get 5 sisters.

can't find the right shoes to wear with that one outfit? get 5 sisters. One of them is bound to wear the same size.
need someone to giggle with during the wee-hours of the morning? get 5 sisters. They are perfect for this kind of thing.can't decide if you want to cut your hair or keep it long? get 5 sisters. One of them might look like you and have the opposite of what you do.... look at a picture of them to decide.
want to skype date just because your room is too quiet and you need someone to hear you think while you edit 900 pictures? get 5 sisters. they are perfect for these occasions.
need to tell someone how good-looking that guy is but your friends are sick of hearing about him? get 5 sisters. most likely they want to tell you the same sort of thing.
God knew i would be somewhat of a girly-girl, so he gave me 5 sisters to share in the FUN!
God knew i would need someone's shoulder to cry on when words didn't meet a need, so he gave me 5 sisters knowing at all times at least 1 shoulder would be free.
God knew i couldn't handle 7 brothers all alone, so he gave me 5 sisters to tickle, tackle and race those brothers with.

sister #1 {Carissa Lynn age 20)She was born with the most insane hair ever! Beautiful BLACK straight hair that covered her whole little head and stood straight up all the time!!! It was easier to tell those little twins apart because of that wonderful hair. Carissa was my first sister and ray of sunshine being that i was stuck between two crazy boys! She was great for any sisterly activities growing up. She loved everything i did... which was great until i was 12 and wanted to not having little clones. By the time i was 16 i got over it and realized that no matter how many 'friends' stabbed me in the back or were mean, Carissa would always be there and it would work out lots better for both of us if i didn't mind if she wanted to be like me. I'm honored to have this one in my life. She is one of my real-life-living heroes. Carissa speaks Spanish, dreams Spanish, eats Spanish and lives Spanish in Argentina! Someday she will come visit me in Africa... but first i have to get there...

**Secret about Carissa: her "wing-span" (finger tip to finger tip) is longer than she is tall!**

sister #2 {Lindsey Marie age 20}7 minutes after sister #1 i got sister #2!!!! I seriously must be the luckiest girl ever, you see i already had 2 brothers and am pretty sure i would have been totally happy with 1 little sister, but instead of 1 i got 2 in one day!!! Lindsey also had GREAT hair when she was born, black straight hair that lay perfectly in place on her perfectly round head! The problem Lindsey had when she was little was being twin #2, see not only was she twin #2, but D kiddo #5! This is a big place to fill in the family.... she was the caboose for a year and a half and it wasn't all that grand! Lindsey is my little musical sister, when we were little she was on a dance team, took piano lessons, sang all the time and as she grew up learned guitar and kept music within reach at all times. Lindsey is also my only sibling that has been to a country that will always have rights to a top 5 favorites ever spot in my heart, INDIA! Don't tell her, but i am actually quite jealous that she got to see more of the country than i did. Lindsey is full of passion for life and Christ. I'm excited to see what God's BEST is for Lindsey!!!

**secret about Lindsey: she had the first broken bone in our family**

sister #3 {Hosanna Joy age 13}Literally a dream come true is Hosanna. I was 10 years old and as i did a lot of mornings growing up i went into Mama's bathroom to watch her "get ready" for the day. As i sat on the toilet and she did her makeup i told her about the dream i had the night before; In the dream i got a new little sibling more specifically a little sister!!! Unbeknown to my little 10 year old mind, my parents were not "planning" on another little D coming anytime soon. However not too long later we were sorting socks as a family and my dad asked me if i remembered the dream i had... this was the creative way to tell us kids that Baby #8 was on it's way! I started jumping around and being all excited before any of my siblings could catch up with the fact that i had a dream. For a LONG 9 months i had to wait to make sure the second part of my dream came true. it did. Enter our first blond sister! Hosanna and i shared a room for 7 years+ (-6months) + 2 years. We are super close. I'm not sure who is more like who. Hosanna clapped on beat at 11 months. Started singing before she could talk, and started playing piano when her fingers couldn't stretch a 5th across the keys. Hosanna has the most beautiful heart. She serves people without question or expectant to be rewarded. She was my little ministry side-kick and shadow for 2 years. There are not many 13 year olds who willingly listen to Podcast sermons; Hosanna is one of them. There are not many girls who have been the youngest girl who take to being a big sister to 2 little sisters... she has done it like a pro. **Secret about Hosanna: she has the greatest giggle ever.**

sister #4 {Sarah Katherine age 10}Just when i thought i wasn't going to have anymore sisters, Sarah's face showed up in an email and my heart melted. I like to tell Sarah that she looks just like me, but she doesn't believe me... i don't know what mirror she looks in everyday, but i see the resemblance perfectly. Sarah is an artist. 5 months after she came home from Africa she won a top prize at the Northwest Washington Fair for a painting she entered! Sarah is a thinker. She likes to ponder new information and has a never ending list of questions. Sarah likes to go swimming and play outside. You would never guess it at first meeting Sarah, but she is a little joker... she picks up on my dad's silly jokes really quickly and instantly her little laugh comes out with a big "nu-uh Dad"! **Secret about Sarah: she keeps things very organized.**

sister #5 {Rachel Rose age 8}the new caboose to our girly side of things! Rachel is quirky and silly. Spunky and wild. Quiet and sensitive. Rachel has the greatest little giggle, however for the first little while when she came home we didn't know if she laughed at all.... it was stuck inside somewhere, but when it came out i think we were all so shocked and blessed we all started laughing! Rachel's laugh is something you have to experience. It's for sure not fake. Being that Rach is the youngest girl she has somehow already figured out how to keep up with all her big brothers and sisters. She runs the mile only a few seconds behind Elijah and also does it with a smile! Last year when i was home for Christmas i played a mean joke on Rachel and threw her (literally) into a huge snow drift... in her pajamas and socks! She was shocked by the cold, recovered quickly, put her snow clothes on and asked me to do it again! Rachel's eyes carry secrets of 6 years i will never understand or be able to see. Rachel's heart carry's the potential to change the world, and i believe she will. **secret about Rachel: she would rather sleep on top of her blankets so to not mess up her perfectly made bed.**

get 5 sisters. you'll never regret it.

dear Jesus, thank you for my sisters. thanks for silly girly times. thanks for hair to braid, dresses to share, secrets to keep and dreams to share. thanks for the love that nothing can take away. thanks for the secret, invisible, incredible bond we all have. Jesus, please bless my sisters with YOUR BEST... when they are tempted to settle for good and pleasing, remind them that your BEST is just outside their view and it's worth it. please keep all creepy guys far away or i might sin in kicking/scaring them FAR away! Bless each of them with a man who fears you before me and my dad. A man who's #1 goal is to honor you with his life. Show each of my sisters the glorious things you want them to do. Set your kingdom before them as a prize to reach for. Most of all give them everything i failed to as a big sister. Give them grace. love. protection. Amen.

get 7 brothers.

great strategy for keeping creepy guys away? get 7 brothers. it scares them right down to the bone.

need to understand football to impress a great guy? get 7 brothers. they know all about football.

need to learn how to put someone in a head-lock should they attack you? get 7 brothers. they are good at teaching such things.

want to understand why guys say some of the things they say? get 7 brothers. sometimes they shed light on such subjects.

want to know if you look good for a date but not "too good"? get 7 brothers. they GLADLY tell you these things!

need a reason to wear a jersey and eat too much popcorn at baseball games? get 7 brothers. tell them it's for THEIR birthday and they won't even know it's your secret desire!

i have 7 brothers.
i wouldn't trade one of them for anything in the world.
Jesus knew i was going to be a handful, so he gave me 7 brothers to keep me in line!

{brother #1.} Gregg. 25 years old.He's the only one older than me! my first "big" brother. He likes having a beard... and so i call him "beard man". It's funny. When we were little we had secrets. i don't remember them, but i remember not telling them. Gregg always got to do things first. He was the oldest. Oldest to Youngest. The good thing was being #2. But still he got to go to "real" school before any of us! He road a bike with 2 wheels before any of us. He flew on a plane before any of us. He weighed more at birth than any of us. He's my "cool" brother. He has tattoos. I can't imagine him without them. **Secret about Gregg**
When Gregg was in 3rd grade he would put gel in his hair and spike it straight up!

{brother #2.} Jeremiah. 22 years old.He's my little big brother. One day i woke up and he was all of a sudden not shorter than me, and so therefore not my "little" 'miah anymore. He's my smart brother. When we were little we would play 'Oregon Trail' on the computer, and he would tell me the best strategy to not loose my cattle or kids to yellow fever. When we both wanted to be Archeologist in Egypt he would read the Encyclopedia about Egypt out loud to me. Although he was younger, i forgot it all the time because he was always looking out for me. When we took German 101, 102 & 103 together at the community college, he made sure i didn't fail the tests and quizzes. One time for Christmas he bought me a framed poem that made me cry.
**Secret about Jeremiah**
Jeremiah doesn't like to eat Chicken, learned to tolerate it, but doesn't enjoy it.

{brother #3.} Joshua. 19 years old.I am pretty sure we always had a secret bond because we are both September babies! I remember when he was born he didn't look like the rest of us, but we loved him anyway. He's my brother who knows everything about animals. When he was little we thought he would grow up to be a vet or a marine biologist. He could look at those silly birthday cards with wacky animals on them and tell you, not only the name of the animal but where it was from and what it ate. Josh is my first running brother(i used to run a lot). This made me SO happy! He is SO much fun to watch run, he runs like a cheetah... long strides, with so much grace... oh and he smiles when he runs, this is totally weird to me! Josh was also my first brother to get glasses just like me! Josh is really funny. I don't even think he tries...it just happens. I like it.
**Secret about Josh**
When Josh was little he was allergic to Peanut Butter and Cinnamon. He grew out of it.

{brother #4.} Ben. 16 years old.My Benny-boo-boo. I love him. I was in the room when Benners was born. It was magical. My mom made labor look like a piece of cake!!! When he came out i was in awe. Benjamin was quickly shortened to Ben, Benny, B-E-N-benen or my favorite Benny-boo-boo. He was a cute one... so much fun to watch grow up. Ben was not always quiet... and secretly he is a wild-child... but only when he is in his comfort zone. Ben and Josh are both so funny. Ben is the only other sibling who shares my passion for photography. He has helped me shoot 3 weddings! What a guy! He can capture landscapes i dream of, but never see. Don't tell him, but i am a little jealous of his laptop & ipod touch. Ben is a servant to all. I have NEVER met a 16 year old guy who is more acutely aware of others needs!!! Some girl is going to be SO BLESSED to have him... in 30 years, when i allow him to get married!
**Secret about Ben**
When Ben was little a dog ate from his falling off diaper.

{brother #5.} J. 13 years old.J. is my surprise brother. He's #5 in birth order, and #11 in coming home to the D family! J. grew up 5 countries from a place that holds my heart. West Africa. When i was in West Africa J. was running around catching flies and keeping cool under the tree in the Village. J. has my dream hair. It never needs to be dyed dark, it just is. J. may be small for his age, but goodness gracious that guy is so strong! Sometimes we arm wrestle. J. and i have secret nicknames for each other. His is "Home Chicken". Mine is "Home Turkey." Ask me the story sometime and you will tilt your head sideways and laugh! J. loves soccer, sometime i want to see him play on a team. J. also loves music. We like to rock out in my car with the windows down. J. has something i don't; rhythm.
**Secret about J.**
J. can do the coolest finger snapping thing when he shakes your hand.

{brother #6.} Josiah. 9 years old.Oh Joe! Blond brother #2! Josiah had stitches twice before he was 2... he was a going little boy. Josiah loves ART. i am pretty sure he would be happy if art was the only subject in school. When Josiah was 5 or 6 he heard God tell him he would be an artist someday. I don't think he has stopped painting, drawing, coloring or looking at Art books everyday since. Josiah has the greatest laugh ever! One time we were on a road trip and he started CRACKING UP in his car seat; when we asked him what was so funny he replied "i made a joke in my head!" Josiah is a great listener. Even when you think he isn't paying attention, he is. He also is a thinker. He processes information at a 16 year old level.
**Secret about Josiah**
Josiah just got glasses, and doesn't like them very much.

{brother #7.} Elijah. 7 years old.E monkey. Elijah is our miracle brother. He met Jesus twice. He lived to tell about it. He has scares that tell the story of his Miracle. Elijah loves to play Uno. He especially likes it when he wins. Sometimes if he makes a good play he scruntches up his little face and laughs in his throat. It's really great. E is a runner. This summer he ran the mile in under 8 minutes! i have NEVER done that! He also smiles when he runs. weird. Elijah leaves the best messages on my voice mail. i save everyone. He has the most power to make me melt into a pile of tears (because i miss him) or laugh until i cry because he is so silly.
**Secret about Elijah**
Elijah climbed up a palm tree at age 4.

dear Jesus, thank you for my brothers. My life is richer because of each one of them. Pour out your blessings on their lives. Protect them from the enemy. Send angles to them when they are lonely and scared because even guys get scared sometimes. Open doors i'd never have dreamed possible for their lives. Keep safe and prepare the special girls who will steal my place in their hearts. Show each of my brothers the glorious things you want them to do. Set your kingdom before them as a prize to reach for. Most of all Jesus, give my 7 brothers all the things they have given me; protection. love. grace. laughter. joy.

i take pictures...

....lots and lots of pictures.....

Check out:

Kekasmai Images

i have been shooting at least 2 shoots a weekend for a while now, so there are a lot of new photos posted for your viewing enjoyment. For more information about my work and to book YOUR next photo shoot please email me: kekasmaiimages@gmail.com

also, check out:

Elliot Worship

for a little taste of wonderful worship music and to see one of my photos on a REALLY AMAZING Band's website!!!!!

thanks for all your LOVE and SUPPORT (and comments)!

memories.

People are often amazed and slightly weird-ed out by my memory. I can remember the CRAZIEST things... sometimes meaningful, sometimes random. It's not just the event that i remember it's the details that make up the event that make people turn their head sideways and wonder how in the World i noticed, much less remember what "so-and-so" was wearing at the event or occasion.

I was thinking about how sad it would be to lose all these crazy/amazing/wonderful memories and not be able to tell the stories in full detail... *light bulb*.... write about them on my blog and then they are recorded somewhere! Brilliant idea! So this is me... starting the first of a random series of blog post called 'memories'. They may be meaningful or just a simple memory of a far off time... but please enjoy them and pass them around... especially if they make you laugh!

memories #1. circa 1993(ish)

One of the most brilliant and vivid childhood memories i have is playing "Jesus of Nazareth" in our backyard with my siblings. I have 3 memories of repeated events in that backyard; Football with Dad, 'Jesus of Nazareth' and swimming. Those 3 things seemed to happen all the time. In my mind it's like a movie. A brilliant picture. We grew up in the Puyallup WA area and there is an Amphitheater that every Summer puts on a show, much like the stage version of the JESUS film... except sometimes slightly more dramatic! My brothers Gregg, Jeremiah & i LOVED going to see this amazing event...Mom & Dad graciously took us a few years in a row! After the "God fights the devil" scene that got a little cooky and out of hand they told us we weren't coming again. I only remember being slightly sad about this news.... I'm not sure if we had already started our favorite afternoon activity and or if it just wasn't a big deal.

We loved to dress up. We had a HUGE dress up box/bin. Hats, dresses, scarves, gloves, pants, shoes and our favorite; Mom's old "Brownies" uniforms. We never really new what "Brownies" was, but the uniforms made the BEST "bible cloths" ever!

Carissa, Lindsey and Josh were little which meant that they could play "Jesus of Nazareth" with us, but we got to pick who they were... Mostly they got the parts of the demonized child, the "dead" girl that Jesus said was only sleeping, the angry crowd who shouted "crucify him"and the leapers who he healed on the road. Jeremiah was always 'Jesus'... because when we used dad's scrap wood to build our 'cross' we only had enough to make a "small-ish" cross and Jeremiah fit best on it. Gregg was always a combination of Disciples, Pilot, Roman Solider and John the Baptist. I was any girl character we could come up with... Mary the mother of Jesus, a girl follower of Jesus, Pilot's wife...and a Roman Solider because it took 2 of us to lift the cross up against the fence.

Our backyard was 'huge' to any 8 year old and we had all the right things to pull of the most brilliant production ever. One time we discussed making posters and selling tickets to our neighbors. We had an above-ground pool that was amazing for our Baptism scenes. We built our cross. We had a swing set with a double swing thing, that we used as our boat for the disciples to go fishing in. And we had our "Brownie" uniforms for our costumes!

On this particular day of production the 3 little kids were taking a nap. Gregg, Jeremiah and I were instructed to play outside nicely. Out we went. 'Jesus of Nazareth' seemed like the logical thing to do... but since we were missing half our cast we could only practice a few scenes. The crucifixion scene needed some work. Incidentally Jeremiah wasn't dying a very convincing death. We drug the cross out from the side of the house and lay it down on its back near the fence. Jeremiah assumed the position on the cross. He put his little 6 year old feet on the small platform we had nailed to the lower part of the cross and stretched out his arms to the cross beam so we could tie him down. I'm pretty sure we used strips of fabric and ribbon to tie him there, but i remember wishing we could use "real rope". Gregg got the hammer and pretended to nail in spikes to his hands and feet. Jeremiah winced and grimaced as if in deep pain. I pretended to need to hold Jeremiah on the cross. Once we had successfully tied him down, Gregg and i would each lift a side of the cross beam and drag Jeremiah on the cross over to the hole we had dug next to the fence, so that the cross would stay standing and lean a little bit against the fence. Jeremiah would then say his line "Father why have you forsaken me?" and then he would hang his head and "die"....

well on this particular day for whatever reason, Gregg and i decided to see how long he would stay "dead" and snuck inside the rec-room to watch from behind the closed sliding glass door. Jeremiah was a champ and for sure needs a Daytime Emmy for his performance, because he stayed "dead" on that cross for quite awhile. Time and age has had it's proper affect on my life and i don't really know how long we left him there, but i'm sure it was at least 15 minutes... and for a 6 year old strapped to a cross and propped up against a fence... it must have felt like a year! Meanwhile Gregg and i got distracted in the rec-room and the next thing we know is Mom's voice breaking the silence "Gregg? Cassie? where is Jeremiah?". I am pretty sure she must have heard us in the rec-room and looked out the window....we must have responded with muffled giggles because the next thing we hear from upstairs is "Go outside and get him down off that cross!!!" Out the sliding glass door we flew, just as Jeremiah popped his head up and opened his "dead" eyes to ask "how'd i do?". We got him down and he seemed un-harmed physically or damaged emotionally.

It had been a successful rehearsal.

P.B. & J.

I have been wanting and planning on writing this post for just over 2 weeks now, however photo shoots, editing, long-lost friends and LIFE has once again limited the blog-posting.

I found a treasure! Right here in Central Oregon! It's amazing, inspiring and hidden. I can't stop telling people about it. It's called P.B.&J. Now i know you are thinking P.B. & J. normally is short for something we ate everyday of our childhood, but not so much anymore...

P= People.
B= Barn.
J= Jesus.

I know it might sound a little "cheesy" but seriously it's a treasure that i am SO glad i happened upon.

God has his way of making sure people click, read, click and read the right things. A little over a month ago i received an email inquiring about my photography business.. Jenay had found my blog via a comment i left on Katie's blog. Now mind you although i read every new post Katie writes i rarely leave a comment. That time i did.

A few weeks and emails later i was on my way out to Powell Butte to take some Senior Photos for Lashae and then also a few family photos. As i drove out there i couldn't help but laugh at the fact that i got the job because of a comment i left on the blog of a girl who lives in Uganda!!! Crazy! The Brewer Family were all rock stars! We had such a great time taking pics enjoying the incredible Sunday afternoon Weather!

After wards i went back to their house and they invited me to stay for P.B. & J.

The treasure had been found.

People from the Powell Butte area started showing up with food, drinks and the some of most welcoming hearts i have EVER met in my life!!! After we all ate dinner and chatted about this and that some of the dad's put together a game of kickball. Some of the mom's watched, some stayed inside and drank coffee, did the dishes and chatted about this and that. After a little while all the "kids" gathered up in the Barn for "Bible study" time. The basis of P.B.&J was explained to me like this;

"We want to mimic the early church in P.B.&J. So we ate some food, we fellowship-ed, and now we are going to study the life and teachings of Jesus."

I sat in that barn, and for the next hour was in awe of this little group of about 20 young people who want to change the World for Christ! They got in the Word, talked about it, thought about it, discussed it and prayed for each others needs! I was totally blown away.

Powell Butte is normally referred to as a Community not a Town. There is a Post Office. A country store. A Church. A Cemetery. and a whole bunch of ranches and farms! It's lovely really. When people in Central Oregon hear about/talk about Powell Butte they most likely have never heard of P.B.&J. and they most likely do not talk about the young people who are believing for HUGE World change starting in their community.

20 people focused on Jesus. Loving their community. Praying with/for each other. In a place where if you blink you miss it? Yes Please. This is a treasure for sure.

i am more blessed than a leprechaun at the end of a rainbow to have found it.