The Brown Family

The importance of Dates.

2012-01-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

I have found, and was previously counseled, that it is important to continue to have regular dates even after you are married. I would go so far as to say that it is imperative once children arrive. So much of our time is spent in loving, teaching, counseling, correcting, and playing with them that we tend to lose our "me" and "us" time that we once had. And so it should be...to a degree. I try my best to have regular dates with my wife, and they continue to be wonderful times together, and away from all other worldly headaches! Sometimes they are dining events, sometimes just short shopping trips, and on occasion the wonderful opportunity to attend the Temple together to re-focus on our eternal goals.

These outtings keep our marriage and love fresh and save us from the insanity of day to day affairs. There is one other "date" that I've found to be equally important though. I've started, and hope to continue, one on one time with each of my children. They, and I, look forward to the chance to be together, without anyone else, and learn about each other. We may go hunting, working, or even take a short trip to Dairy Queen for some quite "us" time. I truly believe that these will build into the best memories of their childhood, and, more importantly, into a relationship that will foster trust and eternal family bonds. They will hopefully know that I love them and that they can approach me with anything that ways on them, or that even excites them!

My family is what brings me the most joy, and this time with them is so short, but important, as it shapes our eternal relationships in the time to come.

Old Journals and Snuggies

2012-01-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

So I started reading posts on the blogsite itjustgetsstranger. My brother, David, made me aware of the site, and I thank him for it. Reading the posts have been a blessing of hillarity in the sometimes bleak clouds of daily issues and grinds in the I.T. world. I think some of my staff feel I'm about to crack because they hear me trying to stifle my laughing and chuckles at the down to earth posts that strike a cord because they are all to real.

One series of posts in particular really made be think (and laugh) about how the world sees us as we leave behind our sometimes mindless rambling (kind of like this one!) on pages we call journals. The author would type earlier journal entries from his youth and comment on what he found. It makes you realize that even WE don't fully understand younger selves sometimes.

I'm not so sure I want my kids to read my journal posts. Some of the entries I would swear were written by strangers, aside from my "handwriting" stating otherwise. Other entries I'd rather just have shreded, burned, and then disolved in acid which is then buried with nuclear waste that no one will want to examine for a thousand plus years. Really. What makes us feel compelled to write down some of the random thoughts in our heads? Perhaps we're just tired of having them and hope that by putting them on paper we won't have to think them again!

So, I'm going to think twice about what I write...or type, hopefully...in the future. But, if you want to get a good laugh at someone else's strangeness (allbeit seemingly normal attitude since we all do it) I encourage you to visit the itjustgetsstranger site. It will make you feel better!

Weird Face

2011-04-25T15:40:00.001-07:00

Well, during our 3 day trip to Kenny's we had an Easter egg in which I caught my mother with this face..

For Christina

2011-04-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures I took for Christina! Only 2. Let me get the face next time!

Zoo Pics.

2011-04-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here are the pics. we took at the Austin Zoo. Took a while, but we have them!

Library Thing

2011-04-18T05:34:00.001-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt/Kenny's House Pictures

2011-04-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

I will be posting some photos that I took at Kenny's house.... By Blake

Christmas

2011-01-05T14:01:00.000-08:00

Well I think we have all got what we have been wanting in my house I got my laptop, Jenna got her iPod touch http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/ you can look at it and its feature at the link. Jacie got a bla-bla-blizard maker from Sonic. Bryce went to Utah and clothes and stuff. Jesse and Jay got clothes cologne and all that other stuff from Abercrombie&Fitch and jackets, shoes and stuff like that.

by: Blake

Hello again

2011-01-05T13:57:00.000-08:00

Woops sorry I haven't posted things in a while I will start get more thing posted =D

by: Blake

pictures

2010-01-18T17:54:00.001-08:00

Family

Picture Requests

2010-01-18T16:50:00.000-08:00

If you would like to see some pictures please leave a comment on this post,and I will get them a.s.a.p!!!

Brant

2010-01-14T15:28:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos of Brant!!By: Blake

Baby Steps

2010-01-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

About 3 weeks ago Brant started to take some baby steps.Yea Brant! The whole family was amazed. Now Brant walks along the couch, ottoman, and his musical toy,and he even takes things out of the dishwasher and he pulls over the trash can.

Introspective Day

2009-12-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

So, today should have been like any normal day, and in many ways it was. I spent a few minutes this morning reading a Sherlock Holmes book. And no, it wasn't because of the upcoming movie. I have a habit of reading several different books at a time (ADD maybe?) and I was over at Mom and Dad's house last night and saw it. So, I picked it off the shelf and began to read. I'm quite impressed, as it is quite good. I believe the book is called "The Return of Sherlock Holmes". Apparently in the previous book, it was thought the Sherlock was dead.

But that's not the point of this post. It was a nice day outside, and as usual, I was spending most of it inside. I had meant to go over to Dad's and help him work on one of his projects. I WAS playing on the PS3 with Jessie, trying to keep him from wonder how much longer it would be until his surgery to remove his wisdom teeth. In between here and there I was helping Julie clean the house. My brother Christopher came over and asked what I was doing. I thought he was going to invite me to ride along (and he did, sort of) while he was working as a police officer. Instead, he asked me to go with him to Austin to pick up a new gun that he was buying.

It was a good ride. We listened to Glen Beck some, talked some and enjoyed (ha, ha) the ride through San Antonio into Austin. The trip and ensuing conversation brought to mind again the great desire I have had for some time, but have utterly failed to act upon, to work as a police officer. I guess it has always been more of a hobby dream than a work dream. I've ridden for quite some time with law enforcement officers, from Texas DPS, to CCPD and TPWD Game Wardens. They are all different, but enjoyable and interesting experiences for me. However, that's not what this post is about either...at least in its whole.

After coming home, Julie asked me to watch a movie with her. I wasn't too excited about the movie, "The Bucket List", with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. I'd seen the previews and , well, didn't really care to waste the time watching it. I was quite surprised and touched by it though. It made me wonder, as I seem to be doing more of late, if I had accomplished the things in this life that I wanted to do. Now, I know that this life isn't the completeness of my existence. In fact, I know it is quite a small blip on the eternal plan and life we are to live. But, I cannot help but think that there are things and experiences that we can only really gain and appreciate while in this mortal life.

So, how much time do I waste here instead of doing, learning, or sharing what I should. I believe all experience is for our good, and many good things can even be learned, say, from watching a movie. If we let it teach us something. I am amazed day after day how little time we have here. In a way, I feel blessed to know that already, but I've gone much further down the road. I hope it helps me, as a compass, to gauge my path and make corrections where possible and necessary. I believe I've been blessed for all I've done, or for having the opportunity to do them, thus far in life. But I wonder on those opportunities passed up and forsaken because I hesitated, or was afraid, or occupied but some lesser important or valuable task. (I truly hope all this introspection isn't a sign of time left!) But with all seriousness, I hope to try, day by day, to ask myself if there isn't something more, or different I could/should be doing, and not pass up those "LIFE" experiences before it is too late. I shudder to think of my children grown and gone, although it will happen one way or another. I revel in the joy of being there with them and their opportunity. I cry over the time lost or squandered that I did not spend with them to the utmost capability. I'm relieved in the fact that I can be forgiven, and, if so chosen and taken, can have the chance to be with them forever.

So, that's my Christmas wish this year. To all those, and they are very few, who might read or stumble upon this. Take the time to do that which you have always wanted, live life to the fullest, and do it with the ones you love, before there it is yesterday and the only experience you are left with is the wish that it were somehow different.

A little more like Christmas

2009-12-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

Global warming? Are you serious? Recently, "hackers", got into the global scientests archives and found a "cover up" of the global warming group. Well, I don't know much about all the studies and bickering back and forth. But I do know it's been down right chilly here lately! I stepped outside my office today to find not only rain, but small, very miniature, hail falling from the sky too. The ground is too warm, so it pretty much melted right away. I opened the doors to the server room and let the cold air in to give my poor servers a well deserved break from the awful, heat trapping design we have here.

A little while later I got a call from Julie who said it was SNOWING outside. Now, I knew the forecasters had mentioned the possibility of snow, but let's face it. It just doesn't snow here in the northern part of hades. Well, most of the time it doesn't. There was that ONE time a few years back when it snowed for the first time in 100 years. So, I stepped back outside, and sure enough, mixed in with the rain and sleet, little flurries of snow!

I ran home and grabbed up the camera, but the stupid thing was full! ARGH! So, I grabbed the video camera...you know, the one we occasionaly use but never pull anything from. Well, it just so happened that the kids played with it last night so the battery was dead. DOUBLE ARGH!

After deleting a few pictures from the still camera, and plugging the charger into the video camera, just KNOWING that it would stop snowing any minute...I managed to snap a few shots and get a bit of video footage.

Tonight I'll work on cleaning it up and see if I can upload it here. Until then...enjoy the ALMOST Christmas weather!

Babysitting is hard work!

2009-06-07T19:32:00.001-07:00

It's always good to know that we aren't the only ones who get tired from the kids. Here are some funny pictures that happened weeks apart. It's funny that it happened to both!

What's funny is Brant is the easiest one we've had to take care of so far! They all love him so much and all want to hold him. I guess when he just sits there it is easy to relax and go to sleep.

Brant

2009-04-21T17:21:00.001-07:00

Brock is just worn out from taking care of his little brother. He actually fell asleep holding him.

After his blessing.

Brant and his favorite past time.

Blake's Pinewood Derby

2009-03-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Blake recently had his Pinewood Derby for cub scouts. We began on the car early, but didn't really know what day the race would be. That happens when the only communication on the event date goes to the cub scouts! Anywho, he came up with the design, color and even name of the car. He wanted to stain it rather than paint it and called it the Wilcox Furniture car. (I'm going to have to talk to him about his free advertisements.)

We finished adding weights on the last day, not even know how heavy it really was. We guessed well! He weighed in right at 5 ounces. The races were fun, and even more so because he was undefeated! Congratulations Blake!

It's hard to see in this one, but if you look closely you'll see Blake's car has already finished. The car he beat here ended up winning 3rd place.

It Appears I'm a Potential Terrorist

2009-03-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by first saying this, to clear up any possible confusion. I AM NOT A TERRORIST! Got that? Good. It seems that some DHS officials don't agree. I've followed international politics and situations loosely since I served my mission in Argentina. The differences in freedoms and political thought have totally amazed me.

I'm also amazed and forever in debt to our founding fathers, for all that they gave so I could be free. Did you catch that? Not for their own benefit, but for your's and mine too. I think that's a major part of our problem today. We're only worried about how our actions affect us, and not others. But that's fodder for another rant at another time.

It would seem that our increasingly changing government and political views of the times has pushed us more and more to those types of leaderships that I've either seen or read about in other countries. We gasp when we hear about Hugo Chavez changing laws so that he can stay in power for as long as he lives and is re-elected. We cringe at the censorship some countries impose on their people to "maintain peace", when in reality it is a thinly covered excuse to protect their own hides and repress their opponents. (President Mugabe anyone? If you don't know who he is, look him up! We could also go down the list of Stalin, Hitler, Castro, Chavez, etc...)

I've often laughed at the conspiracy notions that float around warning us that our nation is being taken over. How could we POSSIBLY ever let anything like total gun control or censorship happen? It's not possible, right? Right? Uh....hello, right? Hehe...kind of quiet out there.

The things that I have seen in the last 4 months (coupled with all the "security" laws passed since 9/11) have really , well...let's say piqued my interest. For example: get this latest news posting from FoxNews (yes, I've become a FoxNews junkie.)

"If you're an anti-abortion activist, or if you display political paraphernalia supporting a third-party candidate or a certain Republican member of Congress, if you possess subversive literature, you very well might be a member of a domestic paramilitary group. " You can read more on the FoxNews site here or one posted by Glenn Beck here.

The more I hear about stronger gun control laws, (i.e. H.R. 45) I shiver to see the direction we are headed. I don't think we have gone too far, and I believe in following the system given to us as laid out by the laws of the land to make changes where we feel it necessary. I am astounded though by the lack of involvement by us to make changes where we see the need though.

So, before I go too far, (oh wait, I play Airsoft so apparently the case is mounting) and say something that might be TOTALLY misconstrued (is being an Eagle Scout still ok?) please know that I am against abortion, like to shoot guns, believe that WE the people still have the choice on who we vote for REGARDLESS of political party, and I respect the right of others to their thoughts, beliefs and opinion so long as it doesn't intrude on those of others within the laws as set forth by the people. (In other words, to the last part, I don't think marrying your dog is ok, and I don't care if you do, it's still morally wrong AND against the law.)

Brant

2009-03-22T17:14:00.001-07:00

With Big Brother Brock

Sleeping in Mommy's Arms

The Whole Crew (Dr. Noriega delivered us all!)

With Mom and Dad

My first minutes in this world.

Reflections

2009-01-05T16:51:00.000-08:00

Mom and Pop Swain are with us as she recovers from a broken leg.

One of our Family Portraits for Christmas.

"Those are Spirit Fingers, THESE are spirit fingers!"

My mini-me.

I've recently finished reading "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. It has caused me to reflect upon the many things I'd like my children to know and remember as they grow. I also reflect upon my life and how quickly I seem to have gotten to this point. Sometimes I really wonder if life between 19 and 36 have really existed or was it simply a fitfull dream of tasks. I fear I've been too focused on the future of things to come and have forgotten to enjoy the now.

We have had a wonderful holiday season between Christmas and New Years. My job with a public school doesn't pay near what I could be making elsewhere, but having two weeks to spend with my family is truly priceless. Brock is my mini-me and I enjoy watching the others growing and loving life. Bryce is now a deacon and I cannot believe that this last part of his "youth" is at its inception. I am enjoying life immensely and feel blessed to be in my current state.

I truly believe that my family is my greatest possesion on this earth...and will be as we continue on after this life. I find more joy in the day by day and hope that I can remember to let them know that. We recently bought a video camera to capture those beautiful moments. I hope we fill up every possible media that we have with those wonderful memories so that they may enjoy them as well as they get older and move on with life.

Some Pictures of Galveston Work

2008-10-05T16:09:00.001-07:00

Notice the grass at the top of the fences.

Galveston Cleanup

2008-10-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday members of the Corpus Christi Texas Stake were asked to go volunteer to work in Galveston with the Church in an effort to help people clean up from the recent hurricane Ike. I believe we had around 100 people attend from our stake. There were many other stakes that also attended, and the cleanup effort is ongoing.

I drove up with my dad and Bishop Nelson. Josh and Jeremy went up also and we stayed at Kenny and Karen and Kelley's house, which we were EXTREMLY grateful to do. Otherwise we would have been leaving around 3:30 in the morning to get there for the beginning assignments.

As we made our way from Santa Fe to Galveston you could see the progression of destruction from wind to water. It is amazing to imagine the amount of time it will take to restore most of what once was. The first thing that hits you is the cars in the ditches or the boats up against the road and all the debris and trash piled up on the embankments of the highway. The second is the smell. If only I could make scratch and sniff pictures, you'd have a much better understanding of what it is like. Although most people tend to think that the wind is the most dangerous part of a hurricane, (what category is it?), the worst destruction comes from the water. The tidal surge reached at least 15-20 feet in my estimation in the places we went.

Imagine losing everything that you have except the frame of your house. Now imagine everyone, block by block, doing the same. All the trees, shrubs, grass and plants are either dead or dying. Every appliance, book, picture, piece of furniture, clothing... it is now ruined. Food in the freezer or refrigerator is spoiled and oozing toxic waste if you mistakenly open the door. Water, mixed with any foul substance and smell you can imagine, is pooled into any conainer will to hold it. After three weeks of sitting, it is now once big cespool.

As we gathered at the chapel in Galveston, spared any damage whatsoever, we formed our team out with Brother James Torres joining us. We received our Mormon Helping Hands t-shirts, our orders and orientation, and after a hymn, prayer, and LONG speech by those in charge, went off to our first of two assignments.

We were only a few blocks from the chapel. Our first task was to gut out the garage of a home that sat at least 10 feet above the road and everyone else around them. They were two weeks from closing the sale on their home. Now...who knows.

We removed boxes of clothes, books and pictures. The garage door. A car that was molding and now worthless, and several other pieces of furniture and personal belongings. The water damage was low on the walls due to the height of the house. We took out the lower four foot section of the walls so that it could dry and be repaired. After meeting the home owners, finishing up and taking a quick break, we were on our way to our next task after about two hours of work.

The next project was to remove everything from the home, including sheetrock and flooring. I feared this would be an overwhelming task. However, to our great fortune all furniture and other items were already removed from the home. We removed all the sheetrock and wooden flooring from the entire house. We had started at about 11:00 am, and including a lunch break and several water breaks, we finished our task around 4:00 pm that afternoon. We were extremely grateful for the cool weather. Even at that, with several drinks ingested, many of us were still depleted of any liquids internally.

We said our many goodbyes, and with requests to join the homeowner for a bar-b-que in six months (he feels that is when they will be able to return to a finished house) we left back for the chapel. After turning in our paperwork, and stretching out the soreness, we returned to Kenny's house for much needed showers. We were pleased that Uncle Kenny joined us for our second house, and then was gracious enough to provide pizza.

Dad and I left for Corpus around 7:45 that night, and, even though we had slept on cots the night before and worked all day, somehow, I just wasn't tired enough to sleep on the way home.

Note: I am having problems with the camera...but will be posting pictures soon.

Great Expectations

2008-09-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

Is it plagerism to steal a great title? With so much going on it is often hard to keep up with the many things you want to do,not just the things you have to do. Life is constantly changing, bringing with it the new challenges and experiences that we love and sometimes love to hate. Jay and Jesse are doing well in school as Jesse enters seminary time. Although we thought we had several years before we entered seminary events, life has brought us to it sooner.

As we discussed it today, we realized we'd have seminary duty for the next 19 years. That should be when our next little one will be finishing school. Yes, we are expecting number 6, ( or 8 with Jay and Jesse). That sure seems like a long time to endure getting up early after fighting little ones to get them to sleep. Although lately we're fighting the older ones too!

Bryce, blake, Jenna and Jacie are all playing soccer again. That makes for very busy Saturdays! They're all doing very well, as usual. My new calling in the Stake Presidency keeps us busy in a different way. It is not the same as being Bishop, but the travel is much greater. It is a calling that humbles me, but I truly enjoy it.

We look forward to the holidays to spend more time with family as Justin and his wife are in Galveston and Jeremy is now being stationed in Fort Hood. Sharon was down for a while as Chris is in Iraq and mom had neck surgery. We look forward to David graduating from law school in the next few years. He's already getting job offers. We're happy to be where we are, but look forward to the cooler weather, WITHOUT mosquitos.

Summer Time Events

2008-07-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know...it has been quite a while since we have posted to our blog...and I apologize! We have been very busy traveling locally to bowling leagues, birthday parties, swimming events at the Aransas Pass swimming pool and such. Bryan has been gone to conferences in San Antonio and Katy Texas and work has been a HUGE project consuming a great deal of time.

One big change for him was that he was released as Bishop of the Robstown Ward almost 4 years to the day that he was called. That same day he was called as 2nd counselor in the stake presidency. It is a different calling in many ways but should provide a change of pace.

Julie is still busy selling jewelry (she's the new jewelry lady!) and doing well keeping track of that and the many kids. Other additions that have kept her busy are the three new kittens and four chickens. She's not far from being farmer Brown herself!

Jay and Jesse now have braces and Brock turned two this past month. He's growing so much and his communication skills are at that point of doubling every time you turn around. You have to watch out for that parrot!

Bryce, Blake, Jenna and Jacie are enjoying time at Grandma's and Nana's homes and trying to make the most of the summer time off. Jacie recently got her "school" clothes as she will start pre-school this year. She was quite disappointed to find that school didn't start for quite some time even though she had her clothes.

We welcome the recent rains as everything is much greener now. It has also been a nice break from the heat.

Friends, Family and Fun

2008-04-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

First, let us thank Kenny and Karen for hosting us this past weekend. Julie and I had a great time getting away from the kids for a weekend and enjoying the great outdoors in Houston. I had a great time playing golf with Gary, Kenny and Grandpa, even if I didn't enjoy most of my shots. Isnt' that what golf is all about? :)

Fortunately for me, the one shot I made from the tee when Julie was around was a great shot! I just wish we could have sunk some of those putts guys. We also had a great time in the pool. I appreciate the offer to bring the kids up this summer. Know that we will do it!

As I work to help our administrators at school prepare for the 20 to 30 FLDS kids we'll soon have in district I am greatly thankful for my kids and the security we have. It would be scary to have our kids taken away to an unkown location. I feel for them and hope their transition will be relatively smooth. We need, in these latter days, to make sure we stick up for our basic constitutional rights and freedoms that Heavenly Father has given us.

Well, off to church...another great freedom!

Pumpkin Seeds

2008-03-13T16:56:00.001-07:00

So during Halloween as we were scooping out the gooey pumpkins to make Jack-O-Lanterns Blake had the great idea to plant the pumpkin seeds. Dad, who lives next door, had moved the travel trailer that sat for years and thereby had killed any grass over the spot where it resided. To keep the yard looking at least a LITTLE better he tilled the ground. Of course, without sun the soil just didn't seem to want anything to grow there. This seemed the perfect plot since it was tilled and I wasn't worried about the seeds growing anyway.

Come first warm weather this year, guess what we saw! Yep, pumpkin plants! And quite a few of them too! The kids were very excited that they'd have their own pumpkin patch. Of course, with the crazy winter weather we've had the cold came back and the plants wilted away. Or so we thought! We now have no less than 6 pumpkin plants thriving and flowering out in dad's back yard. I guess blake will be the one with the green thumb in our family. Anyone know how to make pumpkin pie from scratch?

I wonder if I can relate this to a gospel story of "sterile" ground and the faith of someone who plants a seed?

Photo contest

2008-03-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

I, Julie, found this website for a cute kid contest. I entered the picture of Jacie that is on the blog with the butterfly on her head. If we get the most votes- we can win. So click on the title of this post and vote for Jacie--PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE!!!!

Note: Apparently the link doesn't work...sorry guys.

Early Christmas Ham

2008-02-26T14:07:00.000-08:00

For those of you that know him, and if you don't then oh well, Steve Reed is a part owner of a new online journal. It is called LDS Journal and is the same premise as a blog, but it does not have public access. The journal is free, but they have a service to copy it to a DVD or print and bind it which I imagine is a fee based service. This is pretty good for those always traveling around or just find it easier and more convenient to post their thoughts and occurances on line.

Along the same note I'd thought of downloading everyone's blog and creating a bound book. Anyone else looked into this yet?

Back To The Story !!!!!!!

2008-02-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

Did you read my other post??? If not read it?look at it first!!!!!!!!Still why I want a Finch!!!The reason I want a Finch is because they're CCCCUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Well are you really serius!!!!! MY dad is going to go to work BYE!!!!!!!!!by:bLAKE bROWN.

p.s. Blake's first post never made it to the site...I'm sure he'll be quite saddened to find out.

Discrimenation

2008-02-08T06:45:00.000-08:00

Austin TCEA - I've experienced an ifinitely small portion of the problem of problem this week. As I've walked around with my Network Administrator who is older than me and we've talked to vendors they've always started talking to him first. Once they learn that I am the boss they focus their attention on me and continue their discussion. This morning, in a session, I walked in with Holli Horton, who does teacher development in technology, and Duane who is the network admin. I sat in the middle of the two and an older lady who was going to give the presentation talked first to Holli, gave her some notes, scanned her badge, and then proceeded to do the same with Duane. Now, Duane and Holli are a bit more dressed up than I, but she just totally ignored me. She didn't say hello, who are you or even acknowledge I was there.

Now, I don't think she did this to be mean. However, it was an interesting socialogy experiment in which it seemed that she just assumed that since I was younger and not all dressed up that I wasn't anyone worth adressing. The bright side of the issue is that I won't be receiving any junk mail from them!

This whole experience made me reflect and wonder if I ever discrimenate or assume something about someone just because of the way they look. I know I've done it in the past. I recall judging people on the way they looked only to find that their personality was no where near what I thought. Some help that along by TRYING to be different, but sometimes we make assupmtions regardless on if someone is smart, nice, rich, or poor, or even in charge on age, looks and dress.

Have you ever judged someone on appearance only to find out you were wrong in your assumptions?

One step from Romney

2008-02-07T09:31:00.001-08:00

(Note: I wrote this post before I heard later today that Mitt Romney pulled out of the race. I've had a hard time thinking about voting for John McCain, but I agree with what Mitt Romney expresses below:

With our nation at war and many Democrats advocating retreat, Gov. Romney believes our country must stand united.

· Governor Romney has decided to suspend his presidential campaign.

· Gov. Romney has considerable support and resources, but his chances of success have been diminished. He has won eleven (11) states and over 4 million Republicans have voted for his vision of conservative change in Washington.

· Gov. Romney believes that by continuing on he would only forestall the launch of a national campaign and thereby aid the Democrats. He simply will not let his campaign be a part of aiding the Democrats and their vision for retreat in the face of terror.

· Republicans cannot afford to be divided in the general election. Senators Clinton and Obama have made known their intentions regarding Iraq and the War on Terror – retreat and defeat. If Republican are divided, we will watch in 2009 as the opponents of traditional values advance their agenda, heavier economic burdens are placed on families and our economy slows down.

· Even though they may disagree on a number of issues, both Gov. Romney and Sen. McCain agree on the need to win this struggle against violent Jihadists. In this campaign, both Gov. Romney and Sen. McCain have made known where they disagree on the major issues facing Americans today. But when it comes to our national security, winning in Iraq and defeating Al Qaeda, he could not agree more with Sen. McCain.

· Gov. Romney entered this race out of love for America and to build a better tomorrow for future generations. It is because of that love that he will now stand aside.)

Ok, so I'm not anywhere NEAR being related to Mitt Romney. However, I do support him in his bid for President. Moreover, my first companion in the mission field was a sponsor for him in Oklahoma and organized a meeting for him recently there. Mitt was photographed holding Thad Balkman's youngest. Pretty cool! He also wrote in his son's journal who was baptized on Super Bowl Sunday. Congratulations by the way! I hope all of us here in Texas get out and support Mitt Romney, we need someone of his caliber in the White House now, more than ever.

More Christmas pictures

2008-02-07T04:25:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures taken around Christmas time. Enjoy:

More of Austin

2008-02-07T04:15:00.000-08:00

Bryan - While in Austin, Holli Horton who works with me, REALLY wanted to go to Whole Foods, a grocery store. However, this store is a bit different from HEB. As you can imagine from the name, the foods are, well, "whole foods" or healthy foods. Well, maybe Hippie foods is a better description because they DID have Blue Bell and Ben and Jerrie's ice cream. I've been drinking water all week and wanted some flavor so we looked around the beverage aisles. I never knew there were soooo many different types of wine and beer. We finally found the waters and across from that were flavored health drinks. I got one that has a pound of fruit in a bottle less than the size of a 20 oz drink. It has 23 strawberries, 2 apples, 1 banana and a "hint of orange". The name of it is Naked. It is supposed to be "All Natural Well Being 100% Juice smoothie". I'm sure it is really good. I found many other drinks but bought two. One is supposed to clean out all the pollution from your lungs and sinuses (had a "different" after taste) and the other one is called "Brainiac" and is supposed to help you think clearly. Maybe I need a case of both.

The most interesting thing about the place though, besides all the deli food (it smelled and looked wonderful, did I mention the HUGE sesciton of chocolate) was that there wasn't one person (besides us) who was anywhere near overweight. OK, the dancing workers in the aisles were quite odd, but this is Austin.

So that's what they mean...

2008-02-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

Bryan - I'm in Austin this week for the Texas Computer Education Association conference. I had often seen the "Keep Austin Weird" bumper stickers and thought it was just a cute gimmick. I'm beggining to think otherwise...maybe they're serious! So, there is this homeless "guy" named Leslie who lives downtown. Seems that Leslie (who wears women's clothes,and did I mention he/she was homeless?) ran for mayor not too long ago after it was encouraged to do so. Wonder how many votes she/he/??? got?

I'm walking around this HUGE convention center and see many bathroom signs for females and then one for male/female...wish you could see the sign. I'm told this is for those who are undecided, or that it is a "community" bathroom. I don't even let that happen in my house! I can just imagine being at the urinal while some lady walks in to the stall next to me. Excuse me?!?!

There have been some other interesting items but I don't quite remember them right now. I think that is a self defense mechanism to preserve sanity.

Eating is great though. (Even better since I haven't paid for any of it.) Yesterday for lunch we went to Fogo de Chau. For those that know it, yep I was full. For those that don't, you can't even begin to imagine the salad bar with WONDERFUL items including cheeses, dried tomatoes, huge green olives, dried meats, etc...Then when you're ready for the second course the gauchos walk around with meats on skewers and slice it for you as long as you indicate that you are hungry by showing the green circle. If you are ok you flip it over to red. Great MEAT!!! Did I mention this is a Brazilian Steak house? Don't bother asking for a menu...there isn't one. And price? If you have to ask...you REALLY don't want to.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, we had dinner at Louie's 106 on 6th street. Ok, aside from the Mardis Gras celebration there on 6th street it was really good food. I looked at the menu and it started at $20/plate. I had a HUGE pork chop dinner (2 inches thick) and a great creme brule (brulay, sp?).

Tonight's dinner is downtown and so is tomorrow's. I think I'll need to walk home to Corpus. I don't usually do this...(I'm known to get food and go back to my hotel room), but sometimes you have to live large!

The sessions have been pretty good, and there are a ton of vendors. Now I just have to get home and implement all that we've learned.

Kids In Action

2008-01-31T08:53:00.000-08:00

I was asked to put more pictures of the kids on the site...guess noboday wants to see the parents. Sigh...OK, so here they are. Some of them inlcude the kids working on the go-cart that dad got for christmas OH so many years ago. Other are them at Christmas time. Hope you enjoy.

Jenna seems to be more of a mechanic than her brothers.

OK, so I don't know if Bryce is the taskmaster here or is just trying to scare the cart into moving. HIIII-YA!

Brock says, "Do you REALLY think I'm going to ride that thing?"

New Additions

2008-01-21T12:56:00.001-08:00

For all that don't know, the Brown family now has two more members! No, Julie wasn't secretly hiding twins over the holiday season. We now have legal custody of Jesse and Jay Juarez. These are two wonderful young men who will be living with us for some time now.

Jesse is 14 and Jay is 13 years old. They are both enrolled at Calallen Middle School and doing well in Scouts, Church and school. We are very pleased to have them with us, and the kids love having new "step brothers" to play with!

The Great Hunters

2008-01-14T09:53:00.000-08:00

So, I don't know what the big deal is about hunting for a big buck. Josh and I went out for two hours on Friday and came back with what you see below. Granted, we did go out on a lease with a game warden who is a friend of Josh. It was fun though!

(P.S. I apologize in advance to all those Bambi lovers out there. We'll let you know how good the sausage and jerky is though.)

Many thanks to Kevin McDonald and his father for allowing us to hunt on their lease. We are truly grateful for the opportunity.

Tis the Season

2007-12-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

AS we approach the Christmas season, well fed from the Thanksgiving season, I often reflect on the many contacts I wish I kept. We have been intending (yes I know where that road leads) to put all our pictures together in a book for future reference.

Side note: A friend of ours uses software to organize her pictures, write anectdotes on pages and then sends it off to be published. Her own little family annual! You can do it online at www.shutterfly.com or put it together with another program and follow the suggestions here: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/shareit/book.mspx

I suggest doing some research in your local hometown or on the internet to find the best pricing and service. What a wonderful way though to keep those 100's (ok 1000's) of digital pictures we snap and keep on the CD's collecting dust.

BTW, did you know many CD's are only expected to keep good data for 5 years or so? It really depends on the quality of CD and how it is stored.

So, long story short, as a Bishop, I look around my Ward and see many families and individuals in need and am extremely grateful for all I have. I still work day to day and worry sometimes how I'll pay the bills. However, I have a wonderful family, a beautfiul house, and a very supporting and loving wife. I love my job and couldn't (well, I could) ask for anything more right now. Maybe a back that didn't hurt too much.

Bryce is growing and doing well on the Robotics team at his school. Blake is in UIL (writing I think) as well. Jenna is doing well in her classes and loves her teacher. Jacie spends most of her time at Nana's house (when she is home). And Brock is gaining a personality all his own. He may not have many words, (Pa - for Dad, Papa Brown, and Popcorn, which by the way he is obsessed about. He drags the popcorn maker out every morning.) but he knows well how to communicate his needs and wants.

Winter is a nice time of year to reduce somewhat the growing electricity bill. I don't know if we'll ever know if the heater works in my house. Thank you for wool blankets when needed.

I just hope that we all can reach out a little further to those around us who need a shoulder or helping hand. Enjoy Christmas and know that we love you.

Why I want a guinea pig - by Bryce

2007-09-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

The next pet I want is a guinea pig. So far from what I've learned about guinea pigs is they need a lot of care. I want a guinea pig because I want a pet that is playful and not big but not small. Guinea pigs are not expensive but the stuff they need costs a lot. I think they look cool and cute the same time. Here are some pictures I found.

(www.thecuteproject.com)

Here are some facts about the guinea pig that I learned:

CostWhen you first get your pet, you’ll need to spend about $35 for a cage. Food runs about $75 a year, plus $25 annually for toys and treats, $50 for an annual veterinary check-up and $400 per year for litter and bedding material. We recommend getting your guinea pig from a responsible breeder or, even better, adopting one from a shelter or small-animal rescue group.
Housing Guinea pigs are social animals who prefer to live in small groups. If you keep two or more females together, they will become great friends. If you want two males, it’s smart to choose two babies from the same litter. Since guinea pigs, like all rodents, multiply rapidly, keeping males and females together is not recommended.
(http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pets_guineapigcare)

Meaningless Meanderings

2007-09-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

So as I lay down to sleep last night I wondered why it is that when we are thinking of things to say there seem to many words floating around. However, when we go to write out what is in our heads it sure seems sparse on paper (or this case the web). Perhaps that is the curse of being a male, words seem to fail us. Or perhaps we are just pre-programmed to sum things up in short, concise phrases. You'd think after being a Bishop for three years I'd learn to drone on and on, and on...(sorry, getting carried away there.) Side note: Reminds me of the character in one of Shakespeare's plays that goes on and on about brevity being the sign of inteligence and therefore he'd be brief, after his five minute explanation of brevity.

I have often thought about writing a book or story, but after a few pages I've said all I wanted to say. Now there's a good book. "Hey Larry, did you read that NY Best Seller the other day?" "Yeah Joe, I read it while I was waiting for my microwave lunch to cook."

Maybe that's what our culture needs though. I mean, we've become a society of instant gratification (or disappointment) and we don't seem to like to wait for anything. You can get married or divorced in a hurry, lunch, dinner, registration for vacation or school; it's all done in the blink of an eye. Have we forgotten the joys of sitting on the porch and watching the sun go down? Are we TOO rushed? Don't believe me? When was the last time you got impatient for the microwave popcorn to finish?

So, with that in mind, maybe we need to come out with a new style of book. Not the Harry Potter 700 and some odd pages long story to finish it all off (this book actually seemed rushed to me. I think it could have extended on to another volume, but by then my eyeballs would have dried out.) Maybe I could write a guide to the world, in an expansive 20 page book. It would cover all the need to know information on how to get a better job, live in peace with your neighbors (in-laws would take an additional page, JUST KIDDING!), the secret to happiness, etc... Perhaps this would be the most widely read book in the world, brining peace and harmony to all.

I'd start writing it right now, but it'd take too long, and my favorite show is coming on. I guess I'll have to settle for writing the cliff's notes. Well, I guess I've finally accomplished what I wanted to do, which is write more than two lines...not that it's worth anything. Partly I just wanted to see what would happen if I wrote down whatever was in my head. Now THERE's a scary thought! Try it sometime. Just sit down and write whatever comes up. Can you imagine if you did that all day long? It'd be neat to read I'm sure. In fact, this post didn't end up anywhere near where I first imagined. But I guess that's the point of meandering. It takes you to places you've never been or supposed you be. Which brings me to my next thought.

What places would you visit if you could go anywhere in the world? I've always wanted to go to Ireland (roots) and Germany to see the castles. I'd also like to visit Alaska. Maybe someday.

Faces of Brock

2007-09-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

Since mom and dad are so busy, and I'm the last in line, I thought I'd share some of the pictures dad has taken of me. Digital technology is great, but he's not so great at printing them out. Mom says it has something to do with a squeak every time he opens his wallet, or blood out of turnips. Whatever that means.

So here are some of the many faces of Brock. This first one is when I give out and falls asleep on Bryce's chest. Bryce is such a good big brother!

And then there are those picures of me eating dad's birthday cake. Or should this be WEARING dad's birthday cake?

Follow this up by one of my "not so happy" moments.

I hope you've enjoyed some of my pictures. If you want to see more, bug mom and dad. I can help them post the pictures if they need help. Sheesh.

New Job

2007-09-04T18:38:00.001-07:00

So, I don't officially start my new job until Monday, September 10th. However, I have already been to Calallen twice for meetings and other duties. It's hard to stay away though when you just walk across the street to your office. I dare anyone to have a better commute! There will be a lot to do there, but I look at it as an opportunity to shape a network and a department the way I want to. Right now, as far as the higher ups are concerned, the slate is clean and mine for the writing! The district will host a bond election on November 9th, and if it passes we'll have approximately 3.5 million dollars to create a totally new infrastructure, video conference rooms, and anything else we can imagine.

On the other side, Julie is in the beginning stages of opening a dance studio. A friend, and fellow church member, already owns one in Alice. She has had such success that Julie has convinced her to open one in Calallen. They have been eagerly looking at storefront property, conspiring on business and dance plans, and dreaming of all the possibilities. She's excited, and I'm really excited for her as well. Now we just have to find a place for some of the rugrats in the "tween" times when her classes start and I'm at work. I guess that's the privilege of being an older sibling...babysitting time!

Bryce at his first football practice.

2007-08-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Actually, the pictures were from his second practice. You know, what really gets my goat (not that I HAVE a goat mind you) is how all the youth sports have moved to Sunday so as not to interfere with anything important. But that's another tangent.

Because of Bryce's age, his soccer team would have to travel all around south texas to play...on SUNDAY's. Well, as you well know we don't play sports on Sunday. So Bryce decided to play football this year. He was so excited the day before when Grandma and Grandpa got all his equipment. He wore his football shoes the whole day before his first practice. His mind changed quite a bit on the evening AFTER his first practice though! He hasn't run that much his whole life I believe. The coach is spending the first few weeks doing conditioning. And yes, this is Pee-Wee football, but it IS South Texas too! These pictures are from his second practice, which went much better.

Blake's Baptism

2007-08-25T19:13:00.003-07:00

Blake was baptized on August 14th, the day after his 8th birthday. Following the services we had his birthday party at home. He really cleaned up on the money this year since we wouldn't allow him to get video games. Some of the money went towards new fish and fiddler crabs for his aquarium.

With Aunt Sharon, Nana and Papa.

Aunt Libby, Berlin, and Uncle Josh.

Simple Life

2007-08-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

I really wish I had one of those...a simpler life. Life is good though, and I shouldn't complain. We're beginning that time of year when school starts, and soccer for Jenna, and soccer for Blake, and NOW football for Bryce. Sigh...three places to be and only two parents. What do you do!?!? Add on top of that Boy Scouts, cub scouts and other church duties. Not to mention we are trying to get Julie started in a dance school (managing not taking classes). Life could be worse though, much worse really. I'll just have to play a bit more of that relaxing rain showers or irish music cd to keep the nerves down.

Work is going well, but as Monday is the first day of school it would seem that some teachers have lost all sense of mind and civility. We work as hard as we can though and enjoy that time when the little hand is on the 4 and the big hand on the 6. With the weekend now here (and the garage sale, and the memorials, and the church assignments. I think I've aged 20 years this week.

If I DO get the job at CISD, it will be a nice event for the whole family. I'll walk across the street to work, and most likely get a pay raise. Either way we'll be saving money and time. It will be quite a challenge, whereas there is a LOT of work to do. But I am looking forward to the possibility. Patience, as much as I work on it, is NOT one of my strengths.

We will post new pictures soon, so be prepared for the changes!

Grandpa's 80th

2007-04-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

We went this past weekend to Clifton to celebrate Grandpa Warren's 80th birthday. We loaded up the five kids, plus the two of us and Nana in two cars and made the 6:30 hour trip to Gatesville on Friday. That doesn't include the Whataburger stop in San Antonio.

We made it to Gatesville after answering the same questions for hours on end. Yes! We know you want to go to grandpa's...that's where we are going!

The day was good. We had a great time and took a few pictures. It could have only been better if we could have gotten some more genealogy. I did get another "war" story out of grandpa. He was stationed in California in the Army. They were having war games and his group had to hold a hill. It seems, though, that blanks don't convince the enemy that they are dead! He also told about a time that him and two other guys went out and raided the apple orchard after being ordered not to do so...on his way back, the officer who gave the order asked for his share of apples. It seems that he knew some would go and even gave them directions after he told them not to do so! Grandpa always was a farm boy.

My Hawaian Girl?

Keeping Busy

2007-04-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Between his full time job as Director of Technology for Sinton ISD, starting his computer business with B&R Technology Systems as a partner, and trying to start a home building business in New Mexico with Michael Bradley Homes, LLC, as well as being Bishop of the Robstown Ward, Bryan doesn't get much time at home with his sweet wife and family. Fortunately technology has helped bridge some of that gap. Over the past few weeks Bryan and Julie have been able to communicate using google's new gmail chat. Bryan is also able to keep up with his business partner in New Mexico and reunite with friends in Argentina...sometimes all at the same time!! Isn't technology wonderful?

We've had wonderful weather the past month, even inspite of the tornados to the north. Fortunately we've been spared any grief with that. We know that the hot weather is coming so we are trying to enjoy the coolness as much as possible.

The kids have been doing wonderful. Blake was chosen to be part of an ad for reading at Barnes & Nobles. Bryce has just been doing wonderful in school and Jenna is enjoying her year in pre-school. Jacie and Brock are growing faster than we thought possible.

The Lord has blessed us tremendously and we are happy to take as many blessing as we can get. Life is truly wonderful at this time.

Our New Home

2007-04-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

Here is our new home. It is right next door to the house where I grew up and where Mom and Dad still lives. This gives us a great opportunity to work in the garden and for the kids to visit Nana and Papa. We love the big yard and the kids love to ride their bikes out in front.

We have a wonderful time tending to the flowers as well. The kids have a huge playhouse in the back and do not tire easily of being outside, which is a good thing!

I've found new solace and relief in working in the gardens. Dad has a vegetable garden and I have the fruit garden. Although he does compete rather well with me in that area too. His mulberry tree has produced an over abundance of mulberries and we eagerly await the mulberry pie we have been promised by Nana. The kids love to pick the mulberries, although they look like they have been walking in wine when they get back!

We're currently growing watermelon and canteloupe. By providence we also have potatoes growing...so we'll see how they do! They were part of the compost that was tilled into the ground as I prepared the soil.

Dad has squash, zuccini, bean, corn, onions, cucumbers and peas. It is a beautiful site to watch the sprinklers in the evening and see how well everything grows. The tomatoes continue to do well.

Dad's roof is finally done. It only took three weeks to complete. I told him that in 25 years, when the next one was going to be put on I was going to pay someone to do it, no matter the cost! I don't think he'll argue too much with me when that time comes.

Christopher is doing well as a police officer in Portland. David and Erin have moved to Provo where he has been accepted to BYU - Law School. Sharon and her husband Chris live in Dallas now, as he is stationed there for the Marines.

Easter 2007

2007-04-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

We've had big changes in the past year. We have a wonderful new home with a great backyard. The neighbors are pretty good too! We live next door to my mom and dad, the house that I grew up in. Brock is growing tremendously as well and the rest are becoming so grown up! Here are pictures from Easter.

July...

2006-09-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

I know, this should have been posted BEFORE August, but, oh well.

No, she's not flipping, she's just hanging there...Can you do that???

My last week at Lyondell...No, I didn't turn off that switch! This lasted for about two days. Million$$$ of dollar$$ up in smoke! This picture was taken from my parent's house. The flame, which you can't see behind the freeway too well was about 150 feet high. It shook every building at the plant.

Brock when he was blessed.

Our VERY dedicated ballerina. Can you say obsessive?

Our "Old" new hobby. It's had four flights with no crashes! We're still working the bugs out of it though. This plane is twice as old as Bryce! I recovered it, bought a new radio and have been working on the engine.

Start of School...and a whole lot more

2006-09-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

We've been extremely busy these past few weeks. We've started school, (Bryce is in 4th, Blake is in 1st and Jenna is attending Pre-K all day at Sinton I.S.D.), Bryan's brother Chris got married, we went fishing with Uncle Jimmy, and three of the five kids have started soccer, ALL on different teams! Needless to say the next few months will be really busy. Bryan has gone back to work for Sinton. He really loves it there and the people love him. He even got a standing ovation at the beggining of the year breakfast!

Blake recently turned 7 and Jenna will be 5 on the 16th. Brock is doing very well and getting really big. He hardly ever cries and seems to have a very happy disposition.

Here are a few pictures, although we have a lot more I haven't had time to scale them down.

B.

More pictures of Brock...

2006-06-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

oh...and one of Jenna watering our Front garden.

With Big Brother Bryce!

Just looking cute...

Going HOME!!!

With Blake.

New Addition

2006-06-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

No, not to the house...to our family! Little (the littlest of ours at least!) Baby Brock was born on Monday, June 19th at 5:02 pm our time. He weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20 1/2" inches long. Momma and son are doing well. We will post pictures (we have a lot of pictures!) later. For now I just wanted to pass the word along. He was brought into this world three weeks early because Julie tends to have big babies. They estimate that if we would have waited he'd have been between 9 and 10 pounds. Dr. Noriega delivered him as she has done for all our other children. We will keep you posted as mommy and Brock come home.

This is Dr. Noriega who has delivered all five.

Cub Scout Awards

2006-06-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

Blake earned 4 new beads tonight towards his Tiger Cub badge. He's done very well, and in his activities has done such things as visiting a news station, a fire station, and a museum. He's doing very well and having a lot of fun. Bryce would have earned some awards tonight too but he is currently in Dallas with Nana and Jenna helping aunt Sharon move in and prepare their new house.

Memorial Day Family Activity

2006-06-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day we got together at the Swain's and had a small bar-b-que. As part of the family fun we went on base and bowled. It was only $0.75/game. WOW!!!! We had a really great time. Of course, I think we had more fun poking fun at each other and watching the kids dance around.

We also took time to appreciate those who have died for us from the Revolutionary War up until today to allow us the freedoms we have. If you haven't already, I'd suggest ready "Prelude to Glory" a nine (yes 9) volume series about a fictional family with factional events starty pre-revolution war to the war of 1812. I was VERY entertained and learned a great deal about the birth of our great nation.

And now...pictures from bowling:

Congratulations Bryce!

2006-05-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Bryce finished this year with flying colors. He received 10 Awards (that's right, ten!) at the end of school. Some of the awards were for UIL competition, one for a spelling bee, two for commended performance on the TAKS, a trophy for best boy student and one for having straight A's throughout the year.

I think we're going to have to create a trophy room just for him!

The kids are excited about starting summer, and Blake has already started it off by staying at Grandma's house. What else are summers for?

Sick and Tired

2006-05-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it is close to the end of school. Is that good or bad? I guess it depends on who you ask and how you look at it. Jacie has been sick again with Scarlet Fever and the boys have been "sick" with only three days left of school.

They've both gotten straight A's so I guess we can't complain. Bryce was invited to participate on two Academic UIL teams and did well. Blake, well, since he was reading by himself before he ever started Kindergarten (he's his own best teacher) he's done extremely well. He seems to have a few girlfriends too. (Sigh...) Must get his looks from Dad and charm from Mom! : )

Jenna is doing well and Jacie is a ballet nut. I think between Charlotte's Web and ballet there isn't room for much else. If you made a Charlotte's Web ballet it would consume her life! Other than that life is pretty much normal between Cub Scouts, Church and work. One of these days I'm going to find out how to make money doing what I love...but being home with the family doesn't make you money yet.

Jenna's Ballet Recital

2006-05-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Jenna recently completed her first ballet class with a ballet recital. The name of the recital was the S.S. Munroe. It is owned by Ms. Munroe. Jenna's dance was "The Good Ship Lollypop". She was quite nervous at first and didn't want mom to leave her while she was getting ready. However, when the time came she was ready to go on stage and did wonderfully!

This picture was taken at her rehersal performance. We're very proud of her!

Our Trip to Seaworld

2006-05-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

We recently took some time out to go to our favorite theme park, SeaWorld of San Antonio.

Bryce and the others had a chance to feed the dolphins. We ejnoyed the shows as usual and the day was perfect as far as the weather could be.

Jeremy, Christina, Jerry and Gary were able to go with us. It was good to have them down and enjoy some time together.