Welcome to our life.

1 Month Old.

2011-09-05T10:36:00.001-05:00

James Campbell Brown

1 Month Old

9.14 Ounces

22.5 Inches

Campbell went for his 1 month appointment last week. Campbell is a happy and healthy little boy. It looks like he might have inherited the long lost Poncy/Fisher tall genes. He's in the 75% for his height!

James' Birthday Party

2011-09-05T10:12:00.004-05:00

On Saturday we went to Savannah to celebrate Ada's best friend's birthday. The Spencers rented a giant inflatable water slide for the backyard. Ada was not interested in sliding during the party. We stuck around for a little while after the other kids left and Ada gave the slide a try. She loved it and we could hardly keep her off it! After a couple of hours of sliding we went inside to open presents. It was a great party and a good time with friends!

Sister and Brother ready for church.

2011-08-23T06:15:00.001-05:00

Coloring with brother.

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Sleeping in the sun.

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Taking Brother for a walk.

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Breakfast with Ada.

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Calling Granny.

2011-08-11T11:33:00.002-05:00

Hey Little Man.

2011-08-07T19:05:00.002-05:00

Little, hey little man

Whatcha gonna dream about tonight

Hey little man, Hey little man

Whatcha gonna dream about, whatcha gonna dream about

Whatcha gonna dream about tonight?

Are you gonna dream about the one who came upon two roads

two roads diverged into a yellow wood

He couldn't travel both, so he had to make a choice

and he chose the one less traveled by

Little, hey little man

Whatcha gonna dream about tonight

Hey little man, Hey little man

Whatcha gonna dream about, whatcha gonna dream about

Whatcha gonna dream about tonight?

Are you gonna dream about the son, who found his way back home

for so many years he'd been away

He thought about his family and how he loved them so

And promised them that he was back to stay

Little, hey little man

Whatcha gonna dream about tonight

Hey little man, Hey little man

Whatcha gonna dream about, whatcha gonna dream about

Whatcha gonna dream about tonight?

Are you gonna dream about the colors of the rainbow

and the pot of gold that's waiting at the end

May luck be on your side and the spirit be your guide

And may you know the blessings and may you know the joy

And may you know the love of true friend

Little, hey little man

Whatcha gonna dream about tonight

Hey little man, Hey little man

Whatcha gonna dream about, whatcha gonna dream about

Whatcha gonna dream about tonight?

--Hey Little Man--

Eddie From Ohio

Bath time.

2011-08-07T18:54:00.003-05:00

12 days old.

2011-08-03T14:35:00.002-05:00

Another picture.

2011-07-23T08:52:00.000-05:00

James Campbell Brown

2011-07-22T11:43:00.001-05:00

Introducing James Campbell Brown,

born 22 July 2011, 10.15am. 22 inches long, 7 pounds 10 ounces.

Greenville and the end of vacation.

2011-06-21T09:45:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday we traveled from Asheville to Crossville, TN (just outside of Knoxville) to pick up Ada. We met Dude and Dolly at a Cracker Barrel and had a nice reunion with our little girl! We were all excited to see each other. After a quick lunch and a tearful goodbye we got back in the car and drove through Knoxville, Asheville, Hendersonville and made our way to our destination for the next two nights, Greenville, South Carolina. We spent Thursday morning exploring the downtown and really enjoyed the beautiful waterfalls that are right in the middle of downtown! We also drove around a bit, saw Bob Jones University, found a cool (temperature-wise)mall to escape into, and had a nice dinner at a yummy Mexican restaurant downtown. Friday morning we got up and got on the road and made it home by mid-afternoon. It was a long journey but a wonderful vacation. We were happy to be home but sad to see our trip end!

Asheville

2011-06-14T19:13:00.002-05:00

We have been spending the past few days in Asheville, NC enjoying life in the mountains. We have loved driving along the Blueridge Parkway and taking in the stunning views, exploring the Pisgah National Forest, visiting the Carl Sandberg house, and just hanging out, and eating well, in Asheville.

Montecello

2011-06-11T19:13:00.006-05:00

On our way from Richmond, VA to Statesville, NC we stopped at Montecello - the home of President Thomas Jefferson. It was really something to see, and we really enjoyed touring the house, and walking around the gardens.

College of William and Mary.

2011-06-10T19:16:00.003-05:00

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America finished this morning (Friday), and so we are now officially on vacation!

After a very tiring week, but we are glad to be able to just relax for a few days. We kicked it off by visiting the College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is an incredibly beautiful and historic university, and we enjoyed just walking around its campus for a couple of hours.

If Ada decides against Covenant College, this is definitely our second choice for her!

Good Morning Virginia Beach

2011-06-07T06:04:00.001-05:00

Just can't wait to get on the Road Again.

2011-06-04T10:45:00.003-05:00

Alex and I are about to head out on a big road trip. We're headed to the PCA's (our denomination) General Assembly in Virginia Beach. After that we'll be treking through Virginia and North Carolina visiting Charlottesville, Statesville, Asheville, Hendersonville, and Nashville. We're calling it the 'Ville tour of 2011! Here's a map of all our destinations.

View Larger Map

We'll be departing Sunday night and will return thirteen days later. We'll try and update along the way but if not there will be plenty of pictures when we return. (Ada, meanwhile, is enjoying a nice 2 week vacation with her grandparents in Saint Louis!)

It's all in the fingers.

2011-05-24T10:04:00.004-05:00

Apparently, our family has a characteristic pose...

(click on the picture to see it bigger)

The Sand and Water Table.

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Untitled from Sara Brown on Vimeo.

Zoo with the Spencers.

2011-05-11T13:33:00.005-05:00

On Monday we went to the Jacksonville Zoo with the Spencer to celebrate Ada's birthday. We had a really good time and enjoyed ourselves despite the heat. We saw lots of animals, managed to get a semi-decent photo of James and Ada (you can see how many takes it took!) and the kids enjoyed cooling off in the splash area. After the Zoo we headed to St. Johns Town center for some shopping and dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. It was a full day of fun with friends!

Ada's 2nd Birthday.

2011-05-11T13:22:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Ada's 2nd Birthday on Saturday. We started the day with cinnamon rolls and birthday presents from Momma and Poppa. Ada got a swimming pool and a broom that is just her size! After breakfast we called the family in Scotland and Granny Brown, Auntie Stella, and Uncle Russell enjoyed watching Ada open her presents. She received an awesome Little People Tractor to go with her Little People Farm and a new tricycle with a helmet and knee pads. After round 2 of present opening we went for a nice walk and spent some time playing on the playground. Then, we called Dude and Dolly in Saint Louis and they watched Ada get to enjoy her new sand and water table. We spent the afternoon enjoying beautiful weather and playing with Ada's new toys. Bed time came earlier and then Momma and Poppa ended the day with a special dinner to celebrate getting to be Ada's parents for 2 years! It was about as perfect of a birthday as a 2 year old could hope for! We love you sweet Ada Brown!

Saturday in Savannah.

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Easter.

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Just making a list.

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21 Weeks

2011-03-22T16:25:00.003-05:00

We went to the doctor yesterday for our 20 week(ish) appointment, and found out that our baby is a very healthy baby. The baby is distinctly average when it comes to growth charts and all that jazz, which we are very content with.

Here are some pictures which were taken yesterday:

Bath time in the Kitchen Sink.

2011-03-16T17:44:00.003-05:00

Let's go fly a Kite.

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We spent a chilly morning at the beach playing in the sand, flying a kite, & trying to stay warm!

Playing with James.

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Our friends the Spencer came to visit a few weeks ago. We enjoyed a long weekend hanging out and James and Ada had a great time playing hard and getting dirty!

Swinging with Poppa.

2011-03-16T17:21:00.001-05:00

Catching Up.

2011-02-05T10:48:00.000-06:00

We have long been absent from the blog. Many apologies must be offered. No significant excuses. Moved into a new house, went to Scotland, dealing with 1st trimester yuckiness, Christmas, etc... Well, we're back now. Here are some pictures to catch you up on the last few months. We'll try to do better from now on. If you still check, Thank You!

January 2011.

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December 2010.

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October 2010.

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September 2010.

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August 2010

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In August Ada and I traveled to California for a vacation with Dude and Dolly. We spent time in L.A. and then drove up the coast to Satan Barbara. It was a great time and Ada was definitely a California Girl.

July 2010

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Ada's a big sister!

2011-01-25T20:13:00.002-06:00

Baby Brown #2 is due to arrive around July 28th. We are very excited!

Steak Pie

2010-07-30T21:26:00.003-05:00

Our new Friday night routine is that I (Alex) make dinner, and then we watch a movie while eating it!

Tonight's recipe: Rick Stein's Steak, Ale and Oyster Pie (but without the Oysters, because it is Summer), and Julie and Julia. Both pretty good.

Time to Catch up.

2010-07-30T08:37:00.003-05:00

I've just spent the morning bringing the blog up to date. I put the posts in chronological order so you'll need to go all the way back to the beginning of May to see the new posts. I'm going to try and do better with posting more regularly......

In the mean time here are some pictures of Ada from this morning.

I'm gonna bite my pillow.

2010-07-30T08:33:00.002-05:00

We have noticed in the last few days that Ada has been enjoying biting things. Sometimes she does it when she is happy, sometimes when she is frustrated, and sometimes, we think, just because she can. We're watching here closely, though, because we don't want her to start biting people. This morning she got frustrated that I wouldn't let her type on the computer so she bit the couch pillow!

Studying for Ordination.

2010-07-30T08:00:00.003-05:00

One afternoon I went to get Ada up from her nap and found that she had pulled down one of Alex's notebooks into the bed with her. Upon closer inspection I discovered that it was one of his study guides for his ordination exams. I guess Ada wanted to beef up on her Church History!

Swim Lessons.

2010-07-13T11:09:00.003-05:00

Ada and I have been going to the local community pool every morning for swim lessons. She loves the water and is a definitely the champion swimmer in her class!

Cardinals Fan.

2010-07-04T08:17:00.001-05:00

Spaghetti Face.

2010-07-01T09:17:00.002-05:00

Pictures and a promise.

2010-06-19T20:26:00.003-05:00

Is anyone out there? Have we lost all of our followers? We sure hope not! We promise we will be back soon with lots of updates. In the mean time check out the pictures our friends Nate and Laura took a few weeks ago.

Saying goodbye to 105 Jones.

2010-05-20T08:02:00.003-05:00

May has been a busy and exciting month. We celebrated Ada's first birthday, traveled to St. Louis, celebrated Sara's 30th birthday, and packed up our apartment and moved to Saint Simons. It was hard to say goodbye to our friends in Savannah and to leave our wonderful little apartment. We will miss 105 Jones so much. Before we left for the last time we snapped some pictures of Ada in and outside her first home.

Birthday trip to Saint Louis.

2010-05-11T07:44:00.004-05:00

We traveled to Saint Louis to celebrate Ada's birthday with family and to have a little vacation before we moved. On Ada's actual birthday we went to the zoo to see the lions, tigers, bears and of course the penguins! After the zoo we had lunch at the Boathouse.

The day after Ada's birthday we had a ladybug party at Dude and Dolly's house. We grilled sausages on the bbq, played in the backyard, made homemade Italian sodas, ate strawberry cupcakes, opened presents, and had a good time!

Ada's party dress

We made a photo time-line/birthday banner with one picture for each month of Ada's life.

After all the partying and celebrating Ada was exhausted and
slept a lot of the drive back to Savannah.

Forsyth Park Fountain

2010-05-09T07:43:00.001-05:00

Ada's Savannah Party

2010-05-01T07:17:00.004-05:00

We had a Mexican Fiesta themed party for Ada's first birthday. We ate nachos, played with bubbles, burst open a pinata, ate cupcakes, opened presents, and had a really good time with really good friends. It was a great first birthday!

Easter Dress.

2010-04-04T19:56:00.003-05:00

Ada had a beautiful new Easter Dress that her Dolly made just for her. She looked beautiful and, in our opinion, had the prettiest dress of all the little girls!

Easter Basket.

2010-04-04T19:50:00.002-05:00

Ada enjoyed opening her Easter basket this morning. She received some new books, a toy cell phone, an Easter Bunny, some gummy bunnies, and a movie! The cell phone was her favorite.

Easter Egg Hunt.

2010-04-03T18:25:00.002-05:00

Trip to the Water.

2010-04-03T18:24:00.002-05:00

St. Patrick's Day in Savannah.

2010-03-18T07:22:00.006-05:00

St. Patrick's Day is a big deal here in Savannah. We joined in some of the festivities this year and had a great time. The parade was alot of fun but we were worn out at the end.

Almost half of downtown is shutdown to get ready for the parade.

People sleep in their cars and head out to the squares at 6am to set up their areas. Its like a giant tailgate party for the parade.

James and Ada waiting for the parade to start. We got to the church at 9am to get a spot. The church is almost at the end of the parade route so even though the parade started at 10:15 we didn't see the start until 11:30. We filled the time with a lovely picnic brunch and people watching. And there were plenty of people to watch!

Ada passed the time by walking up and down the sidewalk with her stroller. She isn't walking on her own yet but as long as she has something to push she's on the move!

After almost 5 hours Ada couldn't take it any longer and just collapsed in exhaustion while her Papa held her. We went home and all took a 2 hour nap! I didn't know watching a parade could be such a tiring experience. We had a great time and can now say we have watched the second largest St. Patrick's Day Parade in America!

Where's Ada?

2010-03-18T07:10:00.004-05:00

Can you find Ada in this picture?

This is Ada's cabinet in the kitchen. All of the contents have been deemed safe for her to play with. As you can see, she loves her cabinet. She didn't stop until almost everything was out!

Coca-cola.

2010-03-18T07:05:00.004-05:00

(For the Record: She isn't actually drinking coke...just playing with an empty can!)

Playing Peek-A-Boo.

2010-03-18T07:01:00.003-05:00

The pictures are a little fuzzy, but the other night I caught Ada playing Peek-A-Boo with herself and her empty bowl.

Eating a Graham Cracker.

2010-03-18T06:57:00.002-05:00

James and Ada.

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Ada's new dress.

2010-02-16T14:50:00.003-06:00

I made a dress for Ada last week. It's called a pillowcase dress and though its meant to be a one hour project it took me more like three. I had a lot of fun, and learned how to make bias binding, do a blind him, and to applique. I'm pretty pleased with the result and am already ready to make another one!

Snow in Savannah.

2010-02-16T14:45:00.002-06:00

On Friday night it actually snowed in Savannah. It all melted by morning but it was pretty exciting at the time. We took Ada out to see it but she was not impressed.

The Food Network

2010-02-16T14:14:00.004-06:00

The Food Network came last week and filmed an episode of "Chef vs. City" at Mrs. Wilkes (the restaurant below our apartment). Ada and I went to watch some of the taping and got to meet the crew and the competitors. The episode should air sometime in May.

Playing the Piano.

2010-02-16T14:12:00.001-06:00

Teething Biscuit.

2010-02-16T14:05:00.003-06:00

Just Hanging Out.

2010-02-16T13:58:00.002-06:00

Baptism.

2010-01-11T06:39:00.003-06:00

The Sunday after Christmas we had Ada baptized. Neither of our mother's had the gowns that we were baptized in, so, my mother made a new gown for Ada (and hopefully all our future children) to wear. It is long, simple, and elegant- a true family heirloom. Ada's name and the date of her baptism has been embroidered on the inner slip of the gown. My grandmother crocheted the bonnet that Ada wore. It was a special day and we were so thankful to have our family with us. Ada did fairly well during the baptism. She got a little fidgety right before it was time for us to walk up but Alex kept her occupied. Once we went to the front of the church she really started to make some noise (no crying just talking) but quieted down as soon as Rev. Johnson sprinkled her head with the very cold water. Apparently during the prayer she kept giving him the evil eye as if to say, "I can't believe you just got me wet!" Though he claims she was looking at him longingly and hanging on his every word! We celebrated after the service with a lunch at our house with some dear people from church. (I didn't get pictures of the lunch-- too busy playing hostess!) Here are some pictures with the family and a slide show of photos that our friend Nate took.

Christmas.

2010-01-11T06:13:00.005-06:00

Better late then never, right?

Here's a little review of our Christmas celebrations here in Savannah:

Christmas Eve: The stockings were hung by the chimney with care......

Presents wrapped and waiting under the tree:

Ada, with Granny Brown, in her Christmas dress and hat.

Opening a few special presents on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Day:
Cinnamon Pull-Apart Rolls for breakfast

Ada ready to start opening presents.

Ada learning to stack rings with Dolly.

Ada has on her hat from Auntie Isobell and is putting on her new lipstick.

The loot. It took us 2 days to get all the presents opened--

it takes longer when you have to stop for naptime!
It was a great Christmas for Ada. She got lots of wonderful new toys and enjoyed being the center of attention. We had a great time with our families and enjoyed hosting our first Christmas. I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of our meals. For breakfast we enjoyed french toast casserole, sausages, scrambled eggs, and smoked salmon. Christmas dinner was Prime Rib, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, mashed turnips & carrots, creamed spinach, and pumpkin pie for dessert. It was a lot of work but hand-down one of the most delicious meals!

Sara and Ada on Television, again!

2009-12-07T15:38:00.000-06:00

12.3.09 Holiday walk in the Design District

2009-12-03T19:49:00.002-06:00

We live in the Design District of downtown Savannah and tonight was the Holiday Walk. All of the shops in our neighborhood were open late and offered lots of sales, yummy food and drinks, Christmas music and lots of holiday cheer!

12.2.09 Christmas Cards

2009-12-02T15:04:00.002-06:00

December 1

2009-12-02T14:55:00.003-06:00

I'm participating in the December Photo Project this year. I'm supposed to post a picture every day this month. I'm already a day behind. We'll see how this goes!

Who does she look like?

2009-11-30T08:55:00.003-06:00

She's a jumping queen.

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Picture 084
Originally uploaded by Sweet Ada Brown

Swinging in the park.

2009-11-17T15:36:00.003-06:00

New Shoes.

2009-11-17T15:32:00.003-06:00

Thanks Miss Aubrey for my new shoes! I love them and my blanket and bib!

She's on the move.

2009-11-16T10:45:00.007-06:00

I made an attempt at recording Ada crawling. Unfortunately she was not all that cooperative. She didn't really start moving until I turned
the camera off. I'll keep trying!

She's on the move, part deux.

2009-11-16T10:29:00.005-06:00

The Great Pumpkin.

2009-11-16T09:52:00.004-06:00

And they call the thing Rodeo....

2009-11-16T09:47:00.002-06:00

On Friday night I had a surprise birthday party for Alex. I invited a number of our friends to come for dinner. We dined on pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, coleslaw, and miniature chocolate and banoffee pies. After dinner we went to the Civic center to watch the NBR Rodeo that was in town for the weekend. It was a lot of fun and I think Alex was very surprised!

Chef's Hat.

2009-11-16T09:44:00.000-06:00

Sunday Best.

2009-11-16T09:41:00.000-06:00

Ada's new friend.

2009-10-22T12:39:00.002-05:00

Yummy Yummy Yummy I got love in my tummy......

2009-10-22T12:33:00.003-05:00

We have started introducing solids to Ada. She's been enjoying rice cereal this week. The first night we gave it to her I couldn't put it in her mouth fast enough! She seems to enjoy it and she is tolerating it well. Today I got adventurous and made my own rice cereal and Ada seemed to like it. Next week we'll introduce some peas and perhaps some squash!

Playtime.

2009-10-22T12:29:00.003-05:00

All Bundled Up.

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Helping Papa take the trash out.

2009-10-22T12:23:00.001-05:00

Sara and Ada on Television!

2009-10-12T20:28:00.001-05:00

Robert Redford and James McAvoy are in my backyard!

2009-10-12T12:09:00.004-05:00

Robert Redford is in town filming a new movie, The Conspirator, starring James McAvoy and Robin Wright Penn. They will be filming all over town, but right now they are filming around the block from our house. (The house they are using for a couple of scenes is the house were our good friends the Spencers live!) This morning Ada and I ventured out to see what we could see. We saw a lot! And, in the process got interviewed by the local news channel!

James McAvoy- he's Scottish you know. Alex thinks we should invite him over for a plate of Mince and a cup of tea!

Robert Redford.

Filiming a movie is kind of a boring business. I watched them record this scene about 15 times!

They covered the street with mulch and have carriages, horses, and people in costume all over!

Meeting Mr. Stephenson.

2009-10-12T12:07:00.002-05:00

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis.

2009-10-12T11:52:00.003-05:00

Ada and I traveled to Crystal River for the weekend to attend our dear friend Carey's wedding. It was a quick trip full of lots of wedding preparations but it was a lot of fun (and really hot!) and we were glad to be reunited with so many wonderful friends!

Got the cutest little baby face.....

2009-10-06T15:27:00.002-05:00

Fancy Legs.

2009-10-06T15:17:00.002-05:00

Last week I joined some friends for a day of sewing. I decided to follow an online tutorial and made baby leg warmers for Ada from a pair of adult socks. They turned out to be really cute and once I got the hang of it they were pretty easy to make. I didn't get a picture of the others but she has stripes, argyle, and a few solid pairs.

New Sunday Dress from Mrs. Debbie.

2009-10-06T15:12:00.001-05:00

Pretty Blue Dress from Dolly.

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Cuddling with Mama.

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My new trick.

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Wheneer I see your smiling face....

2009-09-24T19:03:00.002-05:00

Reunited and it feels so good....

2009-09-24T18:48:00.004-05:00

While in Pittsburgh we couldn't pass up the opportunity with our old friends the Tweeddales. The last time we all saw each other we did not have children, Alex and I were waiting to get married, and they were still in Scotland. So, we were long overdue for a visit! We had a quick meal together and really enjoyed reconnecting. We hope we'll see each other again soon!