The Brown Family

Christmas 2010

2011-01-27T17:21:00.001-08:00

This year Santa came and the kids got super
spoiled. Peyton got lots of toy food, a table,
barbies, princes' and sooo much more. Hayden
got an XBox 360, games, Scooby-Doo stuff,
Parker got a PS3, and games.

Santa brought Peyton this cute table and Tea
Set.

Hayden & Parker's loot.

Peyton's loot.

Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine

Hayden got an XBox 360

Parker got a PS3

4th generation Picture. My Grandma, Mom
Peyton and I

Wee Wonders Christmas Program

2011-01-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

Every year Hayden's Pre-School puts on a
Christmas Program. This year it was at Christmas
Village in Ogden. It was outside so it was
FREEZING!

All the cute kids.

My dad, Shawn, Peyton & Parker all braved the
cold to come and watch.

Hayden actually sang a little bit this year. Last
year he didn't move his mouth one time.

Annual Cowles' Family Christmas Party!

2011-01-27T17:03:00.000-08:00

Every year we have the annual Cowels' Family
Christmas Party. We go bowling at Weber State
and then to a church for White Elephants and wait
the arrival of Santa.

Hayden & Shawn bowling

White Elephants.

Peyton wanted nothing to do with Santa.
She cried as soon as he called her name.

Hayden's present was at the bottom of the bag
so he was one of the last to get called up. He
was so worried that he wasn't going to
get a present. He was on the verge of tears!
He must have been good though, because Santa
pulled something out of the bag for him.

Snow Day!

2011-01-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

Wyatt & Kaitlyn came over to play and it had
just snowed, so they all got bundled up and
headed out to play in the snow.

Hayden and Wyatt doing snow angels

Kaitlyn and Peyton's snow angels (don't ya
love Kaitlyn's face in this)

All the kids snow angels.

Hayden and Wyatt love getting together any
chance they get. They are best buds!

Coupons!

2010-11-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been obsessed with coupons!
I love going to the store and getting great deals.
The last couple of weeks I have been getting some
awesome finds.
Here is my latest shopping trip to Smith's:
I got 12 boxes of cereal, 2 jars of Bests Foods Mayo,
1 bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing,
4-4 pack of Duracell Batteries, and 2 Suave deodorants.
all for $24.84
(a total savings of $45.98)

The week before that I got:
5- Secret Deodorants
5- 6 pack boxes of Olay body soap
10 packages of Riccolla cough drops
and 5 boxes of pasta
it was less then $10.00 dollars.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-19T11:32:00.000-08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Remi the Rat & Darth Vader

Cute Rat butt!

Darth Vader.

First day of school.

2010-11-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hayden started his second year of Pre-School
at Wee Wonders. I can't believe the difference from
last year. He is so confident in himself this year.
It blows my mind to think he will be starting
kindergarten next year.

Lagoon (It's what fun is)

2010-11-19T11:20:00.001-08:00

We went to Lagoon this year on their Buy one
get one free day. NEVER again. I will pay the extra
money next year and go on a normal day. It was a
mad house. You had to wait in line for hours and it
was HOT!
Hayden was not feeling well all day and 6 hours in
was crying to go home. Oh well better luck next
Year.

Hayden and Parker

Peyton and I

5 years old!

2010-11-19T11:11:00.000-08:00

5 years old. Really. 5 years old?
I can't believe my baby boy is 5.
Time seriously flies when you are a mom.
Hayden wanted a Transformer party this year
and got a bike. He is getting so big and smart.

Of course we had to have pinata at this party,
you can't really tell but it's a Transformer.

Hayden & his new bike!

Mini-Vaca

2010-08-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

I decided to take the kids up to CDA, ID
to visit my BFF for a little mini-vaca.
It is gorgeous up there and we had so much
fun. Here is a little of what we got to do
while we were there:

we went on a themed boat cruise
around the lake. It was called Pirates
of the Coeur D' Alene. It was so cute
and the kids loved it. They put on a little
play and gave out a cute bag with Pirate attire
in it.

Isn't the background gorgeous!

Peyton loved it. She would stand up and
clap when they would sing and dance.

My little pirates.

School Lunch:
The schools serve FREE lunch all summer long
so we decided to take advantage of it and took
the kids.

Alden, Hayden & Ashton

Peyton & Avery

The Beach:
We went to the beach on the lake a couple of times.
The kids had a blast. They love every minute of it.

Hayden jumping off the dock.

Playing on the beach in the sand

Horse Back Riding Lessons:
My friends kids take riding lessons, so we went
along and my kids got to ride the horses.

We had so much fun! Thanks Amy for letting us
come, we can't wait to go back.

2010 Pictures

2010-08-16T12:45:00.001-07:00

While we were in Idaho my super talented BFF
photographer took these amazing pictures of my
kids. She did such a great job. They are smiling
in every picture she took. She is magical with
children and can get them to do anything. You
can check out her work at
http://amywaddington.com

Priceless

This is my favorite one of Peyton.

So cute.

Just like Dad!

2010-08-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

Shawn & Hayden decided to shave their heads
for summer. I can't believe how much Hayden
looks like Shawn especially when they have the
same hair cut. I don't see any of me in either
of my kids. I think they both look just like
Shawn. If I didn't give birth to them, I would
have to question whether they were mine
or not.

Ta-Da!

Popcorn

2010-07-18T16:39:00.000-07:00

Popcorn.

We had corn on the cob for dinner
and Peyton kept calling it Popcorn.
Well she is kinda right. Right?

Swimming Lessons

2010-07-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

This summer we took swimming lessons at
Ben Lomand pool. Hayden loves swimming and
is like a little fish. We are going to sign up again in
a few weeks for another session.

T-Ball

2010-07-08T12:03:00.001-07:00

This year Hayden played T-ball for the first time.
He had fun and did a good job. I think we'll play
again next year.

Swing batter.....

Not a fan of playing outfield.

Peyton thinks she can play too. Now if only we
could get rid of the plug.

Graduation Carnival

2010-06-01T09:15:00.001-07:00

After Pre-School Graduation, Hayden's
School had a little "Carnival" at the park for
all of the kids to celebrate.
Hayden's teacher put a lot of time & detail into
it & it turned out really cute. All of the kids had
A great time. They had Hot Dogs, Face Painting,
Cotton Candy, Pop Corn, and some cute games,
where they each got a prize for every game.

Getting ready to go play!

Bean Bag Toss.

Spin the wheel.

Ring Toss

Pre-School Graduation!

2010-05-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hayden's cute Pre-School had their
graduation on Monday, May 24, 2010.
It was really cute. They sang songs,
received their diploma, and special awards
were given out. Hayden received the
"Most Improved Award". It's amazing
how far he has come. Socially and academically.
He was so shy when he first started. This has
been such a great experience for him.
Can't wait for next year.

Diploma

They had it decorated really cute. Tons of
"graduation" signs all around.

They called each of the kids one by one
as they came out.

Most Improved. YAY Hayden.

This is his special prize he got for getting the Most
Improved Award. She first gave these bunnies out
to the kids who got perfect attendance. As soon
As he saw one he said "how come those kids get
a bunny and I don't" He was so excited when
she called his name to come down and get one.

Grandma Miller & Grandma Vickie
came to show their support.

Way to go Hayden. We love you and are so
proud of you.

Happy Birthday Peyton!

2010-05-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Peyton turned two on May 14, 2010.
WOW. Where has the time gone. She is getting
so big so fast. She talks so much. She can pretty
much say anything and everything. She is already
talking in sentences and has been for a while now.
We kept it pretty low key this year and just had
family over for cake and ice cream.

Peyton loves Dora. She wanted a Dora cake for
her birthday.

She loves, loves, loves books. All day long that's
all she wants to do is have you read her a book.

A true testament of life after death.

2010-05-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Earl Miller
1933-2010

My grandpa "Papa" passed away on May 1, 2010. I got to be there with him as he took his last breath. It was a bitter/sweet moment. I am sad because we will all miss him so much, especially my kids, but I know that he is in a better place and is no longer in pain.
They loved going over to papa's and Grandma's house. During the last few months of his life, he would always say that It was the Grand Kids that kept him going. He adored them.

It was about 4 days after Papa died. About 8:00 a.m. I heard Peyton talking in her room. I laid there for a minute and she stopped. About 9:00 a.m I thought "I better go and check on her". I opened the door to her room a little to peak in and she was just laying there as content as can be looking around. As soon as she saw me come in she jumped up and kept saying "Papa, Papa, Papa".
I said "Papa"? and Peyton said "Yeah Papa's biting". I said "he's biting" and she said "yeah he's biting my fingers".
(Papa would always act like he was biting her fingers when she would go over there).
So I called my mom and said "either Earl is here with Peyton or she is dreaming about him" and proceeded to tell my mom what Peyton had said.
When I was on the phone telling my mom, Peyton kept saying "Papa, Papa" and pointing to her room.
I said where is Papa Peyton and she said "in my bed, he's biting my fingers".
I truly believe that he was there with her that morning in her room. I've always heard people say that the Veil between Heaven and a child is very thin, and that they can see/sense things that we as adults cannot.
He is our guarding angel now.
We love you Papa!

Blog overload.

2010-05-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

It has been months since I have posted about anything, but my computer has not been working right and I just got it fixed. So here are a few of the things that we have been up to since my last post in December:

Boats & Gators!

2010-05-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

While in Florida we went on an Air Boat
ride through the swamps.

If you look closely you can see its head popping
out of the water.

Just one of the many gators we saw.

This sucker was huge. We probably saw at
least 50+ gators. They would just hang out
and bask on the banks or swim around in the
water.

Florida

2010-05-15T08:05:00.001-07:00

Shawn got nominated by his work to go to
Florida to see the Space Shuttle launch.
We got an all expense paid trip to Florida.
We stayed in Cocoa Beach, and the weather
was amazing. 85 degrees the whole time we were
there.
It was so much fun, and a once in a lifetime
experience. We got to spend the day at the
Kennedy Space Center and see all the cool
exhibits they had, and then the next day we
had to get up at 3:00 am to see the shuttle
launch.
We were gone for 4 days over Easter. We got
to see some cool things, eat some really good
food and SLEEP IN. It was great to get some
alone time without the kids.
Thanks again mom for watching them.

Kennedy Space Center

Shawn touching a moon rock they had on display

Moon Rock

This is the shuttle just after it took off.
It was just like a huge ball of fire going up into
the air. It was so loud.

This is the shuttle sitting on the pad just before
take off. We were about 6 miles away across the
water, so this is the best pic we could get with our
camera.

eAsTeR

2010-05-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Christy & the girls all came over
for dinner and to dye Easter eggs!

Happy Easter!

Birthdays!!!

2010-05-15T07:32:00.001-07:00

We've celebrated two birthdays!
Shawn's was on February 26.
Here Parker is blowing out the candles for Shawn.

Shawn wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese for
his birthday dinner. (I know sick hu)
Here are a few pics of the kiddos.

Shawn, Hayden & Parker

Giddy up

I love Hayden's face in this picture. Can you say
CHEESE!

Parker turned the BIG 13 on March 18.
He is now officially a TEENAGER!
Happy Birthday Parker!

Christmas Cookies!

2009-12-14T20:17:00.001-08:00

Today we made Christmas Cookies for
the neighbors. Hayden loved to help
(but mostly eat) decorate the cookies, and
did such a good job. He made a plate especially
for his dad!

frosting the cookies

a little sprinkles.......

giving it a taste.

Cheese.

Peyton just woke up from her nap & she is

not feeling too well so she isin't looking too

hot in these pictures.

The finished product!

Too cute not to share!

2009-11-13T08:05:00.001-08:00

The other night I was cleaning up and Hayden &
Thomas were laying on the couch watching TV.
I came back into the room and this is what I
Saw. Hayden & Thomas both passed out on the
couch all cuddled up.

So cute!

No matter what kind of day you have, or how
frustrated they make you at times,
when you see this it makes it all worth it.
A sweet, precious, innocent, gift from god.
Kinda puts it all into perspective.
I love you Hayden.

Halloween!

2009-11-01T18:23:00.001-08:00

Meet Thomas.

2009-09-27T14:45:00.001-07:00

So we got a puppy!
Hayden has been asking for a puppy for a very, very,
very long time, and we finally gave in.
I really wanted a English Bulldog, but they are way to
expensive, so I thought this little puppy was pretty cute.

Peyton LOVES this puppy. She can't get enough
of him. She says "puppy" now clear as day.

Hayden holding his new puppy Thomas.
Thomas Hayden Brown that is. That's his whole
name per Hayden.

Cute little Thomas.

First Day of Pre-School!

2009-09-10T12:11:00.001-07:00

Today was Hayden's first day of Pre-School.
He did so good. I thought for sure he would have a
Hard time and cry, but thought since Brynlee would be
there it might help a little. Well, when I pulled up to pick
him up Brynlee is bawling her eyes out. The teacher
said Brynlee was the one who was a stinker and Hayden
did just great.

Sooo big..

Silly Face

All ready to go for his big day!

FINALLY!!!

2009-08-28T23:02:00.001-07:00

Finally!
Peyton finally has enough hair to put into a ponytail.
Now maybe she won't get called a boy eveywhere we
go.
Here are a few pic of Peytons 1st ponytail.
We are so excited! YAY!

Ok so it needs a little work, but hey its a PONY
even if it looks like Pebbles just stuck to the top
of her head.

Its progress.

Side view

Proud hair moment

Simon

2009-08-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

So this year during swimming lessons, Hayden's teacher (Kate) would always play "Simon Say's" with the kids. Everyday they would play a game of Simon Says. Simon says "put your face in the water", Simon says "Blow bubbles in the water" etc.....
One day on the way home I was asking him how his swimming lesson went, we would talk about what he did that day and what he learned.
I asked him what his teacher name was and Hayden said very matter of fact:

"Simon"

I thought it was so funny that he thought his teachers name was "Simon" just because of the game Simon Says.
Kids. Aren't they so cute and innocent at times.

I just had to blog about this before I forgot about it.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

2009-08-18T19:10:00.001-07:00

My Hayden is four!

Hayden wanted a SpongeBob Birthday Party so we got everything SpongeBob.
We had so much fun. We got a SpongeBob Pinata and all the kids had a blast
trying to break it open, and Shawn's sister brought over their giant bounce-around.
We had a great time!

Hayden taking a swing at his SpongeBob Pinata

Earl, Jen, Kaitlyn and Peyton

All the kids in the giant bounce-around.

Opening presents

Cheese

and what party wouldn't be complete without

a SpongeBob cake.

New Moon! (Can't Wait)

2009-07-25T09:49:00.001-07:00

1 Year Old Pictures

2009-06-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of Peyton's
1 year old pictures. They turned
out so cute. There were so many
cute ones, I just picked a few of my
favorites to post. Sharstin Miller took
the pictures and she does an amazing
job. You can view her work at
sharandandrew.blogspot.com and click
the photography link on the right
hand side.

New Job

2009-06-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

So I finally got a job. I have bitter/sweet feelings about going back to work. I am really enjoying staying at home and was looking forward to having the whole summer off, but I got a job offer and the hours are PERFECT, so I couldn't really pass it up. I will be working at McKay Dee Hospital on the Psych ward ( I know scary hu?) as a ASP (administrative support partner).
It' part time, 2 nights a week and every other weekend. And the best part about it is- I won't have to have a full time babysitter. My hours are 4:30-12:30am so Shawn can be home with the kids, and the nights I do have to have a sitter it will only be for a couple hours max before Shawn gets home. I think it will work out great!

Swimming Lessons

2009-06-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hayden is taking swimming lessons this summer at
the North Ogden Aquatic Center, North Shore.
He loves it, and is having so much fun. The only
thing he doesn't like about it is- "he can't play on
the toys".

Hayden learning to do a back float.

Hayden & Brynlee (they are in the same class)

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2009-05-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is one. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday I got to meet and hold in my arms for the first time this sweet, precious baby girl. What a blessing she is. She seem like such a baby to me still. She can't really be one can she? Her are just a few of the many, many reasons why I love this little girl sooo much.

-Her smile
-her laugh
-how happy and content she is
-her smell
-how when she gets really excited she flaps her little arms like a bird
-how when she wakes up in the morning and I go in to get her, she has the biggest smile on her face
-how when she is shy she lays her head on my should and looks up at the person she is not sure of
-how whenever I smile at her she always smiles right back
-her curiosity

Happy Birthday baby girl. I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

Our Easter this year was pretty low key. We really didn't do much. The Kids woke up got their Easter baskets, found some eggs and then were off to jump on the new trampoline the Easter Bunny brought. Here are a few pic of our day:

Parker & Hayden with their baskets. (Please
Don't mind Hayden's outfit, he insists on dressing
himself) He will always dress himself in the most
Hideous outfits and then say "how does this look"
and all I can say is "Looks great buddy" I usually don't
care what he puts on unless were are going somewhere.

Peyton and her basket.

She is already a poser. She looked so cute in her
Easter dress.

Hayden & Parker testing out the new tramp!

Baby Animal Days

2009-04-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the "Baby Animal Days". We had never been before and apparently it is a big to do in Logan, UT. They had lots of fun things to do. They have all the baby animals out and you can walk around and pet them. They also have Arts & Crafts, and the Easter Bunny. The kids had so much fun. We were there for over 4 hours and they didn't want to leave.
Also Mark Walton was there. He does the voice of Rhino on the Disney movie Bolt (for those of you who havent seen the movie, Rhino totally makes the show). He was there signing autographs and doing his "Rhino" voice. It was pretty cool to see. He is a very nice guy and was born and raised in good ol' SLC, UT.

Mark Walton "Rhino" and the kids.

Tractor Rides!!!

The Easter Bunny (Don't they look so excited)

Hayden holding one of the animals.

And she's off..............

2009-03-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a picture of her starting to crawl :(

Where does the time go? it seems like just yesterday she was a newborn and already she is 9 months old. So depressing. Especically since she is my last. Its so sad to think that I'll never get to experience these "baby" stages again........ Makes me want to cry.

License to drive?????

2008-12-29T09:41:00.000-08:00

Hayden got a Power wheel this year and absolutely loves it. We couldn't take it outside for a couple of days because it was too cold, so he would just go sit in it in the kitchen and listen to the radio in it and pretend like he was driving with Peyton riding shotgun!!

Peyton's favorite present was the wrapping paper.

Invisible Mother

2008-12-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

A Friend of mine sent this to me in an email and I thought it was really inspiring. Its kinda of long but very worth reading, especially for all of you mothers out there. Just a little reminder that all of our hard work does NOT go unnoticed.

Invisible Mother...... It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously, not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands20that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England .. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:'To My Dear Friend, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carvi ng that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.' At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life.It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're going to love it there.' As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM!Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know...I just did. Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does.We never know what our f inished products will turn out to be because of our perseverance.

6 Months Old

2008-11-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

So my little Pay-Pay is 6 months old already :(
She is getting way too big way too fast. It's depressing.
She is 16 lbs 9.5 oz and is 25.5 inc long. So basically she is short and fat!!!!
She has got the cutest little thunder thighs ever.
I could just eat her up. She is the sweetest little thing, and is so much fun. I love her so much.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2008-11-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

Carving Pumpkins

2008-11-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

This year was so fun carving pumpkins. Hayden really got into it. At first he wasn't quite sure about sticking his hands into the pumpkin and pulling out all of the goo, but once he got the hang of it he was an old pro. Peyton wasn't too happy. She was ready for bed and could care less about the Halloween festivities.

Twilight

2008-10-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Sleeping Baby.....

2008-10-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

I Tell ya, there is nothing more precious in this world than a sleeping baby. They are so sweet and innocent when they are sleeping. I could just hold Peyton all night long and stare at her. I never mind the getting up with her (even if it is still 3-4 times a night). It won't be long until she gets to big and won't let me hold her at all, so I have to take advantage while I can.
Uh so sweet. Melts my heart!!!!

Blogging

2008-10-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

So I finally decided to join the blogging world.