I Love Training!

So, it has been a little over a month that I have been in Firefighter training and I love it!

So far we have gotten to do an initial search attack in a dark, concrete room with our SCBA gear on.
We have taken our First Aid/CPR course,
learned different types of knots used for rescue and as an aid in transferring objects.
went for a walk/jog with our SCBA on,
Jogged up and down the hill by the river 3 times,
learned some rescue carries,
took part in maintenance a couple of times,
and still going. The plan is for us all to pass everything and get our pagers just after New Year.

I am looking forward to Saturday when we get to dive into the rescue part of it in more detail. We will be using the jaws of life, running hose and putting a vehicle fire out.

The parts I love ... I love the physical challenge aspect. I like seeing how much I am really capable of and the feeling of accomplishment afterwards. I love getting to know new people and being a part of a great team of community people. Although sometimes it is a real gong show I do love keeping busy.

The best treat though is Blaine and I getting to share our stories together that we experienced individually.

My road of Tranquility

I have lived in this area all my life. Of course in the day to day extremities of my life I have taken different routes to get me back and forth to the places I need to be. As I travelled one particular route this morning I was flooded with so many memories. This specific route is beautiful. It is the main route I take that connects me to the warm familiarity of "family" that I was born into and my own family that God has blessed me with.

As familiar as my road has become it changes on a day to day basis. The curves, the straights, the gully, it all remains the same but the surroundings change so often. Sometimes the crops are so golden that as the sun shines down you can't help but let your eye wonder across the vastness of it all. The sunsets and rises are always splashed with different colors. In the summer the road is so smooth that I am often tempted to soar a little faster than I should with the feeling of freedom under my foot. In the winter it is the exact opposite. Perhaps it is the dusting of snow that covers the fields, the ice layering the pavement or the standing deer, ready to run that slows us down.

This road has brought forth so many conversations. Some child's laughter, another's stories, or even ones tears. It has even been the dumping ground of an upset stomach or even a child in the throes of rage. This same road has even been marked with the harsh scars of fire,ironically the first fire that Blaine fought.

This morning my road was quite bare with the fields full of snow. The sunrise had taken its full position in the sky right in front of me. As I drove down through the gully I saw the familiar marked trees, bare and ready for the pending weather. As I turned a corner I saw three deer standing across the road, watching to see if I was headed their way. I couldn't help but think how this road resembles the road in life that I am travelling. Sometimes things are going great and we are soaring through life with no worries or fears. There are times when we feel hesitant about a change that we need to endure. Sometimes we stumble upon many winter storms were we feel like the world is out of control and we have nowhere to go. All the while we look ahead to the summer when the trees will continue to heal themselves or when God takes us in his arms and reminds us to lean on him and look full in his wonderful face.

I love Green Eggs and Ham!

I know, Most of my posts these days relate to our Malakai. Right now with the age he is at and the personality he has he just seems to be so entertaining. In fact we were just at a house party a few weeks ago when a friend of ours siad "so, tell me something that Malakai has said lately ... I just love that kids stories."

Stories, it's a good place to start...
Keegan loved his little board books and he loved to read to Ginny when she was born, a time when nothing out of his mouth really made sense. As he got older reading became a challenge. We have tried all kinds of books, reading to him, trying to get him to read to us. Reading is just not his thing. Ginny on the other hand loves to read. She has books upon books that she has already read and requests more on a weekly basis. The thing about Ginny is that she like to read by herself. Malakai is different, he loves to be read to. It doesn't matter who reads to him but please somebody read to him because he does not like to read the book himself. He is often found following someone with a book begging to be read to. Last weeks book, Green Eggs and Ham is by the infamous author Dr. Suess and is an old time favorite. We start, me reading one page and Malakai reading the next and so forth. I think I like it the most because Malakai is our little "Ham" always cracking a joke making us laugh.

Last night as I tucked him in he wrapped his little arms around me, holding me next to him on his bed. "Read me a story" he pleads. "Awe Malakai, not tonight, mommy is busy and needs to get stuff done." His disappointed little face looks into mine and instantly gets all serious. "Mommy, can you ask my teacher when we're going to Peru?" "Peru?" I asked. The only assumption that I can come up with is that they just learned about India in school so now it must be Peru. Malakai gets a smile on his face as he excitedly nods his head. "Wow, how are you going to get there? I ask. Are you going to fly?" Again he is so serious. "I don't know" he says, "my teacher never said."

Here is the thing about Malakai. Is he really concerned or is he just pretending to be. Does he really think he is going to Peru or is he just playing along. He is so great at what he does that even sometimes I don't know.

"Oh Malakai, how long are you going for? I am going to miss you so much." I chuckle as he takes his hand and plays with the fingers of my own. "I am going to miss you too mom." "Will you call me?" I ask. "I don't know" he says, "maybe, if they have a phone there." He replies. "Hmmm well maybe you can email me then." I suggest. "Maybe", He responds.

Then, before I know it, he hugs me again and says "I love you!"

No laughing, no "just kidding mom." Just a sweet meaning full "I love you!" Just as if he were really headed to Peru.

Even tonight around the dinner table he had the kids questioning us as to whether Malakai was really going to Peru or not.

I admit, he holds a special piece of my heart right in the palm of his hands. How could he not though?