Wife Wednesdays

Dear New Police Wife,

I am thinking of you this week, remembering you as a distant memory. Those first nights alone, how you woke up in the morning so excited you "made it through the night." I remember when you first realized this was going to be your life. It seemed so bleak and lonely those first few months. A new wonderful husband, a new wonderful life, and 3-4 nights a week, you live it by yourself. I promise you, you will be able to rally all kinds of support of people who think this life you lead is treacherous. You will get used to people saying, "I could never do that." or "I can't believe you do that." I hate to say it, but you have to (as my dad always said to us growing up), "grow some hair on your chest" or maybe "be a solider" would be less graphic and weird description.

I know, I know. It is easy for me to say this where I sit, but if you knew me before I was a police wife, you would know I was the least likely girl on the block to adopt the phrase, "be a solider". I would simply say, "no thank you." With a smile of course.

The list goes on and on how to adopt this new mentality, but here is really the only thing that matters- you love your officer. Done. He picked this very noble calling, and for all the sacrifices you make and all the sacrifices he makes, why not push him to greatness. Encourage him to enjoy it, cry when you need to, have your rants, indulge in the occasional pity party from your friends who complain that their husband missed dinner. But find a stopping ground and remember you LOVE your officer. Remember that he is more lonely that the average office working Joe too. Remember that everyone has down sides to the career they choose and everyone has things that are worse than you. Do NOT let yourself believe that your situation is the worst. You are not eternally unique.

Soon, you will look back on the past 3 years as I do. I stand in awe of the journey the Lord has taken me on. I can't believe who he has allowed me to be and who he has given to me along the way.

Hang in there.

Be a grizzly.

~an Officer and a Mrs.

FAV things Friday....

Happy Friday! 

Here is what the Officer and I have been this week....

the Mrs. Fav spot- baby girl is getting to be a bit picky with her food so I have been ALL over this blog for helpful tips!

the Officer's fav spot- next week him and I are starting CROSSFIT....yikes. I am terrified. I love fitness and working out but it has been a LONG time since I have been challenged in this way. However, as we firmly believe and talk more about here, its important to have goals and have fun together. SO we are doing CrossFIT!

OUR recipes are coming from here. We are doing a hybrid of the paleo diet as we begin Crossfit. We are wanting to increase our discipline but be realistic so we have made a few modifications. More to come on that.

the Mrs. is drooling over the new line of baby clothes here...

the Officer is really wanting to vacay some time soon here...

the Mrs. is reading this book and this book right now on marriage and health.

Happy Friday!

~an officer and a mrs.

Communicate Communicate

Good Morning from the Mrs.

Man are we in a busy season. I am queen of "over committing" and for me to be turning things down, you know its busyness over here. Mostly because we have a lot of friends getting married and a LOT of friends having babies.

Before August we are expecting....

6 new babies in our world- 3 boys, 2 girls and 1 unknown (i am partial to the unknown! Click here to know our story)

7 weddings- Jeff is best man in one and I am maid of honor in one....

This is loads of fun because we are seeing our friends and family enter into a beautiful season of life and marrying their better half. I love it, but it has just has made for some crazy weeks and will continue.

Officer and I had to have a time out last week, and catch up because sometimes in craziness your communication, well, sucks.

We were totally not doing life on the same page and had to get back in sync. We got inspired by this blog, as we always do, and decided to write our own Tuesday questions. Their questions are so great, but we tweaked them a little bit to fit the Officer and me.

1. What does your week look like?

2. What do we need to do for Roxie this week (baby sitter, help watching her when Mrs. works, medicine, appts, etc...)

3. How can I better serve you this week?

4. What are you doing this week to better your relationship with Christ, to better your relationship with others, and better your career?

5. What do you need prayer for this week?

These help with a lot of miscommunication we have so we are going to commit to regularly going through these...follow up to come.

~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!!!