2105 Miles. 38 Hours Driving. 8 State Line Crossings. 7 Days. 5 Cities. 2 Times The Camera Came Out.

Statistically speaking, this is what a quick road trip back to the midwest to visit family looked like for us. The answer to the most oft asked question about the trip….Ezra did great in the car. Sure, he had his moments; but we’re attributing those more to his being three years old than to being in the car. Neither Ahna or I ever sat in the back with him, and of the 38 hours in the car, he only watched the DVD player for about 4 hours total (it’s helpful to have the kind that we remove when it’s not on)…meaning that by and large, he spent 34 hours confined to a car seat entertaining himself in one fashion or another.

We tried really hard not to have any day of driving that was too long (longest day was one that we thought would be about 7 hours and turned into 9 due to having to take a detour due to the Missouri River flooding in Iowa) which lead to the fact that 5 of the 7 days had a drive that was at least 3 hours long. Our trip took us first to northern Iowa to see Ahna’s Grandmother and other family, then it was on to the La Crosse area of Wisconsin, before heading to our final destination city of Sioux Falls. It was awesome to be able to see everyone, and even though it required a lot of driving, it was great to be able to spend time with everyone at their houses – something that doesn’t happen nearly as often as we would like. And now that that’s done, we know that Ezra can handle long car trips….future destinations are open for discussion.

And as far as that camera thing? It simply just didn’t make it out of the bag but twice. Trust me, I know it’s weird….lot of country, lots of driving, lots of family; but not lots of photos. Oh well, the camera on the phone made up for it a couple of times.

The rest of our time in Grand Lake was no less entertaining or interesting than the first couple of days, just less photogenic because it revolved mostly around us hanging around with us. A few naps, some reading, more naps, a visit from JJ and Rachel, another nap or two, and a thunderstorm. We did manage to squeeze in a few things in there that would make good stories beyond how well I was able to sleep in the afternoon, including a trip to Adam’s Falls and a trip to the spillway.

Adam’s Falls is a great little hike just at the edge of town, great because it’s close and easy and provides something really cool to look at. With the snowpack at a near all-time high, the runoff into the lakes has been amazingly high as well, thus making something that is cool to see any day of any other year into something that is super dramatic/bordering on scary. The river gets squeezed into this super narrow, super steep section just before it drops into Grand Lake; and the high water was something to admire.

The spillway is not a place that I would normally take a hour out of my day to go see, but this was different (see the reasons above with Adam’s Falls, and the fact that they normally only do releases during a very brief time of year). They have been releasing water to keep Lake Granby at ‘normal’ levels and to feed the Colorado River; and due to the amount of water that needs releasing….holy cow. Intense.

Oh, and there is a few photos of a little campfire that we got going one evening to cook up some smores….another Ezra first.

One of the boating excursions was in the company of a guide and with the expressed intent of catching some fish. But in order to prepare for this trip, Ezra went out with Saba the afternoon before, and spent some time on the dock learning the basics of fishing…namely what half a worm looks like, how to cast a rod while worrying about loosing an eye, the art of staring at a bobber, and patience. Ezra did take the opportunity to test Saba’s reflex speed by dropping the rod in the water once…and Saba passed the test with flying colors before it became an exploratory mission.

The next morning, we got up early and headed out for a few hours fishing. Close family member Hunter came up to spend a couple of days with us, and he got there just in time to see what Colorado fishing is all about. Despite a cold morning on the lake (50s), it didn’t take long to start catching fish; and it wasn’t hard to keep catching them. During our four hours on the lake, we were able to catch somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 fish, including at least one of every kind of fish in Lake Granby….the Granby Grand Slam as the guide called it. In that mix were Ahna’s first ever catch, Ezra loving to help reel but being scared of the flopping fish in the boat, and Hunter and Dad going back and forth on which fish to keep and which to get rid of…..(the story here revolves around being able to tell the difference between a brown trout and a rainbow). We ended up keeping a handful of fish, and bringing them back to the cabin for some deliciously fresh dinner that night.

So it turns out that smack in the middle of amazing Rocky Mountain wonderfulness is a place that is also full of boating wonderfulness….even for non-boaters. Just walk/drive down to a marina, drop a few bucks (or let the Grandparents do that), then Captain a boat anywhere it will fit for a few hours. We took this opportunity to do this a few times, and Ezra loved it all.

The first time that we went out was in a speedboat…every subsequent time was in a pontoon boat – something that I previously thought of only for large groups of annoyingly drunk people, or old families that were too scared to get too close to the water while going too fast. While those in fact may also be true examples of pontoon boat usage, you can also add families that have 3 year olds who like space to move around and store food/toys/clothes. These things were actually really nice, really easy to use, and provided a great space for all of us to be – even when not focusing on being on the water.

And if your wondering…no I haven’t lost my ability to swim, I was being a sympathetic and understanding parent by wearing a life jacket when Ezra was the only one required to have it on. Don’t get me wrong, I tried not wearing it as much as possible, but when he wondered about it…on it went.

Last week we had the wonderful opportunity to go with my parents up to Grand Lake, Colorado for a week in a cabin. Grand Lake is a popular get-away place for folks here on the front range as it offers mountain lakes, a small town feel, access to the Rocky Mountain National Park, fishing….and it’s only a little more than two hours away. This was our first time spending any amount of time up there, and it was the first – of what will hopefully be many – time that we had that vacation cabin experience.

On the stunning drive up there, I commented to Ahna that outside of relaxation, the only thing that I really wanted out of the week was the chance at seeing a moose. While I have been able to see just about every other wild animal that the Rockies have to offer, I have never seen a moose in it’s own habitat. Cue up the first hike that we went on after unpacking. About 50 feet from the front door of the cabin was a trailhead that lead right into the national forest. Ahna, Ezra, and I started down the path; and not more than 25 feet into our first hike on our first day…standing right in the middle of the trail….was a moose. Four thoughts immediately ran through my mind: 1) wow, how majestic of an animal is that and how lucky are we! 2) Holy crap, I intentionally left the camera in the cabin and sure enough, here we are…. 3) Dang, that thing is huge. 4) We best move away a little bit and give it some room as they are rumored to have the potential to be a little aggressive in defending themselves. So, as any good spouse would surely do, I ran to the cabin to get the camera (on the way, I reminded Ahna to grab Ezra and back away).

After hanging around for a little while just watching the moose eat, get tired, and bed down; we finished our now shorter hike with a little side trip up to a good view of the lake. We hung out here for a few minutes before being chased back into the cabin by the mosquitoes, but we were able to get some of my favorite photos of the week of Ezra.

On the second day of the trip, we rented a boat in the morning and spent a while driving all around Grand Lake. Ezra really enjoyed being in the boat, and especially enjoyed every opportunity he had to pilot. His favorite part? Making a super tight circle at speed (thus making the rest of us mostly queezy) and hitting our own wake as fast as we could get going.

It’s been five years since we last spent an afternoon with our great friend, Jeff. For those of you newer to the blog, Jeff was a fellow Firefighter and Engineer who died after a three year battle with ALS. He was diagnosed at an extremely young age, and at the time, his son Tanner wasn’t even two years old. It was a transformative time in our lives, as well as for the department…and continues to serve as a guiding example for how people should treat each other. When I think back on that time, I am still amazed at how a group of almost 70 ‘co-workers’ came together to do everything we could to help out just a little.

One of the things that our time with Jeff brought to us was a set of life-long friends. Cyrilla, Tanner, and now Todd show us on a daily basis a courage that is difficult to imagine and a strength that for most of us, is hard to summon even occasionally. There is also a group of guys (Brian, Geoff, Jeff, Mike, and Jay) that were originally bound by work, but have since been bound by experience and love that continue to serve as a daily example of what friendship and support should really mean. It’s a great honor to have been part of Jeff’s life, to still be friends with those guys, and to still have Cyrilla, Tanner, and Todd to turn to.

This letter – written by Jeff – was published here on the blog before, but I invite you to read it again/for the first time and take it for what it’s worth: great advice.

June 29, 2005

Brothers and Sisters,

I would like to thank every single member of the fire department, and impress upon you how much your support has meant to me and my family. Without this support, the last year would have been incredibly difficult. But with everyone’s help, it has been easier than I ever expected. If you aren’t aware, approximately one year ago was my last shift, and last week I received my final paycheck. The ability to go this long between those events shows the incredible sacrifice made by everyone and I thank you for it.

Please keep in mind that it’s not the fire trucks, fire gear, or buildings that matter…it’s the people; and when it counted most, the department and the town stood behind me and my family. I wish that everyone could take care of each other the way that you have taken care of me. Treat each other like family: if someone needs help, offer it. If someone needs criticism, be constructive. If someone wrongs you, tell them. If you make a mistake, admit it. If someone needs knowledge that you posses, teach them.  Most issues will take care of themselves if we incorporate this way of thinking.

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” -Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784)

Remember to pick your battles, choose your words, and when you have doubts or conflicts, keep in mind that you have your health; and despite what you are feeling at the moment, you do have the greatest job in the world.

I will see you around and everyone is welcome in my home. I am still the same person, I just talk a lot less.

Fraternally,
Jeff Dunn

how fickle my heart and how woozy my eyes…

If there has been a soundtrack to this past seven months in our lives, it’s been the music of Mumford and Sons. We’ve spoken of them several times here on the blog, including some lyrics that touched us while in the hospital, a video of Ezra dancing and singing away for Liam, and in the Best of 2010 playlist.

These guys have bookended this time for us in a very physical and emotional way. Back in October, we were privy to a fun experience of seeing a band in a small venue just as they were hitting it a lot bigger…a great concert that came with lots of other feeling: Ahna was 8 months pregnant with Liam and our lives were preparing for an exciting and new time. Our time with Liam was given the beats and rhythm of their music, as we danced and sang our way through baths, visits, and days. We connect with their lyrics in ways that are probably both very similar and very different to a lot of other people.

…where you invest your love, you invest your life…

Recently, we were again given the opportunity to see these guys as they came through Denver, this time at a much larger venue with some really good friends. The show was again a lot of fun and full of a lot of feeling; and as Ahna and I listened to the music we were instantaneously transported to any number of times and places surrounding our time with Liam. As the band broke into the highlight of the night for us – Awake My Soul – we unapologetically let some tears flow…not for the reasons that some preteens might when they see the latest boy-band craze, but because of the actualization of how this music has narrated our current lives.

So as Mumford and Sons will hit the recording studio in a few months to create their second album, we can only hope that the narration that their next record will give us will be a happier story to tell.

I briefly eluded to something going on a few posts ago (…Oren testing at work…), so here is the good news up front: I got promoted! After a de facto 17 years of training, 6 weeks of intense studying, and three long days of testing; I finished high enough on the list to receive one of two promotions to Lieutenant with the fire department. The three days of testing coincided with the time that Dave and Mary Jo were here, so they had to be privy to my absence and high stress during the process. I have been serving in the role of Acting-Lieutenant for the last 2.5 years (loosely the same idea as a substitute teacher), but this is something entirely new and different.

9.5 years ago was when I promoted last to the Engineer position. Since then, I have had the opportunity to drive a couple of different engine companies, but have most recently been the driver of the ladder truck (quint) for the past 5 years. I have absolutely and nearly unequivocally loved the driver position, and it will certainly go down as some of the most fun that I will ever have in the fire service. But I am ready to move on and try something new – to be in charge and responsible for a crew of people as a Company Officer. I was transferred shifts (to A-shift) and was assigned a new crew of people…interestingly at the same station, so I get to stay on the ladder truck – which I am very excited about. It has been very weird to move lockers and rooms to the Lieutenant’s room, to change uniforms, to get a new badge, and to get a new front piece for my helmet; but I haven’t felt this motivated and excited about work in a really long time. It’s absolutely my honor to now serve with Jim, Jill, and Doug; and to be serving the citizens of Castle Rock in this new way. It will bring with it a lot more stuff (meetings, paperwork, etc), but I’m sure that all of it will be well worth the reward of being able to make a difference publicly and organizationally in this capacity.

I’ve already completed my first tour in the new role, with the new crew…and we’re off and running. There will be a promotional ceremony at some point in the next couple of months, as the department now get’s to honor a new Division Chief, two new Lieutenants, two new Engineers, and a new firefighter. There’s lots and lots of people that deserve a public thanks, especially Dad, Mom, Ahna, Ezra, Jeff, Scott, Brian, Matt, Cameron, Brett, Eric, Rich, Matt, George, Scott, Troy, Dave, CJ, and Joe (don’t worry, the duplicates are not duplicates).