Baby GIRL Snyder!!

Ethan got his Black Belt!

This past Saturday Ethan tested for his black belt. He had to wait for other belt levels to test before him, including Kayla who will be getting her purple belt. Ethan had been sitting for a long time and was asked to spar with Stealth, a brown belt, Ethan threw a few kicks and on about the 5th one he snapped his knee and was instantly in tears. We thought for sure that the test for him was going to be over, but he managed to fight through the pain and passed his test. He had to know 46 one-steps and I think 12 different forms. Ouite a feat for a 10 year old. We let Ethan choose where he wanted to eat after the test and he chose Manny's steakhouse! You can tell he is our son and enjoys a good steak like we do! The food was amazing! Ethan got a burger with kobe beef and, if you can believe this, duck! He will offically get his belt tied on on Wednesday.
We are busy getting ready for school. I feel like we have been to so many stores to get supplies and clothes and I feel like I am still not done. This is going to be really strange for me to be alone all day since Wyatt will be in 1st grade now. I haven't decided what I am going to do yet. I am hoping to go to school since I will finally have the time now before they get too much older and all the various activities start.
Grant is working with all the RNC stuff and is currently on 10am-10pm shifts. Tomorrow will be his only day off for the next 9 days. We plan on taking the kids to Nickelodeon Universe tomorrow.
Grant and I have both been on the diet kick. I have lost 33 pounds since March and am at the gym 5 days a week. Grant has been getting up early every morning and working out here with what we have and is making great progress! So for those of you that haven't seen us in awhile we may look different at Jen's wedding. Speaking of, it is just over a month away and on miss Kayla's birthday.
Hope everyone is well!

Lake Elmo Beach

Today I took Ethan, Kayla, and Wyatt to Lake Elmo Park Reserve where they have a man-made beach and swimming area. It was warm, about 85 and we all got a little pink despite putting on sunscreen multiple times!

Dad and Wyatt on the boat!

We joined a boat club this year, they have about 7 boats for us to choose from, everything from 26' speed boats to pontoons, cabin cruisers, and everything in between. Last Saturday we took Ellen and Wyatt out and he had a ball!

Camping!!

We went camping up north to Split Rock Lighthouse again. We left on Father's day and stayed for 3 nights. The weather was beautiful. We really got lucky, last year it rained almost the whole time and was damp. Average temps during the day were 65 to 70 or more and at night it was in the 50s I think all but one night when the wind kicked up and it felt more like 45. That same night we were all woken up at about 4 or 5am to a cawing crow. He went on for quite a while, the only downfall to camping is the wildlife sometimes. We saw a few deer while driving and I think that Makenna managed to get some pictures. All in all another great trip!

Time seems to fly by...

So here I am sitting at Tae Kwon Do and figured that this would be a good time to catch up on some posting. Spring seems to finally have sprung- at least for today anyway! Ethan is working hard to get his black belt, he is currently a red and black belt. Just one step away from his black belt and hopefully next month he will be testing for that black belt. We have promised him that he can have a party when he makes it. The girls are still green belts and are going to hopefully test next month for their purple belts. Our little Wyatt is sitting with a yellow belt and for those of you that know Wyatt, he does things at his own pace! School is going well for everyone. Wyatt's teacher is really impressed with how well he is writing. He is working very hard to sound things out now. School is easy for Makenna and Kayla. Ethan has had a few bumps along the way but seems to be doing well.
On the flip side of things, Grant has been really busy with work. I swear his phone rings more than an emergency dispatcher's does after an earthquake! He went to Texas a few weeks ago and did some human trafficking training and I think that it was a nice break for him, plus while it was freezing here he got to enjoy some warmer weather! MPD was hit with more sad news this year, in November, Officer Mark Bedard was pursuing a suspect and was accidentally hit by a squad car and passed away a few days later. Mark Beaupre was diagnosed with a brain tumor and has been under going chemo for that and after a battle with cancer Lance Alrich lost his life. Grant doesn't know how much more the department can take. Please keep these families in your prayers. I am asked by many people how do I live with that fact that my husband is a police sergeant, am I not scared and worried every time he walks out the door? You bet I am! But I have complete trust in him and know that he wouldn't put himself in harm's way. It took some time to come to that conclusion and I admit that I do get worried when I haven't heard from him when he is out on a detail. But, if I spent all my time worrying that something may happen, it would kill me. I hope that this post finds you all well! Thanks for reading!

Hello!

Hello Everyone!
We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas. We had a great time on our cruise. I don't know how relaxing it really was considering that we had 4 kids with us in 2 small rooms. Our day typically was: Get up, have coffee on the deck and then go up to the breakfast buffet, the kids wanted to go to camp carnival right after that. They would be there until 12 and then be back with us for lunch and swimming for a few hours, then we would get ready for dinner and most of the nights they went to the kids dinner and then to camp carnival again. It was nice that the program allowed for Grant and I to have some alone time together. Food was ok not nearly as good as I had heard and I thought that the food on Princess was better. We spent the first 2 days at sea and arrived in Panama on the 3rd. We got off the ship since the kids wanted to, it was gross! I will never go to Panama again! Unless you are going to do the canal tour, there is zero reason to be there. We had another day at sea and then into Costa Rica. The kids opted to not get off and went to camp but we got off and did some shopping. The next day was Belize and this was our favorite, we did a shore excursion to a private island where the girls got their hair braided, Grant and I drank Belizian beer and went kayaking with Ethan, Wyatt, and Kayla. Kayla found a huge Starfish. Beautiful white sand beaches, we are hoping to get back there again in the future. Our photos are at http://community.webshots.com/user/msnyder6706?vhost=community

Everyone had a great Christmas, thanks for all the cards and gifts!
See you next year!
Melanie

Being a Police Wife

A Police wife is a woman who is married to a man who is "married" to his job, his partner, and his badge. A Police wife can usually be found cooking breakfast at midnight, picking up his uniform at the cleaners, and spending nights alone.


A Police wife must be a good listener, not questioning him. She must be understanding when he goes out for a beer with his buddies, doesn't feel like taking her to the movies, or has an exam to study for.

A Police wife must live with shift work, lonely holidays, bad jokes, ulcers and alcohol, bulletproof vests, and fixed incomes. She is used to words like rape, robbery, assault, and child abuse. She is familiar with night school, stakeouts, overtime and being on her own.

Most women are not born or raised to be a Police wife; it is something that they have chosen to do. Some can and others cannot. She will spend each day learning, listening to, and loving a man that few people respect and most others hate.

A Police wife makes beds, breakfasts, and love to a man who spends more time with junkies, hookers, informants, pimps, and partners than he does her. She attends dinners, meetings, and sometimes funerals.

A Police wife watches as the man she loves grows old before his time, watches him become cold and unfeeling, but she will remain his friend, wife and lover. She will always be these things to him, but she also knows he is first, A Police Officer.

When a wife kisses him as he leaves for work, she will make a slient wish that he will return to her. And everytime there is a knock at the door, she will pray it is not the Chief of Police and her husbands partner coming to say kind things about her husband, how brave he was, how dedicated he was.

Being a Police wife means lots of trust, love, and worry, but when he says, "I love you," it makes it all worthwhile.

They are all in school!!!

Hello Everyone,
Ethan started 4th grade, Kayla started 2nd grade, and Makenna started 1st grade on Tuesday. I was a mess after leaving school on Tuesday morning! Wyatt started kindergarten on Friday and it was very weird to have some "alone" time on Friday afternoon and when I told Wyatt after I picked him up that I missed him he told me, "I don't care", talk about being independent! Wyatt took his yellow belt test about 2 weeks ago and now is officially a yellow belt. Grant has continued to be super busy with work and as of today has completed his 6 month probationary period as a sergeant. The first week is over and everyone seems to really like their teachers and is happy to be back again. I think next week it will really hit me that I am alone for a few hours everyday...
Hope everyone is well~
Melanie