Team Pearson: 2009

Monday, October 19, 2009

Our new home!!

Welcome to the Pearsons!!!! While we were in Iowa, we were greatly anticipating any news that may come with the house we had in escrow. It was a short sale, so needless to say, there are many unknowns, ups, downs and straight up disappointments that come on a daily basis. We prayed and prayed that this would be the house God would give us... and sure enough---He is faithful and provided an "above and beyond" gift that we did not deserve. The house was built in 1988 and the previous owners bought the house in 2005 and started a complete renovation in 2006. They did not cut any corners on high end materials including 42" rustic alder wood cabinetry throughout the home, 5 1/2" panel Brazilian Cherry wood floors, wrought iron spindle staircase and cherry wood steps, granite countertops throughout kitchen, built-in office area and every bathroom... it's just a dream come true!! We would have never been able to do a $100,000 renovation, so we are SO thankful that someone else did it and we were able to buy it! I know this market/economy has caused much devastation in so many ways, but in this case, buying a home we wouldn't normally be able to buy was a giant blessing.

Here is the entry---and you are being greeted by our sweet, 11 year old, gorgeous Pit Bull, Marli. Chance has raised her since she was just a few weeks old. I am now a proud step-mother and she is a shameless mama's girl :)

Tis the season... I plan on changing this arrangement with the seasons :)

Living Room Sectional... very comfy.

From behind the couch looking towards the front door..

One of my favorite views of the inside... you can see all the beautiful details..

The dining room and my housewarming gift from my mom... I was DYING for this chandelier and couldn't wait to put it up. It was fairly inexpensive (comparatively) but shipped in 1,000s of tiny pieces... We put it together in shifts and took probably 8-9 hours total. Totally worth it. And when I was out of town, shooting a wedding, Chance and our friend, Scott completed the installation and even put it on a dimming system!! Wahooo!! Sexy mood lighting!

I love green and navy together :) And these mugs??? Casual china from Macy's that Chance and I originally registered for, but I kinda had a small heart attack when I saw the price... around $25 PER MUG! I know, you register for things you wouldn't normally buy for yourself and of course my life is contradictory in so many ways... (Chance would now remind me of my latest camera upgrade and how much it cost us) But you know... perspective is everything. So, I immediately thought of starving children and took the mugs off the registry.... and I was totally ok with it. 1 month after we got married, I was doing some GOODWILL shopping (for photography props) and walked down the dishes aisle. Lo, and behold---a set of 4 before my eyes. Same brand... straight from Macy's. $1 each. I shrieked and ran to the checkout counter like someone was watching me and about to steal them out of my hands.

Part of the kitchen and view into the dining room.

Long view of one side of the kitchen... the built in office in on the end by the sliding glass door..

The undone fireplace room.. the fireplace is to the left :) and that is the door to the laundry room.

I love exposed brick... and we're a little premature on our Christmas decorations.. I put them up to show Chance and get his approval and ended up leaving them for now.. We want to really do this place up for Christmas, so I'm sure I'll take more photos when we do!

The undone guest room.. and attached bathroom (not pictured)

The master bedroom!!

The sliding glass door to the back patio and our patio furniture "end of the season" deal we got at Home Depot. In the back yard, though not quite finished, we have a lime, grapefruit, orange and pear tree!!!!

Of course, this is all a work in progress, but with as much character is in this house already through the renovations, it is easy to give it a clean, polished look! We are so grateful and welcome visitors!! :)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Our Trip to Iowa!

We had an absolute BLAST in Iowa visiting Chance's family. They live just steps from the lake in Okoboji with a pool out from and their boat docked right on the water! We toured the super character-filled lake town, bough sweet corn from a pick up truck on the side of the road, shucked the corn and had a family BBQ complete with a very serious bean bag tournament. We ate fried cheese curds more than once, bought Okoboji souvenirs for the fam back in AZ, ate cotton candy (well, that was just me), cruised on the boat, pulled right up to the infamous Barefoot Bar for some refreshments and jumped off the boat into the less than bath water feeling temps. We also spent an evening touring the town of Spencer, IA, where Chance grew up! AND---we got to go into the house he grew up in!! That's how the midwest rolls--anybody lets you into their home--and this was for a good cause.. So, I was prepared with my camera in hand and snapped some photos of us and the house!! More to come soon!

For now---this is what we did in our spare time. Relaxed at the pool with our niece, Avery. She's a fish and loves to be tossed! Chance first demonstrates his stealthy backflip, then Ave shows us a variety of her poses... both in the pool and out!

my favorite!!

My hot sister in law, Misti... dang guuurl.

Dan, Avery and Misti:

Connie, Avery and Chance:

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Hamburger Throwdown:

Any Pearson Throwdown is characterized by 5 main components: Taste, Presentation, Creativity, Competition and Good Company.

Competition and Good Company is mandatory---Taste, Presentation and Creativity is what we are judged on.

And even though you can't taste these, use the descriptions and your imaginations to decide and VOTE for your favorite on the right hand tool bar!!

Meet the competitors...

First, Mick McGinty, an All-American artist by trade, creating in such varieties of mediums as oil, watercolor, acrylic, pencil and finger paints. He got his start as an artist at Knott's Berry Farm, painting oil portraits of children who would not sit still. He is that good. He raised a family in Southern California, married the love of his life, and is now a proud grandfather of 4 grandchildren. They call him Papa. Claiming to be an amateur in the kitchen, let's see what his artistry skills bring to the table... literally.

Kerry McGinty, the wife of the All-American artist and 1,000 women wrapped in one. She has held such jobs as a gift shop clerk, an X-Ray technician, a video artist, women's ministry leader, rotary notary, some type of paper/forms processor at Arizona State, H&RBlock (don't ask... she hated that one) and now a realtor and assistant to KaceyLuvi, Creative Productions. She is competitive, mean and ready to win. Let's see if she rises to the challenge.

Chance Pearson, the blessed husband of KaceyLuvi, Creative Productions. Born and corn fed an Iowan, Spencer..to be exact. 14,000 people in the city he grew up in makes it hard to believe such greatness could arise out of such a town. He was the star running back of his time. Spencer Tigers, #33, the 517th member to pledge into Phi Psi at Arizona State University and now 30 year old District Manager of Core Concepts Personal Training. He has big muscles, but an even bigger heart. He's a lover, not a fighter. But today, he came to win. Let's see if his creation is as big time as he is with his luxury Harkins Theatre cup.

Kacey... the even more blessed wife of Chance Pearson, the Spencer Tiger transport. She is pleased to have married someone like her dad... steady, consistent and faithful. Kacey has come to party. She is ready to win, don't get me wrong, but the social aspect of this Throwdown is the most important part to her. However, she brought her A game. She graduated with self-proclaimed Social Honors from Azusa Pacific University and self-proclaimed Slacker Honors from Arizona State University. She is no dummy and plays to win.

First off, we have Chance Pearson's burger. A mix if hamburger, turkey sausage and Lipton Onion soup mix atop a bun smothered with a homemade aioli. The aioli contained mayo, garlic, basil, extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste. The final garnish was the cucumbers, sliced to perfection. He named it:

"CoolAsA"

Next, the pizza burger, created by Kerry McGinty. I can't even start to list the ingredients, but the bottom line was, it tasted just like a pizza on a burger. However, she put so many ingredients within the meat (including a homemade pizza sauce) that the burger hardly kept itself together on the grill. Better luck next time on presentation, Kerry. She named it:

"Pizza... Question Mark"

Kacey clearly took a risk on her double decker burger. Each patty was covered in spreadable Brie cheese (a Kacey Pearson favorite) and a grilled Peach ring. Few ingredients. Big flavor. So she thought. She named it:

"The Fruit Loop"

And finally, Mick McGinty's burger. The one we were mysteriously anticipating for it's creativity and artistic expression. Mick, being the all-american that he is, put together this perfect swiss, bacon and mushroom burger. It looked like it was ready to be on the expo line. He named it:

"Ring Around the Mushroom"

And in the end... dessert. 4 perfect banana cream pies in a cup. Possibly the most delicious thing ever created.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The new house we are praying to be ours!!!

The Kitchen (minus the fridge)

Built in office off the kitchen:

Kitchen sink and 42" Rustic Alder Wood cabinetry:

Little Reading area :)

The Dining Room waiting for my pretty chandelier to be hanging :)

Main living room:

The Grand Entry:

Downstairs Bath:

Another entry shot:

Downstairs Guest Room/aka the Man Room

Laundry:

Wood Stairs... yummy.

Master Bath toilet/shower room:

Master Shower:

Master Bedroom:

Master Bathroom:

Upstairs Hall:

Upstairs Guest bath:

Upstairs Guest Bedroom:

The cozy fireplace room off the kitchen:

Extended view:

2 car garage with lots of storage space:)

Please pray for us as we are just weeks away from closing!!! Possibly sooner! We are thrilled to have our offer accepted and to be moving towards the goal. We will keep you posted!!

Through Chance's Eyes

I was invited to attend the wedding of my brother’s childhood friend, John Noehren. John and my brother are both 8 or 9 years older than I am so I wouldn’t say that we had a very friendly relationship growing up--mostly just me getting picked on by my big brother and his friends. Once I was old enough to be less of a punk and came to ASU for college, John and I started to touch base due to the fact that he also resided in the Phoenix area. Through the years it grew into a friendship--a very important friendship.
As I entered the door to the venue with my brother, Chet, I saw a ton of people from my home town of Spencer, IA. I immediately started catching up with a few people. I was probably there 10 minutes when I initially saw her. I was in mid conversation and my eyes disengaged from my old friend Dallas’s and they started to follow this woman with a camera in her hands who seemed to be on some type of mission. As she passed I remember saying, “Look at her” --with a smile on my face.
As the ceremony started I remember watching her. I was admiring her, no doubt, but the thing I was admiring most was her concentration. She was obviously there to do a job and I liked that. It was probably a good thing that she had made the commitment in her mind to pay no attention to me. Honestly, it made her that much more attractive. I don’t think I had ever seen a woman so focused with so many distractions around. It was HOT.
Kacey herded up all of the men for a big group shot. She pulled up a chair to perch herself on to get a better angle and took a couple photos. Getting down from there would be tricky, especially with all that gear in your hands so I bee lined over to her to hopefully help her down and be noticed at the same time. Noticed as a gentlemen, most importantly. Now, I know Kacey will tell you that she said, “No Thank you” but all I heard was, “I still have to take pictures of the girls”. She may have been more polite, but I walked away feeling shot down. But like a phoenix I would rise from the ashes!

As we left for the reception John said something to the effect of, “I have you guys set up, you guys have a killer group at your table..” Chet and I soon realized that 2 of the people, Marc and Brady, who were supposed to be sitting with us had dumped us for another table. They actually had decided to over crowd another table as opposed to sitting with my brother and I. They told us to pull up our chairs as well but that was simply ridiculous. I told Chet we were going to stay put. This freed up 2 seats at our table. So Kacey was now asked to stay and eat and she agreed to not argue with Amee (the bride). She searched and she searched for any other table but mine. But the Lord had a plan and Kacey was going to have to follow it, much to her initial dismay.
She was forced to sit directly in front of me. I was talking to somebody else when I realized what had happened. I heard her introduce herself to somebody at this point so I overheard and remembered her name. When that conversation finished up, I looked directly at her, made eye contact, reached over the table with my hand extended and said, “Kacey right?” She shook my hand and I introduced myself.
From there, the conversation flood gates opened and we chatted and chatted. It was effortless and engaging. She asked what I did for a living and I told her. Then her next question was something like, “So is that it? Is that the dream? Is that what you want to be doing 5 years from now?” it was such a future/deep question and at that moment I thought maybe, just maybe, she was into me.
Kacey left the table to take some more pictures and I made 2 statements to my brother: 1) I loved her and 2) I was going to marry her. It was said lightheartedly of course, but neither turned out to be a lie.

One of the things Kacey and I talked about was nutrition. Being such an information rich subject, I knew we wouldn’t have time to give her all there was to give. So, I told her if she gave me her email address I would email her some stuff that I had on my work computer. That was my in, my golden ticket, and sure enough before she left, she gave me her card, and sure enough, before the night was over, I had lost it. No lie. I was out with my best friend, Antonio after the reception getting some food and I was showing him the card and talking about Kacey. Somehow I managed to forget the card on the table when we left. So I had the Golden Ticket and then I lost it. What a roller coaster of emotions. Antonio and I were at my house and all we had to go on was our memory of the card itself. We vaguely remembered her name and knew her website was her name. So after about 20 attempts to spell Kacey Luvi we struck gold once again.
From there I regained her email address and I waited as long as I could (1 day) and then I made the initial contact which was “appropriate” as she puts it, and professional. At the end of my nutritional email I wrote, “I hope you have questions” That left the door open and the email flood ensued. We would send them back and forth constantly.

Eventually we started seeing each other in the flesh. We went out on some dates and always stayed in close contact via email, text, calls etc. I remember knowing that she didn’t seem very optimistic about the two of us as a couple. I asked her about it and the best response she could give me was, “well, I’m here”. Encouraging right? That same night she gave me the book entitled Crazy Love by Francis Chan. She had 2 copies, one for me and one for her. We began to read it together and would converse after every chapter. Long story short, the book changed everything. It changed my perception of who I was. Changed my perception of who God is and it changed my perception of the world around me. Ultimately, God and the words in that short red book changed my heart. The book created a better man, a better boyfriend, a better son, a better brother, a better friend, a better boss, a better co-worker, and even a better enemy. God brought me to my knees in chapter 4 and now here I am. Engaged to marry the most amazing woman I have ever imagined. If you want to know God’s grace, just take a look at Chance Pearson. Somebody who deserves nothing and has been given everything. Am I the only one with tears in my eyes right now?

Kacey's Perspective

Last year, I was hired to photograph a wedding that would take place on May 30th in Chandler. It was a referral from someone I had barely known through my Master's internship. I took the job. It was the wedding of John and Amee.. That's all I knew. So I agreed with the bride to photograph the ceremony and just the beginning of the reception.

First of all, I adhere to a few main rules at weddings to uphold my professionalism. One is.. do not speak to men. No matter what, it always looks like flirting. I try to avoid it at all cost. The wedding was a group of Midwesterners... Iowans, to be exact.. 2 hours from Sioux City, where I went to high school. I thought that was interesting, but not interesting enough to talk to anyone about it. I'm all business--focused on the festivities. Then, I saw him. This one totally stood out of the crowd. It was impossible to avoid. He was stunning. Therefore, I consciously made an effort to avoid eye contact in fear of being too obvious... and dismissed the idea. The next thing I knew, I was up on a chair for a better, wider angle of a group shot of the guys. After the shot, he approached my chair with a hand raised to help me down. I didn't even look him in the eye, and in my most snobby, righteous voice, I said "No thanks.. I have more photos to take." He didn't say a word, walked away, and I felt no obligation to apologize.

The reception began and the bride insisted that I stay for the 4-course meal at 98 South because, after all, she was being generous by purchasing me a plate! Though we agreed that I would leave before the meal, she insisted and I stayed, but I was without a seat. I went to every open chair in the restaurant. Every seat was taken. I avoided his table like the plague and it was my absolute last option. I took a seat right across from him and quietly asked (who I now know was his brother) if this seat was taken. Nope. Dang!

The conversation at the table eventually broke up and he gave it another shot. He reached his hand across the table and said, "Kacey, right?" I was impressed. I didn't show it. But I was quietly impressed. Still saying to myself, "No way this guy could be as smart as he is good looking and have a genuine heart... no way." God's idea was different than mine. He was surprisingly intelligent, articulate, attentive and very quick witted.

I eventually discovered that his degree is in Exercise Wellness, so we started talking nutrition and fitness. He offered to email me a handout of "nutrition 101" that he had once written. So, that was the open door. Since there is no right way to exchange info after a meeting like that, passing out my card to the whole table and accepting his offer to receive an email seemed appropriate. He emailed me 2 days later with the info and a short, appropriate email along with it.

For the next few weeks, we emailed back and forth. We dug into God and life issues, sending in depth emails back and forth throughout the days. Then, we read a book entitled Crazy Love by Francis Chan that changed our lives for the better. It was then that I really started to see his genuine and authentic sensitivity and emotion, revealing a desire to know God more everyday.

We started a typical "dating" process and realized that it would be quite a challenge to make keep physical boundaries in our relationship. But God decided to open our eyes to the heart of the issue at hand. We thought we could rely on our own strength to uphold our purity. We learned quickly that "a fool thinks his way is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel" (prov. 12:15) Long story, I know, but the short of it is, we have been challenged to the extreme and have decided to step up to the plate. I'm not sure he OR I realized the call that was on my life as I am striving to teach purity and identity in Christ to young women through PEARLS Ministries. Now, God is calling us to actually live it and walk through it. So, we have decided to go in the complete opposite direction that we started in. We are now laying down what we think it normal and appropriate for a relationship (according to the world) and doing it as best as we can to honor God and uphold the truth of "fleeing temptation" so that we may present each other purely on our wedding day. Regardless of what our pasts hold, we have committed to the extreme in our relationship and have reaped amazing benefits from it! We trust each other. We communicate well. We love deeply. It's undeniable.

His name is Chance Pearson--and he has asked me to be his wife.