After my husband proposed in July of 1999, he was trying to decide what to do to provide for our family. At the time, he was working for his father at the KFC's in Yuma as a maintenance gopher.. did everything his dad needed him to help with, but he wanted something else.

We didn't have insurance with Jared working for his father, and we really wanted to start a family about a year after we married. One day, Jared was meeting with his bishop in an interview about a month before our wedding, and Jared mentioned the problem finding a good job he'd love. His bishop mentioned that he had seen billboards about the Border Patrol hiring, and mentioned it sounded like something he'd love. So the application process began.

He started the process in October 1999, shortly before our marriage. In November, he took the artificial language test, and passed with flying colors. In December, he went in for the Oral Boards, and only missed one question (stalled on his answer). We also harassed the department about how the background investigation was going, and what was taking so long, but Jared was finally called in April 2000, and given the choice of El Centro, CA and Tucson, AZ. Because we lived in Yuma, he chose El Centro, so he could commute and we wouldn't have to move.

He entered the academy around April 15, 2000. I flew out a few times to visit him on the 3 day weekends, Memorial Day and Independence Day, and he flew out to San Diego for his sister's wedding in July, but in the long run, he failed Spanish with a 69.54%, and left the academy in early August, 2000. Very disappointing, but Jared came home to Yuma, and started practicing Spanish through computer software and a college class. He did reapply to go back to the academy, however.

In April 2001, he received a call, offering him the position in Campo, CA. For those who don't know where it is, it's nothing between Yuma and San Diego. He told them he was in the middle of a college class that ended in May, and to call back then. In June, he received another call, this time for Tucson, AZ. He took the assignment VERY happily, and prepared to leave.

After staying in Yuma alone for 4 months, I was not about to do that again, so I transferred my job (with Staples) to Mount Pleasant, SC, and packed up our apartment, and put everything into storage. He entered the academy for the second time on July 9, 2001. I followed close behind, arriving in Charleston around July 24th. It was much easier on our relationship, and our sanity, by me being there. and Jared had a much easier time in the academy.

I drove home to Yuma about 3 weeks before Jared's graduation, and took my mother-in-law with me to Tucson to find an apartment. We found one in a nice neighborhood, and my parents and siblings helped me move in the following week. Then, a few days before his graduation, his parents and I flew out to Charleston. He graduated on November 20, 2001. We found out 2 days later, on Thanksgiving, that we were expecting our first child.

Jared's post academy experience was difficult. He really stressed out about failing his 7 month exam, and that he'd have to go back to working for his father, but he studied hard, and passed, yet again, with flying colors. Approaching the birth of our daughter, we wanted a house, and not to raise her in a small apartment. With the assurance that he WOULD pass his 10 month, we started looking for houses.

Some friends from work told Jared about this nice new neighborhood south of Tucson, and we checked it out. We ended up finding a house we loved, with financing that worked to get us in, and shortly before his 10 month exam, Jared and I started building our first house.

Jared has now been in shortly more than 2 years, and he LOVES his job. The hours can be hard to deal with sometimes, but it's worth it. There is no greater thing than having your spouse have a job they love, and that they love to come home and tell you about!

Tabatha