I hope you all enjoy this years Christmas card picture because this is probably the last time I can get away with sending a picture of the boys on Santa’s lap!! I was only able to persuade them there because the acting Santa was a dear friend of ours… Thanks Pappy! 
The last year of our life can be explained simply in one… EXPANSION! Every area of our life has expanded, yet somehow we still operate with the same amount of daily time (or lack there of). For starters we expanded the trucking part of our business to now include logging. This has been a successful venture, in partnership with Jamie’s Dad and now is the time to make the decision of just how much we want this part to grow. Trucking continues to go well, and the logging has really helped keep us busy through the slow times. The cost of diesel continues to be a growing concern for everyone, so we’ll see what 2008 may bring!!
A great deal of expansion has taken place in our home this last year as well… NO>>>NO new babies!! We started last fall ripping out walls and expanding the boys’ domain in the basement. Following the basement we literally tore into the house! Actually the outside of the house… We ripped the 50-year-old aluminum siding off and resided the exterior in Douglas Fir. We then planed the lumber and had a good friend create a new bat and board finish. BEFORE that took place, we put in larger windows throughout the house, enclosed the porch and built on a beautiful new deck. Our carpenters did a fantastic job and it truly looks like we plowed the old house down and built a new one! Currently we removed an interior wall that opens into the porch so the dining room is much more open. We hope to have new wood floors in soon. So if you haven’t been here for a while you are in for a treat and are invited to come stay in our newly refurbished mountain retreat!! The later part of this summer, we installed a new wood central boiler to heat the house and water. What an amazing difference… our gas bill was $100 PLUS last November and THIS November it was only $27.00!! We love the efficiency and cleanliness!! We should have done this years ago!
The boys… Oh yes they still keep us running and the older they get, the more so!! Kaine will be 11 in January and is now in 5th grade. He matures more and more everyday and continues to make us proud in his growth. Kason just turned 9 and is in 3rd now. They both continue to love their sports, although our baseball program didn’t have enough for Little League for Kaine, so Kason was the only one who played in Machine Pitch. Both boys continue to swim and are participating on the swim team. I am amazed at the strength and endurance they have developed just from swimming! Kaine was able to play Basketball last spring and can’t wait for it again. He is the smallest of his age, but by far the most aggressive and scrappy! I can’t help but laugh to see how serious he takes it! He has quite a future plan someday to become a National Guard Rescue Swimmer, Pro Boxer and play College Football ALL at the same time!! Kason is all about his dirtbike and worked hard to get a new Yamaha 90 last summer. He can’t go 50 feet without riding it! If it can be jumped, ran over or at least ran through… the dirt bike and Kason are all over it!!
4H has become a driving force in both boys’ lives and such a positive experience! There have been lots of ups and downs in the last year, but they charge on and are eager to stay involved. Both raised Steers, Hogs and Rabbits for the fair this year and came out fairly well. Highlights were Kason winning Jr. Grand Champion Hog Showman and Grand Champion Market Rabbit pen. Other 4H projects they took a turn in were Shooting sports, Livestock Judging and Home Ec. Kason learned to cook up a storm and is frequently found cooking… ALONE! Kaine built his confidence immensely judging livestock and competed in a couple contests. He has proven to do well, placing in the top of the competitors and is eager to learn more and master the skill of reasons! Both boys shot Archery and .22 Rifles in Shooting Sports and won first in their .22 classes. Archery is harder for them, but their favorite for sure!! Kason also showed his renegade pup Skipper in Dog Club and no one is sure who was showing… the dog showing the kid or the kid showing the dog! We all had a lot of laughs!!
Jamie’s photography has grown this last year and encompassed a diverse market. She is still shooting special events and portraits, but is working into a larger marketing field. Her goal is to someday do National Geographic, photojournalist type work. She loves doing portraits and working with people but is loving the “here and now” type of photography that represents our daily life. She is now publishing marketing materials such as business cards and calendars, and working more in newspapers, magazines and books. This is a true passion in which she loves and hopes to continue to grow at. She continues to chase the boys around the 4H,school and sports arena; she tends the household and critters, and manages the Trucking, Logging and Photography office works! She’s indulged in her hobby of scrapbooking the last year by traveling for the Xyron, Co/ I Remember When to work Expos and teach classes. Volunteering has always been a big part of her life and she now finds herself in a seat of the North Park School Board. The NPSB has undergone some huge changes this fall, but is going in a positive direction full of challenge our new board is eager to tackle!
We spent a little time traveling, but not nearly as much as we’d all like. Reb and Kason took the “Rite of Passage” Turkey hunting trip to Oklahoma in the spring and enjoyed a long overdue trip deep in the joys of fishing and camo! Also last spring, we took a weekend hiatus to Santa Fe, NM. The boys loved the indoor/outdoor pool, shopping downtown Santa Fe and climbing the ladders in the caves at Bandalier National Monument. We also visited Los Alamos along the way and took a moment to reminisce at Santa Fe Downs, childhood memory sake from the racetrack days! Along the way Jamie was reunited with a dear friend & college roomie, Wendy after 13 years. This trip was a definite highlight of our year and we hope to do more in 2008!!
Reb and Jamie continue to enjoy competing in the local bowling leagues and find it to be a great activity to break the monotony of the daily routine. We both felt the joys of a 200 game and the not so joyous 80 games, proving that bowling is something that can never be perfected!! This last summer, we once again held cousin camp for Tyler and Ashley from Montana, and Tiana, Makayla and Allie Sue from the Berthoud/Loveland area. This is the most fun part of the year for us… tubing, hiking, fishing and just being a family! We can’t wait for Cousin Camp 2008!!
We invite our friends and family to stop and see us if you ever make it up this way! North Park is an amazing place to live and play and we always love to entertain and share our corner of the world with others. As you enjoy your holiday season, remember what matters most and enjoy all the simple things that make this time of year so great. We invite you to enjoy our weblog : www.jamiebrown.typepad.com and to see pictures of the family and keep up with the current happenings in our life!
May you have a Merry Chirsitmas and a Happy New Year in 2008!
Always~
Reb, Jamie, Kaine and Kason
Recent Comments