2012 in Review

What a HUGE year 2012 was for us!!!  When I think back to where we were last December 31st, I can hardly even remember where my head was or what I was thinking.  Hubby Blue had JUST graduated from college, he was on the hunt for jobs, and he was trying to get in shape so he could pass the physical testing required to get a police job.  I was continuing on in my job for the foreseeable future, but we were looking at trying to make it on one income for God-only-knew-how-long.  I decided to look back over my calendar to remember what was going on in our lives throughout the year...

In January, I was consumed with putting on this amazing graduation party for Hubby Blue.  For weeks, I was obsessed with cutting out little paper boxes to fill with candy, stringing together letters for a congratulations banner, and actually SEWING together little circles of paper for a garland.  It was quite the party and made me think (more than once) that I really missed my calling in life as a party planner.

I completely forgot about this because it seems like a LIFETIME ago, but I also started my final grad school class for my English as a Second Language certification.  I took the class online and WOW.  I was definitely glad when that was over in March.  I certainly appreciate my free time these days.

In February/March/April Hubby Blue was testing for police jobs all over the place.  There were even a few times he tested in cities so far away from where we lived that he would go the night before and stay somewhere in a hotel.  Ahhh...those were the days when I was afraid to stay in our house alone!  My mom would come stay overnight with me or I would go stay at their house.  How far I've come!

May was was the month Hubby Blue found out his department wanted to hire him!!!  They had started the background check process a few months back in...January (?), but they still were considering other people.  I'll never forget that night.  I'd asked Hubby Blue what was going on with that whole process and he said he thought they were going to call him back right around this time.  I suggested he give them a follow-up call, and when he did, the woman said, "You're our guy!" and I thought Hubby Blue was going to jump through the ceiling.  He.  Was.  Ecstatic.

June was a huge month for us.  First of all, I decided it was time for a change...I chopped off 12 inches of hair and donated it to Locks of Love.  I also traveled to Washington, DC, with my mom early in the month.  She was going to a conference, and I got to tag along for fun!  We did some touristy stuff for a few days together and had a great time.  The very next day after I got home, Hubby Blue and I went camping with some great friends.  And three days after that, Hubby Blue and I went to LONDON together!  We were only there for 5 days, but it was the perfect amount of time to hit the high points.  I had been there twice before in high school, but it was Hubby Blue's first time visiting.  The highlight for me might have been seeing the Queen (and Kate!)

Another HUGE happening in June...Hubby Blue was sworn in AND he passed the physical testing for the academy!  This was the last big question mark, and he did it with flying colors.  In fact, when he went to do the bench press part of the test, the proctor asked if he wanted a warm-up and Hubby Blue said yes.  Apparently, the proctor didn't hear him and set the weight at what Hubby Blue had to lift for THE test.  Hubby Blue lifted all the weight with no problem, set it down, and said now he was ready.  Little did Hubby Blue know that what he thought was "warm-up weight" was really all he had to do!  I was so proud of him when he told me that story. :)  That was actually on our second anniversary!

July was all about the police academy...the beginning of it anyway!  Hubby Blue started mid-July, and I felt horrible about it because I had had lonnnnnng-standing plans to be on a little vacation with my family for the week.  I felt really bad that Hubby Blue had to start the academy without me at home, but he did fine, and as it turned out, we had PLENTY of academy left to get through together.

We also MOVED in July.  Oh my goodness...nightmare of nightmares.  Horror of horrors.  This move made me never, ever want to move again.  Next time, we'll be better prepared.

Never thought I would miss living across the street from this.

In August, the academy got really grueling.  Hubby Blue was having 14 hour days sometimes, and moving put us an extra half hour away from the academy.  He was driving at least 90 minutes each way, putting in long days, and tracking down uniforms and gear in the evenings.  I was spending large chunks of my days ironing uniform shirts until the creases in the sleeves were so crisp you could cut yourself.  We went through A LOT of starch!  I also became much more self-sufficient: set up most of the utilities at our new house by myself, unpacked all our boxes (Hubby Blue still sometimes has to ask me where different kitchen gadgets are stored), and took care of lots of little jobs on my own.  It was definitely a learning experience for me.

August also means the start of a new school year for me!  This year is my third year teaching in the school I'm in and my sixth year overall, and for the first time, I felt like I actually knew what I was doing.  There is a big learning curve in teaching, and it was nice to finally feel like I had this figured out.

In September, Hubby Blue turned 30, AND he graduated from the police academy!  That was an amazing day.  I was so incredibly proud of him.  I also started this blog at the very end of September...on the night of Hubby Blue's very first night shift!

And finally there was October (and November and December!). When I think about what to write for October...and even November and December...all I come up with is...FTO.  It's hard to think of anything notable that happened over the last 3 months because our lives were turned upside down by FTO.  We couldn't really make plans to do anything because we usually didn't have the same schedule and Hubby Blue's schedule could change at a moment's notice.  I've gone from being mopey all the time to only being mopey some of the time!  Still adjusting!  We had a few nice holidays, we had some ups and downs, but overall, our life has been law enforcement.  When our days off coincide, we try to take advantage of the time.  When Hubby Blue is working, he pretty much works and sleeps.  It's rough sometimes, but it's working for now.  We might have some big changes coming in our lives in 2013, but we'll get to that when it's time!

So, all in all, 2012 was a good year.  We've really been blessed, but it's strange that when I think of the year as a whole, it just feels like it was a really hard year.  Adjusting to being a police wife was unlike anything I ever expected.  And yet, when I read over the month-by-month review above, I just feel blessed.  I know it's a cliche, but what doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.  Hubby Blue and I are closer and tougher than we were at the beginning of this year, and there is definitely something to be said for that.  I am eager to see what 2013 has in store for us.  It's bound to be another big year!  Here's to the future!