Brown Family Team

We were in charge of the annual Brown Family Reunion this year. It should come as no surprise we went with a sports theme. Brant was the camp director

We pulled together a Team Camp. We did headbands for everyone with #’s on them. All 81 of them.  The numbers represented when they came into the family either through birth or marriage.
Grandpa was of course #1.

Our numbers are Brant 11, Jana 48, Ria 52, Heath 61, and Bennett 80.  Some of our super cute nieces sporting the headband!

We had nearly 70 in attendance that we split into teams for circuit service stations.
The Starters (aka the siblings) facilitated the stations. Brant has awesome brothers and sisters. They did a great job. VaNae did the garden with help of course.

McKay did the fire pit, with quite the pit crew :)

Robert did the outside of the church

Natalie did the inside.

Alvin had the station for writing the missionaries (black suiting this season) Tanner and Josh.  Kanani and Kristi did the little Brown’s cleaning grandma’s toys and playing while all the other numbers were doing their part.



Kristi did this even when it wasn't her assignment :)

Matt was going to do the printing of the game day programs but the file was corrupted so we will still have to check on that to get those done. Matt helped in the church and over did it and ended up going to the hospital with pneumonia. Think we can have a reunion when someone doesn't end up going to the ER? Our goal for the reunion was to help everyone feel more like a team, more unified. If we accomplished this it was only through their participation. Everyone was so good to get involved and help.

After lunch we had some FUNdementals and team building drills.

I love how much fun we have when we get together and they were all really good sports

We carbo loaded for dinner and with a little awards ceremony. I provided the motivational speech for the Brown team. It didn’t go as planned but went a little something like this:
I called out a number to come do a task, told him he could have someone else come up and help him with the task: Elephant bowling. I thanked them for doing their best and gave them a reward

For the next task I had 4 volunteers (who were calling out their numbers to be picked) then one I asked who was not hoping to be picked. Their task was "final blow".  I gave them tools they did the task and I thanked them for working together and gave them a reward.

The tasks were challenging but do-able and fair. But fair does not mean equal, fairness means everyone gets what they need. Everyone was capable and some of them wanted to be picked to participate. Some didn’t have any desire to come up and try these tasks, but they did cheer and some cheered even if they wished I had called their number.

So my little spill went like this…Heavenly Father had very specific tasks for you to perform; he has called your number. You are numbered among the noble and great ones but you are not just a number to be counted, but He is counting on you. Some tasks have been or will be challenging, but we are not alone we are on a team. We are capable and these tasks are just what we need. Maybe we didn’t show the same enthusiasm for tasks that would be difficult like, breaking a hip as a teenager or health challenges like pneumonia, neuropathy, or migraines. Maybe we were really scared to try the tasks of financial burdens, weight or fertility problems.

Grandpa once shared that his patriarchal blessing said his posterity would be numbered among the children of God. I think when the task of being a descendant of Marlin Brown, being numbered among the children of God, came up we wanted our number called and we didn’t care what order or when. We just said pick me, pick me oh please pick me!

I felt like we were not done having kids but I was and the Lord prompted us to open our home. I thought countless times, “HOW can I do this task with my an unhealthy body as the tool?" Then we had to find new employment and financially it didn’t seem like a smart thing to do but still we felt such an urgency. So then the call came... Bennett’s birth mother had selected us and we asked for our families help in fulfilling this task and they prayed with us. I didn’t need a baby, I didn’t need to become a mom like so many adoptive couples, but we wanted to fulfill that task and I needed to know he was the spirit, that it was his number being called, to be in our family. That answer hit us with such a peaceful force and he was placed with us. We found out what drew his birth mother to us… her desire for him to be surrounded by family. She even said, "No, this is his family. I’ll be here to sign the papers." What great lengths he went to, to be counted among the descendants of Marlin Brown. The fact is it is the same for Caiden or Ella or all of us Brown’s. We all shouted pick me, pick me!

Grandpa has done so much to help that blessing be fulfilled but it will be up to us to be numbered on His team. It is a task that can be challenging but if we give it our best we will be rewarded for our efforts. Our number has been called, we are not alone, and we are on a winning team! Remember He picked you to be a Brown!

So there is the Go fight win message I'm so grateful to be a Brown and feel blessed to have my kids numbered with Grandpa. 

Then the team captains (Grandpa & Grandma) closed it up.

On Sunday we had a film session watching old home video’s and looking at pictures of past winning moments. We always enjoy spending time with family

and Monday we hiked to the Kanab K hill.

After the hike we enjoyed some local flavor at the Junction.  Kristi does it again :)

I hope our family felt more like a team and had a greater desire to continue being good. They always make me want to be better. Heath really was there but never held still long enough for a picture.  For the reunion we worked together laughed together, played together and like only Brown’s can we cried together. I love being on this team!