The Pierce Family

Every great once in a while we have the pleasure of visiting our family (Aunts, Uncles and cousins) for a fun filled vacation. This year we decided to take our vacation to the beautiful Sedona Arizona.

             ~Brad and I were engaged there 8 years ago and named our daughter Lainey Sedona. It is one                 of our favorite places to go for its calm and beautiful surroundings. 

My Uncle Scott, Aunt Coleen, and cousins Laicee and Lyndie met us there for the usual Pierce family debauchery. We had so much fun together playing games, shopping and site seeing and even running (yes, the Pierce girls must get their run on). I really wish I had gotten to grow up with these girls because they are so much like me...or I like them. 

Beautiful skies from the rain storms.

We visited a natural vortex and took  ton of family pics LOL

My Uncle, Aunt and cousins

Me and the fan

My mom and dad

A rainy and starry night

 Of course we had to get a run in. "Runs" in the family

 Slide Rock :) 

 My super call and leggy cousins :) 

They are from IN so naturally they needed to experience Freemont and we zip lined too!

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Poem

Writing is in my blood, it is how I express myself best, how I sort things out and wear I find creative expression.  I might not be the best technically but writing in my eyes is like art that hangs on the wall. It is all subjective. Anyway, I have been keeping my poetry since the third grade. Some of it has been awarded, a lot of it shared, and most of it kept unread. I don't think people really understand my poetry or maybe they just don't care! Hahahah Hey, I can't blame them. What I am getting at is my mind has been generating some pretty deep pieces lately. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night   writing. GET A LIFE! I know. Well here is my latest. Interpret it as you will, if you criticize only constructively please.

Beautifully Fragile

She sits at the edge of a cliff

Transfixed on the stars above

The waves below crash close to her heart

Bringing her in pushing her out

It is beautiful

The world around her stands still

She is pulled deep into her soul

Fragile, overwhelmed, anxious, lost

Searching

Her life sways in the shallows of the ocean

Her thoughts slipping away

She inhales deeply the sweet salty air and inches forward

Her tears meet the water

Exposed and vulnerable to the crumbling rocks being etched away, wave at a time

She sits beautifully fragile

The world behind her is close and she can feel it burning into her skin

She turns to look one last time and he is there

He has always been there

Watching

Hold his hand and go before the Earth crumbles below

Open your eyes

Trust his touch

Go

A.Callihan

 2012

Eat Your Heart Out Tom Cruz!

Every now and then Groupon puts out some pretty awesome deals. I happened upon a Sky Combat Ace groupon one day back in November and couldn't help but buy it right away as a Christmas gift for Brad

Back in the day when we were just kids, we would sit under the stars and ask each other every question known to man. I asked him what his dream job was (besides being a professional golfer) and he said a fighter pilot. What a hunky job right?! LOL

So back to my story, I was so excited to give him this and let him have a taste of his dream. When he opened it he had the biggest little boy smile spread across his face. I think I also saw a little sweat bead up on his head as well. Don't get me wrong, he was over the moon excited but a little nervous at the same time. I say that because I had to practically beat him over the head for him to make the call to schedule it 6 months later!

Well the day arrived and me and the kids joined Brad at the Henderson airport where we got briefed in all the maneuvers he would be doing with his professional aerobatics flight instructor. He got informed of how to properly ditch out of the plane just in case...thank god for that parachute! He was warned about G forces, rolls, twists, puking, crying, screaming, and the camera that will be taping all of this...Hahahahahahah No pressure right?!

Before he signed away his life, I so lovingly upgraded his package for his anniversary gift. So now instead of a ride along he would now be controlling the plane into aerobatic maneuvers himself. The pilot is in the plane of course but controlled by Brad! Ah, yes I love my man Happy Anniversary hun! Have fun, see ya later, break or leg or something like that.

Kisses and hugs later, Brad AKA "Dead Eye" was up in the air on a 40 minute ride of his life! I wanted to see it so bad but had to sit back in the hanger with the girls entertaining them while Daddy was up and away. So thankful the package came with a video :) I really thought I might see puking on it! hahahahaha Okay I know I should give him some credit here because when he got back I got an earful!

Not only was I impressed but the pilot was impressed. He said Brad's a natural! He made me take a photo of the control panel that showed Brad pulled 8 G's with no problem. He told me he barrel rolled, and did twists, and all these other names I cannot remember all on his own and perfect! Now that's how you impress the ladies Brad! Atta boy! And he's all mine. Move over Tom Cruz ;) He's the new Top Gun...Well kind of, Ha!

Brad LOVED his gift and I think it made him feel very alive that day. Sometimes it takes facing a nervous or scary situation to remind yourself of how to feel alive again. Not to say that our life is dull but being in a day to day routine with the stresses of kids, jobs and bills can be taxing on anyone. There's nothing like a little bombing maneuver 15 ft. off the ground in between the mountains upside down to make you fee alive right?!

So here are the photos from the day and we will end this lovely story with his video :)

Lainey Bug

can't believe that my little Lainey Bug is already one years old! If flew by! I don't ever remember Mayley's first year going by like that. I guess having two children seems to make everything speed up.

On May 5th, 2011 I gave birth to a very calm, quiet and smiling baby girl. She was and still perfect. She slept through the night at two weeks old and still does :) Nursed like a champ, pooped on schedule, snuggled, loved, played, hit mile stones at all the right times and still does. This kid has bee completely different that my first. I always tell all my friends that my first prepared me for anything and everything...and still does! LOL I love having yin and yang around, they balance my life out. 

                                         

And yes I look like that because epidurals have no effect on me and I am forced to give birth all natural! Thank god my total labor and delivery was only three hours!

I was looking forward to Lainey's big first birthday party! (you can read about it in the previous post called CRUSHED) I was so sad that it didn't work out but at least we will get a redo soon :) It will be even more special this time since her and I will celebrate our birthdays together. 

But here is my baby having her cake and eating it too on her actual birthday.

 

We also just had our 1 year check up so here it is: She is 17.4 lbs. and 29 inches long. Apparently she is in the -5% for weight and 50% for height. The Dr. told me I need to start giving her more calories and pediasure as well. She said if she doesn't gain weight in the next month we have to blood work. Honestly, she is fine, she's just small. She eats really well! Oh well I took her advice and I am trying to feed her more and am giving her the pediasure which she likes. Other than she is super healthy. She has three bottom teeth and two on top. She says momma, da da, yeah, ugh oh, waffle, dancin, and screams! She gives high fives, waves hi and by, holds her own sippy cup, crawls up stairs (when she sneaks by me), snuggles the unwilling cat, loves cars, Violet the dog, plays peekaboo, loves music, crayons, and the magna doodle, she plays with her sissy, fights with her sissy, loves to tare paper, eats crap off the floor, loves bath time, loves to scream, enjoys swimming and spending time with her grandparents, 

and is still a snuggle bug. She loves bananas and eggos for breakfast, loves milk, bread, pasta, veggies, fruit and of course sweets. :) She still loves her binki but it doesn't bother me. I will take it away eventually. It calms her down and thats all that matters HA! Oh and she takes about 3-4 steps before she decides to crawl again. And to top it all off! I officially nursed for 1 whole year and had no problem weaning her! I still miss it sometimes but enjoy our snuggle time. 

Overall she has been such a sweetheart and joy to our family! We love her soooo much. I think we will keep her ;)

 

 

 

 

 

Crushed!

I was so looking forward to my Lainey Bugs first birthday party tomorrow. I have put so much for and planning into it and I wanted everything to be perfect. Of course as our luck would have it, we all got the stomach flu! WHY!!!??? I want to cry because I wanted her day to be perfect. Of course when you reschedule not all the people that could come before can come now. :( This was the perfect day! I know that my baby doesn't know and won't care but I do. One is a big deal...Ugh I am so crushed :( That is all...I am going to cry under a rock now.