More Prayers...

My JoePa is having surgery tomorrow morning. I don't really know any details. All I know is that my grandma called my dad yesterday after Joe's appointment. She was really upset and all she could say was, "It's not good." Mom and I are leaving for Amarillo as soon as we get off work today. I'll know more after we get up there.

Also, one of my dad's best friends, Buddy Thomas, was in a work related accident yesterday. He manages a feed yard up by Spearman and he comes down every spring and helps my dad work cows. He was in the mill at the feed yard and someone closed hydrolic doors on his legs. They life lighted him by helicopter last night. They don't think anything is broken, but they can't be sure due to the swelling in his legs. Until then, they told him to keep his legs elevated and to not put any weight on them. He already had trouble with his back and one of his hips, so I can't imagine that this will help.

Please keep these people in your prayers...It seems like there is so much going on right now.

Prayer Request

I need you all to pray for my JoePa, better known as my step-grandfather, Joe Autry. He' s been having some stomach problems and he's been unable to eat much lately. He went to the doctor day before yesterday and they ran some tests. They told him yesterday he has a mass on his pancreas and they feel sure it's malignant. He's supposed to get a call today telling him whether or not it is cancer and if it has spread throughout his pancreas. He has an appointment Monday to further discuss treatment options.

He and my grandmother met at church. They compliment each other so well and have brought so much joy to one another's lives. Please keep them in your prayers.

Long Overdue...Girl Time

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE my husband and he is my nearest and dearest friend, but moving back to the Panhandle has been really hard considering I don't get to see ANY of my best girl friends on a daily or even weekly basis. Maybe it's just part of growing up and becoming an "adult" but if so, it's a part that I REALLY don't like. So, I was ecstatic when my friend, Desiree, called me and invited me out for a "girls nite". I'd been sick and missed a week of work so I didn't really feel like I could take off the entire day prior to our nite out, so I left right after work Friday and met the girls at Tacos Garcia. There ended up being like 10 of us and it was SO much fun! Although, I did decide that next time I am going to take off the whole day and maybe get my hair and nails done to feel a little more pampered. Coming straight from work, I felt really thrown together. I look terrible in this picture, but Des and Kristen look so cute, I couldn't not post it.



The next day Mom and Gma met me in Amarillo for a "girls day". I got my hair done that morning and then we had a WONDERFUL, "girlie" lunch and did a little shopping. I don't know why but those weekends are always so rejuvenating. I don't have pictures, so I'll have to get them from my grandma. I ruined Mom's camera, but that's an entirely different story.

The Great Goose Hunt

The first weekend in January several of Marty's friends came in for what we deemed an annual goose/doe hunt. Matt came in Thursday afternoon, Stephen arrived in Canadian around midnight and Clint and Clay rolled in around 2:30 a.m. I went and stayed the nite at my cousins' house so the boys would have one more bed to sleep in and because I had to work the next day and I hadn't been feeling well. Of course, they stayed up until almost 4 a.m. and felt terrible when their alarms went off around 5 a.m.

The first morning the geese cooperated, but there just wasn't enough cover in this open wheat field. I think they ended up shooting 6 birds. So, the next morning, my boss and his son met up with us and we had a PERFECT morning. It was warm and windy. I shot my first goose and the boys shot 28 Canadas and 6 Snows. One of the Canadas ended up being a 25 year old banded bird. That nite we went and stayed at the ranch house and the boys went doe hunting. We woke up Sunday morning and went to church in our hunting clothes. The Spencer boys were leaving right after church, but the rest of us went back out and Marty shot a banded bird. I must say, it was the first time I ever sported Carhart overalls and boots to church, but several of the Deacons and Elders are avid hunters and they LOVED it! They visited until we were the last to leave the church.

I need to figure out how to post my pictures after the actual writing. How does one do that?

East Texas Christmas...

We were fortunate enough to spend an ENTIRE week in East Texas this Christmas. We got to see a lot of family and friends. We celebrated Kennith's 65th birthday.

For the first time we didn't feel rushed or stressed because we couldn't "see everyone". We drove down on a Thursday (Mind you, it's an 8 hour drive) so we got to Gilmer late in the afternoon on Thursday and exchanged gifts with Marty's parents and Wayne, Cristy & the girls that nite. Friday Jeri Lynn and her boys came in and we went to David Beard's in Longview. They seriously have the BEST chocolate pudding in the world. Saturday we did a gift exchange with some more family and then we crammed 3 visits into Sunday. We spent Sunday morning at Justin and Robin's. Marty got "bucked" off Robin's horse. I wish I had pictures. The saddle broke or he swears he would've stayed on. Then we met my cousin, Reed, who is stationed at the airforce base in Shreveport for a late lunch in Longview and then we went and saw RJ and Arden Sunday nite. Monday we went and saw Marty's Aunt Janette and then met Wes & Brooke at Texas Roadhouse Monday nite for New Year's Eve. We got back to Gilmer and didn't even watch the ball drop because we knew we had a LONG drive ahead of us the next day. Here are a few pictures to sum up our trip...My adorable nieces Cadi Lynn and Ciara, Marty and me and Kennither, Jeri Lynn and Marty.

Boys & Hunting...

I realize the purpose of a blog is to keep you up to date on our lives, but since I just created this blog I want to share with you what we've been up to the last several months. HUNTING. In December, "we" went to Matt's parents' in Idalou for the annual pheasant hunt. This was my first year to go and I was the first girl to ever go besides Susan, Matt's mom, so I felt pretty special. Watching Craig, Matt & Marty made me realize how important weekends like that truly are.