Josh’s family and Josh’s mom babysat their kids.

-Rich and Dena eventually moved out of the neighborhood but were gracious enough to give Josh jobs throughout high school. 

-Rich and Dena introduced Josh to Doane

-Josh and I met at Doane

-Rich introduced me to Mike Matteuzzi (my current boss)

-Dena and I have bonded these last couple of years because strangely enough, we have had very similar experiences.  Unfortunately she lost her mother to cancer 6 months after we lost mom.   Her mother also had cancer 15 years prior to her recurrence.  Dena has a sister who lives near the Omaha area.  Very long story short, Dena and I will forever be connected due to our shared experiences during our mothers’ illnesses. 

 

Following Mom’s journey with cancer in 1993 she told Dad she wanted to live long enough to see her girls graduate.  I am sure she had strong feelings about wanting to see us both get married and have kids.   By the grace of God, Mom was able to see us graduate from high school and college.   She was also able to see us get married and she met four of her grandchildren.  

Josh and I bought our first home in Olathe, Kansas in December 2007, just three weeks before our baby was due.  Mom and Dad were excited to help get our house ready before the birth of our baby boy.  Bryson Isaiah was the first grandson (and grandchild) on both sides.  He was born on January 15, 2008 weighing in at 10 lbs 4 oz!   Anisten Noel was Nana and Papa’s first granddaughter and she was born on December 16, 2008 weighing in at a whopping 10 lbs 10 oz!  I am not sure how Ro carried such a big baby with a small frame but surprisingly, Ro reports she was not that uncomfortable!  Amazing! 

Holden Elijah was born on May 14, 2010 (8 lbs 15 oz) and Kardyn Grace joined our family on June 22, 2012.  To date, Kardyn has been awarded the “Smallest Baby” award amongst the Schmidt cousins weighing in at 8 lbs 13 oz!

Mom loved her grandchildren with everything she had!  They brought more joy to her life than she ever knew possible.  I remember several conversations wherein Mom told me to make sure I don’t let anything happen to “my grandkids” as she could not live without anyone of them.  Mom was known as Nana to the kids and she was an amazing Nana!  She did anything to make her grandkids happy and the kids loved Mom!  It is hard to not have Mom here in person so she can watch them grow but we know she is walking with us each day.  In fact, Kardyn has a lot of the same personality characteristics as Mom.  Kardyn is a little spitfire just like Mom!  It is fun to see parts of Mom living on through her kids! 

Before became terminally ill in 2012, Mom expressed gratitude over and over again for having healthy grandchildren.  Ro had her tubes tied after Kardyn was born in June 2012.  Their family of four was complete (or so they thought) following the birth of Kardyn.  Mom knew Josh and I were thinking about having another child but she asked me to please not go there.  She wanted us to "stop while we were ahead."  

Below is a link and the lyrics to the song, “Mama’s Song” by Carrie Underwood.  Please watch this one!  It is very touching and fits very well with this entry!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpFW4Yhy08k

Mama, you taught me to do the right things
So now you have to let your baby fly
You've given me everything that I will need
To make it through this crazy thing called life

And I know you watched me grow up
And only want what's best for me
And I think I found the answer to your prayers

And he is good, so good
He treats your little girl like a real man should
He is good, so good

He makes promises he keeps
No he's never gonna leave
So don't you worry about me
Don't you worry about me

Mama there's no way you'll ever lose me
Giving me away is not goodbye
As you watch me walk down to my future
I hope tears of joy are in your eyes

'Cause he is good, so good
And he treats your little girl like a real man should

He is good, so good

He makes promises he keeps
No he's never gonna leave
So don't you worry about me
Don't you worry about me

And when I watch my baby grow up
I'll only want what's best for her
And I hope she'll find the answer to my prayers
And that she'll say

He is good, so good
And he treats your little girl like a real man should
He is good, so good

He makes promises he keeps
No he's never gonna leave
So don't you worry about me
Don't you worry about me

Mama don't you worry about me
Don't you worry about me