My Hero

Love this clip with Julie Bowen, who plays Claire.  I aspire to be like this...



Gotta love it - mom's revenge!

Seven Months

It has been seven months since Ryan left us and entered the MTC.  We have enjoyed watching his growth - getting pictures like these:

And of course these:

(notice the ribbon from a basket can obviously lead to hours of enjoyment for the boy)

But, it is weird how this works for me - I will be going along fine and then all of a sudden I really miss him again.  It is funny things that set it off.  I made cookies the other night and I was putting two in little baggies to put in the kids lunches.  I made all the lunches and had an extra bag - of course thinking I had forgotten someone I looked again.  Nope, I just made up five bags.  That is what I was used to - five lunches, five treats, five kids.

I am not sure how much of this would be true if he was at school, as opposed to the mission, but as our family changes I am slower to accept the changes.  Although you want your children to grow up and be self sufficient, producing members of society, when they really leave it can be hard.

So, seven down 17 to go.....

Welcome Home Steven

My brother Steven has come home from his mission.  He had a medical release at 19 months, and we are still holding out hope he will be able to get back out before he was supposed to come home (AUG).  If not, he has an honorable release and we are proud of him.  Since the kids had a 4 day weekend with Easter, we used the chance to scoot up to Dallas and welcome him home.

I think this was at the airport, but it is still up in my mom's house now. 

This cracks me up - do you think he missed technology the last few years?  A Blackberry in one hand, an iPod Touch in the other - all while being able to be a good uncle to Allie!

It was good to see he hasn't changed - notice Blue Steel from Zoolander?

It was also his 21st birthday while we were there - there are pictures of him as a youth on the mantle - I really liked this one:

Yes the picture is of Ryan and Steven as young boys - they are only a year apart and in many ways grew up as brothers.

And what does a good uncle do?  Torture his nieces, that is what.

His best impression of The Thinker.

All in all it was a good weekend with a rocking Easter Egg hunt - more on that later.  It was great to see Steven.  If he ends up back out to finish the mission great.  If not, it will be fun to have him around for a few months until he leaves for BYU - Idaho!

District Track Meet

Sophie ran in the district track meet and placed 3rd in both the 1 and 1.5 mile.  She was behind these two girls the whole time.

Only in the world of Sophie is a 3rd place finish in the district meet a bad thing.  She won a  couple of the meets in her events, and her father is hoping it gave her the running bug!  He is hoping she will like it better than soccer - I am not holding my breath!

I Don't Heart Daylight Savings Time

Who is the early morning hating person who developed this whole spring forward thing???  I hate it.  I hate that it is still dark at 7:30 am.  I hate that it has made me so tired.  I hate that we only had 4 blessed months of NO daylight savings time.  I am thinking of moving to AZ.

There, now I feel better.  Maybe I am just in my "it is spring break and I have to work and the kids are bored and making me crazy mode."  Working at home can be trying in times like this!  OK, enough complaining.  Back to work...

What Have You Been Doing?

Nice of you to ask.  We have been doing life.  It keeps us running and busy.  We did have a few fun different things this last week.

(Sophie, Kelsey and Brooke (aka Brooklyn)

We were able to score tickets to see Tim McGraw at the Rodeo on Monday.  Now I love Tim McGraw - seriously there was only 1 song I did not know.  Here is the downside.  During the rodeo, the performers do not take the stage until 9:00 PM.  I am usually in bed by then.  I managed to stay awake, and was rewarded with an awesome concert.

This is Tim as he got down off the stage and walked around the entire arena (the part that was not roped off) and shook hands with fans WHILE HE WAS SINGING.  It was awesome to see.  He is a great entertainer. 

It did make me a little sad missing Ryan since Ryan is the one who introduced this family to Tim McGraw and country music (he started to get off the rap music band wagon and started listening to country and we were totally behind that move).  He would have loved the concert, but I think he loves where is he and what he is doing.

Then I had a quick trip to CA, and I was back in time for New Beginnings.  It was a wonderful evening - they did a program around the poem My Three White Dresses which discusses the three white dresses a YW will wear in her life - blessing dress, baptism dress and wedding dress.  The girls sang a sweet song, and of course I cried.  They did a slide show and showed all the girls in their blessing dresses and baptism dresses.  That made me cry as well.  Here are Kelsey and Sophie's pictures.

Sophie blessing day - yes she is crying

Sophie baptism - she had stopped crying by then

Kelsey blessing day

Kelsey baptism (and the whole family who was there - the twins were little and I don't have any pictures of just Kelsey in her dress...sorry Kels)

They grow up way too fast - and in case you are wondering we are not ready for the 3rd white dress yet!

We Have A Winner

For the title of Biggest Drama Queen in the Pearson family.  And for anyone who knows my girls you know that is a hotly contested race.

Allie - on her birthday this year

Why you ask?  Let me tell you about my morning...

I was up with the older two girls to make their lunch, send them off to school with a smile, and be an all around great mother (how is that for a plug?).  After they left I did a couple of things and decided that Eric, who was still in bed up to this point, could be the one to get the twins up, dressed and to school.  I headed to take a hot bath - complete with bubbles.

I am enjoying my TV wrap up of the Oscars, enjoying my soak when in walk Eric and a hysterical Allie.  Eric says, Allie is crying because she is sure you love Caroline more than her.  OK.  Why?

He tells me because I am going on the field trip with Caroline this week and not with Allie.  Well, Caroline's teacher, who is our family all time favorite teacher, cornered me last week and tricked me to come to the field trip.  I told Allie this (also admitting that she should know I don't like any field trips at all - I love my kids but not field trips), and she says, still crying mind you, that is not all.

OK.  So why else do I love Caroline more, I ask very patiently even though she is messing up my quiet soak and Oscar wrap up.  Here is her honest answer - and I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP.

DQ: "Before we were born you said if we were boys you were going to name her after an ancestor and I was just going to get any old name."

Me:  "Allie, you are the one named after BOTH of your grandfathers and she has any old name."

DQ: "Yes, but if we had been boys you were going to name her Henry [my grandfather's name] and me just Jack."

Me:  "But Allie, you are not a boy, and you are named after your grandfathers."

DQ:  "Yeah But..."

You can see this went on for a few minutes at which point I said you are just being crazy.  Have you eaten breakfast yet?  Of course the answer is no, and she went to eat.

Seriously?  Tears at 7:30 over something that NEVER HAPPENED?  Later I turned to Eric and said you realize the hormones have not even kicked in yet.  He looked a little scared and said seriously?  That is not causing this?  Oh no I assure him - there is more to come!

My Babies Are Nine

How did that happen?  How did we go from this

To this?

More to come later...

Cowtown Half

Went up to Ft. Worth on Saturday to run the Cowtown Half Marathon with Kim and Jennifer (pic is from Jennifer's iphone, but you get the point).  The weather was beautiful, Jennifer and I took time off our last 1/2 in Houston 13 months ago (and might I add there are HILLS in Ft. Worth).  Kim hurt her knee so she had to walk the last 3 miles so as not to cause irreparable damage.  Dang - she just got back from her knee injury.  I hope it will not sideline her long.  Fun was had by all and Joe T. Garcias, a Ft. Worth tradition, made for a great lunch.  We were back to reality Saturday night.  Now to look for another one to run....

Saturday Pearson Style

Which meant a haircut for Kelsey, church BB for Kelsey, the twins first soccer game, Sophie soccer scrimmage, and Kelsey had a Sweet 16 party to attend.  (oh and an 8 mile run for mom).  And, did I mention Eric was gone?  Typical fun.  I missed the church BB (which Kelsey went to cheer her team on, but did not play) and Sophie's game.  I got there for the last 10 minutes, and she sat out the last 10.

Allie and Caroline's first game.  Lets see, I talked Caroline into giving soccer another try this season since she only played 1 season when she was 4.  Last fall was TOO crazy with soccer and cross country and volleyball.  So, she is playing soccer.  If she can pay attention to the game, she will do well.  For a first game she did great.

The is Allie's second season back.  She still has a problem running her mouth as much as her legs (her grandfather defended her by saying she has lots of business to conduct - and I wonder where she got the gift of gab?).  Allie almost scored twice - had a run down the field and did shoot on goal.  It was our only two shots on goal.  We lost 0-4, but it was a good get back into the swing of thing game.  Some pics:

Allie going after the ball - she did have a few foul issues....

Allie throwin.

Caroline was very nervous at first - then she loosened up.

I am not sure if Allie is running her mouth telling Caroline what to do, or if she is mad Caroline kicked the ball and she did not (of course it is completely within the realm of possibility that Caroline took it from Allie)

Allie is number 6, Caroline number 8.  They tagged in a few times, I thought it was cute.

And, Kelsey's hair.  Not totally different, just lost some of the polygamous look.

That is it from chez Pearson.  Next Saturday - I am gone and Eric gets to do it all by himself! 

Perfection

Do you think this is why I need to be on a diet - the fact I think perfection can be found in this chocolate/peanut butter snack (which, FYI, is only 4 points).

Love Easter Candy!

Really?

I am not sure what is worse - the fact my son is laying there having this done, or the "adult" who is doing it.  Eric said, this is what missionaries do..... 

Just Because

Found this and it made me tear up.  My father always says if you can just remember the love you had for your children the day they are born, or when they are little and cute, it will get you through the teenage years.

I remember this picture - Ryan had climbed into the crib with Kelsey to entertain her and keep her happy.  Sweet boy and cute girl.

That is all.  Go hug your kids.  They grow up way too fast.

Sophie's Birthday Part Deux

I never did finish Sophie's birthday post - and it has been a crazy couple of weeks, so I have not posted much of anything.

Sophie is an outdoor kind of girl.  She loves to be outside.  Her biggest punishment is being stuck inside all day.  She has wanted a skateboard since she could ask for one.  Now, I have a sort of irrational fear of skateboards.  I once had to attend the funeral of a 12 year old boy in our ward who died riding a skateboard.  That was all I needed to know I did not like them.

But, she has persisted.  She has begged.  When we were in California over the summer, Stacey's daughter Michaela had a ripstick.  Sophie, of course loved it.  It is like a skateboard, but you have to move from side to side to get the thing to move forward.  I guess I finally succumbed to the pressure, and for her birthday Sophie got a ripstick.

Needless to say, she was thrilled.  Here is her first attempt at riding it.

The last picture from her birthday.  Sophie is really cute, but wears DANG soccer tee shirts every day.  It is a problem.  I got her a cute tee shirt for her birthday - this is the only picture I could find of it.  We also got the dog "fixed" on her birthday, so he has his nice cone on!  You can't really see the shirt well - I will have to attempt another picture.

She has not had a chance to ride it a whole lot more, because it has been COLD.  Like 30 degree cold for a very long time.  I can handle the overwhelming heat in the summer - I don't like it but I can handle it.  What I can't handle is the COLD - sitting at 3 soccer tournaments in a row in the frigid temps is NOT my idea of fun.  Dang groundhog...  I WANT SPRING.

Enough of my temper tantrum.  Needless to say, she will love the ripstick.  I expect her to use it a lot and I expect to worry the whole time.  It is the mom in me.

Here You Go Mom

I found this in Caroline's Wednesday folder - how cute is that?

Sophie and Soccer

When I was getting pictures together for Sophie's birthday, I came across this picture.

Yes, she is wearing sweat pants.  I thought it was so cute, and made me thing of her soccer through the years.  Soccer has been a big part of her life for many years.  Those early YMCA years I don't really have good pics - the twins being born and then needing all my attention is my excuse, but really I just did not take enough pictures.  So, these are when she is a little older.

First year playing for Challenge - she was about 10.

I never realized soccer was so physical - the older she has gotten the more physical it is.

It all started with that chubby cheeked little girl running around a field at the YMCA.  While she will never be Mia Hamm, she will always love soccer.

Happy Birthday Eric

Eric is a hard one when it comes to pictures - he does not like them taken of him.  It is really hard to get a picture of him - and then get approval from him for its use in public.  Here are a few which I think show his real love - his family.  He is alwasy there for his kids, and anyone who needs him.

Kelsey and Eric from my sister Melissa's wedding (March 09)

Kelsey, Ryan and Eric BYU vs OU football game August 09.

Eric frying turkeys with my brother Michael.

Eric and his mother, Marilyn.  November, 09.

Here is Eric's birthday present:

It may be familiar since it was also his Christmas present, but I am cheap like that.  I figure it was so good it should count for a few holidays.  Don't you think?

Happy Birthday - you look better today than the day I married you!

Happy Birthday Sophie

My second daughter enters the world of teenagers today.  It is so hard to believe.  There was a time I did not think she would make it to the ripe old age of 2.  She had colic, and tested everyone around her.  She is such as joy now - it is hard to believe we ever thought bad things about her.

I decided to post a few pics of her through the years - and yes looking at the pictures did indeed make me cry.

First Easter - she is crying which was typical.

First Christmas - a rare smile.

First Birthday.

18 months or so with Kelsey.

2 at Christmas.

2 1/2 with Aunt Megan.  Megan knelt down to get a picture with Sophie, and Sophie decided she needed to kneel down as well.

4 at the pumpkin patch.

Halloween at 6 yeas old - Becca and Rachel with her.

First Day of Kindergarten with Kelsey and Brian Wilkinson.

 First day of 2nd Grade.

Her 8th birthday.

Random picture of Sophie and Rachel - always being goofy.

First day of 5th grade.

First day of 6th grade.  She hated me for getting her hair cut, but I love it.

First day of 7th grade - this year.

Happy Birthday Sophie - I love you!