Aloha, Howdy, & Hola!

Brewer Baby #2!

2011-11-22T13:40:00.002-06:00

Yes! We are expecting Baby #2. It is due around the 6th of May. We are all very excited...even Katelynn! She likes to rub Mommy's tummy. The first trimester I was very nauseous, but I am feeling much better now. All is well with Mommy and Baby. Daddy has the best cravings... mostly chocolate... More updates to follow!

1 year older...

2011-11-15T16:00:00.005-06:00

Today is Katelynn's first birthday and she loved it! We made carrot cake (no frosting for her piece) and opened some presents. Mommy & Daddy gave her bubbles so we went outside with Gus and had lots of fun learning about bubbles. Although, Gus seemed to love them a little too much!

I can't believe how fast the time has truly flown by! One year ago today, Katelynn came out after only eight pushes and was frowning! Today she is a happy, healthy, beautiful little girl, walking, babbling, and dancing! We love you Moose!

Carving our pumpkin

2011-10-25T07:59:00.002-05:00

We had a lot of fun carving Katelynn's first pumpkin. It was messy, so we did it outside. Notice how helpful Katelynn is!

Four teeth, just like our girl.

Peek-a-boo

2011-10-16T10:20:00.002-05:00

Katelynn's new favorite game is peek-a-boo. She loves to play. Although sometimes she doesn't hide very well, she is still so darn cute.

Shake shake shake...

2011-08-12T19:33:00.001-05:00

She shakes her head... not sure if its dancing, or if she's really saying no, but it's cute!

June catch-up

2011-07-05T20:31:00.006-05:00

Ok so the last post wouldn't fit all these pictures from June... so here's a re-cap. Enjoy!

Announcing the new Mr. & Mrs. Richardson! Congrats guys!

Katelynn loves her daddy so much!

And Aunt Carrie too!

The plane ride home was a little difficult... so tired!

Learning to use those arms and legs... almost crawling!

Mommy decorated Katelynn's room!

Very focused...

Too cool for school... and the pups...

Look out world! Here she comes! Well... almost...

What a beautiful drooler!

Gus got to come inside... and Katelynn loves him. He is so gentle with her.

What a cutie!

I just had to put this one up...

Hopefully this next month won't take me so long to post! Sorry about the wait. Mexico is great. It is actually fairly cool and rainy. Good thing we have a few sweaters!

Katelynn Catch-up

2011-07-05T19:53:00.006-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted for a while... there has been so much to do ...between my brother's wedding, three classes here at the Academy, and well... life with a baby!

Here are some pictures to recap the last three months.

April

Learning to sit... well... sort of...

Getting used to my belly...and the swimming moves

Trying to sit... again...

She did! And she is so proud of her self!

Even Gus has a new friend ... Gibby!

May

Loving to pose...

Not ANOTHER picture...

A true sitter... that's our girl! And so happy too!

I love this little girl!

2011-04-01T11:41:00.002-05:00

Get the kitty!

2011-03-23T23:30:00.003-05:00

Gus has a new hobby... besides roaming around the beautiful grounds here and getting into trouble... Gus LOVES to chase the kitties. Sometimes he thinks he sees them when he doesn't. It is pretty funny to watch. Even Katelynn laughs at him.

And this one is just for fun...

Months 3 & 4

2011-03-15T21:19:00.004-05:00

I have been a little behind on posting, but I have taken lots of pictures! The first three are from Valentine's Day and the last two are from today. She is growing up really fast, but it is so much fun to see her experience everything for the first time. Today she rolled over from her back to her tummy... meaning she can now roll in a full circle. Scary!

Katelynn LOVES her Daddy!

2011-02-14T15:42:00.004-06:00

He sings her a special song and this is how much she likes it...

She also thinks Gus is pretty funny!

Gus isn't quite sure about his replacement...

Tomorrow Katelynn will be three months old. It is amazing how much our lives have changed. Last night she slept for 7 hours! We love her so much and really enjoy the fun moments of discovery. For example, on the plane ride here, she discovered herself in the mirror, she has discovered how to roll over, and she's now working on sucking her thumb. Being a parent is fun, stressful, exciting, exhausting, and everything in between.

Arrival to Mexico

2011-02-14T15:01:00.003-06:00

Yes, we now live in Mexico City... and it is wonderful! There are so many adjustments...being new parents, living in a new country, starting a new job (http://creatingenterprise.org)... All things considered, we are doing wonderfully!

I thought I would also add that this is how she likes to sleep...

Christmas in Washington

2011-02-14T14:38:00.004-06:00

We got to spend about a month in Washington with my parents. Katelynn is the first grandbaby, so of course she (and I) was spoiled to the max!

I also got to take some family pictures and then some engagements for Eric & Brianna. We had such a great time!

Newborn shots

2011-02-14T14:24:00.004-06:00

Then these are some I took...

What a beautiful little baby!

Maternity shots

2011-02-07T13:05:00.005-06:00

We had a lady (Crystal Littrell) take some maternity shots and then newborn pictures. It was really fun and I thought I would post a few here... (newborn shots to follow)

Happy Birthday Gus!

2010-12-16T21:32:00.002-06:00

Gus enjoyed his "cuppy" cakes (in honor of Buttercup). He's one year older...

Is that a happy pup, or what?

Katelynn Elaine has arrived!

2010-12-06T10:32:00.003-06:00

She came to this world on November 15th, at 11:15 am, weighing 7 lbs. 14 ozs and 21 inches long. She is beautiful and it has been quite the adventure so far! We are al doing great, getting ready for the big move! There will probably be lots of pictures and videos to follow!

38 weeks and counting...

2010-11-13T05:23:00.003-06:00

Yes... still counting...

Can you tell how excited Gus is to meet Katelynn?

We're excited too, only a few more days... hopefully!

28 and 31 weeks

2010-09-22T18:15:00.002-05:00

As you can see, we are all getting a little anxious for this little girl to finally come. Actually, Gus was just really tired from the park!

Here I am at 28 weeks...

And at 31 weeks... on my birthday! We celebrated by going to Olive Garden... yum!

Life is great. We are in the middle of classes, getting ready for preliminary exams, and of course, preparing for our life to change forever!

We are excited though! Only 8 weeks left!

27 weeks...

2010-08-17T19:33:00.003-05:00

Sorry this has taken me so long! We took some pictures today and they are proof that I really am still pregnant. Gus is growing big and strong and is becoming very protective (good boy!). More park pictures to follow.

Ultrasound #2

2010-07-12T19:29:00.001-05:00

The foot!

She's all smiles! Ok ok... she's not really smiling, but it is really cute!

It's a girl!

We are so excited!

Another day at the park...

2010-07-12T18:56:00.003-05:00

We love going to the park. There are so many new pups there to teach Gus new tricks... like jumping off the "cliff".

Although he may not be the fastest swimmer, he sure makes up for it in jumping! What a super-pup!

Fun Pics Downtown Bryan

2010-06-13T10:28:00.002-05:00

I am 4 months pregnant now (look at that cute little bump!) and we decided it was time for some pictures of us. Our friend Anna went with us to take them and here are a few of my favorites!

Gus and the Park!

2010-05-01T11:15:00.004-05:00

Since Gus has now had his rabies and other shots, we were finally able to take him to the park. I was feeling great this morning so we decided after cinnamon rolls to take him to the park! He had such a fun time. The water was a little scary at first, but he just kept going in to get that baby (his toy)!! Enjoy the pics!

He doesn't like the truck yet...but he didn't know what was coming to him!

A little scared... no baby yet...

Can't quite figure out how to get it without going under...

Ok... fourth times a charm...

He did it!! He was so proud and so were we!!

What a good boy!

Baby Brewer

2010-04-22T10:49:00.002-05:00

I am 10 weeks along now, but here is the ultrasound from last week. We heard "his" little heartbeat, saw "his" little arms moving... It is so wonderful to see the reason behind all the nausea!!

Gus update...

2010-03-29T19:45:00.002-05:00

So it snowed here in February... never posted about that! Gus is now 27 pounds, although these pictures are from a while ago... more newer pics to follow!

The "ruff" life of Gus Gus

2010-02-12T16:18:00.004-06:00

Just thought we would share how difficult Gus' life has been. He has it hard, but somebody has to do it!

This is probably the worst part of the day...

His first bath

He has learned the head tilt

Yep... he's tucked in...

We've got mail!

Can you tell we love him? He is so fun to have around! He is growing so fast!!

Gus Gus!!!

2010-01-23T19:12:00.004-06:00

Pup #2. Since our sweet Buttercup had to say goodbye so early we decided it was time for a boy.

Here he is. Gus. He is definitely a boy...

We just got him on Friday and as you can see by his dad, he has a LOT of growing to do!

I am sure you are going to see a whole lot more of him.

Saying goodbye!

2009-10-04T14:04:00.003-05:00

Our last day we packed and said goodbye. It is always hard to say goodbye to great people and great experiences. This was an experience that has impacted our lives and one we will never forget.

All the students with the Brewers (we are in our traveling clothes!)

On our way out to the airport, we had to take a picture of the poor houses on the side of the bridge. It is amazing to see.

A chance to see an old friend...

2009-10-04T13:49:00.003-05:00

We had the opportunity to meet the Sestoso Family. I had met Rionil Sestoso in California before he was married. We took them out to dinner with Met-Met and Lester. It was a lot of fun and great to see an old friend and make new friends!

Everyone with the Sestoso Family. They are such special people.

The food was delicious. It was so cheap too... we really miss that!

The juice was so good, but not as good as the company!

Karaoke Night!

2009-10-04T13:36:00.002-05:00

We had a karaoke night for our farewell party. Neither Jeremi or I have ever sang karaoke... and we were a little nervous...

We ate some really good barbecue chicken with the staff...

And then the fun began!! We sang!

And we sang...

And we sang!!

And we did the YMCA! It was a lot of fun!!
We can't wait to karaoke again!

Lester's House

2009-10-04T13:28:00.003-05:00

Lester, one of the employees of the Academy, really helped us out a lot during our stay. He invited us to his home for some Filipino treats!

We still aren't sure what this is... it was like a gooey... sort of sweet...goop!

Yes, Jeremi tried Balot (pronounced Balut)

I think he prayed right before he ate it! Don't worry, he didn't eat very much. I think it was a one-time taste.

Met-Met and Rebecca... good friends watching the fun!

The whole gang.

Trip to Bohol

2009-10-04T13:21:00.003-05:00

We were able to visit the small island of Bohol to meet Academy alumni and also to promote attendance to the Academy. We got to see some really neat stuff, but since we were only there for 1 day, we had to hurry!

Our driver knew we would love to see these! Tiny Tarsier Monkeys. Aren't they cool!

This is to show how small they really are!

This was one of the Jeepneys they have in the Philippines. I think this is the
fullest one I have ever seen.

By the end of the day, we were all exhausted... we feel asleep so fast on the ferry ride back home...all except Jeremi! He had to take the picture!

Day 9 Mexican Night!

2009-08-18T20:53:00.003-05:00

We decided to make mexican food for all the staff on Monday night. It was a big hit! Although we couldn't find the perfect ingredients, it was just about the same! We made salsa, guacamole, black beans, corn, and rolled tacos (tacos dorados). It was really yummy!

This is the cooking and maintenance staff. They loved it!!

This is a picture of Nanai. She usually does all the cooking and household cleaning. She's really nice and good at what she does. She thinks Jeremi is a little crazy, but who doesn't?!?

This is Donna and Met, more staff. Met is one of the regional coordinators who travels with us sometimes.

Randolph, Russell, and Alvie enjoying the food!

More of Day 7 ... fruit tasting!

2009-08-18T20:17:00.005-05:00

We stopped by a fruit stand on the way from GenSan to Marbel. The Delfin's had us taste all sorts of yummy fruits. Among them were small papaya (which was Rebecca's favorite!), sweet and juicy pineapple from the nearby Dole plantation, Jack Fruit, and Durian. We have Jeremi's experience with Durian below...
This is Jeremi and Boiser (our tour guide and ACE representative) holding jack fruit. A very slippery texture with an intersting and sweet taste...

Jeremi and Rebecca with pineapples! They are the sweetest and juiciest we've ever had!

This is Jeremi's first smell of the fruit. Even the Filipinos say it smells like hell but tastes like heaven...we'll see!

Mr. Delfin had to plug Jeremi's nose so he would try it!

Ewww! Looks like it tastes as bad as it smells!

So, maybe it is an acquired taste. They LOVE it!... and we don't!

You get rid of the smell by washing your hands in the shell of the Durian fruit. It really works!

Day 7 - Trip to Mindinao

2009-08-18T18:30:00.004-05:00

This weekend we were able to visit another island for more recruiting and getting to know some of the graduates from the Academy.

Ok, so I thought in Asia, do as the Asians!

This is just to show how beautiful it is here! On this island they grow a lot of fruits. It is beautiful!! The Dole plantation is located on this island as well. A wonderful fruit experience will be posted later!

This is Peter Caro and his family at one of his businesses. A true "rags to riches" story. When he first attended ACE Academy he and his family actually lived in a pig's pen. Now they own four homes 2 of which they rent to others and have 3 other businesses. He learned so much about starting a business and changing his life. He is a model student for the Academy!

This is the Delfin Family. They were so kind and picked us up at the airport, took us around the island, brought us to a fruit stand to try all sorts of new fruits. They are also graduates of the Academy and this is one of their thriving businesses. They have also greatly improved their lives through their life changing experiences at the Academy.

We traveled to a different city to fly out and this is the exiting photo of Jeremi!

Loving the Philippines

2009-08-18T18:21:00.002-05:00

So, we've been here almost a week now, and we love it! The food is different, but we've found a few snacks we really like! Jeremi really enjoys the fresh fish and the squid, while Rebecca enjoys the chicken.

This is the Academy Sign where we're living. You can visit the website to find out more about what we're doing! http://creatingenterprise.com/?page_id=8

This is Jeremi and Lester, one of the Academy's teachers, eating a banana cue. It is a small banana rolled in brown sugar and deep fried. Ok, it might sound weird, but they are soooo good!!

One last snack we really enjoy are the Chunkee cookies! We only hope they don't make us chunkee!! :)

Day 2 Philippines

2009-08-10T19:15:00.004-05:00

Monday Aug 10, we went to two different islands. We visited Olango Island and another islet. They are beautiful places where the life is simple. Most people are fishermen or they sell seashells. There are many public schools, but there is very little running water. They get most of their water from the rain. Here are a few pictures to enjoy! It is visits like these that make you really appreciate what you have.

This boat may look small, but there were four of us, plus the "driver". He actually rowed. Isn't the ocean beautiful!

Jeremi tried rowing. It was much harder than he thought!

After we got to the island, this is what we road around in. Yes, there were still four of us, plus the driver!

Jeremi and me on the beach.

The principle of one of the schools we visited explained to us that the children often have very little food and no water. In fact, they have more coca-cola than anything. Then, they brought us to lunch. Although it was very nice of them, we felt badly about the little children who couldn't eat. However, it is offensive to reject a meal, so we ate. :) It was fish (very fresh!) and pork with rice and lentils.

This is one of the elementary schools were a different charity group brought in a water system to help the children have running water. They love getting their picture taken!!

We will post more later. You will notice that there is a lot of English here! Even in the most remote areas, the children learn English and Tagalog (the other national language).

Cebu!

2009-08-10T17:46:00.003-05:00

We have arrived! We are on the island of Cebu and after a very very long 5 flight trip, we have arrived exhausted. The only thing about flying so long is that you get CANKLES. If you have never experienced cankles, it is not fun. Your ankles swell up so much you can't tell where your calves end and your feet begin. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment! Don't worry! They have decreased exponentially and we are feeling great!

Per Jeremi's request

2009-06-19T13:14:00.003-05:00

Caution! What you're about to see is real live footage!

The following image may cause discomfort and disgust!!

Here is a brief summary of what surgery was done yesterday (but I won't go into too much detail)

Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: (taken from ehealthmd.com)

A thin, lighted instrument called an endoscope is inserted into the nose, and the doctor looks inside through an eyepiece. Much like a telescope with a wide-angle camera lens, the endoscope beams light into different parts of the nose and sinuses, allowing the doctor to see what is causing blockages. Surgical instruments can then be used along with the endoscope to remove the blockages and improve breathing.

Septoplasty Surgery (taken from webmd.com)

The septum and nasal passages are lined with a layer of soft tissue called the nasal mucosa. To repair the septum, the surgeon works through the nostrils, making an incision to separate the mucosa from the underlying cartilage and bone. The doctor trims or straightens the bent cartilage and then replaces the mucosa over the cartilage and bone.

Here is the picture requested by Jeremi:

Surgery...

2009-06-19T12:02:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, June 18, Jeremi had sinus surgery. They had to go in and open up his sinuses so now when he gets allergies they won't automatically turn into a sinus infection! (which means I don't have to make him my special soup recipe...)

He is very sore today and this picture was from yesterday. The nurses and the doctor were all very nice and helpful and understanding. It took a while for the drugs to wear off yesterday so many of the nurses got to hear him singing and telling them that he has the best wife (good thing to say on truth serum!)

Today he is in quite a bit of pain, but we are getting through this healing process. He wants to let you all know that he loves and appreciates you.

9 years and counting

2009-05-07T08:12:00.003-05:00

Last night we celebrated nine years together. I can't believe it has been that long... or that short. It seems we've been side by side our whole lives. We've been through so much. I know that so much more awaits us, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be than beside my Love!

My (Late) Easter creation

2009-05-02T16:35:00.002-05:00

They were soooo good too!

Why Babies Have Mothers...

2009-03-10T18:59:00.001-05:00

Loving Life

2009-02-25T09:52:00.003-06:00

So here are a few randoms from the other day...

Valentine's Day...

2009-02-19T13:31:00.003-06:00

Have I said this before... I have the BEST HUSBAND in the world!!

For Valentine's Day he bought me a massage, pedicure, and manicure.

It was probably the best present ever!...well....almost! He even suprised me with roses after I got out of the spa!

She will always be remembered...

2009-02-19T12:57:00.006-06:00

A few weeks ago, we had to say goodbye to our newest family member: Buttercup. She was such a good puppy. I am sure most owners would say that, but of all the dogs Jeremi and I have ever had in our lifetimes, she was by far the most obedient, the sweetest, and most fun. She learned to catch the frisbee and return to us, she learned to sit, stay, and lay at a very young age (at about 4 months she had mastered all of them), she was always the first to make us happy.

Unfortunately, she had a fatal skin/immune system disease that got the best of her. She was 8 months old and lived a good, happy life (although very short). Please join with us in remembering her by looking at her happy times pictures.

We love you and miss you Cuppers!!

Ok...finally!

2009-02-19T12:46:00.002-06:00

Well, as many of you know, we have been in the process of buying a fourplex. (one house, four apartments). It has been a long time since we began the search, but we finally signed the contract and have great renters!

We are constantly looking at the finances making sure we're making enough money, but everything is going really well so far (knock on wood!).

Here are some pictures to enjoy!

The new deck we added on plus fences:

Snow in Texas?

2008-12-10T14:25:00.005-06:00

Yep! That's right! I am so glad I went Black Friday shopping with my amigas (Gabi & Leidy). I got a nice Columbia jacket at Ross for about 70% off the original price!!

And this is why...

We woke up to snow this morning! And it is snowing right now as I write!

Family Pictures...

2008-12-10T14:06:00.004-06:00

Ok, so we've wanted to take family pictures for about 2 months now, but as you've read, we have been soooo busy!! These are a few we took before it got so darn cold!

Buttercup was so distracted! But look at this cute one! My cuties!

Thanksgiving Fun

2008-12-10T13:59:00.003-06:00

Ok, I am sorry it has taken us so long to update! We just finished all our finals and wow were they a lot of work!

For Thanksgiving all the latins (including us) who weren't going any where got together at one of our professor's house. We all brought something to eat; I was in charge of the pies. One pumpkin and one chocolate pudding pie. I have to say, for the first time ever making pies, I did a really good job!Dr. Moyna, Murat Rodriguez (Mexico), Jeremi :), Pablo (Cuba)
Me :), Gabi (Mexico - Murat's wife), Matilda (Moyna's daughter), & Leidy (Pablo's wife).

These are the couples we hang out with almost every weekend. They're new here too and so fun to be with! We're so grateful for good friends!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-11-01T08:55:00.003-05:00

Ok, so we're not super festive, but we did our best! Thanks Mom!

No trick-or-treaters came to our door this year. Guess they figure a college town is likely to not have any candy!

Cuppers found a friend!

2008-09-07T23:01:00.004-05:00

I love the water fountain at the park!
Shiner & Buttercup
Yea, I may be getting big, but I'm still Dad's best friend!
We love to play together!
I like the truck now too!

We went to a nearby park and along comes another boxer! His name is Shiner and is only about a month older than Buttercup. Maybe someday they will be "good friends". :)

On the way

2008-09-07T22:45:00.002-05:00

Ok, one last ice cream before we go!
The Colosseum
Austria is so beautiful. These are from the train!

On our way to Germany we went through Austria. It was so beautiful. No wonder the Sound of Music was filmed there!

Rome, Italy

2008-09-07T22:39:00.003-05:00

Before going to Rome, we had calzones and spaghetti for lunch, yum!!
Our new friend...
The Vatican City!
So beautiful at night!
This is Dago. He is a german boxer and looks just like the Weaz. He loves to play with balloons, but he only speaks Italian so Buttercup might have a hard time understanding him.

Last stop until Germany: Rome! You can't go to Italy without seeing Rome, right?

Florence, Italy

2008-09-07T22:32:00.002-05:00

Homemade Pasta in Italy!!

Gelatto Ice cream, hats and sunglasses...what could be better?
How about a midnight serenade?

Buying ties on the streets of Florence

This was my absolute favorite spot!! I love Italy...the food, the people, the weather.... we can't wait to go back!

on the street??

2008-09-07T22:28:00.003-05:00

Yep, we had to stay one night (well 4 hours) on the streets in Toulon, France. It was one of our stops and the station closed until the next train came in. Fortunately, there were three other people in our same situation, so we all sort of hung out together.

Barcelona, Spain

2008-09-07T22:05:00.003-05:00

Well , a long night train later, we ended up in Spain. It was beautiful because of all the museums and gardens.

The Sagrada Familia (church) of Gaudi - started building in 1884 and still building!

Las Ramblas - a famous street... it was crazy!

Guell Museum - it looks like gingerbread houses!

This one's for my Love!

Paris, France

2008-09-07T21:51:00.003-05:00

The Louvre

Notre Dame

We did a lot of walking!! Thank goodness this was all the luggage we had!

Quick trip through EUROPE!!

2008-09-07T20:58:00.005-05:00

Well, after we had arrived (finally) to Texas, we had about 6 days to get settled and get packed again for Europe. We had to give a presentation in Germany for the research we did in Hawaii so we decided since it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, to take trains all over Europe. Here's a map to show you a little of the craziness we did!

These are our friends who saved us in Paris. We miss one of our connecting flights and had to go to Paris instead of Germany where our colleague was waiting for us. So she had to take a 4 hour train ride alone to meet us at the Eiffel Tower!

The Tower at night... wow!

A visit with the Arizona Brewers

2008-09-07T16:45:00.005-05:00

We finally got to see Cannon and Carsen. It was the first time we'd ever since beautiful little Carsen, and Cannon was only 2 weeks when we saw him last. They were so much fun to play with and we can't wait to see them again!

Boss....juice???

The trek to Texas...

2008-09-07T16:25:00.003-05:00

Well, since we hadn't really fully moved out of our parents' houses, we decided it was time to pack it ALL up and drive down to Texas from Washington. We were really excited about our trip and wanted to see a lot of friends along the way....but we soon realized all we wanted was to get to our new home in Texas!!

After 60 hours of driving, we finally made it!!

Our new addition!

2008-08-04T22:26:00.002-05:00

Buttercup is the newest addition to the Brewer family.

We decided since we were making our new life in Texas it would be fun to start it with a puppy.
It may not have been the best timing, but we're sure happy to have her!

Buttercup and Grandpaw Weaz
Buttercup and Uncle Bud

They sure had fun together! Next time you see her, she'll be BIG!!

Amigas!

2008-05-30T15:09:00.000-05:00

We're still here in Mexico! We're having a lot of fun. I got to see one of my friends from San Diego-- Gris Ponce. We had lunch together and talked all day!

We're teaching a class on Tuesday nights of English and then another of business (in Spanish). We had about 40 people last Tuesday May 27th, and people are loving it!!

We haven't had internet for about 3 weeks so we're sorry about the lack of communication! Please look for more updates! We're going to a new school next week to teach young adults English and business..and we're looking forward to it.

Until next time! :)

Mexcio!!

2008-05-11T21:34:00.005-05:00

Mexico is a beautiful place. We are doing an internship with the two ladies in front - Sarita and Adela. This is a catholic church in the center plaza of Mexico City. We went at night and it was so beautiful!!

We also went to a fiesta for Mother's Day and the kids that we're teaching English to at the elementary school danced folk dances from Mexico. It was so fun to watch. They are so cute!!

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T05:01:00.006-05:00

Almost eight years and still in love...

Shopping!!

2008-03-24T04:55:00.003-05:00

Friday was definitely a good Friday... I went shopping with some girlfriends at Pearlridge (I had never been there before) and it was so fun! We shopped 'til we dropped (literally)! We had so much fun and there were so many sales! Nordstrom's just opened a new store in town, but that was just the beginning! We found some great deals and really felt good about our accomplishments.

Go Aggies!!

2008-03-11T02:59:00.003-05:00

From Seasider to Aggie... College Station, here we come!!

We have been accepted to Texas A&M University for the Hispanic Linguistics PhD program. We will begin the last week of August 2008. So, eventually, we'll be known as Dr. & Dr. Brewer...guess we'll have to decide on whose name will be first... or not!

In case you're not sure where College Station, Texas is...

Business Plan Competiton

2008-03-11T01:52:00.005-05:00

Aloha! We haven't been posting for a while because we've been extremely busy with grad school applications and writing a business plan. Jeremi and I have had the dream of opening a school in Mexico that would really benefit the Mexican people. As English is becoming more and more the international language, this is one way we feel would help them gain a jump start on their lives and pull themselves out of poverty. So, we entered a business plan competition here at school but with very high hopes of gaining knowledge and little hopes of winning. We had so many mentors who not only believed in our plan, but believed in us. Then we found Leslie Thompson from Lima, Peru, who not only thought our idea was awesome, but really wants to help us in the future. She is another student here at BYUH and is studying International Business & Math. She's really smart and helped out a ton with all the financial stuff. As I said, we had met with a lot of people who've helped us since October '07 and finally, it was time to turn in the plan. It turned out to be about 40 pages (complete with an appendix) thanks to Jeremi and his amazing writing skills. We made it into the semi-finals (out of about 40 plans entered) on Monday (Mar 3) and straight into the finals (only five other teams made it to the finals). We presented our plan on Friday (Mar 7) and the winner was....

Us! Our team won the grand prize which we invested with our other money that we've saved for this goal of ours. It really is our dream to fulfill and with continued work, help, and planning, I know we can achieve it!

A news article link: http://newsroom.byuh.edu/?q=node/1597

Mele Kalikimaka!

2008-01-08T23:36:00.000-06:00

It's the thing to say when celebrating Christmas in Hawaii!!

We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day followed by a wonderfully delicious dinner with Darci & Louie!

We ate at the Top of Waikiki, which is a restaurant that rotates in downtown Waikiki.

We even had chocolate fondue dessert! It was a fun Christmas to remember!

Missing Seattle

2007-12-11T01:40:00.001-06:00

Living in Hawaii is really a blessing. It is so much fun to have sun year round. However, there are many things that we miss: Our families, the Weaz, and.....that's about it!

Well we did our best to see everyone, but time didn't allow for much. We're sorry if we missed you. There's always next time...and Hawaii is just a flight away... :)

What did you do for Black Friday?

2007-12-11T01:20:00.000-06:00

It is a tradition that Mom, Carrie, and I have had for several years to go Christmas shopping in Seattle. We have also been to Portland, OR, and San Francisco, CA, but Seattle is the hub. We have so much fun and this year Jeremi and Ty came with us! We had so much fun hanging out, spending time together and seeing all the hustle and bustle for Christmastime! I even got to see my lifetime friend, Ann Lefebvre, at the Seattle Art Museum where she works. In Hawaii, it is hard to believe it is December, but in Washington, all we had to do was step off the plane and we were reminded of what it meant to be cold!!

Thanksgiving at the Richardsons'

2007-12-11T00:15:00.000-06:00

Mom & Dad's beautiful home

Me, Eric, Mom & Carrie

The whole gang!

The whole family

Carrie & Me

The table

We had a scrumptious dinner with the whole gang! Well, almost everyone was there...Richardsons and Matthews alike! Yes, we're a small bunch, but we had a lot of fun and delicious food. We even had some of Aunt Dana's homemade crackers! Don't forget the homemade pumpkin pie, blackberry pie, and cran-blueberry pie! Yum!!

Poster Presentations

2007-12-11T00:06:00.000-06:00

Although it was only at school, one of our assignments was to make a poster and present it to our peers and many of the faculty. It was great experience and our audiences loved us!

Happy 24th!!

2007-09-29T01:52:00.000-05:00

It's my birthday! We went to Benihana's restaurant in Honolulu with our friends the Sybrowski's. Joseph's birthday was the 24th of September, so we combined our celebrations and had a delicious Japanese style feast! Plus, a sweet stop at Jack in the Box for an oreo shake dessert!

Yum!

The First Anniversary of many more to come...

2007-09-29T00:17:00.000-05:00

What a lovely thing to be able to say we have finally been married for one year! My sweet husband surprised me with a weekend trip to Maui. We had a great time just relaxing and wonderful time together.

We stayed in a beautiful but modest hotel with a nice pool and hot tub (isn't that the best part of a hotel anyway?). We rented a bright green jeep form a local car rental company, went shopping at all the little stores, laid out on the beaches, ate at some good restaurants including Denny's and an awesome pizza place in Lahaina. We also paid a little visit to Hana--the beach with black sand. We took about a three hour drive on the windiest roads we've seen since the roads in Mexico. When we finally reached the famous black shores of Hana, we were so excited that while jumping in the ocean, we lost the key to the jeep. We worked it out with the company to have a tow truck company drive the spare key over to the Hana side. It is that excluded! Anyway, after a little wait and some complimentary homemade banana bread from the local hotel. It really wasn't that bad, although it did cost us a little!

Besides the excitement of the trip, it is an amazing feeling to know that my best friend is with me forever. We have endured so much together, and we know there is so much more to come. There is no one in the world I would rather be with than him. We love to be together every hour of every day. We look forward to all our future plans and how we'll spend the rest of our days together.

Our Friend Bazil

2007-09-28T23:55:00.000-05:00

We have the cutest neighbor named Bazil. (Bah zul) He is one year old and has been walking for about five months (yep, he started walking at 6 1/2 mos). He is learning new words every day and he has started to call us Nany nany & Boo boo (Jeremi is Nany Nany because he brought Bazil to see the goat and the goat says nany nany).

Anyway, we love to play with him! Just look at how adorable he is!

He has videos online! This one is in front of our complex.

Bazil's video

China Trip!!

2007-06-09T05:51:00.000-05:00

We had the marvelous opportunity to go to China to present the research we have been working on with our professor, Dr. Hansen. We are developing a program to test the English proficiency levels of ESL learners via computer. This would really save schools a lot of time and money, and therefore is in high demand. So, not only did we get a week's trip in Beijing, China paid for, but also an incredible experience.

Please check out our pictures:
China Pictures

Mexico Trip 2007

2007-05-05T00:56:00.001-05:00

Check out some of our pictures of Mexico by clicking on this link:
Mexico Pictures

After nine days of travel, we have seen almost all of southern Mexico. It was such a fun trip to be able to see all of Jeremi's friends and places he has been. We can't wait to go back!

TESOL trip to Seattle

2007-03-31T23:19:00.000-05:00

Another grey day in Seattle... sorry guys, we don't miss the weather!!!

We ate dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory
with our group on Friday night.

The Space Needle

For our major, we had the opportunity to return to our hometown for a convention. We learned a ton at the convention, but we also got to see our parents. It was a lot of fun to see them; it has been so long since we have seen Rebecca's parents! They have moved and their home is beautiful. We had lots of fun with the Brewers as well, playing games and making movies....NO DEAL!

Thank you for a great time!!

We will miss you, but we hope you will come visit us next! It is just too cold in Washington for us!

The Truth be told...

2007-02-27T01:39:00.000-06:00

Meet the
Hawaiian Rook Champions!!

Ohh...but it was so fun!

2007-02-27T00:58:00.000-06:00

We had a really good time with Mookie and the Polar Bear. They took us to places all over the island... sometimes not exactly on purpose, but it was always lots of fun! We went out to eat and to the beach where Jeremi and Louie went snorkeling and spear-fishing while Mookie and I got tan on the beach! On the last day, we got to go out to Haleiwa where we went on a sail boat (a catamaran to be exact) and went whale-watching! It was a blast! Thank you for such a good time!

A Week of Fun with Mookie and the Polar Bear!!

2007-02-27T00:44:00.000-06:00

We love you Mookie and Polar Bear!!
Happy 29th Anniversary!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-26T23:59:00.000-06:00

Jeremi took me to a nice restaurant where we had our choice from a buffet line of juicy prime rib, plenty of seafood surprises, salads, breads, fruit, and of course, a chocolate fountain. We saw the sun set over the ocean. It was so beautiful but it set so quickly!

It was definitely a night to remember.

Our New Bed!

2007-01-15T02:29:00.000-06:00

We are so excited! We have moved into TVA (on campus housing). Funny as it is to some... we feel as though we live in a castle! Our new home has four seperate rooms!! We don't have much, but after only a few nights of tossing and turning and mornings with aching backs, we decided to make a big purchase...a new bed! We went from an old double to a brand new queen... wow! She fits right in to our new palace. We love it!

The Power is Out!

2007-01-15T02:23:00.000-06:00

October 15, 2006
What do you do when you have no power and you live on an island with no car??? Well, first things first, you have to study.....
But... when you've studied all that you possibly can.... you go to the Porter's for some fun and... JENGA!!!

We've Moved!!

2007-01-10T20:26:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know our new addresss!

55-550 Naniloa Loop
#6131
Laie, HI 96762

This is our mailing address...so if you ever get the tingling feeling to send us a little something... we wouldn't mind!!

Happy New Year!!

Culture Night at the PCC

2006-11-04T22:50:00.000-06:00

We watched a really cool presentation of different cultures last night. We even got on stage and did some..hula...? Anyway, we had a lot of fun!

Hike to Laie Falls

2006-10-17T15:51:00.000-05:00

This was an adventure that we were told would only take 2 hours, but when we returned home six hours later, we decided that maybe hiking wasn't for us... The Falls itself was pretty, but very cold, and only just a trickle. It was still beautiful!

Greetings from Hawaii!!

2006-10-17T15:42:00.001-05:00

We are studying at BYU Hawaii in Laie, Hawaii on Oahu. It is a beautiful place to live...although the ocean for us is still a little scary!

22 July 2006

2006-07-25T20:41:00.000-05:00

Our Perfect Day

2006-07-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

we are getting married...and we're excited about it!!!

2006-07-06T14:18:00.000-05:00

ALOHA