Grandpa Pearson

On Tuesday, January 6, 2015 my dad called to tell me that he had just given my Grandpa Pearson a blessing. It brought tears to my eyes for a few reasons. I knew that my grandpa's health was declining quickly and he wouldn't be with us much longer. 

I was touched that my dad had given him a blessing. It was the first blessing that my dad has ever given. I was so proud of him. My dad has come a long way. I never thought I would ever see this side of my dad while here on Earth. He has been on his own spiritual journey for the past couple of years. He quit drinking before he had knee surgery in November of 2012. The following March he started going back to church. In May of 2014 he quit drinking coffee. He received his patriarchal blessing in the same year and received the Melchizedek priesthood on August 17, 2014. I am beyond proud of him. The gospel has the power to soften hearts and to change lives. I have seen it first hand in my dad.

On Saturday, January 11, 2015 I woke up to a text message from my dad asking me to call my mom. I knew that my grandpa had passed away. It was bitter sweet. I cried and was sad to lose him here on Earth, but was relieved that he was finally at peace and out of pain. He wasn't suffering anymore.

We had just driven to Utah and back for Christmas; not even two weeks before he passed away. Driving with Sawyer was a nightmare, but we were so thankful to be able to attend the funeral. I can't even express how great it was to see my entire family. Family members that I grew up with, that I hadn't seen in over 10 years. My grandpa's funeral service was nice. There is something about a death that puts things in perspective. I kept thinking about how my grandpa is gone, but memories of him remain. It made me wonder what memories people would have of me if I were to pass away tomorrow. It made me want to be a better person. A better daughter, sister, aunt, friend, wife and a better mom to my kids. I kept thinking of these two quotes:

"Invest in people, not things."

"I've learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget

how you made them feel."

I find those quotes to be so true and particularly touching while sitting and thinking about them during my grandpa's service. When we pass away, memories remain and I want to be sure to leave good ones behind.

Life Legacy

George W. Pearson, Jr.

PRICE - Our beloved father and grandpa, George Pearson, passed away peacefully January 10, 2015, at the age of 89, after enjoying a wonderful life filled with love and happiness.

George was born to George W. Pearson, Sr. and Elsie Frost on June 3, 1925 in Peerless, UT. He married the love of his life, Rae Dell Long in Castle Gate, Utah on the 6th of March 1947. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti Temple on their anniversary in 1953.

George was a member of the US Navy and proudly served his country in WWII as a submarine mechanic. After his time in the Navy, George worked as a coal miner and was a member of the UMWA. He later moved to California where he owned his own airplane and worked spotting fish for commercial fishermen. During his time in California, he started his own construction company and worked as a contractor before moving back to Utah and retiring to “the Ranch”. George was an active member of the LDS Church and held several callings. He was a hard working, kind-hearted man who served his country, church, and family throughout his life. He will be remembered as a generous, loving person who put others' needs before his own.

George was preceded in death by his parents, 5 sisters, Rosella, Elizabeth, Naoma, Mona and Elsie, and a great-grand-daughter, Rachael. He is survived by his loving wife, Rae Dell, children DeAnna (Boyd) Rhodes, Nancy (Bob) Jones, Elsie (Bill) Riddle, Duane (Barbara) Pearson, Alan (Joanne) Pearson, Bill (Peggy) Pearson, Loni (Jerry) Giraud, LaDawn (Harry) Mari, and Christine (Rod) Hooley 32 grandchildren, 56 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren.

My mom's side of the family

My dad was asked to dedicate my grandpa's grave.

 My grandma and all of her children and their spouses.

My sister Shannon, me, cousin Shaina, and cousin Ella.

Sawyer was so tired at the luncheon after the funeral. She fell asleep on Peyton. He is such a sweetheart with our kids!

This was at my cousin, Ella's house. We all got together the night of the funeral. I can't say enough how proud I am of my dad and how far he has come in the gospel. I am also proud of my mom, who I didn't get a picture with.

My Fabulous Sister

Luke was able to take a week off of work to stay home after Sawyer was born. It was so great to have him home! The boys had so much fun with him and I was able to maily focus on Sawyer. Just when Luke had to go back to work, my sister DeDe came out to help. It was so great having her here. It took me a while to get used to balancing the needs of three kiddos, and having her here made that adjustment so much easier! When you are a new mom, it seems like you spend the majority of your day on the couch, nursing your new baby. At least that is how I feel. It was a little tricky to figure out a schedule where I could make sure the boys were taken care of before I needed to be with Sawyer. DeDe was my extra pair of arms while she was here. She totally took care of the boys while I took care of Sawyer. She even took the boys to McDonald's and then let them play at the park. It was great!

My recovery time with Sawyer was so much longer than with my boys. DeDe was so helpful while she was here. I don't know how I would have survived Luke going back to work if it wasn't for her being here. It made it that much harder to let her leave! So thankful that she came out to be with us.

DeDe feeding Sawyer

DeDe helped me give Sawyer her first bath.

I love how sweet and precious babies are while they are sleeping.

 

My niece was able to see Sawyer while DeDe chatted with her on her phone.

Aunt DeDe playing play-dough with Austin

Sawyer's Newborn Photo Shoot

I really wanted to take Sawyer's newborn pictures. Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to get a ton of good tips on how to do a newborn photo shoot at home. I am an amateur, but am happy with the way they turned out considering I took them myself. She was just one week old when I took them.

Welcome Baby Sawyer

When I was ready to deliver both of my boys, Austin was right on time and Teague was three days late. When you get to those last few days before your due date, every day feels like an eternity. My beautiful sister in law, Chelsey, just had her little boy in June. He was nearly three weeks early. I was so jealous! I can't even count how many times I have said, "I would love to deliver early, but I'm just not one of those lucky girls that get to shave a few days off of her pregnancy." That being said, every pregnancy is different.

On August 22, at 3 o'clock in the morning, I got up to use the bathroom like I always do. On my way back to bed I felt liquid running down my leg. I was pretty certain that I had not just peed my pants, so I started thinking that maybe it was my water breaking. I was highly doubtful because my water did not brake with either of my previous pregnancies. I got back in bed and couldn't stop thinking about it. After 30 minutes of racking my brain, I got up and started doing some research online. I kept feeling more liquid every time I stood up, so I started getting nervous. My due date wasn't for two more weeks! I hadn't filled out my birth plan, didn't have my bag packed, I didn't even have the car seat ready! I started getting everything together and at 6:30 am I woke Luke up and asked him if he was ready to have a baby. He smiled so big and was so excited! I started having a couple of contractions, but they weren't strong at all or close together. I told Luke to go to work and I would call him when I felt like we needed to go to the hospital.

I was planning on getting prepared for the hospital, but not actually going until later that evening. I was worried that if my body wasn't actually in labor, the doctors would have to start me and I was afraid of getting a C section. After talking to a few family members and friends, I decided I better plan on getting to the hospital soon. Stella came over to care for the boys and Luke came home from work about 11:30. Nothing with my body had progressed until I went to pick up Austin from preschool. Right as I knocked on his preschool teacher's door, my water REALLY broke! There was no doubt about it this time. Right after that my contractions started getting stronger. I was glad that we were heading to the hospital. On the way to the hospital I noticed my contractions were only 4 minutes apart. Everything about this labor was totally opposite from my previous two. On the way to the hospital I told Luke that I felt like something was wrong. But it was more of a "what if?" scenario. I told him, "What if I have to have a C section?" I don't know why a C section was on my mind. Just the day before, I had been to the doctor and she said the baby's head was down and I was dilated to a 1.5. Everything was fine. By the time they admitted me into the hospital and checked me, I was at a 5. Before they could give me the epidural I was begging for, my contractions were only 2 minutes apart and I could hardly stand the pain. Within only 45 minutes of being at the hospital, they had given me my epidural and I was at an 8. The nurse said they would give me 30 minutes and check me again.

In the meantime, my dad had text me reminding us that this was the exact day that my Grandma Rhodes had passed away 23 years ago. He said that it was no coincidence that the baby decided to come on that day. Then he said that my grandma was up in heaven holding her until she was ready to come. That thought will always be so special to me. Not too long after that the doctor came in to check me. She had a concerned look on her face and said that she thought she felt feet instead of a head. They grabbed an ultrasound machine just to make sure. She was breech. I had to get a C section. Within minutes I was lifted onto another table and wheeled into a surgical room with almost a dozen doctors and nurses. I was a bawling mess. I wasn't emotionally prepared to have a C section. I didn't want to have my baby that way. It was such a different experience. They had a little trouble getting her out because of the position of her head. She was so quiet when she was born. I think I asked at least 2 dozen times if she was ok. I didn't get to hold her right away, but I watched as the nurses took care of her. Labor and delivery was such a different experience this time. I am just grateful that she is here and healthy.

Sawyer Dawn Hendrix. Born at 4:11 p.m. on August 22, 2013. 6 lbs 6 oz and 18.9 inches long.

Sawyer and her proud daddy. 

Luke's coworkers sent us these beautiful flowers! 

Luke stayed with us the first night and went home to stay with the boys the second night. Sawyer and I snuggled all night. She slept on my chest and we both slept great. I cherish these moments so much because they are so short lived. 

I took this picture right before we left for the hospital. This was just three hours before Sawyer was born. 

 Sawyer was so tiny compared to how big our boys were when they were born! Her newborn jammies were too big on her. Luke stopped and bought her some premie jammies on our way home from the hospital. I have loved having her be able to wear NB size for longer than two weeks.

Her first time sleeping in her bassinet. 

 The boys were pretty excited to have baby sister home. This was the only picture that wasn't blurry of Aust holding Sawyer for the first time. Ignore the scowl on his face. He was actually really happy to hold her!

Teague is such a lover. I have no doubt that her brothers will be protective of her.  





First Day of Preschool!

Austin started Preschool on August 20th. (Sniff...tear!) After calling around to quite a few preschools in the area I was shocked to find out the price of sending our 4 year old to school! Luckily, a friend of mine gave me some info about a few people that taught out of their homes for a much more reasonable rate. We chose a woman who teaches preschool two days a week for 3 hours a day. That was perfect for us! Aust hasn't ever been away from home and with a brand new baby on the way, we didn't want to commit to sending him more than that.

He loves school! He gets to go with 6 other kids. Most of the kids that attend his preschool are in our ward, so it's fun for me to get to chat with the other moms. When asked what his favorite part of school is, he says snack time. :) His teacher has been so great. He is learning so much and is always excited to show me what they made or what they learned. 

 August 20, 2013

He was so excited to get this ninja turtle backpack to take to school.

Teague misses Austin so much when he is at school! He asks at least a dozen times where his brother is. As soon as we pick Austin up, Teague gets a big smile on his face and says, "Hi brother!" The first day Austin got home from preschool, Teague wouldn't stop hugging him. It was so sweet!



My Home Town

It was Stella's first trip to Utah. She only had three full days to spend with us, so it was impossible to do everything that we wanted to. For the past six years I have raved to Stella about a few things in Utah that we don't have here in Sacramento. I couldn't wait to take her to eat at Cafe Rio and Cracker Barrel. I am a diet coke/diet pepsi addict and was so excited for her to drink a soda from Gas N Go in Price. They have, hands down, the best soda ever. Period. It was so fun to take her back home and show her where I grew up. I have talked about where I grew up so much, that is was so awesome to get to show it to her in person. We got into town on a Thursday night. On Friday afternoon we took her to see Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake.

 Stella, me, Teague, Austin, Twyla



 Stella and me at the Salt Lake Temple. When we toured the temple grounds I thought that Stella would think it was beautiful, but I had no idea that she would be so fascinated by temple square. She teared up a few times and said that she was in awe. It meant so much to me to have her appreciate her experience as much as she did because it is such a huge part of my life.  

The boys with Grandma Twyla 

Twyla, Austin, me, Teague. I wish Stella would have been in this picture. I will never forget how moved she was on our way up to this Christus. It was awesome.

A few years ago Stella called me one night and asked if I knew where Castle Dale Utah was. Of course I said yes because it's the town I attended high school in. She said that she had just watched a documentary on PBS about a zebra farm in Castle Dale. I knew exactly what she was talking about. What a small world! Ever since then, seeing the zebra farm was on her list of things to do if she ever made it out to Utah. It had been so long since I had been there that I couldn't remember exactly where it was. We drove around and we were so excited when we found it! The only bummer was that we couldn't see any zebras. We got out of the car and I took her picture in front of the gate that said zebra farm. We got back in the car and decided to drive farther up the dirt road to see if we could spot them in the field. No luck. No zebras in sight. We turned around and were headed home when we saw the owner of the zebras opening the gate! We jumped out of the car and asked him if we could take a look at his zebras and get a couple of pictures. He seemed a little hesitant, but said we could get in our car and follow him. We were following him for just a minute when all of the zebras came running to get fed. They all lined up and it was awesome! Stella told me that seeing the zebras was right up there with whale watching in Hawaii. I'm so happy she got to check it off of her bucket list!

We went to Huntington Lake with my family for some boating and a bbq.

Austin and Harli

Only Teague can look this cool with a binki in his mouth. ;)

 Austin and my dad driving down to the barn.

 Grandpa showing the boys his baby chickens.

 Austin and Harli had so much fun playing in the water.

Teague playing aunt DeDe's piano.

Austin and his uncle Dustin. I think they look a lot alike. They both have those beautiful eyes!

Shannon and Dusten have a ginormous bath tub. It has bubbles and jets and the works. Austin and Harli really wanted to get in it one night. We couldn't figure out how to turn on the bubbles or the jets. Dusten got home and got them working. He was their hero! Shannon and I were chatting in the next room. We kept hearing them laugh and talk about bubbles. We assumed they meant the bubbles that Dusten just turned on. Peyton came in our room saying, "Mom! They dumped shampoo in the tub and there are bubbles everywhere!" We couldn't even get mad because they were having so much fun! The next morning Austin told me that their house was way cooler than ours because they have a big bubble tub.

Instead of going on a vacation with Luke's side of the family this summer, we had a mini staycation in Salt Lake with them. We all went to a lake in Herriman and the kids had a blast!

Teague and Grandma Twyla in her back yard.

Aust swimming with dad. 

Teague LOVES crackers. They are his favorite snack. He loves to carry the box around and help himself.

Every night when Austin goes to bed, Luke tells him a story. He makes up the best ones! He told Aust a story based on the alpine slide in Park City, Utah. In his story he talked about this big mountain with slides. He said that one of the slides was called Blue Thunder. While we were in Utah, Luke really wanted to take Aust to ride down "Blue Thunder." He was so excited!

Grandpa Danny is so awesome and raced down the slide with them. That is him on the left with his hat on backwards. 



I took the boys' pictures in Danny and Twyla's back yard. They work so hard in their yard and it pays off. It's beautiful! 

 Teague was wiped out after pictures.

 Luke LOVED the ninja turtles when he was little. He was Raphael for Halloween one year. While we were in Utah this summer Twyla pulled out Luke's old Halloween costume. Aust was so excited to put it on! He has been wearing this costume on a daily basis and can't wait to wear it for Halloween this year.

 Teague and Grandma Twyla.