Day 57

Looks like there's another storm coming in, so unfortunately I won't get to see J this weekend 😕. But I'd rather not have another snowy incident and I know we ALL would prefer to be safe than sorry. I heard from J last night around 8ish and we talked about our days. They finally got their name plates!!! BUT they can't wear them until Monday ☹️. J had a pretty crazy day. They had PT in the morning and he was pretty bummed they only ran 1.5 miles. I teased him telling him I ran 7 miles earlier in the day 😝. They had a test on different informational systems they can use and J got 100% on his! He said it was pretty straight forward and common knowledge but he was still happy he got a 100 on that test. They also had range and they got to shoot shotguns! He sounded pretty excited about that. They also practiced for the fountain ceremony- J is confident that he knows his responsibility and won't mess up, but he is pretty nervous about it. The fountain ceremony is a BIG deal at the academy and I know he wants to make sure EVERYONE is on point that day. We talked for a little more about my day, the storm and the upcoming week. We didn't get to talk very long because he needed to get some stuff done and call his brother. Hopefully these next 2 weeks can fly! 👏🏽🙏🏽

57 days down.. 137 to go! 

💚 AJ

Days 54- 56

Blah, I love and hate the weekends so much at the same time. I love spending time with J, but the weekends just fly by! Friday J got home right after 8pm. Luckily his drive was easy this time around since it wasn't covered in snow. Once he got here, we had dinner, he caught up with my parents, showered, then we relaxed. Saturday morning we woke up pretty early and started laundry. We got ready and went out for a family hike with the pups! It was BEAUTIFUL. We've had so many storms go through that the surrounding mountains have had 200+ inches of snow in the month of January ALONE. There was one area that my mom and I went to explore, and when I went to step, my foot fell so deep that I was waist deep in snow! Here are some pictures. 

 
 


After our hike, we headed over to Nothing Bundt Cakes to pick up a birthday cake for my mom, then went home. J and I finished our laundry, ran a couple errands, then spent the rest of the night relaxing and eating cake 😂. Sunday morning we woke up early, went for a nice, COLD 5 mile run together, then got ready for my moms birthday breakfast! Oh my goodness it was SO DELICIOUS. J got this pulled pork chillequilles and I got a seafood scramble. We went home, J finished packing and I went in to work. J text me when he got there and him and another cadet went for a run. It's so awesome that lately a bunch of cadets will ask J what time they're running on Sunday's. Later, a bunch of them went out to go get some food and dessert🍦🍰. I'm hoping I get to see J this weekend though. We're supposed to have more snow coming in and if it's bad, J is thinking of driving to the Bay Area to stay with his brother. Don't get me wrong, I want J to see his brother, I'm just being a little selfish 😋  All I can do is cross my fingers for little to no snow this weekend. 

56 days down.. 138 to go!!  (102 Academy days left! If my calculations are correct 😎🤓) 

💚 AJ

Days 52 & 53

Tomorrow is FRIDAY! and you know what that means.. J gets to come home for the weekend. Luckily for us, there is NO snow in the forecast. Yesterday was a pretty good day. I woke up to yet another good morning text from J around 5am. I woke up a few hours later, got my day started, then headed into work. While I was at work, J even managed to sneak in another text before reporting in to his Wednesday night restriction. I got off around 7pm, ran 5 miles on the treadmill and did a workout. Right around 9pm I heard from J. He had sent a group text between him, myself and my uncle (the CHP officer). He had sent us this picture :

It's their guide on flag! J gets to carry it because he's the fastest runner in his company (technically his class, but who's bragging 😎). He has to carry it with him at all times when he's at the academy- at least I'm pretty sure that's what he was saying, and during their runs! J had 2 tests yesterday- one on custody, which he got 93% on, and a midterm that covered all of the information they've gone over so far, which he got 94% on! I'm so proud of him! Since it was already late when I heard from him, we called it a night early on. Today was sort of the same thing. I woke up a little later than usual- sometimes it's so hard to get out of bed when you're nice and warm and know the cold awaits you. I had work from 1-7, got home, ran on the treadmill, then talked to J. He had 2 very big tests today- Use Of Force. His first test was the agency (CHP) use of force test and then POST (peace officer standard training) test. Both tests he got 95% on! He said they were studying all during restriction and felt comfortable going in to it. We talked for a little bit on the phone, then J wanted to shine his boots and pack his weekend bag. Before we hung up, I told J I counted how many actual days at the academy they have left- 104!!!! That's excluding weekends but including any weekends they have to stay (pepper spray day, community service, etc). But just 1 day until I see J! 

53 days down.. 141 to go!

💚 AJ

Days 50 & 51

It's Tueessssdddaayy! Yay! After a crazy weekend, I am ready for normalcy and routine. Yesterday J had 2 classes- so 4 hour blocks for each class. His first class was at the gun range- J said he got to shoot a gun with his left hand (his non- dominant hand)! He said it was a little scary at first. He spent the rest of the night cleaning his gun and shining his boots and brass. J went to bed shortly after that.. Like I said, it was a crazy couple of days. Today I woke up to my usual good morning text from J. I had somewhat of a lazy first half of the day. Around 2pm I went for my run and practically froze my fingers off (I forgot my gloves 😬). I picked up my mom, then we worked out in our gym! Right around 6:30pm I heard from J. It sounded like he had a good day- they didn't have a PT sandwhich during their PMA class, AND he got to do real flag detail today. J said in the past they've only practiced flag detail during drill but now since the junior class has taken over, they get to put the flags up and take them down by the fountain and the front of the admin building. We text for a little bit longer than J needed to iron and shine his boots again. We are about a quarter of the way done! Woo! 

51 days down.. 143 to go!!

💚 AJ

Days 46- 49

Oh. My. God. What a weekend. But first, let's rewind and talk about Thursday & Friday at the academy. Thursday J spent about 4 hours at the gun range then another 4 hours in the classroom. He sent me a text later showing his disassembled gun that he was cleaning- which I thought was awesome. We talked for a little bit, but then J needed to study for a VERY IMPORTANT quiz and pack for his drive on Friday. On Friday, I went in to work, picked up my mom once I was off, then ran on the treadmill. J called me once he was dismissed and was making his way back home. Last weekend before he went back to the academy, he practiced putting on his snow chains- and good thing he did because he had to use them on his way here. He told me about his Friday and how they had a HUGE quiz on use of force. Unfortunately a lot of his classmates didn't do so well so they were assigned a memo. J on the other hand, was one of the few who did really well so they were given a commendable 🤓😎! I'm so proud of him for that. Once he got here, we ate, did his laundry and hung it. Saturday morning we woke up around 5am to catch our flight to Las Vegas! J's grandpa turned 80 and wanted to celebrate there. Saturday was really fun- we walked around the strip and through different hotels, played a couple slot machines and enjoyed a nice lunch buffet. Sunday... Oh man Sunday was probably the most stressful days of our lives. I'm not going to get very detailed because honestly I think the details need to stay within our families🙊 but trust me when I say it was a stressful time. We woke up around 7am to find out the main freeway back to Sacramento was shut down because of another snow storm. So J, J's brother, and I went for a nice run on the strip to de-stress. It was a rainy, slippery one and we had to go up and down so many flights of stairs! My booty was ON FIRE! We got back to our room, showered, had breakfast, then packed up and headed over to the airport. Our flight was delayed because of the weather back home, so that already added more stress. Once we arrived back home, we found out the freeway was reopened, so we packed up J's truck as quickly as possible. Once he was on his way there, the snow picked back up and they shut down the freeway again. Long story short- J eventually made his was back to the academy. I know we both love our families and are very close to them, but I told J that from now on, he needs to put himself and graduating first. I know he already does- but it's even more important now. He's already finished 7 weeks at the academy and has invested so much time into it that we CANNOT have another situation like this arise- and he agreed. I'm just glad that everything worked out in the end. 

49 days down.. 145 to go!! 

💚 AJ

Days 44 & 45

It's Wednesday! Hump Day! Almost the weekend! These weeks are FLYING and I love it!

So I started writing this last night, then passed out 😝  The past 2 days have really gone by fast. I worked Tuesday & Wednesday and I know that's helping contribute to these days going by. J said his classes this week go over a lot of information. I believe they are search & seizure and enforcement tactics. J text me that he "freaking loves enforcement tactics" because it teaches them how to get home safely. I'm glad he loves that class and is learning a lot. We're both super ready for this weekend too. We're heading to Las Vegas with J's family to celebrate his grandpas birthday. Hopefully his drive to and from Sac goes by smoothly though- were supposed to have another storm come in. Luckily though, J practiced putting his snow chains on. 1 more day until I see J! 

45 days down.. 149 to go!! 

💚 AJ

Days 40- 43

Hello hellllooooo!
I haven't updated in a few days- and I honestly already forgot what J did on Friday 😬. Our weekend was our usual do laundry, run together, relax type of weekend. On Saturday J treated us all out to sushi and it was DELICIOUS! Sunday I had to head in to work around 1 pm so J left for Sacramento at the same time. When he got back, he sent us pictures of the wild turkeys that are at the academy. The cadets also got approval to work out outside of their PT sessions, so once J got back, he recruited another cadet to go out for a run. I talked to him for a little bit longer, then we both went to bed. This morning I woke up to some lovely texts from J. I was off today, so I took my new shoes out for a run on the roads and worked out in our garage gym. I made myself a strength training plan and printed out a plank challenge & gut and butt challenge for my family and I to do. This year I really want to focus on my running and getting stronger and faster! My mom has also been killing it lately with her workouts! My sister and I came up with "Measurement Monday" and my mom is already losing inches! I'm super proud of her. We did our planks and workout regiment together then picked up some food. I heard from J a little later than normal- about 8:45pm. He said today was really long- they had PT in the morning, class all day, a "pop" quiz on vehicle codes (he passed!) and then another class AFTER dinner. They met a new set of instructors/ officers and they had to sit through a slide show. We had to get off the phone at 9pm and J said he still had A LOT to do- shine his boots, homework and read. Hopefully he can finish up somewhat early and get a decent nights rest.

43 days down... 151 to go!!

💚 AJ

Days 38 & 39!

Hey y'all! So today was a super fun day.. For me at least 😝 I woke up this morning to more snow covering the ground, but I've been running on the treadmill so damn much, I couldn't bare to do it again. So I bundled up and braved the snow! It was actually a really fun run- minus the snowflakes to the eyes. After my run, I got ready for work. I got to work at the worlds largest pole vault summit and it was super fun!! I got to see a couple of elite pole vaulters (they both medaled in an olympics!) and meet a shoe designer from Nike! I get to work it again at 6:30am then head back over to the store to work again at 10am! It'll be a long day, but at least J will be back. J called me around 8pm and went over his day with me. He had a lot of running around to do. They got to shoot their guns today! He sounded pretty excited about that- even said he hit the "X" in the middle of the bulls eye. We hung up shortly after- he wanted to pack his bag and study for his test tomorrow. 

Wednesday night, J and his roommates took advantage of their liberty and had in n out for dinner. They wanted to get a head start and finish their 2 page memo they were given. They learned more tactics with the baton, then went over vehicle codes. He said he loved PT though because he got to run with the PT instructor and they finally ran a fast pace that he's used to. When they stopped, he asked J if he ran cross country so J responded yes & that he used to coach it. The instructor responded with "outstanding"! The only bad thing though was since J was alone with him, he had to do judo push-ups for (and i quote) "10 minutes straight while yelling at the top of my lungs" while waiting for everyone to catch up. 
Well now it's late, and I need to be up super early tomorrow! Goodnight! 

139 days down... 155 to go! 

💚 AJ

Days 36 & 37

These past 2 days have been somewhat normal and uneventful for once. J is back in the classroom and learning about crimes against children and equal opportunities. Yesterday he didn't have PT because the senior class had their PFT, so they spent most of their day in the classroom. We didn't get to talk a whole lot last night because he had to study for his test today. Today they had PT in the morning, while it was pouring. J said their PT instructors made them lay flat when they did push ups and sit ups. We talked about some other stuff for a little bit then J had to go shower and study for his tests tomorrow. Luckily he has Wednesday night Liberty tomorrow so I'm sure we'll get to talk more. Sorry for the short post... There's just not much happening these past 2 days. 

37 days down.. 157 to go!! 

💚 AJ 

Days 33-35!

Another weekend came and went so fast! These weekends are flying by but at least that means the total number of weeks left are shrinking! J got home pretty early Friday night and I greeted him with a dinner I cooked! I was pretty proud of myself considering J is usually the chef 😜. Over dinner he told me about his day. He had 2 BIG EVOC tests.. The kind where it's pass/fail and if you fail you're dismissed from the academy. Fortunately though, J passed both of them on his FIRST attempts 🤗. He said it took some cadets multiple attempts but luckily no one in his company failed out. J did say it was a long day because once he was done with his tests, he had to sit and wait for everyone else to finish. He did enjoy listening to his fellow cadets on the radio when they were taking their tests. We scarfed down dinner then just watched tv and relaxed. Saturday was our usual laundry day. It had snowed a couple days ago, so the roads were slick and icy. J joked that since he passed skid pan we'd be okay if we slid around 😏. We ran a couple more errands then spent Saturday watching football, hanging out, studying and cooking yummy chili. Today was a somewhat hectic day. Another storm is supposed to pass through and it's been raining all day. Because of that, all the snow is melting and we're in a flood warning. Our backyard looks like a dirty make shift pool, and when I walked into the garage, I noticed part of it was starting to slowly flood! Since my parents are in Oregon taking my sister back to school, I decided to call out from work that way I could be here in case it got worse. J and I used some bags filled with rocks and old snow sleds to help divert water. So far- it's been holding up! J left in the early afternoon and is taking his time getting back to Sacramento. He's passed some make shift waterfalls and mud slides, so I'm glad he's taking his time. I'll probably head back into the garage after this and run on the treadmill because of the weather. I can't believe he has 23 weeks left to go! I know he can do it though! 

35 days down... 159 to go!! 

💚 AJ

Days 31 & 32

Yay! We are done with month #1! This past month has actually flown by! I hope it continues to do so. These past 2 days have been repetitive for J and busy for me. I started my new job yesterday! I really like it so far and the people there are awesome! I got off at 7pm and at first it was pouring on my drive home. Once I was a couple miles out it started SNOWING. And by that I meant huge, massive chunks of snow. It was actually a little scary to drive in- between not being able to see the lanes, the blindness from the lights of the oncoming traffic and the white out (mesmerizing effect from driving into the fall of snow) - I was a little anxious. I got home around 7:30/7:45pm and told my mom and sister about my day. I heard from J after 9pm because he had a Wednesday night restriction. He said in EVOC they got to practice on these cool simulators. One of his roommates even got out of the simulator and ran in place to "simulate" chasing after the criminal 😂. J also told me he volunteered to be a part of the flag detail for his company too! I thought that was pretty awesome! 
Today I woke up to about a foot of fresh snow covering everything! I seriously am in love with the snow and how beautiful it makes everything look. I went for a super fun and snowy run this morning. I slipped a few times and rolled my ankles a few times but it was all worth it. My drive to and from work today was super nerve wracking. The roads were covered with snow and ice and I maaaaaaayyyy have slid a handful of times. Luckily though I stayed calm and was able to regain control of my car. I heard from J around 6:30pm and his day was uneventful (according to him). They had drill, practiced raising and lowering the flags for flag detail, practiced skid pan some more and then cleaned the vehicles. I can't wait to see him tomorrow. With all this fresh snow I'm debating on convincing him to go on a little hike, or just stay in and watch movies. Maybe both!! 🤗 

32 days down.. 162 to go!!

💚 AJ 

Days 29 & 30

Oh man, we are almost done with Month #1 of the Academy! These past 2 days have been super busy for J so we didn't get to talk as much. He has had EVOC all day Monday and Tuesday plus other Academy responsibilities. Monday he had PT in the morning, then EVOC. He had a quiz on the EVOC terms I helped him study this weekend. He said he felt really confident that he got 100%! Which he better, since I helped him study 😜. We texted for a few minutes then called it a night. He was typing up a memo since he has another Wednesday night restriction for their room inspection last week. He said some of the senior cadets recommended it so that they could get their grammar and wording right and not have to rewrite it a thousand times. Tuesday morning I woke up with my usual text from J- he reminded me that they had to meet with their stress resilience counsellors from week 1 AND clean brass on academy grounds. I heard from him around 8:45pm. He said he got 100% on his quiz and a "good job" written on the diagram he had to draw! He said today was a super fun day at on the EVOC course! They had to drive on the grid pattern course at a particular speed (I think he said 60mph) AND it was pouring rain! J said there were a couple times he was watching fellow cadets drive and it got a little sketchy 😳. After a couple of practice runs, the instructors got in their own car and followed the cadets to watch them and give them pointers if need be. J said the instructors told him "good job. Keep it up" after his try. I think that made him super happy and boost his confidence a little bit. I know he's enjoying this week 🤗  Hopefully next week will be just as fun with whatever they're doing ha. 

30 days down... 164 to go!! 

💚 AJ

Days 26-28

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I hope everyone's 2017 is filled with love & happiness! 🎉🎆

J was super excited to share the fun things he did at the Academy on Friday. Friday was EVOC all day, and they spent a few hours driving! He said they did the Skid Pan (driving on a slick/ wet surface and learning how to regain control of a sliding car) a couple of times, practiced going to a certain lane the EVOC instructor told them to go to, and practiced braking a little hard while maneuvering left or right. J was super proud of himself because he was able to go through skid pan successfully twice! He said that was by far the most fun he's had at the academy 🤗. They have EVOC all next week too, so I can't wait to hear those stories. Saturday and Sunday were both relaxing/ errand days for J and me. Saturday we went to target to go buy him a few more supplies (a plastic organizer, clipboard, ruler, smell good for their room) then just hung out at home. Later that night we decided to go out to Olive Garden for dinner with my mom and sister. Even though J is on the training table at the academy, he still had 2 or 3 plates of salad 😆. When we got home, we all just relaxed, watched tv and slowly started to doze off. We were all so tired already, there was no way we'd make until midnight. So we "took a nap", woke up around 11:55pm, did the countdown, yelled Happy New Year, then went to bed haha. Today, J and I woke up somewhat early and had breakfast together. He had to finish a memo and showed me the strict guidelines they have to follow! I tried writing my name in one and took me 3 tries to get it right! It is SO specific and really does need to be done to perfection in order to be accepted. Once he was done with that, we went out to go buy him a 2nd pair of boots for EVOC and the gun range. I thought it was pretty awesome that the instructors told them that they could do this. Apparently their boots will get pretty dirty and scuffed up out there in those 2 locations, so they recommended getting another pair so they didn't have to worry about cleaning them everyday. Once we got back, J and I went out for a nice short run together, had lunch, then he packed up and headed back to the academy. I start my new job this week and J will be at EVOC all week, so hopefully these next 5 days will go by smoothly and quickly!! 

28 days down.. 166 to go!!

💚 AJ