Whew....glad that is over!!

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.  ~William Arthur Ward

I am officially declaring today "National hug, kiss, slap the ass, or whatever to your local firefighter day" Can I just say that I have always liked me a fireman...what's not to like, they usually are tall, handsome, MUSCULAR, hott....you get the picture. Even George Strait sings a song about a fireman. Well, today and forever I will be more than grateful for these men.

Let me just start off by saying that this last Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day in Oklahoma. We had near 80 degree temps....in January. How crazy is that? Needless to say, if you live in Oklahoma you were outside enjoying the weather. Which is exactly what my family was doing. My brother and Dad have been working at the ranch most weekends, and my mom and I wanted to get outside and do something to enjoy the beautiful day. So, we loaded up and headed out to do some Ranch work. I was channeling my inner Pioneer Woman, which I somewhat did...more on this topic later.

After a long hard day of work...yes, work. I actually did some ranch work other than just sitting around looking pretty. We received a phone call that there was a huge fire that started on HWY 4-12 ( which is a hwy that is about 10 miles from my parents house). If you know me, you know that I over react at everything. Needless to say I was already a mess, crying, worrying about the animals, all of our family pictures, baby pictures of my brother and I, memories....oh and not to mention my car that is in the driveway. All my family members were with me, my dogs were at my house, my parents dog was outside...the only animal we were worried about was my brothers horse, which was locked up the pin. Praying someone let him loose.

I have been through a some what fire before in college. My apartment complex caught on fire and buildings A and B had already burned down and my apartment was in  building C... which was next in line. I drove up to the scene, ran across the street, passed the OHP, Firefighters everything, no one was stopping me from getting stuff out of my apartment. First thing I grabbed...my "Friends" DVDs all 10 seasons, then my cap and gown, lap top, pictures, clothes, my roommates clothes and pictures. Then the fireman stopped the fire and all was right in the world.

Back to Saturday...we were about an hour or so away...it took my mom and I 25 minutes to get to our house. The scene was like out of a movie. 20 or so fire trucks, huge black smoke directly over my parents house...my mom and I were balling, we just knew the house and everything in it was gone. We were worried about the horse, my brothers horse, hoping that someone had let him loose and out of his lot.

We parked the truck and before my mom even stopped the truck I had already bailed out and took off running.

Someone had told us they had evacuated all the houses in that area and wasn't allowing anyone near their house...well, I had news for them. My mom and I were getting to that house and I dare any of them to have stopped us. My mom is a feisty one and you don't mess with her...I'd like to say put in the right situation that I am the same way. You don't mess with  either of us.

So, here we are the two of us, running to the house...its probably a mile run, my pants are falling off me...so I am running and pulling my pants up...that's talent!! We reach the firefighters who tell us, they got the fire stopped right before it reached our house, that our house is ok. Well, that's great...amazing in fact....but we still need to get there to check on the horse. He wasn't letting me. I start yelling at him, because I like to argue and don't take no for an answer and at one point he tells me that if I don't calm down he might have to tackle me. Yeah, right. I just ran a mile, I am pretty sure your tubby ass can't catch me to tackle me mister! What happened to firemen being fit and hot by the way??

We finally calm down,knowing that the house is fine. We meet with the firefighter and his station that was responsible for keeping the fire from getting to my parents house. Just a brief description so you get an idea. The fire had rolling flames that were taller than the trees, Oklahoma wind was making it worse and they stopped it literally across the street. If they hadn't my parents house and all of our memories would have been gone. This little 5ft firefighter saved our memories...and I couldn't thank him enough. He walked us to the house and we found the horse, he was in the pasture. Safe but nervous and freaked out. All the animals were ok, everything was ok. Eventually they let us back up there and in the house, which the smoke from the fire just took over the house and my car, but so thankful that it is all we have to deal with. I would much rather be washing clothes for days than to be looking for memories in ashes.

No houses were burned and as far as I know there were no injuries human or animal. It literally took fire stations from all over to help put this 10 mile or longer fire out. At least 50 different stations helped out. I think this is why they call it a brotherhood. I completely understand it now. They risk their lives everyday to save people they don't even know. I will forever be grateful to them.

Thank you to all the men and woman who put on that suit and put out fires!