Pearson Family

Making Monkeys

2011-08-14T17:34:00.001-06:00

I was gathering hangers to hang my clothes from the washer and Shane follows me with a few hangers and asks “Mom, can I make monkeys?”

“Sure” was my reply. I finished gathering all the hangers I would need and headed down to the Laundry room. “Come on Shane, lets go make monkeys.”

As we were leaving the bedroom I noticed Cameron had a confused look on his face (I am guessing you do as well). I reminded Cameron of a few months past he had Shane in the back of Christian’s van fixing the lift and he had found a barrel of monkeys. Well the hangers are Shane’s barrel of monkeys!

Little helpers

2011-04-03T19:50:00.001-06:00

Time for some car maintenance and the kids love to help. Sean and Stockton helped put in some washer fluid, check the oil and replace the burned out headlight while Liz and Shane wiped out the inside.

TOO young for a DS?

2011-01-03T20:02:00.001-07:00

Is 2 TOO young to give a child a DS? In my opinion Yes! But when you have 3 older kids who have them the 2 year old is bound to find one.

He hasn’t figured out any games but loves to draw on the Pictochat.

Don’t worry we won’t be buying him one anytime soon.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-02T16:20:00.001-07:00

On Christmas Eve I sent Stockton and Liz to the neighbors with a plate of fudge and they stumbled across a special visitor. A few minutes later the doorbell rang and that special visitor was at our door and took the time to talk to each of the kids. Shane was a little nervous so I joined him on the lap of the Jolly Ole Man.

Before going to bed that night the kids opened the usual Christmas Eve gift of Pajamas and we all gathered around the living room brilliantly lit with an Aladdin lamp and Sean read the Christmas story from the bible.

Christmas Morning was full of wonderful gifts and smiles!

Christmas has come and gone as it does every year but this year I reflected a little more on the true meaning of Christmas and I am truly blessed with so many blessings.

One on One time with Grandpa!

2010-10-12T19:13:00.001-06:00

One night last week Grandpa Clark happened to be home alone and was going to take Cameron to dinner but I had plans and he had to stay home with kids so Grandpa took Liz to the Steakhouse.

Liz came home and really enjoyed herself and the time she got to spend one on one with Grandpa. Thanks to my friends at the Steakhouse I have an AWESOME picture to share.

Thank you Grandpa!

First Day of School 2010!

2010-09-20T19:28:00.001-06:00

I know I am about a month late but better late than never right?

Sean started 7th grade this year and technically this was his 2nd day of school.

Elizabeth is a 4th grader and Stockton is in the 1st grade.

4th of July 2010

2010-09-19T10:49:00.001-06:00

The 4th is always filled with lots of food, family and fun. This year was no different. There were several BBQ’s, lots of cousins and the kids favorite Pop it’s!

The kids went through probably about 20 boxes. Shane couldn’t quite throw them hard enough so he learned to stomp on them.

And Stockton learned how to pop them in between his fingers! (Thanks Aunt Bekah!)

Flag Pole Finally!

2010-07-17T13:34:00.001-06:00

Cameron has wanted a flag pole in the front of the house for a really long time and now we finally have one thanks to the help of our friends!

After the help of the kids digging the hole, Dion came over and helped cement the support for the pole in the ground.

After the cement had cured for a couple of days, Jon Pratt and his family came over and Jon did all the welding and used his crane to lift the pole into the hole. Shortly after the pole was in place, we flew the flag for the first time. (sorry the pics are a little dark)

Thank you to everyone for your help. We LOVE being able to fly the American Flag in honor of our freedom.

Also I have to thank Grandpa Potts for gluing & steri-stripping Stockton’s head after he ran into the pole for the first time.

Baseball

2010-05-30T16:44:00.001-06:00

After many years of no baseball season I have one that wanted to play this year.(Well 2 but we didn’t get Liz signed up for softball.)

This is Stockton’s first year playing baseball and we skipped the Tball stage. He is playing coach pitch and he LOVES it. Once he connects with the ball he can get a pretty good hit out of it.

I love watching him play!

Cozy Coupe

2010-05-23T10:47:00.001-06:00

As the days got warmer we decided it was time to invest in an outdoor ride-on toy for Shane. After a trip to Wal-Mart and a tough decision I decided on the Cozy Coupe. As soon as we arrived home with our new purchase we spread all the little pieces out on the lawn and began to put it together. We had a lot of help and after only putting the front wheels on wrong once we finally got it all together for Shane to play in.

A Deacon!?

2010-04-12T11:17:00.001-06:00

It has been a looooooong time since my last blog.

A couple of months ago Sean turned 12 and was ordained a Deacon! I cannot believe how time flies. I think it was yesterday that he took his first steps.

I have had the honor to take him to gather Fast offerings these last 2 months and to watch him pass the sacrament. I can’t believe what a wonderful young man he is growing up to be.

Decorating The Tree.....Twice

2009-12-15T13:09:00.001-07:00

The day after Thanksgiving Cameron took the kids and went tree hunting.

After spending a week in the garage we decided it was time to bring it in and decided where it would spend the Holiday season. Then a couple days went by before my Mom put lights on it for me.(Thanks Mom)

Then finally Sunday we decided to let the kids decorate it. The kids did a wonderful job and Shane even helped.

After the tree was all decorated and the kids were in bed I ran to the store(Liz informed me before bed the cat was out of food). When I returned I found an empty living room and the decorations and lights were sitting on the nearby couch. Cam delivered the bad news that the tree had fallen over twice while I was gone. UGH!!!

So out came the pre-lit 6' artificial tree. The kids loved getting to decorate a second tree.

Hoping to avoid anymore tree mishaps we are wishing you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

You've had a Birthday!!

2009-12-10T11:21:00.001-07:00

Six years ago on December 7th a precious 7lb. baby boy was placed in my arms. I cannot believe how fast time flys.

Stockton is such a joy to have in our home and we love all of his little habits and mannerisms. He is so much like his Dad. He enjoys anytime he can go out to the farm, go to the shooting range or just spend time with his Dad.

He is one of the easiest kids to buy presents for. He circles about everything in the Cabela's catalog. Although I would love to buy him everything I just picked a few things. This year he got a toy shotgun, Cabela's big game hunter with a gun for the wii, and a pop gun.

The kids have stayed up the last two nights playing the Wii game way past bedtime. That has made for some hard mornings. Oh well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STOCKTON!! We hope you had a great one!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-31T20:34:00.001-06:00

There is nothing like waiting until Halloween Day to carve pumpkins. Lucky for us it fell on a Saturday. With Halloween on a weekday there never is enough hours in a day, but this year Halloween is on a Saturday. It seemed like we had plenty of time to just enjoy the day. Cameron came home for lunch and brought KFC. After the kids gobbled the food down they were very eager to grab the pumpkins and start carving them. Each kid always draws their design out onto the pumpkin with a marker first and then it is time to have Mom & Dad help with the cleaning and carving. I didn't get pictures of the kids with finished projects but here are some of the action. And yes you do see some of me this year.

Kindergarten Field Trip

2009-10-27T08:25:00.001-06:00

Every year the Kindergarten class gets to go to the pumpkin patch and pick out 1 pumpkin. This year it was Stockton's turn. I was excited to go with him and help him pick his best pumpkin. When we arrived to the pumpkin patch (via bus full of very excited children) we filed out and on to hay wagons pulled by tractors. We rode the hay wagon out to the field FULL of all different sizes and shapes.

Once Stockton was off the wagon I had a hard time keeping up with him and his buddies. I think I would have been better off just staying in one place and letting him find me. After several minutes of walking the rows and rows of pumpkins he finally found the perfect one.

After having a picture taken for his class they all went for a walk where his teacher Mrs. Chappell showed them the different types of pumpkins and gourds.

Then we loaded back on the wagon and went back to the bus. After arriving back to the school it was time to go home for the day. Yep, No school that day just a Field Trip.

MILEY!!!

2009-10-25T11:24:00.001-06:00

As most of you know last month for Liz's Birthday we gave her tickets to go see Miley Cyrus. I know, I am a little late posting. (I am going to try to post once a day this week). Anyways, on September 29th we all loaded up and drove to Salt Lake. Cam and the boys stayed with Carson and the boys and the twins and Angie, Chandlie, Liz and I left to go grab dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and then we were off to the concert.

The Energy Solutions Arena was packed with screaming girls and parents with smiles knowing that their children were loving the concert. After the first song Miley disappeared from the stage for what we thought was a costume change. When her back up singers finished the 2nd song for her we couldn't help but think something was wrong. Sure enough her Stage Manager came to a mic and told everyone that Miley was not feeling well and that she was going to take a few minutes to recoup and then she would be back on stage. We took that time to go and grab a T-shirt. After about 20 minutes Miley returned and finished the concert. She may have taken a few more minutes during costume changes but the concert was still GREAT!

Liz & Chandlie had an amazing time and just the smiles on their faces made the ringing in my ears that much more bearable.

Good Times and Bad...We always have COUSINS!!

2009-09-24T20:36:00.001-06:00

Ok so I know this is WAY past due. Last month Sean had a football game in Nephi. We let Candy & Angie know ahead of time when it was in hopes they might make the drive. Candy and Tyson called and let us know they were for sure going to drive down so Sean made a phone call and asked if McCade could please ride down with them.(Thank You Candy & Angie for making the arrangements)

Sean & I left Richfield around 3:30 and met Cameron in Scipio and continued to Nephi. Shortly after the game started Candy arrived with McCade and Tyson. Although it is hard to see Sean's face with the helmet on I am sure he had a HUGE smile on his face when he saw his Cousins.

It was so fun to sit and visit during the game. After the game we were able to go and grab a bite to eat together before we headed our separate ways.

Although the 6th grade Jr. Cats had a loss that evening we still had a winning night because of Sean's wonderful Cousins. Thanks again Candy, Tyson & McCade for making the trip.

CELEBRATE!!

2009-09-11T15:09:00.001-06:00

This past weekend was Labor Day and of course we had nothing planned, except for a Family Birthday Party for Liz. Monday the 7th was Liz's 9th Birthday. I am not sure who was more excited for her present me or her.

We had decided because of the holiday weekend there probably wouldn't be many of her friends in town so we decided to wait a couple of weeks to have a party with her friends. Much to our surprise her cousin Chandlie showed up on Friday night to surprise her and boy were we ALL surprised. Thanks Chand for coming.

I decided I wanted to make her cake. I wanted to try and use fondant.(Not a good idea, it didn't go so well.) So I ended up using Vanilla frosting, from a can, and then used fondant to decorate. Ta Da!

For her presents she got a couple of CD's she has wanted and also a create a tag kit from Maycie. Now for the BIG surprise, which I had been keeping for 3 months. I am taking Liz to see Miley Cyrus!! I think she would have been a little more excited if big bro Sean hadn't played what if.

I can't believe she is 9!! Time flies by so fast so be sure and take the time to make every minute the best.

First Day of School

2009-08-24T15:37:00.001-06:00

Last Wednesday marked the First Day of School for Sean and Elizabeth, but today was Stockton's First Day.

Last Wednesday I sent Sean off to his first day of Middle School. At first he wanted me to walk him in but once inside the door I was excused to leave. Crazy, I have a child in middle school!

(Picture taken after school.)

Then it was off to Pahvant Elementary with Liz. 3rd grade. WOW! I walked her in and to her class and then of course she wanted to go out and play until the bell rang. She too was in a new school.

(picture taken after school)

Today was Stockton's first day of Kindergarten. I don't know if he was just excited or what but he was in a big hurry to get rid of me. He kept saying "k mom bye." I keep telling myself he was just excited. I started to get choked up as I was leaving him in his classroom. What's wrong with me! JK. I know I am emotional.

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!!

2009-08-23T19:28:00.001-06:00

We officially kicked off Sean's (#27) first season of tackle football.

Our first game was against Manti and was supposed to be here in Richfield. The game had to be moved to Salina because of a water line break at the Richfield football field.

Upon arriving at the field we found that they were running a little behind. The 8th grade team had finished up with our 1st win of the day. The 7th grade team was in the 2nd quarter. While waiting for the game to finish up we waited under the shade of a tree. With the 7th grade team taking home the 2nd win of the day it was time for the 6th grade team to take the field. Woo Hoo.

I am not sure if I was nervous or excited or both. With both older teams taking home wins we couldn't help but be excited to see the outcome of our 6th graders.

Entering into the 3rd quarter the game was 0-0. I was starting to wonder what would happened if no one scored. Then finally we got a TOUCHDOWN!!

With a second Touchdown we finished off the game with a win 14-0. All 3 Richfield teams had wins!

Here are a few pics from our LONG, HOT but EXCITING day!

BIRTHDAY BOY!!!!

2009-08-09T14:37:00.001-06:00

I can't believe how fast this year has gone. It was a year ago that we put you so carefully in the care of Dr.'s, nurses and the life flight crew. We knew you were in good hands but it was still so hard to know there wasn't anything else we could do but pray and let you go with them so you could grow stronger.

Look at you now. You are such a joy in our house and we love you more each day. It seems like you do something new every day. The day before your birthday you started walking. WOW!

For your birthday we had Grandma Jonnie, Grandpa Potts, Grandma Suzi, Aunt Shoie , Boden, Bryken, Uncle Christian, Kami, Tylar, Maycie and of course your brothers and sister all here.

Grandma Jonnie gave him the cutest Superman pj's. The top even has a cape.

Kami gave him a car track and he loves watching the cars race.

Of course the favorite of the party was the cake.

Once Shane got a taste of it he wasn't about to let it go. We finally had to pull the cake away and put him in the tub. He was a SWEET greasy mess!

Thank you everyone for the wonderful well wishes and especially the prayers this past year.

4th of JULY!

2009-07-19T17:19:00.001-06:00

The 4th of July is always a great holiday. It is really hectic but in the end I always enjoy it. This year was no different. The cannonade woke me up at 6 a.m. ( it didn't seem to be as loud this year, maybe I was extra tired.) Then of course I have to get everyone up and ready for the PARADE. Can't forget breakfast before the candy they get at the parade. Liz was riding on the Cinderella float so she had to be lined up on one side of town at 9:15 and then I had to be on the other side of town before the parade started. Whew!

Shane didn't really get the whole parade thing this year but he just chilled why the rest of us enjoyed it.

After the parade Liz danced at the park, performing her talent from Cinderella.

Then the kids wanted to stay at the park and play on all the over priced blow ups. After we were able to round them all up we came home for some water fun.

I ended up having to work this year, but we were slow enough that we were able to close early and I made it home for FIREWORKS! I was so excited to make it home in time for Shane's first Fireworks show. He really enjoyed them although half the time he spent exploring.

After the city fireworks we had some of our own and then it was time to get exhausted, bug spray covered children cleaned up and into their beds.

Until next year or should I say the 24th of July!

Meet Garfield!

2009-07-15T13:22:00.001-06:00

We have been searching for the right cat to add to our family. Oh what a search. We brought one cat home, which we were told she was very loving and then 10 minutes after having her home she split. We have occasional sightings of her but she is definitely not a FAMILY cat. A couple of weeks ago we were down to Marysvale when we spotted a few kittens at the Ranch. I wasn't really sure I wanted a kitten but they looked bigger but not quite cat size. Garfield has become very comfortable at our house and loves the kids and the attention, so he is a perfect addition to our home. Now if we can just get George use to him.

A little bit of Everything.......

2009-07-06T14:07:00.001-06:00

Right now I have about 600 pictures in my camera. I have downloaded them all on to my computer but still need to make prints and get a CD back-up. I love taking pics of my family and the many fun things we do. I have really good intentions on Blogging all of them as current events, but I find the time flies and it doesn't always get done. So here are a few things we have done in the past months.

In June, Elizabeth participated in the Utah State Cinderella pageant. The pageant is 3 full days of competition and FUN! It begins with a Welcome Banquet and getting acquainted. The second day is Interview with the judges and talent competition.

After the competition is over it is PARTY TIME! The 80's pool party followed by a pajama party.

The third day is modeling and GRAND FINALS! After Grand Finals is the Royalty Reception where the introduce the new Royalty and it is a chance to visit with everyone before they all head home. This year 3 of the 5 International Royalty were able to be here and they are all so very talented.

I never thought I would enjoy pageants but the Cinderella program is so much fun and the girls are all amazing.

This year Elizabeth was not in the top 5 but she did end up with the Beauty crown, along with 2 other Sevier County girls. I was so proud of her and she did an amazing job.

FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND!

Father's day weekend was a lot of fun. Carson & Angie and their kids were passing through after a family reunion and were able to spend some time with us out to THE FARM!

Everyone took a turn on the horse and then they had rides on the 3-wheeler and the 4-wheeler.

We took Cameron's presents out to the farm so he could open them before Sean left with Carson & Angie.

They took Sean to Mount Rushmore with them on vacation. He had so much fun. I was a little sad to see him leave bvt I am so glad he was able to experience it with his cousin, McCade. I am glad he is home now.

Carson & Angie pulling out and Cam & the kids followed them to the gate.

Family Resemblance?

2009-06-26T17:44:00.001-06:00

The other day I received a letter from my Mom and she enclosed a picture of my Grandfather. I can definitely see a resemblance, can you?

Knife Survival Skills

2009-06-07T22:42:00.001-06:00

Cameron has decided that Shane is old enough to learn how to handle a knife. Shane took really well to his belt with the sheath and has mastered quick draw safely. Cameron is training him in the ways of Davy Crockett, with hopes that Shane will kill his first bear before he turns 3.

Farm Life

2009-05-23T09:10:00.001-06:00

It's irrigation time! It's not even June and we have watered the Farm twice. I think after the 3rd year of being on our own with it, we have finally got the hang of it. Or should I say Cameron has the hang of it.

The first year there was a lot of prep work and we all spent hours out digging furoughs and clearing away debris. After the first water I wondered "What kind of chore have we created?" The second water the first year went rather smoothly. After that first year it has just gotten better. I wouldn't dare say easier because it is still a lot of work every year. We still have to assemble and move pipe and of course watch the water when it is time.

Here are a few pics from the first year.

A couple of weeks ago during our first water of the year I was able to capture these great pics of Cameron. He looks so comfortable and peaceful. I wasn't able to help this time because of a yard sale conflict.(We decided to do a yard sale the same weekend.) After the yard sale was done I ran to Subway and grabbed a sandwich for Cam and took it out to him. I don't think he realized I was there until after I took the pics.

Cam came and sat with us while he ate his sandwich and of course Shane cannot resist food. So Dad shared with him.

Easter!?

2009-05-13T17:28:00.001-06:00

I know, I know. Easter. I am a little behind. With 4 kids and limited time on the computer I haven't stayed caught up very well. Because I am behind I decided to do a slideshow of our Easter pics.

We had a blast coloring eggs and only one spill, but of course it was pink. Shane had so much fun watching the kids.

The Easter baskets and egg hunts were a lot of fun too. Shane was not particularly fond of the Easter grass in his basket.

Hope you enjoy the pics.

No Really......Anywhere!

2009-04-10T12:10:00.001-06:00

If you are a blog follower of ours than you know from an earlier post that Stockton can fall asleep anywhere and is out within in seconds. A few weeks back he was laying in bed and had a little flashlight he was playing with. And all of a sudden we hear "oh great!"

"What's the matter Stocky?" I asked.

He replies with sadness in his voice " I dropped my flashlight under my bed."

"It's okay, just crawl under your bed and get it." I tell him.

I realize after a few minutes I had heard nothing more from him, so I decided to go and check on him and this is what I found.

Yes, that is under his bed. That kid could sleep anywhere!

The One Thing.......

2009-03-13T09:05:00.001-06:00

These last seven months have flown by. The day Shane was born and learning the news of having to spend at least 2 weeks in the hospital, I remember thinking 2 weeks that seems like a really long time. The day we brought you home from Provo I remember thinking it didn't seem long at all.

Now it has been 7 months. Wow! We have protected Shane through this long winter from as much sickness as we could. He has been having monthly injections of Synagis to give him the extra antibodies to protect him from RSV. At the beginning of the year with the change in our insurance(we didn't change companies but something changed ??) they decided they didn't want to approve the final 2 doses. After fighting with them for 2 weeks and lots of hours spent on the phone with our Dr. (Thanks Dixie) they finally sent out his 4th dose 2 weeks late. UGH!

Needless to say the injection didn't happen soon enough. The one thing we didn't want was for you to get RSV. We have now been battling it for a week. I am so grateful to have my Dad as a Dr. We have been able to avoid hospitalizing Shane because his Grandpa is right down the street. Grandpa prescribed breathing treatments every 4-6 hours as needed and he was even available in the late night hours to give him a cortizone shot and just to listen and make sure he wasn't struggling to breath. We are very fortunate.

Your first breathing treatment.

Shane is doing better. He still sounds a little weezy but nothing like it was last week. And of course he has a cough but that will last a while.

Peek-a-boo

2009-03-06T10:03:00.001-07:00

Shane loves to have a blanket or even just someone's shirt to hide under. His favorite is to lay by Dad and hide under his shirt. They get this special time together at least twice a week when I go to work. I love that they got pictures for me to post.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T13:53:00.001-07:00

I love to make treats for Valentines Day. It is usually soft sugar cookies with buttercream icing. Yum! This year I made cookies and then I decided to try Truffles. They were actually not really hard. A little time consuming, about 11/2 hours from start to finish for about 53 Truffles. It was a learning experience and I will know next time what to do better.

Here is a picture of the finished product.

**Sean did say they are not the same shape(round)but then he did say that they were probably made with machines.

11 YeaRs rEalLy!

2009-02-12T14:18:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that Sean is 11!

The years fly by so fast. Sean is such a great example to those around him. We are so lucky to have him in our home. He has a VERY contagious laugh and is such a joy to be around. Don't get me wrong, he also has A LOT of sarcasm. Celebrating his birthday brought back memories of the day he was born. It was a Sunday much like this day and as I looked out the window there were snow flurries, same as there were 11 years ago.

On to the fun stuff; Sean wanted a homemade funfetti cake, well from a box, but I made it. The cake is on a rotating silver stand that plays Happy Birthday. ( It was Grandma Suzi's Grandma Chloes cake plate)

Some of the presents he wanted was a new bike helmet so he could ride his ripstik and a DS game and also lasertag(Just like the 80's but better).

I also surprised him and got him tickets to go and see the Harlem Globetrotters. Yes, they were here in Richfield. He was able to share that experience with his Dad, Lizz & Stockton. They stayed after the game and got autographs and a picture, which is on my cell phone. They had a blast. Happy Birthday Sean!!

COMFORT?

2009-01-25T21:09:00.001-07:00

Many of us know the comfort of having a rocking chair in our homes. Whether it is to rock our sleeping babies or to soothe a sick child they are a great comfort.

Even as adults to sit in a rocking chair with a good book is comforting.

To my son, Stockton, there is nothing more comfortable than our Rocking Chair.

Pregnancy Tag!

2009-01-19T11:25:00.001-07:00

1.Where were you when you first found out that you were pregnant? 1-home, 2-home, 3-home, 4-home.

2.Who was with you? 1-my mom 2-Cam 3-just me 4-Cam

3.How did you find out that you were pregnant? 1-My dad did a blood test at the lab and called with the results. 2-I think another blood test. 3 & 4 home pregnancy test.

4.What was your first reaction to finding out you were pregnant? 1-excited, we thought it would take awhile to get pregnant because of some medical reasons, but only took 2 months.. 2-Excited, we tried for about 9 months. 3-Excited, we tried for a year and when we finally decided to give up we found out we were pregnant. 4-Excited, a little unexpected. He was not a surprise just happened fast.

5.Who was the first person you told? 1-my mom was there then told Cam. 2-Cam and maybe Kami. 3-Kami then Cam. 4-Cam.

6.Did you plan to get pregnant? Yes, to all four.

7.Did you tell everyone else right away? 1-We were so excited we couldn't wait to tell everyone. 2- yes. 3-yes. 4-We waited a couple of weeks but decided to tell the kids on our way to Salt Lake and they just couldn't wait to tell everyone.

8.Was everybody happy for you? Yes.

9.Did you go out and celebrate? No.

10.Did you want to find out the sex? YES

11.What was the sex? 1-boy, 2-girl, 3 boy, 4 boy.

12.Did anyone throw you a baby shower? 1-yes, 2-no, 3-no, 4-my sister wanted to because it had been almost five years but I felt weird having one for my fourth baby.

13. Did you get any outfits at the baby shower that you just knew that you wouldn't put on your baby? No, I was excited for everything.

14.How much weight did you gain? 1-about 40lbs., 2-about 45 lbs., 3-around 55 lbs., 4-I think it was around 50 lbs. I know crazy, I get huge.

15.Did you lose all of the weight that you gained? Believe it or not but I was always stuck with an extra 5 lbs. with each one. Still working on #4.

16. Did you get stretch marks? Oh yeah.

17.What did you crave the most? I don't know that I craved anything specific. Just food in general, but had a hard time with sweets. They didn't taste very good.

18.Did you crave anything crazy? Not really

19.Who or what got on your nerves? Nothing really got on my nerves to bad. My hormones were crazy but I don't really remember anything specific.

20.Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Yes, preterm labor.

21.Where and when did you go into labor? 1-at my baby shower. 2-at home at about 1 in the morning. We went and dropped Sean off with Grandma & Grandpa Pearson and then went to the hospital. 3-at home. I had just been taken off of bedrest and was trying to finish up some decorating for Christmas when the contractions started. 4-at Wal-mart! Then I drove home and laid down to see if the contractions would stop and when they didn't decided I better go to the hospital.

22.Did your water break? no. not with any of them. The doctor had to do it at the hospital.

23.Who drove you to the hospital? 1-My friend Torann. 2,3 & 4 Cameron.

24.Who was in the room when you gave birth? 1-Cam, my mom, Cams mom, my sisters, my dad(the doctor), and two nurses. 2- My dad, Cam's mom, Dixie, nurse and I think respiratory. 3- Dad, Dixie, Nurse, Cam. 4-Cam, My Dad, Dr. Pope, Dixie, three nurses, and two people from Life Flight. There might have been respiratory too.

25.Did you go early or late? 1-three weeks early, 2-three weeks early, 3-two and a half weeks early, 4-six and a half weeks early.

26.How long were you in labor for? 1-16 hours, 2-6-7 hours, 3-about 9 hours, 4-5hours.

27.Did you have any drugs for the pain? I had an epidural with #1 but it did not work. No drugs with 2, 3 or 4.

28.Did you go natural or have a C-section? Natural

29.What was your first reaction after giving birth? I cried with everyone and wanted to know immediately if they were okay.

30.How big was the baby? 1- 6lbs. 4 oz. 2- 6 lbs. 9 oz. , 3- 7lbs. , 4- 4lbs. 14oz..

31.Did your husband cry? Yes.

32.What did you name the baby? 1-Sean, 2-Elizabeth, 3-Stockton 4-Shane

33.Does her name have any significant meaning? They all have family names. Shane is a family name but was 2 days old before we decided. The final decision came while we were in the NICU with him and we looked up the meaning and it means. Gift from God.

34.Did you have any visitors? Yes

35.Did he have any complications? 1-Just that the epidural did not work. 2-She was early but was fine.. 3-He did not cry right away to clean out his lungs so he required a little oxygen for the first 10 hours., 4-Yes, He decided to make his arrival a little early and he took a Life Flight ride to Utah Valley when he was just hours old. We spent 2 weeks in the NICU and he came home on oxygen and an apnea monitor.

36.How old is your baby today? 1-ten years, 2-eight years, 3-five years, 4-5 1/2 months.

37.When is the next one coming? As of right now there are no future plans. I don't like to say I am done because everyone has a surprise if they do.

38.If you could, would you do it all over again? For sure. With each child you wonder how you can share that much love with all of them, but it is so easy. I love them all so much.

39.Tag someone: I would challenge anyone that reads this. It is a fun reminder to everyone and how different all the pregnancies can be.

FEET, FEET AND MORE FEET!

2009-01-18T12:13:00.001-07:00

Look who finally found his feet!

Just after turning 5 months old Shane discovered his feet or his 'pigs' as I like to call them. At first I thought it was an accident but he kept doing it.

Then just a few days later he realized he could put his toes in his mouth.

Now I am noticing he gets a little fussy when he can't get to his little toes so I take off his socks and he is perfectly happy. Awww, how sweet. His progression just amazes us, almost like he is our first not our fourth.

Sleddin'

2009-01-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

I know I am a little behind on my bloggin'. UGH! It is so hard to keep up on everyone. I take so many pics that I want to document and then realize they are still on my camera. Well I am going to get a few done today.

While Cam was off during the Christmas break he took the kids out to the farm and pulled them around behind the four wheeler on their sleds. They had so much fun. I was so glad I sent the camera with him. I stayed home with Shane and made Hot cocoa to warm them up when they returned.

My personal favorite photo!

I wish the snow would have stuck around a little longer. I guess we still have a month or two for some good snow storms.

Christmas

2008-12-26T10:44:00.001-07:00

I have so much to document for Christmas. I was really going to stay on top of my blogging this month but SOME promises were made to be broken. OOPS. This month started out so busy. I think the first week we had something every night on top of battling the stomach bug. YUCK!

With hopes that the tree would be up the first week there just wasn't time so we finally got it up and decorated the second week. The kids were really hoping for a REAL tree with our traditional decor but that wasn't looking likely. So I pulled out the wonderful pre lit tree, my favorite, and my Twelve Timbers ornaments. After a few moans from the kids they eventually warmed up to the idea.

With Christmas sneaking up on us, it was now time to see Santa. Cam offered to come home at lunch and watch Shane so I could take the three older kids but I could not let his first Christmas go by without a pic with Santa. So we braved the storm and wrapped Shane up and took him out of the blanket long enough to snap a picture.

Christmas came, ready or not, and we got a lot of fun things. I recall the kids saying several times. "This is the best Christmas so far" Words I love to hear.

The reaction of getting a Wii.

Shane got a Bumbo. (First time sitting in it)

Some of the other fun stuff the kids got.

We had a wonderful Christmas and we hope you all had a great one too. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

What have you done?

2008-12-14T17:01:00.001-07:00

What Have You Done?
To participate, just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done. It's kind of fun!!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis(with a piece of paper between it and my hand)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business(started selling Scentsy)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury(called for duty but never went to court)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument

Gardner Christmas

2008-12-11T13:47:00.001-07:00

Every year we get together for the Gardner Christmas party. This party is always one I look forward to. The food is always wonderful and the gift exchange is always exciting. This year it was at Suzi's house in Annabella.

The kids on the ride over to Grandmas

After stuffing our faces with lil smokies, tortilla wraps, chips and dip and of course all the goodies, chocolate butterscotch rice krispies, Polly's caramel chocolate bars, candied corn pops, caramel popcorn, etc.

Christian keeping his eye on the treats.

The kids and most of the adults went on a hay ride and did some caroling around the neighborhood. (My pics of the hayride didn't turn out so well.) Those of us that stayed behind made hot cocoa so when they returned from their frosty ride there was something warm. After the hot cocoa the kids where playing so well that the adults did our gift exchange. Everyone always brings something that they would like so sometimes you end up with your own gift. So much fun. The kids were starting to get restless so it was time for them to open their gifts. After that everyone started to head out for the night. It was a perfect way to get me in the holiday spirit.

Stockton's 5!

2008-12-09T15:20:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that he is 5. Where has the time gone? Stockton is such a joy in our house. He keeps us laughing until we can laugh no more. He is easy to buy for because he is all boy. If it is a weapon of any kind he is thrilled. This year he got a nerf dart gun, pixos, which I am still picking up several a day from the floor, and a Cabelas sweatshirt. He is so much like his father it makes me laugh.

We Love you Stockton. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Business Venture

2008-11-24T16:26:00.001-07:00

Hello to all of my Blog followers. I am trying something new and am now an Independent Scentsy Consultant. I love their products and thought I would give it a shot. One of my close friends, Tori, has also decided to join me in this venture.

To order from us you can call or email or you can visit our website set up with Scentsy, www.scentsy.com/cindymoms.

We look forward to your business and support.

Crazy Hair Day

2008-11-12T10:56:00.001-07:00

The week of Halloween it was Red Ribbon week and of course they always have to have CRAZY HAIR day. This is one of my favorites and I can get really creative with the hair. Sean always has his own idea of what he wants so I don't get much say in it. This year we went for the spikey red look since it was also WEAR RED day.

I have to say this is one of my favorites for Lizz. We couldn't decide what to do until the morning of. Another brilliant idea if I do say so myself. Of course she loved the idea too until the kids at school said she looked like a hammerhead shark. That never crossed my mind but she had a good attitude about it.

Halloween

2008-11-10T15:17:00.001-07:00

I am a little late on blogging Halloween but I wanted to let everyone know how crazy and forgetful I can be. On Halloween the kids did not have school so we had a nice relaxing day. After getting Shane bathed and dressed in his cute little pumpkin shirt I wanted to make sure and get a few photos so I took some right after he was dressed and happy.

So here is the best part. Apparently sometimes I can't remember that I actually have a camera because I only got pics of Shane. After getting dressed for Trick -or- Treating we went to Grandpa Potts' house where he took some pictures of the kids, I will have to get copies from him. I kept telling myself to take one before they got ready for bed but obviously I FORGOT again. UGH!! I hope to get my memory back soon.

LOOK how big!

2008-10-31T11:32:00.001-06:00

Time has gone by so fast. When I first had Shane I remember thinking 2-3 weeks in the NICU was a really long time. when we were in the car to come home I told Cameron that is seemed like a long time but it also seemed like a short time that we were in the hospital. It is so weird how fast time flies. The picture on the right was when we first brought him home and just barely over 5 lbs. the picture on the left was taken yesterday and pushing 10 lbs. I am so happy to see how big he has gotten.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-30T09:48:00.001-06:00

For FHE this week we carved our pumpkins. It was about 7:30 before we got started so we were pretty sure we were in for a long night but it went rather smoothly and quickly. Shane was even in on the fun. I think he enjoyed being out in the middle of everything.

Stockton wanted one with fangs and blood.

Elizabeth had a hard time deciding what to do but after drawing it up on paper first we ended up with a "Princess" pumpkin.

Sean wanted to spend a little more time on his but it was getting late and ended up with a great pumpkin that looked almost as scary as he was.

Shane even carved a pumpkin. Ok, so I helped a lot, but it was the kids idea for the features I just cut it out.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Wireless

2008-10-27T11:10:00.001-06:00

So a couple of weeks ago at Elizabeth's baptism we had Shane in his carseat and in tow the oxygen and an apnea monitor. It is always an ordeal to go anywhere. One of our friends who also had a baby asked us why we didn't order a wireless baby. Of course we laughed and I replied that they took the last one. :)

Well as of last Friday we are officially WIRELESS! The oxygen is off and on Thursday evening we received a call from the Drs. office and they told us that our last download came back clean and we can be done with the apnea monitor. I was so excited I had to show Cameron by turning off the machine. Ok, I was so nervous turning it off that I turned it back on for one more night. I know sometimes it would be easier just to leave it on but we will slowly get back to normal with our perfectly healthy baby boy.

Baptism and a Blessing

2008-10-16T20:49:00.001-06:00

What a special weekend we had. We had planned for months to combine these special events. With the early arrival of Shane it seemed we may not have been able to continue with the plans. Elizabeth was so excited for her baptism I could not bear to ask her to wait so we continued to plan on it. As for Shane's blessing we jumped back and forth on what to do. At first we thought we would try to do it the same day but then not so sure we wanted to impose on Lizz's special day so then we thought we would just wait a couple of months to bless him, but then we had so much of our family planning to be here we decided to go ahead and bless him as well.

On Saturday the 11th Elizabeth was baptized and it was so special. Thanks to my sis-in-law I was able to have some great pics of this special day. ( I forgot my camera, duh!)

On Sunday the 12th we blessed our special little boy Shane Cameron. Because of him being premature we decided to go ahead and bless him at home. It was wonderful and I have to say the spirit was so strong in our home that day. I did have my camera this day but of course the batteries were dead. I got a few before it completely died but some were from Candy ( Thanks Candy).

We had most of our families here for these two special occasions and it was so wonderful. Thank you all so much for coming.

Bekah and Jereon traveled from Florida and Rachel came from Maryland. Also my Uncle Shane, Gail and his daughters Whitney and Mckenzie came from Idaho. What a distance for all of them to travel but we are so grateful. We also had Carson, Angie and their family and Todd, Candy and their family come from up North. Mom came from Price and then of course all of our family that lives here.

We are so thankful to have such wonderful friends and family. Thank you to all of you who traveled so far to share these special occasions. It meant so much to us.

Fall Sports

2008-10-08T08:32:00.001-06:00

I know it is just barely fall and I am calling these fall sports. Close enough right? I wasn't able to get to as many games as I would have liked this year but I did get a few pictures.

Sean (#3) just finished his last year of flag football. He is a super fast runner and just loves football. He talks about playing in the NFL and would love to play for the Denver Broncos someday. I love his dreams and ambitions.

Bottom picture: Sean about to make a touchdown before his flag was snagged.

Elizabeth (#12) played her second year of soccer. I know she loves to play but sometimes I think it is more social for her. At least it is some form of exercise even if she was chasing boys rather than chasing the ball .

Again I did not get many pictures because I wasn't able to make it to as many games.

Conference Weekend

2008-10-07T11:23:00.001-06:00

Conference proved to be very rewarding. I feel all of the talks were designed for me and my family and all the trials we are or have recently faced. I know several of you that feel the same way. I know the power of prayer is a very important part of Conference and the preparation for the talks.

On a lighter note, the kids were able to enjoy some of conference. Getting them to hold still long enough is always a challenge. When they did hold still they did really well until the last half of the last session and then their exhaustion got the better of them.

Note: This is the older two children. Rarely do they have a nap.

Free Handbag Contest

2008-10-04T10:45:00.001-06:00

Look how cute!! These are just a few of many handbags that Handbag Planet has to offer. On October fifteenth their website will make its debut with these way cute handbags at great prices. I can't wait to purchase my first one.

Visit Handbag Planet for your chance to win one. I did!

Chubby Bubby

2008-09-19T17:51:00.001-06:00

I know he is still so small but he has CHEEKS! It is so good to see the weight on him.

Update: We saw Dixie yesterday and he is now 7lbs. 5oz. WOW!! A pound in a week. We got the okay to go to small family gatherings and to go for a walk. YEAH! I am looking forward to the fresh air. Also we are starting to do trials without the oxygen and that is going really well. Hopefully we will be off oxygen in the next week or two.

We will keep you all updated and again thank you everyone for your support and prayers.

Happy Birthday Lizz!!

2008-09-08T13:14:00.001-06:00

Our Little Princess/Diva turned '8' yesterday! It is hard to believe that it has been 8 years since we brought her home from the hospital and that in a few short weeks she will be baptized.

Her birthday proved to be a little different this year and she was so grown up and understanding. Usually we have at least the families that live here over and a couple of really good friends but with her new baby brother we are restricted on visitors. She was so understanding and I am pretty sure she still had a GREAT birthday.

Today Grandma Suzi took treats to her class. (Thank you, Suz) Pretty soon our lives will be somewhat normal and we will have to make it up to her but for now she is just a happy go lucky little girl.

We Love you Elizabeth! You really brighten up our lives.

(She loves Hannah Montana if you couldn't guess)

Shane Cameron Pearson

2008-09-06T11:05:00.001-06:00

Shane was born on August 7, 2008 at 10:55 p.m. He surprised us all by arriving 6 weeks early. Shane weighed 4lbs. 14 oz and was 18" long at birth. Because we live in a rural area our hospital does not have a NICU so Shane got ride in a Life Flight helicopter just hours after he was born. The Life Flight team from Primary Children's arrived just 55 minutes before Shane's arrival. After several hours of preparing him for the flight he was off to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo.

He spent two weeks in the NICU at UVRMC. What a rollercoaster. He went from being intubated and on an oscillator(breaths 500 times a minute), to a CPAP, to room air his first day there. Later that evening they put him on a small amount of oxygen through a nasal canula because he was struggling just a little bit. Shane also had a little Jaundice that required a few days of Phototherapy. It looks like he enjoyed his suntan. haha.

After two weeks we were able to bring Shane home to our family. He came home on a trace of oxygen and an apnea monitor. Which we will most likely have for a couple of months.

We have been home from the hospital for 2 weeks and Shane is 4 weeks old and still 2 weeks away from his due date. He is doing so well. This past Thursday he weighed in at 5lbs. 14 oz. He continues to require a trace of oxygen.

Thank you to all our family and friends for your support and prayers through this time in our lives. It was so nice to have the visitors, lunch and dinner dates as well as the phone calls for his continued progress.

We Love you all!

Extreme home makeover

2008-08-03T16:32:00.001-06:00

Ok I will try to catch everyone up. Six months ago we moved out of our home with the intention of selling it. After one renter and a shortened lease we have decided that this is the home and neighborhood we want to raise our family in. We have started making some improvements that it needed to accommodate our growing family.

I will start with the kitchen. As some of you may know it had WONDERFUL pink tile. To our surprise under the pink tile was green and yellow linoleum. So Pretty. Of course the linoleum had black tar paper on top of hardwood. After a failed attempt at removing the tar paper we decide to visit the local Home Depot and we found some beautiful Pergo and better yet it was on Clearance. Cameron did an awesome job. Thank you hubby!

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

Didn't it turn out beautiful. I am soooo excited.

Check back for more updates. There are lots more photos.

Rainy Days

2008-07-31T20:56:00.001-06:00

We were sitting in the house on Sunday when it just started to rain. I caught Lizz and Stockton playing in a puddle across the street. The rain was making bubbles in the puddle and they were popping them.

After awhile it started to pour and the gutters were full and Sean joined in the fun. The kids had so much fun. Oh to be a kid again.

Summer Carnival

2008-06-19T10:50:00.001-06:00

This was at our Ward party last night. They rented a bounce house and a huge blow up slide. The kids ran up and slid down as fast as they could. Top picture: I wasn't sure if I would catch Sean going down or not. In the bottom of the picture you can see Parker, he loved it. Bottom: Lizz going down the slide and Stockton going up.

One of the other items they had at the Carnival was a 2 player basketball hoop. This is Sean and Jeff with a couple of onlookers having a contest. Sean was doing really well. If you look at the picture closely you can see the ball. It turned out to be a really weird action shot. I am not sure I have completely figured out my camera.

Father's Day!

2008-06-15T11:11:00.001-06:00

We are so thankful to have Cameron as the Father of this family! As I grabbed everyone to get a quick shot they can’t help be silly. I had made Peanut Butter Blossoms a couple of days ago and Cam was quick to share his stash that he had hidden (on top of the fridge). If you look closely in place of Lizzie’s smile is a cookie.
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there.

2008-01-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

What we are up to
Things have been a little crazy around here. Sean is just winding up his season of basketball. His team finished second in the league. The playoffs begin this Thursday. If all goes well he will most likely play in the championship game. Elizabeth just started violin lessons last week and can't wait to learn her first song. She is still dancing and getting ready to learn her dance for the Cinderella Pageant. Yes, she wants to do it again. Stockton is just as carefree and as silly as they come. He goes to Preschool once a week and wishes he could go every day. For Cameron and Sarah it is just trying to keep up with the kids.

2008-01-10T16:24:00.000-07:00