Five Brown Kids

  What a super fun year!

This is my 23rd annual Family Video. The desktop I use to make these is older than the hills, and slower than molasses. I had to download all the media from the cloud into a desktop folder and then drag it in to the movie making app. Then I realized that all of my videos were super washed out (same as last year) but I had the brain power this year to search for a solution - which required me to export each video into a different format and then exchange each video in Imovie for the newly updated one. It was a labor of love for sure.  I'm really obsessed with my kids and a life that I love so much! 2023 might have been my favorite year yet!  So many adventures and so much fun with family and friends. I know these videos remind me of how incredibly lucky I am. I hope they do the same for my kids.  And I wish I could go back and talk to sweet little worried teenaged Jessie Ripple. And tell her that there is so much hard work to come and get ready… but also that it will lead ...

Another year - challenges and successes and lots of fun!  All the family videos in one place.

During my trip home last summer Hannah, Scotia, Nana and I were chatting outside about all the modifications Grandpa builds to make their house work well.  He's a master of coming up with solutions. We talked about setting up a TikTok account where Nana could give everyone some insight into everyday life with Grandpa Ripple. “Have I got a solution for you” would be the tagline.  We laughed so hard we cried thinking of all the various examples she could show. And then took a video of Nana showing off the pizza protection box.  We had to do several takes because we could not stop laughing. 

 Just a few weeks before school gets out and I'm done with another annual family video.  We worked our way through Covid and suffered greatly from the loss of two best friends.  Still, another year to be proud of.  Work hard, play hard. (The Apple licensing agreement means I can't use any of the songs I really loved this year... so I picked favorite songs from the past that are useable.) Every Brown Family video since 2001 right here . 

 Made this short little video to remember our summer vacation.  Such a magical beach house and the best company!

All the highs!  None of the lows... Brown Family 2020 from jessica brown on Vimeo . All the Brown Family Videos 

The Brown family grew up in 2019.  Taye finished high school and started university. Blythe started kindergarten and I went back to work full time. No more little kids and no more stay at home mom. A really great year - settle in for the highlights...

I finished one day before school let out.  Right on time! I was blown away working on this video the unbelievable quantity of activities that happened last year - I had to cut so much footage and yet the video is still ridiculosly long.  If I posted one basketball practice there were hundreds, if there is one swim practice shown, know they happened six days a week and sometimes twice a day, there were dozens and dozens of swim meets and basketball games, dance practices, cooking clubs, trips and so many friends over to visit. Dinners every night.  Twenty six visits to Costco and probably 56 to Target. Also, this might have been my most relaxing year since 2009?  Taye getting himself back and forth to swim every single day is a game changer.  Any other driving I might do for other kids feels like a vacation! Also, this should go without saying, but these are the highlights.  Plenty of lowlights, not included.

 I uploaded all of my family videos to Vimeo.  It's so fun to see them all in one spot.  When I had Taye in 2001 digital cameras were just barely arriving on the scene.  We bought a basic one from Walmart a week before he was born (prior to that still using a film camera).  That way I could send pictures home to my mom ASAP without using a whole roll of film, dropping it off at a camera place to be developed and then mailing the actual pictures home....  (Which is what I did from 1994-2001) We slowly added a video camera of our own and better and better digital cameras and then iPhones!!! Which means by the time I had Blythe I had too much footage!!!  And making videos meant cutting stuff out instead of just using everything I had.... I wish I had taken more videos of everyday stuff - cooking and cleaning and kids sleeping and Tyrone playing basketball and me at the gym etc. But I'm so glad for all the footage I have.  I love my four little brown ...

I'm super late with this video.  My laptop is nearly dead and it took me more than a few months to figure out I could use the desktop computer to finish it. So without further ado, The Brown Family 2017 Video.  365 days condensed into 30 minutes.  It looks exhausting and it was!  But I love my Brown Family. Browns 2017 - Family Version from jessica brown on Vimeo .

I love the annual highlight video - it makes all the carpool, cooking and cleaning worth it...

Without further ado... the adventures of the Brown Family in 2015. Brown Family 2015 from jessica brown on Vimeo .

We weathered Winter Storm Jonas in Stroudsburg, PA with the Ricks.  I took the older kids and we ended up heading up a day early to beat the storm. We snowboarded, played in the powdery snow and checked out the new indoor aquatic center. It was a perfect weekend.  Thanks Ricks for a life full of adventure! Snowmageddon 2016 from jessica brown on Vimeo . I loved watching the boys become competent snowboarders but my favorite was watching all the kids work on that igloo  - it started out as a big pile of snow from shoveling the driveway.  They worked on it from late afternoon until 7:30 when we made them come in for supper.  As soon as they were done they all got dressed back up and went out, finally coming in at 9:30!

Thanksgiving 2015 from jessica brown on Vimeo . All this plus Turkey Bowl Football, Men's movie night (Martian?), Moms' 6 mile run and Moms' dinner out.  I couldn't get pictures of everything :-)

High Adventure from jessica brown on Vimeo . This video is about High Adventure

I know you've all been waiting patiently.  A recap of 2014.  Lots of smiling baby clips so it's 3 times longer than normal..

The official video recap of the Brown Family, year 2013! Brown Family 2013 from jessica brown on Vimeo .

If you're lost and alone Or you're sinking like a stone Carry On My head is on fire But my legs are fine Cause after all they are mine May your past be the sound Of your feet upon the ground Carry on (Carry On by Fun) I present 2012: The year we made it to the end of a schooling nightmare