The Brownlees

Many months behind

2010-03-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of the kiddos from February. Both kids are at such a fun age, and I absolutely love watching them play together, tackle each other, and laugh together. It's a mama's dream. If only I could freeze time and keep them at this age forever.

Thanksgiving celebrations

2009-12-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

Better late than never. We have not been very good about updating our blog, so I have a few different events that I will posting over the next few days. We had a wonderful time hosting our family for Thanksgiving and learned that you don't have to have a large home to host loved ones. My brother and his fiancee flew in from Colorado, my sister and her husband drove up from California, and my mom and step-dad brought their motor home down from Mill Creek. Sadly, my older brother and his family were not able to join us because his daughter got sick. We spent five relaxing days together celebrating Thanksgiving and my brother's engagement with a surprise bridal shower. Avery, my brother's sweet fiancee, also invited my mom, sister and I to a bridal boutique to try on dresses, and she even found a beautiful dress to purchase on "Black Friday." It was a great weekend!

Halloween and Hermiston

2009-11-07T15:06:00.001-08:00

In mid-October, we all piled into the car at 5am (an hour only my husband appreciates)in hopes that our children would sleep most of the way to Hermiston, Oregon, where my grandma would be celebrating her 75th birthday. This was also the first time most of my relatives would be meeting Elise, and it had been over a year since they had seen Micah. We heard little noise from the back seat during the first half of our trip, and the second half went rather smoothly, despite their awake state. My grandparents had a wonderful time loving on both of their great-grandkids, and I really enjoyed spending some time with my relatives.

At the end of the month, we enjoyed some Halloween festive activities and loved dressing our kids up in fun costumes. Micah looked adorable in his kangaroo costume and Elise was stayed warm in her pee-pod costume. We also put her in a cute bear outfit that Micah used to wear on our cold walks to school.

Fall update

2009-10-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Our sweet first born is now 3 years old! I can't believe how much in our lives have changed over the past three years and how much Micah has morphed into a fun, little boy. His blossoming personality and incessant talking makes us laugh and, at times, makes us wonder why we ever longed for him to start talking.:) Like most three year olds, he loves to pretend play with his trucks, doctor's kit, animals, or grocery cart/food. I get the biggest kick out of listening to his inner dialogue as he talks through each move.

He is also thoroughly enjoying school, which he attends two mornings a week. Hearing all the great stories of craft-time, snack-time, play-time and circle-time assures me that this two and three year old class at our church is a perfect fit for Micah. Early Sundays mornings, Micah returns to church for Jim's praise team practice. While Jim is rehearsing, Micah sits in the pew with a small instrument in hand (drum, piano, microphone, etc.) and plays along with them. Sunday mornings are a highlight for this budding musician and his father.

Elise is growing like a weed. At her 6 month appointment, she was in the 60th percentile for height and the 10th for weight. We are blessed with another happy, easy-going baby! Elise loves to watch her brother and laughs at the funny faces and sounds he makes. She rolls all over the floor, is learning to sit up by herself, and is getting her first tooth, which explains why she chews on EVERYTHING that comes near her mouth. Knowing that she is our last, helps me to appreciate each stage more than I did with Micah. I am treasuring each little milestone Elise meets.

This month we were visited by Auntie Kandi, my childhood best friend, Kandi's mom, my mom, and Kristi Gertner, another one of my mom's friends. They are all from La Grande, OR, where I grew up, and were in the area visiting a relative. Our moms have known each other since high school, and Kandi and I and Kristi's son were born just months apart and literally grew up together. Although their visit was short, it was packed full of funny childhood stories, family updates, and photo shoots. Below is a picture of our moms fixing lunch at my house(some things never change)and Kandi holding Elise. Fall is the perfect time to reconnect with old friends!

Camp McCullough

2009-08-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of August, we spent a week working at our church's high school camp. With our kids in tow, our job was to keep the camp running on time, problem solve any issues, and do evening bed checks, just to name a few. The campers were great with both of our kids and gave them lots of attention and even babysat when both Jim and I were occupied with other duties. Micah loved playing with "his friends" , running around the camp, helping with craft time, and swimming in the lake. Whenever Elise was awake, she was passed from camper to camper and smiled at each new friendly face. During lunch, Jim and I announced the winners of cabin clean-up and surprised the campers with a visit from Henry and Midge, a very old couple who thought they were going to "Senior Citizen Camp." We had a lot of fun letting our creative juices flow during this improvised skit. We also had a great time dressing up for each of the theme nights (Western Night, Disney Night, Lost at Sea, and Bollywood Night). The campers really got into this and were very creative with their costumes. Our favorite part was spending quality time with all of the amazing people who were a part of camp and watching the kids grow in their walk with the Lord. Camp McCullough is a blessed place!

Quick update

2009-07-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

We have spent most of July fixing up our home, hosting BBQ's and playing with our kids. We took a few pictures of the three 70 foot trees that we had taken down. I finally had to leave the house during the process because I was so nervous the tree was going to crush our house. The good news is that we now have a peek-a-boo view of Mt. Rainier. Although it has been hot, we've had a great time this summer and are looking forward to a fun-filled August.

Our House is a very very very fine house

2009-07-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

God has blessed Julie and I over the last couple years with a great apt. to live in. We waited, sometimes very impatiently, for the right house for us and finally found it. With the help of many to accomplish a few minor fixes (paint, new carpet and flooring, downed trees), we are now sleeping in our very own home. We are incredibly grateful and know that the timing was a result of God's provision for us.

My Favorite Boy

2009-05-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

In the midst of bringing home our second child and trying to figure out what she needs, our favorite boy has grown up just a little bit more. These pictures and especially the video prove that.

Great Month

2009-05-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

In Elise's first month, she has experienced much. Visits from Uncles and Aunts;
Grandmas and Grandpas;
Old Friends;
And New Friends too;
She has been naked;
And Dressed up;
She has been held;
And has dreamed by herself;
Most of all, she has been loved and so has her family.
Thanks for all your support!

Finally, more pictures

2009-04-17T06:46:00.001-07:00

Here is a more comprehensive look at Ellie, momma Julie and the events of the last couple of days.As you can see, Julie was an amazing laborer and deliverer, pushing out the baby in about 11 hours (from first intense contractions to delivery of Ellie). She was in the water for the birth and claimed it was better than being pushed on by a 120 lb Korean woman. Ellie's weight is displayed on the scale. I am not allowed to say it from this point forward because it is rude for a gentleman to do so.
Micah visited the hospital and wondered why mom and Ellie could not come home. He had to settle for me as Julie's mom stayed the long first night in the room with the other two women. I think they watched "Beaches" and "Thelma and Louise"...typical girls night out.
Julie's great idea was to have a birthday party for Ellie when we got home. Micah was excited because he got ice cream and cake for dessert. This of course worked well until Micah realized the party was not for him. The stunned look on his face is just after we told him that we were celebrating the birth of his sister.

Baby Ellie

2009-04-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here are the first pics of our new beautiful girl. We are now home, so feel free to call us too. Thanks to all the well wishers and congratulatory givers out there. Wish you all could be here.

Jim,Julie,Micah and Ellie

B...E....A....Utiful

2009-02-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

Jim Carey's famous line from the Truman Show certainly applies to my wife in these pics. Please click below and follow the link to Jennifer's Blog to find out. Once you are at our friend's site, click on "Blog".

Jennifer's Blog

Curious Micah

2009-02-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

Micah and I got the chance to go to the Seattle Children's Museum for a Curious George Exhibit. Micah is obsessed with George and has been since he was very young. The exhibit had a rocket ship with a slide, a life size George and a place to build with large blocks.
The museum also had some old standby favorites, a bus with life size steering wheel and a grocery store. Micah was very exhausted after his visit with George and the Man in the "llellow hata"

Male Kalikemaka

2009-01-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

The traditional Hawaiian greeting on Christmas was so fantastic to hear this year while we spent some time on Oahu.
Our vacation started out with a great trip through the snow to the airport. We waited for hours in the terminal to board and followed it up with 3 hours on board the plane waiting for it to be de-iced. Try entertaining a 2 year old for 3 hours...on a plane. We took off at 10:30 and finally arrived in Hawaii at 2:30 local time. We then had to wait for 2.5 hours for the rental car agency to open before we could drive the 1 hour to our condo. If all this sounds like complaining, it isn't because Micah was so great during the adventure. His parents might not have arrived in Hawaii with the sanity intact if he had been anything but the gem he usually is.
Julie, Micah and I enjoyed the sun, the 18 hour island wide power outage, body surfing with friends, eating a Hula pie at Dukes, seeing a turtle, and watching our son enjoy the ocean.
Thanks to family and friends who helped us get to our favorite state and enjoy ourselves along the way. Here are a few pics that give the flavor of our trip.

First Snow

2008-12-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

Micah got to experience his memorable first snow this week. Here is a shot of the first snow ball he got to throw. Dad had to make it because of the limited dexterity he has with mittens. Since the first toss of snow, Micah has been obsessed. Each time we put him in the car, he makes me (dad) make a snow ball and throw it at the car window. Then all the way home, he talks about how the snow hit the car.
Julie also took some pics of Micah next to our humble tree. We are so blessed to have ornaments from Korea, China and Cambodia adorning our tree. What stories they will be for our children.
In a bit of dichotomy, the Brownlee family is headed to Hawaii today. Our next post will be full of fun in the sun and throwing rocks at the beach.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

The whole fam traveled to Julie's brother's house in Washugal Washington to celebrate Thanksgiving. Because we will be in Hawaii for Christmas, it was a two holiday celebration that included several presents for Micah, a dominating victory in a Ping Pong tournament for Jim and a surprise upset in the Poker game from Julie.
Below are some pictures and a great video of the time we had. Thanks to the Tkach/Bechtel clan for hosting us!

More Fall Fun

2008-11-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love everything about fall. For me, it symbolizes the beginning of a new year and serves as a reminder that the holidays are just around the corner (Is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?). Watching a toddler play with leaves, dress up in a costume, and carve a pumpkin for the first time added to my enjoyment this year. Here are some pictures of Micah's "trick-or'treating" experience, minus the candy. We stopped by Jim's aunt's, and Micah knocked on the door and said "treat". Then we headed down to a quaint shopping district where kids lined the street waiting for their turn to say the phrase and receive the prize. We skipped the lines and just checked out the various characters wondering around. I can't wait to see how he responds to Christmas festivities!

Each week Micah and I visit our friends at Toby Jones Retirement Center. He loves going as much as the ladies love him. A few weeks ago Micah wore his monkey costume, and boy was he a hit. Lorraine, the wonderful lady in the picture, just turned 99, and we spend about 30 minutes chatting with her each time we go. In the picture, Micah was participating in the exercise class with her. He enjoyed following the directions of the instructor and playing with the balls. I feel so blessed to be able to have time to play with Micah and visit a variety of people.

I've also really enjoyed being a table leader at MOPS this year. Our table ventured out to a local organic farm where the kids picked apples from a tree, pulled potatoes out of the ground, rode on the back of a tractor, fed the chickens, and chose a pumpkin from the field. Micah decided that this is the year for green pumpkins, so that is what we brought home.

Halloween Parade

2008-10-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

Every month, some friends have invited us over for a "Family Night". These consist of large amounts of food, good conversation and lot of kids. This month's theme was Halloween, so all the kids dressed up and participate in a parade around the living room. The following video is Micah's first attempt at playing with the big kids. Enjoy.

2008-08-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

We have had such a fun-filled summer! Here are a few more highlights.

The lake pictures were taken while Micah and I spent two great days with our dear friends, the Sipples. Erin and her family were visiting from Texas, and we got to spend some time with them at her parent's amazing lakefront, Potterbarn home. I just love these people, and they have taken me in as part of their family since high school. I am truly grateful!

A few days later the "Snohomish girls" and family went camping. We have all been friends since junior high, and still LOVE hanging out! Although it was a bit cold, we had a great time!

Ali, Erin, Micah, and Ben playing in the lake

All of us floating on the innertube

Micah taking his first ski boat ride

Some of the "Snohomish gals" roasting marshmellows

Jim and Eric (Erin's husband) eating smores

Enjoying a fun night of camping

Summer Camp

2008-08-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of August, Julie and I worked at our Church camp for High Schoolers. Julie was a counselor to 8 wonderful girls and I was the recreation director. Micah went along with us and outshined us both. Here are some photos of our great week serving our Lord.

Super Hero Theme Night

Micah and Jim in a Canoe

The Fam at a Luau

Julie and I on Hike day

Day of Days

2008-07-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

The day we have been looking forward to for several months finally arrived today. Our great friends from TCIS (in Korea) had a short layover in Seattle, and we were able to pick them up and show them a bit of our lives.
Mike, Jaci and their son Jacob were a great blessing to us today...so thanks guys for thinking of us when you made your arrangements to return to your home.
We appreciate being part of your very long day.

The Brownloween Family
Micah and Jacob give knuckles
Mommies and Sons

Little Jacob sleeps "Aggie Ipuda"

Sanga Chuka Hamnida

2008-07-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

My dad and I celebrated our birthday together by getting back to my Korean roots. We found a local Korean BBQ place and ate way too much meat. We then headed back to my place and had ice cream cake and presents.
I am way too blessed to have a family that is willing to give me stuff even after a year of annoying them.
Thanks to those who helped me celebrate and those who sent messages from afar.

Jim

Nothing better than meat on a Korean BBQ

Micah wanted nothing to do with the Chap Jae, but would eat some rice

Me (looking particularly scary) and Dad ready to cut the cake

Air Show

2008-07-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Julie and I recently took Micah to an Air Show at McChord Air Force Base. Micah is in that "love everything that makes lot of noise" stage and this of course includes airplanes. As a result, he was in heaven. Here are some pics of what we saw.

Micah disassembles the hydraulic lines to the wheel assembly.

Julie and Micah take a seat inside the C-17
Micah is fascinated by the engine
A World War II era bomber
Inside the massive cargo area of a C-17

An elite Air Force parachute team jumped from a very fast moving plane and gave quite a show.

Summer Fun

2008-07-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

Our days have been filled with lots of summer fun. Swimming, playing at the beach, fixing our money pit of a car and BBQs. We have not planned any trips because of the recent spike in gas prices. Our state has among the highest prices in the nation because of a huge tax.
Micah continues to grow in his fascination with water. He will wade into salt water that is not more than 45 degrees, but somehow won't play in the sprinkler or at our local spray park.
4th of July was great. Our city has a "Freedom Festival" along the water front with lots of food and entertainment. Micah was particularly interested in the display of fire trucks, while I was particularly interested in the display of Indian food.
Along with the festival was the presence of the "Tall Ships". Many of these ships have been used in movies like Pirate of the Carribean, so it was really fun to get a view (not too close because it cost $10)of them.
Julie and I are most looking forward to the visit of some good friends from Korea. They will be flying in to Seattle for a layover on their way back to school. We can't wait to see them and their son, who is a giant of a man at 10 months.
Hope you all are having a great summer as well and taking the time to enjoy good weather, friends and family.
Here are some pics from our recent "adventures" around the city.
My gorgeous wife and I at a wedding.
Micah feeds the "bawk bawk" at a local farm
I am ready for a sea adventure
Micah can't wait till the obligatory fire house field trip
A happy Family with really tall ships in the background
Micah running from the water at the spray park

Fathers and sons

2008-06-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

I could pontificate on the sentimental relationships between fathers and sons, but that is something I know little about. I can, however, tell you what a sweet moment I witnessed between Micah and Jim on Father's Day. Our busy little boy rarely takes time out of his day to cuddle with either of us. He'll kiss his vaccum goodnight 5x's but he won't snuggle with us for more than a nano-second. But on this particular special Sunday, Micah rested on his daddy's shoulder for more than 10 minutes. At first we were worried that he was sick, but after checking his forehead, we realized that he was giving his daddy the best Father's Day gift a child could give: love.

After a yummy BBQ dinner, we (Jim's family)challenged each other to a competitive game of bowling. I wish I could say that we all played an amazing game and were scouted by the American Olympic Bowling team, but I can not. In fact, my game was more than embarrassing. My teammembers tried to console me by telling me that I beat Obama's bowling score; I guess that's not saying much. Appropriately, Jim's dad conquered all! The only thing missing from the day was my dad. Happy belated father's day to all the dads who read our blog!

Micah's Mission

2008-06-07T06:21:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, Julie has been taking Micah to a local nursing home to visit the patients. Micah is slowly getting used to each of the inhabitants and is willing to sit on their laps and smile, which of is a big hit with the Ladies.
The patients love to watch Micah play so they pulled out some games and balls for him last week. We consider these trips to be Micah's first mission. We are grateful that he is able to provide joy for this group of adults.
Micah and his mom are also participating in a yoga class at church. Micah has learned to stretch and bend himself into many different positions. Recently, to the delight of his auntie Jen, he learned to sommersault. In this video, he needed a bit of help though

Big-Time Update

2008-05-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Our computer got a nasty virus, so the we have been in the 1950's for a while (no T.V. or computer/internet). Here are some pictures that get you up-to-date on the lives of the Brownlees
Micah enjoys the tram just as much as the horses at our Mother's Day trip to the Horse Racing Track

Moms with their children on Mother's Day

Uncle Jeremy and Auntie Rene have a pond in their back yard with fish to feed

Uncle Josh and his girlfriend Avery

Micah's first trip to the zoo

Micah was a big hit at the Tacoma tradition of the Daffodil Parade. These are the princesses from local High Schools. ignore the creepy guy with the beard

Micah and Mommy get a massage

Grandpa wears a pair of Micah's shorts on his head. Micah thought this was really funny

Micah participates in his first egg hunt. He found every one of his two eggs.

Easter Weekend

2008-03-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Julie's dad and his wife made a trip up for the weekend. We spent Saturday hanging at the beach on one of the few beautiful days we have had lately. Mom has finely relented in allowing Micah some ice cream under the guise of much needed weight gain. As such, Micah must learn the finer points of eating from a cone, including small licks to make the cone last as long as possible.

Hope everybody's Easter is full of the joy that can only come from knowing Christ has risen indeed.

Beach Combing

2008-03-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

Not the Red Sea, but our little slice of the Pacific is good enough. The weather got nice enough during winter (a rarity in the Pacific NW) for Micah, Julie and I to go to Owen's Beach on Puget Sound. You can clearly see by our atire that nice in the PNW is not quite like nice in other parts of the Pacific Rim. We did se a guy swimming though with a water temp. of about 40 Fahrenheit, I guess he figured he needed to get in his swimming when it was sunny.
Micah is getting braver about heading toward the water and evey took a wave over the shoes. Additionally, we are trying to get him to throw rocks into the ocean, but every effort just ended up with him licking the dirt off of it.

Dedicated to D.C.

2008-02-22T17:52:00.000-08:00

At the risk of being labeled as a "flag waver" by our friend Chris Duester, Julie and I visited our nation's capitol during the past week. Bush was gone to Africa, so our 24 hour protest vigil of the Iraq war, lack of universal health care and No Child Left Behind Act fell on deaf ears. We did meet some very nice conscientious objectors and are now full fledged members of....well I can't say on this blog as I am sure my posts are now being monitored due to that little scrap with the Secret Service.
Besides the White House, we visited free monuments, free museums and the free zoo.
We also took this opportunity to leave Micah for our first overnight trip. He was a champ and didn't even realize we were gone. On the other end of the country, Micah's mother and I noticed every small child and wondered what Micah was doing at that very moment. We missed him but do have to note that traveling is so much more serene without a small one to feed, change, entertain etc...

Just before we left for D.C., we finally had Micah dedicated. Unfortunately, the pictures did not come out, but many family and friends joined at First Pres. which was a blessing for us. Most of all we were excited to finally verbalize our commitment to raising Micah in the knowledge of the Lord.

He has shown the O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of thee....Micah 6:8

Here are some pics of our trip. Viva la USA

Chico Visit

2008-01-22T19:29:00.000-08:00

Micah and I traveled to Chico, California this past weekend to visit my sister and her husband. We enjoyed playing in the warm, sunny weather, and Micah was especially excited to love on his Aunty Jenny and her dog, Spey. Jenny teaches gymnastics and supervises a toddler gym, so Micah and I joined her at the gym for a morning of jumping in the ball pit and walking on the balance beam. Jen and Taylor pampered both of us, and Taylor, who is a professional photographer, took "journalistic" photos of Micah one day at the park. Thank you Uncle Taylor for your amazing gift of photography!

This was my first flight without my husband, and although Micah was amazing, I vowed I'd never go alone again. Juggling a toddler, stroller and carry on luggage was more difficult than I imagined. Thankfully, I was blessed to be squeezed in a seat in between two very understanding and helpful passengers. Micah loved watching the "rucks" load and unload from the airplane window and was truly an angel during the all of the flights.

Enjoy the pictures of Micah (15 months):

Gentle Reminders

2007-12-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find myself a bit disappointed by the fact that Julie and I were unable to find a house this summer (at least one that we could afford). I look around our 900 sq ft. apartment and wonder when....if we will be in a home. The checks Julie and I bring home are enough to live on, but the math just does not seem to work out in order to buy a home.
The dark days of winter are upon us, which usually are difficult for me to meander through, but just the other day, as I sat at our dining room table, the blessing poured to me in the form of a sunrise. Here is the view I saw out of my apt. window.
May God remind you daily that your needs are taken care of the disappointments of the day can be washed away with the next mornings sunrise.

Santa Train

2007-12-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

Being in the U.S. this year for Christmas has been a bit different than our last two years. In Korea, the holiday is sporadically celebrated. Much fewer Christmas decor and certainly fewer Santas. This being our first real holiday with Micah, we have taken advantage of all opportunities, short of the mall scene, to visit Santa.
The latest visit was to Pt. Defiance Park and the Santa Train. For $2 we rode the train, got several minutes with Santa and despite the rain(surprise) and cold, had a great time with our friends, the Wiseth's.
Micah was a bit tired, but a trooper as he sat on Santa's lap and ate his biscuit. He asked for more tofu, cheese and Pediasure to help him keep his weight up during the Holidays.

Future Elf

2007-12-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Micah wanted to assure himself a spot on Santa's good list, so we took him to hob nob with Rudolph, Santa and Santa's helpers (some of Jim's students). I'm sure if Santa doesn't come fulfill Micah's wish list, then his grandparents will.

One of Micah's wishes is that he will gain weight this Christmas. Weighing in at 17 lbs and 12 ounces, he is vying for an Elf spot and may take Buddy's place at the North Pole this Christmas. Although Micah hasn't grown much physically, he is developmentally growing leaps and bounds. It is so nice to be able to better communicate with him now that he knows quite a few signs and words: ouch, more, hot, windy, bird, cold, food, daddy, water, milk, and shoes are some of the signs he has mastered and "amen", "bannana", "truck", and "dada" are his favorite new words. Too fun!

Bucket Boy

2007-12-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

As is typical of children Micah's age, the box the toy comes in is a bigger hit than the actual toy. Micah loves to entertain himself by walking around with the bucket that holds his blocks on top of his head. Luckily this bucket is clear, so it allows him to avoid most of the collisions with stationary objects around the apartment.

The Buzzzzzzz around town

2007-11-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Since Bzzzzz is Micah's favorite animal sound to make, we dressed him as a bee for Halloween. Last Halloween was spent in Korea where the holiday is not traditionally celebrated, so this was Micah's first official Halloween. After buzzing around grandma and grandpa Brownlee's, we made our second "trick-or-treat" stop at the Boyd's home. From there, we all walked to the Proctor shopping district where hundreds of ghosts and gobblins were lined up to receive tooth-decaying treats. The best treat of all was seeing the creative costumes and not standing in the endlessly long line since Micah did not know what he was missing.

The Children's Museum

2007-11-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a small group of us enjoyed an afternoon at the Tacoma Children's Museum. It is chock-full of children-friendly activities and toys! A social child, Micah was mostly interested in following other children around, but once he was no longer intrigued by the social aspect of the trip, he settled down to play with some produce. Micah also taught his grandma how to stack and restack dishes, climb the rock wall, and eat a plumb; boy did she stay busy. Since the afternoon was such a hit, we returned yesterday for another fun day at the museum with his best bud Luke.

Strollin' in the Patch

2007-10-24T19:06:00.001-07:00

Enjoy the video of Micah walking through the Pumpkin Patch.

BOOOO!

2007-10-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Micah made his first of many trips to Spooner Farms for the Pumpkin pickin'. The patch wasn't as we remembered it from our dating days, but it did have a couple of new additions that Micah loved. He walked around the pumpkins and enjoyed a ride on a tractor with Julie.

1 and done

2007-10-14T08:43:00.001-07:00

No, this in not a commentary on the liklihood that Julie and I will have another. It is however a celebration of Micah's first birthday party. Micah was a trooper through the whole affair as many guest loved on him for 4 hours.
We decided to honor his "home land" by having a Korean themed party. Jim cooked Korean food and I set up the decor. We had Bulgogi, fried sweet potatoes, mandu and even sang Happy Birthday in Korean. In a Korean tradition, money, string and a pencil were placed before Micah. The one he chose, money, shaped his future...and ours...he will be rich. Who needs long life or smarts!
Micah is very grateful for all the love he was shown in the gift department. Some family even sent gifts even though they couldn't be there. We love all of you and hope you like the pictures.

Firsts...

2007-09-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

Micah attended his first Mariners game with his Grandpa and Grandma Bechtel last weekend. G-pa and G-ma bought him a great outfit, his first tee and bat plus a glove and ball. Micah was the hit of Safeco Field as he walked back and forth from the Garlic Fries stand to his seat. Micah also attended his first Puyallup Fair. He was a little overwhelmed by all the people, but he really enjoyed his first deep fried snickers bar. Yummy!!!! You can look forward to some 1st birthday shots on the next posting.

Happy Birthday

2007-09-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

No, it is not Micah's first birthday yet, but he did attend the festivities of his G-pa Stein. He met lots of his great aunts and uncles and they were excited to play with him and perhaps make an apprearance on our blog.
As you can see by the fact that he donned his party hat, Micah's favorite part of the day was having his own swimming pool.

Let's have a catch

2007-08-31T06:26:00.000-07:00

Micah loves to play catch. His slider isn't biting as much as we would like, but I think the large ball and the fact that he must use two hands has something to do with it.
Julie and I are still looking for a house and considering moving from my parent's place to an apartment closer to my work. School starts on Tuesday and I have already been busy with volleyball.
Stay tuned for video of Micah walking on the next post. He has been a bit uncooperative when we pull out the video camera for this great event.

Teaching Again

2007-08-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Julie and I have been blessed to be able to teach English to Korean college students from Daejeon. We have loved being a small part of their community and remembering all the cultural differences that we find fascinating, funny and a bit strange. Grandmas Brownlee and Carson have taken turns babysitting while we trek 20 miles south to teach.

We also took Micah to a beach in the Tacoma area and tried to introduce him to Puget Sound. He kept his eyes on the water the entire time just in case a Tsunami hit.
When we edged him toward the water, he would only allow one foot to enter. The other foot was in the Karate Kid Crane position to avoid getting it wet.
A toddler nearby aparently noticed Micah's fears and in an effort to make him feel comfortable gave Micah a huge hug and kiss. As you can see from the pictures, I don't think it did much good.

Home Again?

2007-08-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

Although it doesn't feel much like home, we are back in Washington and enjoying our time with family and friends. Micah is a big hit with all he meets due to his unassuming manner and quick smile.

We are looking for a house, have bought a used car and travelled to Canada for a family reunion in the month of July. Julie and I also celebrated our 3rd anniversary by attending Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Julie is excited to teach Koreans at a local church during most of August. They will be travelling around the Pacific Northwest to see sights and hope to learn grammar and improve their pronunciation. I will be taking care of Micah (can you say stay at home dad) while see brings home the bacon.

We are still looking for a job for Julie that will allow here to stay at home and take care of Micah, but earn enough to cover our medical insurance...Korea sure was nice.

Hope all of you are enjoying your summer and excited to return to the old or begin the new things in your life. We think of you often and wish for a time when we can be together again.

What a Hike!!

2007-05-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

Julie and I finally made it to Daedunsan, one of the most famous hiking spots in Korea. It is only 1 hr outside of Daejeon and sports a suspension bridge and steep metal staircase. We traveled with our friends Mike and Jaci and Jeff, Robyn and Owen. Micah and I did not make it to the top (he was sleeping) because the cragginess and scrabbling nature of the top section prevented me from seeing my feet below Micah in his front pack.

The weather was beautiful and the company was fantastic too. Hope you enjoy the shots.

ELC

2007-05-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

Although it may not look like in this picture, Micah enjoys playing with his friends in the ELC (Early Learning Center) each day. We feel very comfortable leaving him in the care of the women who work there, and he loves each of them: Mrs. Bahta, Miss Kim, Mrs. Song, and Miss Jung (not pictured). He plays on the floor with his friends Sara and Yeoung Suk and the other toddlers like to come "play" with them too. Micah will miss all of the wonderful people in the ELC!

Micah Rolls Over

2007-04-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Although not an Olympic sport yet, I beleive Micah would at least get a bronze. Take careful note of the technique used....spectacular

Owen's 1st Birthday

2007-04-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed celebrating Owen's 1st birthday on Hannam University's park-like campus. Robyn, Owen's mom, put together a wonderful picnic lunch and fun gifts for all of the kids. Micah received his first party bag and was more interested in gumming the bag than opening it to find out what was inside.

There were quite a few little ones in attendance, and two of our friends in the picture are pregnant with their first child: Elisha (sitting right behind me) and Jaci (2nd person on the right). As they say, "come to TCIS and you WILL get pregnant." I can't believe our time with our friends is nearing an end. We have been blessed by our friendships here and will be spending as much time with them as we can over the next month!

Birthday Bash

2007-04-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

Baby Owen's first birthday was a beautiful day. It was great to hang out with friends, eat some cake, and take lots of pictures. We will miss the friends that we have made here!

Baby Micah may seem a bit devoid of emotion, but trust me, he will be sad to leave too.

The picture on top is of Julie and Laura Price. Micah was born just one month before Sarah, and they spend lots of time "playing" together and enjoy napping in the same room in the ELC (nursery).

Spring in Korea

2007-04-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

Spring has hit in Korea and that means two things...more time to bike ride and Easter. Some friends and I took a long bike ride around a resevoir on Good Friday. The weather was great and the ride was better despite some Dam traffic at one end. As you can see we ran into some more archain modes of transportation on the way.

Julie and I dressed Micah in his first Easter outfit and of course some coaxing was necessary to get him to smile. Dad more or less made an idiot out of himself as mom steadied the camera for the winning shot.

Opening Day

2007-04-03T03:07:00.000-07:00

With the fervor of any young fan, Micah begged to be dressed in his favorite baseball outfit, complete with circa 1920's style cap. He excitedly waited in the ELC to find out the outcome of today's M's A's match-up. Sidebar: Can't the ELC afford its own subscription to MLB.com Gameday... When his daddy walked with the good news of a 8.0 inning, 3 hit, 12K masterpiece by Felix Hernandez, his little legs waggled for 10 minutes. The word of Richie Sexson's 3 run blast after a timely error by the A's shortstop brought a laugh to his already smiling face. Imagine what he will do when he sees his first major league game...or the Hanwa Eagles anyway in a short couple of months.

Have A Listen

2007-03-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

This is a great sounding group singing outside the Temple of Heaven. I have no idea what they are singing about, but everyone around seemed to know the song, so perhaps it is some Communist Anthem of a sort.
The Temple of Heaven park was also filled with old people ballroom dancing, playing cards and dominos, and many other artistic pursiuts. Altogether very intersting and a great place to people watch.

2007-03-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Micah James Brownlee made his second trip out of his birth country of Korea when he arrived in China on March 25th. He brought his mom and dad along to make sure all the paparazzi were kept at a safe distance. The highlight of the trip was young Emperor Micah's trip to the top of the great wall. Of course his feet did not have to touch the ground and dad did all the work of portering him to the crest. Even though it was strenuous, Dad was spurred on by many Chinese nationals shouting "Good Daddy!" or "Lucky Boy!" The foreigners were impressed that Micah's mom could climb so high a few short months after giving birth to the Golden Child.
Other highlights of the Great One's trip include: eating at the Temple of Heaven, Wailing at the Gardens of the Forbidden City, and sleeping at Beijing's famous Silk Market.

Baby Fish Mouth

2007-03-04T01:34:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are "When Harry Met Sally" fans, Julie and I have finally discovered the meaning of Baby Fish Mouth. Micah loves to mimic us when or after we eat.
I have also added some photos of Lil' Mic, from the cover of his new Gangsta' rap album.

Micah Laughing

2007-03-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

Micah laughs like crazy as mom plays with him. He thinks dad is funnier, but mom doesn't know how to run the video camera. Enjoy...and come back to view again when you are having a bad day.

Baseball and Krispy Kreme

2007-02-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

Julie and I had the great opportunity to take Micah on his first Krispy Kreme trip. We joined the students whose parents are Out-of-Country missionaries and ate too many donuts. For us actually too many is 1.With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, I thought it important to give Micah his first baseball. He grabbed it on his first time and when he made his first error, dropping it on the play mat, he was able to pick it up quickly with his LEFT HAND. Although left handedness is not a trait I usually admire, when it comes to being a picther in the bigs, it is GOLD. It is what I call Million dollar mediocrity.

Micah's First Swim Lesson

2007-02-16T23:30:00.000-08:00

Micah enjoys the water just like his parents. He has a strong kick, at least during the back stroke, and can float on his back with the assistance of his lovely teacher.

Safety First

2007-02-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

Ever the Bechtel, Micah poses for the annual "Safety First" public service announcement photographs (baby version). He knows that the drop from the changing table to the ground is a terrifying 2.5 feet and so he holds tightly to the rails, just as mamma taught him.

Bear-ly Dressed

2007-02-10T15:12:00.000-08:00

As the weather has gotten colder in Daejon, we have had to make sure the Micah is properly dressed for the winter chill. Of course Micah is concerned about looking good, not understanding the old adage "fashion doesn't keep you warm". As you can see his outfit is both cozy and fashionable. In fact on the day he first wore it to the nursery, he won the coveted Ms. Kim best dressed award. "Micah....best dressed" she said.

After this event, Julie wanted to take some self portraits for the website and as you can see, Micah was less than thrilled, even going to the extent of pushing Julie out of the shot.

Caught without make-up

2007-01-21T02:05:00.000-08:00

Micah wanted us to mention that the "Jabba" picture was an early morning shot, before he had the chance to get himself together.
We have added a couple more pictures that show the wonders of Baby make-up in hiding chunkiness and unsightly dry skin.

Micah the Hut

2007-01-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

In Korea, the food can be described as one dementional, so when Micah got the chance to experience European fare, as you can imagine he went a bit wild. As a result, he has put on a few pounds and as you can see the resembelence to a certain Lucas character is rather scary. We are currently weaning him from the bread, cheese and pasta diet in order to decrease his carbohydrate intake and making sure that he gets plenty of play time to burn those extra calories.

Disclaimer: No offense to Star Wars fans...or baby lovers is intended in the posting of this email.

2007-01-11T01:15:00.000-08:00

As Julie would say, our Europe trip was A....mazing! Although Micah's accomdations were less palatial than ours, he did not complain and enjoyed the site seeing, mostly from his stoller. Our family christmas picture was taken by a nice Irish man on the top of the Eifel Tower on Christmas Eve. We will be posting more shots of our trip as the month continues, but here is a preview.
We missed you all during the holidays and hope that the peace of God is with you this year. We can't wait to return in 5 short months to settle in to life in the U.S. again

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2006-12-20T02:38:00.000-08:00

We will miss you very much this Christmas, and think of you often as we tour Europe. We look forward to hearing about your holidays and how God blessed you during the year.

We Love You!

Jim, Julie and Micah

Typical Holidays

2006-12-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

After a large holiday meal, Micah is already assuming the position to which every man aspires. Hand perfectly placed to alieve the pressure of suddenly constricting pants...remote in hand, happily clicking through channels in order to find the most entertaining movie.
I hope that you have as much fun after your holiday meals as Micah.

Husband Disclaimer: Although Julie thought is was funny, she claims no responsibility for the posting of this picture

2006-12-15T21:57:00.000-08:00

YouTube

2006-12-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

We are venturing into the world of YouTube to try and share some videos with those of you interested in actually seeing Micah move. Our blog site now has a link to YouTube and I am currently trying to upload and imbed the videos in our blog. Until that time, the picture of Micah laughing will have to do.

Micah and Santa: The early years

2006-12-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

I am sure that Micah will have many more run-ins with the big guy in the red suit, but his first was very memorable. As you can see, he is more than excited to tell Santa that he wants a trip to Europe. Santa agreed that this would be a good time to take Micah, as he would make little fuss about touring churches and palaces throughout France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. You will notice that in the photo Micah looks a bit upset. Apparently Santa had to break that bad news that a tripto Europe means he is not coming home to visit friends and family. Look, he is mad at mom and dad too!

Julie and I have less than two weeks to prepare for the trip, but as any parent would say...anything for my little boy.

2006-11-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

Micah has recently discovered that if he places his hand down the person's shirt who is holding him, then he can stay warm while he sleeps. He loves to be placed high on the shoulder to be burped. He will even crawl up if we do not have him high enough. Now that's a boy who knows what he wants!

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-24T17:16:00.000-08:00

Micah celebrated his first Thanksgiving with friends and family. He only got to have milk, but Mamma made sure she had plenty of Turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes to give him all the flavors of the holidays.
Hope your Turkey Day was a great as ours was.

Micah: All for the Art

2006-11-16T22:42:00.000-08:00

My parents, in a rash of exhibitionism, insisted that I shoot some stills without benefit of my clothes. My manager agreed as long as they were tastefully done. After hours in various poses, Mom claimed the outcome was quite artsy while dad just kept smiling...proud of my equipment.
I will do whatever it takes for the sake of art, but a reminder to my parents that if I end up running for political office, or more likely being drafted by a professional sports team, these photos could seriously hamper my career. All that being said, I too take pride in my body. Hope you enjoy every roll and wrinkle!

Gassy Face

2006-11-02T01:37:00.000-08:00

Check out my favorite picture so far. What a face eh!

Learning to Play

2006-10-31T23:01:00.000-08:00

Little Micah is just learning to play. Although his skills are not quite honed yet, Grandma Brownlee swears he is taking swings at the animals constantly hanging above his face. I am not sure where this agression comes from, as Julie and I are pacifists, but if it leads to some sort of sporting contract, it is justified. Perhaps he is just preparing for his hunting days with Grandpa Deke.
Hope you enjoy the picture!

Julie makes an Appearance

2006-10-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

It has been revealed to this author, that perhaps his bias in choosing pictures that adequately represent his son, may have caused his wife to be unjustly absent from said photos. I would like to address this claim by saying that the complainant must not now her friend very well, as Julie's hands and forearms have appeared in more than a few pictures.
That being said, I am not here to ruffle any feathers and so true to my nature, I acquiesce to your request to see more of the lovely Julie (trust me, I would love to see more of the lovely Julie). Here are the photographs you so politely yearned for.

Grandparents Descend on Daejeon

2006-10-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

The Grandparents (Brownlee and Carson) have come to Daejeon to admire all that we created. Brownlee's arrived on Sunday and immediately requested an audience with Micah. Being his social director, Julie first had to be consulted and she allowed the visit under her watchful eye.
The boy is gaining weight (as all royalty should) due to the awesome milk producing power of Julie's mammary glands. He is taking it all in and bellowing for more on an almost hourly basis. Patience is holding fast however and I know that Julie will not be broken.
Hope you can see the difference in Micah circa last week and current Micah. We certainly can (Chub Chub).
Julie is still at home for the next 4 weeks, so please call her!!

Miss you guys during this time.

Jim and Julie

Bath and Baseball

2006-10-07T23:57:00.000-07:00

In honor of Micah's first viewing of an annual event, the baseball playoffs, we gave him a bath and dressed him in his first baseball outfit. Knowing my proclivity for America's pastime, many gave us baseball outfits to dress him in. This is just the first of many.
You will notice that he is not dressed in Yankee pinstripes. He has his daddy's disdain for all that is from New York. He has confided in me that he too is happy to see A-rod struggling at the plate, but admits that an offseason trade to the Mariners would not be to dissappointing to him.

Week 1

2006-10-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

Week 1 is coming to a close and life has changed dramatically. Micah is working into a great routine of sleeping and eating (He usually feeds every 2-3 hours). Of course the inbetween times are filled with diaper changes, baths, snugling etc...
Julie is still quite sore, but got out for her first walk yesterday.
The Korean people generally keep their babies indoors for 100 days, so any baby the size of Micah is rare to see. As a result we got many smiles yesterday as we took a walk around the neiborhood.
The meals provided by our friends at TCIS have been fantastic and have provided us with some built in visitors too. We are also passing the time by watching Survivor Exile Island (Spring 2006). I can't wait to find out who wins.
Enjoy the new pictures and let us know wheter you think Micah has changed.

We're Home

2006-09-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

After 4 days and 3 nights in the hospital, the Brownlee's are finally home. We arrived about 4p.m. yesterday and have spent the night trying to get baby Micah comfortable in his new surroundings.
The amazing people of TCIS have arranged for us to receive meals for the next 2 weeks as we try to get used to having another mouth to feed (actually it is Julie who has to get used to the new mouth to feed).
Sandy has been a great blessing as we have transitioned into parenthood. Please continue to pray for Julie as she heals from delivery and that she would receive the rest to be the mother that Micah needs. Still more photos!

Micah James Brownlee

2006-09-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

Micah James Brownlee: 6 lbs 13 oz, and 20.8 inches (53 cm) of the cutest baby you will ever see. Julie did an amazing job bringing our cutie into the world and I know that you will want to see the progession of pictures as he matures from a cone-headed worm into a handsom member of the Brownlee clan.
We appreciate all the emails and phone calls and hope you understand that it is difficult to return them being so far away (time difference) and having no access to internet.

We love all of you and wish you were here to visit. Know that we are being taken care of by the great community at our school (they can't match what you would have done, but they will do in a pinch).

Enjoy the pictures