Picture This

Behind on the Blog

2010-09-30T20:02:00.001-07:00

Another item in the list of things that require discipline to keep up with is the blog, but evenings at home with Jenny and Owen go by quickly. The temperatures outside are getting cooler and we glad to welcome fall. I love fall! We are looking forward to getting some family time at several of our local state parks that we really enjoy.

Fall is also time to put up the sandals and put on something more appropriate for the cold weather. Owen, in true kid fashion, outgrew his cowboy boots that he loved to wear last fall/winter and so it was time to get some more. We took Owen to Cavender’s and picked out some Ariat boots that we all liked. Have a look!

They are distressed looking leather and Owen is adding to the look rapidly, but he sure does enjoy wearing his new boots. He can put them on by himself and actually gets them on the right foot!

What a blessing!

Life can be fun if you try

2010-06-29T19:45:00.001-07:00

A popular question on our free days is, “well what do you want to do today?” Owen provided the answer the other day when he grabbed his shoes and said, “go zoo”. Our first thought was about the heat and how this was not going to be any fun, but we have a zoo pass and thought we would give it a try. It was hot, but there were shades to stand in, cold water to sip on and we had a very good day. Owen always mentions the elephants above everything else when the zoo is mentioned. He was not disappointed and saw all of his favorite animals. His favorite part of the zoo, however, is riding the choo choo trian. We bought the all day train pass and made many round trips before calling it a day. It didn’t take long for the air conditioner to cool the truck off and about 5 minutes after pulling out of the parking lot my little buddy entered the land of nod. It was a fun day that we would have missed had we not taken the risk to get out in the heat and give it a try.

Thanks for stopping by. Maybe we will see you on the train at the zoo sometime.

Will, Jenny and Owen

Time gets Away

2010-04-15T23:09:00.001-07:00

Well I haven’t done the best at keeping up my blog. I have spent more time on Facebook and other things than I have getting any thoughts or information put out on Picture This. The most recent activity worth sharing is that Owen is now a happy healthy 2 year old with a sharp mind and lots of energy1 What a blessing! He also has some personality that is becoming more developed everyday and is showing some typical characteristics of becoming 2 like trying to exercise his will whenever he thinks it is better for him than what Jenny and I are trying to impose. I guess that is pretty normal for most of us and doesn’t get much better as we grow in adulthood.

Thanks for stopping by! I will try to not get so far behind in the future.

Will

Huge Blessing In A Small Package

2009-11-09T21:54:00.001-08:00

I am a truly rich man and here is some evidence of that. If this doesn't bring a smile to your face then there is not much hope for you.

Enjoy!!!

Fall Festival

2009-10-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed the Fall Festival at Uncle Craig's, Aunt Gina's, and Isabella's church today. Owen had a great time playing games and looking around.

We were surprised and excited to see Grandmommie there!

Owen got to go on a hayride for the first time today. His favorite part was the tractor, of course. This is one of Owen's new favorite words. He loves tractors!

The North Richland Hills Fire Department had one of their fire trucks there. Owen was eager to sit in the drivers seat. He looks like he could be a great fire fighter if his feet could only reach the pedals!

Owen had a great time digging in the deer corn for prizes. He must have played there for nearly ten minutes!

Be sure to check out our smugmug page for more photos from today!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

We found a really neat farm within the city of Grapevine that hosts a pumpkin patch each fall. We were able to go last week with some friends. Owen enjoyed the open space and wandering all over the pumpkin patch area. He wasn't too interested in the pumpkins but he was fascinated by the tractors (made his grandpas proud). He saw the big kids getting on one of the tractors and thought he just had to do it to. Thanks to Mrs. Amy for helping the boy up there so I could get some pictures!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Last Monday we were invited to the Bettis' to carve a pumpkin. This was Owen's first opportunity to get up close to a pumpkin. He wasn't interested at first, but once he saw that kitchen utensils were involved, he wanted to participate. He was especially interested in moving the seeds from the pumpkin to the bowl or the sack. We really enjoyed our morning with the Bettis girls and thankful for this fall memory!

Random Pictures

2009-10-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

I thought we'd post some random pictures of Owen over the past month. More pictures to come soon of pumpkin carving and a visit to the pumpkin patch!

Owen loves to drive the car at the grocery store! He even honks the horn!

Most people put their blocks in wagons like this, but Owen thinks that it is for him to ride in (thanks to his Dad!). Not everyone wears tennis shoes with their pajamas but Owen thought it completed the outfit!

The most handsome cowboy around! Owen's Papa Brown gave him this hat when he was born. He has really enjoyed wearing it lately!

Owen's favorite dessert - ice cream!

Another Great Weekend at Ray Roberts Lake State Park

2009-10-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

We are glad to have some cool weather again so that we can enjoy being outdoors on the weekend. We really enjoy the trails, paths, playground and open fields at Ray Roberts Lake State Park. It is really nice to get out and hear the wind through the tall grass and see the big sky. There are even some rocky areas around. If we get real brave we may camp there sometime, but we aren't there yet. Here are a few pictures from our most recent visit on October 3, 2009.

I can hike in the grass with the best of them. And Daddy can carry me when I get tired of hiking.

6 1/2 weeks later ...

2009-09-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

Owen has been gluten free for 6 1/2 weeks. God has done a great work in healing our son. Owen definitely feels better and is into everything, just as someone his age should be! Owen has gained back all of the weight he lost, and then some, and has grown an inch. He has started expanding his food choices and even tries new things. His favorite new food is nachos. I thought you might enjoy seeing how much Owen has changed in such a short time. To God be the Glory!!!

Lake Mineral Wells State Park

2009-09-27T13:45:00.001-07:00

We enjoyed a fun day yesterday at Mineral Wells State Park. We explored the big rocks, hiked up and down some trails, and enjoyed a picnic overlooking the lake. Owen even enjoyed a short nap in his stroller while Will and I walked. And as most Brown family outings, it wasn't complete without a trip for ice cream at Dairy Queen. Mineral Wells is one of our favorite parks to go to, but because of the rocky terrain, it will probably be a while before we go out there again. Owen's big red stroller isn't suitable for the rocky hills and he is too big to be carried any great distances, especially up steep terrains. But there are plenty of other parks to explore. We love our state parks pass!

Owen Labor Day 2009

2009-09-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

Little man has made his rounds with Jenny and I today even eating some waffle fries at Chick-fil-A. He is now making sure things are in order at home before he takes his bath and goes to bed.

Owen's Concert

2009-09-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

Owen's love for music never ceases to amaze us. In fact, he walked around church last night carrying jingle bells and a maraca and had the greatest time! Here's a video of his xylophone concert while visiting Grandmommy.

A Day at the "Beach"

2009-09-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a fun, family day at the "beach" this week. Beach is in quotes because we only went to Granbury. The city has built a nice beach/playarea right beside the lake just down the street from downtown. Since we went on a week day and school has already started, we had the entire area to ourselves almost the entire morning. We had a great time playing in the sand and in the water. Owen had lots of fun digging and exploring in the sand, almost as much fun as his Dad!

We also enjoyed time at Dairy Queen that afternoon with Grandpa. We sure are glad DQ soft serve is gluten free!

Growing Up!

2009-09-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Owen has been feeding himself with a spoon for about a week now. He's doing a great job! Here's a video from the first day.

Fun at the Park and Library Storytime

2009-08-25T19:26:00.001-07:00

We have had a great time this summer going to the Watauga park and library on Tuesdays. Owen has especially enjoyed these past two weeks as he has felt better.

Catching Up Part 2

2009-08-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

Owen has really enjoyed watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He especially enjoys the music and likes to dance to it and shake his head when he hears the songs. Will pulled the show up on the computer one day and now Owen thinks that you are going to watch his show any time you sit down at the computer.

Owen has been a rather picky eater lately as he still adjusting to his new diet and his stomach is still healing. It's been hard to get him to vary from his accepted norm. Saturday afternoon he sat on the couch as Will was eating pringles. Owen stared at his pringles like he wanted some so I got Owen some chips that were gluten free and he actually ate one. The rest of them he just touched, broke off a piece, and put it back in the bag. At least he kept the couch clean!

Catching Up Part 1

2009-08-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

(Will and Owen overlooking the Mississippi River in Vicksburg.)

(I gave up on trying to get the pictures to be placed where they are supposed to be, I thought it would be better to have them than to not have them at all!)

As you can tell, it's been awhile since we have posted anything. This summer has been busy and difficult for our family. We enjoyed a nice visit to Georgia the beginning of July to visit Will's family. Owen did a great job riding in the car for that many miles. He didn't want to play with any of the toys that we brought him but he enjoyed looking out the window. He was really a great sport about it and didn't cry as much as we had anticipated.

Owen's Papa and Granny were so glad to see him. Owen enjoyed riding on the golf cart and looking at the horses. As you can tell from the picture, Owen's favorite part about the hotel was riding on the luggage cart!

As I said the rest of our summer has been difficult. Looking back, we can see the gradual progression of everything that has taken place. I won't take the time to recount everything, but Owen has lost weight, muscle mass, lost his appetite, has become very lethargic, has a very distended stomach, and only wants to sit in my lap. After several doctors visits and finally an appointment with a G.I. specialist and tests, Owen was diagnosed with celiac disease. Celiac disease is genetic disease where a gluten intolerance causes damage in the lining of the stomach, basically his stomach attacks itself. Owen got the gene from either Will or I and something triggered it in his body. What this means is that Owen cannot eat anything that contains or may have come in contact with gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, oats, and barley. This will make his diet more difficult but we are thankful that Owen's stomach will heal being on a gluten free diet. We are still having difficulties with his thyroid and will have it checked in 2 weeks. If it is still low, then Owen will be placed on thyroid medicine so that he will be able to grow and develop properly.

All that being said, today was a good day! Today was the first day in a long time that Owen has walked around on his own, played some, and had his big, happy smile. He had a great time at the library for storytime with friends and loved playing the jingle bells! Owen has been gluten free for nearly a week. The doctors tell us it will take about 2 weeks for the gluten to clear his body and then around 6 months for his body to completely heal. It's been a hard summer and we are very thankful to see signs of progress.

Thanks for checking in and for your prayers!

First Sonic Drink

2009-06-24T19:23:00.001-07:00

Owen enjoyed his first treat at Sonic the other day. He has shared ice cream with Will and I before but never his own drink. I treated him to an apple juice slush. He wasn't sure what to think about it first, but his great friend Kate showed him the ropes since she has a couple of years on him. Once he got the hang of it, he didn't want to let it go.

Very Smart Boy

2009-06-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

I decided to sit down and get a few minutes of Owen in action on the camera. This is what I got.

Botanical Gardens

2009-06-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

We recently enjoyed a family trip to the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth. We like to walk around and look at the flowers and we also enjoy relaxing on a blanket in the shade! Here's some pictures from our most recent trip.

Latest Happenings

2009-05-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

We are behind in posting so I thought I would take a minute to catch up. Owen went to the ear doctor on May 7 and at least on that day, his ears were perfect. If he doesn't get an ear infection in the next month then we won't have to get tubes. His chances are slim of getting an ear infection this summer. However, if he gets an ear infection between now and his follow up appointment in June, he will have to get tubes. Tubes aren't the end of the world, but we would rather not have to deal with that, so we are praying that God continues to keep our boy well.

Owen has two teeth coming in right now. That will make a total of 6. Good thing we don't remember all the pain we go through in growing up! Owen is taking more steps by himself everyday. Before we know it, he will be running around the house!

Will has had the opportunity to work extra events at church this month. It's both good and bad; good for the extra income, bad for not being home much. But we are thankful for God's provision. Will also had his first case of strep throat this week. Not much fun. We have disinfected as much as we can and have now cleaned every blanket and pillow in the house!

Owen is beginning to show his likes and dislikes more often and has even been known to throw a tantrum. All our friends are welcoming us to the next stage :)

Enjoy the picture and the videos!

The picture is of Owen's first crayons and coloring experience! He didn't get too into it, but he didn't eat them either!

Owen has been exploring the kitchen lately. He has one cabinet that he is allowed to play in. He likes to play with the mixing bowls and we gave him a whisk to make music with.

Owen enjoyed playing with the empty coke box one afternoon. You can see the wheels turning as he thinks about it!

Mother's Day

2009-05-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a good photograph of Owen and Jenny on Mother's Day.

Owen

2009-04-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today we were just playing in Owen's room and he was standing by the window. The light was good and I decided to get a few pictures. Here is one.

Little Man's Big Day

2009-04-11T21:35:00.001-07:00

Today is my birthday and I am smiling! Can you believe how handsome I am? Me neither.

I went to my cousin Isabella's church, North Richland Hills Baptist, for the Easter egg hunt. This is the best way to hunt. I am not sure how this works, but there are a lot of them out here.

Mommy will always lend me a hand. She takes good care of me. Daddy is always too busy taking pictures to be of any help.

I am not sure what to do with these, but everybody seems excited that I have them.

I get cards and presents too! Thank you Papa and Granny Brown for my new summer clothes and money. I will put my money in my savings to keep Mommy and Daddy from spending it.

I think I will just sit down and take it all in. I like my chair that was Mommy's when she was little like me. She painted it blue just for me.

After dinner Mommy and Daddy took me out and gave me icecream. I had strawberry, vanilla and Oreo with cream. I really liked them all!

I get to have another party tomorrow at Grandpa and Grandmommy Daugherty's house and I will get more presents there too. My cousin Isabella will be there and several of my friends from church. We are going to have birthday cake and hamburgers. Daddy loves hamburgers with cheese and bacon. When I get some more teeth I can have them like he does. I want to get some of my birthday cake that mommy made too. It looks like a Farmall tractor. I bet it will be good.

I can't believe that I am already 1 and know how to do so much cool stuff. I can feed myself cheese, cake, crackers, vienna sausage, pears and peaches and all kinds of stuff. I can stand up by myself for several minutes and climb on most anything. I even crawled/climbed up the steps in the sanctuary at church Friday. I can crawl around and find Mommy or Daddy when I need to be held or help them with whatever they are doing. This first year has been a blast!

Owen's First Birthday!

2009-04-11T16:14:00.001-07:00

Today is Owen's first birthday! We can't believe how fast this past year has gone and how much our little boy has grown. Owen is a happy baby and loves to giggle and play. We are blessed and overjoyed to be his parents.
We kept our birthday celebration simple today. A pancake breakfast at home, Owen got to try a tiny bit of syrup for the first time. We played at home a lot today and went to an Easter egg hunt this afternoon. Owen wasn't too impressed by the Easter eggs but he carried his basket. He has been playing with it all week! We're going to have a small party tomorrow afternoon and we'll post the pictures of him with his cake soon.

Thanks for checking in on us and for your love and prayers for our family. God has truly blessed us beyond measure.

Owen's first trip to the playground

2009-04-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

Owen and Mom went to the playground today at the mall. We have tried on other days but Owen was not too interested in playing. Today, he got into it and I was thankful that I had the camera to take a few pictures. He enjoyed crawling around on the playground area and crawling through the tunnel. He enjoyed the tunnel so much that once he got the hang of it, he kept going in and out of it. Shortly before we left, a little blond girl came to play, I think she was probably around 2 or 3. Anyway, she befriended Owen and he followed her around for several minutes and wanted to do whatever she did. I'm sure this is only the first of many playground trips!

A Great Day to be Outside!

2009-03-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon the Brown family took a short ride to Ray Roberts State Park. Jenny and I really enjoy the things this park has to offer. There is a great paved trail that is about 2 miles long. There are many off the path places to see. There are many other trails that connect to other parks around the lake. Some of those are a 4 mile hike. The lake is nice too. Here are a few photos from our Saturday evening.

This was one of those off of the path spots that we like to go. It was nice to enjoy the open spaces with a great view and a wonderful breeze.

It is much easier to get Owen around on all kinds of ground with this stroller that we bought at a second hand store.

A growing boy can't just ride all day. Owen enjoys some walking out in the sun too.

Jenny and Owen enjoying a perfect day out in the sunshine. We made our way back to the truck nearly 2 miles back at the lakeside and had our picnic before going home. Owen slept most of the way back. Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings,

Will, Jenny and Owen

Owen On Patrol.

2009-03-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

With Owen on duty no stone goes unturned.

Owen Daddy's Helper.

2009-03-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

We bought Owen a small shelf at Target to help organize his toys on. As it goes with those, there was some assembly to do. We were putting it together in his room and when the hammering started it inspired Owen to do what he loves best, beat things together. This said he crawled over with his hammer in hand to assist in the project. In this picture he is enjoying watching himself in the mirror directly in front of him.

Thanks for visiting.

Owen The Builder

Family Weekend Outdoors.

2009-02-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

Well the Brown family had a great weekend visiting some of the Texas state parks. We have really enjoyed our season pass and hope to see more. Our goal is one park a month whenever time permits. Owen got the opportunity to try out his new (used) stroller that we got second-hand. It worked well on some very different terrain.

You can see here that we haven't really gotten started just yet. We did make our way down to the bottom of the run where the spillway for the lake at Cleburne State Park runs when the water level gets too high.

This was just our Friday park. On Saturday we went to Meridian and Dinosaur Valley. We hiked almost 2 miles at Meridian, but the cold wind prevented us from spending very much time outside at Dinosaur Valley. We will go back one day when the weather is more favorable. It was very refreshing during our hike at Meridian to be out in the forest looking up at the blue sky and hearing the song of the wind blowing through the treetops. Owen did a good bit of walking on that hike assisted by some Mom and Dad hands to help with balance. It won't be many more days before he will be walking by himself. We pray that he will continue to enjoy getting out into God's creation and exploring all that it has to offer. Maybe we can learn to camp a little one day. I don't know how that would go, but we can try.

Blessings,

Will and Jenny and Owen (his boots were made for walking)

Watch Him Go!

2009-02-13T10:23:00.001-08:00

Well little man has figured out how to put his strength to use and move around. He has been practicing a little bit this morning. We are beginning the days when there will be no rest for Mama and Daddy and nothing in the house will be safe.

Blessings,

Will, Jenny and Owen

Georgia on Owen's Mind

2009-01-27T23:51:00.000-08:00

Well it took a while, but Owen finally got the opportunity to visit his grandparents and family in Georgia. Let me tell you that they were all glad to see him. His Papa and Granny Brown were just amazed at how much he had grown in 9 months. His great aunts welcomed him the way that aunts do. My Aunt Janice even made a delicious pound cake and brought it over. I kept telling Owen how good it was and even gave him a few small bites and he seemed to agree. Here are a few highlight photos from his visit.

Owen is in the saddle and ready to ride.

What he really wanted to ride was the golf cart and Papa Brown made sure that he had plenty of opportunity. I can only imagine what it will be like when he is driving it around.

Owen had a little time to spend with Granny Brown too. He seemed pretty fond of her. She seemed to forget that I was even home. It is a funny thing how grandkids cause us to get demoted.

Dad demonstrated his roping technique from a standing position. One day I hope to capture the action while he is heading from his horse.

Papa Brown is showing Owen the horses. The one on the right is Ned. Dad ropes from Ned. The smaller horse on the left is Peanut. He is Owen's horse. You heard me right...Owen has his own horse.

Owen hanging out with Granny Brown on the porch while Dad and I observe one of the herd. There are three in the herd.

Here we all are! I am blessed to have such a family with so much love between us. I hope that Owen has many opportunities to spend some summer weeks in Georgia. I look forward to him telling Jenny and I about driving the golf cart, riding the horses and eating some fried pork chops with rice and brown gravy and buttermilk biscuits made with lard.

Blessings,

Will, Jenny and Owen

My First Cowboy Hat!

2009-01-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

How could I possibly look any better? Mommy and Daddy went to the rodeo last night and Daddy bought me this cool hat. It is a little big, but I'll grow into it. When Daddy put it on my head, I couldn't help but check myself out in the mirror. Mommy took that opportunity to take some pictures so that all my family can see how great I look.

Thank you for checking by and seeing me.

Blessings,

Owen

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo

2009-01-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

Jenny wanted me to experience the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo this year for my first time. She got tickets for the Friday night rodeo and arranged for her parents to keep Owen overnight so that we could have a date night. Well we had a great time and the rodeo was well worth the trip. Here are few images that I captured to give you a taste of the action.

One Handsome Cowboy!

2009-01-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

During our Christmas visit to Georgia I had the opportunity to setup a photo shoot with one of my favorite models on his Papa Brown's hay. We added a few elements to get that true cowboy flair and I think the results were very good. I have many more that I will put in a gallery on the Smugmug site for additional veiwing. Owen had a great visit with his papa, granny, aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends. It is amazing how quickly a week can pass when you haven't been home in a year.

I will add more later, but right now it is past my bed time and I have to work in the morning.

Blessings,

Will, Jenny and Owen

Owen with Papa and Granny Brown

2008-12-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well the pictures tell the story very well. Owen hasn't had a problem getting comfortable with his Granny and Papa Brown. Owen's smile has warmed the hearts of his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. He had fun hanging out the porch and riding on the golf cart with his Papa. Granny Brown found his tickle spots very quickly and they have enjoyed making each other laugh and smile. I praise God that Owen is blessed to be part of a great family from Texas to Georgia. We are enjoying a great visit and I am very glad that we have an entire week to be here.

God Bless,

Will, Jenny and Owen

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-21T20:45:00.001-08:00

A baby boy in a Santa hat. How can you go wrong?

Will, Jenny and Owen would like to wish you and your family a very blessed Christmas this year!

Thanksgiving Bath In Grandmommie's Kitchen Sink

2008-12-02T20:47:00.001-08:00

God blessed us again this year with another wonderful Thanksgiving. This year we were able to spend the holiday with Jenny's family down in Glen Rose, TX. We laughed a lot, ate too much and enjoyed several days relaxing and visiting. Jenny decided it was time to give Owen his bath one night and I just happen to have to camera close by. I am glad that I did. This little guy has a smile that just lights me up inside every time I see it. I am very blessed to have a handsome and healthy son with a great personality. I had no idea what God would decide to do when He combined a little bit of Jenny and a little bit of me to make a new person. I never cease to be amazed at what God can do. Praise be to God for providing for me and my family above anything that we could ever deserve for another year.

Blessings,

Owen, Jenny and Will

Hiking at Lake Mineral Wells

2008-11-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

It was a great day to go for a hike in some rocky terrain. Owen hadn't been hiking before. He had been on some walking paths in his stroller, but nothing like this. Jenny expertly prepaired all of the supplies (food, drink, extra clothes for Owen, diapers) that we would need for our journey and we set off to Lake Mineral Wells. Jenny and I had been there before, but it had been over 4 years ago. Owen was a trouper. We were on the trails probably almost 2 hours, but he just kept on going. He did get tired at the very end, but seemed to enjoy the day and the scenery. It was a fun family trip.

Mom didn't get in the pictures as she was the photographer for the trip. Thanks for stopping by and keeping up with what is going on.

Blessings,

Will,Jenny & Owen (The New Survivorman)

A Lion Tale

2008-11-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

Once there was a little boy named Owen. One day his parents were astonished to find that he had turned into a lion. They were very happy to see that he was a friendly lion. His smiles and grins just made them all warm inside. By the end of the day he had turned back into a handsome little boy and they all lived happily ever after.

THE END.

Blessings,

Will, Jenny and Owen (Roar)

What A Boy!

2008-10-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Just look at this little guy. There is nothing that prepares a man for the feeling that he has in his heart when that little face, his son's eyes, looks at his Daddy. Jenny and I are so blessed to be the caretakers of this huge blessing in a small but growing package. His personality is starting to show and he truly is a combination of us both. Watching him grow is a pasttime like no other. Thank you for dropping by and having a look at the most handsome boy around (by his Daddy's measure).

Jenny is working at the church now. She is teaching at Mother's Day Out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It gives her some time out during the week and Owen attends another class, so he is close by. It also gives Jenny some flex in her schedule to do other things on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Blessings,

Will

Daddy's little Buddy at the park.

2008-10-04T06:15:00.001-07:00

Just look at this guy! Is there a more handsome boy anywhere? I don't think so. He is in his first stages of crawling and starting to get mobile. He is an expert at grabbing anything that he sees. Just yesterday he swipped Mommy's straw right out of her drink at CiCi's pizza. He immediately put it in his mouth, but Mommy was quick to get it back. The boy is growing. People tell you they grow up fast, but having one makes you really understand what they mean by fast. Oh...and he is reading at 6 months. I am very proud. Granny and Papa Brown should be very excited that he is studying the horse page of the book. He is starting to talk a little....I think. There have been times recently when he has looked at me directly and started saying"Dadada". The first time I thought it was just mumbles, but I have been hearing it more frequently and usually when I walk in the room where he is.

He is a Blessing to us. I am glad that you stopped by to see the pictures and listen to the ramblings of a proud parent.

Blessings,

Will

Where did the time go?

2008-09-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

Well life got busy and much has happened since our last post. Owen is now 5 months old and continues to grow and amaze us with all that he is learning and doing. As you can see, his look continues to change each day. His smile and laughter continue to be a blessing to Jenny and I both each day. Several things have changed in our life in the last few months and I will try to be informative without getting boring.

Owen is growing and has now been on solid foods for about three weeks. He enjoys oatmeal, green beans and sweet potatoes. Also, his daddy has given him little samples of sweet tea, which he seems to approve of. He seems to enjoy a good thrill. He enjoys being on two wheels in his stroller, being tossed up in the air and bouncing all around on Daddy's lap. These types of activities usually generate a great deal of laughter and smiles. He also seems to enjoy being outside. I hope that being in our new location we will have some weekends soon that we can take him out to some state parks for a hike.

I was offered the position of Technical Director at First Baptist Church of Euless, TX and accepted. Jenny, Owen and I have moved and now live in Bedford, TX about 1.5 miles from the church. We currently have an apartment, but hope to purchase a home in the area as soon as God is ready for us to have one. I started the new job September 8th.

Jenny and I both have facebook accounts now. That has been a very effective way of keeping in touch with friends from all over the place. We would recommend trying it.

We will be glad to give you our new address and phone numbers if you will just send us an email. Our former bellsouth.net email address still work to contact us by.

Blessings,

Will, Jenny and Owen

Something new every day.

2008-06-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since we have sat down to put any updates on the blog. Life gets busy from time to time and now is one of those times. Working at the church has been more than a 40 hour per week venture for the past few weeks. We have been having special concerts, celebrating the opening of our new children's and youth building and this week is Vacation Bible School. We are all doing well, but haven't had too many idle moments.

Owen is continuing to grow and develop and entertain us with his ever changing personality. We are starting to see a few smiles and responses to us. He goes back to the doctor tomorrow for his 8 week check-up. I am curious to see what he weighs now, since he was nearly 10 lbs. at 2 weeks and hasn't been weighed since. Oh...Owen is attending VBS this week and seems to be having a great time. The ladies who teach his class say that he is a great baby boy. They all brag about who gets to hold him that day.

Jenny and I are soon to move out of our apartment into a house. There is a woman at our church who is doing some missions work for a few years and is allowing us to rent her house at a very good price. I am looking forward to having more room, but most of all to having a backyard to get out in. There is even a nice swing underneath a tree. The neighborhood is quiet and convenient to work for both of us. We will move there August 1st, so it will be nice and cool here in Lafayette while we are carrying boxes and furniture. We probably won't even break a sweat!!

Owen Is Here!

2008-04-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

The little man came out into the world this evening at 12:46pm. He was less than thrilled to find himself thrust into a new space with bright lights and strange people passing him around. Jenny and Owen are both doing very well. The "feel good" drugs are wearing off, so Jenny is starting to feel a little discomfort, but nothing substantial. Owen has eaten a few times and had his first big movement.

Oh....he is 8 lbs. 1 oz. and is 20 1/2 inches long. Here he is Owen William Brown.

New Pictures

2008-04-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

I thought you might enjoy seeing new pictures of our family. We are all doing well, just waiting for the big day. Owen doesn't seem to be in any hurry to get here, despite what all the doctors originally told us about the high likelihood of him coming early. So we're just waiting, sometimes more patiently than others. Thankfully, I'm not miserable, just anxious to see our son. Our doctor has said that he will not let me go past my due date so we should have Owen on or before April 12.

Thank you for your continued prayers. We will keep you posted.

Jenny

Owen's Corner.

2008-03-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Well Owen's corner of the room is starting to look a little more like his personal space. His bed now has a mattress and some snazzy sheets and bumper pads. He has a shelf with a bear and a Farmall Super A tractor on it and his name is now up on the wall. Oh and the twin sized quilt that his mom and I found on sale is seen over the other wall. He even has a farm mobile with a brown horse, sheep, white dog and a blue cow. He has a changing pad for those times that his diaper needs to be dealt with and a few diapers to cover his stinky bottom.

Now we keep waiting on him to get ready to join the rest of us. He is still happy kicking and stretching inside Jenny for the moment. Mama will be glad to get her stomach back and for the soreness to pass.

Thanks for visiting. God bless.

Will, Jenny and Owen

Isabella Came to Visit Aunt Jenny

2008-02-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we had were blessed to have had a wonderful babyshower. Our new niece, Isabella Renee Daugherty, was even able to come in from Fort Worth for a visit. She is just over two weeks old, but seemed to get comfortable with Aunt Jenny without any trouble. Aunt Jenny was pretty eager to get to hold her too.

Jenny went to the doctor again this week for another check up on our little boy. The doctor said that his heart looks great and that he seems to be getting into position for his delivery in a few weeks. The computer model now shows his delivery date as April 6th instead of the 12th. Only God really knows the day and the hour, but we will be glad whenever it is. Thanks for checking in with us.

God Bless,

Will, Jenny and Owen

You asked for it...

2008-02-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

Several of our friends and family have asked for a picture of Jenny. So here it is ... hopefully, more will come. We'd like to take some maternity shots but it hasn't worked out for us with our busy schedules. But hopefully we'll fit it in soon.

Jenny is 32 weeks at the time of this picture. As far as the doctors can tell, Owen and Jenny are both doing well. They say that Owen is likely to come early, we're just hoping he waits until after Easter for our sake and his!

Until next time ...

Will, Jenny, and Owen

Owen Has A Bed!

2008-02-02T11:24:00.000-08:00

Well...after several hours of sorting parts and deciphering instructions it is done. Owen has a bed to sleep in and drawers and shelves to store some of his things in. This is one of those beds that keeps converting and eventually ends up as a normal full size bed. The shelf/drawer unit also functions as a stand alone for down the road. The pink balloons in the background are there from Jenny's birthday, just in case you were wondering.

So far everything is going well with Jenny and Owen. Jenny is doing fine and Owen is too. The doctor told Jenny that they estimate Owen to be about 3lbs and 9ozs. That seems to be fine for a 30 week old boy. The due date is still estimated to be April 12th, but Jenny's doctor told her that he did expect her to deliver early. I don't know how early, but that is his prediction.

Well we are off to the store to pick up some baskets for those shelves and Chick-fil-A is calling our names. Thanks for checking in with us.

God Bless,

Will, Jenny, and Owen

Happy Birthday!!!

2008-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Please join me in wishing Jenny Brown a very blessed birthday. This is the first birthday that she has ever celebrated with a baby inside.

I Love YOU! What a blessing you are!

Will

Merry Christmas

2007-12-18T05:59:00.001-08:00

The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:1-20

Isn't he cute!

2007-11-26T19:26:00.001-08:00

I just love these pictures, especially the second one. We had another ultrasound and visit with the high risk doctor today. So far, everything is looking good and completely normal. My heart is doing good and Owen's heart is looking good as best as they can tell for this far along. When we go back on Dec. 20 they will look at his heart in more detail. It's amazing what they can detect these days.

We are half way there and are looking forward to seeing our little boy. Thanks for continuing to check our blog and for your continued prayers.

Jenny, Will, and Owen

The Texas Coast

2007-11-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

Well Jenny and I had the chance to get away a few weekends ago. We went to Galveston, TX and enjoyed some time on the beach.

We even got in the water for a few minutes. I didn't ever think that I would be standing in the Gulf of Mexico on the last weekend of October, but the water felt pretty nice after a minute or so.

We went to Seawolf park and saw the submarine and the destroyer. We went to Moody Gardens and checked out the aquarium and went for a ride on the paddle boat. We enjoyed a couple of hours on the beach and went for a walk in the historic downtown area. While in the downtown area we found a very nice authentic ice cream parlor/soda shop/candy store and shared a very good root beer float together. We also took a tour through the railroad museum which was fun and interesting.

Do you want to know?

2007-10-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Well.....do you?

We visited a doctor today that specializes in high risk pregnancies. Many of you know that as a child Jenny had a hole in her heart repaired. This heart defect in the mother increases the baby's risk of having a problem also. The doctor explained that there will likely be no problem at all, but there are risk that they must check on. The doc started the ultrasound and started his exam of the baby and took some pleasure in teasing the both of us about finding out the baby's gender. After several minutes of taunting us and light hearted joking the doctor pointed to a location on the screen and said to us, "That is a boy" And so it is. Jenny and I both agreed that it would be best that we not post that particularly revealing picture of our 15 week old son.

We had already decided on names for a boy or a girl and so our son will be named:

So now you know.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing in our excitement.

God Bless,

Will, Jenny and Owen

Creativity at work

2007-10-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

Will and I created this picture last night and I wanted to share it with you. Hope you like it as much as I do!

Jenny

Here It Is!

2007-10-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Click on Image to Enlarge

Well the doctors have determined what has been causing Jenny to be sick so much lately. It appears that there is this little 3 inch long person living/growing inside of her. Here are some actual images of Jenny's little passenger. It was pretty active for the few minutes that we saw it today. It was stretching and rolling over and moving around. It was that moment when you finally realize that there really is a baby in there and it is alive and on its way. We got to hear the heartbeat and that was very cool too. The nurse said it was at 140 beats per minute and that was very good.

Well that is the update so far. We still don't know if The Baby is a boy or a girl yet, but we will be having a 4D ultrasound in the next couple of weeks and we're told that we would likely find out then. Mother and child are doing great.

God Bless

Will

Jenny

The Baby

12 Weeks

2007-09-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

The baby is now 12 weeks along and seems fine so far. Well...we haven't heard anything negative from any of the test results and lab work that was performed on the last visit. We will have our sonogram on October 10th, so we hope to know a lot more then. A pregnant friend was telling us this afternoon what a huge impact that hearing their baby's heart beat for the first time made on her and her husband. We are curious/excited to see what that will all be like.

Jenny is still doing well. She is still nauseated and tired many days, but she still somehow seems to manage to teach her classes all day and make it through. Jenny's friends and other mothers that she talks to all tell her that they started feeling much better at the beginning of their 2nd trimester. She really hopes that this will be true in her case also. Right now clothing is becoming an issue for Mrs. Jenny. Shopping for maternity clothes has become a much higher priority over the last two weeks than it has been to this point. Maybe when we know more about the gender of our new family member, then we can start to get a few things to prepare for him or her as the case may be.

Anyway...that is sort of the quick rundown of where we are with anticipated birth of our first child. God continues to bless us through the love, giving, and prayers of family and friends. For this blessing we are very humbly greatful. God's plan is perfect and His promises never fail. Even when we get blinded by our circumstances just hold on and know that He is there. To God be the Glory!

God Bless,

Will

God's Perfect Time

2007-08-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

Some things will only happen in God's perfect time. This test above represents our third attempt to verify the positive findings of the first two tests. If you can trust these "at home tests" and the nausea and other symptoms that Jenny has been having every morning for over a week, then we are about to become proud parents of a blessing from God. Jenny is scheduled to see her doctor on September 10th for the "official" doctor exam. We are both excited, but it still seems surreal. I guess once the doctor visits start and her body continues to response its' new passenger the reality will start to set in. Our rough projection at this point is that the baby should come in the middle of April, if all is normal. Praise God from whom all blessing flow. Thank you for visiting with us.

God Bless,

Will

3rd Wedding Anniversary

2007-06-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

My wife and I recently celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, we got away to see some of the plantation homes south of Baton Rouge. Our stops included Oak Alley and Houmas House.

The majestic lane of 300 year old oaks at Oak Alley immediately draw you in with their shade, symmetry and scale. Walking beneath their canopy one can only imagine the rich history that those trees have lived through. The gardens at Houmas house also inspire anyone with a camera to come in and capture the beauty. These are a few of the images from our visit.

God Bless,

Will

Getting Started!

2007-06-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

This blog is a place where I intend to post my photos and thoughts about living. This week has been a little busy, so I haven't had a chance to really get started yet. Thanks for coming by. Please visit again soon to see a little progress. I have some good pictures to share.

God Bless,

Will