Betty is a Utah native, born and raised in Bountiful, Utah. She graduated from Viewmont High School in 1973. She is a cellist, and met Karl while playing in the Mormon Youth Symphony. She attended the University of Utah as a Music Education Major and hopes to complete her education, which shouldn't be very difficult as she only has a few credit hours left.

Betty has a lot of interests and hobbies, but not much time for them. She enjoys reading, walking, writing to email and snail-mail penpals, crocheting, and gardening. She has started three email groups, with Karl's help, for LDS Missionary Mothers, LDS Stay-Home Moms and LDS Home Educators. She is very interested in people and other cultures. The Pearsons have hosted foreign exchange students from Hungary, Germany, Japan, Brazil and Chile. Betty loves history and writing, and would love to hear from those who visit the Pearson Home Page.

She has authored a book with Karl on homeschooling called The Home School Resource. They were both hosts of an Educational Radio program. She has been active in the community as founder and past chairman of the Utah Valley Citizens for Decency. She has been involved at all levels of the Utah Home Education Association (convention chairman, instructor, secretary, district leader, board member, etc.) and has been a Board Member of the Wasatch Home Educators Association (WHEN), a Utah County home school organization.

She is currently a full-time mom to the seven Pearson children, a cockatiel, several fish and two cats (currently, but that changes frequently).

She was the 2nd Counselor in the Lehi, Utah South Stake Young Women's presidency and is now a primary teacher (Sunbeams), and a Visiting Teaching Captain.

She has asthma, allergies, diabetes (Amaryl, 2mg), and has chronic fatigue syndrome-Epstein Barr virus. She is interested in communicating with others who have experience with similar things.

Lisa

born July 27, 1978

Lisa is our eldest child. She is a gifted violinist, singer and has composed several songs on the piano. If she applied herself to her music a little more, she undoubedly could be of professional calibre, though she probably won't choose music as more than an avocation.

Lisa has been home schooled entirely in such subjects as science, history, mathematics, grammar, literature and the other literary arts. She has attended public school part-time at Payson High and American Fork High. People often ask us why our children don't attend Lehi schools. Would you believe they don't offer an orchestra class? Hence, our children attend other schools part-time. Hey, they are musically gifted! Lisa was on the Yearbook staff for American Fork High School. She has graduated from seminary, too. She earned a music scholarship to UVSC, and has attended school there for two years. She is active in the Institute, and is Class President in one of her classes. She has also participated in the ROTC program, and loves it.

Lisa has worked for Patterson Homes, Kohlers Grocery (Deli), and currently is a cashier in the UVSC cafeteria, and works in Draper for her Uncle at TrendWest.

She recently got very ill with E. Coli Bacteria. Not a fun experience for her. She loves meeting returned missionaries, and will be entering the MTC on July 7, 1999 to prepare for service in the Argentina, Buenos Aires North Mission.

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Erik

born July 22, 1980

Erik is the oldest boy in our family and will soon be ordained an elder preparatory of serving a mission in the Germany, Munich Mission. He will be entering the MTC on August 4, 1999.

He has attended American Fork High School where he was also on the yearbook staff (or is that staph), Lone Peak High (north of the Mt. Timponogos Temple), and Lehi High part-time. He plays the cello and is playing at playing the piano. Most of the time he plays the piano when he's angry, usually at Karl...

Like Lisa, Erik has been home educated for most of his life. He is working in the UVSC cafeteria, and for TrendWest in Draper. He is going on an LDS mission in July, same time as Lisa. He has memorized all of the discussions already, and loves going on splits with the local missionaries. He is the proud owner of a 79 Chevy truck, which, in Lehi, means he is "a cool dude". He wants everyone to know that he is NOT a cowboy. He attends Institute at UVSC.

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Andrea

born March 14, 1982

Andrea has always been our Sunshine Girl, though lately she's showing a little of the teenage syndrome; you know, the paralysis that occurs from the neck up...

Andrea is absolutely in love with babies. She babysits more often than she cleans her room (okay, bad analogy). She would rather babysit than cook a meal for the family (okay, strike two). She would rather babysit than ride a horse, which, since she's only done a couple times, may be the best analogy I can come up with. Andrea currently works part-time at Wendys in Lehi.

Andrea attends Lone Peak High School part-time. She plays the viola and is a member of the Timponogos Chamber Orchestra. She loves to sing and is self-taught on the piano and is pretty good.

NOTE: Betty, Erik, Lisa and Andrea played for Lehi city's centennial production of Handcarts West, under Karl's baton during August, 1996 in celebration of the 100th year anniversary of Utah's statehood.

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Glenn

born February 25, 1984

Glenn plays the trumpet and loves it. He is in band at Mountain Ridge junior high in Highland. He has won money in the school assemblies for being able to do the most push-ups. He's also a Teacher. Glenn is short for his age, but his feet reach the floor and he puts them on one leg at a time. Like Spencer W. Kimball, we believe great things come in small packages. He isn't skinny, but broad-shouldered and well-muscled. The modern day term is called "Buff".

Glenn finds work all the time. He has worked delivering newspapers and at Snow Cone Shacks (Lehi and American Fork). When Glenn was little, he learned to stand on his hands before he couldwalk. He's very active and has always loved the outdoors more than indoors. We remember him crying at the front window when it was cold or raining or snowing out and we wouldn't let him go outside.

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Daniel

born May 21,1986

Daniel writes: I Like My Family Very Much. They Are Very Nice To Me. I Like My Mom and Dad The Most.

Daniel is, perhaps, our most intelligent child, however he uses his native intelligence to wriggle out of chores and other seemingly mundane life-work. He loves computer games and is pretty good at them. He reminds Karl of himself when little, in looks and attitude. He's a good boy who has a lot of potential. We just need to get it out of him. Of course, like everyone potential can only be realized by the one with it.

Daniel plays the viola and the French Horn. He is a Deacon. He especially likes tormenting his little brothers and the cat, though he doesn't have the mean streak of other boys his age. He has a paper route.

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Michael

born March 9, 1990

Michael is our math and numbers wiz. When he was 4, sitting in church quietly touching fingers he looked up at Betty and said, "Know what mom? When you are 70, I'll be 35." He has consistently been 3-4 grade levels ahead of his age group in math. He's a quiet, self-entertaining boy who is a very steady young man emotionally. He does like to tease Joshua, however.

A couple of years ago, Michael was bitten by something during his sleep. His right hand became so infected that a specialist ended up operating on it to relieve the swelling and staph infection. He could have lost his hand or even died. He loves Cub Scouts!

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Joshua

born May 20, 1993

Joshua is our miracle baby. He was born late and had the toxic affects of a mother with gestational diabetes. He began to bleed into his lungs shortly after birth. If not for the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center's possession of a machine called the Oscillating Respirator, he would have died. We were told for the first 4 days of his life not to expect him to live. Betty and Karl went through an emotional wringer.

Now Joshua is a very active and healthy boy. He's a cute addition to our family loved by all.

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