FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!

I mentioned in a previous post that I sent my guys home from Utah on a plane from the Interment to get back to work....that was the case for my hubby.  I guess that was the case for T as well, but not the kind of work you are thinking about.  This is what T did ALL week while I was gone......(He is in the middle back at the start of this video)

*on the left*

He was at the Fire Academy.  Back in March, he joined the Explorer Program through the Colorado Springs Fire Department (see post March 28th) and every summer they hold a week long academy.  He went every day from 8 in the morning until 9 at night.  He worked hard all day and came home exhausted but happy every night (or so my hubby tells me)  They learned everything that they needed to learn to be a fire fighter.  They had class room time and then tower and drill time everyday.  At the end of the week, they took a test to qualify them to do "ride-alongs" with the fire department.  T passed his test and is anxious to go on a fire.  Also, at the end of the week, they had a family BBQ and demonstrations to show what they had learned that week.  I was so excited to get home from Utah so I could see him perform.

First off, they were all divided into squad with 4 guys in each with a captain in charge of the squad....T was named the Captain of Squad 4!  Every since he was a toddler, he had that natural ability to be a leader.  He has proven that over and over again, and this is another example of his great leadership skills.  He is amazing! He will be the guy in the green helmet with the red stripes.

*Can you pick him out?  4th from the left at the front of the hose*

 *jumping in the air to get his pants on*

 *look at him fling his jacket on*

It was so great to watch the hose competition.  Each squad went up against the other to see who was the best......Squad 4 out did them all....must be because of their great Captain T.  They won all the squads and then went against all the chiefs to see who reigned supreme.....okay, so the chiefs won, but  by a very small margin.  It was a great effort.

 *I love the expression on his face...loving it with all his heart*

T fit right in with the discipline part of it all.....his ROTC has helped him with that. 

We had a BBQ with so much yummy food......hamburgers and hot dogs cooked up on the spot, pulled pork from Texas Roadhouse, beef brisket from Bird Dog, salad from the Olive Garden, chips and salsa from Qdoba, potato salad, chips, soda...the list goes on and on. 

After chowing down, we headed indoors for the awards ceremony.  T was awarded certificates for being the Captain as well as a couple others.  His Squad was named "Squad of the Day" for Wednesday and he was named "Explorer of the Day" as well.  Great Job T!  You are so awesome!!!

While I was helping with the food, my family was asked if they wanted to ride in a fire truck.....so they did with K being in the front.  She even got to sound the siren...she thought that was so cool. 

At the end of the day, they suited up again in their bunker gear and got a group photo.  The fire makes a great backdrop and afterwards, they get to take turns putting it out.  It was the coolest picture ever!

 *Right smack in the middle back*

*guy in the middle on the hose*

 *front of the hose*

We are so totally proud of T and his accomplishments in this program.  He has done awesome and he has found something that he really loves.  He looks so good as a firefighter.  I think the future career has just been changed again.