To Honor The Mr.

Well, life has been so busy I've been meaning to get in here and blog on so much stuff. Where has the summer gone? I can hardly come to grips that its the end of August already. Are you feeling the same way?

Not to long ago The Mr. was honored with some fellow men and women of law enforcement. I got to attend an award ceremony where The Mr. received 1 Distinguished Service metal, 2 Merit Awards and an Exemplary Service Award!! So now my hero gets to add a little more blig to his uni when he puts on his dress blues. I'm so proud of him! He's a great Cop and I love him both on and off the job. He's our hero both on and off the job but I'd be a poor example of that if I failed to mention his honorable moment in the spotlight :-) on the job.

My little guy is 18 months already! Wow that happened fast! Having two toddlers keeps me on my toes but I'm loving every moment of it!

My daughter is staying doing great but no preschool just yet. We were thinking of preschool since she'll be 4 in December but for many reasons we'll wait until next year. She will have a program that she'll be involved in once a week (with circle time & crafts etc.) and we're going to start her in dance again. Can't hurt to give it another try, so we'll see. So I guess this will be my last year with both kids home during the days. I've advanced to that stage of mothering that doesn't involve baby stuff. It's bitter-sweet. I'm purging and it feels good to give away and sell a little.

I've been a busy gal trying to preserve the freshness of summer. I've branched out from making jam and froze a few tomatoes and other items from our CSA. I've also been making bread, which isn't as hard as I thought it'd be. To say the least I've been a busy gal homesteading :-)

Life is good and I'm ready to embrace the fall!

Wives Behind the Badge

I wanted to spotlight something near and dear to my heart fresh in the new year. Being the wife of a cop I was thrilled to know there was an organization for wives of law enforcement officers. Yep, that's right! The Wives Behind the Badge is a non-profit organization that always needs support in aiding those in need behind the badge.

Even if you are not "behind the badge" there are many ways to contribute and extend a hand ~ be a part of something big. No pressure here. You either want to or don't want to. I was never good at selling Girl Scout cookies back in the day. Kinda figured they'd sell themselves LOL. My sales tactics have not really improved over the years so if you are interested keep reading. I've listed a few ways you can contribute and extend a hand. Even get some cool stuff for yourself :-)

About Wives Behind the Badge

Simply put, Wives Behind the Badge is an all-volunteer national non-profit organization that provides resources, emotional support and essential benefits to law enforcement families.

1. You can make a donation of any amount by clicking HERE.

2. Or you can shop HERE. The proceeds of the Cafe Press shop go towards helping the law enforcement community and their H.A.L.O.S. [Helping Aid Lost Officers Survivors] condolence card program. (Custom orders welcome)

3. Buy a cookbook HERE. They always make great gifts.

4. Or buy a 2011 Puppies Behind the Badge calender by clicking HERE. The proceeds from each calendar purchase go to the W.B.T.B. scholarship program which was created to help the families of our nation's law enforcement officers by providing financial assistance for their higher education. The program enables spouses and children of officers to complete their educational goals and better their future opportunities.

5. Rally up Community Support. This could be your local P.D., a business etc. Will involve some creativity and huge harts. I know some business look for opportunities to donate and this would be a great opportunity! Get the wheels turning by clicking HERE.

I'm a proud supporter of Wives Behind the Badge! I purchased a T-shirt & LOVE it. The Mr. says it's a cute little number on me :-) I'm sure we'll be getting more. They have great gift ideas in the shop too.

~One last thing~ if you're a praying kinda gal like me, PRAY for our Law Enforcement Officers and their families. Matthew 5:9 reads, ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. That's a verse that's stapled on our hearts around here.

Oh I almost forgot, check out Wives Behind the Badge's blog HERE

A Week to Remember

Image via Wikipedia

It's National Police Week!! May 9th - 15th!! Let me direct your attention to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is the nation’s monument to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Dedicated on October 15, 1991, the Memorial honors federal, state and local law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people.

The Memorial features two curving, 304-foot-long blue-gray marble walls. Carved on these walls are the names of more than 18,600 officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, dating back to the first known death in 1792.
Taken from http://www.nleomf.com/

Being that I'm married to a cop I love to point out these kinds of things. May we never forget the fallen who gave their lives in the line of duty! Some day we are going to take a family to the memorial with the kids. It's a family trip The Mr. and I look forward to in the years to come. If you want to know more about this week click on the links above or click HERE for the official NLEOMF blog.

10-4 It's A Good Read!

My husband and I recently finished reading Take Up the Shield by Tony Miano. The book is written by an 18-yr veteran of the LA County Sheriff's Dept. It's a unique publication that compares the various pieces of law enforcement equipment to the spiritual armor that the Bible describes in Ephesians chapter 6. Real-life law enforcement stories drive home the importance of each piece of equipment.

It was an eye opener to us. A great resource that has changed our perspective on The Mr.'s job as it relates to our faith. It's not just for Christian believers though. I think anyone in law enforcement will be greatly encouraged by this book as it relates to the job.
Here's a tidbit from the book, p. 42 The peace officer's strength is derived from a higher power - the laws of local, state, and federal governments. Without that legal authority the peace officer would have no more power than the average citizen - or the criminal, for that matter. Likewise, we cannot survive the daily spiritual battles of this world by relying on our ability to fight off our spiritual enemies with our own strength and power.

For me as the wife of an officer it gave me the comfort I needed that God has given my husband the armor he needs to fight every battle he comes up against. Here is a short clip about the book & it's mission.



You can click on the title of the book above to be directly linked with the ministry.
I'm quite thankful for this resource and how it's being used to encourage LEOs