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