Comments on: Friday at the Fire Station~ What’s it Like Being A Fireman’s Wife?

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 21:40:27 +0000

Thank you so much for your sweet comment and I am glad you found my blog. It is tough but I will tell you it does get easier and you adjust to the schedule. It is definitely a tough season when you have little ones. I actually love the homeschool part of it because it does allow for us to be together more as a family and even if my husband is gone the rest of us are together! It does take self sacrifice but definitely worth the investment. As the older ones get older they can be great helps too!
Prayers for your family and your husbands safety too!
Jen

By: Kristy Hall

Kristy Hall — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 11:38:02 +0000

Thank you for this blog! Sometimes I need the reminder that I'm not the only one going through this. It is tough! My husband and I have been married almost 4 years. We have been together 5. He started at the fd when we had been dating a couple months. The part that really helped me was that I was a full time emt for 3 years before we met. So I understood the schedule and sacrifices. But it's still harder when kids become involved. He has 2 girls from a previous marriage. They are now 7 & 10. And we have 2 boys together. They are 2 & 1 (14 months apart). Its a constant battle to have time together as a family. I couldn't imagine trying to homeschool too but everything else is correct. Instead of the summer wildland fires this family prepares for every year, we took the other option of having his own business and usually hes gone sometimes 6 or 7 days a week! It is hard on us at home but we wake up and do it everyday. It's hard for me to find time to do much, because chasing 2 small boys is a full time job. I don't have much time to offer to a job as much as I could use some time away, because I need to be there with the kids growing up when their dad cant be. Not to mention the cost of daycare! About ($200/wk from what i've seen) So most days the boys and I, and some times the girls too, just try to survive each other and do the best we can and hoping to have family time in the evening for a few hours. One day, this season will pass and all the time away will pay off. I will pray for your family and your husband's safety! Kristy

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 22:48:23 +0000

In reply to kjdav. That was so sweet and thanks for sharing! It sounds like you have some really fond memories of those years and times being with your Mom when you Dad was gone. I love having sleepovers with my kids when my husband is gone or have a special or "fun" dinner. They will sometimes take turns of who sleeps in my room when it falls that he is gone on a weekend night. That is a great idea that your mom kept a scrapbook of times when he made the paper. Such fun memories! I totally relate with what your mom says about he was gone for a third of their married life. So true. It definitely takes sacrifice on all parts. Have a blessed day!

By: kjdav

kjdav — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 19:46:41 +0000

My Dad (of blessed memory) was a fire fighter for 30 years, and his schedule was much like your husband’s–24 on/48 off. Each year, men got two different times off–July through December, they got up to two weeks of vacation time; January through June, there’d be a week for “holiday time” (supposedly to make up for any missed holidays). If there was an especially big fire, he might be called in if the next day was not his regular shift. They also had “time on the book” (not sure how that was earned). When I graduated from high school, he took 6 such hours so he could attend.
Although Mama worked all those years, he always worked some extra job–service stations (back when an attendant filled your tank), delivery, and finally as an electrician.
For Mama and me, those nights he was away gave us a special bond. We could eat the foods or watch tv shows he didn’t like. When I was very young, I’d sleep with Mama. His picture made the local paper several times, and Mama kept a scrapbook of those. In one of the first, he was giving oxygen to a little dog rescued from a burning house. Mama often said she knew every night he went out on a fire because she’d wake up and realize it was some odd hour. After he retired, they joked that they had been separated for a third of their married life. Even today, if I have to do something every third day, I just remember Daddy’s schedule and I’m able to stay on track.

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 04:09:06 +0000

In reply to Kristy.

Hi Kristy! Thanks for visiting my blog. I love to hear when other fire wives stop by. That’s cool you have a very similar story. It was fun to write and reflect back to when we started and where we have come. I’m sure most of us fire wives, whether we marry a fire fighter or they get hired later on, can relate to so much with the schedule and day to day life. It’s nice to know we have others that are in our same boat! I hope you are your family also have a very blessed Christmas!
Jen

By: Kristy

Kristy — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 14:15:44 +0000

Do we lead parallel lives?! Lol. So much of your story as to how we became a fire family is so similar. I also have very similar feelings about things. I’d love to do my own version of this post if you wouldn’t mind. I hope your sweet family has a very blessed Christmas.