On being Thankful

I was over at Sew Passionate, this morning reading a blog post about making some Ballard inspired chalkboards. If you haven’t seen them yet, you really should check ‘em out…they are adorable! Any who, as I sat reading the post and seeing the photos of her father’s workshop I noticed that I had a smile on my face. Not a huge, this is funny smile…a soft, truly happy smile. Soon after, I began to cry.


You see, three months ago, I lost my Grandfather, and the world lost a very special man. While he was 85 years old, his death was completely unexpected. He was a health and fitness buff that made his appearance at the local gym not once, but twice daily! He could weight lift more than men half his age, and prided himself on it. While this part of his life was important to him, it was by no means related to what he did for a living.


My Grandfather spent his working years cutting. First as a skilled meat cutter (something he continued to do as a hobby with beef from the family farm, or a prize slab of venison after hunting season), and lastly a wood worker (as a home business he had with my Grandmother). He was a creative man, with talents that made the world around him a beautiful one. He spent many hours in his wood shop, and I can happily say that I spent many hours out there with him….by his side, playing in sawdust, watching as he meticulously cut, drilled, glued and sanded. As I got older, I was intrigued by the process. I remember watching to see how he arrived at his final product. So many times, I was amazed at the way his mind worked. He could come up with ways to do things that most would never imagine.


This different mind of his didn’t only apply to his work. He was a different man. One who loved to give, but had no remorse for those who take. He was a family man to the end. If anyone ever crossed a Fred (my maiden name), you had better look out. He was the BEST sports fan a kid could ever ask for. The Saturday before his stroke, he drove an hour to our small town to watch my 5 year old play a soccer game. He would arrive early, cheer hard, and be the last one to leave (but not before he congratulated the hard work and gifted them with Snickers bar and cash…what more could a kid ask for?). This was the routine of he and my Grandmother for every sporting event of every grandchild. I am so thankful that he was here long enough to experience it for a few of his great-granddaughter’s. Throughout my life, this difference was perceived in a multitude of ways. It wasn't until his last week of life that I realized who he truly was….and it’s really quite simple. You do good by people, and people will do good by you. To some, he may not have seemed to have been the best at forgiveness, but I believe it’s because he felt so deeply, which also meant that he hurt deeply.


Following the unfortunate stroke that ultimately took his life, he spent a week of torture in numerous hospitals. It was an emotional roller coaster for everyone involved. A strong, proud, man whose body has been part of everything that has ever meant anything to him, now stuck in a hospital bed, with a sound mind, and depending on others to do nearly everything for him. Happy to have lived an incredible life, he was ready now ready for it to be over. For one week, he stuck true to his family values and humored us as we exhausted all possibilities for surgeries and cures. But, at the end we made the most difficult decision a family can make, and returned the favor by telling the team of doctors to let him go in peace. I pushed my Grandmother’s wheelchair into his room and we each took our places on either side of his bed. It was then that we told Grandpa he got his last wish. The doctors would no longer be poking and prodding, he could now just, “go to sleep”, as per his request. Before he went, we were given a gift. A short period of time where we could talk about memories, thank him for all he had done, and joke, as our family often does. We listened to country music, and we cried. As a family, we experienced something that no family should ever have to experience. I held my Grandfather’s hand as he took his last peaceful breath, and I am thankful to have been able to be there for him.


So, those memories of his wood shop, the sporting events, holidays, weddings, babies, they are all so dear to my heart. And I am thankful for the memories that that post brought back for me.

Insta Friday

Wow!

What a wonderfully busy week!

It started out with my husband waking me up and saying,

"Let's go to the beach!"

If you live in the Northwest, you know that a day at the beach is like rolling the dice...

you just never know what you are going to get....especially in January.

But we got LUCKY!

A perfect day of family, sunshine, and good eats at the Pelican Pub

(a personal favorite).

The girls actually got along, the dogs ran and played, and everyone had a great time.

Later in the week...a little shopping...for me.

I know, I know, these shoes are not part of my normal mom attire,

but we have a wedding to addend this weekend, and this mama needs new shoes!

And then...a little more shopping...for clients!

I'ts really much more fun spending other peoples money-no guilt!

Stay tuned for some before and after pics of the Salon Mecca Project.

Since the stores aren't open at midnight,

I thought I better do some work at home while the littles sleep and the hubby works late.

On the list this week, feather light fixtures and baby quilt!

I am sooooo excited to share more pics of these lights...I am in loooove with them!

Now I just need to decide where to put one in my house.

To sum it up, it was a colorful week.

Lots of smiles, laughter, bead organizing, and 5 year olds getting a hold of my phone's camera (apparently). The toy was one of those things that grows in water that I got for the girls in the dollar section at Joanns...didn't know the pic was there until it popped up when I went to do this post...

hmmmm, I best keep an eye on my little photographer!

Hope you too had a colorful week!

Today I'm linking up with Jeannett at Life Rearranged

Cheers,

Lindsey

A Cop's Wife

I met my husband at the local Harvest Festival. I had come home from college for the summer, and following family tradition, my siblings and I planned to attend the event together. Little did I know, my brother’s best friend was bringing along my future husband. They were roommates, and now coworkers who had gone through the Police Academy together.

At the risk of sounding cliché, I will say that it was love at first sight. Well, for myself anyway. My husband is your typical “intelligent” type who would never make that big of an assumption so quickly. He came around though, and after two years of dating, he had the talk with my father, and proposed under a stately oak tree at sunset.

Throughout the past six years of marriage, there is one question that I am most commonly asked, “Isn’t it hard being a cop’s wife?” Unless you have walked in the shoes of an officer’s wife, the question seems so simple. Yes or no. I assume most have already decided the answer will be yes when they ask, so I throw them off and respond with an honest, no. You see, over the years I have learned that the answer is actually not as simple as yes or no; but, as not to spend an entire day explaining the ups and downs, I have come up with a very generic reply that seems to satisfy most.

The truth, I’ve learned is that the individual officer, spouse, and officer’s team all play a big role in how difficult or easy the life is to live with. Do I worry? Yes, I do. However, it’s not on a regular basis. My husband has made choices within his career that have landed him in a position that make life on our family much easier. There were days in the early years when he was in patrol, that I worried. I wasn’t a fan of street patrol. He never knew who he was going to encounter, or their motives, and in my eyes it was much scarier. During those times, I took relief in the thought that his best friend was his partner, and I knew that they would be there for each other. While life on the streets was far more exciting, he made the move to a special unit when our first daughter was born. This gave him a regular schedule that did not include working nights, holidays or going into court on his days off. Don’t get me wrong, these things still do happen; it’s just not as frequently. Yes, this can be frustrating; and yes, I dream of the day I can wake up at the same time as my husband, share a quick cup of coffee and kiss him goodbye. I long for the day that I can depend on him being home in the evenings, so that we can have a solid schedule and help getting the girls to bed, the things most families have and take for granted. But, it is my responsibility to look at the perks of the job, of my husband, and the man he is.

Divorce rates are extremely high in the law enforcement field. It’s very clear that the cards are stacked against a young couple. Knowing this, even before we married, my husband and I had to be sure that we were making a commitment with a strong willed person that didn’t believe in giving up. Luckily, we are two of the most stubborn people I know (funny, I never thought those words would come out of my mouth). Giving up is not an option, and it can’t be.

Law enforcement is a very easy job to get wrapped up in…another thing that is difficult for the unfamiliar to understand. At work, they are surrounded by fellow officers who understand them, their feelings, the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies the feelings of adrenaline spikes and falls. At home, it’s an entirely different world, and I am lucky enough to have a husband who tries his hardest to separate the two.

When our second daughter was born, we had another big change within my husband’s career. He had achieved his goal of becoming a member of the highly respected SERT (our cities SWAT) team. This was a big deciding point for us. I knew it was his ultimate goal, and had been since before he even became an officer. I also knew it meant more time away, more life threatening situations. Here is where the team comes into play. When I first met my husband’s SERT sergeant, he greeted me not with a firm handshake, but a bear hug. He very genuinely thanked me for lending my husband to the team, and for supporting him. This went a long way with me. I try to remember this when my husband is away, and take comfort in the thought that he is working with the best of the best.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were home getting ready for our oldest daughter’s birthday party. A page went out for a SERT call out (they are on call 24-7). My husband had taken the day off the pager so that he wouldn’t miss the party. Still, he instantly grabbed his radio and tuned in. He sat, intensely listening to the voices and static. Initially, I was irritated, for one day, let it go! Then I realized something about my husband that made me admire him even more. He was torn. There he sat, a strong man, committed to two very important families. I told him that he could go if he wanted, that family could help me pull off the party. He didn’t. He chose to stay. My admiration didn’t necessarily come from that decision, rather the fact that he was torn. To me, it was proof of his priorities. He didn’t want to let anyone down. He is a pleaser, and he pleases me greatly. So, is it hard being married to a cop? Not for me.

Next time you, or someone you know decides to go on a cop bashing rampage, please remember that they too are human beings, doing a difficult job, and at some time during the day or night will go home to a family that loves them very much.

A Mermaid Party in the Works

My baby girl turns 5 tomorrow!

I can't believe how old 5 sounds when it's your first born. It honestly seems like just yesterday that we were heading to the hospital to induce labor, nerves flying, back aching.

I always knew I liked planning things, but it wasn't until her first birthday that I discovered how much fun it was/is to plan a child's party!

1st Birthday Party was very Garden/Spring themed...lots of flowers!

Birthday number 2 was a Carnival Theme!

Pretty sure people thought I had lost my mind when they showed up and my sister and I were dressed up as clowns (what a dedicated auntie huh?) Turning 3 was a Cowgirl Theme...seemed to be appropriate since we were living in my parents "barn" at the time! Yeehaw! This party was super fun! We threw a Mary Poppins themed party that was held at the carousel aka 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Kids had black construction paper place mats with their names painted down the side that they were later able to color on outside...sidewalk chalk! Party favors were hats that I embellished to look like Mary Poppins hats.

Tomorrow's party will be an elegant Mermaid Party.

No Disney Princess around these parts. Don't get me wrong, I love Ariel, and all of her beautiful songs, I just don't want the typical, commercialized mermaids :-)

Instead, I have been drawing inspiration from a beautiful party thrown by Kate Landers Events.

My little one's will not be anywhere near as nice as the inspiration party, but a girl has to aim for the stars right???

Check back for the final results!