Family :: Firefighter Wife

Wrestling Season is Over

Posted on February 14, 2011 by HotWife

She had such a great showing. I’m so very proud of her and excited that she found a sport she can get excited about. Even after all this hard work, tons of practice and quite a few losses she has set a goal of going to state next year.

She placed 7th at regionals and was one match away from going to state. So close! Frustrating of course, but darn good job for first season ever stepping onto the mat. It’s awesome to see her grow and especially awesome to see her determination to win showing up. Next year she’ll be able to learn more moves and finish more of these basics that she already has ingrained and are coming naturally. I’m beaming with pride for how well she’s done.

State is next week and she still needs to go to practice next week in order to get her letter. We have 3 out of our 9 going to state! I’m not sure what the boys team ended up sending yet as they were at a different location.

She’ll be on to track after this and I’m excited for that also. I was big into track so I’m looking forward to seeing where the coaches use her. Even though she wants to do the mile or more, I doubt they do that. She beats most of the boys in sprints so I know where she’ll be. She’s her Momma’s girl after all

After track it will be training for next wrestling season. I’ll put this degree to work for something productive!

Categories : Cheers, Family

Comments (0)

Off to Wrestling Regionals!

Posted on February 10, 2011 by HotWife

I haven’t posted near enough about this as it’s been a huge thing for our family the last few months. Our daughter sprung on us the week before practice started that she was going to wrestle. Awesome, we love wrestling. Oh boy, I had absolutely no idea what a commitment for me this was going to be. She doesn’t drive and the girls team doesn’t practice right after school. Our district has no money so I was also helping to transport to tournaments on weekends and meets during the week. I put 200 miles on my suburban in the first 10 days! Add the carpool weeks (every third week) and there have been many days I’ve made 4 or more trips to the high school.

But it’s been totally worth it to see her enjoy a sport finally. She’s gotten so much better since the beginning of the season and it’s amazing how strong she’s gotten. She’s done an incredible job of dieting and dropping weight even through the holidays. All her friends were eating junk food at the New Year’s Eve party and she was busy with her salads and fruit with a little side of gold fish crackers. WOW.

All her hard work, including double practices twice a week, is paying off. She took fourth in districts last Saturday and we’re off to regionals this weekend. She’s never been very competitive by nature but she found it last weekend. Hubby and I are quite competitive so it was brutal to see her be so ok with losing. Don’t get me wrong, we know it’s her first time ever wrestling, but there just wasn’t a fire. On Saturday she wanted on that podium in a bad way. AND she did it! So freaking proud of her!

Hubby is scheduled to work next Saturday but our department is so awesome. He put out an email to switch shifts with someone and had a ton of emails back immediately. So now he gets to go with us while we battle to move on to state! Very thankful for the guys who understand how important family is and are willing to switch days.

7 of the 9 girls on our team moved on to regionals and I don’t even know how many of the boys. Our boys team wiped out all the other teams with almost double the points of second place. It’s going to be so exciting to cheer on all the girls on Saturday. I’ll make sure and report back how it goes.

Categories : Cheers, Family

Comments (0)

When the Crazy Schedule Works

Posted on January 25, 2011 by HotWife

We can’t count on holidays off, or weekends, or even what time shift will end. But there are so many times I’m thankful for how well this crazy schedule works for us.

Our daughter has been wrestling this year and unfortunately hubby has had to miss at least half the meets and tournaments because of work. I’m sure there have been days I’ve driven him crazy with a million texts as I sit alone at a tournament. I know he really wanted to be there too. For those that don’t know, with travel time, these tournaments are 10-14 hour days for me and mostly leaning towards 14. I had no idea what we were getting into when my daughter told us a week before practice started lol

Thinking back too our construction job days and that schedule, he probably wouldn’t have made many of the events at all. Commute would have gotten him home too late to see her weekday meets and he generally worked 6 days a week so tournaments would have been out. Forget taking a day off back then, there was no vacation or sick pay. Never has a day gone by that I miss those days, even at the beginning when we struggled with the income difference.

I’m truly thankful for this crazy schedule because it allowed us to get out of town as a family for a big tournament. No worry about needing a day off because it hit on a four day.

He barely had any sleep for 5 days so he wasn’t much of a road trip companion on the way there, but I’ll forgive him because at least he was awake and drove. I’m sure I annoyed him enough with my chatter to keep him wide awake. Some of us just have our gifts lol

Three days of very little responsibility and I’m now ready to rock out the work week. We got to meet quite a few of the other parents (boys team) and went out with them one night as well. Definitely nice to unwind after a long tournament day with other parents in the same boat.

Yes, there are many times that his schedule keeps us from doing things as a family. But the times he’s available make up for every day we miss him.

Categories : Cheers, Everyday, Family

Comments (6)

New Station

Posted on January 10, 2011 by HotWife

I can’t blame it completely on the new station, but it’s not as convenient that’s for sure. For the last 4 years he’s been at the station 2 miles away. It’s single level and you could count on someone being in the computer room/office area to let you in. Also because everyone knows my car and me of course and many times I was dropping off food. lol

Now he’s at the headquarters station and the living quarters are upstairs. There’s no surprise stop by’s if he’s not there, unless I know who else is working that day. Then I can call or text them to come down and let me in, BUT WHO DOES THAT? arghh, this is going to be a major change for my family. It’s only around 6 miles from my house, but it’s just so different.

The shift started with him getting no sleep and then my being gone the full next day he was home. He was a sweetie and stayed up until I got home at 10:30 from the wrestling tournament just because he wanted to see me. He was up way too late considering he got no sleep and had to work again, but I can’t fault him for the thought! So glad he isn’t the kind of guy that will get embarrassed by my saying that. If he wasn’t the kind of guy that cared he wouldn’t be in this job lol

Then he was back to work today for the second day of the set. I’ve seen him for about 2 hours in over 80. This is weird, especially since he wasn’t out of town. I’ve had some random texts, but otherwise it’s been pretty busy for him. Whether it’s just getting adjusted to being there or calls I can’t be sure until I get more time with him. Typically you know if you’ve been having a text conversation and it goes one sided then they got calls

Previously we would have been down at the station today to visit. But it’s weird he’s at the new station. He is used to that station and after hoboing so much the second year I know he doesn’t care. But the kids and I aren’t used to visiting him many other places. We’ve rarely visited him at the HQ, it’s so busy that I always leave stuff in his car for him. I guess this is the heart of the issue. “I” need to get comfortable with where he is at and do it quickly. He’s already fine with it. But truly, it was a jammy day for me and I didn’t want to leave the house. I’ll fess up to that.

Completely positive note?! If I visit during M-F then I can hang out and chat with my friend that works there too I think she expects a grande non-fat vanilla latte though lol

It’s going to be great that he is still on B shift and the people he’s working with. It’s just so very different and will take me some time to get used to. It wasn’t normal that we spent 4 years ‘as is’. I’m glad it did stay that way, though not all the reasons why it stayed that way. If it hadn’t stayed the same for so long I wouldn’t have the friends that I do, that change no matter what shift we are on.

I guess I’ll ask my readers…does it matter what shift you are on? I say it that way because YES, WE are in this together and WE are on a shift.

Categories : Everyday, Family

Comments (8)

Ugh, New Year’s Eve

Posted on January 1, 2011 by HotWife

It may be the last holiday he has to work for at least a year, but I still have to make it through it!

We don’t even really celebrate New Year’s but it can be a darn lonely night if I don’t plan for it. We’ve never gone to parties because we don’t want to be on the road after midnight when all the drunks go home. So not much has changed there with me being home. I still don’t want to be out on the road and especially since B shift is going to show up and be cranky if something happens. lol Previously hubby was so tired from working construction and then probably on volunteer calls, I’ve spent many a New Years alone in our 21 years.

This year the kids had plans and I decided to stay home alone. My world has been so crazy busy that I’m glad I made the decision. Plus my dogs are really not doing well with the fireworks that have been going off since 3pm. They are just about hyperventilating now as the fireworks go off more now that we are close to midnight.

I did have some guilt for not joining some of the other wives home alone, but I’m so glad I didn’t leave my dogs. They don’t do well with fireworks and now that it hit midnight it’s going crazy. They are all twitching around me.

I know he’s worked the holiday before, but this is the first year I can remember getting a text message at midnight. I think I’ll sleep just fine now. I’m sorry he couldn’t sleep (can understand since I can hear the same fireworks at our house) but I’m a sappy fool and glad I got a New Years text message. Life is good and I’m determined that 2011 just carry on all the things that are going great!

Categories : Family, Relationship

Comments (3)

Odd Christmas Eve

Posted on December 25, 2010 by HotWife

As I still sit up wrapping presents at 2am, it hit me…this is the first Christmas Eve he’s worked full-time.

I don’t think you ever realize how much you do on a holiday, or side holiday, until they aren’t a part of it.

Now Christmas Eve I understood how much we’ve done together. Thankfully my kids are teens (well youngest will be in 2 months) and nothing needs to be put together until they open it. But it’s still a lot of wrapping tonight.

Obviously I’m up for the challenge as I can’t sleep. Yes, I am excited for the kids to open their presents. But I’m also excited for hubby to be on his 4 day. He worked 96 hours this week and I miss the hell out of him! It’s been a very long week and even when he was home on Thursday, he took a nap and then I fell asleep with him. lmbo That’s how busy the weeks been. I haven’t napped in a long time.

Even though there isn’t as much to put together as normal, I’ve still been stuck with a lot of wrapping tonight/morning. Lot’s of presents to wrap and that is a good thing. It means that we’ve gotten to buy presents for each other and in this economy I really appreciate that. We’ve been on the other end for most of our years and it’s nice to be at a spot this year that we can buy the top things on the kids lists. It’s also awesome to know the kids don’t expect these things. That we’ve taught them some value of money and they understand that they can’t ask for the world and expect it…but still ask

Categories : Family

Comments (9)

Today I am Still Thankful

Posted on November 25, 2010 by HotWife

I wonder if it will ever NOT be weird to have him gone on a holiday? Probably not, even when I prepare for it. You just really can’t get over that little piece missing no matter where the celebration is happening. We have a big dinner planned for tomorrow when he’s home and we’re doing it up different by grilling and smoking the turkey. Something to look forward to

But with how much life changes each year I wanted to post things I’m thankful for today because it’s so easy to look at the negative.

** I’m thankful for his job that he still loves.

** I’m thankful for the time his job gives us as a family to go run off camping together at odd times

** I’m thankful for the fact that his job gives us time together during weekdays to go shopping or to the range or other things that are too busy on weekends to enjoy much.

** I’m thankful for the support of our many friends and especially the other wives. No one gets that you aren’t “complaining” when you just have to vent about work, like another wife going through the same thing daily.

** Most importantly I’m thankful for every morning he comes home from work, even if I wanted to sleep in on the weekend. I’ll take every day I can get

Happy Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?

Categories : Family, Inspiration and Poems, Relationship

Comments (4)

Too Much Fun Before Set Starts…

Posted on November 24, 2010 by HotWife

means that the set will seem extra long.

I was putting the analogy together before, but now I know it’s official. We had a great time camping with the kids and a day to ourselves during his four day. Oh wait, he had a “K” day in there so that means it was a 6 day. All the more reason it went well

This means that it will be even more difficult for me when he goes back to shift. It’s the middle of the set now and I miss the heck out of him. Having so much fun before the set just makes it worse. lol No winning, I know. However, I do have a date day planned with him on Saturday so I guess I may be a little more excited than normal for this set to be over. Oh and there is also the dinner and movie night planned with friends on Friday. See, I have yet another 4 day planned of fun. Next week will be difficult as well.

Such is life as a firefighter wife. We have always worked at having as much fun as possible and at this stage in our lives it just seems a given we have to. Kids aren’t getting any younger is our excuse now. When they have moved out I wonder what our excuse will be? tee-hee-hee

Categories : Family, Relationship

Comments (0)

Happy Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2010 by HotWife

I hope everyone is having an awesome Halloween! I’m feeling very unfestive tonight and just may shut the curtains and keep the porch light off. lol So not normal, I love Halloween. BUT, hubby’s working and both the kids are at parties for a few hours. I don’t want to hear the dogs bark every time someone knocks on the door.

I knew I should have bought the dogs costumes. I think that would have gotten me into the spirit. Thankfully we don’t get a lot of trick-or-treaters so I didn’t buy a lot of candy and I definitely didn’t buy all candy I’ll just sit here and eat.

I’ll be sitting here watching scary movies until it’s time to go get the kids. Thankfully it’s a school night so the parties aren’t late I’m so worn out from driving around the last few days. I’d just love to be in my jammies with no thought of leaving.

Categories : Family

Comments (0)

Archive for Family – Page 3