The Christmas Surprise

The last week or so has flown by!  I am going to take Christmas in chunks, just to keep you riveted, which I know you are.  Since this is really just to journal it does not matter.

We had a great Christmas.  One of the most exciting parts of Christmas for me is when I have a gift for someone I know they will LOVE, and they have no idea about it.

Eric has always wanted a regulation BYU football helmet.  Don't ask me why, but he has.  With my sister Michelle training for the football team, I asked her how hard it would be to get one signed by the players.  She was nice and said she would do it.  I know it was a pain, but she did it.  I am going to post the pictures in progression of Eric's opening of the present.

I put the present on his lap, and he said I know what this is.  I can tell by the size of it.  I was bummed, but he said I am excited, but I know (but he did not know all)

He sees it is a BYU helmet, and he is happy.  I waited for him to open more (it was in a plastic bag)

He sees the signatures.

He is happy.

Eric holding helmet.

First view of helmet.  Yes that is Harvy Unga.  McKay Jacobson.  Brian Logan.  Shawn Doman.

Bronco signed on the Y.  Jan Jorgensen.  Max Hall.  Colby Clawson.  Luke Ashworth.  JJ Di Luigi. 

Front View.  Michelle even went out and got the BYU stickers to add to it - the helmet at the bookstore did not have those.

All in all, he was surprised, he loved and it and it made me happy!

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year?

I am trying really hard not to be all Scrooge like, but dang.  Could we try and jam some more into a few weeks time?  Things are settling down a little now - all the concerts are done (we had four - HS choir, JR HS band, 3rd grade performance AND Sophie played with the JR HS choir).  Whew. 

Caroline at 3rd Grade music performance

Allie in action at the 3rd Grade Music performance.

Finals were done.  This was Sophie's first time taking finals, since she is now in the JR HS.  It is the first time Kelsey has really had to study for finals.  It was stressful, but we survived.  Kelsey was even more stressed since she lost Facebook due to grades, and needed to do well to get it back.  Good news for everyone - she is back online.

Now I feel we can just sit back and relax a little.  We are headed to Dallas on Christmas day.  We will open our presents, TALK TO RYAN, and then head up in time for dinner.  It is really not that bad of a day to travel - really no one on the roads.  Eric is coming right back on Saturday since he is under the gun and needs to work, but the girls and I will enjoy Dallas for a couple of days. 

Of course, today is the BYU bowl game - will they win?  Lets hope so.  Really, it is as much fun looking for Michelle on the sidelines as it is watching the game.

Ryan sent his email yesterday, since that was P-day this week.  He told a really neat story which helps to get me in the RIGHT Christmas mood.  I will cut and paste it here.  I will correct his lack of punctuation and spelling - don't get me started on what text messaging has done....

"We get to teach a youth lesson every other Sunday at a members home. We did it this week on the true meaning of Christmas and Christmas miracles.  It was a really great lesson.  We talked about a guy, Ed, who we're teaching. He's living with his his girlfriend and they each have one kid. One is 5 and one is 16 months old.  He'd been looking for work when we started teaching him, found a job working on an assembly line, and just lost it because he didn't report an injury that he didn't think was an injury at first.  He is also an ex-convict, so nobody wants to hire him.  He had enough money to either pay bills for the next couple months or buy Christmas for his two kids.  After the youth lesson, a bunch of kids came up and were all wanting to know what they could do to help.  Because of these kids, there's enough money to get them Christmas, and we've gotten hold of the President of the the company that fired Ed and he's going to see about hiring him back. Talk about a Christmas miracle. It's amazing what these kids have done. They know the true meaning of Christmas. I'm amazed at their charity and desire to help others."

Merry Christmas.

Caroline's Christmas List

Like kids everywhere, Allie and Caroline put together a Christmas list.  It included all kinds of crap being advertised on all the kid stations.  Caroline did add one item which really touched my heart.

Number 16, in case you can't read Caroline, is time with Ryan.  The ongoing question/debate around here is how much time the kids will get to talk to Ryan.  For those who don't know, we only get to talk to Ryan, our missionary, twice a year - Christmas and Mother's Day.  Each time we have about an hour, so that time is precious.

As the person who brought him into this world, I think it is my right to take as much time as I want.   When I saw on Caroline's list she wanted time with Ryan, it brought tears to my eyes (not hard to do these days).  We all miss him, and sometimes I forget the little ones miss him too.  Kelsey and Sophie are more verbal about missing him.

So, I will share my time with everyone - and we will let Caroline get her time with Ryan.

Side note - Kelsey announced a couple of days ago that even with Ryan gone, the whole blog is still about him...  The fairness fairy strikes again.

Trim The Tree

This is our first year to do the Christmas thing when everyone is not here.  It is a little sad. I have threatened to cancel Christmas, but we all know I won't really do it.  Thus we had to undertake the trimming of the tree.

I have had a tree for a long time - I got it when I was pregnant with Sophie.  I wanted a pre-lit tree, and these were the days BEFORE pre-lit trees.  So, I pre-lit it myself. 

As each year went on, I had to spend more and more time dealing with the tree to get it up and working each year.  Last year I almost gave up, but we pushed through and used it for Christmas.

This year Eric wanted a real tree - he wanted the real tree smell.  Well when he went I guess he discovered he did not want the real tree price.  He came home with a smaller tree, which he announced would go upstairs or somewhere else and we could get the other tree out.

This is what the bottom half of my other tree looked like.

It is supposed to be in one piece.

So, we have kept the smaller tree downstairs as our tree this year.  I will go and get a tree next year -  I am thinking the Costco tree looks good.

Since the tree was smaller, there was not room for all the ornaments.  I decided not to hang Ryan's ornaments since he is not here.  There is one however...

When Ryan was 4 or 5, he went somewhere with my Mom  to a class she taught.  I am not sure where or why, but they made these ornaments.  I have tried for years to throw it away - I mean come on.  It is a raisin box.  But he LOVES it (maybe because I want to throw it away).  He won't let me.  So, in honor or Ryan, we have it hanging on our tree.

And the tree is trimmed.

Let It Snow

The prediction for Houston is snow.  That is all ANYONE has been talking about.  I have seen a few flurries, but not much yet.  The poor kids are at school and will not be happy if they don't get to see the snow.

All the talk of snow brought me back to the beginning of our marriage.  We were both students at BYU.  We needed to work.  I had a job, at a little flower shop which is now a hot dog stand (I think) and Eric wanted an on campus job since we lived in the ghetto (seriously it is not even there anymore - it was grazed for a mall) and we only had one car. 

Back then, on campus jobs were hard to come by.  But he got one.  With the grounds crew.  It was hard work, but he seemed to like it.  Until the snow hit.  Cause they would call you at 3:00 am and tell you to come to work to shovel snow.  And if you did not answer your phone, you were automatically fired.  Nice huh?  So we did not like snow not only for the mess, but Eric did not enjoy being pulled out of bed at 3:00 am.

But we all survived.  Now we live somewhere where it does not snow - a point which the girls do not appreciate, but I LOVE.  Poor Ryan is getting his fill of snow now!

If we get some good snow, maybe I can get some good pictures.  More later.

Thanksgiving 2009

We did not camp - thank you Sarah Jones.  We did spend time with family.  Sophie got behind my camera and shot all the pics, so here is our Thanksgiving in pictures - from Sophie's perspective (of course I have not included all cause as you can imagine she took like 150)

Preparing the turkey for frying.

Lowering the turkey in.

Watching the oil and talking football (and how Michael is going to design a pulley system for this process so as to make it safer).

Adult Table.

Kid's table (can you tell Sophie was at the kids table, hence the need for the photo)

Uncle Patrick reviewing the letters Allie and some of her classmates wrote to him on Veteran's Day.  He is a trooper.

After dinner Cowboy game - Dad, Michael, Patrick and Erika.

Then off to see the Pearsons.

Eric and his mom.

Eric's older brother Chad, and his wife Vickie.

Eric's sister Karen, lover of all animals, had her dog there - he is 1/2 Boston Terrier 1/2 Bulldog.  It was funny to watch he and Oliver interact.  Here they are licking each other.

We went and saw Melissa and Chris' house - it was beautiful.

And finally random pic of Kelsey getting licked by Oliver. 

It was a quick trip - up on Thursday early morning, back in Houston by 10 am Saturday.  But it was fun.  Now on to Christmas.

Happy Birthday Laurie

Only one more year until you join me in the 40's.  Enjoy it while you can.

I came across some pictures of us the other day.  Although I am the oldest of 10, for many years (10) it was just Laurie and I.  Now she refers to them as the Golden Years.  I will let that stand on its own.

But, for your enjoyment.  Remember it was the 70's, and my mom sewed many of our clothes - most of which matched.  We were the best of friends.

During our teen years, we had our moments.  She called me thunder thighs on a regular basis.  It was ugly.

This is at my wedding - I know was your first clue the white dress?  Laurie picked her dress pattern - I picked the color - peach and sage green (how 80's is that?)  We lovingly refer to this as her Vanna White dress - and she does not really like it.

Just look at us now!

(really big glasses hide lack of makeup)

(at Melissa's Wedding)

(being silly at Melissa's Wedding)

In later life we have renewed our childhood friendship.  Although she lives in CA, we have managed (compliments of T-Mobile) to keep up with each other.  I am grateful she is my sister, and my friend.

So, enjoy this last 30 something birthday!  It's all downhill from here.

When In Doubt, Make It Up

The girls were drawing pictures to send to Ryan - he hangs them on his wall.   I came across this from Allie.

In case you can't read Allie's writing it says:

Awake thy darkness, for they shall not be dark again.

She has done a lot of  making things up through the years - now she has moved on to scriptures.

Again, she is named after my father for a reason.

Sophie's New Friend

Sophie and Oliver November 2009

Imagine my surprise when I came home from my trip early Saturday morning, and found this in my house.

Sophie and Eric conspired against me and got a dog - she named him Oliver.  I will spare everyone the details of the ranting and raving that went on (lets just say it was not a fun weekend around here).  But there you go.  We have a dog.  He is a Boston Terrier, and he is Sophie's responsibility.

Ryan had alwasy wanted a dog when he was home.  I emailed him and told him about the dog.  His only comment - keep the dog and lose the name.

But, the name stays.  Oliver.  Now, just because clearly potty training FIVE kids was not enough, we begin with a dog...

Congrats Donny - And Why Do I Care?

Donny Osmond won Dancing With The Stars last night.  This season I have watched almost every week.  It has become a tradition with the girls.  In the past I have watched a few, and had my fill.  I have never voted.  That all changed this year - I even found myself voting on FIVE phones one night (the night he did really horrible - it must have worked cause he moved on).

Why you might ask?  Well, to begin with I am of the age when Donny Osmond was the bomb - he was the first famous mormon I knew of.  That was very intriguing to me.  My sister Laurie and I watched the Donny and Marie show EACH and EVERY Friday night.  If it did not come on we were devastated!  We had Donny and Marie albums (for you youngsters that was the thing you got music on before ipodsMP3 players, and CD's.  We even had the Osmond brothers records.  We were TRUE fans.

Then, when I was 14, Donny Osmond and his wife Debbie moved into my ward (congregation).  For real.  They came to church every Sunday (OK most Sundays).  He was doing a play in NYC (Little Johnny Jones which bombed on Broadway, but was good to me since it brought him to NJ).  My dad was the Bishop of our ward, and when asked by Brother Osmond if he knew of a good babysitter he of course offered up my services.

Remember, he was my pre-teen idol.  Now I was able to babysit his kids.  A limo would come and pick me up - a stretch.  I watched his two oldest - Don (they called him Donald back then) and Jeremy.  It was indeed a 14 year old dream come true.  He even told the people in the church nursery that the only people who could get his kids out of the nursery were him, his wife and me.  Aahh.  Of course, the show opened and closed the same day.  They packed up and left town overnight.  If you read his biography that was a dark time in his life - but a dream come true for a 14 year old mormon girl from Oradell New Jersey. 

So, yes I wanted him to win.  Yes I watched each week.  And yes I voted.  And yes I am happy he won.

Now you know my big claim to fame.

Can I Brag?

I know I am not supposed to brag, but what can I say?  I just ran 14 miles.  It is a new record for me.  I can't move, but I think I have broken through a barrier.  I went out with Jennifer and Jody and we were feeling good, so we added 2 to our 12 miler.  Now, 2 is not a ton more - unless it is 2 on top of 12.

There you go.  I am done bragging.  Now, if only the running could miraculously shrink my bottom (I guess I need to stop eating crap for that to happen!)

Note, picture not of me... (as if anyone thought it was)

Sometimes I Don't Love Technology

Remember this:

Well, I have been fighting with technology and lost.  Ryan has a couple of memory cards for his camera - he will take pics on one and then send it to me, and then he still has one to take pictures with - right?  My little brother Steven has done this for a year and a half from Brazil and no issues.

Ryan sent his card with pictures from his first baptism, and other pics from the first month of his mission.  The card became corrupted - not sure how - and everything is lost.  I have spent countless hours trying many different options. Nothing.  I did find a place that thought they might be able to find something - but the cost was $550.  Now, I love the boy, but not that much.

So we lost his first month of his mission pics.  Dangit. And of course his companion was just transferred, so we can't even just try and copy what he had - but I have tasked Ryan with doing that.  From now on we are going with the go to Walmart and put on a CD option.  Lets see if that works better.

In other Pearson news, Allie finished her soccer season.  They did not win a single game, but I can see her skills improving.  That is something.  If she would spend less time telling the rest of the team where they should be playing, and what they should be doing, and focus on what she should do I think she might be more successful.  Oh well.  That is my Allie.  I think the cupcake after the game was as good as playing. 

Allie and Coach Brent who has the patience of Job

Caroline has glasses again.  I say again because in first grade she had them for a slight problem - really she was getting a ton of headaches and we were going for anything that might help. It helped for a while, and we knew she would probably grow out of needing them.  Then she failed her school vision screening twice.  So, off we went to the optometrist, and voilà.  Caroline's new glasses.

She needed a pair for home and a pair for school.  This gave her the opportunity to get two different looks.  That is very important when you are into fashion, as she likes to point out to me.

So, we only have Sophie's soccer left until Christmas.  I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving - where does the time go?  We are heading to Dallas for Thanksgiving with the fam.  What about our traditional White Trash camping?  Well, since both our friends bailed on us, and the girls were horrified at the thought of camping with just us, we are heading up to the Big D.  Should be fun.

She's Only 12

(old picture of Sophie slide tackling - I just love to see it)

It was, as weekends go, not too crazy.  It was Caroline's last game and she did not feel well, so she missed it.  We have the end of the season party on Tuesday and we are done.  Allie had a game, and she did well (I guess - Eric was in charge of those two and I took Sophie.)

I took Sophie to her game.  Due to a mix up with Regional Band (taking 3 hours longer than we were told) she missed her soccer game.  Then, a game that was rained out was rescheduled for Sunday.  Sophie does not want to play soccer on Sunday - especially if it is during church.  We all know this is her choice, because Eric and I are kind of sinners and would let her play no problem.  But, our righteous child, we call her our Nephi, did not want to play.  It was a big game.  They lost, but she was strong in her conviction.

As punishment for missing the two games, although we did tell the coach she would miss the Sunday game, she was benched almost the entire game.  She played 4 minutes.  The trainer (think coach) told her if he put her in she would still have to sit out another half in a future game.  She was willing to sit it out - then he put her in.  If he sits her out another whole half, I will be livid.  Now mind you she has not missed a practice - she has been 3 times a week every week.

This has been a teaching moment for the both of us.  She is at an age where the trainers do NOT want to hear from the parents - they put the responsibility on the girls.  I get that.  I applaud that.  I made her call the coach and tell her she would miss Sunday.  I told her she needed to talk to said trainer and work things out with him. She is terrified of him.  She told me she had a dream he told her to choose between church and soccer. 

BUT, as the momma bear I want to walk over there and tell him to stop being such a jerk to my daughter who, at only 12, is standing up for her beliefs.  She is taking on things that many adults struggle with. 

On the sidelines, the parents were livid with him for benching her.  They wanted her in - not because she is a star, but she is consistent and smart and adds to the overall strategy of the game (can you tell I am a proud parent?)  When she made it on the field all the parent cheered her on.  It was great.

I guess the good thing is, the other parents being so mad calmed me down.  I just sat there thinking, this is a good teaching moment.  I just need to keep reminding myself of that!

My dad has a friend who says club soccer is of the devil.  I am starting to agree...

Maybe I Don't

Want Sophie to play soccer for BYU...





Hopefully our games this weekend will not be that exciting. 

Grim Grinning Ghosts Come Out To Socialize

Halloween 2009.  We had a house full of ghosts and ghouls - or maybe a vampire and a dead bride - followed by a nerd and I guess a hunter (although, when you are 15 and you don't really have on a costume, I don't think you should get candy - but that is just me).

Some fun pics of the kids.  The older two were too cool for us, so they went off with their friends.  I did not get a pic of Kelsey - she left without letting me take her picture!).  I do love my grim grinning ghosts.

Allie as a dead bride.

Caroline the vampire.  The nails lasted just until after the photo.  Then they were off.

Sophie the nerd.  I thought you were supposed to dress up for Halloween?

Vampire attack.  Remember, Caroline always gets into character.  When she was a bunny I had to take pictures of her in the bushes...

The three ready to go.

Kelsey wanted in on the action.  You know, all nerds love their calculators!

Everyone had fun and now we have enough candy to get fat and rot our teeth!