Random stuff

This will be a bit longer post. First I'd like to remind that even though I'm the moderator and have control over posts, this is your blog, too. I'd like to take some time to answer a comment left from a fellow WFFW (girlfriend):
I'm a WWF gf, this is my first season. He was sent out on his first fire today. I thought I was prepared to deal with the waiting, but I'm so scared. How do you deal with the not knowing?

I have learned (15yrs now) how to deal with the waiting. One piece of advice: Stay busy, and keep your cell phone close. When you're not busy, doing things you normally would be doing, your mind has time to worry and wonder what's happening. When we first got married, I remember thinking I couldn't leave the house (this was before cell phones were really popular) because he "might" call. Now, with cell phone in hand, I continue to leave the house and have fun with family and friends. You have to "keep the fire burning" (no pun intended) while they are gone. My husband shared with me, how he feels relieved knowing that I am at home keeping things together and how he wants me to go do things. I enjoyed (before having a child) scrap booking........it's relaxing and makes me happy to see pictures with his smiling face!! My husband and I have a strong belief in God, so I just pray for his safety and pray for my peace of mind while he's gone. Hang in there, know that you are not alone in your feelings and that during fire season, especially, many women are just like you. But, from my husband's advice to me and I'm sure your BF would agree, it helps them to think clearly and do their job if they know you are okay. Plus, you have this blog to come to and read...

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Now, for some random stuff (might help you, too) but I'm feeling like this needs to be posted tonight.

Tonight while saying our bedtime prayers, my son (2 1/2 yrs) informed me that he would pray. Usually I pray and he copies my words. So tonight, he bowed his head with hands folded and eyes closed. His little whisper words "Dear God, Daddy....Fire.....Home.......all done." I almost started crying knowing that in his mind, he was talking to God about keeping his Daddy safe and bring him home, soon. In a bit of regards to the above post, yes, I still worry when he's gone. I am always praying for his safety and for his strength while on the fire line. However, I have realized that as a WFF Wife and now Mommy, I have to be an example to my son. If he knows how much I love Daddy and he hears my continuously talk about Daddy, then he will grow up to know that his Daddy works hard to provide for our family. Daddy loves us and misses us. He's always thinking about us. Daddy is good at his work and loves being outside. His Daddy can't wait to come home and go play with us, too. I'm finding this whole role of being a WFFW has changed now with a child.

For my peace of mind, my husband bought this really cool device called a SPOT device. When he's in an area where he can't get cell service, he just hits the button, which sends a message to my cell phone and to my email. It is a GPS tracking device, so on a google map, it marks the exact location where he's at. I love when I get the message on my cell phone, because I feel like he had a moment to say "I'm thinking about you" but couldn't use the phone....he used his SPOT device. Tonight he told me that he programmed another button this year, to send me a message to my cell phone but not email. It will simply say "I love you." When he told me this tonight, during our phone call as he's been on a fire for 6 days and looks like it will be another 2 weeks, I wanted to cry. To know that he has moments during the day when I cross his mind, in the midst of being hot, tired and working in extreme conditions. During the day when I get the GPS message, I tell our son to come to the computer so we can see Daddy. He sits on my lap and as I zoom into the map, you can actually see a red dot in the exact area where Daddy is. Obviously it's not a live picture, in most cases it's about a year old satellite picture. But our son gets excited, puts his finger on the dot and says "I see Daddy!!" He leans in close to the computer screen and kisses it. He started saying (this week) after he kisses it "I love my Daddy". So after that random rambling, I just encourage you to find a special way to keep in touch with your WFF. I am not selling, nor do I have any intentions of selling this product. But if it's an expense you can afford, I suggest the SPOT tracking device. We also use SKYPE when he's in an area where he's on his laptop (usually travel status, not on a fire). This morning, while he was in staging, we got to SKYPE with him with the web cam. Our son had so much fun making silly faces at his Daddy and talking to him, too. For me, it was sooooo good to see him. Even though I know what he looks like (since we've been married for a long time), it is such a good feeling to see him not just hear his voice. The only part I hate, is at the end of the call, when we say "Talk to you later" and hang up. For me that part of a phone call, and now SKYPE is the hardest. We don't like to say "good-bye" because it's not, it's a "see you later" moment. To me "good-bye" seems like a permanent statement. "See you later" means we'll see each other again soon. Those are just a few funny quirks I have. I also save text messages from him, so I can read them when I'm missing him and sad. I love to read the words and feel like I can hear him say them to me. I have surrounded myself with a big support group of friends from church, other WFFW and lots of my non-fire friends & family. They help with things while he's gone and also just offer a huge support of any physical needs and also help pray for him. The friendship I have with one WFFW has been especially encouraging to me. She is awake late at night, when I can't sleep, so we text each other. We take our kids to parks and do other stuff with them, too. We don't ever have a pity party over being alone, rather we keep each other strong and encourage each other on hard days. Just to know she knows exactly what I'm going through, first hand, is so special to me. I would have never been blessed to have her friendship just because. But, because we are both very faithful, supportive WFFW, we have developed a strong friendship, too. Not to mention our husbands are on the same crew.
I hope this post isn't boring or makes you feel like I'm bragging. I simply am sharing some things that I have discovered or done over the years. Every year, I still worry. But these small things have helped me tremendously!!!

I pray for safety for your WFF this year!! I pray that you find comfort in knowing that he loves you!! Stay busy, stay strong, be supportive and love on him, lots!!