good friends and I love my camera

The other day Tim and I took Karrick and his buddy R to Sunset Knoll Park that just finished a $400,000 face lift.  Tim and I sat in the grass on a gorgeous sunny day and just watched them play. I don't know the last time we had even an hour free to just sit in a  park! This no travel baseball is pretty cool...to actually relax and enjoy our kids in our beautiful neighborhood is a gift. They say everything happens for a reason...maybe it was just time for us to slow down and enjoy life and each other, before the kids get too old and move on. TJ is going into Junior year...WTF!
It's so easy to wrap ourselves up in our kids sports...after this year, it just doesn't seem so important. I'm not sure TJ really misses it...he is exploring his other interests that he never had time for. 

Karrick and R can hang together for 5-6hrs at a time. They just clicked this year. R is a super athlete...plays a year up in travel baseball and soccer, but on his days off they are inseparable   

 Life size simon game...totally rocks!

Fireman Karrick

Sunday Karrick and I spent the day with the Lombard Fire Department. Karrick was a Fireman for a Day. It was so much more than I could have ever expected. Fireman are probably the happiest people alive. I grew up around fireman and know a lot of fireman . Every single one will tell you they love their job, that they are excited and happy when it is their day to work. These men went out of their way to embrace Karrick and terach him everything they could. Fireman Tony took Karrick by the hand through every inch of that firehouse; he opened every compartment on each truck, Engine and ambulance and explained what and how everything worked. He gave Karrick as much hands on experience allowed. We got to go out on calls (we couldn't get out of the engine)

There are a lot of pictures here, I picked some that are cute, great photography and some that show Karrick's  feelings. Karrick's smiles are worth their weight in gold. These men got down to Karrick's level when they spoke to him...literally down to his level.

Karrick and FF Tony sitting quietly in the back of the Engine

                                         Karrick was told it was his turn to go up
                                                                         and
                                               ff Tony waving me on too...yikes! 

  I shot the skyline from the tower really freaking high up all the way from Lombard

 Karrick loved the headphones, he was able to talk to the other fireman, hear the radio and not the blaring sirens

The firehouse had a training facility on-site. A child and adult dummy were in the house that was set up. We went through it without the fire and smoke machines

Karrick was put to work and felt really important, He learned how to drain the hose then twist them to dry in sun. This house doesn't have the hose tower to hand wet hoses to dry

chillin in the family room watching TV after a hard day. A few men walked to the gas station next store and surprised Karrick with Skittles. We had  lunch with them...blueberry, chocolate chip and/or plain pancakes, bacon, eggs and hash -browns. We left before dinner because TJ had a baseball game and karrick was getting tired. 

Pinning a Honorary firefighter badge on Buttercup

FF Tony drove karrick home from the South Lombard station (we are N Lombard, but our station doesn't have the training facility) they flipped on  lights and sirens coming down our block. I almost cried. I left 1st so I could get Tim and the brothers outside to greet them

he's back

after 8 months TJ is finally back on the field.  His 1st time up to bat he gets a hit. I see my boy running to 3rd base while the 3rd base coach is yelling "hit the dirt" meaning slide or your going to be out

I think a "Holy Shit, NOooooooo!" may or may not have passed my lips. In my mind I saw his head slamming on the ground

Thankfully he slid perfectly and not only was his head still intact...he was safe

TJ playing 3rd