Being a Firefighter's Wife
My husband Tyler is working on becoming a firefighter and works for Utah County Sheriffs during the summers and helps fight wildfires. This year, we decided that he would do tours. Tours is where you go help fight fires in different areas for about a 2 week period. He had the availability to do tours and we decided that it would help out our family financially.
Tyler enjoys fighting fires and I want him to do what he loves. If you knew Tyler, there would be no doubt in your mind that he should be a firefighter. That is just who he is. Plus, it is pretty nice to say that your husband is a firefighter :).
It is NOT easy for me though! I missed him the day that he left for his first tour. I had thoughts going through my head of things that would go wrong, and it wasn't doing me any good. I was really struggling the second and third night that he was gone. I hadn't heard from him because he didn't have service where he was and I wanted to know that he was alright.
On a Saturday night. I was brushing my teeth and my phone rang. It displayed a number that I didn't know. I thought that it could have been the person I had taken pictures for earlier that day and decided that if it was the wrong number, I would hang up. I answered the phone and it sounded like someone was speaking Spanish. I said, "What?". On the other line, I heard, "Miranda, it is Tyler". It took a second to click and then I said, "oh, oh hi!!". I was SO happy to hear his voice!!!!
I started getting teary eyed because I missed him so much. He couldn't talk long, but I was so happy that he called. He called on someone else's phone since his didn't have service. It was a blessing to me to hear from him because I was having a hard time the couple of nights before and him calling me gave me reassurance. They got to stay in a hotel on their first tour, so he had plenty of service and I would talk to him all the time (after the first few days of silence).
His first tour was in Texas (they drove 22 hours to get there!)
He got home exactly two weeks after he left and was home for a week. The second tour was near Duchesne at the Dollar Ridge Fire. The second tour felt like it lasted for FOREVER!!! His cell phone charging port was busted, so his phone was dead and he could only contact me using other coworker's phones. For that reason, I didn't hear from him as often as the first tour. The first tour was easier (besides the first few days) because I got to talk to him. Yes, it was hard having him away, but I knew he was alright. I even got to video call him several times, so we got to see each other.
He returned after 15 days, we got him a wireless charger, and then we were off to Island Park, ID for a family reunion! I wanted to spend all of my time with him at the family reunion since he had been gone for so long! His time with me flew by (of course) and then he was back to the station. We celebrated our third wedding anniversary that night, July 16th, (our anniversary is July 17th) because we didn't know if he would be called out the next day. Good thing we celebrated the day before because he did leave on another tour on our anniversary (which is the tour he is currently on at this moment). He called me and told me they were called out and that they weren't going to leave for another 2 hours. I drove down to the station so I could see him before they left.
The question came into my mind of why going on tours is different than a husband going on a business trip or something like that? First, the job is dangerous. Firefighters are dealing with a dangerous element. Second, there normally isn't good service where wildfires are at to contact their loved ones everyday and let them know they are okay.
Having him away just makes me realize how much we need to cherish and enjoy the moments that we have with the people that we love! As I have mentioned before, it is hard. It does get lonely, I just want to eat sweets all the time (but I'm trying to have some willpower), I watch more movies, I stay up later, and I want him to come home. The hardest part is probably being lonely because I want him to be around. I want to spend time with him and talk to him. Spending time with others while he is away is great, but it doesn't take away the fact that I miss my husband and want to spend time with him. Having him away makes him coming home that much better because we are SO happy to see each other!
My goal for when he is back from his tours is to spend more quality time with him and not let the small things get in the way and to just be HAPPY with him!
