Happy Birthday Chief

Today is the birthday of a special friend...a special member of our "family"...Chief Lynn Yowell of the Limon Police Department.   Lynn is one of those guys who is just one of "those guys".   One that is hard to maybe put in words...but one I admire very much.   If for no reason of the things I don't even know he has done for my daughter and her family.   When we lost Jay, the Chief "put on his uniform" (this is something that I have observed in watching many of the officers I have come to know...they put on that uniform and they are different...it is part of their armor I suppose...)  But in going through some of things that they go through...they need all the armor they can get.  I was just amazed sometimes in what the Chief got through when his heart was hurting right along with the rest of us.   Many things he just took care of without putting any more on Heather or Jay's family.   And I guess that is the thing that touches one of Lynn Yowell--his heart...

I have had others who do not live in Limon that observed from the outside and commented on what a guy that Chief is...to which I usually reply I know. I caught some pics of the Chief in action on Good Friday...that is when we ended up having Jay's memorial as there was quite the storm on March 9th. But the Chief wanted to make sure that a memorial was held.  

One of the things that was a part of the memorial was the Mike James Memorial Award was presented...for Jay Sheridan (received by Heather and Isabel Sheridan), Russell Lengel, Albert Leach, and Josh Morrison.  This award was quite the honor for these officers...though the pain that we all relived as the Chief read a letter that brought back memories of that fatal night.

In this picture Jay's little Peanut had walked back over to see what her mom had received.   Although while the Chief was speaking...Izzy in her love for one Grandad and Grammy...I am sure she could feel their pain across the way and so she went and stood with them...holding Grandad's hand and Grammy's leg...letting me know that a part of Jay was touching them and all of us in our tears.   But at the photo above, the Chief is just watching...waiting for one little girl to turn around...bringing a smile to many of our faces in how one little girl can get these tough cops just hop to...

I can't help but smile watching them as uniform and all...they don't seem to mind showing a little vulnerability...I know we share our daughter with another "dad"...a bond that I wish they would have never had to form but I couldn't ask for a better one IF it had to be done...Heather once said that she and Lynn have more photos together than her and Jay did...another example...but this one just seems to capture these two...

So I didn't mean to make this a sad one...just one of respect and admiration to a very special guy...who WELL we won't say how old!!!   BUT HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A VERY SPECIAL GUY!   We are thankful and blessed to know you!

I have many more pictures...perhaps for another blog...I tend to get too long winded...and there are MORE pictures...perhaps another day...another blog.    So I say Happy Birthday Lynn and hope you had an amazing Birthday!!!

lyp

Blown away...

I sit here watching the Voice and two of the singers sing the song BLOWN AWAY (A Carrie Underwood song that Izzy used to tell me her and Uncle Andoo like that song)...and I look out the window and I wonder if we will be blown away.   It is as though we are living in a dust bowl...Though I am thankful for the homes we have...the protections that I know were not in place for many during those days.

I see pictures from those up north who actually have snow.    And how we pray for moisture.   I was given a verse awhile back it seemed actually a whole chapter...But the following just touched me one morning....Isaiah 58...

It is an amazing scripture but the Here I am...had hit me and little did I know it was one of those that was one that I would call on more.   Not long after I read these verses, we made the decision to sell our cows.   Some might not understand what those who have raised cattle all their life...(no that wouldn't be me) but for the shepherd...they are a part of him.   As I have said before...he is a shepherd.   It is in his makeup to care for these animals and so it is a hard decision to let them go.   But with others we know and some we don't know...it is a decision that looms for many.  

The winds continue to blow...a friend said the other day that his grandmother said it was the worst that she had seen...and she has had many years looking at the prairie.  I saw pictures of some places up north that it appears as a desert...many talk of the dust bowl...and days such as this make you think of it.   I pray for rain...for any sort of moisture..."a sun-scorched land". 

I caught a few pics of the last cows being loaded up the few that were at the house...And the shepherd in true shepherd form told me that maybe they would get some green grass...

And so on to a new season...I wonder what waits ahead...but I seem to hear from many directions FAITH!    I pray for all of those who are making their own decisions...

I pray for those from the Boston marathon...This morning I woke up thinking okay I am going to finish off my taxes and so I decided to take a personal day.   I wanted to finish up some pictures I am working on for my friend Trudy Hardy's new and exciting venture...she is opening a coffee shop and bakery in Fowler...THE BUNKHOUSE!   It is such a cool place and I am  so excited for her...

I was reminded of those that were lost on this day.   That five years ago today...we had terrible winds and the Ordway fires...so though these winds blow praying that the fires stay away.   Jennifer shared of losing her husband Terry who was a fireman during that fire...my thoughts and prayers go out during these "anniversaries".   And thankful for our nephew Calvin and family that are there...

I realized that my "taxes" wasn't really a big deal in the whole scheme of things...so I hang on to those last lines of Isaiah..."like a spring whose waters never fail".    I think of finding the good...that picture I include is one I took the other night when we were working at the "shack" trying to get our equipment to cooperate.    I had stopped by on the way home and as I went to leave...the sun seemed to set and shine on the waters and so I of course had to snap some shots...and the peace that one feels in times as this...and I hear the silent whisper of God...Here I am...Here I am.

Well I think I will  head off of here...may tomorrow the wind have blown itself away.   For you all that have snow or rains...count your blessings...or send it our way.  

lyp