Team Pearson

My Mom's Birthday!

2011-11-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

My mom and I were able to spend the whole day together on her birthday. We had a breakfast that turned into lunch at our favorite spot in Gilbert, Liberty Market... that's how we roll (and dine) long and without time constraints. Then, we celebrated with one of our favorite most hobbies.. shopping. We would have done our other favorite (laying at the pool), but no one should be subjected to my 36th week of belly growth. Give me at least 6 months post baby before I rock the swim suit again :)

I love you, mom!! Happy Birthday!

36 weeks and counting!

2011-11-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

This week we had a church BBQ--while Chance was serving our entire church grilling up about 200 dogs and burgers, us 3 pregnant chicks were amused by the fact that we thought our unborn children should have name tags along with us. Jenn, on the left is having her baby boy, Ty, mid December and Kelcey, in the middle was 18 weeks pregnant in this photo, so they were going to be finding out the sex of their baby within the next week, so her tag says, "?.... we find out next week!" And of course, my little Swayze.

Halloweenies: 2011

2011-11-21T18:55:00.001-08:00

This Halloween, we celebrated what will become an annual tradition: Halloweenies! We brought our grill out to our driveway and served Hot Dogs, soda, chips and candy to all of our trick-or-treaters and neighbors! It was a perfect opportunity to get to know our neighbors and we served up 60 dogs! It was a huge success and we had a blast doing it!

Here is Amy, Jenn and I... and our... dare I even call them costumes?? I'm a cow... I'm not sure what I made Amy to be.. and Jenn is... ummmm a spider web? We're not really sure. We had a short time budget and no pregnancy friendly costumes. The 3 of us, with our husbands planned on being the 6 original American Gladiators, but then 2 of us girls got pregnant and thought red, white and blue spandex and high top reeboks would be more offensive than funny, so we opted out.

This is what we planned on:

But this is what actually happened.. close, but not. Maybe next year.... with our 10 month olds.

The bottom middle "udder" is real... my umbilical hernia of a belly button.. the other udders are snipped off finger tips of a fake hand I bought at the Halloween store, adhered to my skin with eyelash adhesive and latex.
35 weeks pregnant makes for great cow udders. Especially if you are already feeling "cow-ish" :)

34 weeks Pregnant!

2011-11-21T18:53:00.000-08:00

Jenn and I have had matching pregnancies as we are only 3 weeks apart... and unknowingly, we dressed alike at church one Sunday!

32 Weeks Pregnant!

2011-11-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

Early October, I had a the pleasure of traveling back to Sioux City, IA once again this year for a Christian Women's Conference my mom and aunts were hosting, and Amy and I led worship for! It was a crazy, full weekend starting with spending time with my sweet high school bestie, Lindsay!!

32 weeks pregnant this week... I'm really rounding out.

Here I am with my mom (far right) and all my aunts, Lori, Barb, Ellen, Donna and Shelly! My aunts, Donna, Ellen and Shelly threw me a baby shower in Sioux City at Katch-a-Kup Coffee Shop!!

Lake Okoboji: Summer Fun!

2011-11-21T15:30:00.001-08:00

Chance and I had a BLAST this summer at Lake Okoboji with our family! We just ADORE all of our little nieces... it's girly girl heaven all week long! We spent most of our time jumping in the lake and walking next door to the Emporium to visit the Sugar Shack (my favorite!!!)

Here is our condo on the lake!

Chance, being a hero...

Girls trip to LA!

2011-08-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

You know how you always think of the best birthday gifts a day AFTER your best friends' birthday? Well, this year, I happen to be early... for the first time in my life. It was March and Amy's birthday was coming up in May and Jenn's, a month later in June. I started googling and found our absolute favorite artist, Adele, was playing in Hollywood the day after Jenn's birthday. I immediately bought 3 tickets and booked us a hotel room on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. Meanwhile, I got pregnant, Jenn got pregnant 3 weeks later and 3 days before the concert, Adele cancelled due to laryngitis. Was it a sign that we were going to have to give up Adele? Nope. The story gets better! Adele rescheduled for August 17th in Hollywood, 2 days before Amy and I were scheduled to be in LA anyway for a wedding we were shooting in Malibu.. SO, we flew in, stayed at my friend Shawna's amazing house at the top of the Hollywood Hills and rocked out to Adele at the Hollywood Palladium Theatre. We had a BLAST! It is a memory we will never forget!

Swayze's first concert! I found out that she loves Adele too! She danced the whole time!

6 months pregnant on the beach in Santa Monica with absolutely no shame. I had no idea getting larger would be this exciting.

Swayze's first trip to the West Coast beach!

My San Diego Baby Shower: hosted by my beautiful sister, Sunshine!

2011-08-23T16:48:00.001-07:00

This is my niece Grace trying to draw her best "baby girl" on the paper plate!

Her results.. she even tried to write her name! I give it an E for effort.

Tamra's interpretation :)

My cousin Katey was sure to indicate that those were "legs" not "Boobs" ....riiight.

Andi looking confident..

My second mom growing up in LA... the mother of my best friend, Cindy from grade school, came all the way from LA for the shower! Thank you, Marcia! I love you!!!

My aunt Deb (middle), came from Mission Viejo and my mom (right) came from Arizona!

These are our sweet friends, Linda and Kennedy that came all the way from Thousand Oaks to celebrate with me! What a blessing and a fun surprise! I had not seen my sweet friend, Kennedy in 10 years!!!
Tamra (my spiritual mentor and friend from AZ) and Sienna came from Temecula, CA (where they now live) and surprised me too! This shower was such a joy!

Kennedy and I having a very candid moment.

oh, my sweet first nephew.. Noah. Isn't he so big and handsome?!?

And the beautiful Sunshine that put this all together. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to make this happen. It was PERFECT!! I feel so blessed by you. THANK YOU, SISTER! xoxo

Sunshine closed the day with a beautiful prayer for my baby and my family.

My mom's precious gift to my little girl.. her first pearl. As she hits milestones in her life, she will give another pearl (signifying purity) and we will string them on her wedding day.

My sash of honor: Mommy to be!

My mama :)

My gorgeous cousin, Katey, who was sweet enough to come all the way from Fullerton AND snap all these photos from the day!

Thank you to everyone AGAIN for making the trip to celebrate with us. This is the best time of my life and I am so happy to share it with my friends and family from so many different seasons of life!! I love you all!

Love, Kacey and "Sway-baby" (Swayze Luvi) :)

Playa Del Carmen.. May 2011 with our best friends!

2011-08-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

This was our second trip to Playa Del Carmen this year and it was better than we remembered! We planned the trip with our best friends (the same group of us that travel to Telluride every year the week before Christmas)! This time around, I was 11 weeks pregnant and Jenn was 8 weeks!

I cropped this image so it would be PG. The boys are in matching speedos. geez.

Pearson update??

2011-06-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have missed the last few month of posting (6, to be exact). This should catch everyone up to speed. Here I am at 15 weeks pregnant, anxiously awaiting to find out the sex of our baby...

And just for fun, here are a few of me when I was little.. just in case this baby is a girl and happens to look exactly like me. (We are praying the baby gets a LOT of Chance's beautiful qualities)... yikes.

Here is our party invitation for today!! (try not to get offended)

I will be posting a few baby/kid photos of Chance as soon as I can get them scanned. It's a real treat. He's the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Chance's 32nd Birthday in Playa Del Carmen!

2011-01-15T08:56:00.001-08:00

On the way there....

We took a private shuttle to our destination... not going to pretend like we weren't a tiny bit nervous...

Our first steps on the beach of Playa del Carmen!

It was overcast when we got there, which made for a cozy and comfy, relaxing afternoon.

Dinner at "El 10", an Argentinian hot spot in the city.

Chance and I had a hefty bet going as to whether or not Starbucks in Mexico served American holiday flavors such as the Egg Nog Latte and Pumpkin Spice Latte. I voted yes. He voted no. I lost!!! Nothing but Toffee Nut! (which was delish anyway)

Downtown Playa del Carmen... 3o blocks worth of entertainment, shops and eateries!

Chance opened his birthday gift... Usher tickets. Yes, you read write. We loved it!

This was one of our most active trips! We tend to lay on the beach like whales, but we actually played paddle ball several hours each day!

Chance and his Gilligan hat from Aruba.. the only thing that protects his giant cabeza.

A cute little girlfriend stroll. This reminded me of where I am headed.

Dang.. who dat?

Who doesn't love to run in the water?

My Green Monster..

2011-01-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Green smoothies are all the rage these days, and I am no exception to the impulsive trend. I haven't quite sold Chance 100%, but this one was tasted and approved!

(sidenote... this is not from Starbucks.. it's my reusable acrylic cup from home) :)

I like my smoothies to incorporate as many superfoods as possible. That's the joy of smoothies... just throw it all in there and blend away! There are always millions of options for smoothies and most recipes need a bit of tweeking until they are just right for your palette. Try this one.. it is wonderful!

Kacey's Green Monster

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 cup crushed ice

1 handful of spinach leaves

1 handful of kale

1/2 banana

3-4 strawberries

1 tsp. Maca powder (optional)

1 scoop of natural vanilla protein powder OR hemp protein powder (there are many options, just choose the one with the least amount of ingredients.. OR just leave it out all together.. there are other good ways to get your protein in!)

1 TBSP coconut oil (don't sweat the fat grams or saturated fat... coconut oil BURNS stored fat!!)

Blend and enjoy!!

To Health in 2011...

2011-01-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

The last time I really remember enjoying a New Year's Eve was in 5th grade. It was basically a party for all of the adults involved in the PTO at Jobey and my private grade school in LA. You would think "conservative" for the parents at a private (and religious) school... not this crowd. Don't think for a second MY mom would have ever settled for anything less than ...just... wild. You wonder where I get my volume and tenacity.. my mom rolled with the best of them. (She has since been tamed, ...kinda) The kids were default invites and had our own dance party in the backyard.. complete with Color Me Badd, Michael Jackson, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" in our dance mix soundtrack. Those were the days you made up dances with your girlfriends, created the best puffy paint sweatshirts and tie-dyed everything you owned. These were days where your biggest concern was getting sand in your Dr. Pepper at the beach and if your best friend, Cindy was going to show up with your same exact outfit (since those were the days that best friends dressed alike). These were the days that your biggest decisions were red or blue Icee? Popsicle or push-up? Fruit Loops or Honey Nut Cheerios? Gone are those days. I used to like New Year's Eve... at age 11.

Now, New Year's Eve has great expectations.. a kiss at midnight (which I'm happy to say this is my 2nd consecutive year kissing the hottest man on earth at midnight) and a larger than life bash of all bashes. Well, the Pearsons are really into kissing, but not so much into big bash paryting. So what? What I like least about all things mentioned are the resolutions. Made to be broken, resolutions are just a waste of already-feeling-guilty-about-not-fulfilling-promised words. Some people are goal-oriented. Goals are fun for some. Not me. I will spend more time trying to make up unrealistic goals than actually doing them.. then break them. I recently bought a water bottle from lululemon athletica that has space to fill in goals on one side (still blank). Now, before you start thinking I'm a total New Year's resolution hater, give Mrs. Scrooge a moment to redeem herself. To me, resolutions have always been about changing behavior. A change in behavior can temporarily alter your lifestyle for the better or worse, but it's only proven time after time (year after year) that resolutions fizzle and we are back on the road to our old habits. How will I ever really change? I would love to eat healthy and exercise more... sound as redundant to you as it does to me? Of course! It's my "resolution" every year. The biggest problem with my resolution? It was always for the purpose of vanity. Eat this and you will look better... eat this and you will look worse... cardio, cardio, cardio=skinny, lean and ...skinny. Weights?? Oh, no thanks, I don't want to "bulk up". I changed my behavior to fit these molds... sometimes getting results I wanted for a short time, but not for life (much less 1 year).

This year change is in the heart. Not from the heart, in the heart. "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Our naturally wicked hearts seek to be pleasured by food. We are entitled to pleasure, overfed and deceived with what we believe to be "good" for us. We compare ourselves amongst ourselves.. or better said, "when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." (2 Cor. 10:12). I was constantly comparing myself to others' bodies, lifestyles and eating habits... all in the name of vanity (or for my own standard or pleasure). For the first time in my life, honoring God with how I treat my body is what my heart wants. Yes, I will always battle my love for overindulging in candy, delicious baked goods and anything with tons of sugar in it. I'm also admitting that living a balanced lifestyle with these things in moderation is perfectly healthy, balanced and normal. I have learned to love "better" options... and still kinda love the worst options, but only few and far between. Altogether, the biggest heart change for me has been towards my health over vanity. Fortunately, choosing health as the main priority always has it's vain benefits close behind.

This blog (along with Chance and my personal posts) will conduct a journey of learning, failing, growing and eating some of the best and most delicious guilt free recipes we fall in love with along the way.

To health in 2011!

Our Christmas Cards!

2011-01-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

2nd annual trip to Telluride!

2011-01-03T21:21:00.000-08:00

We had an absolute BLAST in Telluride this year! We took about 400 photos and 2 hours of video footage which has now been compiled into a 3 song, 17 minute music video. It will be posted as soon as I figure out how to get it up here.. until then..

Noche De Gourmet: A Charity Event and a good reason to get all jazzed up!

2010-10-10T18:51:00.001-07:00

This blog is strangely and embarrassingly out of order, but at least it's being updated :) Chance and I attended Noche De Gourmet, a "black tie" (which actually just means suits) charity event in Phoenix. It was kinda like prom, but with way better food... and a way hotter date. Point and shoot car photos are the best because they're the worst.
I have the HOTTEST husband!! And in all seriousness, his outer beauty is only a glimpse of how beautiful of a person he is on the inside. Strong, but sensitive, funny but not demanding attention, controlled, but not controlling, hot but doesn't realize how hot. Just perfect. He is more than I deserve.

Date Night at Z Tejas!

2010-09-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to post the photos you aren't really proud of... the goofiest faces and random snapshots is really the heart of the couple.. let's be honest. We don't always have perfect smiles for the camera :)

Our Bathroom Makeover!

2010-09-28T14:48:00.001-07:00

Aruba: We love you.

2010-09-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Chance and I had an incredible opportunity to travel to ARUBA for our 1 year anniversary and my 28th birthday!! Unnecessary to say with these photos that we had the best time. We loved everything about Aruba, especially the food and water (the ocean water, that is). This island is at the top of our list!

Our first glimpse of the island from the plane!

Paradise in more ways than one :) I love him.

This was our favorite restaurant in Aruba, Madame Jeanette. We had to go back! The first time we went was Tuesday, on my birthday, and then our last night there, Friday.. We couldn't resist their skirt steak and almond grouper!!

Chance beaming at his new favorite restaurant :)

We met this adorable couple on the beach... they were honeymooners from South Carolina! We shared a few lunches and a dinner together (so what if we ate on their all-inclusive tab... we had paid our dues to Aruba) :)

Chef's Table.. another amazing place to eat!

Sitting at the edge of Pelican Pier having lunch was one of our favorite stops of the day. It was about 3 blocks from our hotel and instead of paying $18 for a chicken strips on the resort property, you could get them here for $7. Yes, please.

This is the north side of the island!! It's very rocky and more rough water.. we took a 4 hour ATV tour across the entire island one morning and we had a blast! It was great to see everything in that short of time and on a fun ride!!

Pelican Pier

We never got used to seeing the water. It was SO surreal.

Get it.

Madame Jeanette on my birthday!

Cake brought to me for dessert on my birthday after BREAKFAST!! (Yes.)

(i ate it)

My own birthday dessert (after dinner) and yes. it was awesome.

We rented jet skis and had the freedom to go as far out on the horizon as we wanted... just be back in 30 minutes :)

This is how Arubans and Central Americans pronounce Chance's name.

Every morning.

Our view from the breakfast buffet!

My favorite :)

2010-06-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

We have JUST hit the one year mark in our marriage. How did we do it? Some say a marriage is giving and taking, a 50/50 concept. Surely, there are those who come with there clever, yet overused rebuttal and say no... it's 100/100. I learned something this year that has changed my mind, my perspective and marriage for the better. As a wife, I will focus on giving 100% and getting 0. That way... everything is a bonus. Everything is a blessing. Of course, my husband came through this year with more than 0%. Marriage has exceeded my expectations. I expected it to be harder, but loving him seems easy. Our marriage is rooted in Christ and what He has done for us, so any hardship, challenge or trial is nothing. Jesus is EVERYTHING, but Chance is something else. I love my husband.

Nonsense....

2010-04-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

Holiday things.... after the holidays of course...

2010-02-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

Our puppy and her love for Bible study... she snuggled right up with me and wanted to rest her face right on my binder... I couldn't resist this photo.

Isn't she so cute??? This is my first dog, so I'm totally in love with her. Kinda sick-like.

One of our favorite rooms :)

I made homemade hummus for Christmas and it was FABULOUS! I just combined a few recipes I found online and made it with garbanzo beans, olive oil, sea salt, a fresh squeezed lemon from our lemon tree, fresh garlic and kalamata olives whipped up in the Magic Bullet (We highly recommend this machine and use it for nearly everything. It's out on the counter at least twice a day. The crackers are a combination of Triscuits and Milton's Whole Grain French Onion Crackers from Sprouts!
I'm not sure kiwi and grapes "fit" in the Christmas season, but then again, we live in Arizona... so a lot of things don't make sense here. Like when we had 3 days worth of rain last week, or state governor suggested to Obama that we declare a national state of emergency. Arizonans would.
My tasty Banana Bread... I'm not sure that it's actually better than anyone else's on the inside, but I'm telling you... the drizzled homemade cream cheese frosting doesn't hurt my chances of it becoming the best Banana Bread EVER.

Pumpkin Carving with the Petropolis family!

2010-01-18T15:22:00.001-08:00

We drove to Queen Creek for an evening of pumpkin carving with our friends, Adam, Rene and their little man, Austen... who was Charlie Brown for Halloween!!

We brought Austen a pumpkin full of graham crackers and goldfish.... oh, and candy for Rene :)

I love Rene!!!

Do not attempt.

We decided our artistic-ness only goes so far, so we carved our address numbers into little pumpkins for our front walkway!

Austen's real costume was a monkey suit, but it's a little warm for AZ :)

We love you guys!! Thanks for having us over and we look forward to making this an annual tradition with you!

The Halloween Grilled Cheese Throw Down:)

2010-01-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

Another Pearson Throw Down... this time---Grilled Cheese. We had a blast with our cousins, Robby and Tracy McConchie and Kirk and Whitney McConchie! Here are the delicious combos and the names given to each:

"Pigs in a Sandwich"

by Kirk and Whitney McConchie

A lovely blend of tomato, bacon, arugula, pepperjack, cinnamon, butter and honey on potato bread. Bacon makes everything better.

"Creamy French Kiss"

by Kacey Pearson

Pumpkin pie filling whipped into Cream cheese on

Triple decked Sourdough "french toast" dipped in egg nog, cinnamon and eggs

"La Senorita"

by Tracy McConchie

Fresh avocados and tomato atop grilled sourdough with queso fresco and pepperjack cheeses.

A family photo :)

"The Trick and the Treat"

by Chance Pearson

Freshly prepared and baked candied pecans atop thinly sliced fuji apples over melted gorgonzola and turkey on sourdough and grilled on the Foreman. (and a half apple carved into a Jack-o-lantern) ---THAT'S my husband earning presentation points!!! :)

"Apples, Walnuts and Cheese...Oh my!!!"

by Robby McConchie

Chopped walnuts over a combination of gorgonzola and havarti cheeses with slices of Granny Smith apples on Sourdough.

Chance constructing his jack in the apple.

Robby---carefully detecting the grill.

Chance making George look small.

Kirk.... and the competition face.

Whitney and Kacey :) ...very happy.

We stopped occasionally for the trick-or-treaters at the door!! SO cute!

We love you guys!! Thanks for playing :)

Love, the Pearsons

Halloween Baking Begins....

2010-01-18T14:42:00.001-08:00

This can be seen as a good OR not so good thing... but I've become extremely interested in baking. The heaven in my mouth tells me it's good...the extra 10 lbs. on my post-wedding body tells me maybe not. But hey. Being in a new home and a new kitchen with a new husband and new roles as a woman inspires me to do things I would have never done before... like bake. I mean, yes, I love sweets.. who doesn't? But even the things that are "just add water" to me were "made from scratch", "homemade" or "made it myself" proclamations. After all, I DID use my over, right? SO, I am learning what it means to actually make---from REAL scratch---all the goodies that come with holidays. Here are my delish pumpkins pies that I altered a tiny. My new pumpkin pie trademark? Graham cracker crust. I know, SO non-traditional... yet SO, melt in your mouth amazing!

Gift bags for the couples attending our Halloween Grilled Cheese throw down :)

Our new home!!

2009-10-19T12:46:00.001-07:00

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!! :)

Our Trip to Iowa!

2009-08-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

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:

The Hamburger Throwdown:

2009-07-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2009-07-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

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!!

The HONEYMOON in COSTA RICA!!!!

2009-07-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

And we're OFF!! With a little honeymoon gift from my parents :) Luggage tags. (when you're planning to be married or newly married...things kinds of things are very, very exciting) :)

The Costa Rican Police. This is in the capital, San Jose.

We were dying to experience a true, authentic and indigenous Costa Rican meal in San Jose, but everything was shady.. and shady is a generous description. So, we ended up with Cuarto de Libras con queso (Quarter Pounder with Chesse for those of you that didn't pass Spanish 101) It was nothing short of what I expected... awesome.

This is the airport concession stand storage room. The actual concession stand was a cooler with Fanta and a ripped out notebook paper taped on the side reading: $1.

Airport waiting is not quite as luxurious as in the States. It was quite warm.

Our Zip Line tour through the rain forest of Guanacaste.

The view from our hotel room:

Enthusiastic about the harness.

Zipping at it's best.

We ride the short bus.

Glowing with Bug Spray.

The best breakfast buffet in history. Each morning, we gleened with excitment as we walked down a level to the buffet. Chance would order coffee and then head straight toward the omelet station. I, on the other hand, have a love for everything "pastry-ish"... so if I were ever lost, your best bet was to look towards the doughnuts and danishes.

The infinity pool overlooked the ocean!

My 27th birthday :) with very happy teeth.

The Day before my life improved dramatically:

2009-07-20T15:59:00.001-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I have always been one to enjoy my life and feel as if I have been given optimal favor in so many areas. However, these photos document the day before my life improved dramatically by way of marrying my husband. These are a few of the sweetest memories from the wedding weekend--coffee with my closest bunch, my most influencial women (minus Sunshine and my other Aunt Shelly), the ladies that have taught me what it means to be a God-fearing, self-sacraficing wife and what it means to truly love my husband. Without this group, I would be less confident in my identity in Christ, most likely struggling in life and gasping for air. They have been monumentally and genuinely shapeful in my years and I am forever grateful for the things they have taught me.
From left to right on the top row: Aunt Barb, Aunt Ellen, Aunt Donna, Aunt Lori, my mom, Kerry... L to R on the Bottom: my cousin, Nikki and her baby, Averee, Grandma Kuhl, cousin Kenna, cousin Tracy, the over-excited bride-to-be, and my sister-in-law, Sister (Katie).

My Grandma just turned 80 last month. Isn't she a babe? With more evergy than an average 25-year old on any given day, she is a servant and a lover beyond belief. We are so happy to have her and my grandpa recently relocated and living happily and hotly in Arizona :)

Tracy--my sweet cousin who married into the family 3 years ago. Just before her and Robby married, we were roomies in San Diego and ever since have been a loving pair :) She fits into our family like a glove and I couldn't think of anyone on this earth better than her for Robby.

Oh, and my mom. She instantly takes the cake as the leading lady in my life. She is the most selfless, giving, stretching, extra mile, make you feel special, loving, extraordinary woman I have ever known. If I listed her talents, qualities and characteristics, you wouldn't even believe me, so I will spare you. She is 1,000 women wrapped in one. Chance and I cannot thank her and my dad enough for the amazing time, money, physical and emotional preparation, and detail they put into planning our wedding. She is now our realtor and working hard to get us into the house of our dreams within the next 30 days. She never quits. Anyone that knows her, knows this is true and is blessed. I love you, mama.

My Bridal Shower in San Diego!

2009-07-20T15:47:00.001-07:00

My 2 sister-in-law, Sunshine and Katie, put together a wonderful bridal shower at the Market Street Cafe in San Marcos. We had a blast and it was complete with so many of my favorite ladies.. That's Mel, diligently writing down the gifts and givers :)

Sunshine, Katie and I :)
This is my sweet as pie original Freshman year roomie, Marisa. We were "randomly" placed together in Engstrom 324 and could write a book full of memories from that year. I love you, Mar and thanks for driving down from LA!

My face in bewilderment. I use this?? Where?? ...REALLY??? Oooh. Chance will love this!!

My Original. My BFF. My half heart necklace holder. My partner for every talent show. My grade school wardrobe inspirerer/copier. My best childhood memories. My-no-one-will-ever-have-as-many-inside-jokes as we did with each other growing up. She was the perfect BFF and still remains a sweet, sweet presence in my life--Cindy, I love you!!!

Ohhh... the beloved Melody. My #1 since the Y2k. It has been 9 years of best friend wedded bliss :) We have had our ups, downs, and unsures, but remain each other's favorite girls. This one makes me laugh until I cry and gets my quirkiness. You are a faithful friend, Mel, and I love you dearly.

Wedding Registry.. it doesn't get any better.

2009-07-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Pizza Throwdown.

2009-07-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

On Valentine's Day, we decided to do our first ever "throwdown", in which I commonly refer to as a "showdown" but that's beside the point. Chance and I spent our first Valentine's Day together celebrating on the night before (February 13th) to avoid the massive overbooking of our favorite restaurant, Bandera, in Scottsdale. We are notorious for ordering the same thing everytime--however--tonight, we were celebrating. As a big Food Network watcher, Chance saw a recent special on how amazing the Banana Cream Pie was at Bandera. He told me about it, proceeded to wipe the drool off my chin and promised to take me there for dessert at our next opportunity. This what it... Valentine's Day.. or at least the night before. It was time to rock some Banana Cream Pie. Now, Chance and I are very positive people.. the kind who will find the best in everything and always add a "buuuut... it DOES have THIS going for it..." type of outlook. Honestly, we had nothing. The best thing about the dessert was my eye candy fiance sitting across from me at my table. The bananas were too tart for comfort and they added chocolate shavings.. hmm. I know, I must not be woman to not love chocolate added to anything and everything, but it just wasn't there for either of us. Did we leave a crumb to spare?? Nope. I mean, it's still dessert, right? Yes. And we still ate every last morsel. However, I didn't write home about it. Thanks anyway, Food Network. We still love you.

So back to our "throwdown" adventures. The very night of V-Day, we stayed in with Chance's lovely mom, Connie with 3 Boboli pizza crusts and a list of ingredients. We each kept our ingredient list concealed as we supermarket swept the aisles for our main flavors and garnishing accessories. We all judged eachother on 3 major qualifiers: taste, presentation and creativity. With corn-fed meat lovers like Connie and Chance, I took a serious risk with my decision. A thin layer of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, spreadable Brie cheese, thinly sliced Fuji apples, Proscuitto, more Brie (this time sliced), green onions and chives to top it off. Before I tell you that I won the Throwdown, wouldn't you vote for me?? Chance and Connie both created delicious combinations of hamburger, sausage, bacon, several varieties of cheese, garlic... goodness.. everything that makes a pizza irresistable. Buuuut... I wasn't shy taking the trophy. Thank you for encouraging my hot domestic mess.

Also in February--- we had a great opportunity to spend the weekend in Mexico with Chance's family! My favorite part about the trip? Let me tell you. We traveled in Connie's 8 passenger capable Honda Pilot with 8 passengers, leaving very little reserved space for luggage. The night before we left, we were all harshly demanded to pack only what can fit into 1 WalMart bag. It seemed like a joke to me--after all, I had never heard such a redneck like request :) So, I laugh. No---they insist. ONLY a WalMart bag. Wow. So, I pack. I meet up with them the next day with my double lined Target plastic bag (it's much more durable) with everything I need for the weekend INCLUDING Chance's football perched on top. I did well--so I thought. Just moments after I was repremanded for bringing a Target bag in lieu of a WalMart bag, I see Misti, Chance's sister with a fully loaded suitcase, Chance with a backpack and Connie with a legit carrying aparatus (not a WalMart bag). Chance's dad, Mike and I were really the only ones that followed the rules. It made for a good laugh and a great lesson learned--you really only need a WalMart bag of things for a weekend in Rocky Point.

This photo was taken from our balcony:

In the pool attempting the age old Dirty Dancing lift.
I love my in-laws and we had an absolute blast in Mexico. Chance and I are looking forward to a week at the lakes with them all in August 2009 :)

More from the best day of our lives....

2009-07-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

The rehearsal--a perfect time to introduce the in-laws maybe for the first time before the wedding :) We had a blast getting the bridal party acquainted with each other and an even more amazing time at the Valley Ho restaurant, ZuZu, for dinner after!!

Who's excited to get marriiiiieeeeeeeed??

Chance with his mom and my dad :)

These photos are a little out of order---when you spend most of your days at a computer, it's hard to be a perfectionist when it comes to your own projects... so... you get the point, right??

Here are my girls, praying for me after my Aunt Lori read a series of Scripture... definitely one of the highlights of my day :)

What I didn't get to see... Chance getting ready :)

My girls:

Nikki Katie Mrs.P Sunshine Kenna

I love this shot!!

Yes, I am a professional and chose to do my makeup on my wedding day with a compact mirror. It's become 2nd nature and to be honest--it was a huge perk to not be driving while putting it on.

I had these custom tank tops made for my girls..

I got my shoes at Norsdstrom, but they were begging for a little extra flare. A hot glue gun, a strand of pearls and a few white feathers from Michael's craft store satisfied my thirst for over-the-top-ness.

Check out the sweet signs we custom made for directions for guests as they arrived!

I love this tilt shift lens effect!

My dad's first glance.. then the tears :( He is the best dad in the world. I know it seems like a cliche thing to say, but he was literally the dream dad you want to have on your wedding day. He cried when he first saw me and brought me a pearl ring to wear. He cried me down the aisle and really cried during our dance together. I may be making him out to sound like a big, mushy, emotional sap... but let's be honest, isn't that what every girl dreams of?? A strong dad with a tough exterior, hero qualities, but not afraid to let his daughter know how much he loves her through his tears?? It was perfect and I love him all the more for it.

4 generations!

The McGinty Family

The Pearson/Orban Family

Chance and his adorable mom, Connie

My guys :) (particularly the sexy one in the middle)

Lo and Mel... 2 amazingly dedicated friends from Azusa Pacific U. that sang "Oh Happy Day" at our first kiss :)

Communion Prayer

My brother, Jobe, singing Here I Am by Shawn McDonald for our Communion

My niece, Gracie made my day by twirling and spinning down the aisle saying "The bride is coming!! The bride is coming!!" Just before I walked down the aisle. Thanks Gracie--you are the sweetest niece!!

Isn't she beautiful??

My brother, Jeremy, who officiated the ceremony

My 2 new neices, Avery and Ana... laughing because the feathers they were tossing were sticking to their sweaty hands :)

Chance's biological dad, Mike---always makes me laugh!

Steve, Chance's adoptive father and my cousin, Kenna

The part of the night I wanted to kill Lo for putting me on the spot to sing to Chance. Not funny, Lo. You're lucky we're still friends.

Mmmmm mmmm mmmmm

My dad and I did a choreographed dance to a medly.. we learned it in a weeks time and it was a blast! The most fun was the rehearsing all week long.. we laughed until we cried!!

You know where we're going.....

The BEST day of our lives!!!

2009-05-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

Finally! We made it! These are the first photos to surface from the best day of our lives! Mindy Strauss captured the rehearsal, the wedding day and all it's craziness. There are no words to describe how priceless wedding photography really is.. I know, I'm biased. But being on the other side for once made me realize.. I would have given anything for these precious images! More to come!

Chance and I would also like to thank everyone who was a part of putting this day together. First and foremost, my parents--WOW! We love you so much for doing this for us. It is a gift we will obviously never forget. We are indebted to you for life!!

To Chance's parents, Connie and Steve for providing the beautiful rehearsal dinner at the Valley Ho. We will be talking about that night for years to come! It was all so special! We are so appreciative of every detail and every single person's presence leading up to the day, the day of, and many days to come. We love you!

-Chance and Kacey Pearson :)

Thanks to the amazing flower stylings of Danielle Bannister, I had an amazing bouquet of bold pink peonies, orchids and white ostrich plume feathers. The flowers were a gift from my mother-in-law, Connie. Thanks!!!! LYLT!

THE Chance Pearson:

The Ceremony at Seville Country Club

Communion and a Prayer :)

My girls and their spicy shoes :)

America's Next Top Bridal Party: From Left to Right

My sister-in-law, Katie, sister-in-law, Sunshine, the very excited Bride, My cousin, Nikki, My cousin, Kenna.

Nice vert! His guys, from left to right:

His biological father, Mike, His Best Friend, Antonio, His adoptive father, Steve and His brother, Chet.

Wedded Bliss.

My pops and I had a full choreographed medley :) This was a serious, emotional moment at the end. I love you, dad!!!

And off we go. No comment. ....wink, wink.

Again, thank you EVERYONE for your generosity in praying for us and showering us with your support. We are blessed to call you friends and family!

Our trip to San Diego over Easter!! :)

2009-04-25T01:28:00.000-07:00

The Count...

2009-04-22T02:28:00.001-07:00

The truth behind it all...

2009-04-10T01:00:00.001-07:00

Our selected Musicians for our Wedding!

2009-04-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

It is from my goosebumps to yours that I present to you--2 of the most talented clowns on this good earth. This is my best friend, Mel and her skills as a singer/songwriter. Please enjoy this 3 min clip and let it rock you.

And then there's Lo. There are no words. We have been friends since Choir Camp at Azusa Pacific in the Y2K. I know, nerds. But hey. Friends for life. Don't hate.

Thank you both for being a part of Chance and I's wedding coming up in 26 days!

We love you both!

2009-03-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

The Countdown Continues!

2009-03-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

The subtle difference between Chance and Kacey's demeanor/wedding enthusiasm...

2009-03-02T16:03:00.001-08:00

We're both actually REALLY excited.. just depicts our hilariously (subtle??) personality differences.. His calming, practical and stable demeanor was created to bring his future wife's head back down from the clouds, giving her reality and preventing her from bouncing off walls. We're a good balance.

**The photo of me was taken by my beautiful and mysteriously over-talented 11 year old niece, Gracie... who has a very special job on the wedding day.

75 days and counting!

2009-02-17T23:18:00.000-08:00

Here is our crazy save-the-date!

David, Shawn, Robbie, Nate, Chance and Kacey

2009-01-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

Here is an unnecessary close up of us at the David Crowder, Shawn McDonald, Robbie Seay and Nate Huss concert in Phoenix!

Chance and Kacey's first attempt at friendship...

2009-01-14T11:24:00.000-08:00

I feel honored to share these emails from the very first contact Chance and I had after we met. With that, comes an obligation to give you a little background story:) At our first meeting, as you may have read in the right hand margin of this page, Chance and I met at a wedding, over a 4-course meal ending with heavenly Tammie Coe Ooey Gooey Cupcakes. Naturally, we discussed nutrition and that very topic became my foot in the door to his heart :) At some point of our first rendezvous, I threw out a joke about people calling me Stacey, Tracey.... anything else, but Kacey, as if it's a hard name to remember. He then says, "yeah, like Chance" ... I said "what about it??" He said, "You called me Chase. ---Twice." I let out a loud, hard laugh to cover my face turning so red and moved on. He kindly offered to email me some general information about nutrition and, along with the rest of the table, got a business card of mine. He lost it later than night and finally retrieved my website via Google after multiple name-spelling-combination tries. Here is his first email:

Dear Stacey,

Hey.....it's your new buddy, Chase! Great meeting you the other day. My brother and I really enjoyed talking to you. At first we were bummed out cause our entire table abandoned us, but then we got you instead and I think it was an upgrade. Alright alright, so you're interested in diet. first things first, that ooey gooey goodness of the cupcakes should be eaten with every meal. Seriously though, this whole getting in shape thing consists of 3 things. 1. Diet 2. resistance training 3. Cardio and really that's in order of effectiveness. I know, in your head you're probably already arguing with me, but you just have to trust me. I'm going to attach a handout I give out here at the gym regarding nutrition. It's just basic and broad. Maybe stuff you know, maybe not. I hope you have questions. Now you may be the exception to that rule, you look great, but once we get this nutrition thing understood, the next thing we'll discuss will be resistance training. If anything, I could come down to Ocotillo and show you some things. I think I have to step my good deed game up a few notches to catch up with you. I don't like losing. Off to Church....yeah that's right!!! Your boy goes to Church!! Have a good day. Look forward to hearing from you.

Chance Pearson
District Manager for Core Concepts Personal Training

_________________________________________________________

AND MY RESPONSE.......

Chase. Love it. Why correct me now?

An unexpected surprise for me as well--sitting down at a table with a few Iowa cats in Chandler is never a bad idea--but not always a good one either :)

Yes, first things first. I enjoyed your Food Pyramid breakdown and regretfully agreed--mainly because I couldn't locate donut holes anywhere on the list. I've studied nutrition on my own for the past couple years, so I know the main do's and don'ts, the myths and the facts--an education I've developed through working in Eating Disorder Treatment. So, needless to say, I could always use more knowledge on the subject--probably more discipline than knowledge, but whatev, right?

I will print this list and use it as a source for my grocery shopping, but I have my vices, of course. You'll hate me for this, but I love candy. eeeeeeek. I KNOW! Empty calories and sugar as the worst enemy!!

I normally choose fruits that are low in glycemic value: apples, grapes, kiwi, peaches and grill a lot of lean meat. Cottage cheese, eggs, yogurt, turkey, tomatoes, whole wheat english muffins, peanut butter, green tea, nuts and Golden Spoon are among my most frequented foods. How about that for MY breakdown, huh? I'm an artist--you can't expect A-Type Personality eating. Well, you can.. we just may not be friends.

I DO have a question regarding my diet and workout. Have you heard of P90x? I am going through that right now with some friends.. an abridged version, but still. Basically, 6 days a week is a crazy, gnarly different workout to trick your muscles, thus increasing the resting metabolic rate.. Did I say that right? Anyway-- Plyos, abs, back, karate, yoga.. it's everything. We start at 5:30am and it takes me about 12 minutes to get there in the morning. I have heard a million things, so I ask an expert--again. I usually eat half of a power bar or 4 oz. of yogurt and drink some water on my way. Then, within an hour of completing the workout, I finish what I started and add something else to make a complete breakfast. What do you suggest?

Thanks again for your info--

If you have any questions about makeup, photography, graphic design, Social Work, Eating Disorders, Drug Addiction or what it's like to have a "To Do" list that's longer than the Nile, please let me know.

Kacey

KaceyLuvi Makeup and Photography

__________________________________________________________________

And for those of you dying to know the information on the email attachment he sent... HERE IT IS! Enjoy!

NUTRITION

General Guidelines

Remember that food is fuel and your body needs to be refueled every 3 hours to keep your resting metabolic rate elevated. If you go too long without eating, your body thinks it is fasting and it essentially goes into “starvation mode.” This will cause your metabolism to drop and store fat more readily. The most important meal of the day is breakfast in that it will kick start your metabolism for the day.
Although you need to eat between 4-6 times a day, be mindful that you need to eat smaller portioned meals, as well as nutritious snacks in between. Since you are eating more often now, you need to keep your caloric intake under control by carefully monitoring the size of each meal and snack.
An ideal snack or meal contains both a carbohydrate and a protein.
Don’t forget that the more lean muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be. Muscles require calories for maintenance and reparation. By replacing fat with muscle, your body will now require more calories per day. Of these calories, you must remember to consume enough protein, the most important factor in obtaining lean muscle, to make all of your hard-work worthwhile!
Consider one serving of meat to be the size of your fist.
Remember, the closer you eat to bedtime, the less chance you give your body to burn off the fat and calories you just consumed.
Carbs are NOT the enemy! However, you need to reduce, if not eliminate, the white and high-glycemic index carbs that you consume (think white bread, white rice, sugar). Eat plenty of veggies, legumes and whole grains.
If you occasionally supplement meals with a bar or shake, make sure you watch the sugar content carefully. Many supplements cut fat but add sugar (your greatest enemy), which adds tons of empty calories. Also keep in mind that it is much harder for your body to derive nutrients from processed foods such as supplements. The best way to go is always with organic or unprocessed foods.
Fruits can work both for and against you, depending on when you consume them. They do contain a lot of sugar, which may cause insulin spikes that result in the storage of excess energy as fat. The best time to eat fruit is immediately following a workout. After a workout, your body is starving for simple sugars to replenish the stored energy in the muscles called glycogen. Fructose, or the sugar found in fruit, is best for replenishing this stored energy.
The rules of nutrition will be broken at times. Sometimes we splurge and eat things we normally wouldn’t or shouldn’t. It’s okay for the occasional cheat, if we allow ourselves no freedom, we set ourselves up for a downfall. It is a good idea to set a day (Sundays) or time (Friday night dinner out) to allow yourself to eat whatever you want. This will give you something to look forward to and allow you to stick to an otherwise healthy regimen.
Diets that are extreme in nature or that concentrate primarily on one component (i.e. Atkins diet) will eventually result in failure due to their unbalanced nature.

Good Sources of Carbohydrates
Whole grains! This includes Ezekiel bread (found in frozen health food section) whole wheat bread, whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat pastas, brown rice and oatmeal (preferably steel cut)
Veggies (preferably raw, the more you process vegetables, the more nutrients you sacrifice). Get colorful. The green leafy variety are packed with nutrients.
Legumes (soy beans, lentils, kidney beans, black beans, butter beans, basically any kind of beans).
Fruits (great after a workout). Whole fruits are always best. Stay away from the juice forms if possible, as they are often too simple in nature.

Good Sources of Protein
Chicken (white meat). Not fried! Baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled boneless/skinless breasts.
Turkey (again, preferably white breast-meat).
Lean cuts of beef such as Top Sirloin or Filet Mignon, or Flank Steak.
Fish, grilled, steamed, broiled, or baked.
Soy Products/ Tofu
Eggs, preferably egg whites.
Low-fat dairy products such as skim milk, string cheese, swiss cheese (white cheeses are better picks than yellow cheeses, they are less processed) and low-fat cottage cheese

Good Sources of Fat
Nuts (preferably unsalted).
Olive oil.
Flaxseed oil.
Fish (high in omega 3 fatty acids) such as salmon
Don’t go overboard with healthy fats. Even though they are good for you and will actually aid in your fat loss, be aware that they are still high in calories.

High Glycemic Foods to Avoid
White rice
White bread
White pasta
Sugary cereals
Saltines and other non-whole-grain crackers
Fruit juices
Pretzels
Baked potatoes (sweet potatoes and yams are a much better option that white potatoes)

Good Snacks: 1 Handful of nuts (preferably unsalted), Apple or fruit of your choice, 7 Triscuits, ½ cup of cottage cheese, Raw veggies, hard boiled egg, Celery and peanut butter, Sugar free yogurt (sweetened with splenda).

Nutritional Fast Food

Sounds like an oxy-moron to me. Although my first choice would never be fast food sometimes we are forced to grab a quick bite. Here are some recommendations.

Chick-Fil-A : I like this choice because of the option on buns. I love the more complex-carbohydrate option of the wheat bun. Grilled chicken sandwich is my pick. Try to avoid the fries if possible. Get the mixed fruit! You’ll notice I’m not going to include anything fried in this segment.
Wendy’s: Here I recommend the grilled chicken sandwich. It’s the leanest option of sandwiches. For side item’s I recommend the Chili which is high in protein and fiber. I also wouldn’t mind the baked potato. Try to keep it as plain as possible. Maybe a little butter but don’t go overboard.
Chipotle: The calories can get a little out of control here but that’s not always a bad thing with active growing boys. Nothing is fried and everything is fresh. If we are trying to go lo-cal, try a bowl instead of a burrito. It will save you around 250 calories.
Rubio’s: Here I recommend the Health-Mex burrito. It’s prepared with a with a whole wheat burrito and grilled chicken. The sides are beans and rice which are low in fat and high in fiber.
Subway: Nothing fried here, which attracts me. Try to stick with the wheat bread if possible. Stick with the 6 inch subs if your goal is weight loss. If you’re super hungry double the meat for extra protein. Swiss is your healthiest option as far as cheeses go. Stick with the cold cuts if possible. Simplicity is golden.
Arby’s: The market fresh sandwiches are awesome here. Piled high with your favorite deli meat and on a healthy wheat bread. I prefer the turkey and Swiss option. No mayo if you are being calorie conscious.

All of a sudden, I love reading.

2009-01-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

On a lighter note, I am working on a non-exhaustive book review from my non-impressive library. At a quick glance, here are 2 books I have read recently and strongly recommend.

Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney (wife of the amazing author/speaker/pastor CJ Mahaney) is an incredible guide to building virtuous character as a wife and mother. About a year and a half ago, a friend recommended it to me and I shot it down thinking, Eghh... no thanks. Loving my singleness and worshipping my independence, I was not interested in wife-training. About a month after meeting Chance, I wanted to learn. I wanted God's perspective on marriage, service, and genuine lay-down-your-life-kinda-love. It is a phenomenal book if you are planning on marriage or already married--newlyweds or celebrating the golden annivesary.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Chance and I cannot say enough about this book. Our friends and family are SO sick of us raving about it. We were changed and radically moved by this book--a very refreshing vantage of the way God sees us and the way we should see Him. Everything from lukewarm living to making yourself a bigger deal than necessary--it's a MUST READ. I'm going through it for the second time.
This is the ultimate bathroom reader. It's small and fit perfectly on top of the toilet for a quick grab:) Based on John 15, Bruce Wilkinson highlights the imperativeness of unity with God--a oneness that is often desired, but not always sought after as hard as it should be. It will inspire you--quickly--as it is under 100 pages of goodness :)

Fun Facts.

2009-01-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

In my attempt to procrastinate doing what needs to be done, I have compiled a list of interesting facts regarding nutritional choices... This? or That? So, I've narrowed down a rather lengthy article on best and worst decisions, which you can find in full on Men's Health Online.

Worst "Healthy" Drink
Glaceau VitaminWater (20 oz bottle)
130 calories 33 g sugar   Vitamins and water might sound like the ultimate nutritional tag team, but what the label doesn't say is that a bottle of this stuff carries nearly as much sugar and calories as a can of Coke. Makes sense, though, since this so-called functional beverage is produced by our often-sugar-crazy friends at The Coca-Cola Company.

I frown as my refrigerator resembles this image. One of every color... with the exception of Orange, my favorite. I have 2. I justified to stock up due to the grueling cold I have been battling. Good thing Chance is waiting to kiss me on our wedding day or else he'd be laid up with this same congested-ear-plugged-pressure-head-hacky-cough-stuffiness I'm cuddling up with everyday. Hopefully I'm nearing the end.

Worst Coffee Alternative
Starbucks Venti White Hot Chocolate
640 calories 23 g fat (15 g saturated) 76 g sugar  Caffeine abstainers will find little nutritional refuge in Starbucks' hot chocolate concoctions. This one packs an entire day's worth of saturated fat, with more than enough sugar to set you up for a dramatic mid-afternoon energy crash. Stick with the Steamed Apple Juice instead.  

Worst Energy Drink
Rockstar Original (16 oz can)
280 calories 62 g sugar  Energy drink makers might feign a level of health by fortifying their products with a cocktail of vitamins and minerals, but don't be fooled: Any minimal benefit they might provide is snuffed out by the blanket of sugar and calories each can contains. Want energy? Try a cup of homebrewed black tea. It nearly zero calories and contains a deluge of disease-fighting antioxidants.

The Worst Drink in America

Baskin-Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake
2,310 calories  108 g fat (64 g saturated) 266 g   Let's look at America's Worst Drink in numbers:  73: The number of ingredients that go into this milkshake. 66: The number of teaspoons of sugar this drink contains. 11: The number of Heath Bars you would have to eat to equal the number of calories found in one Baskin Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake. 12: The average number of minutes it takes to consume this drink. 240: The number of minutes you'd need to spend on a treadmill, running at a moderate pace, to burn it off.

Worst Iced Tea
Lipton Iced Brisk Lemon Iced Tea (20 oz bottle)
325 calories  81 g sugar   Iced tea is loaded with metabolism-boosting, cancer-fighting compounds called polyphenols, but Lipton does its best to undo any potential healthy benefit you might derive from the tea's antioxidants by drowning them in 20 teaspoons of sugar. Your tea of choice should carry no more than 15 grams of sugar per 20-ounce serving.  

Worst Smoothie
Jamba Juice Peanut Butter Moo'd Power Smoothie (30 oz)
1,170 calories  169 g sugars   Jamba Juice calls it a smoothie; we call it a milkshake, with more sugar than an entire bag of chocolate chips. (Note: We're pretty sure this is the drink Hollywood actors rely on when looking to put on 20 pounds for the role as a heavy!)

On the other hand, here are a few tips for healthy (and frugal) living in 2009:

Splurge on Nutrition
Consider it an investment in your future: obesity-related medical bills aside, someone

40 pounds overweight is paid 9 percent less than his thinner colleagues. Our suggestion:

pack as much nutrition as possible into the foods you buy

Brew Your Own Coffee
Instead of buying coffee from Starbucks, McDonald's, or the cafeteria at work, brewing

your own cuppa joe can save you over $800 a year!

One of my New Year's resolutions (the dreaded goals seemingly ALWAYS about weightloss)

has to do with cutting out salt as much as possible. Obviously, there are many short and long term

benefits to doing so, therefore, I will give it an honest go. Here are a few things to avoid:

Saltiest Bread
Dunkin' Donuts Salt Bagel   Sodium 4,520 mg Calories 320 Carbohydrates 62 g  

Salt Equivalent: 13 orders of McDonald's large French fries  

This bagel is more like a giant salt-encrusted pretzel, delivering 188 percent

of your recommended daily sodium intake.  

Saltiest Sandwich
Quiznos Turkey Bacon Guacamole Large Sub with Cheese and Reduced-Fat Ranch Dressing   

Sodium 4,670 mg Calories 1,120 Fat 49 g Carbohydrates 116 g 

 Salt Equivalent: 7 large orders of onion rings from Burger King  

First, skip the large sandwich. At Quiznos, few come in under 1,000 calories and

3,000 mg sodium.

Next, abandon mozzarella for Swiss, which has a tenth of the sodium.

Finally, choose one of the low-calorie subs at Quiznos—the Tuscan Turkey,

or better yet, the Honey Bourbon Chicken.

I'm not trying to be a Debby Downer. Hopefully it comes off more interesting than depressing:)

Happy Saturday!

Going Green.

2008-12-25T11:58:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, we have saved money, time and several trees by sliding so effortlessly in with the trend of maximizing existing resources and recycling. Though I rarely concern myself with issues of global warming and the exhausted topic of our economic depressive state, I wish I could say this was the case. The irony of this is that I am generally more attentive of the wrapping of gifts, than the actual contents. However, this was an act of swiftness, a last minute attempt for creativity on a tight time budget. For those of you still confused, I removed the original contents of these boxes and filled them with gifts. Cereal boxes make excellent shirt packaging :) The Nestle box contained my niece's crazy new sunglasses and a scarf--a perfect fit for accessories!

Best sung by Mariah Carey, "All I Want for Christmas is You".

Christmas... in a few different perspectives.

2008-12-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

In the past, this would totally satiate my Christmas:

This is our attempt at a Merry Christmas to our friend, Steve, who loves candy just as much as I do. It's the thought that counts, right? Another fun tradition my family has is giving ornaments! My mom is the best at it and always gets us relative ornaments for the seasons we are in. I've had pianos, music notes, Azusa Pacific University, Arizona State for each of my respective graduating years.. but THIS one.. I was SO excited about! My mom and dad gave it to us last night after we celebrated an early Christmas dinner since we will be away from each other for the holiday. Here it is, hanging so perfectly on my palm-tree-converted-Christmas-tree! FYI... I incessantly thanked her for not choosing 2 teddy bears holding hands attached to a huge red heart--but almost mentioned how cute of a wreath it was! I'm retarded. It's an engagement ring.

But the absolute BEST part of Christmas for me happened last night. Just after dinner, my aunt Lori joined Chance and I at my mom and dad's house and we made hot chocolate and home-made whipped cream. Side note--make sure you make that happen sometime this winter. So, we got our warm drinks and jumped into the car. About a mile and a half away is my parents' church, Calvary Chapel. The church conducted a drive-through-and-have-a-look LIVE NATIVITY scene. At first, I envisioned it to be the nativity... live animals, yes, a Mary and Joseph present, of course, you can all picture that. But this production/reenactment of the entire story was absolutely breathtaking! When you first pull in, you see Ceasar on his throne, followed by the 3 wise men. A angel (a real man) was posted up on the rooftop of the church with a spotlight on him as he pointed toward the sky. Then, we approached a small building and the people standing outside said, "I'm sorry. There is no room here. But just ahead, there is a stable." As we pulled forward, we came up to the nativity where there were live sheep, a donkey and a pony, shepherds and of course, Mary and Joseph (a married couple from the church and their real baby, playing Jesus) :) We thought that was the end of the scenes, but then we inched forward and a few people dressed as shepherds were saying "why?..... why?...." We thought that was the weirdest part of the production until we pulled further ahead and the man on the driver's side looked at Chance and said... "Do you want to know why? Why Jesus came? Why he was born? Then, look over there---" And that moment, a light turned on and shined on Jesus dying on the cross. We were at a loss for words. It was like watching the Passion of the Christ all over again. We thought that was the final scene, but the last one on our way out was a women, frantic and excitedly proclaiming outside an empty tomb--"HE'S NOT HERE!!! HE'S NOT HERE!!! HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD!" The whole car cheered... except for me--I choked on my own tears. I was speechless and couldn't even get a sound out. It was a beautiful way to experience Christmas and I will never forget it.

The times I wish I had a camera.

2008-12-22T17:11:00.000-08:00

Today, I experienced the mall, a mere 3 days before Christmas. Just when I thought we were in an economic downturn... the stores were still full (mostly men in their last minute quests). Just as we entered, a man, about 80 years old and somewhat hunched over and walking carefully, exited the mall with one bag. It was pink and marked "Victoria's Secret." Atta boy. Then, I quietly prayed and asked God for Chance to do the same thing in 50 years.

What to expect when expecting to marry... Kacey.

2008-12-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

I writhe at dirty dishes, yet it takes everything in me to put them (approximately 1 foot to the left) into the dishwasher. Then, every ounce of effort to stop what I am doing to empty the dishwasher once it's done. I act like loading it was such a task, that I deserve about a week to think about dishes again. An hour later, my dishwasher beeps and me until I pay it some attention. I realize this is my battle. And this is my question: Why do I wait until I go to the silverware drawer, to find all that's available is a shrimp fork? Or a spoon that looks like it's used to ladle fruit punch at a church reception. My goal--in preparing to be Chance Pearson's wife--is to be more proactive in the kitchen, in the house--everywhere. Living independently for so many years, we are each coming to realize the challenges and laughs we will have about working out all of our weird, individualistic quirks. I am gaining a lifelong reflection of me. Yikes. I anticipate many amazing things about marriage, but most of all, that it will reveal us to each other like no one else. We will reflect each other, whether we like it or not, but reflecting usually means rubbing, which means refining, which means purifying, which means pain, which always means growth and gain. Chance brings out the best in me--and most of the time that means really digging for it :) He's going to be a great husband and I want to be a great wife. With all that to say, tonight is our first night of Pre-marital Counseling. LOL? I'll let you know how it goes.

These are the things I already know for sure:

--We love God and are committed to His will, secure ourselves on His promises and know that His Word is the final and only authority. We are committed to Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

--Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.." This is our M.O. Our -go to- reminder when our human tendency is to focus more on our own interests and needs.

We are so excited!

Stay close as we will be posting photos and fun, brief bios about the bridal party and groom party :) We have carefully (and easily) selected people that we trust, we love and believe have been and will be incredible influences in our lives both individually and together!

Merry?? Fitness.

2008-12-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Chance let me in on decorating the wall behind his desk at work. I'm not sure if I would be offended by it, but I'm definitely sure this would be a great gift :)

Fitness hasn't always been a merry thought to me. Funny, I get paired up with this one. Oh, Lord, are you trying to tell me that I'm fat? Regardless, I now have a personal butt kicker and personal chef. Yes, you heard it. This sexy 5'10" Iowan corn fed fella has happily promised to prepare food for me until my dying day. Am I sad to forfeit my rights as a woman in the kitchen? Nope. Just to give you an example of my extreme "un"domestication, I was grocery shopping about 2 months ago and trying to be creative with my carbs. I was entrenched with the other 95% of America that believes "eating healthy" means choosing low-fat ice cream and sacrificing super size for a small fry. Turns out, to my scale's dismay, I have been regretfully mistaken. So I asked Chance, "Can you give me some new carbs options?? I'm at the store!!" I'm sure he smiled on the inside after his heart fluttered and said, "Ok, grab about 4 yams, and bake them. After about 45 minutes they will start oozing out of their skin. Then, peel the skin off and mash them----" "Whoaaaaa, whoa, whoa.." I interrupted.. "First of all.. What's a yam? Second. What do you mean by bake?" So, needless to reiterate-am I resisting giving up my Betty Crokedness? No. I might even get him a new apron for Christmas.

These are some of the experiences I have with Chance Pearson. He's a chef, a nutritionist, a health nerd of sorts, but he's mine! I will take that ALL DAY long! A few weeks ago I was proud of my Laura Scudders Peanut Butter purchase (anytime you see oil on the top of your peanut butter, you know it has to be good for you). So, normally, you have to mix Laura Scudders because of the oil separation.. BUT.. she introduced a NO-STIR bi-product! I was stoked and bought 2. At the peak of my excitement, I called Chance and told him about the Peanut Butter. Yes, peanut butter deserves a call. I told him all about how I hated stirring the oil and how it never seems to mix well.. and so on. So, much to my surprise, I told him about this new NO-STIR and he said, "Can you return it?" First of all, who ever returns anything at the grocery store? Nordstrom, maybe. Fry's? No. So, I was curious. Why in the world would you want me to return something so wonderful? He asked me to read the label to him. It had hydrogenated vegetable oil in it. So what? I guess it's not good for you. Full of saturated fat, not the GOOD fat found in almonds, avocados, fish oil, etc. I am learning. Everyday.

-Kacey

Happy Birthday From Both of Us

2008-12-07T21:14:00.001-08:00

You know when you're scanning through the card aisle, frantically looking at the helpful, yet vague subjects they place above greeting cards? Happy Birthday Father. 30th Birthday. Missing you. Just Because. Belated Birthday to In-Law from Both of Us Just Because of our Sympathy. Over Stimulation. The bottom line is, Chance and I were picking out a birthday card----well, I was picking out my own card for my dad like I have been doing for the past 26 years (kinda)--and Chance suggested we sign the same card. Just as I let "Getchur own card to sig----" out of my mouth, I thought--Wait! This is the start of saving a lot of money. This 2 become 1 thing is something I can get used to! 1 mortgage, 1 set of bills, 1 card... From Both of Us. Cheers to leaving and cleaving.

Anyway.. Happy 93rd Birthday to my dad! Sorry, wait.. I mean 56th. I always get those mixed up. My dad is one incredible man. He has always had my heart. I love him and love the way he loves our family. Happy Birthday Poppy! You deserve all of God's best!

Here are my two boys.. My dad giving Chance a little golf tip and Chance rockin' the receiver's glove. Never a prouder moment :)

Let Forever BEGIN!!!

2008-12-06T22:06:00.000-08:00

This is my official attempt at procrastination for a good cause! I am positively avoiding sleep and preparation for a photo shoot in the morning to bring you... the TEAM PEARSON blog. I know, I know, it's sick. It's almost as if I don't have quite enough time on my hands to keep a personal, online journal, but it just takes precedence. This is for us. This is for you. This is for anyone who really cares to know what we love, how we love and why... all wrapped up in words and images of anticipated successes and failures of our average, everyday lives. It will be fun, random, ridiculous and I'm already envisioning a few of my friends rolling their eyes at the idea that I am doing this.

We will share the crazy way we met---from my perspective and his, our journey thus far and some of our dreams for the future. God has been good to us by teaching us, humbling us and roping us in closer and closer to Him. Please celebrate with us during this time, stay close in the midst of chaos and pray for us always. Let forever begin!

-Kacey