If you saw my recent Facebook status...you'll know I finished Christmas shopping for my family...and will now be eating like a Victoria's Secret Angel to cut costs.

I'm not one to really get into the gift giving. I find Christmas gifting stressful because it's expected of you. My style is more like this...

Lalalala walking through a cute shop in Snoqualmie, WA on March 3, and I spy a lumberjack teddy bear.

"My my isn't that the cutest lumber jack Moose ever?!" (I'm taking writer's license and making it a moose now)

*Thought bubble pops up over my head with a picture of my tiny nephew Sawyer*

*Light bulb*

*Wips out apple pay (we are soooo 2016) and buys the lumberjack moose*

*puts moose in priority mail box and sends to Glide, OR*

*Sawyer opens package and squeals in glee as he puts the moose's head in his mouth*

Mission successful

Does that make sense y'all? I'd rather see something, think of a person and give it to them without there needing to be a societal validation for the giving. My validation is...I care for this person and would like to be a blessing to them.

I balk and recoil at the obligation that comes with the Holidays and Birthdays that now require a gift or else you don't care at all.

As Dwight Shrute would say. "False"

It's not because I'm cheap or selfish. No, I'd rather recieve a gift mid May because there is no other reason that I am receiving it besides the fact that the giver thought of me randomly and wanted to express it. And I'd rather give a gift without any obligation so the person receiving knows my intention is duty free. (not duty free like in the airport with the no tax on super expensive stuff...you know what I mean)

So as we go into this gift giving extravaganza of a holiday that's been super commercialized...remember to think about and show appreciation for those special ones year round. Maybe don't make such a big deal about presents and who gave what this year. Simply be thankful for what you are given and give gifts from a place of love, not duty.

Fire season lasts for about 6 months.

For me that's 6 months every year guaranteed away from my family.

Since College (which was 4 years also far from home) I haven't had a full time job near my family.

Mount Adams as seen from Trout Lake, Washington

Nope...first Alaska, then Arizona for the most recent years.

Reason A) There aren't jobs to be had in the field I want locally

Reason B) I have a wandering itchy foot

SO days like today, when I am lucky enough to have my two mandatory R&R days only three hours from home are a HUGE BLESSING! This is after 14 of working. Not complaining...the last roll for me was 21 days before R&R. This is normal real life for wildland folks in the summer.

This is a brief summary of why I love being home with my family.

My Mom hugs me and feeds me good homemade food (I block out the vegetarian lasagna MRE memories)
My Dad tells me all the goings on at the ranch so I don't feel like I've missed out too badly
And Sarah my Sweet-Sister-In-Law drove the 3 hours over the mountains with her baby in the backseat just to pick me up at my helicopter in Eastern Oregon and bring me the 3 more hours back home!

{I am highly blessed. My family is brimming with kindness and love for me and dedicated to supporting me in whatever way they can from far away. Convenience is not a word they understand...no they will jump any hurdle to support me and to get even the briefest times together}

Each year I anticipate not seeing them for the full 6 months...but this year I am unimaginably thankful to see them in the middle.

Only 63 days to go!

Here is a mash-up of photos I've taken on this last roll. Some are taken on my phone, some with my Go-Pro...the quality isn't that great for some but at least you get the idea!