Easter: The Day of Celebration

So today is my late grandfather's 90th birthday... I posted these words last year on this date...


Today we went to see my grandfather (Dad's Dad). He is celebrating his 89th birthday today. Oh man! 89 years.

He has seen a lot change over the years. He has seen 2 sets of kids grow up (his own and his son's). He has seen things change with the times in the area and city he has lived in for all these years.

He has also got to see his great granddaughter Brooklynn and is on course to see his great grandson Emmerson in May. I mentioned Emmerson to him today and he seemed like he understood what I meant. He sometimes knows and sometimes doesn't. But I am glad he remembers Brooklynn, Sunnshyne, my siblings, my parents and myself. So I can't wait to take little baby Emmerson up there to see him. He always seems really excited to see Brooklynn.

He's a great man.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!
___________________________________________

But then a week later on Easter Sunday (April 8) he passed away.

So this day holds a lot.. it's Easter the day of celebration of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but its also a day of celebration for my grandfather he got to meet his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!! Even though this isn't the exact day that he passed on, its still a great story.

Scream and Cry The Whole Time

So we decided as we were leaving church tonight that the car really needed a bath.

So we went to the car wash for the first time since we have been married. We also wanted to see how Brooklynn would handle the car wash. Well I took this picture during the car wash...

She never cried or teared up. I think she might have choked Roar to death (Roar is her sea lion we got for her at Shedd Aquarium) but other than that I think she like it. Most kids are scared of the car wash the first time and scream and cry the whole time. Brooklynn wanted to cry I think but we kept telling her that the car was just getting a bath. So she was ok with that.

Time For A Change

Time for a change!!

I realized that I haven't changed my blog picture and layout in a while.

So I decided that today was a good day to do it.

I picked a different layout and background picture. I chose the background picture as maybe a hint to the weather that it is time for a change and the snow needs to go away.

Car Riders

So Zoey is one of the best car riders ever.

She is absolutely scared to death. While riding in the car to the vet yesterday she rode like this...

She had her head tucked between the seat and the center console and she did not move the whole way to Plymouth.

Then at the vet she insisted that she sit on the scale and the scale only. She would not move at all.

Lilly is a good car rider also. She will hang her head out the window for a brief period of time and then just lay down and wait. Then when we get to where we are going she will jump up and go crazy trying to get out of the car.

Totally Unexpected And in An Unexpected Place

So I got this random e-mail from a random person on an e-mail account that I have not really given out. 

Friday I received an e-mail from a guy (Joe) that I don't know on my school account that I don't give out it is just listed on my facebok. The e-mail said that he got my name from a guy that he works with. The guy he works with goes to my old church and I haven't spoke to him or seen him in over 3 years. Joe's email continued by saying that he is a member of Evangel Heights United Methodist Church and that they are looking for a Youth Pastor and he said that he was told to contact me because I might be interested. 

I AM INTERESTED!!! was my reply to his e-mail and we spoke briefly on the phone and he said that he give all my information to his Senior Pastor. 

On Monday I got a phone call from the Senior Pastor and we talked for a little bit and he told me that they are still in the very beginning of the process and being so close to Easter they were not going to be doing anything official with the position until after Easter had passed. He told me to send him my resume and that we will go from there. 

So it isn't an official position or anything but it is another opportunity that came really out of the blue. This was totally unexpected and in an unexpected place. I have not been applying for any positions since I started school so this was totally a surprise.

One other thing that he told me gave me a little bit of hope was that someone once took a chance on him. I told him that I was just getting started that I was still in school and really have no experience at all with my own group. I told him that I just looking to get started with the first chance and opportunity. That is when he said that someone took a chance with him and the rest is history. 

I hope he takes that same kind of chance with me. 

More to come as this story develops..

Evangel Heights United Methodist Church
from Google Maps

On This Day A Year Ago.. part 6

This is the last one. This one I had to put in... I just looked at the title and laughed.

Cart Jacker

So this is an amusing tale.

I was at work. I was stocking an end cap display that is across from the meat department. I turn around to get the next case of product off of my cart and I see these two ladies (Lady 1 and Lady 2 for the sake of the the story) looking at the turkeys or hams. (I am not sure what was in this particular meat bunker.) I picked up my case and turned back around. The next thing is hear is this:

Lady 1 shouts: "Wait! Ma'am! Excuse me Ma'am you have my cart!"

And the lady 2 is just a-walkin along and the other lady just keeps shouting:

"Ma'am you have my cart! Ma'am you have my cart! Ma'am you have my cart!"

I am standing there trying not to laugh at this whole thing. Lady 2 is just a-walkin along still.

Finally, the lady 1 gets the attention of lady 2 and gets her cart back. But what I hear next is the best...

Lady 2 says to Lady 1: "I wondered why my cart was so heavy. I just started shopping."

At this point I am about to explode with laughter.

Only around the holidays do you see this kind of joy and madness.

On This Day A Year Ago... part 5

So the celebration continues... This is part 5 of 6.

So this was  a great announcement by Cedar Point.

GateKeeper in 2013

This is what Cedar Point just announced LIVE to the world.

GATE KEEPER!! Watch and love it!!

http://bit.ly/gkvideo

This is going to be so cool!!!

I have said before and I will say it again I LOVE ROLLERCOASTERS!!!

On This Day A Year Ago... part 4

So continuing with my year celebration....

Here are 2 for Emmerson

Room 4415

Well, we are all home after spending the weekend in Room 4415 of St Joe Hospital. There were several wonderful things that happened there though. Here is how it went down.

At 6 am I got up (Sunnshyne had been up for hours) and got ready for the long day. We arrived at the hospital around 7 am to get registered.

We walked in and got registered. Then we were taken up to the 4th floor where we began getting prepared for the surgery.

At 9 am the Doctor came in and told us that he was just about ready for us and about 30 or so minutes later they took her back. Then I had to wait. While I waited I got dressed..

Then they finally came and got me and we went on back.

Then the moment that everyone was waiting for came!! At 954 am Emmerson was born!!

Everyone was so excited to meet him and people came to hold him.

Great Great Grandma

Grandpa

Brother and sister

We also got some great family time throughout that first day. Brooklynn loved meeting her baby brother. Sunnshyne got this wonderful picture of me and my babies!

I took a picture of her with the babies as well, but I might get in trouble if it appears on here, but then I saw it on her facebook so....

Brooklynn also gave Emmerson a kiss!! It was a very precious moment.

Then Monday finally came and we got to go home! Let me tell you that was a great moment. The hospital may be a good place to visit, but no one should live there. I mean being there like that had its good points. They are really nice and come when you need them (well if you are the Mom, Dads really are just there. Its all about Mommy and that's OK). But the food is hospital food and that's all I have to say about that. So like I said when they told us we were able to leave as soon as we wanted we didn't wait or prolong the event.

We got Emmerson all buckled in and ready to go. The nurse came and checked him and off we went. We had an OK view from the 4th floor...

Also his Aunts and Uncles wrote some things to him on the marker board in the room.

We had a lot of great and fun moments in Room 4415, but we were OK in leaving after the long weekend.

Now, it's time to get adjusted at home with BOTH kids there now.

Birth Announcement for Emmerson Lyle James Pierce

I would like to introduce to you Emmerson Lyle James!!!

He arrived on Friday May 11, 2012 at 9:54am. He weighed in at 7lbs 13oz and is 20 inches long!

He is perfectly healthy and normal. The only thing is he has a small hernia around his umbilical cord, but they don't seem to alarmed by it and they are going check it out over the next few days. But other than that all is well.

Mommy is doing well and she's alert and in a little bit of pain as to be expected. We all are doing very very good!!

One thing that we noticed right away though is... he seems to be making a little more noise than Brooklynn did when she was first born.

Brooklynn we be by soon and I can't wait to share with you there first meeting. So check back for that!!

On This Day A Year Ago... part 3

So here is another one.

Mommy's Slippers

This was a cute picture!

She was playing yesterday and got quiet. Now all parents know that when a kid is quiet that usually means that they are doing, breaking or getting into something that they aren't supposed to. Well, this is what she was doing...

She was putting on Mommy's slippers!! And I do believe that they are on the right feet even.

She's a great little girl!! She is always trying to get dressed or put on her shoes and most of the time she gets her sandals on her feet. She is busy learning and finding out what she can do herself.

I can't wait for her to get into her clothes and fully dress herself and come and show off her outfit to Mommy and Daddy.

GG

On This Day A Year Ago... part 2

So going through the posts I stumbled across this post about my grandmother that had passed away in August of 2011.

The Golden Girl

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088526/

This is not a post about the TV show The Golden Girls. Although I have seen The Golden Girls a few times, this is more about some one else.  But first a little story.

My grandma used to watch the Golden Girls all the time. I watched some of time with her. One year I bought her the first season on DVD so that we could watch it some. She loved it and we watched it a lot of the time. She thought that these four ladies were crazy. But she particularly liked Betty White's character "Rose". There were some episodes where she wouldn't stop laughing at Rose and the things she did or said. Mostly how confused Rose would get, if you have seen the show you know what I mean. 

Anyway, those four ladies Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty will always be the Golden Girls in the eyes of America. 

But let me introduce you to one Golden Girl..

My grandma. It may seem a little cheesy and what not. But was and is a Golden Girl. But what made her gold?? 

She was always looking for something that she could do for YOU, not her. She loved her 2 boys to death and would do anything in the world for them. But then again what mother wouldn't do anything for her kids. She would always be ready to cook, clean and help care for myself and my 2 siblings. That makes her gold. 

She was always looking for ways to help her friends as well and she had some great ladies in her life that helped her as much that could and she did the same. That makes her gold. 

She was a Golden mother, grandma, great-grandma, and friend. Here are some of the words to the opening theme to The Golden Girls and I think they fit my grandma in every way.

Thank you for being a friend 

Traveled down the road and back again 
Your heart is true your a pal and a confidant. 

She was truly a Golden Girl.

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/g/golden_girls_theme/thank_you_for_being_a_friend.html

On This Day A Year Ago...

So today is a very neat day...

On this day a year ago I started this blog!!

So I guess you could say Happy Anniversary to my blog.

I wanted to take today and look back at posts from the past year. I was looking through some of them and I noticed that there was a lot about Brooklynn and expecting Emmerson. I can't wait to post some funny things  that Emmerson does and the things that he likes.

But for this first flashback I decided to go with this post...

This was posted on Thursday March 8th

Bubbles!! My Bubbles!!

Brooklynn has found every toddlers fascination.. BUBBLES! I just grab the bottle and she knows what is inside and instantly starts saying "Bubbles". She will stand there and stare at them until they start to hit her and then she will start swinging her arms to pop them.

Another interesting thing about Bubbles is that she can say that word. I ask her to say any other word (with the exception of "Mama" and "Dada" which she has been saying for a while) and she will not say the word. It's words like "Cat" or "Dog" small simple words and she will not say them. I know she knows them, but she just will not spit them out. But "Bubbles" she will say every time. It's very funny and cute when she says it.

But it also amazing at how fast they pick up those words. It did not take her very long to start saying
"Bubbles". I wonder what she will being saying in a few weeks or months from now!!

It is so much fun to get kids to learn to talk. It is another story getting them to be quiet though. Brooklynn is not that far along yet but I know it will be soon and she will be telling me all about everything at 90mph. It is going to be fun to try and listen to that and keep up with what she is saying.

I wonder if Emmerson likes bubbles! I sure he will.

Handed Them My Keys

One year ago today I made the best decision of my life.

I quit Taco Bell... again. I was waiting for the right time to do it. I knew I had to support my family and that is why it took so long for me to quit. But Sunnshyne and I sat down one day and we knew that I (well we) had enough of Taco Bell's games and that it would be tough but we could get by with out the stress of Taco Bell in our lives and on our marriage.

So I want to say that it was around this time and day one year ago I walked in to my store and handed them my keys and told them that it was over and that I was done.

That decision got rid of a lot of stress off of my wife and I. I am happy that I made that decision. No more Taco Bell in my life!!!