Proud of Sam!

Sam has been working as a volunteer fireman for over a year and a half, and the last three months he also took EMT training.

He spent many evenings and weekends taking classes and doing clinicals.

Finally two weeks ago he finished the class with eleven other classmates--and passed both the written test and the practicals.

We were so proud of his diligence and hard work!

Good job, Sam! 

There was a Christmas Dinner at the fire station on Dec. 8th, and Rose decided to ride her horse there with her jingle bells where she'd

meet up with us to Christmas carol to the firemen and families.

Hannah and I helped sew on missing bells. 

 I finished putting a festive touch on deviled eggs, since we'd been asked to bring an appetizer.

I also made this cranberry jello salad for the occasion.

Then I was the one to ride about 5 miles an hour in our van behind Rose while she road the horse, Liberty, the 3 or 4 miles across country to the fire station, bells jingling.

It was a quiet, fun ride. I spent it praying a lot for my children.
After we caroled at the door of the fire station, Rose dried the horse off  and gave her hay to eat, and Sam got a bucket of water for her.
The firemen's kids enjoyed getting to meet the horse.

It was a fun evening. Each of the firemen received a special gift, and congratulations were given to those who had finished the EMT training.

A plaque of thanks was given to a man who had done a new sign for the fire station.

Thanks were also given to the firemen for their service, and to the families who let them serve at any and all times of day and night.

 During one of the days of clinicals, Sam was the one to administer the life-saving dose of activated charcoal to a young teenager who had overdosed on Tylenol, trying to end her life.

Within weeks, he was taking turns pumping the chest of a heart attack victim, who was gone before they even got there, but the protocol is to try to save the life. The very next day there was another call for a heart attack victim. Our family sometimes stops to pray for the people as Sam jumps into his uniform and runs to his truck to drive to the fire station.

He flew home again early from PA after finding out that a needed class for Wildlands Fire Training was happening this week. He plans to be on call at any time for deployment of up to 25 days at a time to help fight wild fires, as soon as Peyton gets their paperwork finalized and fire truck certified, etc.

He turned 21 three weeks ago.

Sam wanted pumpkin roll for his birthday meal.

 

I also found this candy bouquet 75% off the day we celebrated his birthday--and it was perfect table centerpiece for him!

There he goes right now for his shift tonight at the fire station.