5 things.

This may sound odd, but I am an even number person. I always keep our air conditioning on an even number, finish pumping gas on an even, leave an even-numbered tip...you get the picture.

But I also happen to like 5's. I was born on the 15th, and so was Roxie. I like that we share that. Five was often my number in sports growing up, five was my favorite lane to swim in when I was on the swim team, I graduated from high school in 05. Therefore, with that back ground I give you five things I have learned and shared more than five times recently, and I feel the need to share them. You should know this post is geared toward "mrs. married to officers."

1. It is soo important to have "your thing" with your husband. Does anyone watch Up All Night with Will Arnett and Christina Applegate? Well its hilarious, especially if you are new parents and this past week was about how sacred their time watching, Friday Night Lights was. As silly as it is, I think it nurtures your relationship to share things like a new TV show. When Officer was first on nights we, had a Wednesday morning date. He would get home at 6:30am from working all night and have my FAVORITE thing in the WORLD....Whataburger coffee, breakfast burritos and we would watch our TV show together. I know, a disgusting habit, but we looked forward to this time and we would enjoy it for the first time together and catch up just like regular people did at night. Even as I share nights with the officer now, I miss our Whataburger Wednesdays.

2. You can have a good cry about it every now and then. But you have to get it out of your system. Life is too short to hate the fact that you married an officer not a mr. Plus, someone has to do it, so someone has to be an officer's wife. And that someone is you. It's an honor to gain the strength God has allowed me to gain. I wouldn't be half the woman I am today if my husband wasn't an officer, and I am truly grateful for that. But take a day, wear black, eat ice cream, have a donut (forgive the stereotype). Whatever your thing is, do it. I tend to be on the dramatic side, so it actually does help me to dim the lights, crawl under the covers with a strawberry duncan donut and have a good cry, but if I did that all the time I would look very different (in more ways than one).

3. Getcha some girlfriends who will encourage you with truth. You can have a pity party yourself, so getting a crowd to bring negativity to your situation is not productive. Find girls who will have some good clean fun with you, and hear your heart on the hard days, but encourage you and remind you of the good things and the blessings that are always there.

4. Take an interest in officer things. I chose to learn the police alphabet (I don't think that is the legit term) but nothing makes officer more happy then when I can tell him a license plate, officer style.

5. Believe the best in your officer. Its a tough world they are in. I think tougher than all the mr.'s out there. More temptations, high divorce rates, and more dangers. Be proud of them and for them, EVEN when you wish they did something else. I have realized this alot, more than anything, my officer needs someone to always be for him. I am NOT the best at this one, but I am really working on it.

~an officer and a mrs.

Roxie- 5 months!

Roxie, This past month of development was a blast! 

You, ate rice cereal and oatmeal from a spoon! Probably 1% went down the first time and I would say we are at 50% now!! You can roll back over so you can start at one end of the rug and go all the way!

You had your first taste of some banana and WENT TO TOWN on it!

You make this new noise with your sweet little lips that = spit every where but its SO adorable

5 months in your jeggings!! You look like a little lady!

Your sweet feet!

Update:

Still sleeping 10-12 hours

3 naps a day

pacifier only in the car or when you are playing

LOVE your bouncer and playmat

LOVE songs and people bouncing around in front of you

TALKER especially before you fall asleep in your bed

Can sit up for small periods of time and then usually you lunge back. Crazy girl.

Roll over and back but only in one direction

laughs and smiles CONSTANTLY

Sizes: 

3-6 month shirts and pants

6-9 months sleepers (you are so long!)

0-6 month shoes

2 diapers

We love you and I cant believe its all ready been 5 months! SLOW down girl!!!

Who are you?

Who are you? - I have said this phrase to Roxie about 15 times since Monday. She rolls over and back like a maniac which means when I turn around to grab her a toy she goes from being on her play mat to this:

Girlfriend is out of control with her movement and this is BRAND new as of Monday.

This is me and her watching a baby Einstein movie. She loved all the colors and this was so fun to see.

Her 5 month post is coming up which blows my mind and I want to save more of this for that post since I do those specifically for her to have to look at one day. It blows my mind how quickly babies can change and be doing something so well one day that they were not even close to doing yesterday.

This week has been a busy week for Officer. He started his new position. He refused letting me take the classic "first day" outfit but he looked so great in his suit let me just say. This has been transition week for both of us which means we are literally tired all the time. Its also been one of those weeks that everyone has to have about once every few months where it feels like the world is against you and nothing relationally is going right? Does anyone else have those? 

Lessons with my Officer:

One thing I've learned being married to the Officer is that we get our energy in different ways. Here is what I mean:

Officer rarely chooses to have a lazy Saturday or Sunday to just be home- doing chores, watching movies, making lunch...unless GOOD football is on. He likes spending hours in Barnes and Noble, game stop, going to sit in the massage chairs at Brookstone or just "being out" as he says. Nothing to crazy. I on the other hand like staying in comfortable clothes for most of the day, make coffee, watch whatever repeat movie that is on USA (Sweet Home Alabama, Two Weeks Notice, Pretty Woman...those kinds) and just be home. This is a weekend difference.

During the week: I am a social queen bee. I love filling Roxie and my calendar with lunch, coffee, walking dates, etc when I am not working. I would make a date with a friend any chance I can. The Lord has wired me to be a huge girlfriend girl. But Officer could stay in every second he can on a week night. The only thing he likes to do outside of work and home is his classes and Merge. Which is the pre-married ministry at our church we serve in. Oh.My. do we love serving with Merge. That is however another post sometime.

Its been good for me to serve him with looooonnnnggg Barnes and Noble visits, standing in game stop "playing" the sample games and letting him get out on his own to meet a friend or to be by himself. He blesses me quite often with watching the Fox while I go run with a friend, or as I work most recently since I just got back to weddings. This blesses me huge too. I love working in this capacity.

Bottom line- Officer and I recharge differently. We both are extroverts who love being the life of the party but we get that energy in different ways. It has blessed our relationship in more ways than I can count as we both have learned how to love each other in their specific way more often.

Don't get me wrong. We are not marriage experts as we have been married only 3 years. We just had a harder first 2 than some people probably do, mostly due to the fact that I was still learning how to be married to an officer and not a Mr. So I share these things if a) any other officer's wives need encouragement or maybe you are about to be one and b) because sometimes I find a lot of help in places I didn't expect it. Hoping God uses it in one of those ways. I mean how insane is the blogging world and though it can over take our time, what a blessing to be able to learn from people the way it allows us too.

hmm.

~an officer and a Mrs.

Cha-Cha-changes in 2012

Love me some Saturday mornings. Most of the blogs I get out of bed giddy to check on take the weekend off, but Saturday mornings for me have been really no different than any other week day on account of the fact that my officer has been a night officer...until now...you can insert a picture of me jumping up and down excited giggling here.

For the next year my officer will be a regular Joe. Working 8-5pm, Monday through Friday, with holidays off....excuse me did you I just hear myself say he gets holidays off? I still don't know what that means.

People always are surprised when he isn't off on a holiday. And I have this whole line I save for these moments about how nurses and doctors and officers have to keep working because the world doesn't stop for a holiday yada yada yada...though I must admit I have to fight off irritation, the truth is, if I didn't call my officer husband, I would never have that much know how about the workings of shift work...I have to remind myself this...back to the changes of 2012.

Anyway he is going to go to bed WITH me Sunday night and WAKING up WITH me Monday morning. Crazy. My thankfulness to the Lord is unbearable, I can't believe the Lord is allowing us this fun season. This is a big year for us as a family and all the celebrations for our family and friends. Typically I have to explain how Officer would love to be here but can't because of his job, but this year he will make almost everything with me. I also love that little fox gets to have her dad at everything. Thank you Lord!

The past 3 years have been patience and waiting and also a lot of disappointment so getting to see my officer take this step in his career brings me joy and reminds me that God is faithful and working when I don't see. I need only be still. (Exodus 14:14)

So for 2012, we might experience some normalcy. We are praying to use this time to grow in our relationship with God, each other, family and friends. Also a great break to remember all the happenings of the past 3 years and share the good stories with you all!

~an officer and a mrs.

An officer and a mrs bucket list

This has been an on going creation of ours since we married in 2009. I wanted to post what we have checked off, what we've added and where we are at. I know one day when Roxanne reads this, she will enjoy seeing her parents dreams. Some silly and some endearing, some we talk about all the time and some we never mention. I want her to know the list though.

I think having these dreams are so important to the mystery and growing spark in your marriage. I think an active list Is a small tangible thing to keep oneness. To dream together and to achieve goals together.

Officer is better at this than me. He is a huge dreamer. Always plays the "what if's" that my logical and practical brain can barely handle. I appreciate this in him though.

Anyway here is the list:

Horse back ride on the beach & mountains 
Travel together to:
 -Maui 
 -Vegas 
 -San Francisco
 -New York
 -Chicago
 -France
 -Italy
 -Ireland
 -Greece
 -Bahamas
Be parents 
Write a book (in progress)
Run a race (3.25.11 rock n roll half!!)
See George Strait live
Fund our kids through college
Own a home

Separate lists:
Be in a movie (Jeff)
Scuba dive (Jeff)
Fight in a tournament (Jeff)
Sky dive (Dana)
Run a half marathon (Dana)
Run a full marathon (Dana)
Carry and give birth to a baby (Dana)
Visit Europe (separately but now we need to travel together)

These are things we have been doing and adding since college, I think we are due for an update though. Anyway, with the new year and goal setting, sit down and make a bucket list with your spouse!! Document so you can check them off and your kids can look back on them.

~an officer and a mrs.

Greatest 3 years....

me and dad on my wedding day 1.1.2009 with his wedding gift to me...new pajamas...silly dad

4.21.2008 the day i got engaged to my officer. Was a magical day this was in good ole' Lubbock, TX

12.31.2008 Happy New Year's 3 years ago...when we kissed good night at midnight only to see each other at the alter the next morning.

12.2006 When we met....hilarious to me. But to date that is my favorite shirt officer wears.

I know, I know there is no logic to the order of these pictures. But it was funny to me to bounce back and forth between them to see how much we have changed and how little we have changed all at once. I am grateful I don't feel old looking back at that picture from 2006. I still feel so young and I am grateful for the many lessons and joys ahead.

This year of marriage to the officer was my favorite of the 3. Not only because it brought Roxanne Renee but because the Lord gave me this new joy about his job and our life. Pregnancy is my biggest take away from 2011, since for more than half of it I was carrying a baby who's gender we did not know! The second I found out I was pregnant, fears, worries and unknowns filled my heart, except for one thing. I knew without a doubt I had chosen the best partner I could have ever imagined to begin this journey with, he would do whatever it took to provide for us, and that his job was suddenly the best blessing in the world. During my pregnancy, officer brought me whatever my heart desired even if it was at 4am because most of the time he was awake. I also got many sweet girl nights and trips with some of my besties on the nights he worked. I learned how to get really creative carrying things I shouldn't have by using all my baby gear for groceries, furniture, etc...(life in an apartment, always makes things more interesting). 

I know as you read over those things, they are just random but its more the new way I looked at his job and how it affected me. The Lord showed me the sweetness in our partnership, friendship and romance. I laugh the hardest with him, fight the meanest, walk the closest with and those truths have never been more dear to me.

Year 3 was sweet. I know they won't always be sweet, but I am grateful for this year being so sweet to us. I am thankful that Roxie has made us closer, revealed our selfishness that needs desperate work and also shown a side of each other that only she can bring out. I love watching officer be "dad" to her or listen to him pray with her every night. Rox, you have no idea, but you are deeply loved already!

Cheers to 3 years my love, and to many more!!!