Long Ramblings on Graduation

STEPHEN GRADUATED!!

It has been a grueling 14 weeks while Stephen completed the fire academy. About mid way through he told me that he ate lunch in his truck everyday so he could get some studying in. I felt bad that he had to sacrifice the camaraderie the guys that stayed inside were enjoying. Try as I might there was really no way to get any peace and quiet for him to study in at home. Once the book work was done he began eating lunch with the other guys. I was glad he got a few weeks. He did well academically, despite the lack of study time, so he led his group onto the stage for the badge pinning. Poor guy carried a heavier load here at home than I would've like, but when I'm pregnant I'm pretty much useless. He's always kind about it though.

Our camera didn't like the lighting so many of our pictures didn't turn out well...at all. I'm pretty sad about that. I wasn't able to get pictures of everything I wanted due to the 2 hour wrestling match I had with Lincoln. Now I discover not many of the few I did get didn't turn out. Grrr! This is a big thing; I wanted it well documented dang it. I'm blessed with the world's most amazing friends, one offered to take Lincoln for me....about an hour into it I was thinking, "Dang, I should have left this little critter." I wanted him in the pictures after...not thinking about all the pictures I'd miss in the meantime.
I guess normally the chief pins the badges on the new firefighters. The training officers talked about how important families are and as a nod to them each guy, and the one girl, got to choose who would pin them. Stephen chose me! You may think that's a given, but there was one guy that had his wife and dad fighting over who would get to do it. He never made the decision and just let them fight it out. I will tell you there was a very hurt wife from that situation. It made me sad to look into her eyes. Stephen thought it was crazy too and said, "The wife should always win in that situation." That's one of the many reasons I love him. I'm grateful I got to be part of such an important event. This night was the beginning of a new career, and life for us; we both got to be a part of it and that made it even more special.

The whole combined class. There were recruits from 3 different agencies represented. This was kind of a record breaking effort in collaboration. The 3 agencies pooled resources and had a combined academy. It's hard to see the sculptures in the middle of them, but one of the recruits made each of those bases. The red thing hanging in the middle is each department's emblem...hand crafted by him. He did an amazing job!

That Stephen of mine is a smart guy, he had to speak for a few minutes, because he was Valedictorian. He'll kill me if he knows I told, shhh. I was standing in the lobby with Lincoln, when he saw Dad and I wouldn't put him down to run to him that Lincoln got mad and LOUD. So, I missed part of Stephen's speaking part too. I had my Dad running the camcorder and oh how I pray nothing went wrong with it. I haven't had the time to check it yet. What I did hear was great. By the end of the night Lincoln would have NOTHING to do with me. He wanted to cuddle his Dad and that was final. These boys sure love their Dad.

Here's the reason I decided to haul all three kids with me. I wanted the family picture at the end of the night. Stephen said I looked like I was mourning because I wore black. I explained that it was navy blue and not black and that I'm pregnant and limited on what I can wear. A large portion of my maternity clothes are dark solid colors because that's what I have to wear for work. A large portion of my regular clothes are also dark solid colors. I was working full time when I was pregnant with Gabriel and most of these clothes were purchased, thus the dark solid color. He said he didn't care but noticed that most of the other wives were in bright little sundresses. I then pointed out that I can't wear cute bright sundresses even when I'm not pregnant. :-) I had wanted to try to get out and get a new outfit that was brighter colored, but that ain't gonna happen with the boys in tow. Oh well, it is what it is. At least we all made it and I think the navy coordinated with his clothes quite nicely. :-D

Now he has a year of probation. I have more anxiety about that than I did about the academy. During that probation time all they have to do is not like you and declare you're not a good fit to get rid of you. That's a little scary. He's good at getting along with others, understands the rookie hoops he'll be jumping through, and is conscious of what and how he says things. Everything should work out, I'm just high strung and a worrier. **His shift is the one that works Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's...Here's to the Rookie.** The kids are young and won't even notice a change in day. :-)

You can't really see Lincoln's jammies...they have fire trucks on them and glow in the dark. They are hand me downs from Gabriel. *Side Note: When Garrett wore these jammies the glow in the dark FREAKED him out and we had to put them on inside out.* I just thought it was funny that those are the jammies he's wearing considering where we'd just come from. The other day Stephen asked, "what's up with all the firefighters outfits?" I can honestly say they're all from when Gabriel was this size. I just thought they were cute and bought them...6 years ago. Which coincidentally is about the first time this career crossed Stephen's mind.

Many years ago he thought this looked like a career he'd like. He did a little research into it, but nothing like he did before he applied for this job, and kept it in the back of his mind. He was crazy busy with work and school at the time...and babies shortly after that...and wasn't able to pursue it. Well, work stopped and he wasn't crazy busy anymore. I've learned there's a fine line to tread during employment transitions. I felt I needed to support him in his endeavors, but at the same time didn't want to encourage the beating of a dead career horse. Fortunately, he still had this in the back of his mind and when he was ready to let go of some dreams, worked through the feelings a bread winner has to work through, and take a leap in a TOTALLY different direction, he was willing to do it with all he had. In order to make a sound, informed decision he called and talked extensively with every firefighter he knew (including one call to Idaho). He spent many hours on the internet reading things from leadership within the industry. Once he decided he was going to apply he spent several more hours researching and learning about the two departments that were hiring. We were blessed that these two departments made a change and only required applicants to be EMT certified. That meant he took a 4 week, INTENSE, EMT course at the beginning of the year. From that he had a month-ish of interviews with a heavy dose of praying (meanwhile his wife was discovering she was pregnant) and she added another heavy dose of praying. Then we waited for a call, and she finally told him about the new one on the way. We couldn't believe he'd gotten on. It's normally a long process of repeated tries to get on with a fire department, we were prepared for that and brought to tears, ok I was, when he actually got on. Within a couple of weeks he started the academy and has been doing that for the last 14 weeks. His department just added on two more weeks of training...puts some kinks in a couple plans, but we'll adjust, he has a job after all. Getting him employed has been pretty much all we've done this year. He's happy and ready to work. We're happy and ready to have a life back.

This morning Garrett said, "Dad, someday you'll be a firefighter." Stephen responded, "I am a firefighter." Garrett laughed and said, "No you're not! You're a person."

Yes, he is a person, a great husband, Dad, and human being. It's nice to have the less stressed Stephen back.