2nd day at Six Flags Magic Mountain

We decided to sleep in and go to Six Flags a little bit later.  We stopped at IHOP for breakfast and then went to the park at around 1:00 pm.  The first stop was a water raft ride, like Rattlesnake rapids at Lagoon.  Not having gone on it before, we didn't know how wet we would get.  Sharri and Rob decided not to go, for fear of being wet all day.  They waited by the exit for everyone else and watched as many people came off the ride soaking wet.  When the kids and Brian & Janet came off the ride, they were all soaking wet, except Brian.  Riley, Erika and Sarah had to take their shoes and socks off and ring them out, because they were so wet.  Luckily, that day was very hot around 85 degrees and it didn't take long to get dry again.  There were many people at the park on today, Saturday.  We counted at least 25 charter buses parked in the parking lot.  The Autrey's bought a Flash pass, where you get to go to the front of the line.  This was nice, since the lines were very long and long wait times.  Sharri did not ride any rides today, because she was still not feeling well with the cold she had.  There was a concert that night of a band that played all of Oingo Boingo songs, so Rob, Janet and Sharri decided to go, since all Sharri was doing was sitting around anyways.  Wow, was the music loud and we didn't even know the songs.  Sharri has never left a concert in her life, but after three songs, she was done and went back to meet up with the kids and Brian.  So, not riding any rides and leaving a concert, Sharri told Brian that she is becoming her mother.  Later that night they had a hurst and some dancers on the walkways dancing to Thriller and some other halloween songs.  We left the park around 11:30 pm and walked to our car, since there was a line for the shuttle tram.  It was a fun day for most of us, but we are headed back home tomorrow.

1st day at Six Flags Magic Mountain

We spent the day at Six Flags today.  We arrived at the park at 11:00 am and stayed until 11:00 pm.  There was not alot of people at the park today, so we were able to ride alot of the rides 2 or 3 times in a row without getting off.  It was great to be able to do that.  It was also a very hot and warm day - 95 degrees to be exact.  Rachel has not been to Six Flags before, so we had to ride all of them for her to experience it, including Superman.  During the month of October, Six Flags has a Fright Fest.  Meaning that have 3 haunted mazes, a haunted house, and they turn one of the trains on the big white wooden roller coaster backwards.  At 6:00 pm they turn on the scary music around the park, and then they have people dressed up in scary costumes walking around trying to scare you.  Erika & Rachel did not like this at all.  They were holding each others arms and trying to ignore them.  They also had fog machines going down alot of the walkways that were close to the mazes and the haunted house.  There was one area that they warned parents not to bring kids under 12 too, because of the scare zone.  The weather was nicer when the sun went down.  Riley's friend, Sarah, lost her shoes on the X2 ride.  She didn't have them tied very tight and the last turn that whips you around, made them fly off.  She was not very happy and they never found the shoes, even the next day.  We bought some souveniers and more face cards to play Nertz with.  We heard that Saturdays are really busy for Six Flags, so to plan accordingly.

Drive to Santa Clarita

On Thursday, we drove the rest of the way to Santa Clarita, California.  It took us about 4 hours.  We stayed at the Residence Inn just a couple of minutes away from Six Flags.  We had a two bedroom suite for the 5 of us.  It was nice, because Erika & Rachel had one bedroom with bathroom and Brian & Sharri had the other bedroom with a bathroom.  Riley was in the room in the middle with the kitchen on the sofa bed.  After we settled in, the kids wanted to go swimming at the hotel.  The adults just relaxed and did crossword puzzles and of course, Sharri took pictures of the kids swimming.  The hotel had a free dinner buffet, so we just ate there for dinner.  It was okay food, but not like the other night at the cheesecake factory where they had to roll us out we were so full.  After the kids swam and got dressed, we decided to go to the lobby and play Nertz for a couple of hours.  Of course, Erika and Rachel are so fast, that they won both games. (Note to self, don't play with Erika & Rachel if you want to lose)  We had a good time playing together and then decided that since we had been driving and we needed to get up early to get some free breakfast, that we should all go to bed.  The kids were really excited to go to SIX FLAGS tomorrow!

Vacation - stopped in Las Vegas

As a family, we decided to take a trip to California for fall break.  The kids and Sharri were off from Wednesday until Sunday, so we decided since our Six Flags season passes were still good, that we would go for a couple of days.  Our neighbors, the Autrey's (Rob, Janet and Sarah) came with us last time, so they came with us this time too.  Also, Erika took her friend, Rachel, to be her buddy.  Today, we drove half way and stopped in St. George for lunch at the IN-n-OUT Burgers and then stayed at the Spring Hill Suites Marriot in Henderson, Nevada for the night.  After we checked in to our hotel and rested for a couple of hours, we decided to go to the strip to see a couple of things.  We parked at the Belligio Hotel and walked a couple of blocks to the New York New York Hotel to ride the roller coaster.  It was $14 a person, but we went anyways.  It really was really shaky and whip your head and neck pretty good.  It had an upside down loop in it and a cork screw.  Sharri said if she would have know there was a cork screw, that she might have thought twice about riding it.  Riley and his friend, Sarah, wanted to go again, so Brian and Rob took them to ride it again for half price.  Then we walked across the street to the M & M World store.  There are 4 floors of all kinds of stuff with M & M's on them and in every color you can think of.  We also went next store to the Coca-Cola store and saw all the stuff they had with Coca-Cola on it, including more face cards for Nertz.  We walked back to our car and drove to the Cheesecake Factory and had dinner and of course cheesecake.  We were so full of food and yummy cheesecake we could hardly move.  Las Vegas was fun, but we were off the next day to Santa Clarita, California.

First E-mail from Elder Brown

We received the first e-mail from Cameron today.  We were so excited that he got right on it and set up his e-mail.  We now can communicate with him on the same day.  Here are a few things that he said.

"I am having a awesome time at the MTC. The MTC is a wonderful experience, although it is hard work, it is rewarding hard work. Well, the MTC is so cool. There are many things I wish that I could share with you.  This campus is really big, it is hard to find things. I have found some things, but I haven't found everything yet. They have a set time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and if you don't eat at that time, you don't eat. The eating area is enormous. It is so big that you can fit half of all the missionaries in there at once.  The food is really good. Well, I want to tell all of you that I love you all and that I am having a good time here, although getting up at 6:30 is a challenge. We have 1 hr of GYM time so we can exercise monday-friday. We have devotional's quite a bit here, and sometimes an apostle comes, but probably not while i'm here. Well, I am having a wonderful time here and things are going well. If I could tell you all the things I have been doing here at the MTC, my e-mail would be pages after pages long, but I can't. I can just tell you the basics of what I am doing. Tell everyone that I love them."
Love,
Cameron

Riley Court Of Honor

Riley received 5 merit badges tonight at the ward Court of Honor.  He earned them while he was at scout camp in July this last summer.  The are Rifle Shooting, Leatherworks, Archery, Electronics and Wood Carving.  He also received the patch from the organized scout camp they went to in the Uintahs.  He had the opportunity to required merit badges too, but instead he chose to do all the fun ones, just like his older brother.  Now we need to work on the required ones that he has started and get them finished up and get his Star rank.  Hopefully, as the winter months set in, we will be able to focus more on them.  Great job Riley!!

Sharri and the Cookie on a stick

Last year at Sharri's school, the Assistant Principal, Boyd McAffee gave her a large sucker for saving his butt.  After that Boyd and Sharri have been exchanging the large sucker back and forth all year as a joke.  Sharri was able to get the last laugh and give it to Boyd the last day of school in a frame with all the staff signatures around it.  Well, today Sharri received a large cookie on a stick in district mail from Boyd (who works at Dixon Middle School now) with a post it note attached saying "Gotcha Ya".  The first reaction was "I wonder how old the cookie is?"  Last year, when Boyd gave her the big sucker, he didn't know where it came from and his wife told him to take it to school and get rid of it.  Luckily, for Sharri, she was the winner to receive it.  Then she had one of the students give it to him on one of the Lion's Council overnight campout.  Then his family went to Disneyland and he gave Sharri everyday a different colored sucker that he had purchased there.  Thinking that this joke of passing it back and forth was over when Boyd quit at Independence High School when she gave him the framed sucker, but obviously not.  Sharri and her family are going to Las Vegas and Six Flags Magic Mountain for Fall Break.  We are going to have to get a large sucker or cookie while we are on vacation and send it back to him.  We were thinking of sending it with Riley or another co-workers daughter that go to Dixon Middle School.  Just wait...this is not over like we thought.

Erika's 100 Bug Collection

Since school started, Erika has been collecting bugs for her Zoology Honors class.  She had to get a minimum of 100 bugs in 16 different orders, such as earwigs, bees, ants, crickets, grasshopper, butterflies, etc.  Any insect with 6 legs.  We have been obsessed with catching bugs on a daily basis for her.  We have paid neighbors to catch them for her and many other family and friends.  She had to put them in boxes, organized by orders and families.  What a project!!  She was up until 12:30 am finishing the final touches.  We are not sure how many bugs she has, but she had 3 boxes full of bugs on pin, point and in vials.  She had to label them all on where, when and who caught them.  This project is worth 1/3 of her grade for this term.  It would have been nice if the teacher would of told us in the summer time, when the bugs were around more, instead of when it gets cold at night and there are less bugs.  The pictures below show the boxes she had and what bugs.  This became a family and neighborhood project.  We suggest, if you have to do a bug collection, start early.  Great job Erika!!

First Letter From Elder Brown

We received a letter in the mail from Elder Brown today.  YEAH!!!  He wrote it on the first day he was at the MTC.  "He says that he had a great first day at the MTC with an orientation and touring the campus.  He says the campus is really big with lots of buildings, so they gave him a map so he doesn't get lost.  He says the MTC rooms are really different.  There are 4 Elders in one room and there isn't much room to do much and they really only use them to sleep in.  He does most of his work in the classrooms across campus.  He says the MTC is really cool and he has already had a cool time.  He started the first day with some investigators instruction.  He says it was cool becasue he got to experience his first time trying to explain the gospel.  He says it was hard, but fun.  His MTC companion is Elders Downs from Kaysville, Utah.  The other companions that sleep in his room are going to the same mission.  There is one more companionship, so there are 6 Elders going to Texas Fort Worth Mission."  We have been sending him daily letters, postcards or a package.  On Thursday, we sent him his favorite Beef Jerky.  On Friday, a funny postcard about using duct tape for sewing instead of thread.  On Satuday, we sent him some family pictures and some pre-printed labels.  We are planning on writing him letters tomorrow from all of us to be mailed on Monday.  On Wednesday everning, Sharri went downstairs where we were helping Cameron pack and found his black laundry bag on the floor.  She called the bishop's wife, who works at the MTC bookstore, and asked her to take it to him.  She saw him on Thursday during lunch time in the bookstore, and gave him the laundry bag.  She said he looked great and happy.  We are so blessed to have Sister Bjornberg to take those kind of things to him, without having to mailing it.  Elder Brown is projected to leave the MTC on October 27th to Fort Worth Texas.  Hopefully, we will get some more letters until then.

Erika overnight with Stake YCL's & Leaders

Erika had to opportunity to go overnight to the neighbors cabin in Fairview with the Stake YCL's (Youth Camp Leader) and the Stake Leaders.  There was 7 leaders and 13 girls.  They are planning the next year Stake Camp Theme and other activities.  She arrived home around 2:30 pm  on Saturday and was so excited for girls camp next year.  She also said that they didn't get to sleep until around 1 am and then got up at 6 am.  Crazy girls, but you know how teenagers can be.  She wouldn't tell us the new Stake Camp Theme, so we will have to wait until October 22 at the Stake Auxiliary Training for all the Young Women Leaders.  Hopefully, it goes with the 2010 mutual theme which is in Joshua 1:9.  We are also hoping to have the value be Integrity, because the color is purple, and you all know how Sharri likes purple.  She will be spend alot of time this next year planning with ther other YCL's and then she will be with the Stake when we are at girls camp.  She is becoming a great leader.

Email from MTC

We received an email late last night from the Missionary Training Center.

Dear Family of Cameron Brian Brown,

We are pleased to inform you that your missionary has been safely checked in at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.  We thank you for supporting your missionary and know that your family will be blessed as a result.

Your missionaries mailing address while at the MTC is:

Cameron Brian Brown

MTC Mailbox #204

TX-FTW 1027

2005 N 900 E

Provo, Utah 84604-1793

Please note the following items:

1.  Your missionaries service begins today,  Please do not arrange or request visits with your missionary, including meetings at the temple or in the proximity of the MTC.

2.  All missionary mail must come through the US Mail or commerical delivery services.  Hand delivered items will NOT be accepted.  Do not send pizzas, fast food, ice cream or any items that will spoil if they are not refrigerated within 24 hours.  Missionaries are not called out of class to receive packages, nor do they have access to a refrigerator.

3.  Communicate with your missionary weekly through letters sent to the above address or through the email account that he missionary will set up within the first two weeks.  This account is to be used by immediate family only.  Telephone calls for missionaries cannot be accepted.  Your missionary will correspond with you on his first preparation day.

4.  Families and Friends should not plan to visit missionaries departing to their field of labor at the airport or MTC.

Sincerely,

Provo MTC Presidency

Cameron to MTC

Cameron was to report to the MTC today at 12:45 pm.  We helped him pack all morning from 8:30 until 11:00 am.  Erika and Riley went to school for the morning and then we checked them out before lunch.  We went to lunch with Cameron at Brick Oven, and they gave him a MTC snack, 2 cookies and 2 suckers to take with him for later.  We then went up the temple to take some pictures and had family prayer together.  We then drove up the MTC with our Auto Pass in the window and the have Elders everywhere to direct you where to drive to and where to stop.  We stopped where 3 Elders where standing, and got Cameron's 3 Luggage bags out, then gave us all a big hug and then he was off with one of the Elders to check in.  That was it, 5 minutes at the very most, if that.  We only cried a little bit and then we went home.  Today was a very emotional day for all of us, especially his mom.  She was doing okay, until we came back home and went down to his room.  We should be receiving his MTC address tonight by email, so we will all let you know as soon as we can.  Please keep Cameron (Elder Brown now) in your prayers.  We know we will all be blessed by his service as a Full Time Missionary.  WE LOVE YOU CAMERON!!!

Cameron set apart

Well, it is finally here.  Cameron was set apart tonight by our stake president, Pres. Ouderkirk at 7:00 pm.  Both grandparents and neices came to support him as well as all of us.  President Ouderkirk was sweet, love and kind and gave some good instruction and well as some scriptures to help us all.  Cameron has been preparing for this for the 4 months, and how has the time flown by.  He has become a great young man and we will all miss him greatly, but we know that he is doing the right thing and serving the Lord for two years.  I think this is the hardest for me, being his mother, giving my son away for two years. I am so glad that I have 7 years before Riley gets to go on his mission, maybe it will be easier then.  We wish Cameron all the best and hope that we can send you all some emails soon.

THE HOMECOMING PICTURE - finally

Erika & Thomas

PHS Homecoming

Sept 19, 2009

A blast from the Past

As we have been cleaning out rooms, we have come across some great family vacation pictures.  This picture was taken at Disneyland in July 2003,  Cameron was 13 years old, Erika was 11 years old and Riley was 6 years old.  This was Riley's first visit to Disneyland.  We all have different facial expressions on this ride of Splash Mountain.  How funny can we be?  I think Erika purposely made a face like she was going to throw up and who knows what the rest of us were doing.  Anyway, since my sister just went to Disneyland and posted a Splash Mountain picture, I figured that she might get a kick out of this one of us 6 years ago.  This one is for you Jenn!!

Riley makes us laugh

We went to dinner at the Grandma Holly and Grandpa Gary and then stopped by the other grandparents house to visit.  Riley loves to play with his cousins, which are all girls on the Brown side.  He does whatever they ask him to, which makes us all laugh.  This time, he put on Lindsee's high heeled shoes, just to make us laugh and let the girls know that he would do anything to get them to laugh.  What are we going to do with him, except laugh with him.  He has done this before, but not in front of everyone so we can see him.  Thanks for the laughs Riley...!!!

Brian, Cameron & Riley @ Priesthood Session

Grandpa Doug was able to get tickets to the Priesthood session of General Conference at the conference center.  Brian, Cameron, Riley, Grandpa Doug, Grandpa Gary, Uncle Doug and Brandon all were able to go with the tickets.  They left at around 4:00 pm and picked up Grandpa Doug and then went and picked up Grandpa Gary, Uncle Doug and Brandon.  Afterwards they went to Italian Village for Pizza Benders.  While they were gone, Erika and Sharri went to the Training Table for dinner and then went shopping at the mall.  We stopped at Bath and Body Works.  That was a big mistake, after leaving with 10 bottles of smelly stuff.  Brian, Cameron and Riley got home at around 11:00 pm that night.  When Cameron was first ordained a Deacon, he was able to go to the Conference Center Priesthood Session for 2 years.  This was Riley's first time since he has been ordained a Deacon and Cameron's last time for 2 years.  What a great experience for all our Priesthood holders!

Erika collecting Bugs

Erika and her friend, Heather, are in the Zoology Honors Science class this year.  They have to collect 100 bugs of 17 different orders, pin them and label thems by October 13.  They have been trying to collect bugs since school started.  We are not sure how many bugs they have, but hopefully 100 soon.  Heather and her and being doing it together.  They went to Vivian Park a month ago at night to collect water bugs and night bugs.  When they catch them, they either have to put them in a jar and soak a cotton ball with acetone to kill them, or they have to put them in the freezer.  So far, they have 13 different order.  The hardest ones to find are termites and head lice.  Yeah, you heard right, LICE!!  Not sure how they are doing to collect lice, but we have asked the school nurses if they can help us out.  The bugs have to be pinned the correct way and be labeled correctly, or they will lose points.  We wish that we had known in the summer time when the bugs were more previlant.  We can't find the Junebugs now that it is cold, nor can we find the squash bugs.  We went to the BYU Gardens today during General Conference sessions to find somemore bugs.  We found some, but not very many.  Of course, the bees are really out right now.  So, if you have any cool bugs (that have to be six legged), please help us out and bring them to us.

Riley Science Project

Riley had to do another Science Project for his Science Honors class.  He chose to drill holes in 3 golf balls and fill them with something else, like lead, water and air.  He did the experiment all by himself and calculated the average.  He then wrote up what he needed for his Science Board and presented today in his class.  Many students asked questions on how he did it and where he came up with the idea.  He loves science and all the in's and out's of it.  It makes us all a little bit crazy with all his inventions and creations with many different materials, especially when he leaves a big mess for us all to clean up.

Went Private on Blog

We had to go private on our blog today.  We found out that Brian's dad was scammed on Monday with a phone call telling him that Cameron was in a car accident in Vancouver, WA and he needed to wire $3500 to him.  Grandpa Doug said that it sounded like Cameron on the phone, so he believed him.  We are not sure how someone was able to connect Cameron with Grandpa Doug on the phone, but they knew that Cam was going on a mission and many other things.  Unfortunately, Grandpa hurried out and withdrew the money on monday and western unioned the money immediately.  He called Cameron today and asked him if he was in Vancouver and if he was in a car accident.  Of course, Cameron told him no to both questions.  We are upset that someone would impersonate Cameron and get money at Grandpa's expense.  We can't believe that Grandpa didn't call us and make an attempt to find out the real truth.  Why do people have to be so deceiving and make others lives miserable.  We all feel violated with this.  Grandpa called the police, but they said that they would not investigate it, so he didn't make a report.  So, to say the least we have had to make our blog private now.