My family- CFD

My family lineage

CFD

Grandfather FF Joe Moran 1938? ish. Never met my dad's dad as he passed away before any of us were born

Step grandfather  LT. Al Carrier...was our grandfather growing up "Pop" as we called him who married my  Nan . Every time we went over to their house he gave us a quarter

 My dad Capt Henry Moran

                                                      

 Uncle Tom Moran FF

Center is my brother Patrick he is a Chicago firefighter too. I don't have an official picture...yet. I would love to visit his house, but he is smack dab in the middle of Englewood on the southside and I would need an escort in and out

Uncle  FF Tom Moran

The 2 pictures above...Really?! kids in hospital gowns on the sidewalk? Isn't that an IV bag stand on the left. You can see my dad in back and pointing in 2 nd picture. He was at Engine 18 or Roosevelt and May. Not a good neighborhood, but as you can see they embraced the kids. E 18 was surrounded by projects and the people used to shoot and throw things at the fireman

These hero's went into places that no one in their right mind would go near or could even imagine.

below you can see how close the projects were

below is what the neighborhood looked like....probably all pricey condos now

 My dad standing, I would guess he was intructing 

 Believe this is when my dad was a Lieutenant (below Capt)

Check this shot out. It is my dad's firehouse Engine 18 from the 1890's. Below it has the fireman's names and what they drove. 

 

the below cation goes with this shot. My Grandfather is on right. 1938

Below is my grandfather on the fireboat downtown Chicago he is 4th from the left. I love seeing the old Chicago in the background

 Step grandfather 1st name Alfred Carrier

above is my grandfather 5th guy from left looking forward in frist row 1949

 I believe this is my step grandfather 3rd row from the bottom, 2nd guy from the left 1936

My dad looking at camera-tall one. In the projects

 Chicago firefighter's went to march ion the Boston St Patrick's Day Parade

my uncle in back row behind man squatting. My dad is 2 officers (white hats) to the right with mustach 

 My dad 3rd from left on his knee without a reflector glowing on coat 

750 W Jackson

I always loved the fact that my family is Chicago Firefighters. I grew up with an extra sense of pride. In grammar school 5 of my girlfriends dads were also firemen. 

It took 9-11 for the world to realize what fireman do...what they really do. My dad almost died more than once...that phone rang in the middle of the night and you just knew it was an injury or worse.

I am on the Centennial Committe for Lombard's fire dept. Jan 3 2013 will mark 100 years. We have a great celebration planned. I am honored to be part of it

Firemen are true Hero's

they are the only one's running into a buring biulding while everyone else is running out

Be safe in 2013!

Can you guess where I got my love of photography? My dad and uncle always had a camera. Our entire childhood was documented on film

Christmas Eve, Christmas morning and Christmas Day

On Saturday before we headed downtown Callahan and Katie exchanged their gifts. What I love about the picture above is how Callahan just stares at the pendant he got her. He picked it out himself. I think he really understood the power of giving.

Saturday:

You can see the pendant on Katie. My 3 boys, Katie and Alexis spent hours at the kitchen table playing board games. They said they had a blast

Christmas Eve is spent in Long Grove. Karrick wanted to play Santa and pass out the gifts

Being the only little guy, Karrick totally makes out on the gifts

Cousins that had their braces put on a week apart. Ummm.....check out Callahan's check bones. Amazing cheekbones on the kid

Alexis joined us at grandma's for Christmas Eve. It was really a good time had by all. Alexis is modeling the outfit TJ got her. He also gave her a cool  scrapbook with most of the shots I took of her and TJ in the last 2 years. It turned out really cute. Made Alexis cry

Christmas Day was spent at my dad's with my family, aunt and cousins. I really didn't take any pictues...was exhausted by then. Callahan woke up at 6am went downstairs and read one of his new books (Santa went semi green this year and didn't wrap everything) When he was done he woke up Karrick...Aarrgh! Really?! So of course we all had to get up at 7am. I think this will be that last year Karrick believes.

 I love Christmas and I love my family. It truly is a special magical time of year. After 4 staright days of Christmas cheer I am ready to move on

A weekend away

 Saturday morning Tim and I left the boys and headed downtown for our annual hotel/shopping weekend. We got a suite at The Avenue...we stayed there last year too...gotta go with the Groupon. We had a 1 bedroom suite overlooking Michigan Ave.

We spent more time walking and site seeing then actual shopping-didn't really plan it that way. Tim and I walked up and down Michigan and State Street. State Street was a mob scene! The lights everywhere were stunning

It was just a wonderful 2 days and got us super excited to go home and celebrate Christmas

Both shots are from out bedroom window

Just some fun shots

Can't wait until Summer to do it again-summer style

My right of passage as a mom

Tonight I had the honor of escorting my middle child Callahan to the mall. You see, Callahan met a darling girl named Katie in Italy this past summer. He and Katie have been dating since. My Callahan doesn't seem to need me too often these days, he may only be 13, but he is definately going on 16, 18 or even age 32. Not really, but he like all my boys are very independant and self suffient. Needless to say, I was thrilled when he asked me to take him to the mall to get Katie's Christmas gift. My son has very good taste and a sweet girl will be one happy sweet girl very soon.

The picture above is from Jingle Jubilee, downtown Lombard's Christmas Celebration. It is sponsored by the many organizations in Lombard including the Historical society. My fellow Lombard Fire Dept Centennial committee member works for the Historical Society and needed help setting up for the Jubilee. Well, Callahan needs many service hours for his upcoming Confirmation at Sacred Heart Church. 

Callahan was such a trooper, he set up panels in the store windows (tree behind him) all along St Charles St. He washed the windows...see that wonderful reflection. Yeah, his height came in super handy as he towered over  the other volunteers. Callahan also kept the music playing for the Nutcracker dancers that danced in all the windows.

My Cal is such an amazing young man and we couldn't be more proud of him

big gas leak

TJ had some testing done today at Marianjoy, so had the day off school. That's a post for later. Anyway, I dropped him off at home and went to do some Christmas shopping. TJ called me an hour into my shopping to say a fireman came to the door saying there was a gas leak don't turn anything on. Turns out a private sewer company was fixing a neighbors sewer system and while digging up the parkway, they ruptured the gas main for the block. (something tells me only the village can dig up the village sewer system under the parkway) When I got home the Lombard fire Dept was on the scene and the village workers. Gas was hissing out of the leak...it was loud and powerful. My entire inside and outside smelled like natural gas. A fireman came into my house with his gas gauge, thank God nothing registered inside. They shut my gas off as a precaution while everyone waited for Nicor to come. Nicor also came into the house to measure for natural gas.

LFD had to stay until Nicor could dig two holes on either side on the leak. Crimp the gas line in each hole, then replace the damaged line between the holes. It is 6 hrs later and Nicor is still out there reparing. LPD left about 2 hrs ago. 

I was so happy when they stopped the leaking gas, I was getting one hell of a headache.

My little Karrick wanted to go out and tip the fireman for being so kind and standing in the rain for hours. I said a simple Thank you would suffice.

When Callahan got off the bus he saw the Firetruck and firemen on our lawn, he thought our house was on fire. When he found out about the ruptured gas main, he proceeded to tell us the Chemical makeup and concentration needed to combust and blow us all to smitherines. 9% Methane needs to mix with the air to cause an explosion... There isn't a situation that arises that Callahan doesn't have some fact sheet in his head. He did calm down Karrick that was a little panicked by explaining everything

Here I just shot a couple pictures of Karrick indoors with my external flash. He is so dang cute

A super, Super week.... Die Meistersinger

This is where my kid, my little Karrick is going to perform!

pictures from web, not me

forgot my camera...unbelievable!

On Wednesday after work/school I had to bring TJ to Columbia's new Media Arts building at 4:30 to do a re-shoot for his movie "If A Tree Falls". I guess the cross-bow wasn't prominent enough in the log cabin scene. I dropped him off and drove to the Lyric Opera of Chicago where Karrick had an audtion to be in a 5 1/2 hr Opera

Die Meistersinger

We got there a little early due to dropping tj off and went to the reheasal room where we met the casting directer (Super Captain as they are called in the world of Opera) Well it gave Karrick a little one on one time. I'll be damned if he didn't have a gleam in his eye while talking to my little peanut (adults normal response to Karrick)

 We were directed upstairs to the holding room that was filled with kids for a good 1/2 hr.

About 20-25 kids showed up to audition. Many of them have been in multiple productions and all knew each other.   All the kids were called back down  to the rehearsal room where the doors were closed. A 1/2 hr later a bunch of kids came running out...my Karrick was no where to be found..a slight panic hit me as I thought he ran by in the group heading back upstairs. I opened the reheasal door to find Karrick and 4 other kids talking to the Super Captain.

Nothing was said to us, but the 5 kids and parents were ushered up to the 7th floor which was a giant wearhouse of costumes....100's or even 1000's of amazing costumes. Karrick was put into these old wool or bulap tailed jackets. Then they took him away again as we sat there . another mom came up and said these kids were cast. Wow! I kinda hoped but didn't want to jumped to any conclusions. Bill the Super Captain came up and confimed YES, our kids Karrick, another boy and 3 girls would be "Supers" in the Opera.

We will get more info after Christmas (Bill needs to finsih with Hansel and Gretal that is on now)

I do know rehearsal are 2 week nights for 3 hours each, Saturday and Sunday for 7 hrs each day for 4 weeks. Then a dress reheasal and 7 shows, 2 a week for 4 weeks.

Karrick is over the moon with joy. What an opportunity and experience to be a part of this! International Opera singers.

More to come....