A pirate looks at 40 ~ The Admiral

It’s our captain’s 40th birthday tomorrow. It's been a rough month for him full of loss and heartache so I wanted to do something meaningful for him. It’s hard to get a gift for someone like our captain so instead of buying him something, I made him something. I put together a video looking back at his life over the last 40 years. I’ll let the video do the talking but I will say this about Steve: it’s rare to find a man who has lived his life putting others before himself. A man who has loved his children with everything he has, even if their choices take them in different directions. A man who has risked his own life to save others. A man who puts God first in everything he does in his life.

A recent discussion I had was about heroes. What makes a hero? Who are the modern day heroes? Famous coaches, athletes, movie stars, billionaires? These are people who are worshiped like gods and who’s only qualifying trait is they know a sport well, they play a sport well, they are good at pretending and they made lots of money. These same "heroes" live lives full of selfishness, debauchery and sin. Are these the type of people we should be raising up as heroes? Not at all, in my opinion!!! How about the men and women who put other's needs before their own? The ones who risk their own life for others? The ones who sacrifice things they want so others may have it. The ones who serve their country, their community, their family, their Lord God. The ones like my captain. My husband. The father of my children. He is a real hero. A real man. A real father. A real veteran. He is our hero.

I recently came across a poem that hit home for me. I don’t know the author but I share it with you today in honor of my Hero, my Captain, my Steve. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!! I love and respect you beyond words.

You are my rock, my anchor, and my sea. I live within you, yet you hold me fast. I breathe your soul. Your thoughts so blend with mine I can’t distinguish a dividing line. Before our love is unimagined past. There is no after – now is all to me.

I love you with a tenderness my past could never fathom. Before your love was mine, the person I remember wasn't me. There was no rope of love to hold me fast to life’s one truth within its restless sea, nor happiness to help me draw a line.

Winds of the world blow wild and free, and fast obliterate the most enchanted line. But there is now a well of love in me well past the wind, the turbulence well past, a serenity within me more than mine, an inner calm more endless that the sea.

Through love we’ve found a love past yours and mine. I will hold fast to what is best in me. Love draws its own shoreline and pounding sea.

In the beginning ~The Admiral

For those that know us, they know the beginning of the story. For those that don't, here's a brief not so brief recap.

We decided in 2010 that we were going to throw caution to the wind and begin a new journey. We have always known we would end up living on a sailboat, we just assumed it would be after all the kids were out of the house. Then down to two (of five) kids at home, and having started homeschooling those two, we started getting antsy for adventure. After a particularly trying week at work for Steve (Firefighter/EMT for 12 years), I made the bold statement "What are we waiting for?" That statement started sinking in and later that week, a news story of a man killed while sitting in his recliner, by a garbage truck crashing through his living room, sealed the deal. What were we waiting for? When someone's job brings them in contact with tragedy everyday, life begins to feel shorter and shorter. And so it began.

We started selling off our stuff. At this point, we lived in a small town in the middle of Missouri and it was December. It was cold and we had visions of palm trees in our heads. We sold off our furniture, our chickens, donated our clothes (most of them) and started the boat search. We knew what we wanted. A small boat that would be easy to maintain and get our feet wet. It needed bunks for four and accommodations for six. We both had experience sailing, so we knew just enough to be dangerous.

The perfect boat appeared in Florida, in the same town where Steve's Grandmother lives and while my Mother was visiting to watch the kids and dogs, we made arrangements to see her. (The boat and the Grandmother) Long story short, we saw her, loved her and bought her. (The boat, not Grandma) So now what?

We flew back, sold and donated the rest of our stuff; two weeks' notice to work and prepared for our adventure. After moving several times and always requiring the largest of moving trucks, I can't tell you how nice it was to pack things into the smallest moving trailer!

We stopped at the Gulf in LA.

That was 10 months ago. A lot has happened in those ten months. So many memories. Our oldest son came to visit, we learned all about exactly how solar power works (not the fun way) and Steve learned how to install a new diesel motor! We put it to video to sum up our brief but fun adventure aboard The Dreamer.

With all we've learned from our 1974 Morgan 28' OI, one thing was clear. We wanted a Morgan but we were ready for bigger. As God always does, He provided and we are now the proud owners of a 1974 Morgan 41' OI in need of some love and attention. So the games begin again and now our real adventure starts. Here's to an adventurous New Year. Here's to safe travels and fair seas. Here's to friends and family in 2012. Here's to No Más!

Our toast to No Más on our maiden voyage

~The Admiral.