My sweet Landon

I have had a few thoughts I want to share about my two and a half year old Landon. Landon is full of energy and at times he can be difficult to find peace around. He has a good nature about him but he has a knack for destructive encounters with things. I have had a hard time the past several weeks when I think of how to govern his behavior and make him more disciplined. Anissa shared a great video with me that helped me realize that this is only a phase and that one day I will look back and treasure this time and wish with all my heart for the painfully ordinary things I now complain about. I have had that thought in my heart these past few days and at work this past week I took a report involving physical abuse to a 2 year old boy. I met the child and his mother (Mother was not involved) at the hospital and the little boy was broken down. He had bruising all over his face and head and he had a fractured arm. It was heart wrenching to think that someone out there could do this to such a sweet innocent child. (These are the calls I dont talk about much and shield my emotions from my family, they hear all the fun stuff but these sad one happen every day too....) It made me think of my own angry reactions to things my 2 year old boy does and it humbled me to even think that the emotion of anger is ever directed toward him.

I feel like a change has occurred within me and I will never feel that anger toward him for his mischievous behavior again. When he pushes his sister or spits in my sister in laws hair or breaks the nintendo wii, I will remind myself that he is a treasure to me and that nothing he does should ever rob me of even a second of my life feeling anger toward him. Maybe disappointment at times but never anger. What a humiliating insight it was to realize that the emotion that caused that little boy to be beaten was the same emotion I have felt toward my son but without the restraint and the limits that I have. The realization that being angry and being angry and beating someone is only a difference of action made me feel horrible for ever being angry at Landon.
I love Landon and see him in a different light now. He is sweet and he is learning and he needs me to stand before him and teach him through my example. I am excited to continue growing by his side and will treasure the daily routine of cleaning up and following his every step while he walks through his terrible two's....

2010 begins

Well this is my first entry for 2010 and so much has happened already. We spent Christmas in Utah and New Years here in AZ at the Rojas house. It was great fun and I was able to take off all the time I needed since I was still a Spanish Rover at work. On Jan 4th however they got rid of the Spanish rover program and I am now back to normal patrol work working in Central in beat 34. I have enjoyed getting back into the swing of things and if feels good to participate more frequently in normal day to day calls with patrol. At the end of January early February I tested for a position as a Spanish speaking hostage negotiator but was unsuccessful in getting the job. I went up against some really qualified people but i am glad to have gotten the testing experience and may try again in the future if a position opens up.

This year has also started a new chapter of my career being a member of the honor guard. I have enjoyed getting all dressed up and representing law enforcement officers everywhere. I have had the opportunity to participate in a parade, a car show and a funeral already this year. I am tempted to try to learn how to play the bagpipes because they are so awesome and have a sound that really touches my spirit. We'll see if anything comes of that idea or not....

On Jan 28th at 10:45 pm while I was at home, not even a block away a Gilbert police Lieutenant made a traffic stop on a truck with two people in it. The passenger ended up shooting and killing the lieutenant and it ended with a fifty mile chase that resulted in the arrest of both people after they were shot in the legs during a gun battle. I have friends who were involved in the pursuit and it has caused a wide rang of emotions for me. First the fact that it happened to close to my house and on the border with Mesa makes me think how easily it could have been a mesa officer to be killed. Second, the killer and his accomplice didnt get killed in the ensuing gun fight... When all is said and done and I think this through I can only conclude that when its our time to go, we will go and God will administer perfect justice to all of us at the conclusion of our probation. I am glad that no other officers or civilians were hurt and I hope that we dont have to pass another experience like this for a long time!