Time to Catch Up

Our life has been pretty eventful the last few weeks and I finally have time to blog about it. Josh is at work right now and I have a long night ahead of me, so I'm going to update our blog and let y'all know what's been going on with The Woodlands.

Josh loves his job as a police officer! He's been training for three weeks now. They have been hard, long weeks, but he loves learning and being out on the street. His first week was physically draining because he had to experience what he will be doing to criminals; he had to be tased and sprayed with OC spray (basically pepper spray). I felt so bad that he had to go through those things! He says the spray is the worst and he would rather be tased any day.

He's been out on the road with his training officer a few times and he's also gone through EVO (emergency vehicle operations). During that week he learned how to clear an intersection when he's rushing to the scene and how to chase a criminal along with several other driving techniques. He will be with his training officer for about 3 months. Once he passes all of the things he needs to, which is scheduled for July, then he'll be out on his own. He has a rotating schedule, so he'll never work every weekend (yay!) and he does work crappy shifts, but we expected that since he's the rookie.

It's been hard having him gone so much, but I've tried to fill that time with various activities so I don't get lonely. I truly treasure the time we do get together since that has decreased considerably! One good thing, though, is that Josh was able to test out of his online math class. He was worried about how he'd do training and school, so he took the placement test and passed with flying colors. He'll go back to school but only when he knows his set work schedule.

Now to tell about fun things we've done that I haven't blogged about yet. On March 6th, we saw The Zac Brown Band in concert. It was at The Rail Event Center in Salt Lake. It's not the best venue-in fact it looks like a converted warehouse-but we had a really great time. They are such an amazing band! If you get the chance, you definitely need to see them live! We got their about an hour-and-a-half early because there were no assigned seats; it was all general seating. The doors weren't even open when we got there and there was a huge line waiting to get in.
After waiting for about 45 minutes, they finally opened the doors, and then made us stand in 2 lines-girls in one, guys in another. They did this because they searched us before we could go in. They looked through purses and bags but also patted us down. I couldn't believe they did that! Here's the lady who searched me.
Once we were in, we found there were no seats-it was standing room only. There were a TON of people packed into the space and we ended up standing in place for about 3 hours. It was totally worth it, though! All of those who weren't drinking alcohol stayed on the ground floor while those who were drinking had to go on top. Here's the line on just one side of everyone trying to get to the top.
Because we were there so early, we were really close to the stage. We were able to see the band and their opening act really clearly. The show started about an hour late because the band had just gotten here from Colorado. There was a huge snowstorm the day before and the road was closed so they had to leave their van, which held all their instruments and gear, and fly in so they could make it. The van arrived sometime during the show because it was parked outside when we left. The band had to use borrowed instruments and sound equipment, and still did a fantastic job.
We had some pretty funny entertainment while we waited for the concert to start. We watched a drunk woman who was holding two beers and leaning over the railing. She kept swaying back and forth and we were betting with the people around us that she would spill on the people below. She never did end up spilling on anyone, but there were a lot of close calls. Here's a picture of her. It's not very clear, but you can totally tell how drunk she is.


We also took a "staycation" for a few days in March. We had taken a few days off the week of spring break to go to the Grand Canyon, but it ended up being the same time that Josh was finding out about Midvale, so we didn't go. We still had a great time being able to spend that time together, though! And we were able to go do things around Salt Lake that we usually don't have the time to do.

On Thursday, March 18th, we went to the State Capitol. Neither of us had been there since they remodeled it and Josh wanted to see the Fallen Officer Memorial that is on the grounds. The first thing that we did was take a free tour. It was so neat to see the inside of that amazing building. It is so beautiful and the architecture is incredible!
The memorial was really neat! We were both pretty solemn as we read the names of those officers who had been killed in the line of duty. I think we were both silently praying that Josh would never end up there.


We also went to the Utah Museum of Natural History that day. I never realized how many neat (and pretty inexpensive) things there are to do so close to home.

The next day we went to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. It is the biggest museum I've ever seen. It was so neat to learn about all the different dinosaurs and when and where they lived. There are also a ton of hands-on exhibits so it's a great place to take kids.

After seeing the museum we went to the farm that is also at Thanksgiving Point. There are a lot of animals in outside enclosures that you can pet and feed. We had a great time seeing horses, cows, alpacas and others. The goats were my favorite though. As soon as they saw Josh coming with food they all rushed the fence and started bleating at him to give it to them as quickly as possible.

Introducing Officer Joshua John Woodland

On Monday morning, March 29th, I was able to watch as my amazing husband was sworn in as a Midvale City Police Officer. What an exciting time! I have been beaming ever since-I am so proud of him! A long-awaited dream of his has been realized and how happy I am to have been able to share it with him!
Even since before his graduation from the police academy (pictured above) Josh has been searching for a job. It's been well over a year and has been a difficult journey. Many resume's and applications have been completed without much success until Josh received a call from Midvale back in November. He had actually applied with them back in January. They have an open recruitment hiring process which means anyone can apply and then when they have an opening, they go through those applicants. A panel interview was set up for the first part of December and Josh was given a score based on his application and several aspects of the interview. About a week later, we received a letter stating that he had passed and they would be contacting him with further information, but for the time being, he needed to fill-out a background packet.

This packet ended up being a TON of work for both of us. When it was all said and done, it had been an entire week of work, and it was 39 pages long. They wanted to know so much, I was surprised that they didn't require a sample of his blood! Needless to say, neither of us want to do that again, so Josh has put several copies of it in our fire-proof safe.

The packet was turned in just before Christmas and we didn't hear anything again until the middle of January when he was called to do a P.T. test. This he passed with flying colors; he completed each part of it without problem and he tied for completing it the fastest. Again Josh was told they would contact him, and the next we heard was actually from his friend, who had also applied. She had received a letter stating that they didn't want her for the job, and for several days we waited with bated breath for the same letter to come. It never did (thank goodness!) and soon we heard from our neighbor that they were working on his background check. She had left us a note saying that an officer had stopped by, asking her about Josh and what he was like. She said that he was always nice and respectful with her (thanks, Kelly!) and a few days later, Josh was called to do a drug test. He had passed the background check and was continuing on the path to being hired. This was about the middle of February. After the drug test was a voice stress analysis test-which is pretty much a lie detector test except they analyze the pitch of your voice. And last, but not least, was the psychological eval. This was a grueling, 4 hour test in which Josh had to answer over 1300 questions using the infamous bubble sheet.

10 days later, on March 15th, the results were back and we found out that Josh is not crazy. Always a good thing to know about your husband! He was asked to meet with the chief and an appt was set up for the next day at 2pm. That entire day I was a nervous wreck. In fact, I think I was more nervous than Josh was! Josh had said he would call me the second it was done, so when 3 o'clock came around, I was starting to worry. At that same time, our receptionist came back to my desk, saying that there was a package for me. With a questioning look, I grabbed my cell phone (just in case Josh called) and went up to the front. There was Josh still in his suit, holding this beautiful calla lily.

I let him back and everyone asked how it went. All of my friends at work have been waiting along with us for him to get a job. His first answer was that he didn't know yet. Okay, I was prepared for more waiting. We had already been waiting for 3 1/2 months from that first interview. My friends kept asking him what had happened and he finally said that he had good news and bad news. Good news: he was offered the job! Yahoo!! Bad news: he's getting paid less than he does now. The last part didn't make any difference to me-I was so happy that he had gotten a job! I actually squealed when I heard that and people came out of rooms, looking to see what had happened.

The next day he was fitted for uniforms and a bullet-proof vest and he bought other things that he would need as an officer. It was so exciting to get the process started! He also turned in his notice at American Express.

Fast forward a week-and-a-half and that brings our story to Monday morning. At eight o'clock we were sitting in the police station along with his mom, Kim, awaiting the moment that he would be sworn in. We were introduced to the chief and some fellow officers (who were really nice!) and then we headed to the courthouse. Once there, Josh had to raise his right hand and repeat after the person doing the swearing in (I don't know who she was) and promise that he would uphold the constitution of Utah and the United States and abide by the police code of ethics. After this, the chief was going to pin his badge on, but then he offered to let me do it. I was so excited! It was harder than it looks, but I finally got it on, and then he had to sign some papers to make everything official. What an amazing morning! I know Josh will be a wonderful police officer!

We never could have made it through this trying time without the prayers and faith of all of our family and friends. I know all of you have been sending us your love and support and prayers and we are eternally grateful! Thank you for showing us so much love!! We love you all!! And are so glad to have such wonderful people supporting us!

We also know without a doubt that this couldn't have happened without the blessings of our Heavenly Father. We've been praying with each step of this hiring process and He has been there all the time. He has looked out for Josh and although there were many times that we were frustrated, sad and wondering if this was the right road to go down, Heavenly Father has answered our prayers and Josh has realized a dream. What a wonderful Father! He knows what is the best path for our lives, and He has truly been looking out for us!

My 30th Birthday

I really wasn't looking forward to my birthday this year. I was pretty much dreading turning 30 and was hoping everyone would just forget it. I had a lot of fun in my twenties and now they would be gone for good. I would also be in a different decade than Josh and didn't want that to happen. No one listened to my woes and celebrated my birthday anyway, so I have officially turned 30.

There were many celebrations for me this year. On Valentine's Day, my family had a birthday dinner for me, my dad, and my brother-in-law. Everyone from my dad's side of the family was there and we had a really nice dinner. Of course there was dessert and singing and then presents. I was VERY spoiled this year! I got a lot of cute clothes that I've had fun wearing, as well as a gift certificate to Olive Garden and a new book.

A week later, Josh's family had a birthday dinner which also included me. We had another great dinner and dessert, and then I was spoiled once again. I can't believe how much both of my families love me! None of them cared what my age would be; they just wanted to celebrate and let me know how much they loved me. I feel very honored to be apart of both of these wonderful families!

The week leading up to my birthday brought some teasing at work. My friend, Esther, would stand by my desk and chant "3-0, 3-0". Then she put this post-it note on my desk so I couldn't forget what would soon be happening.


She also gave me a cute card the day before my birthday which basically told me not to worry and that being in my 30's would be great. It was really sweet!

I also received a card from my mom and dad in the mail the day before. It was a nice surprise!


On my birthday, I awoke to my incredibly sweet husband making breakfast. He is the best cook and always spends a lot of time making sure everything is perfect. It was really yummy and he even cleaned up afterward. Then he gave me his present. It was the best present anyone ever gave me! He gave me this beautiful card which told me he didn't care how old I was and that nothing had changed and he would always love me. It made me cry by how much love he showed me. He's such a blessing in my life!

He also gave me a gift certificate to get my teeth whitened. I had mentioned that I'd like to do that awhile ago and he had remembered, saying it was the only selfish thing I've ever asked for. I've had a really hard time ever since we got married when anyone asks for lists for my birthday or Christmas because Josh gave me everything I've ever wanted when he said "yes" at the altar.

Later that day we celebrated with some of our friends at Fat Cats. We were going to go bowling, but it was closed that day, so we played at the arcade instead and then had pizza at The Pizza Factory. Everyone was really sweet. They either gave me the tickets they won or got me prizes with their tickets. We were just like little kids again, redeeming our tickets and picking out prizes. Josh and I got a set of funny glasses and a water baby. Our friends, Caron and Sarah, got me an awesome pen that I can hook to my purse and some army men for Josh to play with.


The rest of the day was spent snuggling on the couch with Josh (my absolutely favorite thing to do!). It was a wonderful day and I'm so grateful to everyone who helped make it that way! I guess turning 30 wasn't so bad after all!

AutoRama 2010

On Friday night Josh and I went to the AutoRama at the Expo Center. Josh loves cars and was like a kid in a candy store. He drooled so much that night, I'm surprised he didn't slip and fall!
The car above is a 30's or 40's Ford Roadster. Josh loves the color combination and would love to paint the motorcycle like this car.

I couldn't believe how big the event was. There were hundreds of cars, trucks and motorcycles in the biggest showroom at the center. It was fun to walk back in time and see the old vehicles restored to their former glory.

Josh's very favorite is the original Chevy Camaro. He likes it because of it's curves. He says it has hips and looks like a woman. What a silly husband I have!

I wish we would have written down all of the cars we took pictures of because even my car-savvy husband doesn't remember each type of car. But we took pictures of the ones that really caught our eye. This next one was the first one we saw. I thought it looked really neat, but not very drivable. I couldn't see how anyone would be able to see out the windshield. Josh patiently explained that it was meant to be a show car and nothing else.



We couldn't believe anyone would want to "soup-up" a Suburban. There were also some neat little contraptions at the show. These two were my favorite. First there's a motorized bar stool and the second is the coolest wagon I've ever seen. I wish my wagon was like that when I was young!

Valentine's Day

What a wonderful Valentine's Day!! It started out for me on Wednesday when Josh came to my work and brought me a dozen roses, a balloon and a singing/dancing teddy bear. It was such a nice surprise to see him at my desk with a big smile on his face! I kept the roses there until Friday so I could enjoy them for a few days. I also taped the bear doing it's dancing. It sings "Get Down Tonight". It's more of a rap version than the traditional but it's so funny to watch him move. Needless to say, we didn't play it very often at work for fear of offending patients.

Then this weekend we enjoyed Valentine's Day as more of a Valentine's weekend. On Friday night Josh took me to see "Dear John". It was such a sweet, romantic movie. I like that he doesn't complain about watching chick-flicks with me! On Saturday we went to lunch at Z-Tejas and then saw "Avatar". Josh had been wanting to see it and I figured since he went to see my girlie movie, I should go see his movie. It was actually really good and we had great time being together.

Sunday morning, Josh made me breakfast. He made my favorite-eggs in a basket. So good! Then I gave him the card I made and tickets to the Zac Brown Band concert. It's his favorite group and he introduced me to their music. Anytime I hear "Chicken-Fried" I think of him because it started playing on one of our first dates and he started jamming to it.

Then Josh gave me his presents. He is so very good to me! He already made this holiday perfect for me when he became my husband but he made me come up with a list of gift ideas anyway. He bought me some wonderful books because he knows I love to read. He also bought me a cute shirt and a nice, warm sweater. And socks since mine keep getting holes in them and I needed some new ones. lol.
I can hear the question already. No, I'm not pregnant, but we do want to be parents in the future and I am pretty scared right now. I've always wanted to be a mom, but now that that time is here, I'm scared that I won't be a good one. I'm scared that I won't teach our children enough, or I'll coddle them too much, or I won't show them how much I love them as much as I should. I'm also just scared of the world they will be living in. Josh has been very loving and patient with me and I asked him to buy me some books about being a mother which have helped. I know there's no instruction manual to being a mother, but if I can learn from others' experiences, it would be great!

Anyway, back to Valentine's Day. Josh and I spent the day together and then went to dinner at my parent's house. It was the annual birthday dinner for my brother-in-law, Rhett, me and my dad. Everyone from my dad's side comes and we have a great dinner. We also gave away (and received) a lot of Valentine's treats. It amazes me how much my family loves us and I am so glad that they do! Here are some of the treats we were given.

We then went and saw Josh's mom, Kim, and his brothers. They are so great to us and I'm glad to be apart of their family. It was neat to be surrounded by so much love yesterday!

I am so blessed this Valentine's Day! I am blessed to have the most wonderful in the world! He loves me more with each day and shows that to me in the many things he does. He helps around the house by cleaning, taking out the garbage and doing laundry. He also is a great cook and leads us in prayer each morning. He is such a hard-worker and student and also teaches me many things. He is patient, tender and kind with me. He is a shoulder to cry on and listens no matter what I have to say. He is my best friend and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world! You are the perfect Valentine, Josh! I love you!!!

Contest Winner

And the winner is....

BECKY MATHIS!!!

Way to go, Becky!

Our anniversary balloon finally hit the floor on Saturday which was day 59. Becky guessed right on. Thank you so much to everyone who guessed! You guys are great! I'll have to do more contests in the future. Becky won a $15 gift card to Cold Stone.

Super Bowl Party

Last Sunday Josh and I had a Super Bowl party at our apartment. We wanted to stay home and watch it, but invite others to see how great football is in HD. Josh loves watching football where the picture is so clear and can't imagine how we ever did without it.

We decorated with some balloons and went shopping for munchies and other not very healthy food. We had pizza, hot wings and any other finger food you could think of. My sister, Sarah, helped to plan the party and she did a great job! It was the first time we had more than a few people at our apartment because it's not very big. I'm sorry we couldn't invite everyone! We'll have to have more small parties so everyone can come over sometime. Here's a picture of our guests watching the big game. Some of the pics I took were really fuzzy. I'm not sure why, but Josh ended up changing the shutter speed and then everything was fine.


After our munchy dinner we had an ice cream cake from Cold Stone for dessert. It was soo yummy! We all had a great time watching the game even though all but one of us were rooting for The Colts.

During the game we played bingo. Sarah had made cards we could fill in. One was for what would happen during the game and one was for the commercials. We had prizes for those who won and I think everyone had fun. Josh kept putting his foot in the picture, but I think it turned out cute.

I'm sure our neighbors were laughing at all the cheering and moaning that was coming from our apartment that day. After it was all said and done, I thought it was cool that The Saints won since they had never won The Super Bowl before. Here's some more pictures from the party. The first is Josh enjoying the show. Doesn't he look comfy?


Kelci's such a good sport for putting up with Paul all the time!

And last but not least, the party planner herself, Sarah.


My aunt and uncle, Lorna and Del, were also there. As well as my cousin, Matthew.