Never A Dull Moment

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge> Pet Faces

My first of I hope MANY more posts on this incredible Photo Challenge site.  The theme is "Pet Faces" which works so well in my world because our lifestyle is often joked at by friends and family as being the funny farm. 

This photograph was taken at the North Park Fair of a darling young cowgirl and her 4H steer prior to entering the showring.  I love the obvious loyalty and comraderie with her 4H steer you can see in this preshow "zin" moment. 

This will remain one of my favorite shots for years to come because to 4h kids, their livestock projects truly are pets!  I tear up so often as I witness the relationship bond between livestock/pets and their child companions at the county fair!

http://www.iheartfaces.com/2012/08/monthly-photo-challenge-pets/

Attitude … There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror,and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. 'Well,' she said, 'I think I'll braid my hair today.' So she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. 'H-M-M,' she said, 'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today.' So she did and she had a grand day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. 'Well,' she said, 'today I'm going to wear my hair in a ponytail.' So she did, and she had a fun, fun day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head 'YAY!' she exclaimed 'I don't have to fix my hair today!' Attitude is everything. Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.. Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly, and pray continually. Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain. It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived. Life is too short to wake up with regrets. Love the people who treat you right and pray for the ones who don't.

OUT with the OLD... IN with the NEW!!

We are ready to say OUT with the OLD and IN with the NEW as we bring 2009 to a close!  Reflecting on the events of the last year has had its’ definite ups and downs and trying to stay positive in light of the affects of being immersed in the recession has been a trial in itself! 

     The boys continue to grow and thrive as they’ve reached 5^th and 7^th grade. Their responsibilities are daunting to them as they juggle school, 4H, sports and the reality of getting older = more responsibility.  They’ve managed to embrace the challenges though.   
Kason tackles his schoolwork like a real trooper and we were proud of him earning the Honorable Mention status for first quarter.  He’s become quite the musician now playing the clarinet & saxophone in band and picking up the fiddle on his own.  He is dedicated, goal oriented and a joy.  If everyone had a Kason Brown in his or her life, the world would be a happier place!!  He continues to treasure his interests like mountain manning, hunting and fishing and isn’t seen very many places without his buddy Cyrus!   

     Kaine has matured into a wonderful young man as well and takes great pride in who he is and what he wants.  His favorite class is Ag shop where he has learned to weld very well.  He is more headstrong everyday, but I’m proud to say he stands up for what he thinks is right!!  He’s had several good friends move away recently which has tested his strength and has made him a stronger person for sure.  He’s a go-getter on the basketball court and not afraid to show his aggression in football either.  His love is still bowling and he’s begun mechanizing at the Bowling Alley.  His highlight was bowling a 207 last summer.  He continues to love hunting or fishing for anything and tagged his first antelope this fall.  He also drew his first elk tag and spotted a beautiful 6x6 bedded down, but announced it to Dad first INSTEAD of shooting first.  That’s why we call it hunting and not killing right!   Mountain Man Rendezvousing, buffalo herding, winning the Snow Shoe Stomp Race and Ice Fishing are just a few of the adventures the boys have taken part in the last year. 

       We hosted another wonderful Japanese Exchange student, Ryota Togashi last July- August.  He became part of the family and learned a great deal about the American West as he was thrown into the rugged mountain life the boys love so much.  Pike fishing and frogging on the Green River were a big hit as we immersed him in American culture the first weekend.  We also took him tubing, hiking, horseback riding, camping, lots of swimming, picking wild raspberries and strawberries at Teller City, Star gazing at an astronomers observatory, Hot Air Ballooning, visiting the Railroad in Cheyenne and finally a crazy afternoon at Elitch Gardens.  WHEW! 

     Our family grew by 2 more feet this year as well… with the addition of a new baby nephew in July.  Another addition will be coming next spring when Reb’s brother and his new wife have their first child too.  
We are very lucky to have some “family like friends” in our lives and have had some enduring moments this last year with them.  The little ones I’ve watched for years relocated over the mountain, so they’re still close to see regularly.  Recently we helped our dear Loftsgard friends move clear to North Dakota… a 1200+-mile journey.  This was a difficult move for us all, but I see many road trips planned in the future for us all!  In September we took a road trip to Montana where Reb was in his best friends’ wedding and I took pictures.  What a wonderful get-a-way right after the hustle and bustle of fair!!  On the trip we saw our niece and nephew that live up North and the kiddos enjoyed the afternoon at the water park.  Cousin camp was called off due to “life”… I had surgery, my sisters were tied down with work and awaiting a baby and our men were choppin’ trees.  NEXT year though, I’ve been reminded to NOT call it off! 

     For Reb and I, our world revolves around work & the boys.  When he’s working the woods, I’m taking pictures, running water or doing side work to help make ends.  We have faith the recession will turn around this year.  I went back to school last spring to eventually earn my Masters in Education Leadership in hopes to relieve some work pressure here. School boarding, volunteering, 4H leading and fair boarding continue to fill in the gaps of time.  Photography has done well despite the luxury expense that many opt out of now.  I’m doing work for the Colorado Tourism Council and have my first coffee table book “North Park…a Diamond in the Rough” at press to be released in January. 

     In the new year we hope to gather our senses a little more and enjoy more family time camping and traveling.  Hunting is a surefire way to get the boys to go on a road trip I’ve learned!!  Best wishes to you all in 2010 and enjoy the simple things that make this time of year so memorable!

                                                Always~ Reb, Jamie, Kaine & Kason Brown

                       

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Holiday Greetings 2008

12/01/2008

     Another year has come and gone and our holidays can't start until I get the annual letter together to share with our family and friends!  Much has happened in the last year, but I'll try to imit the beding of ears (or eyes) to a minimum!  As a familly we have seen a lot of personal changes and growth amoung us, to be expected with the passing of time!

     Everyone in the household is now in DOUBLE DIGITS!  Kason just turned 10, Kaine is almost 12 and we will just let your imagination play with Reb and I's ages!!  We are now rightly classified as middle aged I guess.  We are in the tug-a-war between Elementary and Middle School; chasing Kaine from ball practice to games, and then catching Kason in between swimmng and student council activities.  YES, Kaine is now in 6th grade and entering a whole new level of boy to manhood activities.  He has a passion for football and currently loves playing for the North Park Wildcats Basket Ball team.  He is still the runt on the court, but he makes up for it in aggressiveness and intensity.  Jr. High was a tough transistion, but he's finally got the hang of balancing the books and sports.  He is a great student and is working hard to have straight A's so he can go to Japan on a 4H Exchange program.

     Kason is having fun in 4th grade, although he's found the work a little more intense than his liking.  He works hard at it though and made Honarable Mention 1st quarter so we are very proud of him.  He started palying the violin/fiddle this fall as well and has picked it up quikly from sound.  He still swims on the swim team and was also elected Student Council Vice President.  He has plenty to occupy his time when not in the classroom.  He is quite the socail butterfuly and is a source of entertainment for anyone around.  He and Cyrus (his best friend) have plans at becoming Mountain Men and have put their heads together on building forts, whittling spears and mastering archery!

     Both Kaine and Kason still love hunting, fishing and dirt biking.  They took a trip to South Dakota with Dad last winter and brought home a load of pheasant that has been enjoyed since.  They still are in 4H and added the Wildlife project to their list of things to do this year.  They also did 4H Cooking, Shooting Sports, Exchange Club, Judging and Livestock Club.  Both had a good fair coming home with another year of experience under their belts and lots of ribbons.  Some of their highlights from fair were Kasons' Champion Muffins, Reserve Champion Wildlife project, Reserve Champion Meat Rabbits, 4th in Hog Carcass & Reserve Champ Middle Weight Hog.  Kaine won Champion Cookies, Grand in the Cracass Contest with his Hog and placed 9th in Carcass with his steer.  He earned his NRA shotgun patch in Shooting Sports as well.  Steers are always a huge project we weren't sure of undertaking again this year, but we're committed now after buying 3 at the sale this fall.  4H dows consume our life but the boys have found time to have fun outside the 4 H arena as well.  They love to bowl in Jr. League, compete on the swim team and both played Little League this summer.  Kaine & Kason were nominated to All Stars and Kaine was selected.  It was an exciting time!!

     OUTSIDE of the Busy Brown Boys schedules, we manage to maintain a happy medium with work and our families.  Reb & the boys built an Ice Fishing CONDO last winter and spent many a blustery day on the lake reeling em' in!  The boys absolutely loved it.  Reb also spent part of the winter rebuilding his Jeep CJ5.  Other tidbits from 2008 include celebrating my Grandfather Cliff's 93rd birthday last spring and we are happy to say how wonderful is is doing.  We also welcomed a new member into OUR family.  We hosted an exchange student, Shingo Tanimoto, a 12 year-old-boy from Kanagawa, Japan.  He was a wonderful addition to the family who spent a month with us in August.  I am sure he went home with LOTS of stories to tell!  While he was here he traveled far more than I thnk he ever has!  He was lucky enough to take part in COUSIN CAMP 2008; road tripped through Wyoming to pick up Tyler and Ashley, then again to my Cousin Heathers' wedding near Greybull, WY; We spent a morning in Billings, MT, then went to Cody, WY taking in the Buffalo Bill Museum; went wading in Newcomb Creek on the Chance Cattle Company Ranch; Attended the opera; Rode in a Hot Air Balloon; Tubed the Yampa River; Went camping and fishing; Hiked to Big Creek Falls... and that really just touches the surface because we still had everyday life to contend with here (4H, football practice, chores, etc...) 

     Other happenings were our Family Camp Out at Line Creek; Lots of celebratorial parties for birthdays and anniversaries; a quick family vacation to Rapid City, SD Kaine graduated 5th grade into Middle School with a luau AND finally helping my sister Jodie and her family move to North Park!!  That has perhaps been the best part of the last year for us.  Other big family news are the future additions of babies in 2009... 2 coming from my "Pittington Cousins" and 1 from my baby sister Jen!  The news of Jen's new baby was announced on Thnaksgiving and as you can imagine, I was elated to find out because it should be due around MY birthday!  The most difficult part of our year was the sudden loss of Reb's Grandmother Bakki whom was a young 84!  Life will never be the same without her and our boys are so blessed to have had her in their lives.  She taught us many virtues of life and we know her presence will always be with us in some way!

     In June we changed business around a little by selling our truck and buying more logging equipment, so Jodie and Alan along with their girls moved to Walden and became partners in our logging operation.  Brown and Son's is now... REBAL Logging, INC.!  We have loved having them here and personally I don't know how I managed without Jodie near!  About a week after she got here, I had surgery (Jodie was my nurse maid and co-Mom), then we were gone for a week taking care of Bakki's arrangement (their family took care of our life from feeding to business)... then it was cousin camp (a huge joint effort with 8 kids and 10 days of fun)!  It was a whirlwind of a summer for sure!  The girls are here in school and it is great to have more sousins around.  Now we just need to persuade Jen... OH Christopher:) :) :)

     As you can see I never do have a dull moment... hence the name of my blog!  We truly enjoy raising our boys and watching them grow into such wonderful little men.  Of course we are never free of the trials that go with raising children, but I have to say I am truly blessed to have such wonderful boys that don't offer my TOO MANT pains.  Somewhere I squeeze in time to still work on my photography and continue to grow that buisness.  I am working with a publisher on a coffee table book on the Grandeur of North Park so maybe by NEXT winter I'll have it ready.  I continue to volunteer with 4H and serve on the school board as well.  The School Board has went through a complete overhaul and I really feel we are going in a great direction with positive leadership!  I just returned from a 4 day State Conference and have been reenergized with the passion of education and the importance of life long learning!  I had the opportunity to meet the Commissioner of Education, Dwight Jones, and was asked to work on a State Committee regarding Forward Thinking in Education.  What an honor and challange!  I can't wait!  I continue to enjoy my scrapping hobby and have picked up learning to quilt, but haven't had the time I'd like to indulge since summer, so needless to say I am dreadfully behind!  I also continue bowling on ladies league and love the camaraderie I find with my bowling ladies.

     Reb is not bowling this winter, but is serving on the Fair Board, which has been an exciting challange for him.  He is a great assett to that team.  Work keeps him busy and he enjoys working wtih Alan and hey have appreciated a drier than normal fall!  Last spring he hung new drywall in the dinig room and porch, then textured it and put new wood flooring throughout the living room and porch here recently.  Work on this old house is never ending, and we hope to next summer put an addition off the back to expand the kichen and include another bathroom and bedroom.  At some point our boys will decide they can no longer bunk together and it is coming sooner than we think!!  He hopes to take the boys deer hunting yet this winter and will be going back to South Dakota for another pheasant hunting trip around the New Year.

     Thanks for lending your eyes to another addition of our lengthy family letter.  Keep up with us here on our blog and check out our scrapbook as well.  That is if I can keep up!!  Enjoy the simple things than mean so much this holiday seaon!!

May you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2009!!

Always~ Reb, Jamie, Kaine & Kason

93 Years Young!

My dear Grandfather recently celebrated his 93rd year of youth!  I say youth still because to be a man of his background... hardworking all the days of his, and barely having the creaks of old age set in absolutely amazes me!  Sure there are signs of roads traveled in his grey hair and character wrinkles; however I am noticing those types of ageing changes myself already!  He's a realtively healthy man, living alone and mostly caring for himself!  I am amazed each time we visit at the things he can remember!  We sat around and were visiting at his birthday celebration and the stories of when he was in WWI, stationed on the Fiji Islands came up.  Without missing a beat he was able to read of his military dog tag number.  It wasn't a little 4 digit number either!!  His memory is sharp as well as his spirit.  How truly lucky I am AND MY KIDS to see that an active life will keep you young at heart well into your 90's!  I now look forward to birthday #94 in hopes that he can ONCE AGAIN blow out all the candle with one big puff!!

Give me a break!!

Once again I have fallen of the "Blogger Wagon" with such good intentions of NOT letting that happen!  So much happens in our daily lives I don't know why I try to squeeze in that extra thing to do honestly.  However it makes me feel better at making that minut effort to stay in touch with my family and friends around the globe.

We are in a season of change!  For anyone that has spent any time in North Park, you know that means snow one minute and sunshine the next this time of year!  Yes we are experiencing our last efforts of Old Man Winters' drawn out legacy as Mother Nature starts poking her head through the ground!!  I wasn't convinced Spring would come until Kason got a REAL sunburn while shooting hoops over the weekend!

So the season is changing, along with lots of other little details in our lives I'll be sure to share in the future.  But where is it we have been the last 2 months?  Living life is all I can say, and I guess this is when I highlight those events that have made our life what it is this 4th (almost 5th) month of 2008!!

Where we left off: The Avalanche adventure was honestly the icing on the cake for winter dreadery!  After that we had LOTS more snow and LOTS more cold.  The idea of sun and sand has become an out of reach reality for us.  It was on one of those "teaser" days here in North Park... the sun was shining beautifully March 15th and the lakes where feeling the heat so we decided to remove the ice fishing hut from the lake.  DID I mention on that afternoon in March it was a whooping 17 degrees outside!!  That is where TEASER days come from!!  Anyway, back on track... we were fed up with the teasers and just wanted a break.  Coincidently it was SPRING BREAK for the boys... so after very little discussion, a few phone calls and throwing some stuff in bags... Within  hours we headed out of town, with no real destination buy lower elevation!!  We landed in Hot Springs, SD about 5 hours later.  For the next 3 days we took in all the SD sites including Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse, plus we visited some old friends near Sturgis.  What a fantastic break, even though on day 2 we woke up to 4 inches of snow and a nice blizzard!! I'll post a photo album of our trip if you'd like to see. So, I guess that was the Break we were looking for, snow and all.

A lot more has happened since that great March escape.  Most of it revolves around school and logging... some bowling and a few family get togethers. Where else have we been since then? Well that is yet another story to be told... Stay tuned!!

Avalanche Adventure!!

     After our encounter with "Earl", we treked up the mountain in a wild winter storm in TRUE western style.  Because this is the "norm" for winter weather in North Park, we went around the barricade that told us the road was closed.  We knew the danger that possibly could be ahead, but of course we thought "we've been through worse"!  As we approached the summit of the pass we found we missed an avalanche by meer minutes!  A log truck was stuck in it , but had been pulled out by a tow so after chaining up, he hit the snowslide, successfully pulling through.  A lumber trucker we know was next to brave the wintery pile up, then us in our Commander.  We hit the ruts of the trail, full bore and made it 3/4 of the way through then we had to be pulled by the lumber truck the remainder of the 5 foot deep of broken trail.  Needless to say, our Jeep proved itself again and the regret I HAD for getting rid of my PT Cruiser is now buried beneath the snow on Cameron Pass.

     ?WHY? were we even out on the roads in the middle of the night braving these crazy wintery conditions??  That's the next episode of our Wintery Weekend Triology!!

What goes around DOES come around!!

     "Earl" came into our lives last night as we learned a true lesson in Karma and the age old saying "What goes around comes around"! 

     We were on our way home from the "city" after catching up over dinner with an old friend.  It was late at night, and we knew the pass ahead had a mighty winter blizzard in store for us.  We came around a bend in the road to be greeted by "Earl" (for lack of knowing his real  name) waving his hands frantically in the air.  Apparently he had taken a load of baby calves to a "ranch" on the pass, and had braved the unquestionable winter weather in doing so.  His pickup had broken down on his way home, leaving him afoot after dark in the misery of a Colorado Snow storm.  Reb is famous for picking up wayward travelers regardless of where we are or the time it might be.  Of course we couldn't just leave the poor guy stranded in a storm, miles from home.  So we picked him up and drove a meer 10 miles back to a road side mountain bar and dropped him off once we knew he was safe inside.  We hit the trail, headed for home.  Upon approaching Rustic, we came literally tail to tailight with a mule deer doe.  I'm glad to report all parties came through without a bruise or a scratch!!  As we approached the "Retired Navy Couples Ranch" we shockingly saw the tire tracks leading the way up the drive "Earl" had recently made.  This is where Karma came back and kissed me!!  NO NOT EARL HIMSELF!!    The Retired Navy Couple's Ranch, is the homestead of 2 sweet retirees who picked me up 5 years ago when my Explorer broke down just a 1/2 mile from their road!  They gracioulsy took my dear sis and I in for an afternoon. We used his phone to call my Dad, then spent the afternoon hearing his story while my Dad came from Walden to bring a car trailer over the mountain and hauled us home.

Lesson learned:  No good deed ever goes unnoticed even if it takes 5 years for Karma to catch up with you, on a blizzardy Colorado evening in the MIDDLE of know where!!  Was our fate with NOT hitting the deer due to Earl as well???  Thanks Karma... As Earl would say!

Stay tuned for Avalanche Adventure in the coming days!!

Super Swimmers!!

My super swimmers have made it through their first quarter of Swim Team and now their first competition!  The change in Kaine and Kason has been an amazing one, as their confidence, strength and endurance has exceeded all expectations!  On the 30th they participated in the Swim-a-thon where Kaine swam 30 laps and Kason swam 28 in an hour.  To put that into perspective, 36 laps (down and back is one!) is a mile!!  I was astonded.  I don't think I could ever do that!!  Yesterday they had their first swim meet and both boys swim 3 races each.  Our incredible pool staff and coaches had prepared my boys well for competiton in individual events as well as medley & relays!!  Kaine won 2 of his races, one being the 100 meter individual medley (25 meters each of the Breast stroke, Back Stroke, Front Crawl and Butterfly).  This was a tough race and perhaps the hardest part was it was against his cousin!!  He won just barely!  Kason won 1 race doing the Butterfly.  He is so fun to watch and swims with a smile on his face so you know he truly is enjoying it!!  I just had to share in the glory these boys have brought to my life once again!!

Indian Market 2008

      I have to share our trip to the Native American Indian Market held in Denver this last weekend.  This has become an annual event for our family to attend, mainly because Linda (MIL) and I have such a passion for this culture!  Saturday we braved the blizzardy roads over the pass just so we could take in this traditional event!  The Indian Market is a huge display of Native American Arts, Crafts and talent of all kinds.  Of course my favorite part is the jewlery and I was on a quest for something with a mysterious purple stone I had discovered while in Santa Fe.  I found just the piece... a beautiful sterling silver watch inlayed with Opal and Cerite...the mysterious stone I had finally discovered the name of!  I also found some amazing carved Aspen Vases, which being raised a Lumberjacks daughter I have a natural infatuation with anything wood! 

     The boys of course had to find knives to add to their collection and found some very cool spearhead and antler carved ones.  Perhaps the highlight of their day was having their picture taken with a Bald Eagle at the Hawk Quest display.  The culture of these people is so inspiring to me and has always been an intriguing one since I was a young girl!  My cousins and I use to play indians on our Grandparents Ranch and I can even remember our "great spirit rock" and picking a plant (it was a weed) we thought was corn and grinding it with stones!  SO FUNNY how I can remember the passion I had for the Indian culture even at the age of 8!!  I'm adding a photo album of some snapshots I took of the remarkable talents we saw.  The only thing I forgot to take pictures of was the dancers and singers that performed at the amphitheatre.  This was perhaps the most impressive part of the day, and I was so intrigued I didn't manage to pull the camera up to eye!!  Enjoy!!