Florence Prison run and more...

These past 2 weeks have been full of events. First of all I decided to quit my Master's degree program with American Military University. I was working toward a Masters in Intelligence Studies and have completed 12 credits when I all of a sudden felt like I didn't know why I was even working toward this degree. The more I pondered it the more it felt like it was pointless for now to be working on that degree just to do it. I determined to drop the courses and just wait an undetermined amount of time to continue with a Master's degree. A few days after dropping I learned that I can promote up to the level of Commander in the police department with the amount of schooling I already have and after that I need a Graduate degree with an emphasis in criminal justice. So if I ever decide to continue I will switch programs and make it worth it. I am really enjoying the freedom I feel from that decision, no stress and less grumpy Daddy!

We have solidified some major family trips in the past 2 weeks. we will be going to disneyland for 3 days 4 nights this month... This is our first family trip there with all the kids. I am so excited and the trip is practically already paid for. I cant wait to see the kids faces as we do all the fun things available at Disneyland. We are also going to spend some time at the beach making sand castles and flying kites. It will be great!

The other huge vacation we solidified is a trip to Europe. Anissa and I will be staying in London for a few days and then Istanbul and finally Paris. We are so excited and already have our flights and hotels all purchased and booked. We will be gone for 11 days with a one night stay in Toronto , Canada as well. I am soooo glad I dont have to be worrying about my school work during this trip any more!

Yesterday I got to do a ride along with the gang squad for an event called the Florence Prison Run. It was a great experience and I took a few pictures and video. There were hundreds of bikers and I'm sure it made the day for the people in prison to have a break from the monotony. I always feel bad to see how many people out there make choices that limit their freemdom. If only they had relationships with God that would steer them toward a better understanding of governance and self control.

Olivia is sitting here next to me eating spinach leaves and she has had 3 servings saying how much she loves "these leaves". So cute. This week I spoke to Uncle Frank, Dak and sent texts to my cousin Denise. I want to do better at staying in touch with long distance family for now on. Life is just to short to miss out on the benefit of family. Well I better start getting ready for the day. I am going to work and have spanish training for the next 2 days.

Here are some pictures of the Florence Prison Run and a picture than Noah took while I was returning from a SWAT call. I was driving the large armor vehicle back to its home station. When I drove past the prisoners lined up I got a pretty enthusiastic "Boooo" so I rolled my window down and stuck my hand out and did the "raise the roof" sign to them and the boooos became laughter.

Weekly Update

Today is Sunday Jan 18th and Olivia and Landon just went up stairs to visit Mommy because she sent me a text that she is awake and to send the kids up. Every once in a while I wake up and deal with the kids and let her sleep in (not even close to how many times she does that for me). I came down stairs and fed Landon oatmeal and honeycomb cereal while Olivia (or should I say Ariel from "little mermaid") had cocoa krispies cereal. Robyn woke up soon after and came down and has been reading her book "A Cinderella Story" non-stop and has not had breakfast yet. Today we are planning on meeting up with Dak and Tara as they drive through Phoenix on their way to Los Angeles. We are excited about their move as it will allow us to visit them more often.

This last week I got to attend the Mesa Police AR-15 school and I was issued an AR-15 rifle. It was so fun to get paid to go to the range all week and shoot about 700-possibly 1,000 rounds during those 4 days. Now I have the rifle issued to me and can use it on calls during patrol when a rifle is needed and of course on all SWAT calls. I had a SWAT call yesterday where I stood on perimeter for about 2 hours and was sure glad I already ordered a tactical sling so that rifle doesn't get to heavy. While I was leaving that call I saw a guy standing by his front door that looked very familiar. As I walked closer I recognized him as a guy I arrested about 2 weeks ago for DUI. We talked for a bit and I continued giving him counsel to make sure he gets that charge taken care of so that the judge doesn't have to order an arrest warrant in the future.

Noah came over yesterday and we went to the park with the kids to fly our kites. It was fun but the wind was a bit to choppy to really enjoy. Noah bought a GPS unit yesterday and started a new hobby of geocaching. He was really excited and has already stopped by a few locations. Giselle is out of town this weekend (Utah for a baby shower) so we have spent time with Noah and played with him.

This morning when Anissa woke up we all went up stairs and jumped on the bed and had a fun family snuggle time. I even threw Trixie on the bed and it was fun to see her and all the kids so excited! Trixie couldnt stop licking everyone she was so excited to be allowed to hang with the family like that. Yesterday Anissa and I went to see the movie "Marley and Me" and I couldnt help but think that I get to uptight at times over the smallest things. I am determined to enjoy life a bit more and let the little things roll off my back. One day when I look back at my life I want to think I enjoyed these stages and didnt wast my life always anticipating the next stage. The kids are all so cute and fun right now. They are easy to please and they get so much joy out of simple things like playing I'm a bull for bull rides or playing imagination games (Disney movies like Little Mermaid and Alladin and Sleeping Beauty are a great hit these last few days with Olivia).

Because of my AR-15 school I get to be off this weekend. I enjoyed Saturday even though I had a 2 hour SWAT call in the afternoon and I look forward to Sunday off as well. I love my family and am very grateful for what I have and who I am. We are all healthy and currently happy and satisfied in our lives.

A New Year

So 2009 is finally upon me and I have made a new year resolution to make a new journal entry once a week. On Wednesday Dec 31 we decided to drive up to Utah (My Family and Sage) to spend New Years with our family. On the way up our tire went flat on the mini van just before getting to Page and I got to bust out the spare tire (this woke Landon up from his nap and made him cry a bit more than he would have). Once we were on the road again Olivia decided she couldn't wait any longer to go poop so we pulled off the side of the road and Anissa held her over the side while she did her business into the snow.

We arrived and went skiing the next day at Sundance (Anissa, Robyn, Sage and I) and had a great time. While we were there Anissa got a call that her Nanny was very ill and in her last few hours of life. Anissa bought a ticket to fly to Indiana and flew out the next day Friday in the evening with Patrick. Nanny died while they were on their way and the funeral was held on Monday Jan 5, 2009. I stayed with the kids and we moved our stuff over to my parents house. On Friday we went sledding on a hill by the house. The day before I made a snowman with Olivia, Robyn, and Sage and their cousins Tucker and Hannah. Olivia and Landon loved playing in the snow and Olivia loved making a real snowman since I have made so many with her when we use our imagination back at home.

On Sunday we played cards at my parents house and Robyn and Sage got so silly and funny playing cards that my mom and dad and I couldnt stop laughing with and at them. I let them stay up late (about midnight) and I think that may have had an effect on their silly mood. On Monday I went skiing again with my dad and Robyn and Sage. It had been snowing non stop for 2 days and the snow was increadable! At one point Robyn my dad and I went to the top of the mountain and found ourselves in a near blizzard. Luckily I remembered the way down since we couldnt see and we faced away from the wind and slid down the mountain sideways. I had Robyn by the side so she could withstand the wind and stay sideways on the mountain next to me. Once we got below the ridge line and the wind subsided it was just amazing! The whole way down the mountain we could not see our skiis because of the powder snow that was so soft it was like skiing on a cloud. We had the best time skiing the rest of the day because of the amount of powder soft snow everywhere.

That same day my mom rolled down the window of our mini van and it got stuck in the down position. I had to drive it to a mechanic and get it fixed (the whole drive it was snowing still and I held a pillow to keep snow from hitting me in the face while driving). The last day we were there (Tuesday 01/06/09) mom injured her left knee playing tennis (later found it was dislocated and went back into place stretching the tendons). I picked up Anissa from the airport that night and early the next day (Wednesday 01/07/09) we headed out. Early being 11:00 in the morning after shoveling the mini van out of snow for about an hour because it was completely stuck.

Overall we had a great time and I enjoyed all the free time I got with the kids. Robyn and Sage were great both together as well as with the smaller kids. I had a blast sledding with them playing cards and watching movies and skiing. Olivia and Landon were spolied to death just as expected and we had a rewarding time with my mom and dad. Now we are back and I am ready to start work again tomorrow. On my way home I got a call telling me Noah had appendicitis and was going into surgery. I got to the hospital soon after he came out of surgery and spend some time with him both that night and the next day. He has recovered amazingly well and will be coming over tonight with Giselle for dinner and a movie with us.

I will be emailing my new years resolutions to see how I do through out the year.

One Warrior's Creed - A philosophy to live by

by Steven R. Watt

If today is to be THE DAY, so be it. If you seek to do battle with me this day you will receive the best that I am capable of giving. It may not be enough, but it will be everything that I have to give and it will be impressive, for I have constantly prepared myself for this day. I have trained, drilled and rehearsed my actions so that I might have the best chance of defeating you. I have kept myself in peak physical condition, schooled myself in the martial skills and have become proficient in the application of combat tactics. You may defeat me, but you will pay a severe price and will be lucky to escape with your life. You may kill me, but I am willing to die if necessary. I do not fear Death, for I have been close enough to it on enough occasions that it no longer concerns me. But I do fear the loss of my Honor and would rather die fighting than to have it said that I was without Courage. So I will fight you, no matter how insurmountable it may seem, and to the death if need be, in order that it may never be said of me that I was not a Warrior.

Warriors are natural leaders. When times of crisis appear, they are naturally sought out and looked to by those for whom the situation is overwhelming. As a wise leader once told me, “We dont pay you for the day-to-day; we pay you for that occasional time of crisis when preparation and action are combined to form a resolution.” To be constantly prepared, warrior leaders must be committed to something far beyond themselves, something that clearly both separates and defines them, something on an order of magnitude well beyond normal lifestyles.

I penned the creed that introduced this article during the closing days of my military tour in Iraq as a counterterrorism advisor to Iraqi security forces. I was reflecting on those I had known during my time in Special Forces and SWAT, the truly dangerous and deadly men with whom I had shared fear, sweat and blood, men committed to the cause of liberty, who believed that it was worth everything they had to give, even their lives. Men who exported their capability to faraway places in the world where terror and tyranny reigned, and who, within the confines of cities and jurisdictions within the greatest nation on earth, the United States of America, utilized their dedication and skill to protect the rights of those unable or unwilling to protect them for themselves. These men and women (for I personally know that courage is not limited to one gender) truly represented the commitment to selfless service and willing sacrifice honed by previous generations of warriors.

I was reflecting on a recent operation in which a good friend perished. He left behind a young family and numerous tears were shed in the days following his death. At a memorial ceremony, words had been spoken, words that indicted the special nature of his service, and it later caused me to wonder, “Why do we do this?” Why do we, the “rough men” of whom Orwell speaks, voluntarily subject ourselves to the life-long efforts required to be the warriors, to be one of Dave Grossman’s “sheepdogs”? As I reflected, I began to recognize some underlying values that were consistent among those police and military special operations colleagues with whom I served. The recognition of the constancy of those values resulted in the writing of “One Warrior's Creed,” in an attempt to verbalize the values of the warriors of our great democracy.

If today is to be THE DAY, so be it. We do not know the day or the time when we will be called on and we do not care. By living, not just practicing, the creed, we will be ready no matter when or where. The day, time or place does not matter. Stephanie Shugart, wife of MSG Randall Shugart, recipient of the Medal of Honor, said that “it takes a real man to live a creed, not just say it.”

If you seek to do battle with me... We of the creed do not go looking for the fight; those purveying evil must bring it to us. We, the “quite professionals,” have nothing to demonstrate, nothing to show, no need to brag. We quietly go about our lives. We represent, as stated by the wife of one who lives the creed, “the most dangerous nice guys you’ll ever meet.” But if you bring the battle to us, you will receive the best that I am capable of giving. We are committed to fighting you, to defending ourselves and those for whom we feel responsible, and we will give it our best effort no matter what.

It may not be enough, as we recognize that we do not control tactical environment enough to ensure the outcome...but it will be everything that I have to give and it will be impressive, for I have constantly prepared myself for this day. We recognize that the commitment and responsibility we took upon ourselves by oath requires that we put forth daily effort to ensure our skills are at their utmost when called for. I have trained, drilled and rehearsed my actions so that I might have the best chance of defeating you. Never knowing when, where or how, we accept the standard of being constantly ready. Daily, we sweat, strain and push ourselves far beyond the boundaries of mere mortals, then smile and prepare to do it again tomorrow. If the call to action never comes, we are okay with that, but we are not okay with the potential for failure due to a lack of preparation.

I have kept myself in peak physical condition, for a warrior not highly fit is less than half a warrior. I have schooled myself in the martial skills, for we recognize that to be truly ready means that we must be capable of the use of the complete range of weapons, including firearms, blunt and edged weapons, personal weapons such as hands, elbows, knees and feet, and the mind, and have become proficient in the application of combat tactics. We understand that since we dont know where or when, we must understand the range of variables existing on any terrain and we must have prepared our strategies for fighting there.

You may defeat me - we know that we are mortal, and we have no false illusions or ideas of being invulnerable - but you will pay a severe price. We will inflict upon you whatever pain and injury is necessary to assure your defeat, and you will be lucky to escape with your life. We will take your life, without remorse, if you force us to do so. We do not enjoy killing, but we recognize that the taking of the life of an evil predator may be necessary in order to ensure the safety of ourselves, our loved ones, our cherished way of life and our nation.

You may kill me, but I am willing to die if necessary. We recognize that great sacrifices have been necessary in the past in order to maintain the cause of freedom and to ensure a free society, and we honor those who have died in the cause of liberty. We also recognize that warriors must be willing to do so today and in the future, or the sacrifices of those who have paid the ultimate price in the past will become nothing more that a historical anecdote. I do not fear death, for I have been close enough to it on enough occasions that it no longer concerns me. We recognize that all who have received the God-given gift of mortality die, that it is nothing to be feared for it will come to us all. We have known warriors among us who have perished. We have honored them, paid tribute to the families who raised and supported them, and thanked God for the privilege of knowing them.

But I do fear the loss of my Honor. To live honorably is the root of our zeal, and it provides the fuel for our efforts, which is why the word is capitalized. We, like the great warrior classes of old, recognize that a life without honor is wasted. We are committed to greater things than ourselves, and would rather die fighting than to have it said that I was without Courage. Courage is the exemplification of all that we hold in great value, of all that we feel is worth the ultimate price. To ever be without Courage is to truly be unarmed, unprepared and easily overcome. We can never overstate its importance, which is why it is capitalized.

So I will fight you - we strongly commit to that and exemplify it with how we live the creed - no matter how insurmountable it may seem and to the death if need be. We care not what the odds are or what the probable outcome may be. What is important is that we are there and ready in order that it may never be said of me that I was not a Warrior. To live in the shame of knowing that we capitulated, that we surrendered to fear, that we failed to exemplify the creed, that we have dishonored those before us, is a shame and humiliation beyond comprehension. That is the only thing a Warrior truly fears.

November Update

Again I have let to much time go by in my journal posting. I wanted to share something personal to me that I got to experience in the past few weeks/months. In September I decided to try out for the SWAT team thinking I would most likely not make it but would set myself up to be better prepared when I try again a second time in 2009. I did really well in the testing process (Scenario based oral board, shooting, physical challenge) and was invited to attend SWAT school with 7 other candidates. I went through SWAT school October 9 through the 16th and after successfully completing the school 6 of us were invited to join the team on a 1 year probation. So here I am officially on the SWAT team going through a 1 year probation that started on November 1st.

Of course being on the team is so much fun and the training is amazing but what really made me feel honored was realizing who I get to work with. During the SWAT school I was given a home work assignment to analyze a poem called "The Warriors Creed", written by a special forces commander named Steven Watt. Reading the creed helped me see the character type and attributes that I wish to aspire to having in this life and common denominator in many of the team members around me. Obviously no one is perfect and there are character flaws in all of us but finding these common themes and being invited to join the group was a huge honor and a humbling experience.

The creed states that if today is to be THE DAY, then so be it. It reflects an individual who has spent their time preparing, training, drilling and rehearsing for THE DAY and an attitude that suggests that I will give everything I have in the final fight and if its not enough then it will still certainly impress the enemy and cost a severe price if not their very life in the fight. It goes on speaking on honor and courage yet it describes a humble attitude.

It talks about "the most dangerous nice guys you'll ever meet" and almost every trait can be viewed from a mortal and physical understanding to an eternal and spiritual one too. Anyway I will post the whole creed in a further post. I am honored and excited to be part of the SWAT team and I hope I can make a positive contribution to the team. I have been asked to show them my diligence in improvement of three areas of my life on a weekly basis. The three areas are: shooting, tactical knowledge, and physical preparation or exercise.

Faith of a Drunkard

So last night 08/11/08 I got to experience something interesting. My squad car at some point early on in the shift started to show signs of a bad battery. On one call I was not able to turn the car back on and I had to request a Sergeant with jumper cables to come save me.

Once the car was back on I decided to not turn it off again to avoid future problems for the rest of the shift. Soon after I was dispatched to a call involving a chronically alcoholic little Mexican man. As soon as I arrived I turned the car off and started dealing with the call. After a brief investigation I realized this man was going to have to be transported to assist me with identifying two criminals. (Little Mexican drunkard was the victim). (Keep in mind the whole conversation was in Spanish and only the two of us were fully understanding all that was going on as others around did not speak Spanish).

As I was going to get him in the car I realized the car was turned off and realized I shouldn't have turned it off (just habit I guess). I tried to turn the car on and it didnt turn one bit. I got on the radio and requested my Sergeant again and once he was on his way I went to tell the victim that we would have to wait because my car wouldnt start. The little Mexican drunkard said to me.... "I see in your eyes you are a man of God and your soul is at peace, I will call upon God to start your car so we can proceed with justice in our cause", the man stood up and looked up and yelled in a loud voice in front of many other homeless individuals in the area "JESUS, START THE CAR".

At this moment I decided to continue playing the game and I told him let me try your faith and lets see if the car starts... I got in turned the key and guess what! The car started up like nothing! I got on the radio and canceled the Sergeant and continued with my investigation.

I ended up transporting this guy to the Center Against Family Violence where I did it again! I turned the car off without thinking and immediately tried to start it again but was unsuccessful. After about 3 attempts I just got out and got the little Mexican drunkard out of my car and told him I needed his faith again. He looked up and yelled "JESUS, LET THE CAR START" and again I entertained this little drama playing out and again the car started on the first attempt.

I didn't turn the car off for the rest of my shift until I was done for the night... This was an experience I will like to remember as the faith of drunkard proved to me that God listens to all his children and even the little Mexican drunkard is heard from above and granted little moments of faith building experiences for those who are ready to observe and be strengthened.

End of May

I have to fit in one entry before May ends. This month I got to do several fun things that I will always remember. First I discovered an indoor skydiving place a few months ago and got Anissa and Mom a gift to go and try it out for mothers day (mom) and birthday (Anissa). They both loved it and you can see the video on the family blog. A few weeks later for my birthday they returned the gift to Noah and I so we got to go do it too. It was so fun I cant wait to do it again! I placed a small video clip of my experience on the family blog as well.

The next big thing I got to do this month was go to my 10 year high school reunion in Guadalajara! I loved it. It was amazing to go back with Noah and spend time with out friends and eat at the places we loved when we were living there. I will try to hunt down pictures and place them here later.

In my professional life I got accepted as the Central district Spanish rover. That means instead of having a beat and patrolling, I will be only responding to Spanish calls and assisting officers that are already on Spanish calls. I get a pay increase and will enjoy great benefits such as taking vacation days without being subject to normal minimum staffing requirements and such.

Toward the end of the month I decided to clean up the garage and make a shade for some of the pool equipment outside. I also cleaned up the back yard and got it prepared for the summer. As I cleaned I discovered a wet suit that I bought a long time ago. Since our pool has been a bit to cold for my liking I decided to put it on and jump in that very night. I was so fun and I have gone swimming with the girls every day since the discoverey (Ok only two days since I discovered it but it sounds better this way).

Today is Saturday May 31st and we are all going to a Police Family appreciation day. This will be at the training center and we are going in a few hours. The kids are excited and the Wettsteins are coming too. There will be some awesome things for Kalvin to brag about there! (SWAT training, Helicopter, etc...)

Noah and my parents are in London and I have spoken to them a few times. They are loving it and I cant wait for them to get back so we can see pictures and hear all about it. I am currently in week 4 of my roots of terrorism class and so far its going well. Its been a challenge dedicating the amount of time I need to but I guess I just have to do what it takes! Well this is my entry. I will try to do better next month.