Smithfield

We took a little day trip over to a neighboring town called Smithfield. Smithfield's claim to fame is that it is the home of Smithfield and Gwaltney Hams but it also has several streets full of beautiful old homes. Some of these homes date back to the colonial days. We drove down these streets lined with gorgeous old houses, strolled around downtown into antique shops and ate ice cream in an old fashioned ice cream parlor. In the town square we found a bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin sitting on a park bench. We had some fun posing with Ben and letting the girls break in their new cameras they got for Christmas. All the pics from this trip can be seen in our picasa album.

Our Christmas

Christmas this year was a big hit! Everyone here got most of the goodies on their list and then some. I know that my people were extra good to me. I got some of those fur lined Crocs and I could not be happier! I feel like I get to wear my bedroom slippers out and about and it's perfectly ok. What more could a person ask for? As for the girls ~ well lets just say that Vera Bradley will be having a great year thanks to the Brown family. The folks who came up with Webkinz won't be suffering any either. Mimi and Papa made the journey up here to Virginia to spend Christmas with us. They brought a Wii with them for the girls. Mimi did battle for it at Target, bless her heart! Anyway we've all been competing with each other in virtual tennis matches and baseball games, etc. Papa has the thing figured out and is now a fierce Wii competitor. I suppose it is now time to pack up all the Christmas decor and begin the countdown for next Christmas. Maybe this time around I can manage to start shopping earlier..... I'll give that some more thought after Thanksgiving.

Ben and Vera

Who says a real man can't hold a purse?

Merry Christmas

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas Day!

4 More Days!!

Are you all finished shopping? I think I am but I'm not 100% sure about that. My parents are coming up from Florida on Saturday so I have a feeling my mom is gonna want to hit the mall along with about a million other shoppers like me who waited till the last minute.
Holly has just informed me that I totally bombed the reindeer question below ;-P
Today we went to Ferguson Center of Arts at Christopher Newport University in Newport News to watch a performance of the Nutcracker. It was done by the Virginia Youth Ballet and today's show was given specifically for home-schoolers and church groups. Very cool. We really enjoyed the show. Afterwards we went to eat at Cracker Barrel with a family from our church who also went to the Nutcracker performance. This family has 7 children. You should have seen the look on the hostess's face when we asked for a table for 15! We ran our poor waitress ragged but she did a great job.

Christmas Quizzy

Instead of annoying you
with my little quiz in
your inbox, 
I posted it here for your
reading pleasure.
Feel free to reply! 

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Gift wrap and when we run out of
scotch tape which 
somehow happens every year we
resort to Georgia chrome
(duct tape) 
2. Real or artificial tree? 
Usually real but when we moved
 to Guam we had to go fake
because real trees were dead
by the time they made the voyage 
across the ocean.
3. When do you put up the tree?
The 1st Friday in December
after we eat Mexican food. 

4. When do you take the
tree down? When I feel
like it

5. Do you like eggnog? Yep
6. Favorite gift received
as a child? Hmmmm... I got a
little sewing machine once
that was cool
7. Do you have a nativity
scene? Yep we have one in
the yard, one on the mantel
and a tiny one on the bookcase.
8. Hardest person to buy for?
Lee because he never
asks for anything
9. Easiest person to buy for?
All my girls because they
give us a list 
with MANY MANY options. 
10. Worst Christmas gift you
ever received? I cannot think
of anything right now.
I'm sure it will come to me
in the middle of the night, long
after I have sent this post.
11. Mail or email Christmas
 cards? both but never in
the same year
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Elf and Holiday Inn
13. When do you start shopping
 for Christmas?
 yesterday
14. Have you ever recycled a
Christmas present? Yep
15. Favorite thing to eat at
Christmas? Ham and sweet potato
 puddin' yum-O!!!
16. Clear lights or colored on
the tree? White
17. Favorite Christmas song?
O Little Town of Bethlehem~
see post below
BOYCOTT "Christmas Shoes"!!!!
18. Travel at Christmas or stay
 home? Home this
 year
19. Can you name all of Santa's
 reindeer? Um.. lets see Dopey,
Sneezy, Doc, Bashful, 
Grumpy, Sleepy, and Happy
20. Angel on the tree top or a
star? A star
Last question added by me...
21. Do you know why we celebrate
Christmas? I do. It's because God
 loves us and sent
His only Son Jesus to be born
in a lowly stable. He did this for
 US!!!  For the full
story read Matthew Chapter 1 and
Luke Chapter 2 found in the Bible.
I pray that each
you who reads this will come to know
the full meaning of Christmas this year.

A Discovery

Can you guys hear the music when you first pull up the blog? I can't. I have discovered though that if you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page then the music will automatically start. Maybe I should put the player up at the top? I will research that and see if it works better.

No Slidee on Icee

Slidee on Icee is exactly what we did on Friday. Ice skating that is. Alright I should probably explain myself. A few years ago Mimi and Papa gave the girls scooters for Christmas. The scooters had obviously been packaged in an Asian country because the directions and precautions were written in Engrish. For an explanation and fine examples of Engrish go to the link on the right. Anyway, one of the warnings for the scooter was "no slidee on ice road". Slidee on Icee has now become part of our vocabulary.
Ice skating with our church friends was tons of fun. My little Guam girls figured they would spend most of the time on their backsides but they managed to stay upright most of the time. Caitlin has a large bruise on her knee though from the rousing game of freeze tag, no pun intended. Pictures of the whole outing can be viewed in our picasa web album.
PS: only 8 more days till Christmas!

Holly's little escape artist

Holly puppy sat for our neighbors for a few days last week. Every time she would go over to feed or walk them, the little one named Lincoln would be out of the pen. She could not figure out how he was getting out until one day she caught him in the act. The next time she went over she took the camera to capture the little Houdini on film.

Early Christmas for the Girls

Thanks you Miss Amy and Mr Chris and Logan, Tyler and Ryland for the awesome gift cards from Target. Below is a sampling items we were able get to endure the winter weather here in Virginia.


Caitlin did get new clothes too but would not let me catch her on film

Holly-never a serious moment

Gracie's casual

Abbie's new Sunday duds

silly sisters

A new Sunday outfit (needed black skirt white top for our church Christmas program)

The Finished Product

Merry Christmas!!

13 More Days

Um... Gracie, I think the skirt goes UNDER the tree not around you

Holly and Abbie working together, what a lovely sight.

Still no shopping done here, I thrive one the pressure of having to get things done last minute. We did however get the tree decorated and a few decorations put up, as you can see from the pics above. Stay tuned tomorrow for the Brown girls fashion show. Brought to you by the Morrison family and Target. See you then!

14 More Days

Is your shopping done? Mine's NOT!!!! The girls have all made lists though. Holly wants a puppy or a pony or both. Not sure where she thinks we will keep a pony. Caitlin wants a piano and Abbie and Gracie just want stuff, preferably Webkinz stuff.
What I want for Christmas is for every radio station to stop playing that syrupy "Christmas Shoes" song! UGH!! I apologize ahead of time if you happen to like the song, somebody out the must like it because they are playing the dog out of it around here. Out of all the wonderful options for Christmas music available and they choose to play Christmas Shoes?!! Go figure.
I mean come on, think this through logically with me for a moment.
First, what kid goes to a shoe store on Christmas Eve or any day for that matter, all by himself? Second, what kid is running off to the store while his mom is on her death bed?
Third, who worries about what shoes they have on while they lay dying? I mean if I'm sick and about to die the last thing I'm thinking about is whether or not I'm wearing my red pumps. Fourth, do they REALLY believe Jesus cares about what shoes we die in? Even if by chance we end up in heaven with the clothes on that we died in (think of all those hospital gowns gone missing, no wonder health care costs so much!) would we stand before Jesus for the first time and say "do you like my shoes? I got them just for this occasion"? I mean come on be for real! OK Lastly and probably most importantly, What does this song have to do with Christmas?! Almost nothing! As if it's not pitiful enough they have to make it ultra syrupy by throwing in the bit about it being Christmas Eve when the mom is dying. I know everyone appreciates a sappy touchy feely story every now and then but this is just too much.
Here's my suggestion, call your local Christian radio station and ask them for the love of all that's sane and rational to PLEASE stop playing this song. If they ask why, you have permission to read them this blog post.
Seriously, lets remember what Christmas truly represents, the entrance of the Savior of the world into the world He gave His life for. Here's a better song:

O little town of Bethlehem
how still we see thee lie
above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by
yet in thy dark streets shineth
the Everlasting Light
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight

Another Coffee Fact

Turkish bridegrooms were once required to make a promise during their wedding ceremonies to always provide their new wives with coffee. If they failed to do so, it was grounds for divorce! (Ouch!)
It's a good thing Lee knows how to make a PERFECT cup of coffee!

The countdown begins

Last years tree. I have a feeling this years tree will look alot like it.

Well maybe you started the countdown the day after Thanksgiving or if you are like my girls you've been counting the days till Christmas since you ripped open last years presents. You officially have 19 shopping days left till Christmas. I know you all needed that little stress, Oh I mean reminder. Personally I have not done one smidgen of Christmas shopping. Just can't seem to force myself to get out there and face the maddening crowd. I did however drag the Christmas decor out of the attic in preparation for Friday. What's this Friday you ask? The annual "go out and eat Mexican food then come home and put up the Christmas tree" Brown family tradition. I know it's odd but it IS our tradition and we look forward to it every year. Someday maybe my grandchildren will be eating tacos and burritos on the first Friday in December. Hey, I can dream!