The Brown Team

where i sit

2010-08-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

here is where i sit while he makes sure i continue to move through the air. we talk and process new jobs and what to have for dinner. stop by and have a go yourself.

this one reminds me of the dock at beyond. a great view with activity passing by. but a hard seat; i can't sit too long so i soak in the time i do spend here and make frequent visits.

First Part of Summer

2010-07-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since we last dropped a note. Please forgive us, for we have been busy playing, hiring people, changing jobs, making swings, going to Beyond, and trying to stay away from electronics.

I, CB, went on a climbing trip with my friend Eric Mann, albeit unsuccessful but fun not the less. We attempted Chair Peak in the Cascades, just north of Snoqualmie Ski Area. The snow conditions were very unfavorable and it was more difficult on the approach than expected.

Below is a shot with Chair Peak in the background. The South Face is shown, and we were going to climb the North Face. We had a close call, but everything turned out ok. Great views and definitely a climb for another day.

A few weeks after that Abbie, Roscoe and I went to a great winery on the Columbia River called Cave B. The sunsets were amazing and the views were sweeping and beautiful. We tried to take a family picture, but it didn't work so well.

Columbia River in the middle and Cave B at right.

Roscoe had some fun too. He loves to swim...but only if we throw a stick for him.

And if he is really good, he gets some ice cream.

We went camping and climbing after our stay at Cave B, here is a picture of The Feathers at Frenchman's Coulee near Vantage, WA.

After camping and climbing, we headed home.

Roscoe helped up put in some blueberry bushes, which have already produced some berries. They will really be ready in August and September.

We will write more later in the summer to share all our other fun adventures.

Motivate. Educate. Activate.

For now, this is CB...well I guess I will always be CB but you know what I mean.

Food I am loving right now ...

2010-02-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

This pancake recipe. Finally pancakes that keep me full until lunch. The first time I made them without blueberries, I will never make that mistake again.

This pizza dough recipe is at the top of my list for pizza or calzones. It's slightly sweet thanks to the honey and wine. And it's light yet it doesn't fall apart - even when I make calzones and stretch to fit it over the endless toppings I stuff inside.

I made this Mexican Souffle last Sunday evening and ate it every morning for breakfast until I ran out on Thursday. Cyrus had some too. I am going to make it again next weekend for friends.

Who knew brussel sprouts could be so good! I didn't grow up eating this vegetable. In fact, I can remember which table I was sitting at upstairs in the SUB the first time I tried them. I have received several batches in the CSA this winter and I am making another batch of these tonight.

And although it's long gone, this recipe for Black Bean Soup is the easiest and tastiest I have found. I skipped the fancy toppings and stuck to sour cream - maybe next time.

Images from China

2010-01-07T21:15:00.001-08:00

travels

2009-12-31T10:11:00.000-08:00

For the last two weeks we have been on vacation together!

First, we road tripped to California with our favorite road warrior, Roscoe.

We forgot the camera on the kitchen counter so I only have words to share. We stayed a night in the magical town of Ashland, OR - at least it felt that way walking around downtown all lit up with Christmas lights on a cold winter evening. We discovered the local dog park and then drove south to Santa Cruz. We stayed two nights with Heather, Drew and Clara. It wasn't long enough; we wish we lived closer. From there we headed to the valley for Christmas in Visalia. We feasted, talked, walked in the sunshine, watched my favorite movie and celebrated with family. After three days we drove north to Ashland again. Now returning to a familiar place we explored more of this small town and vowed to return again. We ran into Eric and Elizabeth at a crowded store where we stopped to stretch our legs. And then continued home - happy to be in Tacoma again.

We have spent the last few days cleaning, cooking, up-packing, washing laundry and re-packing. I was settling in - spending most of my days in the kitchen with my new cookbooks and dutch oven with occasional breaks to walk the dogs. Cyrus was preparing for the trip of a lifetime. He is traveling to China with a group of students from his school and two other chaperones. They will be in Beijing for two weeks and then traveling to Guilin and Hong Kong. They will be keeping a blog of their trip here

Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year and great adventures in 2010.

bits and pieces

2009-12-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

I have been reading a blog called Habit lately. It is a collection of women who take photographs of everyday life and share them, with a few thoughts. My daily readings cause me to pause more often in my own life, something I hope to make more of a habit. I have thought many times about sharing images and thoughts here...I meant to do this along the way but here it is all at once.

I treasure sunny days. Late fall gave us many this year and we spent many evenings and weekend mornings at the new dog park in town. He never tires of the ball.

We discovered the old trains during a visit with my parents. Exploring is one of my favorite pastimes.

Barking Frog: I love the name and the food too.

We were tourists in Woodinville. It was good to drive an hour and feel like you're on vacation.

This was one Christmas tree adventure to remember! I am so thankful for tradition and people to create it with.

Every year I miss the advent wreath...this year I decided to make my own. I am so glad I did.

I love Saturday morning breakfast. Cyrus is the best pancake flipper in town.

A winter wonderland magical vacation to Lake Quinault

I love the snow.

May this season be a time to stop, enjoy, reflect and anticipate.

Simple Living

2009-11-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe we have already been home two months - the same amount of time we were gone. So, although they are long overdue, here are some moments we wanted to share from our summer. We lived simply in the rugged coastal mountains of British Columbia at Beyond Malibu. We didn't take our camera out much, but here are some images from a dress-up dinner on the dock, life around base camp and 10-day (guide training).

This was etched into the wall of our cabin. A good reminder to live fully every day.

James is always good for a laugh

Our lovely head chef, Jillian

Yes, they were like this all summer...

Kjel and Annika

Sarah and Lauren

Kate

Holly

All of us at base camp

a rough life

Chaz

Ben

Chad

Tyler and James

His favorite past time

Cole

Tessa

Jeff and Finley

Where the journey always begins and ends...Egmont BC

It will be good to return again someday

Absolutely Floored

2009-06-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Monday Morning. 8:28 am. No Coffee...yet. Sun up and rising.

I want to say all students are amazing, but I lack the emotional and intellectual capacity to make that statement. However, I have been fortunate to work with some incredible students at Tacoma School of the Arts (SOTA), which is the high school I have been teaching at for the past two years. Instead of write it myself, I will let you hear what others had to say...their words could be more believable.

From Left to Right: Isaac Solverson, Mac Tadie (back ground), Jake Stortini, Logan Jones, Joe Holcomb.

Above article is from the Tacoma Weekly Volcano

Link to the Washington State University Article.

I am inspired to work hard, plan diligently, and be creative with many more students. And hopefully, they will become inspired as well to create into the future.

CB

Inspired

2009-04-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

Most of the books I've read in the past year have been on the topic of food.

First, there was Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Her story challenged me to think about where my food is grown. It inspired me to grow my own food; so we started a garden. Then came another memoir/gardening book and many how-to gardening books as I tended to my own garden over the summer and fall.

Next, I read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen. It challenged me to think about how my food is grown - meat or vegetable. It inspired me to shop and eat differently; to make concious choices.

Currently, I am devouring Molly Wizenburg's A Homemade Life. I am inspired to cook, bake and create; luckily it's spring break and I find being in the kitchen extremely relaxing and fun. I have spent lots of time creating soups, salads, and the cookies pictured above. These are my favorite creation of the week. The pretty pink color makes me hopeful for spring. The taste of the shortbread cookie and the cream cheese frosting is unmatched. The ones pictured are the only remnants left in my own kitchen - they are so rich I had to give many of them away. Although I may make another batch before the week is over and hide them in the freezer for a later date.

-Abbie

a new season

2009-03-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

Winter has passed and we forgot to share our pictures and stories. So here is a recap: better late than never.

Winter officially hit Tacoma a week early. Snowstorms caused Winter break to begin 3 days early so we hit the road and drove to Montana to meet Mom, Dad, Tim and Theo (dog) for a week in Red Lodge.

Roscoe loved the car ride and mostly sat with his front paws on the middle console so he could look at the open road. We were able to visit Ian and April and Cody, Beth and Greta in Missoula for a day. It was great to see everyone; the new family member and a new home.

We were greeted in Luther with snow and horses. It was a beautiful place to be. We cut our own tree, made delicious food, drank hot chocolate, skied cross country and down the slopes, spent time with family and played in the snow with Roscoe and Theo. It was as wonderful as it sounds.

Roscoe couldn't believe all the open space to run - right out the front door!

The tree

I love Big Sky Country

The road home...with a tired puppy in the back

As for 2009, we have been busy but with nothing as picturesque as Montana. We have filled our days with teaching math and science and our evenings with the gym, reading, cooking, watching Northern Exposure and 30 Rock. Our weekends have hosted visitors (Abbie's Dad and Cyrus' Mom), Sunday night dinners and Beyond selection committee meetings. We painted our living room and office, went backcountry skiing, rock climbing and downhill skiing too.

Roscoe broke his fifth digit on his front left paw. He had a splint and was on house arrest for 6 weeks. He's finally back to normal and we are too. The days are longer and we're outside more often. We are back to running and going to the park, endlessly throwing the ball for him to chase.

And Abbie got a new bike (thanks to a wonderful husband and generous family and friends). I can't wait to ride more as the weather improves. Pictures to come soon.

Wishing you all a happy spring!

What is Green and Brown?

2008-11-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

Fall + Tacoma = Rain

Big Maple Tree + Fall = Lots of leaves

[(Wire mesh + Cedar boards)*
(Leaves + Correct Food Scraps) + TLC ]^Time =
Awesome Homemade Compost to go in the new garden beds

Our New Compost Bin: Made from mostly recycled materials

Our New garden beds: made of fir 2x8s. I did want to make them out of cedar, but that was a little expensive for us right now.

Roscoe wanting to get on the other side of the fence. I think he is giving me the evil eye. Can't you see it....

I had the amazing opportunity to go to the regional NSTA (National Science Teacher Association) conference in Portland, OR this last weekend. Picture this: thousands of nerdy science teachers, who all have the maturity of an 8 year-old and the intellect of a rocket engineer, descend on one of the greatest cities in the nation. Portland has great people, great sites, great coffee, and great beer.

To my fortune I was able to tour OHSU's (Oregon Health Science University) new LEED Platinum Certified building, which was incredible. We toured the building with one of the main architects who worked on the project. By combining about a dozen different technologies and techniques this building uses 60% less energy compared to a building of similar size and use. Meaning: If a building of similar size and use used 100 units of energy, this new Platinum Certified building would use 40 units! It also has its own waste water treatment facility, so it dumps no waste water into the Portland system. Not only is it efficient, it's a sophisticated and inviting place to visit. I have been totally jazzed after seeing this building and learning about the creativity of many different people out in the world.

Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving. Cyrus

Jack

2008-11-18T19:44:00.000-08:00

This is the newest member of the Stevens Family.

And this may be the best picture I have ever seen

I am glad to know Whiskey loves being a big brother...

Congratulations Sean and Shannon!

Friends

2008-11-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

Good company....Roscoe and Miles

"Packs On"

2008-08-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

the title is a phrase from our beyond days. it is one of our favorite things to do. we got out a few times this summer with packs on. enjoy the scenery.

elisa and wilder

abby o'issacson

andy and wilder

hiking through tubal cain meadows

camp at buckhorn lake

wilder and roscoe wrestling in camp

roscoe thought the firepit was quite comfortable

on the trail up to marmot pass

roscoe was so excited when we hit a small snow patch on the way up to the pass

he tried rolling in it but the backpack didn't help much

it was hilarious

he knows snow is the best stuff to hike in, up or down

family pic

handsome hiker

tubal cain meadows

a day hike to noble knob

bliss

Celebrate

2008-08-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated a commitment we made 2 years ago.

We walked in many parks, drove to the coast, enjoyed hot beverages and played with the dog.
We reflected on joyful moments.
We encouraged one another to be more honest.

We love being married.
Thanks to you whom encourage, challenge and love us.

Roscoe loved the beach - chasing the ball and playing in the surf.
He was a mess - check out all the sand on his tongue.

Abbie 5, Roscoe 3

2008-08-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

Most of the time I love our dog. I think he's cute, handsome, extremely playful, loving and mostly loyal.

I also love my vegetable garden. I got inspired while teaching plant biology this year and reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Plant biology became much more interesting when I had the possibility of growing my own food (since acquiring a yard!).

I am a novice. Cyrus helped build the garden and I sowed most of the seeds in the greenhouse at school. (A few basil plants died and I replaced them with starts from the farmer's market.) I have enjoyed the process of watching the plants grow and begin to produce food. Although with our cool summer I am not too confident about the harvest I will get. But zucchini are easy, said to be great for a novice gardener. My friend Kelly grew a zucchini bigger than her baby last summer. I can do this.

I have been successful. My two zucchini plants are huge (pictures to come soon). And last week I picked my first two zucchini, grilled and ate them that very same day. Delicious rewards. The other day I picked two more zucchini, brought them into the kitchen and left them on the counter. Within 2 minutes I heard a "thud" and ran to the kitchen. One zucchini on the floor, one zucchini missing!

Roscoe had the missing zucchini in the front yard and was tearing it to pieces, as if it were a bone. I was shocked and amused so I let him have it. (He doesn't eat it, just tears it into pieces).

Apparently he had a good time. A few moments ago I was in the garden, harvesting zucchini for dinner. While I was reaching for a squash in the back, he grabbed a zucchini from my dish and ran across the yard - taunting me. Already ruined, I ran inside to grab the camera and capture the moment. I race outside to see the first zucchini on the step and Roscoe standing over my dish in the garden contemplating another bite. I do my best "I'm not mad, come over to me, I have something better" voice and call him to me. It works. I give him the first zucchini and snap these pictures.

Notice the top he took off already, on the left.

Unfortunately, I was too late. When I returned to my garden I discovered a nail mark in another zucchini! I managed to salvage two for myself. At this rate maybe I won't have to worry about not being able to eat all the zucchini. I just hope he doesn't learn how to eat them off the plant.

South

2008-07-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

So...the whole point of labeling the last post "North" was that three days after we returned from Beyond, we flew "South" to Costa Rica with Stephanie and Reid. I am sure the contrast has been lost in my delay, but here are a few images from our trip.

First stop, Volcano Arenal in La Fortuna.

Cyrus ate arroz con pollo a lot on the trip. He claims this one (his first and most interesting) was the best.

Catarata de la Fortuna

Next, we spent 2 days in the mountains exploring the cloud forest. We took a guided walking tour too see the forest from below and then we took a zip line tour to see the forest from above.

I have plenty more pictures from the forest if you want to see them...I was fascinated by the diversity of life - plants and animals...as a Biology geek I was in heaven.

Steph

Hanging bridges

Cyrus has no fear

Abbie was a bit more cautious

Greasy from the pulleys and the rain, but worth it.

Don Juan's coffee plantation. We toured and tasted coffee grown in the mountains of Costa Rica. We even met Don Juan, although we were too star-struck to say much.

flower from a coffee plant

storing dried beans

Reid and Abbie separating coffee beans from the husk

Next we headed to the Pacific coast and Ian and April Foster joined us for a night.

Unfortunately, this was the only turtle we saw.

But my iguana friend hung out by the pool one afternoon.

We spent five days exploring different beaches...

Harassing the crabs....

Making sand angels...

and boogey-boarding! (this was the best part)

To travel between beaches in the rainy season you have to cross a few rivers...here we are checking it out before.

And Reid bravely driving through....good memories.

Thanks for a great trip Steph and Reid!

North

2008-07-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

As soon as we finished teaching we drove to Beyond to lead Guide Training, affectionately known as "10-Day". We climbed Sun Peak and completed a lot of training along the way. This is a view of the peak from Sun City (camp night 1).

Contact Lakes campsite

Looking for a crevasse to use for training

Success! We had a great day for crevasse rescue training and a beautiful crevasse to jump in.

Lunch break

Inside the crevasse

Sunny days...views of Mt. Albert, the Bon Bon glacier and Smithman's Ridge

Summits of JJ and Sun Peak

Crossing the summit ridge

We LOVED being in the mountains. It was the best way to transition after another school year. The Beyond staff is full of wonderfully talented and compassionate people. I am excited for the work they are doing this summer.

Misleading

2008-06-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

After I finished the last post I took Roscoe for a walk. As I walked around the neighborhood at dusk and processed my day the words I had posted floated around in my head. I boasted of our dog and the adventures we've had -the easy experiences of the last two months. I don't want to give the impression that is all that our lives have been. Granted, this is a public forum so my words may not be disclosing, but I want to be honest.

Yesterday, two students stole my classroom key off my keychain at school. The keys were sitting on my desk the last few minutes of the day as I helped a student understand her grade. In that time, a student slipped 2 of my 3 keys off the ring, leaving a few odd shaped keys and the laynard. I didn't notice the two keys were gone until 20 minutes later when I left for the staff meeting.

I felt scared. I feld embarrassed that I had let this happen. I felt betrayed and disrespected. Who would steal from me?

This morning the students were found, consequences assigned, keys returned, apologies spoken. This may seem a simple story, but to me it is more than that. The students were two of my best; smart, nice, respectful, funny. They claim they planned to play a prank and rearrange my room. They made a poor choice.

Today I was reminded of how much I care about students. With only 7 days left of school I had entered survival mode. I was doing all I could to teach each day, prepare for the next day, the end of the year, and already beginning next year's responsibilities. My energy and motivation levels are low. But it's not over. I am still an adult in a young adult world. It was devastating to watch these young people make a poor choice. It was painful to be hurt by their choice. And yet, I am excited to seem them for a few more days until the year ends. I am grateful for the opportunity to be in their lives.

For Heather

2008-06-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, the last two months have been full of playing with Roscoe. A while ago Heather confessed she checked our blog daily for new pictures of Roscoe and I have failed to supply them.
Heather, this post is for you.

Of course we have done other things - rock climbing, snow camping, built and planted a vegetable garden, worked, bought a BBQ, spent time with friends....but all that for another day.

Roscoe loves anything that rolls, but a new favorite is the soccer ball.

It barely fits in his mouth and usually his teeth get caught in it and he can't drop it.

Isn't he the cutest?

I just melt when he crosses his paws.

The leftovers of a squeaker ball from Steph.

It lasted 3 minutes.

But was well worth the entertainment for us and for him.

Playing fetch at the park

We have also been busy taking training classes with Roscoe. We are learning and so is he. I am happy to report that he knows his name, sit, down, come, drop, wait, and this week we're learning leave it and shake.

We love having a dog.

A Very Fine House

2008-04-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Roscoe got his own house yesterday. He was sitting in it by himself and then I ran to get the camera. Of course, he followed me, so Cyrus had to get in to pose for the picture. He hasn't spent much time in the house yet, but it's been so sunny this week! Wait until it rains Roscoe, then you'll be thankful.

More or Less

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

Roscoe has been part of the brown team for a week now. Here are some of my reflections:

We get up earlier on days we don't have to work
We get out of bed faster
I am usually happier when I wake up because he is there to greet me (wanting me to feed him and then throw the ball)
I spend less time getting ready in the morning
We spend more time playing fetch (getting in shape for softball season)
I care less about how I look
I have more mud on my clothes
We have dog hair on everything we own
We spend a lot more time outside (even when it's raining and snowing)
We spend less time in front of the computer
I have visited more parks in the last week than I usually do in a month
We eat at the table more often (he lays at our feed and doesn't beg)
There is more dirt in the house
We spend more time cleaning the house
I have been referred to as "mom" for the first time
I have referred to Cyrus as "dad" for the first time

Synposis: Life is better with a dog around. We'll keep him.

Day 3: Snowing!!!?

2008-03-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

"There's no crying in baseball!" Tom Hanks, League of Their Own. I thought there was no snowing in April, but here we are March 28th and it is full on, no holds bard snowing in Tacoma. Global warming is definitely not happening (that was sarcasm). Talked to my friend Andy today, who is a geologist doing consulting work for WSDOT on Snoqualmie Pass, and right now they have the second deepest snow pack in recorded history on the pass. I don't think we will be hurting for water this summer, or we will be washed away in flash floods later this spring. Either way, the probability for a drought is about 0.0001 (nerd alert!).

Roscoe is calming down some. Day Three looks like playing fetch out side, following me around the house and realizing the I am completely boring then laying down to nap. This is a good change.

My business advice for the day: invest in desalinization plants and low flow toilets in the Southwest then snowplows and snow tires in the Northwest.

Cyrus

Day 2 with Roscoe

2008-03-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hello all, Cyrus here as your guest author. Two things I have learned about Roscoe the last couple days. Roscoe loves to play fetch and he love squeakers. Here he is with his first squeaker, which he totally destroyed about 30 minutes later. Day One with Roscoe consisted mainly of following me around the house and playing fetch. Day Two consisted of following me around the house and playing fetch. Well, at least we are starting with a routine. He is a bit of a softy and wants lots of attention. The most interesting thing about Roscoe is that in two day I have not heard him bark once. A dog that does not bark? Can it be?

For now we need to work on not jumping up on furniture.

Granddoggy

2008-03-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Meet Roscoe, the newest member of our family. My mom called him her granddoggy. She was excited.

We adopted him from the Humane Society yesterday. He's approximately 2 and 1/2 years old. He is mostly yellow lab with some possible chow-chow in him.

He loves to play ball. He will never be tired of playing fetch - in the house or at the park. He even wanted Cyrus to play while he was unloading the dishwasher.

So far Roscoe has a lots of energy, but also rests when we do. He has followed Cyrus around everywhere since we brought him home. He's on spring break and I'll join him next week, which may explain the timing of the adoption. We have wanted a dog for a long time. It was one of the reasons we bought this house - all fenced and ready for a dog.

Roscoe was brought to the Humane Society as a stray, but he seems well cared for; nice teeth, good coat, house trained (so far). Although he definitely doesn't want to be left alone. We'll need to work on that.

Yesterday, as we drove home from the Humane Society - we felt like new parents. We are, in a sense. Maybe I got a glimpse of what it may feel like to bring home a baby someday. I was so nervous. I felt like we'd planned for this and talked about it a lot but now the dog was actually in OUR car, we were going home with him. I couldn't shake the pit in my stomach. It had been there all day because I was so excited to pick him up, but the pit felt heavier after we left the pound. I also felt a great sense of hope and was already planning trips to the park, introducing Roscoe to friends and family, wondering how he'd be at home. Excitement and nerves are a magical pair of emotions.

Mickey

2008-03-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

My brother created this picture to remember our beloved Mickey.
Thank you Tim, it's perfect.

Home

2008-01-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

My mom has a way of finding unique gifts. This year she gave us a puzzle of our new house. It brought me hours of entertainment. I enjoy puzzles, but this one was different. It did not come with a picture on the front of the box. Instead, I had to use my knowledge of Tacoma to put it together. When I started, I had no idea how big of an area the puzzle covered so putting together the edges was tricky. One I figured out Commencement Bay (lower right corner), Brown's Point (upper right corner) and Point Defiance (upper left corner) I felt oriented.

I also knew that our house was designated by a house-shaped piece in the middle of the puzzle.
I forget how close we live to the water. I need to visit it more often.

I felt very successful and satisfied when I completed it and now I don't want to take it apart.

While I worked on the puzzle in January, I was longing for winter. So much so that Cyrus and I took a spontaneous trip to Leavenworth for 24 hours of 0 degree temperatures and snowshoeing. I had stopped hoping for snow this season since the past few times it has been predicted left nothing on the ground. This morning, I found reason to hope again! We woke up to a winter wonderland - Tacoma style. Plus, no school for me and 2-hour late start for Cyrus! I love being a teacher on snow days. A friend of mine loves them because they are guilt free - you can't do anything but stay home and play.

It snowed all morning, and then the sun came out. It will all be gone soon...

I wish it looked like this all winter

Golden

2008-01-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

Cyrus is 27 years old today. We started the weekend festivities with a game of Settlers of Catan with Abby and Tim I. and birthday cake.

Our favorite 'southern' food is Red Velvet Cake. Kelly introduced us to this gem a few years ago at Thanksgiving. At Cyrus' request I attempted to make my first Red Velvet Cake. Luckily, Kelly helped and the cake turned out great. The frosting needs to be improved ... so there will be a next time.

We celebrated again Sat. night with dinner at Cedar's...Cyrus' favorite restaurant. And to continue the food theme - Cyrus hosted a pancake party on Sunday afternoon. Friends came, Cyrus flipped pancakes, I made coffee, we ate and had a great time.

Thanks for the great Birthday hat Ian!

Tradition

2008-01-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

I can still picture the neighbor's house across the street from when I was in grade school. It was a blue, two-story house with black and white trim and a long front porch boasting white columns. However, the image in my mind also shows the house covered in snow, too many holiday lights wrapped around those pillars and lawn ornaments on the roof and the lawn. Each year the newspaper would print a list of houses to see with the best light decorations. I don't remember if our neighbors ever made the list, but I am sure they were trying to. While I am not fond of lawn ornaments I have always loved how lights shine through the snow. It's magic.

Then, I moved to Tacoma. I miss the snow. It never really feels right to have a winter pass without skiing, sledding, ice skating, frozen eyelashes, shoveling... But the tradition of Holiday lights is strong on the West coast - especially on our block! We definately felt like we missed the memo on holiday decorations. We let our neighbors light up the block instead. But it doesn't look the same without snow.

Lights in Tacoma are meant to be at the zoo. And that's where we go see them every year. The Point Defiance Zoo sets up a beautiful display every winter. We go, ohh and ahhh, drink hot coco, weave through crowds of children and strollers, see all the favorite displays and go home happy. Here a few pictures from this years trip.

I go every year just to stand in front of this tree.

Cyrus, Abbie, Corinne and Ryan in our matching jackets

Play

2007-12-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

About 5 months ago two babes entered our life.

The first came in the form of an adorable labradoodle puppy named Miles. Lucky for us, we took care of Miles for 2 of the first 4 weeks he was in his new home. We are his surrogate parents. He knows our names, knows our house and we like him a lot.

A few weeks later, Micah joined our Tacoma family.

He's quite adorable too.

These two babes have brought us much joy and laughter in the last 5 months. Both their parents are a few of our favorite people and we love the new additions.

Last weekend I had a "you know life has changed" moment. On Saturday, Steph, Kelly and I went snowshoeing, with Miles and Micah. My car was full of snowshoes, boots, backpacks and now a car seat and a dog! The trip was fantastic. It had snowed 2 feet the night before so we had plenty of fresh snow to trudge through. Watching Miles in the snow for the first time was hysterical.

And Micah in his snowsuit was a precious sight.

Happy.

I have played more, laughed more, and taken more days to spend time with people (and dogs) since the arrival of these two guys. For that, I am thankful.

Exploring

2007-11-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

Needing to work off our turkey dinner and celebrate Abby O's birthday we went to Kopachuch State Park on Friday morning. The air was crisp, the paths covered in leaves and the views were bright and blue. A great place to go exploring.

Abbie & Miles, Mom & Theo

Theo, Mom, Miles, Abbie and Dad looking at the Olympic Mountains

Having out-of-town visitors always pushes us to do new things. We had never been out to Kopachuck, but I want to go back already. After a leftovers lunch, we went downtown Tacoma to the Glass Museum. Theo wore his red service dog cape and was great with all the people around. The best part was watching a team of glassmakers attempting the largest blown glass Christmas ornament. There were about 12 people in the hotshop along with a teacher to explain what they were doing. They made a pink ball that was 32 inches in diameter - the largest one ever made. The next day another team was going to try to beat their record. All creations are being donated to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital in Tacoma.

Thanks for a great weekend Mom and Dad (and Theo).

Thankful

2007-11-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years I have developed a love of cooking. A combination of fresh vegetables from the farmers markets, Stephanie's talent, and Sunday night dinners have inspired me to become a better cook. Plus, I find it relaxing. Now, I really only cook two nights a week, but I spend time reading magazines and looking for new recipes to try. So, after hosting many friends for dinner over the past two years I was not hesitant to host my first Thanksgiving dinner. I had the most fun collecting recipes for the menu.

Afternoon Snacks
Apple Brie and Pecan Quesadillas
Oven-Roasted Canned Tomatoes on Toasted Baguettes

Dinner
Spinach salad with blue cheese, cranberries and pecans
Squash pull-apart rolls
Mashed sweet potatoes and goat cheese
Herb and Sausage stuffing
Orange-Sage Roasted Turkey and orange sauce
Wine

Dessert
Apple-Cranberry Walnut Crisp
Vanilla Ice Cream
Coffee

My parents joined us from Minnesota to see the new house and spend the weekend with us. Another Minnesotan friend, Alison, joined us for dinner. We also had Theo, my mom's new puppy. He is a service dog - in training. And we had Miles, Steph and Reid's dog.

Our small house was full.

Theo

I was thankful Mom was here to help with everything. We cooked Wednesday afternoon and most of Thursday. Everything tasted delicious. Hosting our first Thanksgiving was a success.

Theo and Miles wanted some turkey too.

Now that the occasion is over, my thoughts:

1. Cooking a turkey was fun and actually not too difficult.

2. There is really too much food on the menu to enjoy it all.

3. Thank goodness for leftovers.

4. It's too much for one person to do (or a novice and her mom). I think our Sunday night dinner crew has it best. The host is in charge of the main meal and guests bring the rest. Next time I am inviting more guests!

5. I respect all those who host Thanksgiving so much more now that I have done it myself. So, thank you mom and dad, aunts and uncles, grandparents and friends who have hosted my Thanksgiving dinners of the past 25 years.

I am thankful for new experiences, family, beautiful fall weather, friends, good food and puppies.

Quinault

2007-11-08T19:56:00.001-08:00

Fall was full. It often felt overwhelming between making our new house a home and working with new students. Many days we were both tired and crabby which may be why I haven't added a post in awhile. But now that I sit down to share stories from the past few months I am reminded that life is not too hard. Work is part of life. Owning a home is good. We have great friends.

Steph and I in the forest

Earlier this fall we escaped Tacoma for a rainy weekend with some of our favorite friends. We spent the weekend at Lake Quinault Lodge in the Olympic National Forest. The Lodge curves with the lake, poised at the top of a hill to maximize the views.

You can see the smoke rising from the lodge's fireplace. We spent most of the rainy weekend inside, next to the fireplace, with all the other guests. We ventured outside for a few hours each day, only to return to the warm fire. Sunday morning I urged the group to go for a hike in the pouring rain. It was one of those epic adventures where we hiked a lot longer than we planned, we got a bit lost, we were soaking wet and dreaming of the fire at the lodge. But it is my favorite memory from the weekend. I am lucky my friends like to adventure.

Cyrus and I after the long, rainy hike. Happy to be out of the rain.

Project #1

2007-10-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our basement has a separate entrance and is finished to be rented out as an apartment. So, through a posting on Craig's list we found a great renter to live downstairs. Our first major project was to put in a window so the place meets fire code.

Cyrus did a great job. I am so lucky he enjoys projects. That was a major reason we wanted to own a home.

Fire Escapes

2007-10-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Cyrus recently starred in a short music video directed and produced by our friend Tim. You'll notice my name in the credits too, but the only direction Tim gave me was to be in love with Cyrus - so this is not acting. It's a great song, great story, great filming, and the actor is so hot!

I don't know how to put the video on our blog - nor do I have permission to do so. But you can check out Tim's blog and see it for yourself. His wife, Abby, posted it on Sept. 26. Check it out.
http://www.tabbyeyes.blogspot.com/

Theatre

2007-09-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Last week was the first week of teaching classes for both of us. I will let Cyrus fill you in on his own stories, but here is one of my own.

Along with feelings of excitement and anxiety that go along with the first week of school, I felt sad. I thought it was because the we didn't close on the house on time, but on Thursday I realized I was mourning the loss of my classes and students from the past year. You see, I have had the unique opportunity of teaching almost the same group of students for two years. And the classes that were not repeats were the Cambridge classes and we had a special bond of forging the first year of the program successfully. I missed the students I knew and that knew me. It was tough to have 120 new students in my room and not know any of them. And they don't know me. I am sure I felt this way my first year but I was feeling too many other things to know the difference. Apparently this is not an atypical feeling for teachers so it has been nice to talk with my colleagues. I look forward to knowing this years students as well as that first group. And I think I made my first breakthrough with them.

Last Friday I taught a safety lesson that was a bit unusual. I started class by telling students that due to all the accidents we had last year (a harmless fib) our principal is cracking down on lab safety and has hired someone to give a presentation to every science class. The presenter's name is Ms. Cary Less and they need to take notes as they watch her demonstration about safety. Then I went in the hall, dressed up in a long black wig, fancy jewelry and all and came back in with a new voice. I acted as Ms. Cary Less and demonstrated a simple lab. I monologued the whole thing, exagerated whenever I could, made large sweeping motions and made a ton of mistakes. Some kids stared at me and admitted later they weren't sure if it was me at first. Some kids tried to get me to break character. Many of them laughed at me and with me. So after the skit I go outside, get out of my costume and come back in. They had to list all the things I did wrong and from there we made a science safety contract that we should use for lab protocol. It was a fun day. I think it broke the ice and hopefully they understand that I want class to be fun and relaxed as we learn. I'll let you know what happens.

Big News

2007-09-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

Roma grape tomatoes and basil from my new garden.

I have three tomato plants of different variety.

From left to right: cherry tomatoes, better boy hybrid tomatoes and roma grape tomatoes. Plus the basil plant down in front.

My confession is that I did nothing to harvest such beautiful food. I owe everything to Liz, the planter and caretaker of the garden. Liz left me this beautiful garden since Cyrus and I bought the home Chad and Liz owned!

Welcome to our new home. What we love so far is that with the home also came a garden, a beautiful front yard and a great big tree.

The tree shades the front yard so it is the perfect place to sit morning, afternoon or evening. We love it. I am sure we will use it often. Having a bit of outdoor space of our own was a big reason we wanted to own a home and so far this one is working out well. The front yard is also conducive to meeting neighbors. So far we have met our neighbors on either side of us and two families across the street. As soon as we open the door there is someone on the sidewalk waiting to introduce themselves, tell us about their family and all the other people on the block. I am feeling well informed and between the two of us are trying to remember everyone's name. It's a nice change from our apartment where we've lived for a year and had a hard time catching neighbors on the way in or out of the building.

The house is old (1912) and it has fir floors, tall ceilings and it's just the right size (small). We do have room for guests, so when you're in the area stop by! Pictures of the inside will come soon.

Sunday Night Dinners

2007-08-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

The History:
Four years ago, we had just graduated from college and spent our second summer in Canada as mountain guides for Beyond. I spent the month of September living in Montana and Cyrus started coaching the UPS crew team. In October I returned to Tacoma and lived in an attic apartment with Stephanie. And we met Beth. Beth was an intern for TCM that year. The three of us began to spend every Monday night together. We would have Beth over for dinner and then sometimes walk to Frisko Freeze for milkshakes and we talked all night. We met every Monday until Beth left Tacoma and I went back to Beyond for the summer.

When Cyrus and I returned from Beyond after our third summer we celebrated Steph and Reid's marriage (3 years tomorrow!) and we began dating. Steph and I continued our Monday night tradition, now including Reid and Cyrus. The four of us ate dinner together regularly through the first year of their marriage and our dating relationship.

Our Current Group:
In the past two years our dinner group has grown. Jacob and Kelly, Abby and Tim, Andy and Elisa have rounded out the group. I am not sure we can grow much larger since no one has a table large enough! Although Steph and Reid now have a dog, Miles, and Jacob and Kelly have added baby Micah - but they don't take up a spot at the table. Oh, and we now meet on Sunday nights.

How It Works:
We rotate hosting duties every week. The hosts provide the main dish and ask the rest of us to bring something to share. Usually we are assigned drinks, side dish, salad or dessert. I love to cook and read cookbooks, so Sunday Night Dinner is the perfect excuse to pour over my latest issue of Cooking Light or my favorite cookbooks to find the perfect dish. This is also the reason Cyrus and I asked for a table and chairs for a wedding present (thank you Stevens family).

Our Own Tradition:
We will continue to gather every Sunday, including guests (family and friends) whenever they come to visit. The few hours on Sunday evenings are my favorite time of the week. Our little group has shared life events including; new jobs, old jobs, marriages, new homes, home projects, a baby, pets, church, vacations, holiday celebrations, and grad. school. I look forward to more Sundays and spending time with the friends that have shaped our life here in Tacoma.

-Abbie

Our Honeymoon

2007-08-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

We are about to celebrate our one year anniversary.

And we finally learned how to add to this website. So, we thought we would start our own posts with our trip to Banff.

We will not try to fill in the entire year but share some highlights and then move forward into year #2!

We broke up our two days of driving by

go karting outside of Glacier National Park

Abbie and Cyrus on their way to Banff...

and happily married!

Cyrus at Olive Lake, Kootenay NP

Castle Mountain, Banff Canada

Crags above SE side of Lake Louise, Banff

Looking SW across Lake Louise.

Mt. Temple to the up and left, Mt. Victoria up and right in the clouds. Abbie and I bought our first rope from an Australian working in Banff for the summer. had been waiting all summer for the purchase and had a great time climbing on the cliffs on the right of this picture. Good view from the top!

Glacial silt into Lake Louise.

Cyrus is pretty sure this is what give the

lake its amazing baby blue color.

Looking NE across Lake Louise to the Chateau de Lake Louise.

Chateau de Lake Louise. It's really different to see a large resort in a national park, because we are not used to seeing this in the states.

Our Wedding - August 19, 2006

2006-08-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Click on the Image for a larger view...
Cyrus' father is a very talented photographer. He spent most of his time in Red Lodge behind the camera documenting the event and people. These photographs are a great gift to us as it is an authentic representation of our wedding. Thank you Ian. It was Ian who started this blog as a way for us to share these photos with our family and friends. We hope to continue sharing as we adventure together in life.

Thanks for the great signs Dad!

Pastor Tad

Tad, Steven and Cyrus

Cyrus and his nephew, Steven

Lookin' good

Our Best Man, Reid

The Groom

Waiting to see Abbie for the first time...

Oh My!

Our Moms

Father of the Bride

One of the better ideas we had...Since we were married in Luther, MT (about 20 minutes from Red Lodge) we rented a bus to drive guests to the wedding site and back to the reception. Before the wedding, the wedding party rode out early. What follows are some of my favorite portraits.

Reid

Maybe a little nervous

But Happy

Stephanie, Matron of Honor

Davis

Abby

Davis

Kristy

Annie

Abbie's Mom racing past the bus

Annie

Drew

Annie

Reid
Abbie's brother, Tim
Heather
Lanny
J.T.
Abby
Abbie and Steph
Jess, suprised by the bride
Mom checking out the view

the wedding site

Tim and Jacob, our musical friends Tad, our pastor
Sue B.
It's hard walking in heels down a dirt road

My girls looking beautiful
Dad and I arriving in the carriage We had a great time riding down the hill. We talked the whole way, laughed and enjoyed the moments before the ceremony together.
I got really nervous when we got closer to the crowd. There were so many friends and family members gathered in Luther, Montana. Many of the people I had not seen yet and I was overwhelmed by their presence. Thank you all for making it such a special day.

Taking it all in....I am pretty sure I wasn't breathing at this time.
Morgan and Rebekah

Beautiful Mom
GG drove all the way from California to be with us

The Rehearsal Dinner - August 18, 2006

2006-08-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

Emily

Eileen

Making beautiful boquets for the rehearsal dinner tables

Morgan helping out

Tia

Sue B.

Life's tough in Red Lodge

Sue, Morgan, Eileen, Tia, Emily and Rebekah

Just practicing

I love this valley.

Father of the Bride

Our moms

Cyrus and GG.

Allow me to explain the shirt...In the Stevens family those that marry into the family are called outlaws (not inlaws). The night before each wedding the new outlaw is inducted into the clan. Cyrus was given this shirt and a matching hat. My aunt Susan led the group in song. It was all highly entertaining. A good family tradition.

The Brown's: Ian, GG, Cyrus, Andrew, Steven, Rebekah and Sue

It's official...at least according to the state of Montana

I was so blessed that my god-father, Steve, was able to come to Montana. He was my dad's college roomate and claims that 35 years ago they had hair like Cyrus' cousins!

Jen was inducted as an outlaw only a month earlier so they decided to embarrass her again.

I know, there are a lot of us! But each of the friends in our wedding represented a different part of life to us as individuals and as a couple. It was important that they were each part of our day. Thank you all.

I am so proud to be a member of the Stevens family.

2006-08-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

DAY 4, August 17, 2006, BBQ

Red Lodge, Montana, August 15 & 16, 2006

2006-08-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

Day 2, August 15, 2006

Day 3, August 16, 2006

Getting to Red Lodge... Day One, August 14, 2006

2006-08-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

Click on the photos to see a big copy...

Mount Shasta on I5, California

North of Mount Shasta, California

Breakfast at a Casino in Oregon

Miriam the "Road Warrior" Leaves Spokane,
Washington for Red Lodge, Montana

Cyrus escorts his GG...

"Are you famous?"... "No I'm
getting married this weekend"

"I love the shoes in Bozeman"

"Abbie will be here soon"

"Great to see you Cyrus"

A town with great old buildings

The place to stay

"Don't make a sound"

"I can make anything happen"

"How's the weather mate"

Tyvek!

TERMS OF USE... LEGAL, COPYRIGHT & CREDITS

2006-08-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

LEGAL:

© 2006, Abbie & Cyrus Brown, abbieandcyrus@gmail.com

Terms of Use
© 2006, Abbie & Cyrus Brown, All rights reserved. Any visitor to these Blog/Web pages may download, copy or transmit, solely within the United States, any portion of the material in the Blog/Web pages of Abbie & Cyrus Brown for informational and noncommercial personal purposes only. Each copy of these materials must retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained therein. The text, images, photos and their arrangement on this site are subject to copyright and other intellectual property protection, they may not be re-purposed, linked or re-used in any way.

Abbie & Cyrus Brown designs may not be modified, and they may not be used, downloaded, copied or distributed in any way except as an integral part of an authorized download, copy or transmission of material in these Blog/Web pages. No license to any Abbie & Cyrus Brown intellectual property has been granted by use this Blog/Web site. No other use, copying or transmission, in whole or in part, of any material may be made without the express prior written permission of Abbie & Cyrus Brown.

The information in these Web pages is intended for U.S. customers only and is provided "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS. In no event shall Abbie & Cyrus Brown be liable to any person for any special, indirect or consequential damages relating to this material.

Site Requirements
This site is best viewed on Mozilla Firefox 1.5, Netscape 8.0, Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher.

Please contact us with any questions or comments, Abbie & Cyrus Brown, abbieandcyrus@gmail.com

CREDITS:

All Photography

© 2006, Ian Brown
ianbrown@earthlink.net

Creative direction

Yael Maayani

Best Wishes
Abbie and Cyrus
Best wishes for your wedding
Yael