Oops, He Did it Again

You might think this story originated today. But you'd be wrong. This story originated on an early day in August of 1972. That would be the day my Mr. McFearless was born...with a penchant for all things daring and adventurous. I've heard the tales of his exploits as a boy/teen growing up... things I doubt even his mother knows all about. Tales of sitting on the end of a tractor that is headed up a steep hill and jumping right before the tractor topples...and tales of finding his way on top of his church where he and his sidekick played. This and more found its way as a way of life for my Mr. McRisky and eventually led to his choosing a career where risk is a daily calling. I knew this going in. And I admit I liked it. I liked the fact that he was brave and strong...and took chances. I still do.

What is a much harder pill to swallow though...is that both my punks were evidently born with the same gene. I think it was in between the birth of the boys that Steve stumbled across this, and it seemed to validate every daring, risky stunt he had ever pulled. I read the book too, and as much as it scares me to say it...I want the boys to live their life passionately, with adventure, and bravery...and yes, risk. I want them to have warrior hearts and fight for what is right and just. I want them to climb trees and mountains...and travel long roads for a good cause. I want them to be roller-coaster loving and fast go-kart driving...and to face their fears with The Sword in their hand. I want them to be high-divers and long-jumpers...ahhh, yes...JUMPING.

Why on earth would you slide when you can jump? That feeling of falling through the air is only rudely interrupted by a wrong landing...a crack and an ankle that is now pointed sideways instead of straight. Such is the story of a 12 year old warrior boy who grabbed his ankle, popped it back into place straight...and has a tremendously high pain tolerance.

Today started out as any other day...me going in to wake up the boys for school. I knew both of them would bound out of bed because Caleb had a field trip to go to, and Cody had his end of year party at a local park. Cody jumped out of bed and donned his most comfy shorts and his grade-level tee. Caleb turned over and told me he didn't feel good...he had a headache and was sore all over. I told him he was probably sore from football camp they had just finished the night before...to get up and get dressed and I would get him a Tylenol to help with the aches. As soon as I felt his head though, I knew there would be no field trip for my feverish youngest warrior boy today.

On the way to take Cody to school, I called to make an appointment for Caleb. We've gone through too many Fridays of being sick without going to the doctor...only to suffer through the weekend before being able to get some meds on Monday. Told Cody I would try to make it to his party at some point during the day.

Caleb tested negative for strep and flu...so evidently a virus of some sort... we're very familiar with this routine. As I'm walking out of Caleb's doctor's visit, I get a call that went like this:

"Hi Mrs. Pierce, Cody has taken a fall here at the park and his leg is hurting him quite a bit. We think you need to come get him." I'm thinking...okay, he's probably sprained his leg or something...it happens and he'll get over it in a day or two. And then she adds, "And the school nurse is on her way too. She thought we might need to call an ambulance."

Now is when I don't want him to be a warrior boy...I want him to play nicely with his friends, fold his hands, say his prayers, read a book...and how about SLIDE down the bouncer slide instead of jumping!

So today ended up being the polar opposite of a normal day (although it's becoming more of a norm for us it seems)...and a day we spent here...again...just a closer location this time...

...with this

and after x-rays and a CT scan...this...a fractured fibula...

...and a fractured ankle,


and some good pain meds.


And why is this punk here with me?


'Cause there was no time to run him home to fight off his virus. Good thing we ended up at the hospital. Poor boy...brother had to one-up his sick day.

So after the wrapping...

and splinting...

...we got to do this...


Our living room now resembles a M.A.S.H. unit...


for the crippled and infected.

After being home for a couple of hours, I went out to find this...


Cody's teacher had brought by Get Well balloons and stuffed our mailbox full of handmade get well cards, Sudoku puzzles...and candy from his classmates. So sweet.

We are adjusting to a new look...


and trying to live with the fact that our summer is going to be way different than we had planned.

We follow up with an orthopedist next week...and find out if there will be a surgery with a cast, or just a cast. Neither will work with the season passes to Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor they received as Christmas presents. Neither will work with swimming, or mountain bike riding...or playing an impromptu game of baseball or football on the ranch.

Would he do it again? Tonight when he was asking for more pain medication...no. Ask him again in a few days...he might possibly say 'yes.'

They can't help it...they take after their dad and they're wild at heart. It's a treacherous combination.

Sweet Design Wednesday

I purchased both of these items at 75% off at Joann's and with the help of my sistas, couldn't pass up the idea of making it into a front door decoration (I don't know why they were bothered that I still had my Christmas door decoration up...in April!).

Anyway, I didn't like the design on the front of the pail, so I made my own out of scrapbook paper and a sweet font, and decoupaged it to the front of the pail. Then I de-footed (?) the bird, and hot glued him on the top of the pail. Now it's proudly hanging on my front door. Isn't it sweet?

Conversation of the Week

This was the conversation on the way home from school today:

Cody: If I had a monster truck and one of those hot rod motorcycle guys pulled in front of me, my truck would run over them and I wouldn't even know it.

Me: Cody, you shouldn't talk about running over people, on accident or on purpose.

Cody: It's not like I'm ever going to have a monster truck!

Me: Still, even without the monster truck, you shouldn't talk about running over people.

Cody: If they were aiming an RPG (rocket propelled grenade) at me, could I run over them?

Me: Yes son, if they are aiming an RPG at you, you can run over them.

I'll be expecting a call from the military recruiters any day now.

Game Over!

We have finished another season of baseball here in the Pierce household...



and not only have Steve and I welcomed the end of seemingly endless practices and three to four games a week, the punks are enjoying the time off too. They now have more time to do this…



...which they are completely obsessed with right now. They are both truly thrill-seekers and like a lot of different activities…this one scares me, but to them it isn’t much fun unless it scares Mama a little.



Both boys moved up divisions this year…Cody to majors and Caleb to minors. Cody’s team ended the year in 4th place which is great for a first year division team, and Caleb’s team ended the year in 1st place…which is awesome! They both played different positions this year and had fun playing on teams with their friends.


We saw both boys learn some important lessons this year…about the game and people, and we saw and heard some things we wished we hadn’t in the stands and dugouts. But with every year, Steve and I leave the season with a clearer view of the ‘big picture’…and that’s a valuable thing for our punks.

Happy Birthday Cody

Dear Cody,

Twelve years ago today, you changed my life. I dreamed of a day like that, but honestly didn’t know if it would ever come true. You don’t realize it now, but 34 is pretty late to be starting to have kids. But God is good…and the only explanation I can give is that He loves me so much.

On Valentine’s Day of 1996, your daddy said the sweetest words to me…let’s start a family. So we began thinking about you, and praying for you. Finally on September 8th, I felt like I was pregnant so I rushed to the store and bought a home pregnancy test. The test came back negative, and I was so disappointed. That’s one of the toughest disappointments there is as an adult. We continued to pray, and dream and hope.

Since I was feeling different even after finding out I wasn’t pregnant, I made a doctor’s appointment for me on September 16th. When the nurse wanted me to take a pregnancy test, I told her I already had and it was negative…she still wanted me to take another one. So I did, and I was seated in the waiting room to wait for the doctor. The nurse opened the door to call me in and when I got to the door, she said, “Your test was positive.” Unfortunately, you’ll never know what those words mean to a woman, but let me just say…they are awesome! I started shaking…I couldn’t write. I began to cry…and as I got in the car to leave, I began to whisper prayers of gratitude to the Lord. I was a mother…a mother!…and at that moment I fell head over heels in love with you.

I rushed home so I could tell daddy in person. I wasn’t sure he would comprehend since he was sleeping from being at work all night…but he perked up pretty fast when I said those words…”I’m pregnant.” He was in shock, and then he cried. He kept hugging me and telling me he loved me…and then for the first of many times to come, he kissed my belly and told you he loved you.

That day was the day we began to care for you…to make sure you were safe and well fed…and loved. I began to see the doctor once a month, and he told me to expect you on May 23, 1997. We couldn’t wait for that day to arrive.

On October 31st, we saw your heart beating on a sonogram…and I cried. You were 10.6 weeks old.

On December 4th, I heard your heart beat for the first time…and I cried.

On January 2, 1997, I felt you kick for the first time and it felt like little tiny butterflies fluttering around…and I cried.

On January 3, 1997, we saw you again in a sonogram…and discovered you were a boy…and I cried!

On January 11, 1997, you gave us a scare and I was put on bedrest for the weekend…and I cried more than I’d ever cried before. I believe that was the first time you enjoyed doing things that scare me.

On May 21, 1997, I went in for my appointment and my blood pressure was high, so the doctor told me no more working…and I cried because I was ready for you to come. I went home and waited.

At 7:00 a.m. on May 23rd, you made your intentions known. You woke me up and I started having pains. At around 11 that morning, my contractions started being about 1 to 2 minutes apart, so we woke daddy up and left for the hospital to wait for your arrival.

After a long day of pain and waiting, the doctor told us around 9:45 p.m. that you weren't going to budge from your comfy little home, and he thought he should go in and get you. I was prepared for surgery, and at 10:45 p.m., the doctor cut me open and pulled you out. You started crying and it was the sweetest cry I had ever heard.

The nurse held your face up to mine and I kissed you and told you how much I loved you…and I cried.

In the last 12 years I’ve watched you grow and learn, laugh and cry, be gentle and rough…and I’ve loved every minute of it. You are witty, and smart…and handsome and sweet.

You are mine…and yet I decided 12 years ago to give you back to the One who gave you to me. And He is weaving together a wonderful, beautiful, amazing person…and I smile and smile.

Love,

Mama

The Big Day

This past weekend, we went to Southhaven, MS to celebrate the high school graduation of my twin nieces, Ashley & Hillary. I shall dispense with the customary "where did all the time go" and "wow, I really feel old now" comments and just say there are times when you feel like you're standing totally still and the world is moving all around you. That's how I felt this weekend. It doesn't seem possible...yet here it is. One of those times... when your mind plays images over and over again and as much as you'd like to slow down the alarming rate at which life moves, there is nothing within your power to do so.


Dear Hillary and Ashley,

What a beautiful weekend we shared with you in celebrating leaving one stage of your life and entering another. In times like these, the word "proud" gets thrown around alot, but take it to heart because you girls have a lot to be proud of, and I am so proud of both of you and the accomplishments you’ve made.

This is typically a hard time in the life of a young person. The world is at your door, yet there is so much fear of the unknown and of leaving the safety net of home and family. I want to encourage you both to face your fears head on…and do hard things. When you face challenges and choose to plough through, you become stronger and more brave…which leads you to take on even more adventures. This is the time…the time you really decide who you are going to be. Some can’t get past the high school years…they cling to those halls and memories, and never quite embrace the field before them.

It’s also the time when you decide who God is to you. He’s no longer just the one you say nighttime prayers to…but the one who longs to hold your hand and walk you through every decision, every question…every circumstance. He is always at work…and He wants you to join Him in His work. My prayer is that you will. I pray you will develop a Kingdom dream…one that will let you see the BIG picture and one that will not allow you to get swallowed up in the status quo. I pray you’ll work hard…and be responsible. I pray you’ll love with abandon…not only those you look like you…but those who don’t. I pray you’ll live a life of sacrifice and service…and not regret that one minute.

And when you make mistakes...and you will, know that there will always be love waiting in the wings for you. Be true to yourself…be true to your God. Hate the devil…and love God with equal resolve. And know that I, for one, am on your side…always. I love you.

Sweet Design Wednesday

I've had several babies to buy for recently and for three of them I ordered these:

Little appliqued onesies with coordinating bibs...one for a boy and two for girls.

LOVE this little owl print.


And this one is for a baby whose mom is especially fond of cupcakes.

I ordered all these from this Etsy store, and am very happy with the quality and the cuteness!

Then this precious baby rag quilt was made for me by one of my sistas, Kristy, with fabrics from Hobby Lobby. Soooo sweet and cute for a special baby girl, and is practically already famous. If you want one, I think she is taking special orders. Comment here on my blog, and I'll get her email address to you.

Happy Wednesday!

Abby is a Dork Dog

Evidently sometime tonight, we let in some behemoth fly and it has taken great delight in driving Abby crazy. Jaynie, sit back and enjoy. These are for you:

As I sit and write this post, Abby is in the living room sliding around still trying to catch that fly. Between the storms this morning and the fly tonight, she's likely to need stronger drugs tomorrow.

A Guest Post from Gina's Baby Daddy

Steve called me this morning and told me he wanted to "Guest Post" on my blog today...and because I am generous like that, I agreed. No really, he always says the sweetest things to me and I knew that if he wanted to post it for the internet to see, it must be special to him. So without further ado, here is the love of my life...

Steve here. I just wanted to take a moment to tell you about Gina, “The Mother”. While Gina is great at everything she does (the list is endless), there is one role that stands head and shoulders above the rest. She has learned many skills in her life but there is one skill she was born with, and that’s being a mother. Moses parted the red sea and Gina is molding two lives. They both knew what God made them to do and they did it.

When Gina and I were dating, I could see how she loved Allison, Darren, Ashley, Hillary, and Tiffany. She loved them like they were her own and I knew then that she would be a great mother.

If you know Gina then you know she loves her boys. But to those of you who have had the privilege of seeing her love her boys up close and in person, then you are truly blessed. When she gives Cody or Caleb a big hug and tells them that she loves them, I know they will never doubt it. Whether it is a school project, doctor’s appointment, talk about how to treat a girl, ballgame, or anything in between, Gina is there.

So to the greatest, most tender-hearted, loving, non-virgin mother (Mary’s kid was perfect) that has ever lived I say, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY GINA!!!

Happy Mother's Day

I was watching Grey’s Anatomy week before last. It was the episode where Izzy’s mom comes to visit her because she is in the hospital with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma. Evidently, their relationship is strained because even though she is facing death, Izzy would rather her mom go home than stay by her side. She made the statement “we do better loving each other from a distance.”

I know this is a non-reality TV show…but that statement made me stop and think about how true that is about a lot of mother/daughter relationships…and how it couldn’t be farther from the truth about the relationship between my mom and me.


This is the distance between my mom and me…103 steps to be exact from my backdoor to hers. When I tell people I live next door to my parents, some people laugh, some apologize. And you know what? I give thanks. I’m thankful that when I need to borrow a cup of sugar, or eggs, or laundry detergent… I just walk across the yard and I don’t even have to knock. I’m thankful that when I need or just want to talk, I can be there in a couple of minutes. I’m thankful that my kids are getting to grow up really “knowing” their grandparents. How many people miss that blessing?

The speed at which life moves is no stranger to my thoughts. I know that one day if the Lord doesn’t return before then, I will have to say goodbye to my mother just like she said goodbye to hers this past November. Until then, I will enjoy every 15 minute pop-in visit, every evening we somehow end up just hanging in the backyard, every time she watches me walk home when it’s dark out…and waves to me before I round the corner out of sight, and I will treasure every Mother’s Day I can walk 103 steps to kiss my mom and tell her I love her.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

Pics of the Week

With Mother's Day coming up, I chose to post some of my favorite pics of when the boys were little. Being a mother has been one of the best experiences of my life...

We were constantly going into Caleb's room in the morning and finding Cody in bed with him. As you can tell, Caleb wasn't always thrilled with that.

What is it with that finger thing?

Yes, we used to have a white couch...A WHITE COUCH! I purchased it pre-marriage, pre-kids. Not a good idea.

Caleb in mommy's lipstick. Had to really fight back the laughter while I got on to him for that.

Cody always loved writing in his Bible...with crayon.

This was a common picture. Cody was always grabbing Caleb's hand and kissing it...real hard...like with his teeth clinched...until Caleb would cry.

During one of my numerous photo sessions...and Cody ALWAYS ended up crying at the end. He could not handle being still that long. Caleb was so obedient...but he was 6 months old.

I love my boys!

The Making of a Horror Flick

My phone had to be replaced today, and as I was hot-syncing my old phone to my computer so that I wouldn't lose anything on it, I noticed there were some videos that had been taken on my phone. I knew Cody had "borrowed" my phone at the baseball fields a few weeks ago, but I had never seen his handiwork until today. Oh my...there were three videos made, and I'll share one with you here. If you can actually understand any of it...and you know anything about Cody, you will totally appreciate the humor in this. All I can say is...my kids watch WAY TOO MUCH Survivor Man, and think way too much about dying. Okay, they get that part from me.

Evidently, he's going to marry a woman named Janet, and have a kid named Billy...and hopefully he will be rescued...from the baseball fields.

Sweet Design Wednesday

Yes, my fascination (dare I say obsession?) with birds is alive and well.

This feathered friend was rescued from Hobby Lobby and put in her rightful spot above my desk...and I LOVE her.

Projects

Today was a school holiday, and like most days when school is not in session, the boys like to see what they can create, invent, build, etc. After they rode bikes, built nunchucks, whittled a spear, painted said spear, repaired a fence and planted some flower seeds, they decided to build a dam in the front yard.

If this swine flu outbreak closes their school for a couple of weeks, I'm pretty sure they'll start an addition on to the house.