Once a coyote, ALWAYS a coyote

Well, he's graduated! I can't believe my nephew will be entering college in August. My how time flies....

We had a wonderful weekend in Wichita Falls with my sister and her family. DJ's graduation was Saturday morning followed by lunch at their house then an afternoon of just visiting and laughing and having a great time. Our whole family was there. There are a lot of "little ones" running around so the energy level was VERY HIGH. We took lots of pictures and I thought I would share some with all three or four of you!! This one is of my sister's family...My brother-in-law, Carl and nephews, DJ and Garrett. My sister, Tina and nieces, Sydney and Nicole. And the most precious of the family - their maltese - Punkin.

Housekeeping 101

Hey ya'll! I haven't had much time to blog this week. Clint and I both are recovering from the worst stomach virus ever and this week was the "virtual tour" shoot for our house. Most of you know our home is for sale - we are headed back to Lake West to the family homestead. We are very excited but sad to leave this house. My house is pretty clean, now I am a self-proclaimed pack rat but it's overall pretty clean. HA! Have you ever looked at your house from the view of a potential buyer! Don't - it's scary at what all you can find! We scurried around Tuesday night getting ready for the shoot - we had 24 hour notice! Thankfully, we got it finished but not without shoving some stuff under the bed! Shhh! that's our secret - my mother would kill me if she knew there were things under my bed! HAHAHA

So Blessed...

I'm the middle child. Those who know me well say I definately have the "middle child syndrome." Each of us (Tina, Randy and I) have very distinct personalities. We each bring something different to the table. Tina, the oldest, is serious most times, intelligent, motherly, and keeps me grounded. She is faithful and gives great advice. She is so strong and is a great role model. When she needs to get her point across, she starts out, "Amanda...." When she uses my real name, she is about to say something she needs me to hear---clearly.

Randy is the youngest, the only boy. Need I say more? He is also serious most times, very business minded, he thinks meticulously and is passionate about things he holds dear. He is loyal to family and friends and that speaks volumes for his character. When he needs to talk, he calls and asks, "Got any tea made?" I know to always say yes! We love to sit and talk about our futures, we both love the farm life. Some of the best conversations have been while we were working in our trees.

I am the "cut-up" in between these two. I like to think my humor is enough for all 3 of us. Don't get me wrong, they both can be absolutely hilarious and are both very witty, but I tend to be the comic usually. I am the "idea thinker-upper" then I go to them to devise the plan. I'm the planner, the scheduler, and I know secretly they appreciate when I remind them to "stay on task, please!" We have a lot of fun together and are a perfect mix of personalities.

This picture was taken on Randy's wedding day in March. I love it! It shows clearly the way we feel about our baby brother. I am so thankful I have a wonderful relationship with my siblings!

My thoughts lately...

With school out and summer just a few days away, I have been in a not-so-good mood. Don't get me wrong, I used to dream about summer vacations. Something happens when you become an adult and reality hits...summer only matters when you are a student! I vote all occupations should have a summer holiday, wouldn't that be great. You could sleep late with your kids, no bedtimes, no schedules, eat popsicles on the porch and sleep out beneath the stars. AHHHH....

Oh, yeah, where was I....that's right my not-so-good mood. It started earlier this week...I took a few days off to wrap up things with the PTSA. As a member of the parent-teacher-student association I needed a few days to attend various functions we sponser. Monday was the last day of school so Mom and I attended McKenna's awards assembly then he went on to a swim party as his best friends house. (Thanks, Shannon!! He had a blast!) Kindergarten graduation was also Monday night then we hosted the end of school teacher luncheon. Well, on the way home Monday I begin to feel a little "icky." As the day went on I got sicker and sicker. I'll spare you the details, it wasn't pretty, lets just say I spent Monday afternoon through Tuesday in bed (or the bathroom). It was the most awful virus I had ever had.
That leads me to what I posted this message for, I didn't feel very chipper the rest of the week. I needed some soothing music for my comute on Wednesday, not only because I felt ill still but also, having 3 days off felt way to good. I love "The Message" on XM radio - it's great praise music and uplifting in the morning especially. So I've had it set to that channel and for the last 3 days it hasn't moved. I have been so blessed by the music. I truly felt like God was speaking to me through the verses of each song. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 53:5 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (NIV) I heard a song this week by the same name "By His Wounds" it is a wonderful song BUT my new favorite song also played on "The Message" today. My friend Sherri shared with me a moving moment from her church last week. The youth leader is a dear woman battling metastatic breast cancer and she sang "Hope Now" by Addison Road. Sherri played me the song and I fell in love with it. It will leave you speechless. Go take a listen to it. Here are someof the lyrics:

If everything comes down to love
Then just what am I afraid of
When I call out Your name
Something inside awakes in my soul
How quickly I forget I'm Yours
(PRE-CHORUS)
I'm not my own
I've been carried by You
All my life
(CHORUS)
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free
When my life is like a storm
Rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I'll be ok and
Make it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm


It kinda puts things in perspective, we are not in control of our own lives, thank goodness, mine would be a train wreck. I am thankful I have hope and faith and a gracious Lord who puts up with me! Thanks Sherri for sharing the song, thanks friends for listening to me ramble on, and THANK YOU GOD FOR BEING MY HOPE NOW!!

Weekend in review...

I LOVE THE SUNSHINE!! We actually saw the sun today for almost the entire day! Praise the Lord. and it was BEAUTIFUL!!! We should start to dry out this week. McKenna is very disappointed as he has had 3 baseball games cancelled due to the wet field. We should be playin some ball this week, though. I can't wait. I love baseball but most of all, I love watching my kids play sports. Hunter hasn't had any of her softball games either. So we will soon be in full swing with both kiddos.
Friday I helped out with McKenna's 5th grade party. We had a blast with the kids. We played volleyball, kickball and basketball, ate pizza, drank soda, made homemade ice cream, and autographed t-shirts. I don't know about the kids, but I was wiped out!! I do have one thing to say - THANK GOD I AM NOT A TEACHER!!! I realized real quick I don't have the patience!! Saturday Mom and I ran errands. It was a rainy, yucky day so we just got out and about. We were right in the middle of a huge downpour and neither of us had an umbrella. We bought one for 1.00 in the dollar store - I'm sure you can imagine the quality of an umbrella that cost a dollar. Yes, very high!! It was about 20" around and I think the rain actually soaked through the thing! We were drenched by the time we got to the car. I think we would have been drier just running! Hahaha. Lesson learned.
Sunday after church Clint, Dad, Mom, and I went to Hunter's dance recital. It was packed. We stood the entire time because the place was full. It was a great performance. Her dance teacher put a lot of work into it and it showed. Hunter did great too! She loves dance.
Well, that sums up the Pierce weekend. Hope you all had a great one!

My current struggle.....

Ok, ya'll I am asking for your prayers! I have been studying for a very long time (like 3 years!) to take my Medical Dosimetry Boards this summer. I took them last year and passed 7 sections and failed 2 of them sooooo.....I am taking them AGAIN! It is such a struggle right now because the boards are about 6 weeks away and I am SO TIRED OF STUDYING!!!!! I know in my heart I should be reading and studying every night but I so want to do something fun!! Those who know me well, know that I love to be creative. I have so many "projects" right now that I am dying to do but I feel guilty if I do anything fun! :-( So please keep me in your prayers! And in exchange, I will post some of my "projects" when I get to do them!!

Floating by......

I know most who read this blog are floating around like we are right now. As of this afternoon, we have had almost 13 inches of rain in 2 weeks! Please don't misunderstand me, I AM NOT complaining. When you grow up the daughter of a crop farmer - YOU DON"T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RAIN - only the "lack" of it! I am ready for just a little sunshine, though. Pretty soon Clint will be able to "bale" my yard up! I am amazed at the power of water, though. It is rushing in every stream, creek, and river around. McKenna goes down the road every afternoon and catches crawdads in the ditches. Good fish bait, he says!
Hope all had a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend. I did. Saturday, I slept in. I got caught up on the laundry and did some straightening up. With two boys that have been cooped up in the house, my straightening didn't last long. Saturday was my Mom's birthday so we met she and my dad at a mexican resturant and had an early supper. Then we were off to McKenna's rodeo. It was raining cats and dogs! We were so glad we didn't have to haul a horse! He got bucked off the bull he rode but didn't do too bad being that he hadn't gotten on anything in 8 months! It was a nice cool evening.
Sunday, we got up and went to church. One of McKenna's friends came home with us for the afternoon. Unfortunately, on our way home we discovered my dog Shadow had been hit by a car on the highway and she had passed away. I spent the afternoon bawling my eyes out! Clint was so sweet, though. He went and picked her up and buried her under a big tree in the back pasture. He is very patient with me when I get emotional. He is the exact opposite of me when it comes to emotions, sometimes I wonder if he even has the ability to get emotional and I am just a roller coaster of emotion. Just last week he was knocking down bird nests that had been built on our porch. I decided that I would knock one down and wouldn't you know it - it had 4 baby birds in it. I was screaming and crying when Clint came around the corner of the house and I pleaded and cried until he climbed up and placed the nest in our gutters - in hopes the mother bird would come back and feed the starving little babies. Please forgive me, Mama Bird, I certainly wouldn't have disturbed your babies had I known they were there! Anyway, we spent the rest of Sunday afternoon at my parents. Dad, Clint, and I rode around looking at some pecan grafts that Dad had done a couple of weeks ago. They look really good! I will post some pics of them soon. The mosquitos chased us in! They were as big as hornets! Well, not quite hornets but VERY large. All the water is really drawing them in. On our way home we saw a beautiful mother goose on the water followed by her 6 little goslins! They were so cute! Springtime on the farm is so neat - lots of little ones of all kinds running around. Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!!

Mimi has to brag...

Ok, indulge me for the next few minutes.....
Eighteen years ago, my sister gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. In three weeks this precious baby graduates from high school!!! Oh My Gosh, ya'll. He's THE reason I am a "Mimi." When he was a little tike he would jump up in my lap and I would ask, "DJ, who's number one?" and he would say with a snicker, "You are, Mimi." Melt my heart!! I cannot even begin to tell you how proud I am at this very moment. DJ has become a wonderful young man, he is compassionate, smart, polite, tenderhearted and most of all a great Christian example to his sisters and brother. My sister did an outstanding job of raising him and they have an incredible bond with each other. As he ventures out into this wide world I can't help but be a protective Mimi. I can get on my knees and pray he is unaffected by the negative influences out there. I can pray that he holds on to his values Tina and Carl have instilled in him and most of all I can pray he succeeds and gives the glory to our loving Lord. DJ, if you are reading this, I love you so much and I am so, so, so proud of you! Go get'em baby!! And remember who's #1 !!!

Here's a picture of the handsome guy! It was taken last month at Randy and Delena's wedding. Isn't he adorable!!!

Girls just want to have fun!

We have this weird tradition in my family....for the last 15 or more years each spring "the girls" go on an adventure together - it's called "Garage Saling." We sleep over at my Mom's house and get up early - I'm talkin REAL early, like 3:30 A.M. Yes, I said A.M. Then we drive down to the Dallas area to this garage sale. It's not like local sales, it is an entire community that gets together and spreads out over an entire parking lot and you just go up and down the aisle. Basically, we buy other peoples "junk." But, that's the neat part - someone's trash is another man's treasure! We have found some great treasures over the years. And, boy have we had fun. Somewhere there are some pictures floating around of a mattress flying out of our truck on the way home and the traffic we had backed up trying to "reload" the stupid thing! Call us crazy! But there are lots of people like us out there! So that was my day today....Mom, Hunter, and I ventured out and had a blast. We found some goodies, but the weather threatened all day. We got out of town just in time to drive home in the worst rainstorm I've ever driven in. We had a delicious lunch with dear friends, and were completely exhausted by the time we got home! That is the best part too, our men are ready to help us unload when we get there. I think they like to see us unload our "loot." It's nice to have a tradition with family members - be it "weird" or not..... Share some of yours if you have them!!


P.S. On an exciting note, my nephew B.J. and his sweet girlfriend Courtney got engaged today! How exciting is that!! Love you both!