Oklahoma City

My sister's husband, Tyler, graduated from dental school back in May and I was lucky enough to get 3 days off to fly out for the weekend.  I was lucky enough to be with my whole family too!  It was one of those rare times when all 6 of us can get together, which doesn't happen very often.  Sonya and Tyler have been in Oklahoma for FOUR years and it was my FIRST time there visiting.  Gulp, I feel bad I hadn't been before so it was fun to finally see where they are living.  And what can I say but, I really like Oklahoma!  It's a slower pace of life, green, wide open, and good BBQ!  Sonya was THE best host and party planner around!

Like I said, I wasn't there very long but still managed to see the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial.

Mom was also lucky enough to have all of her kids present for Mother's Day that Sunday.  And.... even luckier that I was on her flight back to Phoenix (on my way back to California).

Easter

This was the first holiday I actually didn't have to work in a WHOLE YEAR.  Well... I got off at 7 am, but at least I had the rest of the day off.  I spent it with Stephen and his family.  We had a nice brunch with ham and an egg hunt with his nephew and niece.  I like the way his family does it... eggs filled with candy, money, and gift cards to In-N-Out.  Now we're talking!  Sacrament meeting was especially nice and I am always grateful to celebrate the risen Christ and the opportunity I have to become better EACH AND EVERY day.  Because of Him, I can live my life more fully through fresh beginnings and new starts.  This life is just the beginning and there is so much to look forward to.  Grateful this Easter season because of Him.

CHP Academy

Sent this guy off to the California Highway Patrol Academy 6 weeks ago for a live-in military style training for 6 months in Sacramento.  I've been fortunate enough to see him on the weekends as he drives down with another cadet or two every weekend.  Just when I think I've heard the worst of the disciple and stress there, I here something else and I am appalled!  In bed by 11 pm.  Up at 3:45 am.  You better run everywhere you go, forget walking.  Greet everyone with a "hello, ma'am" or "good morning, sir."  Boots better be shined every day.  Bed made with corners tucked in at 45 degree angles.  PE shirt with your name drawn on the back in a certain size.  You better not wipe the sweat out of your eyes while working out.  And forget about being in the lagging group on runs.  Tests 2-3 times per week and if you fail you stay behind on the weekend for remediation and if you fail the re-test, you're outta there.  Record everything you eat on a daily memo.  Eat dinner at 4:45 pm and up until 11 pm (starving!).  Oh, and shave your head every week.  I don't know how he does it, but "it is what it is" as he often reminds me.

Southern Utah

I had my first week off the beginning of April and Stephen had the week off as well.  A few of our other friends got tickets to General Conference but were unable to join us on our epic week in Southern Utah.  Too bad.  So we just met up with them n SLC the next weekend.

We left on a Monday, drove to Cedar City where we stayed with one of Stephen's aunts.  Tuesday we spent at Zion National Park where we hiked Angel's Landing and explored the beginning of the Narrows.  I have ALWAYS wanted to do Angel's Landing -- the pictures I've seen have looked incredible.  Yes, there was a chain most of the way to hold onto.  Yes, there were straight drop-offs on both sides.  Yes, it was snowing.  But it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.  I imagined just a ledge slightly wider than your shoe all the way to the top, but it was actually pretty wide.  And yes, the view WAS in fact incredible.

Tuesday night we stayed with another aunt and uncle of Stephen's in Hurricane then made a few stops on Wednesday including Horseshe Bend (just a short hike), the Glen Canyon Dam and Antelope Canyon outside of Page, AZ.  Antelope Canyon as a upper and lower slot canyon, but we ended up doing the lower as it was more accessible and less crowded.  Our tour guide was a hoot -- cracking jokes, playing tunes on the flute, and taking photos with everyone's camera.  This place was pretty incredible.

Next stop was Monument Valley.  I'd been here as a kid, but couldn't remember too much of it.  There is a 17 mile dirt road loop around all the rock monuments, a little rough with potholes and steep hills.  The Navajo guide said my Nissan Altima was probably not the best for the road and its condition.  An SUV would be optimal.  Well.... my Altima cruised that road like a champ!  Yes, other SUV's were passing us left and right but we made it no sweat.  Thanks to Stephen and his driving skills.  A few other sedans were as daring as us, probably because we set the bar :)  We made it out just before the fog rolled in and darkness settled in.

We drove through Mexican Hat on the way up to Moab.  I remember camping here as kids on a family trip and that hat was HUGE, let me tell you.  I was just a tad disappointed that it seemed so small.  Funny how we remember things sometimes.

Thursday we spent the day hiking around Arches National Park in Moab.  I love this place and hadn't been in a few years.  We hiked to Delicate Arch and then did the Devil's Garden loop to see a few more arches and took the primitive trail on the way back.  Challenging, yes, but super fun.  We hiked about 11 miles total and then went mountain biking on some slickrock for a few hours.  I've always wanted to bike in Moab, but I have to be honest... that type of mtn. biking was a little scary!  There were drop-offs on one side and that unnerves me a bit.  I'd probably be good if I had more experience riding it, but I much prefer wood trails in the mountains.

That night we drove up to SLC and spent Friday and Saturday there, where we did a session in the SLC Temple, ate our way through J'Dawgs and Iceberg milkshakes, then went to the Saturday afternoon session of Conference.  It was a delightful weekend.  We spent one evening with my sister and her family, the next night with Stephen's sister and her family.  I always love seeing my niece!  Then back on the road the next morning!

Sheriff Ride Along

A while back I did a 10 hour sheriff ride-along, which I was supposed to do way back in November along with the ambulance and helicopter ride-alongs.  Better late than never I suppose.  And I really wish I had written about this immediately after the fact because it was SUCH A COOL DAY.  It was very intriguing.  My brother is in law enforcement and Stephen is going into it as well so I had a heck of a time time telloing them both about it.

So I show up to the station and get assigned to an officer for the day.  Turns out he's the husband of one of the PA's I work with!  Day's off to a good start already!  So the first thing we do is prepare for a search warrant.  There's only 1 or 2 of those that come through every couple weeks, so luck is on my side!  The officers plan their route of attack so as not to be seen arriving.  And off we go in 3 cop cars and 2 under-cover cars.  Our target: marijuana plants in a 2nd story apartment building.  Everyone gets out of their cars and draws their guns.  I'm told to hang back until it's all clear.  Now the adrenaline is going and I'm thrilled yet frightened at the same time.  Up the stairs they go with another officer on the ground to watch the back window making sure no flee attempt is made.  And there I stand.... all alone.

After 10 minutes or so, I'm given the clear and invited up into the apartment, where there are 2 people handcuffed on the couch.  One of the officers takes me into the back bedroom and a potent smell hits me.  There's a 3 level wire shelving unit with 15 or so marijuana plants, lined with aluminum on all sides to reflect the light from the bulbs hanging up top.  Never have I seen such a thing.  BUSTED.  Well..... not so much.  Turns out someone in the house has a medical marijuana card.  WHICH, I had no idea meant that you could grow your own.  Turns out you can.  BUT, we did make a detention center stop to drop off the handcuffed victims for other crimes.

After that, it was all sorts of fun.  There was a limping dog in the middle of the road that we stopped for, called animal control, and waited until they came to pick him up -- the dog was an accident risk.

Then we got a call saying someone suspicious was seen close to the McDonald's so we pulled an "area check," but nothing was to be seen.  Except for a quick pit stop at McDonald's.

Next, we caught someone driving with a suspended license.

Then, without a license plate.

Then we got a call for domestic violence.  The victim was in the ER with a busted lip.  So we went to hear the story, make some notes, then went back to the apartment to take pictures for evidence.  So again, I hung back while the officer drew his gun and searched the apartment before giving me the clear.  And back to the bedroom he went to snap photos while I waited in the living room, all the while SUPER nervous the perpetrator was going to walk through the front door and say, "Hey, who are you?!"  Of course, the wind blowing the blinds was unsettling my nerves.  Off we went and the officer put out a warrant for the arrest.

Let me tell you, it was an EXCITING day.  Much more so that I can do justice here.  I learned a ton too.  Apparently it's illegal to hang anything from your rearview mirror.  It's also a misdemeanor to sit on the side of the road with a sign saying "homeless" asking for money.  It's also a misdemeanor if anyone comes up to you in the parking lot asking for money.  From most serious to least: murder, manslaughter, mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence.  Mayhem is defined as any physical disfigurement.

The officer was running license plates left and right on suspicious cars while he was driving.  It will pull up where the car is registered, if registration is current, and who the owner is.  Sometimes, he says he recognizes names that way of people that have warrants out for their arrest.

The other part that kinda scared me during the day was that the officer told me any time we pulled a car over, I was to take my seatbelt off and crack my door open.  That way if any shooting started taking place, I could book it.  "I'm 99.9% sure that's not going to happen, but just in case."  What did I get myself into?? Good thing his 99.9% guesstimate proved correct!

Just wish I could do another day....