Christmas 2011

Wow! 2012 is almost here! Here is a slideshow of a few of the kiddos' Christmas pics from this year! We had a very festive Christmas season this year with parties galore! My totally awesome new faculty Christmas party was hosted by none other than ME! It was great having 25 of my new friends in my home! We also had Andy's side of the family's Christmas celebration here as well. I love having my niece and nephews over for Christmas! The Brown family was blessed this 2011 year to have health and happiness. It can't get any better than this so we hope for the same in this new year!

Gator Hunting

You may not know this about me, but I am an alligator hunter!! A few years ago, my name was drawn in the LA gator lotto! I have been gator hunting every year since then, and it gets better and better each year! The first year, I did get a gator. He was a small (about 5 feet) one, but I got one! This year, Greg's name was drawn, so I went with him. He got the big daddy!! I was in the boat, my heart was racing, and I got every bit (except the parts in which I chickened out and hit pause) on video!! This pic doesn't do our gators justice, but they were 9 and 11 feet long!!! I was shivering sitting a few inches away from the 11 foot "tree shaker" in the boat! And, yes, it was just like Swamp People, but with more teeth!!

Gulf Shores

How busy have I been...so busy that I'm just now (in October) posting Summer vacation pictures!! Instead of one big summer vacation, we bought a new camper and went on several! However, this Gulf Shores vacation was a GIRLS ONLY trip with Callie, my sister, and me! The view from our room was amazing, and a little nauseating if you stood on the balcony too long! It was a perfect mini girls' vacation that ended the day before my surgery! You'd think that the 3-6 weeks of recovery would have given me some down time to update a blog! No, I was too busy interviewing at schools all summer long! I am very lucky to have landed exactly where I should be-at Central!

Science Museum Fun

Here are a few pics at the Mid-America Science Museum from our Hot Springs trip. The kids had a blast with the hands-on exhibits. We love this tradition!

Hot Springs 2011

We just returned from our (what's becoming yearly) trip to Hot Springs, AR. It was our first time breaking in the new camper, and we were very pleased! We stayed on the beautiful and crystal clear Lake Hamilton, right on the water. We visited the Mid-America Science Museum first, and here are some pics from our "famous rock." My parents have pics of my brother and I on the very same rock nearly 25 years ago. They also have pics of my sister, brother, and I later on. Then, I have pics of Andy and I there on our honeymoon. Our first family vacation with Callie was to Hot Springs, and we have pics of her on the rock, too. Now we have pics of both of our children on "the rock." It's a tradition that we cherish, and plan on adding more pics as the years pass. We always have a blast at the science museum, and some of the exhibits change yearly, so we never get bored. I can see a vacation home in Hot Springs in the future; it's our second home anyway!

Callie's Bieber Themed 6th Birthday Party!

Wow! How in the world is my little girl a six year old now? Kindergarten and naptime are over. Big girl school and big girl homework is ahead. Also, the obsession with Justin Bieber grows and grows. This year for Callie's sixth birthday party, she wanted a Justin Bieber cake, so we ordered a customized print (edible picture sheet) and Robbie made yet another awesome cake. We split the rental fee of a giant inflatable water slide with her cousin, and had his birthday party the very next day. Two days crammed pack full of water and sun. It was a blast! What was really a blast was after all the children had gone home, before we loaded it up--the adults slid! It was awesome! Mikey coached me into being an expert tidal splash maker! Needless to say, the parties were a success. Even Drew slid once or twice (and he hated it by the way), but he loved splashing in the pool at the foot of the slides. Drew says, "Happy Birthday Big Sister!"

Callie's Dance Recital

Missy Crain's School of Dance held its yearly recital at the Monroe Civic Center May 28th, 2011. Above you'll see a pic of Callie backstage, ready for the action, and a few other poses at home. Callie was so excited, and danced well during the rehearsals and for the main performance. We are so very proud of her. Drew watched from the third row, and said, "Cal-Cal dance." Daddy greeted her during intermission with beautiful pink roses! She was so happy. She cannot wait for dance class to start up again next season so she can dance jazz!

Drew is Two!

Happy Birthday Drew! Drew's birthday party was this past Saturday at the Jungle Gym in West Monroe. We were soooo incredibly lucky to have the only party in the building at our time!!! We had all of the equipment and games to ourselves for almost two hours. Although we were the only party going on, we had a great turnout, so it was still loud and crazy! I tried to get some good pics, but most were blurred action pics because the kids didn't stay still! Check out the cake pic. Robbie did another outstanding job on Drew's Thomas the train cake. Drew would like to thank all of his friends and family who attended for the awesome company and cool gifts! Callie looks forward to seeing you all at her, um... Justin Bieber themed birthday party in June!

Merry Christmas from Callie and Drew

For Callie this year, it was all about Justin Beiber and her Nintendo DSi. Drew, on the other hand, was thrilled with an abundance of toys including his slide, rocking chair, and toy air compressor. The kids exchanged one gift each (tradition) on Christmas Eve night, and so did the dogs. We spent a wonderful Christmas packed full of family. After we saw what Santa brought Christmas morning, we went to my parents and opened presents all over again. After a lazy day (for adults, but playful day for kids) we headed to Andy's parents for yet another marathon of gift opening that evening. Both kids truly enjoyed each and every gift they opened, and are still enjoying them as I type. Here are a few pics of the kids with their new toys and Christmas clothes.