Clark is 15 this year…and so the talk begins about learning to drive. Can I survive teaching one more kid to drive?! I guess if we’ve survived 5 student drivers, we can survive one more 🙂
Category Archives: Family
Aloha!
Rather spontaneously we found ourselves in Hawaii last week with the Lundgrens, our good friends and neighbors. The stars all seemed to line up and we decided we were ready for a much needed get-a-way!
We spent our days lounging on the beach or by the pool, sightseeing with our friends, visiting with family, attending the temple, snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, playing games, watching movies and eating fresh pineapple.
The weather was perfect and we were in Paradise….
Collegiate art…
Take a quick peek at some of the design work Phillip (the company’s new design director) and his team have been working on everyday. Go to collegiatepride.net. I like to look at the BYU stuff!
Happy New Year!
As per our New Year’s Eve tradition, we enjoyed gathering around 3 fondue pots. Our three favorites are: cheese, meat and chocolate. Because we ate too much (as per tradition) and all went into what Madeleine calls a “food coma”, some of us had a hard time staying up till midnight! A few of us did see the New Year in and I personally am looking forward to 2012…I feel in my heart that it will be a good year for our family.
Merry Christmas…
It always surprises me that Christmas actually comes…I guess just because we talk about it so far in advance! As always, our family had a really nice Christmas. Actually every year we have 2 Christmas Days…one with Alan’s parents the Saturday before and then of course Christmas Day at our house.
This year I particularly enjoyed having our house decorated. It seemed especially cozy…I think we had the fire burning morning and night (pretty easy when all you have to do is flip the switch!)
Thanksgiving at the Browns…
This year we were invited to Alan’s parents for Thanksgiving dinner. We brought the rolls and the pies and they did everything else including smoking the turkey! It was a nice relaxed afternoon filled with good smells and good food.
Percussion Recital
Elliot and Clark both performed duets with their teacher, Dan Chamberland. They worked super hard and played super well! Enjoy watching videos of their performances…it takes a few seconds to download.
Clark playing Trains with Dan Chamberland
Elliot playing Effugonetrom with Dan Chamberland
![Elliot performing \"Effugonetrom\" with Dan.](https://www.brown8.org/blog/wp-content/gallery/percussion-recital/img_9715.jpg "Elliot performing \\"Effugonetrom\\" with Dan.")
Pumpkin Fun…
Every Halloween, while most kids are trying to decide what to “be” for Halloween, the big question at our house is, “What am I going to carve on my pumpkin?” This question has to be considered usually a good week or so in advance of the pumpkin purchase, because after all, how do you know what size and shape pumpkin to get unless you have your plan, right? We are starting to get a reputation as the house with the cool pumpkins!
Almost as an afterthought, about an hour before going out with their friends, my kids start thinking seriously about their costumes. My job is to take the kids pumpkin shopping, make hot dog mummies for dinner and take the pictures. Oh, and trick or treat all the little kids and the not so little kids that come to the door.
![Clark, his pumpkin \"pi\" and his Zelda pumpkin.](https://www.brown8.org/blog/wp-content/gallery/halloween-2011/dscf1341.jpg "Clark, his pumpkin \\"pi\\" and his Zelda pumpkin.")
Clark’s Eagle Court of Honor
After much hard work and diligence, Clark was awarded his Eagle Scout Award at a Court of Honor, Sunday October 29th. He spoke about his Eagle project, his leaders gave great comments and we had a fun slide show “Scouting Through the Years!” It was great to have support from family and friends.
![Clark is now invited to sit in \"The Eagle\'s Nest.\"](https://www.brown8.org/blog/wp-content/gallery/clarks-eagle-court-of-honor/dscf1406.jpg "Clark is now invited to sit in \\"The Eagle\'s Nest.\\"")
A new member of the family…
Many of you didn’t even know that our son Loren and his wife Anne were expecting a baby. We were waiting to tell everyone until she was a little further along. They went for their first prenatal visit thinking the pregnancy was about 12 weeks along and being concerned about signs of a miscarriage. They discovered that the pregnancy was really 19 weeks along and that due to complications, the pregnancy wouldn’t be able to continue and their baby boy would be born that night.
At 9:10 pm August 18th, their first child and our first grandchild Toby was born. He lived 1 hour and 53 minutes. He weighed 9 oz and was 9″ long — he was a teeny, tiny perfect little boy. Alan and I were able to be there to help name him, hold him, sing to him and love him. It was a surprise, disappointment and gift that none of us were expecting. Loren and Anne were amazingly at peace with everything and while disappointed that they couldn’t have more time with their son, were thrilled to have him to be a part of their eternal family.
A wonderful “bereavement specialist” came to the hospital to provide very loving service. She took prints and made molds of his darling little hands and feet. She cleaned and dressed him, wrapping him in the blue blanket that I had crocheted for him. Then she took some precious photos for Loren and Anne to treasure.
As family and friends have found out about our unexpected loss, everyone has been so kind and sympathetic. We feel so blessed.
Loren and Anne have created a blog for Toby, to give people a chance to express condolences and offer service in Toby’s behalf. If you would like to submit an entry, you can fill in the submission form.
