Favorite Time of The Year :)

I LOVE this time of the year!

The smells.

The music.

The food.

The fun.

The lights.

The joy.

& family time <3>

We always go to see our family in GA on Thanksgiving and we took some pictures!

I'm proud of my huge, giant, big ol' family, so I have to share them :)

My silly sis <3 br="br" nbsp="nbsp">

WHOLE family :)

Sisters & Cousin

Typical Browns..

The Family :) 

Whoever took this picture needs some photography lessons.. jussst saying lol

Merry Christmas errybody!!

My Baby Sister Got a Blog!!

Its so sad to see my little siblings grow up.

They just need to stop! lol

Kamry's my 9-year-old sister, and she's 5th in line on all 9 kids,

and shes a funny little thing :)

She's so extremely smart, it's not even funny!

She can probably spell better than i can, and shes so good at everything she does.

Im going to school in Anderson, SC, so i don't get to see my girl as much as i would like,

but I've been Skyping with her all day.

I miss blogging,

and keeping up with every ones lives!

hope y'all are all doing great!

:)

Please go take a look at my sister's blog!

and become a follower ;)

it will make her dayyyy!!

No means Yes and Yes means Yes!

 Here's my precious little sister learnin' the difference between 'yes' and 'no'.

Make sure you notice Jessie's mini tantrum when Kimmi fixes her dress. ;D

Wednesdays

I adore Wednesdays!

When I was younger I thought it was the worst day of the week.

I mean, it is right in the middle of the week, right?

Although now that I think about it, it's not even in the middle!

Well, I mean sorta, but it's just one big loop to me anyway.

I remember when I was probably 10 this teenage boy told me that Wednesdays were bad because they were in the middle of the week.

I guess I just believed it.

Wednesdays are our busy day.

First Kamryn and Nona have their ballet and tap classes, and that's in the morning.

It's on the other side of town so we spend the rest of our morning/afternoon running errands and shopping. Stuff like that.

After that, we come home and take Cason to swim practice.

Then we have tutoring with our church.

I love that!
 I tutor two little boys in... handwriting... has anyone here ever seen my handwriting?? It's ok though because they're 2nd grade, so I think I handle it pretty well. One little boy's name is Peter and the other is CJ, and they are so funny and cute!
It's really just a lot of fun to meet new people, and then help their kids with subjects that aren't their best.

It's kind of funny to me because the kids that come in are smarter than any kids I've ever met.

I think maybe their perents just want them to not only be ahead, but WAY ahead! hehe

Once we leave tutoring Kimmi and I go to ballet.

That's later in the afternoon. It's becoming a little more fun. :)

And on top of all this, I have my sweet grandparents in town! My mom's momma and daddy.

Altogether, Wednesdays are fun because I get to see people I don't get to see everyday. Even if it is the middle of the week! ;D

Here are a few pictures from our day.

Hope everyone is having a good

Wednesday!

cRaFt Time

  While Jessie took a nap, poor Kimmi was in bed with a tummy bug, and sweet little Kamryn stayed in Kimmi's room to keep her company and watched a movie with her. That left two Brown girls.

Nona, and I, took on the challenge of a craft.

Nona got a purse kit in her Christmas stocking, and I "helped" her do it.

She actually did do some of it with me.

I think she'll end up being a crafty girl after all!

We had a lot of fun spending craft time together!

Nona is so sweet hearted, and I'm so glad I'm privileged enough to be her big sis!

God gave me a very special job of being an influence on my baby sister.

I love my job!!

I don't have a picture of her with the finished project yet. It was so funny because I was looking over pictures and noticed that she had started makeing a crosseyed look in the last few pictures. She's so funny, but now I'm with out pictures! haha

Hope everyone had a good day!!

Proverbs 31:13

She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

Good Bye 2009!

Well, this is my last post for the year 2009!!

 It went by so extremely fast!

 I think almost too fast, but I like that I'm getting older and, hopefully, wiser. ;D

We ended off our amazing 2009 with an oyster roast at our friends family's church.

We first had a church service, and then we went outside for some fun and food.

I really enjoyed talking to, and meeting, new people... country people are so nice!!

It was a lot of fun, and I'm so proud, and blessed, to be a member of a big family with amazing, God fearing parents!

When we went into the sanctuary, for the service, we took up a whole row of seats, and we just, I think, really stood out... alot.

It was so funny because when the church service was over, and everyone was still patiently, and quietly, sitting in their seats, a man stood up and announced the congregation, "Uuuuumm, someone left their light on in their van... it's a big van... a 15 passenger van..."

Now who could that beeee? ;)

We knew it was us right off the bat, so, with out even asking dad if the van was ours, Cole ran out and turned them off.

Love that boy!

It sounds like a war zone outside, and so I think I'm about to go watch some neighbors shoot fireworks. :)

I hope you all have a very blessed 2010!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Quotes by Kimmi

I see people put quotes on their blogs all the time of famous writers, poets, and theologians. I put quotes from Kimmi. 

This is what kimmi just said to me when I told everyone I knew I was going to love what Kimmi got me for Christmas because she asked me what I wanted and I told her.

This is what she said with a funny/cute/guilty face...

"Uuuuuuh... I got you what you wanted for Christmas, it's just not what you said you wanted."

She's still my BFF!

Actually, knowing Kimmi, I'll probably end up liking what she got me better than what I asked for.

• Ten Things I Love Tuesdays •

 

Here they are!

All ten toes of the baby who I love very, very much.

Psalm 139:14
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

• Jessie's Second Christmas Tree •

•••

Mark 10:14

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 
•••




Merry Christmas!!

• Sweet and Six! •

Happy Birthday Nona Klare!

Nona is six-years-old today!!! 

I can't believe it! 

She's such a sweet blessing to the whole family and to every one she's around. She is so giving and loving! Anytime she goes out anywhere she's ALWAYS looking to get something for someone else.

I had the honors of making her cake. Nona knew I was going to make it, so for the past couple weeks she's been talking about what sort of cake she would like. At first she wanted a gingerbread house cake with TWO houses on top, and she wanted it on a sheet cake. No idea where she came up with this! THANKFULLY, about a week ago she came up with a candyland themed cake, so I listened to all her requests and did it. I have never used fondant, but I did with this one and It was fun! My arms are actually sore from rolling it though. haha

Anyway, the cake turned out cute and Nona loved it.

In this picture Nona had just opened her crown we got her. As you can see she was wearing a "homemade" crown that she had just put together, but she was happy with giving the "homemade" crown up for the real one. ;)

Love you Nona!

• Jessie Worshiping •

  For as long as I can remember, we have been singing the song Crown Him With Many Crowns during our family worship, and once Max, 3 1/2, came along he started thrusting his fists into the air about every 30 seconds with the tempo of the song.  For example: Crown Him wih many crowns (He woud throw his hands up after this line.) And then: the Lamb upon the throne (He'd do it here too.) Hark how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but it's own. (You get what I'm saying? ) It's very cute and contagious but has become more of a sporting event in the Brown household. We all do it now. Even Jessie. It's so cute, and it makes her look like a big girl. We're really not charasmatic, but maybe Jessie's trying to push us in that direction. heehee

The first little Brown kid that really really loved this song was Kamryn, 7 1/2. When  the babies are young they always just walk around while we read the bible and talk, but if we ever want that little one to come sit with us we just break out in Crown Him With Many Crowns. We know if we do that whatever baby is walking around will come running to find a lap to sit and sing along.

Jessies's mouth is wide open because she's singing with passion! Or at least she's attemptig to sing. It's more like a loud yell, but as you can very well see Jessie gets into it what she's doing.

Last night was the first time she started doing it, so this is definitely "blog" worthy! ;)

• Baby Curls & Block Parties •

 I had some oh so adorable pictures of Jessie up yesterday, but this morning, I took them off because my mom thought she looked nasty... she did.. but she was such a cute looking nasty  baby! My mom said I should just put some pictures of her all dressed  and pretty.

She had jelly all over her face, and she was only in a diaper.

These pics were taken a few Sunday ago, and she was wearing the same dress but one looks purple and one looks blue... or is that just me? 

I love this one because it really shows off her baby curls! SO SWEET!

•••

I'm getting excited because I'm just about to go get on my costume. I haven't dressed up for halloween since I was probably 12, but our family, and Emily my friend, will be going to a block party in about an hour.

I'm going to be Esmerelda from the Hunchback of Notredame, and Cason's going to be Quazimoto. You know... the hunch back. haha... It cracks me up thinking about him dressing up as Quazimoto!

Cason's so sweet!!!

Now how many bigger younger brothers would dress up for their sister? I'm really not sure, but Cason is one of them! =D

I'll post pictures of everyone's costume's later.

Hope every one is having a really great day! =)

• Kimmi •

Well, I was informed by Kimmi that her picture isn't on my blog much. She has been picking on me about it, and I have just decided to grace every one with this gorgeous pictures of my 12-year-old sister, Kimmi.

I told her I was going to do a post JUST about her, and she slapped me and said "You better not!" How could I not though! I had 3 pictures of her up and ready to post, and she wasn't going to let me add any even though I was assuring her that she looks stunning in them all. Then I finally talked her into this one.

Well anyway, what's a post all about Kimmi if I don't name a few of her many good qualities? So here I go.

•She's a good listener (and talker)

•She's so sweet to ALL of her brothers and sisters (even when it gets hard)

•She's funny

•She can do anything, I'm serious!

•She's so sharing

•People love her (I'm guessing that counts as one of her good qualities)

•She has a happy heart when she's helping my mom

•She's smart

•She's purdy

• And last but not least She loves the Lord. Very much. =)

Love you Kimmi!

•Bonnie and Clyde•

I absolutely adore this picture of Cole and Kamryn. It just really speaks for itself. They are definitely a little team. Bonnie and Clyde, right here folks. I'm serious! 

Today Cole and Kamryn- Ok, I'm not proud of what they did, I'm just telling- they were on a walk with Kimmi, and there were two little boyscouts, probably about 9-years-old selling popcorn door-to-door, and pulling it around in the back of their cute little red wagons. Anyway, one of the two little boys said to Cole, "Heeey, don't you know you're riding a girls bike?" and Cole, aka Clyde, the comeback KING said, "Well , don't you know you're pulling a little girl wagon?" and Kamryn, aka Bonnie, added in, "Yeeeah, and where are the little baby dolls that you should be pulling in the back?!?" After this was all said and done Cole, the popcorn LOVER of the Brown family, asked the boys, "How much is your popcorn?" I thought that last line was pretty funny. Just so everyone knows they were corrected. My parents didn't see the same amount of humor in it that I did. They were looking at it from the perspective of evangelists, and Cole and Kamryn were terrorizing the boyscouts. This would be opposite of evangelizing here people. I have to laugh whenever I think about it though. 

Do ya'll have any funny brother/sister stories?

•Jessie's New Toy•

We went to the mountains last week and while we were there, we all went to our favorite little gift shop called The Wrinkled Egg. It's so cute and it has lots of toys, candles, candy, real bunnies and pizza. Jessie, my 15 month old little sister, who usually doesn't have too many tantrums "threw one" in The Wrinkled Egg. My mom was holding her, and she showed Jessie a little toy. Ok, I say toy, but this thing was no toy. Especially not a toy for a baby girl. The toy was shaped like a jelly octopus, and it had eyeballs on each of the many, many tentacles. When my mom put this "toy" back Jessie started to cry. Then it got worse, and worse. She got more and more mad and she was screaming, and she was crying. We were leaving, mainly because she was being so loud, and we got in the van. My dad got in the car and my mom told him why she was so upset, and so my dad sent me in to go buy it for her. My dad came in after me with Jessie. He told her in her ear all the way that" Daddy's gunna get you the toy." It was very sweet and gracious of my dad. She went from crying histerically to VERY happy. It was so cute. That was the first time she has ever cried because she wanted something from a store, so my guess is that's why my dad let in. He's just getting too soft in his old age. Jessie is the youngest and just might end up being a little bit spoiled. =D

•Does Your Daddy Cook? Mine Does!•

Oh, the great wonders of cook'n! My dad is, at this very moment, in the kitchen making a dessert with my excited little sisters. The main little Brown girl doing this is my precious little five-year-old sister Nona because she is the cutest... just kidding... kinda. Well, the reason he's doing this is because Nona has been carrying around these cards that have cute children's recipes on both cardboard sides. She got a whole big box of them from a garage sale a few weeks ago, and she has been showing the desserts to us saying, "I'm going to make this for you." She is SUCH a giver. With everything! Any time she goes somewhere she makes it her top priority to bring something back to one of her siblings. She's a sweetie! My dad took her to the store today and bought all the ingredients for her Fudge and Coconut

 Cookies. She is so sweetly excited... I just found the perfect opportunity to say/write the word sweetly. I was having a debate with a few friends today and the debate was about the word sweetly. They didn't think the word sweetly could actually be used in a sentence... Lookie who was right... ME! HA!

Anyway, my dad is making a dessert. He's actually really into it. I think he has maybe found his new calling! Bye Bye Preacher Man and hello Culinary Chef! He would look handsome in a little apron and a tall chefs hat... hmmm... ;)

Hope everyone is having a blessed day! I am now going to take a shower and wash away all the salt water from tubing and all the sand from the beach and all the smell from tennis this evening. =) 

Ok, people I almost forgot to tell ya'll that this is a little friendly competition with my momma. She was taking pictures of my dad and us cooking and I said, "I'm going to do a blog post about dad cooking." It sounded like a good idea to her so she said, "No, i'm doing a blog post about dad cooking." She said she had already been thinking of doing it... OK people, we all know that I'm the master mind in this little fight! I mean, c'mon... I'm the homeschooler here! She went to public school in the 80's!!! 

So anywhoo,  we decided to have a competion to see who likes whose blog post the most. If ya'll wouldn't mind just posting and saying you like my post about dad cooking more. ;) Or if for some reason you like my moms more you can post on hers telling her you like hers better. Here's her blog.

FYI to everyone. I'm kidding about my mom going to public school in the 80's... well, I'm not kidding because it's true, but I know she's smart and I love her so so so much. ;)

 

Proverbs 7:1-4  

 My son, keep my words

   and treasure up my commandments with you;

 keep my commandments and live;

   keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;  bind them on your fingers;

   write them on the tablet of your heart.

Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"

   and call insight your intimate friend,

•Thankful•

For some reason I'm particularly thankful today. I'm very happy, and it might just be partly because of circumstances,but I think it's probably because God has just given me so much and I'm very thankful for it all. He has given me so many reasons to be thankful! I do pray that even though I feel so extremely blessed at the moment, I'll stay focused on God. When everything in life is pleasantly going my way it's so much easier not to be focusing on the one who has given it all to me. I need to make it my top priority to focus on him even when I'm feel'n chipper. ;D

I'm so thanksful for all the things God has given me to be thankful for!

So, we went to the beautiful beach of IOP today. It was beautiful and perfect today. Even though it was cloudy most of the time although at the  beginning it was sunny. It became cloudy just in the nick of time. It started getting too hot and 'bout that time it started getting cloudy. It actually even rained a little bit. I LOVE the rain with passion!!! :D  One of my favorite things is rain on the beach. BEAUTIFUL! 

I'm a watcher, and I love watching people at the beach when they don't know they're being watched. Well, I might not realize that they realize I'm watching them. It's just such an entertaining thing to occupy your time! You can learn so much from watching people interact with their families. 

Is that wrong? 

I'm so thankful for the beach! 

I also just got back from a run with my beautiful sista Kamryn. We had such a fun time, and it wasn't a long run this time. ;)   It was kinda dark so we didn't go too far. We stayed in the light so we could see where we were going. I only went for a 1miler and I'm pooped! Probably crash'n from the caffeine I had earlier! HAHA!

I'm so thankful for my little sister who just adores riding her bike beside me while I run.

I said I was going to post pictures of my new (and 

adorable) baby kittens. I have not yet done that and they are now about 15 days old. The kittens have gotten a little bigger since these pictures but just imagine them a little bigger and a little less cute... haha just kidding. They're still preeeetty cute. ;)

The Triplets

Moma cat (No Name)  She just showed up on our door step about 7 months ago, and claimed us as her new family... bad pick if you ask me. Max just ain't the most loving owner. hehehe

Moma cat (No name) and the baby kitten (Charlotte)

I know it's a little bit blurry, but it's just so sweet!

I'm so thankful for our New (and adorable) baby kittens!

Hope every one will have a blessed week!

Proverbs 6:8

she prepares her bread in summer

   and gathers her food in harvest.

If any one is wondering why I always put proverbs, it's because this is the lucky book we picked for our bible study we're doing with some girls in our home school group. I also just love Proverbs. =)

•Fixat'n My Eyes On God•

Most every night, or at least my dad tries to do it most every night, we have family worship. Last night's bible passage was especially helpful in my everyday life. I love it when I hear those verses that apply so well. I guess all scripture is kinda like that, but there are always those verses that come at the perfect time. My dad was reading Psalm 28, and it was a prayer from David. My dad was explaining it to all of us and he was saying if we fixate our hearts on daily life and not on God, then we will always be going from happy to sad, happy to sad. If we focus on God, and all that we have because of God, then why should we really ever have a reason to be unhappy? Focusing on God makes us stable. When my dad was reading it to us, I was thinking, "Gosh, life would be so much easier if I were unwavering!" I'm not a particularly unhappy person ,but as we all do... I think, we get in those moods or have moments. If I'm ever in one of those moods it's usually because somethings not going my way, and I'm not focusing on God. I'm focusing on something going on around me instead. There's probably something that I want to happen or something I wish didn't happy, and it's not happening my way.

This morning in my quiet time one of my prayers was that I would fixate my eyes on God and not what's going on around me. I was put to the test today. I know most of you have met my precious little 7 year-old sister Kamryn, who at the moment has a bunch of bubble wrap and is popping it right here beside me and it  seems particularly loud. Little miss Kamryn isn't always very easy to deal with and this morning, at about 8:00am., I decided to go for a longer-ish run, and Kamryn, "REALLY REALLY wanted to come!" so I let her. I wanted her to come too... so I thought! ;D  I could tell, from the beginning, that the 3 miles that were ahead of me were going to  seem a little longer than just 3 miles. HAHA! The entire time Kamryn was yelling at me to run faster so we could get to the park, and she was laughing at me because my face was red from being hot. She was also trying to throw her sweater on me, and remember I was HOT, while I was running. She has a sweater because she has a basket on her bike and she brought it "just in case" it got cold, but between you and me... I think she brought it because she wanted to fill her empty basket. haha! Well, anyway it was a very long 3 miles. I was thinking the entire time about that bible verse and how I just need to stay happy, but wishing God could have made this... a litlllllllle easier. hehehe. If I had indulged in focusing on "daily life" I probably would have shoved her into her little basket, along with her un-needed sweater and on into the woods. Instead I used it as a somewhat easy opportunity to be a blessing to her and to practice fixating on God and correcting her sweetly. Anyway, I got through the run just fine... but for future reference, I'll only bring Kamryn if it's a little shorter run, and if I run 3 miles again I'll eat more that just a yogurt for breafeast.

Well, Hope everyone is having a blessed day so far!

Karis

Proverbs 3: 5-8

  Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

   and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways  acknowledge him,

   and he will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes;

   fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh

   and refreshment to your bones.

•Good Bye Summer•

Well, 3 months of excitement have come and gone so extremely fast, and much to my dismay, it's just about over. Well, it might not say summer is over on the calendar, but as we all very well know... it's over. School is back and running again, and there's starting to be a cool breeze. I have got to say, though, that the cool autumn breeze is most definitely my favorite!

This "past" summer has been my bestestful summer ever! It hasn't been too hot like all of the other past summers that I have lived for the past 16 years. Really, every summer, for as long as I can remember, it has been waaay too hot until this year. I've enjoyed every hot and humid Charleston day. It was filled with swim coaching, which is definitely not why my

summer has been my bestestful summer ever. There have been free summer movie watch'n, garage sale goin', chess playin', new (and adorable) baby kittens, etc., etc. . I am so thankful to the Lord for all that he has graciously given me, and I don't deserve any of it at all, but he just keeps on giving!!!

I've decided to keep my blog updated more so in the next few days I'll be posting pictures of my new (and adorable) baby kittens.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

So, what has been your favorite thing about this "past" summer? =)

~Karis

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Miss Personality

♥ Jessie ♥