Whatta Wednesday!

Our day began with this:

It's an old Allegan Fire Dept. patch I had purchased for Jacob from a popular on-line auction site. 

And this...

is the portrait of the villain who destroyed it and brought Jacob to tears.

As the mom, it's my job to fix it!

Jeremy and I took Jacob to preschool this morning, we went out for our breakfast, and went to our local (every city has such a store, right?) firefighter, police, paramedic, supply store to see if they had a patch to replace our chewed one.  The guy (who is one of Allegan's fire fighters and lives around the corner and down the street) has a wall full of patches from various departments he's done work for but, he didn't have an extra of this patch.   SHIT!  He says it's been replaced by a newer patch that we can only get from the fire chief.  Okay. Next stop.

We're at the fire station talking to Chief and I tell him my problem with our dragon patch but...he can't help me, he doesn't have one.  Instead, he opens his drawer and pulls out one of these:

A REAL Allegan Fire District patch!  It's the same one he wears on his shirt.

Then we're talking a little more and he opens his drawer again. 

And gives me this:

Now this patch, is an even more RARE patch than the one I was looking for as Allegan Township Fire no longer exists.  The city fire and township fire merged to create the Allegan Fire District.

Chief, Jeremy, and I were talking about how to help Jacob understand though he loves to see the firetrucks, the ambulances, and the firefighters - how it makes his day - someone else's day has been ruined.  You know, a little compassion.  As we were talking to Chief and his 2nd Chief (who came in to join us), their pagers went off, they looked at each other, said "That's us!" and they both ran out the door.  We heard something over their radios about a structure fire and we just plain got out of the way!

And then decided to follow the trucks.  I didn't have my camera but, yeah...it was a fire alright!  We could see the smoke from down the road and the bright orange flames coming out of the roof.

When we picked Jacob up from school, we took a drive out to the fire so Jacob could see.  He was telling us he'd heard the sirens at school.  "A lot of sirens!" 

We're, of course, praying for the family who lost their home this morning.

And our dedicated firefighters who worked hard to put the fire out.

A Fireman's Prayer...

When I am called to duty, God

Wherever Flames may rage,

Give me strength to save some life

Whatever Be its age.

Help me embrace a little child

Before it is too late,

Or save an older person from

The horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert and

Hear the weakest shout,

And quickly and efficiently

To put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling

And give the best in me,

To guard my every neighbor

And protect their property.

And if according to your will

I should lose my life,

Please bless with your protecting hand

My children and my wife.

-Author Unknown