The Jonas Brothers visit local elementary school!!

Today was "Career Day" at school and my fab teaching partners and I decided to be The Jonas Brothers...that's a career, right? It was the most ridiculous thing ever. We walked around all day together and forced our students to call us Kevin, Nick and Joe. I had really creepy fake eyebrows and my kids got so much work done because I kept threatening to wiggle my eyebrows at them (which they thought was so gross). =)

It was a long day...signing autographs, trying to get our under-paid publicist to keep the fans at bay, impromptu hallway performances...it's tough being a celebrity.

By the way, you really must click on the pictures and enlarge them to grasp the full effect of "the eyebrows".





- Impromptu hallway performance (gotta keep the fans happy)
- Photo op
- Showing off our purity rings

A weekend in pictures...

I'm on mid-winter break this week (yahoo!) and have been enjoying checking off my to-do list, visiting with friends and family, and in general just loving being in charge of my own time.=) This past weekend we had a great time celebrating V-day and my birthday in Seattle. One of my dear friends got married Saturday morning, so that's what began our festivities. We stayed at the W hotel, a place we've always wanted to try, had a fabulous dinner at Palomino (thanks, mom and dad!), went to the aquarium, walked around Pike Place market, stood in line for what seemed like an hour at the original Starbucks (my americano was definitely worth the wait), watched the man at the Beecher's cheese shop stir a HUGE tub of cheese, and enjoyed great sunny weather the whole time. Ironically, as we drove home, it started to rain.

I feel so blessed to be able to celebrate another birthday. My mom always says that having another year to celebrate IS a reason to celebrate, and we did...with pizza brought by Mark's parents and a delish cake brought by mine...I've never felt more sure of myself, confident in who I am, and content with my life than I am right now. I have the knowledge of Christ as my Savior, a husband who is so amazing it's hard to describe in words, a beautiful house that is much to large for the 2 of us, a job that I love, the ability to have extra money to create goals with...a lot of people don't have half of what I have...and I know it could all be taken away in an instant. The Lord is SO good and I'm overcome with adoration and awe in Him.

Today I'm looking forward to checking a few more things off my list, getting to visit with some of the kiddos I used to nanny and their mama, and excited about bible study tonight! I hope you're all enjoying the day! xo

From Facebook...enjoy =)

25 things about me...



1. I love the Lord with all my heart. The older I get, the more intense and deep my relationship with Him becomes. I'm grateful for all He's done in my life and I because of the way things always work out, I know His hand is guiding me.

2. I'm blessed to be married to the best guy ever. Mark is so level-headed and a wonderful leader for me. He's also really good at surprising me; I'm sneaky, but I've never been able to find out one of his surprises before he reveals it to me. =)

3. I love kids. I think about having children of my own every day, and the desire only gets stronger with time. I used to look at Mark and just see my life-partner, but now when I look at him, I also see the father of our children.

4. I loved being stuck at home for 3 days during the snow last year. I can always find projects to do around the house, and I just love putzing around, cooking, baking, cleaning and organizing.

5. Our friends, the Turners, gave us some Dave Ramsey materials last summer and once we got started, we sold our brand new car, bought a 1968 Chevy (that Mark loves, thank goodness!) and have paid off almost $30,000 of debt in the past 6 months. We paid our last chunk this last Monday and are now debt-free!

6. We're planning a pretty large remodel this summer that we're going to pay for in cash.

7. I enjoy singing "Old Man River" in a low man voice to my students.

8. My hot water bottle is my constant companion during the winter months. My brother and Mark make fun of me and say it looks like a bladder. I'm convinced that I'm saving money because instead of turning up the heat, I just boil some water for my hot water bottle. Mark says I'm wrong.

9. Mark has some really weird nick-names for me that all end in the word "bin". The one he chooses usually have something to do with what I'm doing at the time, for instance, if he thinks I'm cute, he may call me "Cute-bin" or "Pee-bin". But, if I burp or toot, he often calls me "Gross-bin" or "Dump-bin".

10. I like to take naps, but I also hate wasting time, so I don't take them very often. Because of this, Mark calls my naps "World Famous" and will often ask me on a SAturday morning if I'm going to be able to fit in one of my "World Famous Pee-bin naps".

11. I love coffee. I used to drink flavored lattes a lot, but now I just love drip coffee and when I do go to Starbucks, I order and Americano.

12. I love my class. I have the best group of students in the world. They make me smile everyday and they truly care about me, which is the best feeling. I hope to not work when we have kids, but if I do, I know I can return to the best job ever.

13. I have a routine in the shower. Wash face, shampoo, conditioner, then soap/shave. If I do it any other way, it messes up my whole day.

14. Mark, my brother and I are having a "dry month" this month. I usually have an occasional glass of wine with dinner, but I'm not a big drinker- I just didn't want to be left out of the competition. =) The funny thing is, we started this on Superbowl Sunday, one of the biggest drinking days of the year, it seems. But we're all doing a good job, so far!

15. I love to read, but often don't make time for it. I read "teacher books", student work, and emails all day long, so when I get home, I don't want to read at all.

16. I had braces for 4 1/2 years.

17. I have a chip in one of my front teeth that got there by me trying to entertain one of the kids I used to babysit when I was in high school. I was showing the kid how a wooden toy worked and it shot into my mouth. I now have the chip repaired every time I go to the dentist.

18. I love Haribro Twin Cherries gummy candy. The only place I've found it is at World Market. Every time I go there, I buy a couple bags, gorge on them, and then I don't want more for several months.

19. I was never able to sit "criss-cross-apple-sauce" when I was a kid. My legs would immediately fall asleep. Instead, I would sit with my legs in the shape of a "W". To this day, that's how I sit. People always comment on how weird it is.

20. I love making strange faces at myself in the mirror. It makes me laugh. If Mark reads this, I'm sure he'll be surprised by this because it's not something I go around telling people and I don't know that he knows this about me. =)

21. Adding on to number 20, I often play out conversations I'm going to have or have had in the mirror to see what I really look like when I talk. I think my brother caught me doing this a few times when we both lived at home and shared a bathroom and thought I was really dumb. Maybe so, but know I never have to wonder what I look like when I talk to people, because I've already practiced...

22. I make extreme noises when I have the hiccups and it always throws Mark and my brother into laughter.

23. Speaking of my brother, Aaron and I used to not be super close, but over the last 6 years or so, we've been really honest with each other, had some bad fights, and have become closer than ever. My perfect Friday night would include hanging out with him and Mark, eating great food and talking. Aaron is one of the coolest people I know and I'm so very proud of the person he is. I smile every time I think about him. It also helps that he's super fun, too. =)

24. I love to send hand-written cards. Even though I email constantly, I think it's over-rated and there's nothing better than receiving a note in the mailbox, old-school style.

25. Oh, man, just realized this is my last one....it should probably be a good one, huh? Okay- I'm not a modest person when it comes to sharing gross things about myself or gross/embarrassing situations I've been in. I think "bathroom humor" is funny. For instance, I once peed my pants in college while in the cafeteria. I was telling a really funny story and felt a little "squirt", but thought nothing of it. When I got back to my dorm, I went into the bathroom, glanced in the full-length mirror, and realized my light gray sweatpants were all wet. No one ever said anything to me about it, so either they were trying to be nice, or they're still laughing about it today. =)

Tag, I'm it!

So I guess I do have one more post to do...thanks, Christy. =)


The rules to play the Fantastic Four Meme are simple:
Copy/paste the questions into your blog
Type in your answers
Tag four people on your list
Don’t forget to change the answers to your own!

FOUR PLACES I GO OVER AND OVER AND OVER: Target, Safeway, work, World Market

FOUR PEOPLE WHO EMAIL/IM ME REGULARLY: Kristy, Mark, co-workers (they count as one) =), mom.

FOUR PLACES I LIKE TO EAT: Cactus, Typhoon, although since we're no longer in Kirkland, both these places aren't as close =( , The Rock, Salty's.

FOUR PLACES I’D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW: Somewhere tropical with a cold drink, shopping (predictable), on a date with Mark (although he is right next to me, so maybe this counts?), hanging with the Turners.

FOUR TV SHOWS I COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER: Jon and Kate Plus 8, Friends, The Office, The Real Housewives of Orange County (don't judge).

FOUR PEOPLE THAT I THINK WILL RESPOND: Mandy, Bree, Tiffany (since she has so much time with a new baby!) Sara.

An evening walk in the snow...

Mark and I decided to explore our neighborhood this afternoon...boy did we get a lot of snow! I was about to walk out the door this morning when my district canceled school. I was glad since we live on a hill and my route to work is also full of hills. Mark stayed home too, so we had a fun day of relaxing, finishing my holiday baking from yesterday, and a nap. A GREAT nap. :)

I am sad we didn't have school today because we were going to have a party in class, my parents and Mark planned to come, my mom was going to teach my class a craft I did when I was in elementary school, and I had gifts for my students and staff. :( Oh well, I guess I can't complain about the early introduction to winter break!

So, back to the walk...it was peaceful out and a fun time with my hunk. :)

The MONSTROUS house being built up the street. The houses in our neighborhood were all built in the 40's, so this one really sticks out. Notice the roof line of the house next to it. Yup, it's THAT tall!

We were so amazed to see the UPS guys out, we just had to take their picture.


A little fuzzy, but this documents that we were actually out. :)


Our cozy house with my newly-painted red door!


Mark snowboarding...in front of our house. :)

I'm looking forward to another relaxing day tomorrow, getting laundry and cleaning done- hopefully I can get out at some point because I still have lots to finish before Christmas! Hope you are all staying warm!

What we've been up to...

It's been a while...hi, how are you? :) There has been a lot going on in the Pearson home that I should have been blogging about, but in the midst of the last month, which was full of school functions, conferences, report cards and the like, well...I've been tired. Sometimes, blogging just feels like work- maybe some of you agree. I do love sharing what our life is like, and peeking into yours as well, but sometimes we all need a break. But here I am, sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee, enjoying the gift of time that has been given to me in the form of a late-start day because of the snow- I wanted to take this time to check in.

These are quite random pictures, but they all made me smile, so I wanted to share...




We've fallen in love with this little dog. My parents got him last summer and he's been a great companion. Here is Coco after his weekly bath. My dad treats him like a baby- this is the closet thing he has to a grandchild right now...we'll have to change that soon. :)


And just for kicks, this is me enjoying the last day of summer with Mark, dining at the Newcastle Golf Club. If you've never been, it is unbelievable. The view is out of this world.


This is some of my staff at our holiday party over the weekend. It was a blast! I love these people- God has truly blessed me with an amazing place to teach and friends in the faces here...

Having fun with the creepy moving hand that was a white elephant gift. It had a remote control and the fingers wiggled. egh.

A view of our tree from the front yard. We've really been taking a different perspective with Xmas this year, as are a lot of people I think. I love to shop, give and receive as much as anyone, but I really wanted this year to be more about Christ, and the family traditions we have. It's a gift alone to have this life, and to spend it with those we love, to live in a country where we can worship the Lord freely and to not live in fear of persecution...these are the gifts we receive each day of the year, and honestly, it's been a huge load-off to focus more on that than anything else. Also, with the remodel we're planning/hoping to do in 2009, we wanted to stay on budget with our gifts, and it's been fun to have to sit back and actually think about what would be great for each person, instead of rushing out and trying to buy as much as possible, as fat as possible. We've also had a lot of fun adopting kids to buy gifts for- it was one of my favorite memories this year so far...a great date night with Mark to do something meaningful for others. :) Thanks, honey, for doing that with me! I'm looking forward to a wonderful holiday season!

Also- I'd love to send Xmas cards to my blogging buddies! Email me your address at robincpearson at gmail dot com. :)

Hoping that December is treating you all well!

What I've been up to (list format)

I've decided lists are more efficient sometimes, so here we go:

This weekend/last week I...
-Freaked out about getting a sub for the first time.
-Stayed at school til 10pm on Wednesday to make sub plans for 3 days while thinking to myself, "there's no way I could do this with kids at home".
-Drove to Oregon on Thursday with Mark and my in-laws.
-Drove to California on Friday and met my uncle Bob on the way at a rest stop on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere (it doesn't take much to impress him) :)
-Went to a really fun rehearsal dinner and ate delicious walnut prawns with Mark's extended family, who are SO much fun!
-Thought about how full my school email inbox probably is.
-Enjoyed a fabulous time hanging out with Mark's family and attending a wedding for one of his cousins.
-Had a bbq in 80 degree weather.
-Wanted to see the Tangens while we were there, but ran out of time. After experiencing the 80 degree weather in October, understood why they moved there.
-Decided to fly home Sunday night so we could spend more time with family instead of taking Sunday and Monday to drive home.
-Endured a smooth flight. (I don't appreciate flying...at all.)
-Since we came home on Sunday and I still had a sub for today, got to hang out at home- bonus!
-After pacing for a while, deciding whether or not to open my school email, I did it and realized why I didn't want to.
-Went to Starbucks and Ikea with Mark to look at kitchen cabinets- if only I didn't have a job, Ikea is a great place to hang out on a Monday!
-Did lots of laundry.
-Looked at photos from our trip. I'll post more later so you all can see how the Pearsons party.
-Now enjoying a cup of tea (I practiced my british accent all weekend) before heading to bed early.
-Browsing blogs and seeing that so many of you have been to the pumpkin patch- fun!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

8 things

8 things I am passionate about

• My faith in Jesus Christ
  
• My hubby
• My career
• Food, cooking eat, eating it, sharing it....
• Intentional relationships
  
• My memory foam mattress and pillow
  
• Helping others
• Preparing for/being the best wife and mother I can be
  

8 books I've read & enjoyed

• The Undomestic Goddess- so fun!
  
• Anything by Augusten Burroughs
  
• Pride and Prejudice
• The Power of a Praying Wife
  
• The Bible
  
• Let Your Life Speak (changed my life)
  
• The Other Boleyn Girl
  
• What to Expect While You're Expecting (no harm in preparing early, right?)
  

8 words/phrases I say often

• I love you
  
• Go ask 3 other people, and if you still don't know, ask me. (talking to students)
  
• I already gave directions for that. (talking to students)
  
• Totally (bad habit)
  
• Not right now (to students...seeing a theme here?)
  
• Wanna go for a walk? (are you smiling, Mark?)
  
• Does that seem like a reasonable answer? (again, students)
  
• Did you lock the doors? (to Mark)
  

8 things I want to do before I die

• Make babies with my hot husband
  
• Go on more mission trips
  
• Zipline in Kauai
  
• Taking a cooking class with Ina Garten (and eat with her after, she seems nice)
  
• Sing at the Metropolitan Opera
  
• Learn to play guitar
  
• Become a grandma
  
• Run a marathon...okay maybe a half marathon
  

8 things I've learned over the past

• People are more important than things and money
  
• The American cultural Christmas is over-rated
  
• Mark is truly the love of my life
  
• It's okay to recognize the gifts I have and use them
  
• No one cares whether my house is clean...except me. =)
  
• I am saved by grace through faith
  
• Debt isn't a necessary evil, it's just evil.
  
• It is more important to be who you are than who everyone else thinks you should be

8 places I want to see.

• Italy
• Jerusalem
• Point of Arches
  
• Fiji
• Egypt
• Inside the White House
  
• Africa
• Amish country
  

8 things I need

• To lose 10 more pounds (getting there!)
  
• A Mexican vacation
  
• A haircut...well, maybe just a trim
• To get used to my new glasses
  
• To get the clean sheets out of the dryer
  
• To go for a run
  
• To be thankful
  
• To stop getting so excited for fall decorating/baking- it's kinda out of control

What I'm doing right now...

Enjoying a latte in my new mug...yesterday was my last day teaching summer school (WOOHOO!), so after packing up my room this morning, I ran some errands and have been putzing around the house doing chores ever since.




Getting ready to wrap this birthday present for a good friend and fellow wine-lover who is having a bday bash tonight at a fun place in Seattle! What's in the bag, you ask? Two funky wine glasses and a card...


Getting REALLY excited for these! Look how cute they are! No joke, when I planted this ONE tomato plant, it was like 6 inches tall. It is now taller than me and full of tomatoes, although they aren't all ripe yet.
LOVING this fun book! After all the hours I pour over curriculum books, teaching books, cookbooks, gardening books, etc., it's so nice to "watch a movie in my head" with a book like this! It's such a page turner and I'd recommend it to anyone- better yet, you can borrow it when I'm done!
It's also been really cool watching the Blue Angels practice right outside my window! I couldn't get a picture because they fly too fast. I love our little city by the lake!

Driving Range!

So, Mark took me to the driving range tonight- I was PRETTY horrible...to give you an idea of just HOW horrible, I had about 40 balls...I hit exactly 4 of them. Yea. I'll get better, right? =) It's amazing how hard it actually is to hit that darn ball! It's a great workout (well, maybe this is just because I had so many practice swings- ha!) and fun to be outside! The best parts were when I got all psyched-up to hit the ball and then, after a really powerful swing, slammed into the ground with my club-hitter-bat-thingy. I tried to dress real cute and golf-like, so at least I could possibly fool the people walking by...I think it worked. Mark did an awesome job- this was only his second time; the first time he went with my bro who is a great golfer and was able to teach Mark a few things. We are looking forward to doing this more often and having something else fun to do together! I'll let you know when I actually (consistently) hit the ball...

I promise I didn't forget...

Remember my "Pay it Forward" post? Well, I'm finally getting to announce that Christy, Mandy and Krista will be receiving something fun and homemade in snail mail! Girls, please send me your mailing address to:

robincpearson(at)gmail(dot)com

Don't forget to "pay it forward" in whatever way you choose, to whomever you choose, whenever you choose!

Summer fun!

We look as good as we felt. =)

So, time has been passing quickly with all the STUFF going on around here! I have found myself panicked and almost paralyzed when confronted with the idea of updating this blog, because I don't know where to start! I think I have to realize that I'm really just doing this to keep in touch with others and no one really wants to know ALL the details of the Pearson Prose, right? =)

Since I last posted, Mark and I enjoyed a fabulous long weekend in Walla Walla, celebrating our 5 year anniversary. Seriously people, Walla Walla is the new Napa. =) It's such a cute town, with breath-taking vineyards, and amazingly good ice cream cones. Despite the heat, and it was hot, we had a great time...we haven't been away together in a couple years and we have realized how good it is for our marriage- wouldn't you agree?

I started my 4 week journey of teaching summer school and it's a blast...I was so burnt out at the end of the school year and also frazzled about prepping myself for the fall, that I was not looking forward to teaching during the summer, but it has been super easy and fun so far and a great way to earn a bit more- I'm saying it goes towards my new kitchen. =) Hopefully, those "before" pics will be on here in a couple months!

We just returned today from spending the 4th at our family cabin in Eastern Washington...my mom is touring Europe with her choir and her absence was sorely felt! We did have a wonderful time, though...family bonding is always "good times".

Other than that, our days have been filled with keeping up on our house and yard, visiting friends, keeping up with all those who are expecting (which is fun for me because I'm enjoying making things for them with my sewing machine!) and just trying to take it easy this summer. I love keeping up with everyone and hope you're all enjoying a fantastic summer! I've got the burnt shoulders to prove that I am! =)

50 posts!

I feel like I've really contributed something special to the blogging world with my modest 50 posts, don't cha think? In all honesty, I just like feeling connected to so many out there! I've reconnected with friends from college, and bumped into their friends on the way as well- it's always more fun for me to read other people's blog than write on my own, but I agree with C and Tiffany when they have said that this is a great way to journal what life looks like at any given point.

The last month has been insane with school winding down and finishing (praise God!), gearing up for summer school, my mom's retirement and all the events surrounding that amazing accomplishment...all these things worthy of posts including pictures. Alas, the reason I haven't posted in so long is because we've lost the camera power cord. Grr. I have great pictures from my masters graduation ceremony in May, all mom's retirement shindigs, and fun with friends...hopefully they will appear very soon!

On another note, Mark and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary this weekend...I can hardly believe it's been so long, and yet it seems like he's always been at my side (aww). We're taking a getaway to Walla Walla for a long weekend and we're super excited! It's a place we've always wanted to go, and it's getting so much press for what a blossoming city it is...we look forward to lots of wine tasting, great food, sleeping in, and exploring!

There are so many things happening in the lives of my blogger friends, mostly, it seems, in the realm of babies! =) Congrats, again, to all who are expecting...the funny thing is, there seems to be a pattern of "unexpected # 2's" around! Super exciting for those families- what fun is in store for you!

I will be back, and with pictures next time! =)

One worded answers

Anyone else up for this one? :-)

1. Where is your cell phone?....... kitchen
2. Your significant other? ........... handy
3. Your hair? ............................... long
4. Your mom?.......................... optimistic
5. Your dad? ............................ fine
6. Your favorite thing? .................. sunshine
7. Your dream last night?.............. husband :)
8. Your favorite drink?.................... coffee
9. Your dream/goal?.................. mother
10. The room you're in?................ family
11. Your hobby?........................... cooking
12. Your fear?............................... strangers
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years?....... home
14. Where were you last night?...... nap
15. What you're not?...................... skinny :)
16. Muffins?.................................. yum
17. One of your wish list items?....... bling
18. Where you grew up?................ FW
19. The last thing you did?............... dinner
20. What are you wearing?.............. sweats
21. Your TV? ................................. Juno
22. Your pets?............................... ah-choo!
23. Your computer?........................ Mac
24. Your life?.................................. blessed
25. Your mood?.............................. anxious
26. Missing someone?.................... friends
27. Your car?.................................. Honda
28. Something you're not wearing? ..... earrings
29. Favorite store?........................ World Market
30. Your summer?......................... free!
31. Like someone?.......................... always
32. Your favorite color...................... blue
33. When is the last time you laughed? today
34. Last time you cried?.................. hmm...
35. Who will resend this? ................ bloggers?