Once upon a time....

There was a pretty little hill on the edge of town. A sweet little country oasis in the middle of a metro city. You could cross a highway and feel you were lost in a sea of rolling green hills dotted with trees, brush and farming implements long forgotten. It was criss crossed with fences, with horses and cows rambling in the Texas sun. At the bottom of this particular hill, was a weathered old barn. Once a dairy farm, it now housed horses, their owners and a few cats. The people that were there all had the same love of their animals in common, and with that grew friend ships that will last forever. Children grew there, along with horses. There was food eaten, beers enjoyed, and tears, but laughter drowned out all. There were new friends brought in, and many a tearful goodbye was whispered to old ones. People dated there, fell in love there, and married there. Babies had their first rides there.

To me, this place is were my family and I brought my first horse. She was my childhood dream come true and with her and this place, I felt free. I have always been a self conscious person, but in those moments of time, I could do anything. All was possible, and while with my horse and hours spent ambling across fields, I dreamt about so many things. If it was sad or happy, I thought about about it all...planned out my life completely.

Then later, I brought the boy I would later marry there. We didn't have a lot of money being at the end of high school, so many a night was spent there with the car radio, me, him and his best friend talking about so much.

After a short time, that little hill on the edge of town held a much greater meaning to me. On a cool evening in September, that place is were I married my best friend. We were not the only wedding that land had seen. Years ago two wonderful people I have had the very great privilege of knowing were married there and stayed that way until Mr. Wayne Harris passed. I feel just having my wedding there holds great karma for us. The funny thing was, I didn't even want a wedding...I just wanted to be married, so I thank my husband greatly for putting his foot down. Because I have wonderful memories to add to my already full collection I have of that place.

I was able to bring my first born there...to have her first ride, first cook outs. To run wild as she wished chasing the cats that called the barn home. It was a dream place and wish it was still here.

The barn was sold years ago and now on the land are fresh and sparkling new homes. It looks pretty, and very suburban...every American's dream. But to us, it's heart breaking to see all that and know what it used to be. Now the hill that was a place for dreaming while riding with friends, and the place a new family was formed is being prepared for new apartment buildings.

Progress is necessary I'm sure some people will say. But to others, it takes the places we call home...the little oasis in the middle of busy, crowed cities that we go to dream and feel safe. At least for a moment in life, we were able to have a place to build memories, friendships and families we will have forever.

L

A poem by a fellow LEO wife....

Does he know...
How my heart beats when he walks out the door,
Into a world with many cares its apathy and so much more?

Does he know...
How often I think of him and whisper a little prayer,
That God will gently take his hand and lead him in His care?

Does he know...
How my eyes light up when I hear him on the phone,
And feel the sense of reassurance that he's close to coming home?

Does he know...
That I wear a smile when I see him walk through the door,
And that I'm glad he thinks our family is worth his fighting for?

Does he know...
How much I need him, and the joy I feel inside,
To be the wife of a deputy I'll cherish my job by his side?

Julie Crumpler

Thirteen minute mile

That's right! I've been able to finish a mile in 13 minutes or less for a few weeks now, but I was so affraid with the time I took off from the gym and working out (that would be a week and a half to be exact) that I would go back and it would all be shot to hell. Well, I started back today and not only had I not gained any weight, which is a miricle in it's self, but I was in fact able to finish my mile in 12:59! YES!!! SCORE!!!!

L

Shift bids are done and the results are in!

He stays the same shift (2nd) but his days off are now Thurs and Friday!! We are both really excited because this really does open up a lot of time now, where we will have more opportunity to spend time with each other! It's hard to have any type of "date night" when all your options are Tues/Wed. and kids have to be in bed for school the next day and babysitters have work. Soooooo, we are very happy! Plus, we have really gotten close with our awesome neighbors over the past year and when it was summer we were literally getting together once or twice a week. When school started back and kids had new bed times, it kind of came to a screeching halt. We've missed them and hope that with these new days off, we'll have some dinner nights again!

I'm just so thrilled to have my hubby on as close to a "normal" schedule as we'll probably get....woohoo!!!

L

What I'm learning....

Slowly but surely, I'm trying to better my life. I'm destressing, decluttering, delittering everything....from the house to my emotions. I'm trying to learn that with doing this, I'm going to become a better wife, mother, daughter and friend to everyone including myself.

I have always been a worry wort, but with the arrival of each child came a new found sense of fear, worry, and stress about every "what if" imaginable. From illness to money, I'd freak out about it before there was even anything to worry about. I was keeping me from keeping up with the kids, the house....life. I was missing out on so much because I was so worried about everything it was making me very depressed and I didn't even realise it. I thought it was just the way I was. I don't like that person and I'm trying very hard to change her.

This sound very cliche, but getting up in the morning and going to the gym has helped. I think that is has because I'm starting the change with myself. If I'm feeling good than I'll want to come home and clean, play with the kids, wait up for my husband. So not only are the kids getting more of me, but the love of my life isn't having to come home to a messy, cluttered house and a wife that is already asleep, because that's all she wants to do. He gets to come home and have someone there, up and waiting to hear about his day, and just talk to each other like we used to. Bless his heart, he loves me to much to complain about me, but I know he could see there was something not right with me. He just adjusted himself to it and went on. But I love these people way to much to make them adjust to the way I was.

I'm learning to let things go more. I'm thinking things were all a mess because I was trying to hard to make everything perfect and in turn making them worse. Not letting things work themselves out, I was pushing and the hard I pushed and tried to fix problems, the harder I was making it for them to straighten out on it's own. If there is a glitch in life, I'll try to fix it, but if that doesn't work, then I'll know to just let things happen. I'm hoping in doing that, life will be smoother and my emotions will be better also. Maybe listening to my guides more, will help...they know better than I do!

So, here's to the end of another year. I have to say it was a good one, but I'm hoping with the end of the old me, and the beginning of a new year,the new L will be even better!!

Love to all,
L


God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.


L

Feeling so much better....

Thanks to getting my booty up and going to the gym. It's amazing how something so little like a good cup of coffee and a trip to work out in the morning can put a whole different outlook on life.

So, here's the exercise stats for today!

30 min of strength training
24 min of cardio (mile in a half on the treadmill)

Here's to hoping I can jump right in and be as gung-ho about it tomorrow!!!

L

How 'bout them Cowboys!!!

Now I will admit, I'm a pretty fair weather fan, but I come from a long line of Cowboy Football enthusiasts and I love how the season is going so far! 6-1...not to shabby!! I'm already planning my Super Bowl party! Oops...do you think I jinxed it?

My view on something....

I really had to write this down because I know husband is getting sick of hearing it whenever this comes on the tv. HANNAH MONTANA CONCERT TICKETS!

Ok, now keep in mind, I do have a young daughter who loves her and I would love nothing more than to get her some awesome tickets for her birthday, but when they started climbing well over 200 a ticket, that idea quickly left. My cousin was able to snag some for under 100, and for that I congratulate her! That in itself was a near impossible feat! They're upper seats, but by God, under the century mark, so this is not for her.

I see these women, mothers, on the tv, griping and whining about how the scalpers "stole" all of the tickets before they had a chance to buy them and are driving up the price, but then turning right around and shelling out their money to buy them! Now if the scalpers didn't think idiot people like you would pay that incredibly disgusting price for concert tickets...FOR YOUR CHILDREN!!! More than likely they wouldn't have even given Hannah Montana tickets a second thought! The fact that you people will pay that kind of money is ludicrous and speaks volumes of the values we are instilling in out children today.

My thing is, it seems the parents today have lost something that out parents had. It's a very simple thing really...and I don't think it will kill us or our children if they should ever come in contact with it. I really think it will help these parents deal with how much these tickets were going for and I'll share with you what it is. You sit your child(ren) down, look them in the eye and say, "We can't afford it." Give them a hug and walk away.

If you are a semi wealthy person, and you want to take a little of your cash and take your little wonders to see this show, than by all means....doll your little sweeties up and go have fun. But these people who are scrapping, SCRAPPING to get these valuable little pieces of paper are the most insane people walking. Are you that afraid of little Susie getting a little disappointed that they won't get to go that you are willing to rake together any cash you can to unload hundreds, and thousands of dollars for nose bleed seats! Are you so unnerved that your darlings might get their little hearts broken because you said no! Well, if you really want to know what is wrong with these wreaks we call kids these days, take a good look. It's because somewhere along the line we stopped saying no to our children. We will make ourselves broke to make them happy. Well I say this to every kid around including my own....TOUGH! Get over it...life, as you will soon find out is full of disappointments far greater than this. If you want something badly enough, you have to work for it. Our children are being brought up in a society that caters to them...they have the finest clothes, the newest phones, and the highest priced cars. Hell, these little folks are having sweet 16's that rival large weddings, and for what! What are we teaching them?

My kids have quite a bit...they have everything they need and a few things they want. They have modest parties and Christmas's, but only because if they get EVERYTHING they want, what's to look forward to? What's to dream about? The do hear the words no and quited often, I'm sorry, we can't afford it. I'm not ashamed, and I'm not afraid what if one of the other parents hear. I'll yell it from the roof tops! We are a one income family with a career choice that let's face it doesn't make millionaires. But what I do hope to give my children, free of charge, that no, you won't get everything you want, and yes you will have disappointments...but I assure you my loves, you will survive!

Whew! All this because I'm overloaded with "OMG! I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PAY 1000.00 FOR MY KIDS TO GO TO HANNAH MONTANA!!! Come on people...I think there are more news worthy stories out there other than total and complete idiots!!

Muah!
L

Six Flags Fright Fest 2007!!

The county had their annual Six Flags day and we had a blast! Other that it being about 92 with 100% humidity it was so much fun and something we really look forward to every year! Plus, along with the tickets, free parking and lunch, we also get passes to holiday in the park and that it my absolute fave!!!

Brough to you by a fellow LEO wife!!

A man once asked me, besides the tickets and the donuts, Whats it like being a cop? As I forgave him for his ignorance, years and years of memories Spun round and round in my head And the only answer I could give him came out in a collage of single words. That any cop would understand. Academy. Badge. Rookie. Patrol. Honor. Valor. Bravery. Drunks. Bar fights. Car chases. Foot chases. Felons. Perverts. Cop haters. Cop killers. Marijuana. Cocaine. Meth labs. Battered wives. Abused children. Murders. Suicides. Accidents. Fatalities. Mental patients. Dirty needles. Dirty trailers. Deep nights. Weekends. Overtime. Marriage. Kids. Divorce. Marriage. Promotions. Demotions. Politics.Good cops. Bad cops. Funerals. Gray hair. Wrinkles. Years. Blood. Sweat. Tears. Live it. Love it. Hate it.-A cops life.

ByAndrew G. Hawkes

Oh sweet, sweet mercy!!

I think, THINK summer has finally broken....no nineties here for the past few days and let me tell ya....I can not WAIT to see my next electric bill! There had better be a drastic difference on the down side, or so help me!

I haven't had the air conditioner on in the house, and I swear, it has never smelled better! I for one, hate the way a house starts to smell when the windows have been shut tight for months at a time! So those first few days of nice weather, when you get to open everything up and the house actually breaths are wonderful! There is a slight front coming through as we speak and I can hear the wind dancing with the leaves....the slow rumble of the approaching storm....the breeze playing with my curtains and all I can say is it's HEAVEN!!

Unfortunately, one day this week the ninety degree mark is suppose to rear it's ugly, oppressive head again, but hopefully, it'll only be one day. I'd hate to make everyone in the family sweat their butts off for any length of time, because I swear, I am done with turning the air on for this year! The next time someone messes with the thermostat it had better be to turn on the heat! I just hope that's a ways away!!
L

Little shout out the the coffee gods!!

I was in a pretty dark place last night, but it's totally amazing how therapeutic that sweet, sweet nectar of the Gods can be. A strait from the oven cinnamon roll and a hot cup of coffee can cure close to anything...I feel like I could run a marathon....eh, maybe I'll just clean the house instead!
L