Guess WHAT?

We have an announcement can you guess what it is?

The End :-)

"Dogs day out"

While we were gone, our Grandparents (Gaumi and Poppa) took our puppies all over Irving with their dog (his name is Bear) and had an a great time! (Click the link above to see the video they made)

TOO FUNNY!!!!

Okay, so anyway… we are back, just arrived in the heat from the Lake Bob Sandlin State Park and had a great time! I set up all the computers, printers, and other hardware and then had a GREAT dinner of Outback (YUM).

 

Gaumi and Poppa will come over later and bring some roast potatoes and carrots over! What a way to come off of a vacation!!

It was so nice to come home to a PERFECTLY clean home, freshly mowed lawn and a sparkling pool!   Our trip total was exactly one month and 22 days long! 

AND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE MARSHALL FAMILY AND OUR GRANDPARENTS (Gaumi and Poppa) FOR WATCHING OUR HOUSE AND TAKING CARE OF THE CHECKS FOR THE COOP!

Teamwork makes the dream work

The8Browns,

Jim, Monica, Weston, Joseph, Timothy, Christianna, Elaina and Victoria :-)

(We got back on the 18th but when I made this post, I accidently set the time delay post for today. It should have published the 18th)

Officially one month and 17 days on the road so far!

We have had a blast (mostly) ;)

We went from D.C. to Monticello and took a tour of Thomas Jefferson’s plantation (which was beautiful) and then walked around the grounds.  Afterwards we started our trip up to Michigan to see our family and to celebrate our Uncle and Aunts 50th wedding anniversary!  On the way we stayed a few days at a nice RV park and had to make one stop at a mechanics shop. Later that day I took the kids to the park and there was a fun train they played on, they had a blast!

   

Happy 50th Anniversary Uncle Dave and Aunt Patty!

103 years of marriage combined! 

Uncle Dave, Aunt Patty, Grandma & Grandpa Brown

We had an awesome time while we were in Michigan. We also went to our Uncle Steve’s island.  He is renovating the house and boat house.  It is really beautiful! (Uncle Steve even let Joseph and I drive the pontoon boat!) We stayed in Michigan for 3 days and had a lot of fun with our family. Afterwards started our trip south, I just now realized that we are 1,050 miles form home!

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We stopped at a Target and a Kroger’s (to get some much needed fresh food) then Timothy, Joseph and Dad went to the National Air Force Museum for a few hours and I stayed with mom, put the food away and did some picture sorting/blogging while Elaina and Christianna napped. Later that evening we went to an RV park to spend the night.

June 11th:

We were going to go to the creation science museum but then decided that it would be better to just relax, rest, take showers and go tomorrow. I really cant wait to see the museum it should be a lot of fun! (for the people that know of the Duggars (click here to see their web site) this is the same museum that they went to)  Right before dinner Dad and I took the kids to the park and they had a lot of fun and then after that Dad and Joseph went fishing in the lake.

June 12th:

I am writing this while dad is driving and mom is answering a few emails and the little ones are asleep. We had such a great time today! if any of you are going to go to Ohio, you NEED to make sure that the Creation Museum is a full day stop for your family. (Here is their web site) We learned so much and were amazed at all they had to offer. It was a great experience!

June 13th:

Good Morning! This KOA was REALLY nice! They have this big jumping pillow, a park and most nights they play an outdoor movie, last nights was Open Season. Joseph and I rode our bikes all over the campground and through the nature trails. For dinner we made a fire and had steak and some hot dogs (all beef, naturally) chips, salsa, fire-cooked potatoes and onions, and then the best part, S'MORES! yum,yum!

June 14th:

Dad decided to stay here one more day, which I am very excited about. I rode my bike all around then we had lunch. Once Timmy, Elaina, Christianna and Victoria went for their naps Dad and Joseph went fishing. Mom just started beef stew, and it smells amazing! Keep checking back for updates! 

God Bless,

The 8 Browns,

Jim, Monica, Weston, Joseph, Timothy, Christianna, Elaina and Victoria :-)

Do you want to see the states that we have traveled through in our various RV travels? Click here to see!

Washington D.C.

This has been a very fun week…

Sunday May 24th:

(I think that after reading this post you will think it deserves to be a post in its self……)

We woke up early, dressed had a quick breakfast of oatmeal then headed out the door. We were prepared for the day with a stroller, two big bags of stuff, an umbrella and other important things.

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We walked to the bus stop, boarded, rode 6 miles in 30 minutes then went to the Metrorail boarded the Greenline Metrorail then after 4 stops transferred to the Redline Metrorail for Union station once we arrived we went through the mall to a church that met in a theater. The message was really good but was short, about an hour long.  Afterwards we had a lunch of chicken wraps that was really good then headed home. Back to Union station to the redline, to the greenline, to the bus stop (which we missed so we took a cab!) then home, phew! our treck that day took 4 1/2 hours!      

Monday (Memorial Day) the 25th:

Mom, I and the little ones stayed at the RV while Dad and Joseph went to the Arlington Memorial. Then later we just enjoyed and rode bikes.

Tuesday May 26th:

Today we have a lot to do on our list; the Library of Congress, the Capitol, Chet Edwards office and last (but not least) the Smithsonian National Museum of Air and Space.

Back to the bus from our  RV, train, transfer to another train then arrive! They would not let us take ANY pictures in most buildings and no flash in others so there are not very many pictures of the insides of the buildings. The buildings in D.C. are huge and amazing! We took a tour of the Library of Congress and learned that they have a copy of every book ever copyrighted in America, that's a LOT of books.  The Capitol Dome weighs 9 million pounds and is actually iron painted to look like marble. The Smithsonian has the Sprit of St. Louis, Skylab, and some of the first rockets.  It is amazing all that goes on in D.C.! It is such a busy place!

All of our tickets and maps!

Wednesday May 27th:

We all went to the White House today! And saw the Presidential helicopter! The decorations were amazing and the rooms were so big! after the White House we went to the International Spy Museum! It was way cool!  They showed all the things that a spy might use and about secret codes, special forces, history about wars and how spies aided in them and about the spies that were not loyal to the United States.

George Washington’s Plantation

Thursday May 28th:

We now will head to Mt. Vernon, George Washington's plantation. It is the huge plantation where National Treasure was filmed. Its an amazing place. We were amazed by George and Martha Washington’s service to our country and also their lifestyle of hospitality.  Back in their day, people would stop by unannounced.  Often the people were strangers.   No matter who stopped, the Washington’s took them in and served them.  Afterwards we went to the Holocaust museum. I have read the Hiding Place and other books and have learned in my school about it but actually going there and seeing it was really, really sad.  God help us to never let that happen again.

Friday May 29th:

After all of the busyness just Dad Joseph and I went back into D.C. to see the monuments we saw the  Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, National Archives, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the  Vietnam Memorial. All were fantastic! Afterwards we headed for the Shenandoah Valley Campground.  I made a grave error in directions and sent us right through D.C. rush-hour traffic so that only delayed us about 2 1/2 hours……

Saturday May 30th:

We arrived! (a little sleep deprived though) and had a nice relaxing day with nothing on the list to do.  Joseph and I rode bikes and then later dad and Joseph went fishing.

Sunday May 31st:

Had a bible study and watched some of the teaching form ATI. Then Dad and Joseph and I went fishing again.

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Monday June 1st:

This morning we had a pancake breakfast and then Mom, Dad and Joseph went out by the water while I watched the kids and blogged.