5 is better than 6!

Ok, again, I am apologizing for not updating sooner. I always have the best of intentions to do, but its amazing how fast time passes by and I find myself realizing that there are not enough hours in the day to get done with everything I had started the day intending to do!

The last few weeks have been come and gone, and thats the way we like it right now! Tyler has successfully completed 1 month officially in the DPS Training Academy, and is finding that he is really good at what he does. He has passed all of his tests, every spelling test with a perfect score, and staying in good shape mentally, physically, scholastically, and emotionally while being down in Austin. He feels like there is nothing they can do to him that would make him want to give up, and that makes me very proud of the character he posesses. We are in the middle of week 5 now. With 5 months to go now instead of 6. 5 is better than 6, so I will take it!

The weekend before last, when Tyler was home, we were able to go up to Mineral Wells, TX and spend time with Tyler's parents, sisters, cousins, 2nd cousins, and Aunt and Uncle. We had a really good time, while eating really good food and having really good conversation with each other. Tyler's dad, Jay, and his uncle Bobby Jack, and his cousin, Doug are all involved with the DPS. Jay and Bobby Jack are retired DPS law enforcement officers, and Doug is currently a Highway Patrol Sergeant in the Weatherford Office. I thought it was great that they were all together and all have this career in common, so I took some pictures. Bobby Jack and Frieda have the cutest home, and thats where all these pictures were taken!

Here they all are, standing exactly same. It must be something they have all learned while being a part of the DPS. Or maybe its just a male stanse for picture taking in general. Who knows?!

This is such a great picture of Tyler and his dad! I think that it is so special how Tyler and his dad share the passion for a career. They have always been the best of friends and very close, but Tyler following in his father's footsteps and having that they will have always to share. I think that Tyler has learned so much from watching his dad, and how valuable that has become for him not only personally, but now professionally as well.

Tyler's aunt had some GORGEOUS flowers growing in her backyard. I think Tyler was really sick of me trying to take pictures of everything, but the flowers were too pretty to pass up the excellent photo opp. so I made him. I know in the pictures he looks very bald. This is not true though. Tyler does in fact have some hair, much more than can be seen from the pictures. Its just the glare...I promise. Ha! and I am actually much more tan and 10 lbs lighter than I look too....

It was great to see Jacy and Lacy and Nate in Mineral wells also. Whenever there is a chance to get a picture of the three of them together, I always try. The one from this particular weekend turned out really good I thought!
Jacy (in the middle) had just got her hair cut and colored and I could not get over how great it looked. We were sad that Brian, Jacy's boyfriend, couldn't make it to the get together because he had to work. He was having to work that weekend.

We were excited that Lacy and Nate were able to make it down from their home in Keller! They have been married almost 2 years, in July actually! It was fun to be able to catch up with them and hear about the things going on thier lives. I was envious of Lacy...she is a teacher and gets summer's off. I wish I did too!





Well, as far as my work goes, it has been unusually stressful lately. I did have the opportunity to travel out to one of our major construction sites last week. It was interesting to be able to see the product of our work back in the corporate office, so that was good, I am just not a fan of traveling. It was exhausting, they work longer hours and in a much different type of enviornment that what I am used to back at the home office in Abilene. The drive down there was beautiful (Hwy 6 all the way to Hillsboro was the route I drove). I am glad I didnt get lost though...I was almost sure I was going too!

Now, its just waiting for the weekend! Tyler will get home on Friday and we don't have anything planned. I am going to attempt to cook again, seeing as how last week was a success!

Be waiting for the next exciting update! I will have a full report on my attempts in the kitchen!

Looking Forward...Not backward

It has been a while since I last updated...an apology is due to my faithful readers...so I am sorry! I had Jenny, with PinkArmchairDesigns designing a new blog page for your viewing pleasure...don't you love it?! I do!

Time has actually been going by fairly fast for us, and for now thats a good thing. 2008 holds a lot in store for us to look forward too, so thats what we are doing. Looking forward to what happens next.

It seem as if a lot has happened lately, Tylers closest friend and cousin, Trevor Watson proposed to his girlfiend, Grace Brazile. We are so excited for them! Grace is going to make an lovely addition to the family, and all of us are so thrilled. Last we had heard they were planning to have their Wedding Ceremony on January 3, 2009! Its amazing how fast the next few months of their lives will pass by! We are looking forward to the next chance we get to see them! So that is an event we are looking forward too!

Speaking of weddings...we will be attending a few this summer. It is so neat to watch God work in the relationships of our friends. Abby and Cody are getting married on July 5th. We will be there, in the big city of Hereford as they "take the plunge" and become the Neinest Family (ok i am so sorry if I didn't spell the name right!!) Then, not long after that Ryan and Libby will tie the knot on August 2nd. We will again be traveling to another big city...Clyde,TX for this wedding. We have been waiting a long time for this one, as they have dated the longest out of any our friends! So until then, its showers and planning and preparing!

Tyler's sister, Jacy, is headed out on a nice vacation in just two weeks! I am so jealous! Her boyfriend, Brian and his family are taking Jacy with them to the Virgin Islands for a nice little rest and relaxation after his taking a very stressful Certified Financial Planner exam a few weekends back. They are both looking forward to that trip, and even though we are jealous...we hope they have a fun time while they are there!

As far as the Academy goes, Tyler is to no surprise doing GREAT. He is enjoying the challenges he faces everyday...and overcoming them. He is enjoying what he is learning, and he is retaining it all too. He has made pretty much all A's so far on tests that he has been given. He is in the middle of his 3rd week. He says he feels like he is really getting used to the routine they have them in every day. He has also made some good friendships with those guys that he is going through the Academy with. I feel like I know some of them myself! I prayed a lot for his making good solid friendships with the guys he is working with. I feel like that makes the process easier and more enjoyable for him. He has spelling words every week that he has to learn how to spell correctly and have a full understanding of the defintions of these words. This week, while I am at home, I have been writing out the words and the definitions on notecards to make the studying a little easier on him. It turns out he has so much information to learn its unreal! I mean, I feel like he is even going to end up being fluent in spanish! Here is a picture of the notebook he has put together. Please remember, he has only been there a little over 3 weeks, and he brought this home to show me after he completed his second full week.

When he showed me this notebook I was amazed, but when you think about it, law enforcement officers have to know so many things, especially state law enforcement officers. They have to have an understanding of the legal system so in depth, I mean...so much is crammed into these 6 months. I can really see now how the 6 months time period they have to train gets used to the max. They learn so much.

We very much enjoy our weekends together. Those few days of the week teach us not to take any second of our time together for granted. We are making it through, the both of us, with big smiles on our faces still! See!

This was even right before he was about to head out on Sunday afternoon, and we were both still smiling! I know it seems like in every picture Tyler is wearing the same thing. Well he has too. Its his "uniform" for now! I think green shirts and a bald head are cute on him! ha!

Well that is all for now! I promise to keep up better on my updating now that its designed so cute!

And He is Off!

March 30th has come and gone! Tyler has finally started his training down in Austin. During the week, Tyler lives in Austin and works from typically 5 am to 8 pm. He starts his day bright and early with a good morning work out. They do all kinds of physical training down there to get them prepared for whatever kind of contact with people they make while on the job. Then he gets to clean up, have breakfast and head to class. He has to be in class for the majority of the day, because they have a lot to learn in these 6 months about Texas State laws (and a lot of other things!) They do all sorts of other kinds of training throughout the day, and eventually they will learn how to do high speed chases and will be able to go to the shooting range to learn how to use their weapons appropriately. This week has started a 6 months that we will never forget. I feel like he will be facing a lot of challenges that will grow him to be the best commissioned peace officer that Texas can find. This is a huge challenge for me as well. It is incredible to realize the strength that the bond of marriage can bring to your life. I never thought that I would be the type of girl that would emotionally able to have a husband that would be away for an extended period of time. I found that because I love him, I am able to get through this FOR him and WITH him. I have to admit that it times its hard to not be selfish. Its hard to think about how this is affecting me and my life, but I constantly remind myself that I became WE, and this is his dream. In saying all that, I get to share the experience. I will proud with him on September 26th when he graduates, and until then, I will struggle through the time being WITH him because this is what he wants, so I want it too. I don't get to talk to him very much, but the times that I do, I cherish and hold on to...to get me through until the next time.

Tyler had to get his hair cut. It was a requirement that the Academy made for the Recruits. I have some pictures to share. Please believe I had so much fun being the photographer this time.
This is Tyler sitting in the chair getting his haircut. I was really embarrassing him by snapping so many photos of him while he was in the seat, so of course I was having so much fun doing it!














I thought this one (on the right) was funny because the stylist had left just a little bit on the top! I am so glad I have these pictures. I honestly think he looks really nice with his haircut short. I think that probably he is in recruit school right now with people whose haircut didn't favor them in the same way that Tyler's did! Oh I have more! You can tell he was so annoyed. I love it!

And this is the final product! He is still just as handsome and now his hair is "regulation" length. Tyler does get to come home on Friday! I am so excited. I don't like being apart from him during the week, but I will certainly LOVE the weekends even more so now!
The pictures (below) are Tyler getting ready to leave to head down to the Academy. He got everything packed down to just one bag, and was ready to head out. At this point I was getting really sad. I am glad that I have these pictures though, it will be important for us to have them years down the road.

This was Tyler as he was headed out on the road towards Austin!

















I knew that I was never going to be ready for him to leave, but I have been ready to watch him begin the career of his dreams even before we were married. I have been able to talk with him almost every evening since he has been gone. He is doing GREAT. He is keeping up with all the physical training just fine, as we all knew he would. He said that classes are long (8 hours of class each day!) but that he is learning a lot and that for once he is really interested in what is actually being taught. He mentioned to me that 6 people have officially left the training campus and have decided to not go through with the program. I am so thankful that Tyler has a different outlook on what he is doing. He can see beyond the 6 months of hard training. He sees the satisfaction it will bring him in the long run and I love his ability to look at things like that. He has taught me how important it is to not always live for instant gratification. He is out there making me so proud, and when we talk he seems more alive than ever. Of course I am ready for this to be over because I miss him more than I have ever missed anyone or anything in my life, but I am trying to take on his view of the long term success he is gaining, so for now I am doing fine. My friends have been amazing and so have my parents. My parents have let me come over and lounge with them at night, and my friends have called me constantly! Kendall, Christen, Becky, and Chelsea were all so incredible to meet me half way between Abilene and Fort Worth at the Smoke Stack in Thurber Mingus (haha haha you guys!) to have dinner on Wednesday night. They did that just because they want to be a part of keeping me busy with positive and fun activities. I can't thank them enough for how they have all taken care of me (and that includes my amazing parents as well)

I know this page is like a shrine to Tyler. He will be so embarrassed, but I wanted all to be able to stay updated on his well being while he is gone!

As for me, it looks like I will be doing some traveling with my job. I am going to Waco to visit the major construction project (power plant expansion project). I will be there Monday, April 14th through the end of the week. After talking with my boss, this is the best thing for me in my career here at Lauren for now, so I have decided that even though traveling to the jobsite isn't exactly what I want to be doing, its something I need to go ahead and do to continue my success at work!