Silver Lining

The Columbia Restaurant, Tampa, FL - March 2012

Most of you know that in September 2011 we found out that Lawman was going to be deployed to Afghanistan with the National Guard. When you find that out, you begin preparing - - mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically.  Part of our preparation plans included a family vacation before he headed out.

In March, we packed our bags for spring break and headed south to Treasure Island, Florida. We traveled there in May 2010 and all agreed it was the best family vacation to date. Deciding where to go this time was easy due to our fond memories and always being in need of sun and warm temperatures after the winter months.

Here's a glimpse of our week in the sand and sun:

The view of the strip from our balcony at Crystal Palms Beach Resort.

The view from my perspective.

Lawman and his precious girls.

One of my favorite pictures from the entire week - - the happiness is evident!

 Absolutely love the light. We went to the beach daily to watch the sunset.

We said "yes" to the parasail again.

A storm rolling in. Doesn't the sunlight look like a heart?

Note:  Every cloud has a silver lining and that lining was revealed a week ago.  We received word that the deployment has been cancelled. I'm not going to lie, it was tough at first. For 8 months we've been psychologically preparing for his departure. That's not an easy thing to do and now that we finally felt like we were ready to get started on this journey in order to get it behind us, they pulled the rug out from under us. Now we're celebrating this change in plans and we're praying that in the coming months, they don't tell us to prepare again. Thanks to many of you for your prayers. I think it's safe to say that they've been answered.

fresh ink

Special guest post by Lawman

In late September 2011, I was told I would be deploying to Afghanistan. An all expenses paid, 1 year trip. I love my country and would do anything for it.

I have always thought about a tattoo but never really knew what I would get if I were to get one. In October I came home from drill weekend with the National Guard and had it all figured out. There are three things that I feel very strongly about - - my God, my Country, and my Girls. I had made up my mind, I was going to get a tattoo.

Last Friday I spent 4 hours at the tattoo parlor. Nancy and one of the girls came down to check on me while I was in the chair. It was uncomfortable. Ok, it hurt. I hate to admit that being the alpha male that I am but that's the truth of the matter.

The cross represents my God and the sacrifice He made for me. The flag, my country and the freedoms I have.  The names of my girls are a reminder of my family. It's located near my heart as a reminder of the love we share.

I'm just over 90 days out from the date I report for duty.  Once you receive word you'll soon be deploying, you begin to see the daily things with a different perspective. Every minute counts. Every thing matters.

I ask that you remember those that serve this great country. They are every day people - - just like you. Just like me.

I got my tat. My one. My only.

candy man

a perfect night for ghosts and ghouls.

everyone was out thanks to a temp of 60 early in the evening.

neighborhood was full.

165 pieces of candy and i wondered if we'd have enough.

it was, but barely. a friend brought her extra over to reload our bowl.

lawman had fun. even heard the scarey laugh several times.

i'm pretty sure i mentioned that lawman and i were taking a little vacation due to the fact that our girls were out of town this week. the above is a picture of how we ended the week. perfect in my opinion.

by the end of our 3rd day we realized that after 20 years of marriage and 18+ years of parenting, we still like each other. you may laugh but i've heard of too many couples that once the kids are out of the house, they have no idea how to interact with each other. lawman and i are gonna do just fine.

i'll share more details later. for now, it's back to the grindstone.

weekend

I'm ready to sit down and relax. It's been a busy weekend....all of us in different directions.

Girls had a Future Business Leaders of America district competition all day yesterday. I'm glad to report that they both placed and will be moving on to State competition in March. Makes me a proud mama, those girls....Lawman went on a hunting trip. Sounds like there is a bird shortage this year but I'm sure he'll have a surplus of male bonding stories to share!....and I spent yesterday with my mother. She's always glad to see me. I cleaned out and organized her closet for her. She told all the other ladies in the care home too. I thought she might rent me out before the day was over!....as if that wasn't enough in a day, the girls and I did dinner out to celebrate their victories and then on to the grocery store. I don't like unloading/putting away at 8pm. It would have been ok had I stopped with the shopping but no, I began the weekly food prep and didn't finish that until 10pm. Why do I do that? Today I did my weekly baking so there's no reason for me to hear anything about nothing to eat/snack on in the house. I even prepped a veggie tray and there is dip to go with it in the fridge not to mention hummus, crackers and cheese.

Are you ready for another week? Wishing you a good one.

70.3

70.3 miles. 6:12:00

Lawman completed the Redman (Half) Ironman in Oklahoma City yesterday. 70.3 miles by way of swim/bike/run. 6 hours and 12 minutes from beginning to end. One thousand athletes.

This event came to be by way of a challenge. His tri-buddy, Charlie, sent an email. Are you man enough? Anyone that knows Lawman knows that he's not going to let this go. Are you man enough? Are you kidding? 

Charlie gave this challenge to Lawman and another tri-buddy, Tracy. Charlie said, "You race and I'll pay your entry fee, hotel and if you want a tattoo after finishing, I'll cover that too."

So the training began. That was in May.  The days and weeks since have been filled with swim, bike, run. Add in eat (alot) and sleep and the process begins all over again. 1 mile swims several times a week. Long bikes on Saturday. Long runs on Sunday. One day of rest. During the week it is more of the same but in shorter distances.

Friday, he and Tracy headed south at 8am. At the race site to scout out the course by 1pm. Check in to the hotel. Big meal of carbs at 4pm. Back to the race site to set up the bike in the transition area. At the hotel early for some shut eye.

4:30 a.m. Saturday, I get a text -- "Headed to the race site." You've got to be serious to be up at 4am to eat a race day breakfast.

7:33 a.m. - Lawman's swim heat. Just a few hundred swimmers trying to claim their place in an open water swim. Waters churning. 36 minutes. 1.2 miles.

Followed by 56 miles on the bike. Flat. Fast. 30 mph at times.

13.1 mile run. Lawman says it was the longest and hardest leg of the race. He burned up his legs in the bike. This will happen when you get a fast bike course.

70.3 miles.  6 hours, 12 minutes. Mission accomplished. Yes, he's man enough.  Tattoo? No. Not yet. He'd like to have the M-Dot (that's the Ironman symbol if you didn't know).

Another goal? Yep. Do another race with the tri-buddies. Find another course. Finish in less than 6 hours.

Today is a day of recovery. Horizontal. Watching football. Life is good.

a taste of home

When your adult home is thousands of miles away from your childhood home, every little reminder of home is special.

Precisely why I picked up these Rainier Cherries when I saw them at the store last week. No, they're not local. They're home grown. Lawman loved my thoughtfulness.

Lawman, Mangos and a Stick Blender

Remember those lovely limes I got a couple of weekends ago? I also picked up a couple of mangos that day at a great price - 2/$1. Lawman loves mangos. I know there's a classic Seinfeld episode which involves mangos too; another one of Lawman's favorites.

Not only does he love mangos but he loves fruit smoothies in the summer. Just so happens that Lawman had a birthday in early June. And, his lovely wife remembered his love of fruit smoothies and purchased a Cuisinart Stick Blender and a smoothies cookbook as part of his birthday gift. Turns out that Cuisinart has seen lots of action this month. I'm glad Lawman doesn't mind sharing because I've had my share of smoothies for breakfast this month too. We've consumed a lot of fruit -- mangos, watermelon, cantalope, apples, bananas, strawberries, pineapple and blueberries. Cucumbers and spinach have made their way into our morning smoothies too.

It's been quite easy for us to have 2 or 3 servings of fruit before we even make it to work. Not a bad way to start our day.

dining al fresco

Roll with the flow. That's what we do around here.

The plan was to roast a chicken tonight but Lawman wanted to fire up the barbi due to the absolutely gorgeous day. I told Lawman he could do the bird on the grill so he did just that. He cut that bird into pieces and he did a fabulous job. Even deboned the breast. How about that? He may be sorry that he did such a fine job because I may ask him more often now. I never knew he posessed that talent.

Beautiful day. Sunny skies. Good food. Dining al fresco.

in the name of science

The week before spring break, Alison told us she had to complete a project for physics. Her intentions? Working on the project over spring break. Reality? We forgot. Does that ever happen to you?

Guess what she remembers on Wednesday after sitting through physics class? Yep. When is it due? Friday.

I spent my lunch hour at Home Depot gathering supplies. I also called Lawman and told him that we forgot about the project over spring break. I also ask if he has plans that evening because if he didn't already, he does now.

Any ideas?











A xylophone. Can you guess what they're studying in physics?

Sound waves.

Can I just tell you that I am oh so grateful for the internet? You can find instructions to do anything. Even how to make a xylophone.

i panic, lawman takes a trip, and i play nurse

Oh peoples...what a week. And yesterday was enough to put me over the edge.

Lawman came home from work early yesterday with a stomach virus. It escalated. Panic ensued. 911 was called.

Lawman's little stomach virus was a doozie. I heard him in the bathroom, heard the toilet flush then a thud. He passed out. Hit his head on the counter and then on the toilet bowl rim. I got him to come to and then it happened again. It took everything I had to catch him. I couldn't get a response from him.

This is where I panicked and called 911. And of course, given his line of work, I knew the dispatcher on the other end. I also knew the police officers and EMT people that showed up. Yes, they sent the ambulance. 2 cop cars. You know the neighborhood was wondering just what in the world was going on. Lawman was alert again, of course, before the help arrived.

Lawman refused treatment. He was fine. Didn't need any help. I insisted that they check his vitals. They checked out ok. Lawman signed the paperwork and went back to bed.

Well, it happened again. An hour later. I called our dr. and he said to take him directly to the hospital. So the youngest blonde and I loaded him in the truck. I was prepared for a fight out of him. I didn't get it though which tells me he felt lousy and was finally willing to admit that there was something going on.

Upon arrival, they checked him in and started the IV, took blood and gave him meds to calm the stomach. Dr. came to see him after clinic hours. Lab worked turned out fine. Checked vision. He was seeing double when he looked to the right. Dr. said he wanted to keep him overnight. Fine by me. Also said the double vision could be caused by a small fracture under his eye due to the fall. Did x-rays this morning to check for that; still waiting on results.

We're home now. Lawman is under house arrest. His orders are to assume the position on the couch and stay there.

I'm playing nurse. And as all good nurses know, chicken soup is a cure-all. There's a big batch cooking in my crockpot.

The Times, They Are A Changin'

Spontaneity is back at our house. Now that our daughters are teenagers, it doesn't take near the preparation it used to to have a date night with my husband.

Yes, that is our toy. Not just his but ours. Granted, he rides it more often than I do but I enjoy it just as much as he does.

We had one years ago. Before children.

You know where this is going, right? Sold it once babies arrived. No time to ride then. Now those babies are teenagers and they don't seem to care if we decide to go out on a whim.

I used to be spontaneous. Now, that is something I'm having to learn all over again. It's well worth it when I just follow his wishes and go.

Saturday night....warm weather....beautiful hills....and a smiling husband when we got home. All because I said "Yes, I'd love to go with you."

It's important to make time to enjoy the things that make him happy -- together. Take time today to enjoy your other half.

Birthday | Add One More

A slice of pie, a single candle, a special plate and cause for celebration. Simple becomes the norm as one grows wiser. No hoopla required.

Occupational Hazard

Some folks are lucky. They have work days that feel like play days.

To most boys, big or little, it looks like fun.




Black eye doesn't mean a fist fight. Green paint doesn't have anything to do with Shrek. Muddy boots and pants equates to running through mud puddles.

For Lawman, it's an occupational hazard. A play day too. For me, it means laundry.

Love & Respect ~ Followup

Not only was last weekend full of activities to make our first born feel like a princess for a day but I took the liberty of adding more to our calendar by signing us up for a Love & Respect conference at church.

Um, that wasn't such a hit with the Lawman. He didn't want to go. However, I held him at gunpoint and he finally said yes. (Just kidding!)

He was a bit nervous thinking we might have to give a testimony about what we share together. You know, wedded bliss.

Fortunately, it was a video conference so he was off the hook. No interaction with a leader required.

After 3 hours into this video, I was convinced that someone had placed a hidden camera in our home. So many of their 'examples' sounded like real life experiences. I laughed so hard I cried. Maybe it was because I felt like I was seeing my life.


Actually, it was like watching an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. What does that tell you?


Going into this conference I didn't really have a lot of expectations. I thought it might be good for us to invest some time in us. Maybe see things from a new perspective. Re-energize. Well, that happened.

We learned that a man and a woman can say the exact same phrase and mean two completely different things.

"I don't have anything to wear."

When a woman says it, she means she doesn't have anything NEW to wear.

When a man says it, he means he doesn't have anything CLEAN to wear.


There's hundreds of examples but you get the idea. We don't communicate the same. We tend to speak before we think which creates misunderstanding. And arguments.

I noticed a real difference between us this week. More tenderness. More patience. More bliss.

Men don't naturally feel the desire to be loving. That's why God commands them to love their wife.

Women want to love but a man but he needs respect. Again, that's why it's a commandment from God that we respect our husband.

If those two things happen in a marital relationship, it makes a world of difference. It energizes it. Doing what God commands us to do provides a desire in our partner to fulfill our needs. Women need love. Men need respect.

Believe it or not on the way home from the conference, Lawman actually thanked me for signing us up.

Love & Respect

We're attending a Love & Respect Marriage Conference at our church on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Have any of you attended one of these? If so, please share with me. Um, us.



Maybe you could put our (his) mind at ease.



It may require us to get out of our comfort zone. Lots of sweat. There may be some uncomfortable moments. We may be squirming in our seat.



I'm hoping for a new perspective. And maybe, just maybe, a renewed energy between us.

Birds of a Feather

Last Sunday we arrived home from the movies about 7pm and found a message waiting for us. Our friend, Greg, had been on a private pheasant hunt and apparently had a really good day. He had some extra birds he needed to find homes for.

He brought us 2.

When Lawman asked me if I wanted them, I said, "Sure, if they're already dressed."

As you can see from the picture, they're dressed alright. In feathers. Not quite what I was intending.

Lawman is not a hunter. At least not yet. He has never completed the Hunter's Safety Course but I think that will soon change. I've always thought it's crazy that someone can go to combat or carry a weapon daily as part of their job but they can't go hunt a bird, deer, etc. I think that's ridiculous but I'll save that for another day.

Fortunately Greg gave Dale a crash course in dressing a bird for the freezer.

Our girls had different reactions to this whole thing -- Alison was intrigued, Madison was gagging. I think we know that Madison probably won't be a doctor, a nurse or a veterinarian.

The conclusion of this story is that I now have two dressed birds (they look naked to me) in my freezer waiting to find themselves on our dinner table. I'm not doing the cooking. Lawman has said that this is his deal so he'll be doing the cooking. His friend, who happens to be Greg's brother-in-law and also married to my friend, has recently prepared pheasant for his family and we heard it was quite good. At least he knows where to find a recipe for success.

When this bird is cooked, I'll let you know how it's received at the dinner table. Alison and I will at least try it. Madison may be eating peanut butter and jelly. Lawman will be full; he's like Mikey from the Life cereal commercials.

Speak to Me, My Love

Be still my heart. Lawman is speaking my love language this morning. He made breakfast -- biscuits, sausage, scrambled eggs and a diet coke on ice.

He worked at McDonald's during high school so he knows this routine.

I can't think of a better way to begin my day than fresh baked biscuits with butter and honey. No chocolates or flowers for me thank you.

What's your love language? Hope your Valentine speaks it to you today.

Anyone want to go for a dip?

Taking a dip in lake waters in February sounds crazy doesn't it? Well, it is but that's exactly what Lawman did today. All for a good cause. It was the annual Polar Plunge to raise funds for Special Olympics. This is the 3rd year that Lawman has participated in this event.

Lucky for him, it was a nice day today. Air temp at noon was 64 and water temp was 40. Still too cold for me but then again, I'm a wimp.

Folks go all out for this. Some do it for fun, some do it with co-workers, others do it just to say they've done it. Anything goes; costumes, swimsuits & trunks, shorts & t's, you name it. Just take a look at some of the pics below and you'll see what I mean. Even the local university mascot showed up and led us in a cheer.

Harvard, Tracy & Lawman - crazy boys

Lawman + the blondes

Willie the Wildcat + Team Cupid

The crowd - the bumble bees, the banana (he's

part of the team called Lickety Split; they were

all dressed like ingredients in a banana split, get

it?)

Brrr.....


K-S-U Wildcats

Lawman on the hunt for a towel and some dry clothes.

Recovery | A Challenge

Lawman had orthoscopic knee surgery yesterday -- repairing a torn meniscus. Yesterday it was his right knee, 10 years ago it was his left knee.

Honestly, it's no wonder this guy has had to have this done. He expects an awful lot from his body. More than the average guy.

In 1996 he made a goal for himself to run a 5k. It's escalated from there to include 10k, half-marathons, marathons (the reason for the first surgery), triathlons, half-ironmans, and adventure racing. You get the idea. He's not one to sit at home. Not to mention that before he did any of the above he was in the Army, a combat veteran. Running in boots with a 60lb. rucksack on your back isn't easy anyway you look at it, nor is it easy on the knees.

As challenging as all of the above activities may sound, I think the challenge he's facing now is the most difficult for him. It would be called taking it easy and recovering. Already I've seen signs of boredom setting in and he's barely been home for 24 hours.

He's off work through the end of January. Just how is he going to pass the hours and days? A guy can only watch so many movies/t.v. shows or read so many books. I'm hoping some of his buddies will take turns coming by and entertaining him.

His friend, Bart, who is married to this gal, is picking him up in the morning and taking him downtown for their weekly coffee. Maybe this is the beginning of something good.