Wife and Kids Head Home-It’s Getting Real!

Reality is in deed setting in!

Sad day today, as I dropped off Sarah and the kids at Dulles to fly home. It was a sad moment, but I hope the time flies by as we are all going to be busy the next few months. Most of all is Sarah! Love you! ;-)

I had a chance to speak with both kids about taking care of Mommy and helping around the house while I’m gone. I also asked them to both be on their best behavior for Mommy, I think they will! It was a quiet ride back to Sarah’s parents house (weird to not have the noise).

Tomorrow I will do some last minute shopping for a few items I still need. I hope to clean the inside of the car out (these kids destroyed it!). Then I am off to Baltimore to hang out with brother in law and his family. I will be back here in Stephens City Sunday before I head down to Quantico Monday morning.

Quick story, I had a little cuddle time with Eli this morning. I was trying to be serious with him and explain to him what he needed to do while I was gone. I was trying to make him feel like the man of the house, you know pump him up a little. Hopefully instil a little pride...he responds “Dad, all I need to do is poop”....perfectly serious in his response I could only laugh. You’re right little buddy, pooping is healthy! I already miss them.






Travel pros



Goodbye family selfie


Kids selfie

Wife and kids made it home safely, thanks to Pookie for the ride home! Next post-will be at the NA!

A

What is the FBI National Academy?

“As FBI National Academy graduates, these officers enter into a select group made up of less than one percent of the country’s law enforcement officers. ”

I have been asked this question quite a bit the past few months and I thought it might be easier to answer it all at once here. I have attached a few links at the bottom that will explain more thourghly what it is!

The National Academy, called the NA most times for short, is a 10 week ‘academy’ for law enforcement leaders from across the world. It is an invitation only course of study that gives the opportunity to learn about new trends in crime fighting, leadership, law updates, media relations, and about any other topics one in law enforcement should need to think about. It’s impressive the diversity of classes that are offered. All students also participate in a nutrition/physical  fitness program as well.

Upon successfully completing the course, students get college credit (under grad and grad level) through the University of Virginia. This aspect adds a serious legitimitacy to the whole experience.

Students from all over the world (they estimate about 10% of the students are international) live in dorms together, dine together, work out together, go to classes together. This bonding creates the ability to network with each other. Networking leads to conversations, where the students can really learn from each other and have open discussions . I’m told this is the most valuable part of the NA and I’m looking forward to this the most. Truth is, I learn better by having these sort of interactions.

A few other random things to mention about the NA-it’s located at the FBI’s academy in Quantico (I’ve never watched the show ha). It’s FREE! I know, nothing is free, but in this case the cost to the student and their agency is minimal. Room/Board and classes are free to the participants. It’s hard for some of these agencies to lose a valuable member of their staff for 10 weeks, having to not pay for it, makes life a little easier!

I’m pretty excited to attend and I hope to update this blog after I really know what I am talking about!

https://www.fbi.gov/services/training-academy/national-academy

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI_National_Academy

VA mountains

Killing some time before the academy starts with the family. My in laws took us and the rest of the family on a tour of Skyline Drive near Front Royal VA. It’s a great drive through the Shenandoah National Park which features the Blue Ridge mountains. A neat part of this area is that the Appalachian Trail comes through here. Some day when I retire maybe I can talk Sarah into hiking the whole Appalachian Trail?

We have had a great trip visiting all of our friends and family out here and we have a few more to visit this week. Reality hasn’t really caught up to me yet. Soon enough it will!

Here is a pic of Sadie, Eli, Sarah, and I.




Sadie and I doing a selfie!

The Drive to Virginia

The drive to Virginia went well. We have made this trip at least a dozen times over the past several years! My wife’s family lives near Winchester VA, so the FBI NA works out well for me. I also have my brother in law in Baltimore and my Uncle in Washington DC. It will be nice to spend extra time with all of them on the weekends.

We left Waukee around 6:20am and we stopped for the night outside of of Columbus OH almost exactly 12 hours later. We like to try and knock out as much as we can (with kids) and that leaves a short drive for the next day. The kids did great on the car ride! We must have stopped about a dozen times, when a 4 year old tells you he has to go potty, you stop!

Little bit of pool time at the hotel, a decent meal, and we were on the road the next day. About 6 hours more through West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Having lived in Iowa for so many years, I really love this part of the drive. It’s nice to see mountains and curves in the road.

For the next couple of weeks I will be hanging with family around Baltimore, Winchester VA, and DC. I will check in as it gets closer to NA time!

The point of these early posts are so I can learn how this works! Posting pictures has been challenging so far. I’m hoping I get better at it!

One last thing, our route. I suggest this route because I find it to be quicker and less tolls then other routes.

From Central Iowa:




I-80 to Davenport




I-74 to Indianapolis




I-70 to Columbus through Wheeling WV.

From there, depends on where you are going, but this route seems to work well for us.

Sunrise on the way. 

First Post/Test Post

Well, here we go! First post to see how this works and if it reaches the people I want it to hit!

The purpose of this blog is to connect first and foremost with my kids, Sadie and Eli and my wife Sarah! I am going to miss them terribly I think. I would guess after a few weeks they might even miss me too? At least I hope they do!

I'd like to keep them informed about what it is I am doing. I have been talking to the kids for months about this trip and what is going to happen. I'm pretty sure they get it. I had a conversation with one of our Reserve Deputies today. He told me that his wife met my wife and Eli at the YMCA earlier in the week. His wife said that Eli within minutes told his wife that his Dad was going to the FBI to become a better cop! haha, that story cracks me up because I can hear Eli saying it in my head. He isn't shy and when he gets a bit older we are going to have to have a chat about sharing too much information. ;-)

We are all packed and pretty much ready to go. I'm not sure I have everything, but I guess I can go and get what ever else I might need or I can just go without. We are going to spend the next two weeks in Virginia and Maryland visiting Sarah's whole family, all of her old friends, and my Uncle and his family. We make this trip 2 times a year for the most part, so we are getting to be pretty good at it.

In a future blog, over the next week or so, I will share a bit more information about what it is I am going to be doing. I am attending the 271st Class of the FBI National Academy. It's basically graduate school for senior level law enforcement leaders from across the world! I'm both nervous and anxious to get going!

For now though, we drive for 2 days with two young kids...pray for us! I'll be in touch,
A