Life at a "Swell's" pace

Last Saturday, May 4th, the Lebanon Fire District had their annual open house for the public. This open house is always a blast for us because Jeff is a very active volunteer fire fighter and having a little boy that loves fire trucks and fire engines, we just have to go. We made a day of it and even got to ride in a fire engine with Jeff driving!

Skylar enjoyed sitting, playing, and even hanging on the fire engines.

He got to hold one of the fire hoses and pretend he was putting out a fire.

He even got to try on daddy's fire hat.

The Fire Danger sign showed that it could be a pretty dry and hot summer this year in the Valley.

Jeff was able to be a driver of the fire engine we took a ride in.

Our little pal Conner got to ride with us too!

The fire engine we rode in was E35 with a nickname of "Hoover."

The boys really LOVED it!

The REACH Helicopter was brought in and we got to see how flight rescues work.

Two generations of fire fighters and a "Future" Fire Fighter in training.

Scott (Jeff's Brother), Chester (His Dad), and Jeff.

It was a pretty fun and educational day for us all!

Thank you to the Lebanon Fire District for allowing the public to see what all it takes to save lives everyday.

And thank you to Jeffrey Wilkerson and the other men and women of all fire districts and departments, full time and volunteers, that put your own lives in danger to save others. You are very appreciated!

Eco-Tip: Before throwing out old clothing that either don't fit anymore, or are stained, consider putting the clothing to another use. Uses like oil rags, using small pieces to mend other clothing or jeans, or even as dish rags. Re-purposing old clothing for other uses will keep them out of landfills and cut down on the waste that already takes over our planet. For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

This Plate.

Because he either has one eye, or he is the number one eye doctor. Either way, a very unique license plate.

This Penny.

Because gosh darn it, everyone needs a Barack Obama penny.

This Back-end.

Because I am calling the HOGS even in Oregon. Apparently I need to call them a bit louder seeing that last football season wasn't all that great. Maybe this year they will show us what they are made of.

These Peppers.

Because being allergic to bell peppers, this is almost death in a can for me.

These Marshmallows.

Because I can't stop eating them and I will say, they make the best marshmallow to add to s`mores.

These Herbs.

Because they are really convenient. They are my new go-to seasons for right now.

This Wax.

Because it make me laugh.

This Licorice.

Because they were almost too cute to eat.

These Cookies.

Because they are in the shape of footballs.

These Donuts.

Because I couldn't resist them, so I got some for Skylar and for Jeff too!

Eco-Tip: Opt for paper bags when buying groceries. If paper isn't available then go for reusable shopping bags. You can even make your own bag from an old t-shirt. Cut the sleeves off and sew along the bottom of the shirt. For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.