Update

So, where to begin? 

Last Monday night the wind starting blowing and the skies turned a weird grayish orange color. We were at my grandparents and they live up on a high hill. The wind really picked up and dust was blowing everywhere.

Around here if we don't get rain it gets pretty bad. Wildfires take off making our world full of smoke and the dust is so thick to begin with, that it's hard to breath.

Tuesday night (or Wednesday. I'm not sure) we decided to pack and be ready to evacuate if the time came. We hadn't gotten any calls from the fire department or anything but family members that lived close by were getting the calls so we decided to pack just to be safe.
I had no clue what to pack. I have so much stuff I love! So, I mostly grabbed clothes and a few books, my money, Bibles, my drawings, my last gift from my grandma before she past away (a doll) and a couple of my favorite movies. My head was spinning and I just couldn't believe we were actually packing to be ready to leave.

We never got the call but the next couple of days we stayed packed and ready.

Every time the phone rang my heart did a little jump and I thought, "This is it. We have to evacuate."

Damara's family, (who lives only 15 minutes away) got the call yesterday that they were reduced to evacuation level one. So we are in level one too, I believe, and are living life with the mind set of maybe having to pack at some point. So far it hasn't come to that and I'm grateful. We decided to unpack but have things where we can easily get to them. In level one you just need to be aware and prepared; know where everything is and be able to be ready to leave in about an hours time.

The smoke is still thick, and I mean, thick. It's actually been announced hazardous. Our house is very old so it doesn't protect us from the smoke all that well. It does a little but the smoke still comes in. We've had ash lying on our windowsills and the smell of smoke is sometimes so thick all you can do is cough. But it's a little better. I think. Unless I'm just getting used to it??

The fire is approximately 15 miles away from our house. It has burnt around 20,000 acres and is only 10% contained. But before then it was 0% contained so 10% is better than nothing.

The firefighters are staying at our hometown park which is right across the road to the right. So we can see it through our trees.
They have asked that no one would come by honking and yelling. They need their rest but we are welcome to put up signs for them. Which I did.
There was no way I was going to let my heroes stay seconds away from me and not let them know how much I appreciate them. So I made a sign and my dad drove me over to put it where they can see it. A few of the firefighters actually watched me put it up and my stomach was doing a little dance. *laughs* It was something I always dreamed of doing before, but now that they are fighting a fire nearby, I felt brave enough to do it. *winks*

 Taken at my grandparents on Monday evening. 

You can see just how thick the smoke is...

 All that gray in the sky is smoke... Normally you can see the distant 

hills back there.

 Started to clear up and then went back to thick.

This was taken yesterday. That little yellow

ball is the sun. 

 And this was taken today...

It's just crazy that this is happening so close to home. The fire isn't out by any means but it's a little safer for now. We still need rain and prayers. <3