Coming Home!!

 One year ago...March 28, 2011 our girl came home to her forever family. 

This is her stepping off the plane and into her new life.

 We have all *grown* in EVERY WAY this year.

  It has been the most blessed and challenging year of growth for this family....SO FAR!!!

Esther has grown the most, especially physically.
She has grown 3 1/4 inches in one year, and she has gained 19 lbs.
That is remarkable.
  She is healthy and thriving in every area of her life.

One year later this is her!  Feeling and looking confident and glowing.

 Esther has been a wonderful blessing to this family.  We have all learned A LOT.  There has been adjustments to make in EVERY area of our lives.  Some of the adjustments have been hard  and some have been easy, but EVERY single adjustment, is worth it, and a BLESSING and a JOY and a GIFT from God.

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 Esther has amazed me.

 She is so bright.  

She is learning a ton in school and in life. 

 Esther has many friends and enjoys sports and loves church and family.

  Esther is NOT the shy or quiet girl that stepped off the plane that day, she is definately a Brewer in every way.  

 She is wild and loud and energetic.

 She never wants to miss a thing, she wants to be involved in everything.

I'm so blessed and thankful that God has allowed me to be this girls Mom. 

 I feel ill equipped most times, but the Lord just provides, and with a whole bunch of grace and love that covers ALL we are definitely  a family and we are bonded right to our very souls.

Bless the Lord O My Soul

My new favorite song!!!!  

My Man is ManUp!

I posted last week that I felt once Charlie and Kole went to Texas our lives would never be the same. 

 That is very true ALREADY!! 

Charlie's HEARING will never be the same. 

Kole has been wanting to go to a MAN UP conference, they have a bunch of Christian music groups that he really enjoys. 

 The groups are hard core Christian Rap Artists...they can rap entire books of the Bible. 

 They are incredible in their talent, and totally sold out Jesus lovers.

As it turned out guess who happened to be in Austin Texas the same time as Charlie and Kole......yep, all the groups that Kole has been wanting to see.  

There is a HUGE music festival going on in Austin right now, and the ONLY Christian label there, happens to be the artists that Kole has been wanting to see.

  All performing in one concert from 9pm - to all horrible hours of the morning.

So my 48 year old awesome MAN...MANED UP and went to the RAP concert with Kole. 

 It was good stuff, they both really liked it, but Charlie is claiming to now be deaf and he claims that he was the "oldest" guy there. He also can not believe that they left at 1:38am and the concert was still going strong!!

That is the time Charlie has told me over and over...not 1:30 or 1:40, but 1:38am.  (makes me smile)

 I laugh every time I think of my small town cowboy man in his cowboy boots, with his very silver hair and his very white and weathered skin just rockin' rappin' out at a Christian rap concert!

 Now THAT IS MAN UP!!!!

I know you can't hear me Charlie, because it has caused permanent hearing damage, but it was a sweet gift from God to our son to have that concert in Austin at the same time he was there, and it was a sweet gift from you to take him and sacrifice your hearing!! 

I'm totally sure, it was worth it~!!!!

A Lump the Size of Texas

I have a lump in my throat the size of Texas. 

 It's a lump that swells up a lot right now.

  It swells whenever I talk about Kole or Texas.

When the lump acts up the eyes water at the same time....it's just a mess!!!

 Kole is a Senior and I'm so proud of him, and I'm excited about his future; he is looking at Texas for college. 

 Him and Charlie are leaving this week to go check it out. 

 Kole has already been accepted and has a full-ride scholarship.

THANK YOU JESUS! 

 He is going for tour of the school and an orientation  to the engineering program. 

 Charlie is going with him, and he has an appointment as well. 

 He is talking to a company down there about construction. 

 I have no idea what the Lord has in mind with all this.

 I'm excited one minute, and panicked the next, thus, the LUMP swells again.  

We are asking the Lord for 

direction and for guidance

 and a very CLEAR answer to college, and everything else.

One thing I know for sure; I'm very excited about the time Charlie and Kole will get to spend together touring around Texas.

  I'm excited about Kole's future and our future.

  Whatever that looks like, I don't know, but I do know

 WHO

 holds the future and so I'm excited to see what He has in store.

 I remember feeling this same way when Charlie and Lashae left for Africa.

  I had no idea what would come of it all, but I knew it was already in the Lord's hands and it was going to be

 GOOD and LIFE CHANGING.

I knew I had zero control of any of it, which just makes me go to the One in control.

  This is the exact way I feel now, about Kole and Charlie's Texas trip and the future.

James 4:13-17

English Standard Version (ESV)

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷  So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Bull Riders - Brothers - Traveling Partners

Where has Charlie been?

This is a picture of Charlie in the bull riding days.

He is working out of town, he's not too far away, so we do get to see him on the weekends, but during the week he is working and he is staying with an old friend. 

 Not "old"  in the sense of age, but "old" in the fact that he has been friends with Scott since before I was in the picture.  

Scott and Charlie go back to "bull rider days" together.  They were "traveling partners".

  If you don't know anything about bull riders and the lifestyle of these guys, let me give you a brief description.

These guys are "brothers", they travel around on a hope and a prayer.  They are broke most of the time, as they are putting their very lives in danger, one bull at a time. 

 These guys always have a good time, they are "brothers". 

 They look after each other, they help each other, they cheer for one another, they take care of each other's injuries ( and there's plenty of those to go around in a van full of bull riders).  They share everything, if one guy has a good go at a rodeo he helps get everyone to the next one.  

It's been a lot of years since Charlie and Scott were traveling around together, but once a  traveling partner, always a traveling partner through the journey of LIFE.

 They may not talk often or do anything together, or the same, for years at a time, but they are brothers to the core.

When Charlie realized where he would be working he did not hesitate to call Scott, and ask if he could "crash" at his place.  Scott did not hesitate to open his door wide open.

  Not a question, just open door.  

This is not the first time his door has been open to us Brewers. 

 When Charlie and I were first married, and my job was based in Portland, Scott's folks, who barely knew me, opened their door and their hearts to me anytime and every time I needed a place to stay.

Charlie and Scott's lives look very different to most people. 

 Scott, is single with no kids, and Charlie is married with a lot of kids.  

They may have taken different routes in life, but they are 2 guys that have a history and a brotherhood that can never be forgotten or taken away.  

When I call in the evenings to talk to Charlie they sound the same as they did over 20 years ago.

BUDDIES - BROTHERS

I want to thank Scott for taking my man in, and being such a good brother.  Since I'm not there to look after him, I know Scott has his back, just as he did over 20 years ago. 

 I thought I'd give Scott a big shout out to say thanks and let him know a few things.

  I want Scott to know what is going on at his "brothers" house on this side of the mountain.

MY THANKS TO SCOTT:

Thank you for opening your door and your heart to Charlie and ultimately our whole family....hey, we are a herd...you accept one of us, you accept us all.  Hehe  

You are just one good guy with big fun-loving heart.

 I thought I should let you know something though; 

I am praying for you...as is the rest of the herd.

You are taking care of my man and I pray for him, so I've conveniently added you to my list. 

 And just so you know, for whatever reason, not because of anything I've done or said, but just because

 God is so gracious and good, 

He listens to my prayers. 

 He has done amazing things in my life, and the lives of the people I love, just because I've asked Him to.

You see, I have a lot of time to talk to God, because I'm at home a lot and most of my duties are ones I can do without thinking, so I pray. 

 When I'm baking cookies for you and Charlie, or making soup,

 I just PRAY and God hears me.

**God listens to mothers - Jesus' first miracle was done at His mother's request.  I think He has a special affection for a Mother's request.**

While I may not be your mother, there's a simple rule of nature, that once you become a mother, you just want to mother everyone.  

Here's my prayer for you: 

 I'm praying for big blessings of peace and love and joy abounding in your life.  

  So I suggest you 

~put on your cowboy hat~

~cinch up your belt~

~walk in your cowboy boots~

~wear your protective vest~

~get down in the chute~

 ~raise your hand in the air~

~LOOK UP and nod  "YES" to bring it on.~

Be prepared for things to get crazy GOOD in your life, because that's what I'm praying for you.

I'm praying for the

 "ride of your life", 

and you will never be the same!!!!

This is a wedding photo, and Scott is on the bottom left.....always by Charlie's side.  

All Things Work Together for Good

Romans 8:28

New International Version (NIV)

 ²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

 In the midst of a lot of good and difficult changes and hardships, that Lashae and Chaney are going through in their young married life....broken down truck, financial hard times, a big LONG move (further from me, ugh.), a change of job, pregnancy (hormones), and all that comes with being newly weds, pregnant, and away from everything familiar...God gives GOOD GOOD gifts.

 And God is so good that He works some good things into some difficult situations.  The only thing Charlie and I can spare right now to help anyone   is a truck and a person...so guess what Chaney and Lashae happen to need for just a while...a truck and a person. 

 The good news is, I get to see my girl!!!!  Yep....You heard right, Lashae is flew in Wednesday night!!!  She will hang with us for a few days and then she will take a truck and her sister and they will head to Montana to get ready for a big move.  I'm so excited and amazed at how the Lord can turn all things to GOOD!  

I would have never wished their truck to break down and cost them a lot of money, but only God can bring a gift out of that, and the gift is, that me and Lashae have been aching ACHING to see each other, I miss her so bad, and I just need to lay eyes on her, as it so "happens", out of their hardship, we get to see each other, and spend some time together.

I just want to add;  I'm so proud of these young married kids of mine.  They are doing so well.  They love each other a ton, and they love the Lord and seek HIM in every single decision they make.  So whenever I get on my high horse and start worrying about stupid stuff, I am ever so gently reminded(and sometimes less gently..Robert) that they hear from the Lord, they seek Him daily, and Chaney is a man of his house and a man of God...so I'm trying to crawl off my high horse and just remember this and be thankful, so thankful!


PS...I just have to add something I think is so precious...it's just a glimpse of how Dads are always Dads, and their little girls are always their Princesses that they will literally take off their shirt...shoes...or tires...to give only "the best" to their girls.  


When I told Charlie that Lashae and Chaney needed a truck for a bit, and I had offered them the Ford, which is in great shape, runs perfect, not one problem with it, but it is older than his, and the tires are not as good, Charlie said, "NO WAY", I was like, "WHAT???"  He said, "She will take MY TRUCK, it has better tires and it's just better, and she needs my truck." 


 Oh..how this blessed my heart.


Then I was talking to my dad, Lashae's Papa, and he heard of the situation and he said, "Ok, how can I help, I want to do something."  I had to laugh, because he already did without knowing it at the time, he gave Charlie the really good snow tires that are on Charlie's truck that he is lending to Lashae.  I love how everyone got to be a part of it without knowing what was going to be needed. 


 If our dad's on this earth care so much about our every need and are willing to give only their best...How much more does our Father in heaven give?
He gave His only Son to die for us so we may have eternal life with Him and He will gives us everything we need on this earth, and PERFECT HEAVEN  for the rest of ETERNITY once we leave this earth...Oh, there are some good Fathers on this earth, but our Heavenly Father is Perfect and gave it all once and for all!

The Valentine Proposal

Everyone is posting their Valentines love story...so, I couldn't resist!!! 

 Today, 23 years ago my man asked me to marry him.  It was NOT a story that we really share with anyone very often,( so I thought I would just blog it and get that exposed too. haha),  it was not romantic and it is NOT recommended, but it is our story and I love it because it is unique to us and I love "US".   

I would NOT change one thing...even the proposal :)....because it was from my man and I love him more now than ever before, and I loved him to the moon and back even then.  

Here's the Story:

We were having a Valentine"s dinner alone, that I had made for him.

The whole dinner,  I thought he was breaking up with me because he was soooo quiet and deep in thought, but, instead of breaking up with me, when he finally spoke, he proposed!

I had a very hard time shifting gears from tears of fear to tears of joy, so I sat STUNNED at what had just happened, but of course I said YES!

  I was a Senior in high school, and we did not tell a single soul until I graduated. 

Once I graduated he asked my dad and gave me a very special ring that has been passed down for 4 generations.  When he gave it to me, it was also passed around the table to everyone else to see before I got to look at it.

 Again, we are not very romantic but we are very UNIQUE, and that just works best for "us".

It felt odd, to go to school and home and I knew in my heart I had accepted a marriage proposal, but there was no ring and no congratulations, just a big awkward secret.

  I felt excited and guilty, excited about my future, guilty about my secret.

Now we laugh about all that, it is a story that will be told many times in the years to come, and probably get better and better with each telling, if you know what I mean.

 ***  Warning***** 

 My kids better NEVER do anything like this.  

Happy Valentines to my Sweetheart!!! 

 We have been married 22 years and I would NOT trade one day of it for anything else. 

 It is fun, and crazy, and hard, and wonderful and unique. 

Thanks Mom and Dad for not killing me and always being so supportive of me and Charlie and our "unique" ways.

  And Dad  thanks for saying yes, and not killing Charlie. 

 You both took it so much better than I would have.

DO YOU HEAR THAT BREWER KIDS!!!