Vancouver Island

Here are some pictures of our trip to Vancouver Island for the musicfest.  It was a good time but we were all ready to be home.  Emma and Sophie enjoyed the camping part of the trip (I think they liked not having to bathe for 4 days).  We camped in a field with zillions of other people.  Our little tent circle included our good friends Scott and Lori, Sonya and Ella, Griffbear (our very own fiddle player who entertained us with his music during down times at the campsite), Toby (our very own clown who juggled and made balloon animals for the kids, take note that he was not dressed as a clown, he's actually a teacher who has been to the only clown school in the US), and several other couples we know through Scott and Lori.  I felt like I didn't get to focus on very much of the music mostly because we were stuck trying to keep the kids entertained.  We did see Earl Scruggs, The Wailers, and Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet (my favorite).  I would definitely do it again only when the kids are maybe a bit older and more independent. 

  

The rest of the summer is pretty much unplanned.  We're trying to finish our deck/patio so that we can actually enjoy it this summer.  In a few weeks the girls (Karin, Sonya, Brenda, and I) are taking a weekend to spend in Sisters, OR.  I can hardly wait for that time away from my kids.  In Sept. Ryan and I are leaving the kids with his parents while we spend the weekend at a Dave Matthews Band concert that occurs yearly in the Gorge.  We'll be going with Scott and Lori and Jeff and Margaret Aschelmen.  Again, that should be a good time.  Apparently Margaret brings her bar with her to make all sorts mixed drinks.  Whoo hoo!

Hope all of your summers are going well.  Keep cool.

Heather

   

sappy title here

Hi!

I've got pictures up on my web site from our vacation to Hilton Head and a few from one of the children's swim meets. Lily has been listening to Hannah Montana lately. Oh boy, loads of fun there. (I feel bad for Aaron.) Seriously, I've been thinking that she's getting ready to start her period. She's been really hard to live with lately, and I am NOT looking forward to her being twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. I don't want to be a grandpa. I heard of a girl who got pregnant at nine (and according to the Daily News, the baby was an alien).

Aaron spent a week at summer camp at Highland Retreat. I think it was the best 300 bucks we ever spent. He had such a good time. They swam, hiked, ate, played, and learned about "Jesus stuff," according to him. He's reading Lord of the Rings trilogy right now.

I'm looking forward to seeing you, Mom and Gretchen and Dad, this weekend. Becky, will you be around? I hardly saw you when you were here!

Thank you lord for Xanax and Dramamine. Look out Goshen, here we come!

Your brother/son/cousin Chad

http://web.mac.com/chadgusler

Cheri's 100 list

Surprise!! Here is my list!!!

1) I enjoy my life
2) I like my job and co-workers very much
3) I do not like working the circulation desk
4) I hate confrontation
5) I don't like arguing or listening to arguments
6) I like 75-80 degree weather
7) I like the change of seasons
8) I enjoy sitting on our patio with a cup of coffee & my crossword puzzles
9) I love it when other people make coffee for me.
10) I like going to coffee shops
11) I love having 'cookouts' in the summer
12) Love my grand kids!!
13) Wish I had some of my children's traits!
14) I think my children have done very well choosing their spouses! I love the in-laws!!
15) I feel I am a very positive person.
16) I try hard to find the good in people.
17) Narrow-minded people frustrate me a bit.
18) I tend to be of more conservative thinking than liberal.
19) My faith in God is the center of my life. I rely on His guidance daily.
20) I wish I enjoyed reading more than I do.
21) I enjoy browsing antique shops.
22) I shop at consignment and thrift shops.
23) I love singing with children!!
24) A large group of children singing invigorates me!!
25) I'm not as good one on one with children
26) I'm not very creative with my grand children's play activities.
27) I love shopping for my grand children.
28) I like music variety - especially fok, bluegrass, big-band and western swing.
29) I love hymns - especially performed/sung in various styles.
30) I appreciate my church family.
31) I like participating in the music of the church.
32) I like to clean.
33) I like to change my decor at times - as in the change of seasons & etc.
34) I am a bit nostalgic
35) I like old photographs
36) I get very frustrated when I can't find an item I so carefully put away!!!
37) It frustrates me when I can't think of the right words to use to express myself.
38) I do not like doing physical labor with my husband. I feel like I'm always 'in the way'.
39) I hate to exercise.
40) I do feel better after I exercise.
41) I don't like to watch television long periods at a time.
42) I like to watch HGTV & Halmark channels the best.
43) Radio talk shows annoy me when I'm trying to sleep.
44) I enjoy visiting our children .
45) I like getting pictures via e-mail.
46) I like getting pictures, notes & etc. from my grand kids.
47) I love listing to Maddie's 'gibberish'.
48) Sophie's facial expressions are priceless.
49) I enjoy having conversations with Lily & Emma.
50) I wish I could visit with Aaron more about his life! It would be great to be able to visit his school.
51) I miss the spontaneity of visits from my children which seems only to happen when they live close.
52) I have terrible eating habits.
53) I find it hard to plan & cook healthy meals.
54) I do not like to cook.
55) I do like to entertain.
56) I don't like to grocery shop.
57) I don't like to talk on the phone.
58) I like thunderstorms, but not when I'm home alone.
59) I like easy crossword puzzles.
60) I like to 'chit chat' with strangers.
61) I like to 'eat out'.
62) My favorite food is Thai.
63) I enjoy ironing clothes if I'm not under pressure to get it done.
64) I like getting personal e-mails.
65) Hate paying bills.
66) I gave my sewing machine away - which I never thought I would do.
67) I'm ready to sell my doll collection.
68) I have no desire to collect dolls anymore.
69) I would like to have a booth in an antique store.
70) I do not like visiting people in nursing homes.
71) I don't have a lot of patience with old people.
72) I don't like the thought of getting old - so I'm going to stay young.
73) Would like to be debt free.
74) Would like to watch Aaron, Lily & Emma swim.
75) Love to play dominoes.
76) Wish I could play the piano.
77) Would like to have a hammered dulcimer & an electric piano.
78) Hope to be able to travel when I retire.
79) Enjoying being alone on occasion, but not for very long.
80) Love a fire in the fireplace in the winter.
81) Love snow storms - but want to be at home during them.
82) Would love to go to Maine on vacation.
83) I don't like my reflection in the mirror.
84) I don't like my picture taken.
85) Wish I had an I-pod for all my music.
86) Wish I was 'savvy' with the computer.
87) Would like to have a digital camera & laptop someday.
88) If I had to more I would like a classic brick ranch home.
89) Would like to have a house on the lake.
90) I do not like to drive.
91) My decorating tastes have changed in the past few years.
92) I enjoy boating.
93) I'm not a swimmer, but will get in the water to play with the grand kds.
94) It feels good to get rid of 'accumulated stuff'.
95) I have too many clothes.
96) It's hard to resist a bargain.
97) I like being lazy once in a while.
98) I do not have a 'green thumb'.
99.) I did not teach my children how to can or freeze garden produce & fruits.
100) Oh, did I tell you I'm a blonde and I'm having more fun.!!!

Happy Summer!

Hey everyone!  Wanted to share some pictures of our happenings the last few weeks.  The first few are of a camping trip to Timothy Lake in the Mt. Hood area.  We had great weather and a great campsite with a view of Mt. Hood.  We also  went to the St. Paul Rodeo with Ryan's family.  That was a good time.  A very different crowd (I should've been showing more cleavage and leg).  We also just layed cement for our patio.  Very entertaining for the girls to watch.  For the 4th, we had a nice supper and did sparklers in the driveway.  We're getting packed up and ready to go to Vancuver Island for the musicfest this week.  We'll be camping with several of our friends.  I'm looking forward to it except that I will not have a shower for 4 days.  I'm sure I'll figure out a way to make myself and my children feel clean.  I hope everyone's having a good summer.

Chad's top 100

FYI. Chad's top 100 is on his website.

Becky's 100 things

1. I like living alone
2. I am not a morning person
e. The older I get, the more people annoy me
4. I am not a big fan of weddings
5. I do not like cleaning
6. I miss the Goodwill stores in oregon
7. I would like to meet Stephanie
8. Some of the happiest times in my life were when Heather & Ryan and Gretchen & Todd lived in Goshen
9. One of my friends was murdered by a guy I had a blind date with once
10. I buy too many magazines
11. I don’t like eating alone
12. I am obsessed with anything that has turtles on it
13. Sometimes I hate being a homeowner
14. I love to travel
15. I look at Petfinder.com at least once a week
16. I start lots of projects that i don’t finish
17. I unintentionally collect cookbooks
18. I like shopping at the farmer’s market
19. I like going out to breakfast
20. I would really like to own a pick up truck
21. I have never broken a bone
22. I have never been a patient in the hospital
23. I would like to experience pregnancy & birth
24. i don’t think I will ever have children
25. sometimes i don’t see the point in getting married again
26. i love to laugh
27. my eyes are my best feature
28. i like shoes because they always fit
29. i often read when i should be doing other things
30, i often feel that i don’t fit in
31. i wish i didn’t live in goshen
32. having a good job makes it difficult to leave & try something new
33. i would wear different clothes to work if I could
34. i get tired of working with people who are dying
35. i feel old and boring most of the time
36. i like rainstorms
37. I like cold weather better than hot
38. i would like to own a farm someday
39. i hate it when strangers come to the door to sell things
40. one of my shoes is on the PA turnpike somewhere
41. i am afraid of getting cancer
42. mountains make me happy
43. i can’t concentrate with the tv on
44. i can’t fall asleep with music playing
45. i like naps on sunday afternoon
46. i am in a supper club
47. sometimes i wish i could shave my head
48. most of my friends are younger than me
49. i would be a veterinarian in another life
50. i waste a lot of time on the computer
51. i think my nephew is pretty awesome
52. living in the present is difficult for me at times
53. i don't like wearing shorts
54. no nuts in my brownies!
55. i like coffee but not iced coffee
56. i like to ride motorcycles.
57. kittens make me happy
58. often i wonder what the point of my life is
59. i snore
60. i don't like getting my picture taken
61. I never balance my checkbook
62. people think my life looks easy
63. I wish I was athletic
64. I don't have much self-confidence
65. I am really good at singing, but don't get to do it much
66. I like swimming and being around water
67. I can spend a long time in used book stores
68. I get tired of doing the right thing
69. I have a healthy guilt complex
70. I used to be really fun
71. I feel tired & overwhelmed alot
72. I would like to work 3 days a week instead of 5
73. I went to Las Vegas and didn't like it at all
74. I refuse to drink diet pop
75. Butter instead of margarine
76. i like The Chief ice cream
77. Holidays are lonely
78. 100 things is alot to think of
79. I like cleaning out my ears
80. I am very protective of my time
81. I have never smoked
82. I like having & using my fireplace
83. I don't much care for Indiana weather
84. I do like having 4 seasons, though
85. Most of my decisions are based on what other people will think.
86. I regret not traveling more in my 20's
87. I know alot of people but have few close friends
88. Some of my nicest shoes are from goodwill
89. I like big dogs rather than little ones
90. I have an obsession with fruity fizzy drinks
91. I often go shopping when I am sad & wonder why I don't feel better afterwards
92. I had a spiritual director who was a Benedictine nun
93. As a girl, I thought I would be a missionary in Africa
94. I am concerned about world hunger
95. I would like to visit Scotland someday
96. Tractor Supply is one of my favorite stores
97. I often sleep to escape reality
98. I like camping & hiking
99. I like taking walks
100. I almost always eat breakfast at work rather than home.

Heather's 100

1. I look forward to reading these lists

2.  I love working in my yard

3.  I eat a little chocolate every day

4.  I have a hard time falling asleep at night unless I read

5.  I love fiction

6.  George Bush is the worst thing that has currently happened to our country

7.  I'm voting for Obama

8.  I strongly dislike being home alone at night

9.  I hate being scared.

10.  I keep a baseball bat next to my bed

11.  I love food

12.  I enjoy tickling Ryan even though he really hates it and I end up getting hurt (it just amuses me to see him laughing so hard when at the same time he is so mad)

13.  I love having Sophie in bed with me in the mornings

14.  I have no control when it comes to eating cookies

15.  I'm thankful for the good memories I have from my childhood

16.  I hate my stomach

17.  I wish I had a hobby

18.  I wish I knew what I wanted to do when I grow up

19.  I enjoy easy crossword puzzles

20.  I still think Brad Pitt is hot

21.  I strongly dislike my neighbors across the street

22.  I love getting my hair done but hate the way they style it

23.  I hate making appointments

24.  I'm thankful for a partner like Ryan

25.  I dislike being responsible for dinner every night

26.  babysitters are awesome

27.  I love Portland at night

28.  I love fresh air

29.  I love direct heat on cold days

30.  Emma's drawings make me happy

31.  I wish I was more articulate

32.  I wish I still had my original front teeth

33.  I bought our alarm system from a door-to-door salesman

34.  Clothes smell best when they have dried out in the sun

35.  I wish people took recycling more seriously

36.  I hope the price of gas creates a demand for electric cars and better public transportation

37.  I always drink cream in my coffee.

38.  I drink coffee every morning

39.  I love eating out, especially for breakfast

40.  I keep my house freakishly clean

41.  Sour smelling rags and towels really annoy me

42.  I enjoy watching birds

43.  I have 5 birdfeeders and 1 birdbath in my yard

44.  I love planting things in soil

45.  Mangos and bananas are my favorite fruits

46.  Fresh berries are also on my favorites list

47.  My father-in-law makes the best blackberry shakes

48.  I miss my dad's BBQ chicken

49.  I want to learn how to sew

50.  I'm learning how to can

51.  I made 30 jars of strawberry freezer jam on my own

52.  I like to mow with our reel mower

53.  I miss Saturday mornings as a kid

54.  I like having family work days

55.  I'm lucky to have such a great family

56.  I enjoy mixed drinks

57.  I'm beginning to enjoy beer

58.  I recently met with a trainer to help me get excited about exercise

59.  My favorite mug is made of fine bone china and covered with flowers (very grandma like)

60.  I love dogs

61.  We have several feral cats claiming our yard as their own

62.  I think cat shit smells worse than dog shit

63.  Ryan is my favorite person to take trips with

64.  I like to burn candles

65.  I like to burn incense

66.  Sandelwood is my favorite incense

67.  I love the smell of cedar

68.  I'm trying to limit myself to 1 shower a day instead of 2

69.  I hate grocery shopping

70.  I floss daily

71.  I always read the birth, marriages, and death sections of The Mennonite

72.  It feels good to clean out my ears

73.  I do laundry every other day

74.  I use the toilet seat paper guards in public restrooms

75.  I'd rather pee outdoors than use a port-a-potty

76.  I'm excited that Sophie is almost toilet trained

77.  Summer isn't summer without iced tea (mom's recipe)

78.  I love Indian food

79.  I love sushi

80.  I enjoy Ikea

81.  Emma reminds me of myself in a lot of ways

82.  Sophie's personality makes me laugh

83.  I hate having professional pictures taken

84.  I make the beds every morning

85.  I have a hard time leaving the house when it is messy

86.  This drives Ryan nuts because he hates being late

87.  I never leave the house with dirty dishes in the sink

88.  Yes, I'm a freaky clean lady

89.  Sometimes I think I might need therapy

90.  I regularly shop at Goodwill for clothes

91.  I dislike my lips 

92.  I wish we could see Chad and Cyndi more often

93.  I don't want to birth anymore children

94.  I look forward to retirement

95.  I wish I would've experienced a home birth

96.  I'm terrible about keeping up with my girls' baby books

97.  I think I have arthritis in my hands and hips

98.  I sleep with my window open, almost always

99. I'm going to a folk festival on Vancuver Island for a weekend where there will be no showers and lots of port-a-potties

100.  I'm glad we're doing these lists

Aaron's Ten

1. My sister annoys me.
2. My dad is terrible at math.
3. We need to get a new car.
4. This is boring.
5. I like to swim.
6. I love Lego blocks.
7. I want to go to M.I.T.
8. I like to write.
9. My dad teases me too much.
10. Did I mention my sister annoys me?
    

Steph's List

I am not a picky eater. I will eat just about nearly anything, except for tongue which has just never appealed to me.

1. I love books but I don’t spend enough time reading.
2. I wish my mom would have a garage sale soon so that I could better inventory the excessive contents of my parent’s basement. The majority of the contents likely belong to me.
3. My mom is my best friend.
4. I’m addicted to running.
5. I love cats in general.
6. As for dogs, I make a case by case assessment. (Wrigley is great)
7. When I was 8 I wanted to run a zoo with my cousin Scott.
8. I love music and hearing about new music.
9. I feel only slightly guilty about burning cds that I borrowed from the library.
10. I love cheese, especially truffle cheese.
11. Litterbugs really bother me.
12. Russia is full of litterbugs and I was seriously bothered on a daily basis.
13. I can drink a lot of vodka, but not nearly as much tequila or jagermeister.
14. I think bicycles are one of the most wonderful contraptions on the planet.
15. I just bought/traded for a sweet old Schwinn with grandpa handlebars, ten speeds and a beautiful blue gleam to it.
16. I prefer to sleep outside.
17. I’ve never broken a bone. (I just knocked on wood, don’t worry.)
18. I’ve really started to like beer and all the different varieties available.
19. I have too many clothes because I never get rid of anything and I still have sweaters from circa 6^th grade.
20. I sometimes get chills (in a good way) when I think about a black family being in the White House.
21. I know I should volunteer more.
22. I have a tendency to be lazy and then feel guilty about it.
23. I don’t understand why economic stability isn’t thought of as a success and there must always be economic growth instead.
24. I often end up talking to random people at bars about very random things (house foundations and solar panels) which really annoys my northern Michigan friends.
25. My northern Michigan friends don’t usually have a lot of interesting topics to talk about and sometimes make fun of me for using big words like “quintessential”.
26. #’s 25 and 26 have contributed to my desire to move to Vermont or Harrisonburg.
27. I wish I had a job.
28. I want to go to the beach today.
29. I hate bathing suits.
30. I hate bathing suit shopping even more.
31. I think it should be ok for everyone to just go swimming naked.
32. I never eat fast food.
33. I do eat Dairy Queen ice cream though. (Does that count as fast food?)
34. While in Russia, I was addicted to peanut m&ms. (at least one small bag a day)
35. I’m not sure that I will ever get married or have kids.
36. I love camping and backpacking.
37. I wish I had a garden.
38. If I won the lottery I would buy a lot of land in Alaska and Northern Michigan and then invest the rest in solar and wind energy.
39. I rarely gamble.
40. I often ramble.
41. I’m considering entering the rubber ducky race at the cherry festival.
42. I plan on going to the Cedar Polka Festival on July 5^th. (You should all come too!)
43. Sometimes I read things that I have wrote and don’t realize that I wrote them. (That just happened 2 seconds ago)
44. I hope that I don’t inherit my father’s insanity.
45. I love Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler.
46. I continue to try to find the correct time and frame of mind to learn to play the guitar.
47. I’m not REALLY GOOD at anything.
48. I’m OK at a lot of things.
49. I hate rock climbing. It freaks me out every time I try it. I’m not trying it any more.
50. I love cooking.
51. Last week I made an amazing Indian Dahl.
52. I get along with most people.
53. There was one guy in Russia that I didn’t get along with. He thought that all gay people and their friends (me) were going to hell.
54. I’m fascinated that a person’s belief that someone else is evil could actually turn that person to evil. (did that make any sense?)
55. I’m not sure that I believe in evil.
56. I don’t have any tattoos.
57. I would consider getting a tattoo of a really cool tree.
58. I think that every state should have a 20 cent bottle deposit.
59. I like washing dishes by hand.
60. I hate microwaves.
61. I love going to garage sales.
62. I rarely buy anything at garage sales other than books, mostly because I don’t have my own domicile.
63. I love drinking tea.
64. I would like to try to go an entire year without buying anything other than food…and maybe running shoes…and toilet paper.
65. I found a dead guy floating down the Moscow river and no one cared.
66. I have a hard time being around water without looking for dead bodies now.
67. I am thankful that I finally met the rest of my family and it seems like I’ve known all of you forever!
68. I love mint chocolate chip ice cream with the really tiny actual chocolate chips in it.
69. I like to collect rocks.
70. Cooking for other people can make me nervous.
71. I’m pretty sure that I dated a guy for 3 months mainly resulting from confusion on a nervous spinach pie cooking night.
72. When I was training for a marathon back in 2003, I ate half a tub of Edy’s ice cream every day.
73. I actually enjoy donating blood.
74. I still love road trips even though gas is ridiculously expensive now.
75. When I was 18 I briefly dated a country singer. I recently found him on myspace and it appears that he sings duets with Kid Rock and writes songs for other people.
76. I love swimming in lakes and rivers.
77. I hate swimming in pools filled with chlorine.
78. I love truffles (the mushroomy kind and the chocolate kind)
79. I don’t own a TV and don’t plan to when I actually have my own domicile.
80. I believe that random acts of kindness have an effect on people. (Russia is a country that doesn’t seem to believe in random acts of kindness and it’s not a place I want to live!)
81. I stop to save turtles who are crossing the road and need assistance.
82. I don’t eat a lot of meat because it’s not very sustainable.
83. I helped butcher a deer, but I don’t think I could ever kill one myself.
84. I would rather eat venison than beef.
85. I am now very good friends with my grade-school arch nemesis.
86. I like doing hard labor.
87. I especially enjoy getting dirty.
88. I’m using Gretchen and Todd’s lists to help me get ideas now.
89. I also worry a lot.
90. I wonder if I could start a business as a professional worrier, worrying about other people’s problems for them.
91. I don’t know what a shrinky dink is, even after I just googled it.
92. The smell of a campfire makes me happy.
93. The smell of burning trash makes me think of Alaska.
94. I love the color green in all shades.
95. I wish my brain had an on/off switch.
96. I would like to ride my bike across the country.
97. I should definitely write more.
98. I think this list was a great idea.
99. I sometimes still sleep with my giant stuffed polar bear named Alfred.

Todd's 100

1 I wish I was a renowned expert in something
2 I think space travel is a waste of money
3 But I do think life exists on other planets
4 I wonder what it's like to be Wrigley
5 Paying bills wears me out
6 I love spreadsheets
7 I hate when things don't work right
8 I feel bad for panhandlers, yet refuse to give them money
9 Political affiliation is the downfall of government
10 I get annoyed with people who write checks in stores
11 I love Maddie's chuckles
12 I love reading newspapers
13 I greatly dislike gum and the irresponsibility of those who chew it
14 Mowing the lawn satisfies me greatly
15 Working with rich people can often skew my sense of reality
16 Nothing quenches my thirst quite like gatorade
17 I'm an avid people watcher
18 I like that people like to make me laugh
19 The east side scares me
20 Watching TV relaxes me
21 I love Survivor
22 Annually, I work at controlling my emotions while watching Notre Dame football
23 I love the challenges my job presents on a daily basis
24 I don't like doing things I'm not good at
25 My behavior is greatly affected by the weather
26 I cannot tolerate whiners
27 I enjoy people who take initiative
28 It's funny how much my wife has changed me…..for the better
29 I am a channel surfer, always watching more than 1 thing at a time
30 I believe strongly in capitalism
31 I wish every child could have loving parents
32 I don't understand how colleges can get away with raising tuition 8-10% annually
33 I enjoy making fun of people in order to make Gretch laugh
34 I'm unfairly labeled as too practical
35 Short-sidedness bothers me
36 I love when people say, "Wanna hear something funny?"
37 I can't seem to eat breakfast regularly
38 Football = happiness
39 I enjoy responsibility
40 Pennies bother me
41 Not real fond of having my picture taken
42 I'm constantly amazed at how Maddie is a mini version of Gretch
43 I am afraid China will take over the world
44 I am a realist
45 I wish I was more spontaneous
46 Smokers baffle me
47 I don't particularly like giving or receiving expected presents
48 My favorite food is fruit
49 My glass is at least half full
50 I was nearly killed by a tractor when I was 2
51 The fact that Maddie will some day be a teenager worries me
52 I would rather eat Gretchen's cooking than go out
53 One of my daily challenges is being satisfied with what I have
54 I don't believe the world will end in my lifetime
55 People should like at their actual gasoline consumed rather than their mpg
56 I like trying to teach people about investing, especially those that claim to know nothing
57 Lawyers make our lives way more expensive than they should be
58 I'm intrigued by UFO sightings, JFK and the Mafia
59 I can never remember my dreams after I wake up
60 I think ethanol causes more problems than solutions
61 Strangers are nicer to me when I am wearing a suit & tie
62 We should all take karma more seriously
63 I love random acts of kindness
64 Car wash establishments make me nervous
65 Tolerated elementary school, hated junior high, loved high school, loved college
66 I think people who live in New Orleans are crazy, it will happen again
67 I feel safe living in Indiana
68 Can't believe people still try to sell stuff door to door
69 I like to egg on know-it-alls
71 I'm not sure the Grand Canyon is really all that grand
72 Don't complain to me unless you have an alternative
73 Too many Americans just don't care
74 I don't like war, but love war monuments
75 It's still hard for me to comprehend religion causing violence
76 I wish I could go back in time and experience the Great Depression (mainly for perspective)
77 Kids today are soft (spoiled)
78 I blame the And 1 Tour for the decline of American basketball
79 I think my stubbornness serves me well
80 I'd someday like to own a patent on something
81 Entrepreneurs impress me
82 Cocky people are hiding something
83 I don't like it when Gretchen and I go to bed at different times
84 Having a child is be far my greatest challenge to date……
85 And most rewarding
86 I get easily irritated with followers
87 I'm proud of the fact that I have a friend named Gus - not everyone can say that
88 I'd like to have the perfect lawn, but I'm not sure it's that important in the scheme of things
89 I simply cannot handle TJMaxx or the likes
90 The time I most frequently see on clocks in 9:29
91 Someday I'd like to pass a cop at a high rate of speed
92 along the way, I've had friends charged with murder and statutory rape
93 Despite the cool technology, I still prefer PC to Mac
94 I'm Pro-choice (read Freconomics)
95 I seem to hope for the best, and get pissed when that doesn't happen
96 I don't understand poetry, or why anyone would read it
97 Convincing me of something is a difficult job
98 Properly timed movie quotes, make for hilarious conversational banter
99 Europeans need to get over themselves
100 I can't believe I actually did this list!

100 things about me

Hello all. My friends and I each made a list of 100 things about us. It was quite interesting to read and not as hard as you'd think to come up with. So here is mine and I hope you all post a list as well.

1.I think random acts of kindness is a crock- and people who truly believe it makes a difference are self indulgent
2. Music is my favorite
3. My farts are always unusually loud but rarely smell bad
4. soggy bread is disgusting
5. I truly believe the world will end in 2012
6. I love to take road trips by myself
7. I'm uncomfortable in large groups
8. I am slightly obsessed with danica Patrick
9. My greatest accomplishment to date, is getting maddie to sleep through the night
10. I worry a lot
11. When I’m alone, I’m actually a very emotional person.
12. i hate my face
13. I love pudding cups
14. I can’t handle clutter.
15. I love to clean.
16. I enjoy having fresh flowers in the house.
17. I’ll take rain over sun any day
18. I love burning candles
19. I’m not baptized
20. i find llamas halarious
21. I’ve seen juno 5 times.
22. Coffee is my favorite beverage
23. I like to try to make Todd laugh
24. I’m a slow typer
25. I don’t really mind failure
26. I have common sense
27. Things that smell good make me happy
28. I’m amazing at catching things one handed
29. Becoming a parent has made me less fun to be around
30. i hate it when the sun is in my eyes
31. I went to a therapist for a couple of months at the beginning of the year. His name was Garth.
32. the older maddie gets, the more I love to be with her.
33. I’m sort of judgmental
34. I like things done my way- especially in the kitchen
35. I enjoy cooking and baking.
36. I like to eat hot wings
37. I like to watch football
38. Fall is my favorite season
39. I am good at making fun of people and I wish I didn’t have the desire to do so.
40. I love fashion
41. I love to wear dangly earrings
42. occasionly I get really bored with my life
43. I should write more
44. I’m afraid of people thinking that I think I’m something I’m not
45. I’m easily annoyed
46. I love staying in hotels
47. I don’t like whiners
48. Stating the obvious is often the funniest thing someone can say
49. I’m embarrassed to say that I watch days of our lives enough to know the story line
50. I like foods that most people don’t: olives, sauerkraut, summer sausage, capers, black licorice, v8 juice, whole milk…actually there’s nothing I wouldn’t eat.
51. Sometimes I pick out maddie’s outfits for the whole week
52. I’m ashamed of what I spend my time doing.
53. I love to peel away that mossy stuff that grows in between bricks
54. I enjoy shrinky dinks
55. I still have a Christmas wreath on our front door
56. I hate running
57. I’d like an iphone
58. I’d also like a Polaroid camera
59. I hate small talk
60. There is nothing more adorable then maddie in a swimsuit
61. I hate Regis and Kelly
62. I love breaking news
63. I hate working out but love how I feel afterwards
64. I love thunderstorms
65. In grocery stores, I hate when people aren't spacially courteous. and then when you say "excuse me" they act all annoyed that they have to move their carts.
66. If I could be any other ethnicity I would choose Asian
67. meghan byler is one of the funniest people i know
68. I prefer crushed ice
69. I would love to be a professional boxer
70. I’m an aggressive driver
71. I don’t like to drink out of straws
72. wrigley is the best dog ever
73. I am freakishly strong
74. My motto is expect the worst but hope for the best.
75. I could never be a teacher
76. this list is an effort to revive the Gusler family blog...but i fear it a lost cause
77. Harrisonburg is one of my favorite places
78. i get the scoots when i'm nervous
79. I can’t wear eye makeup without it smearing all over my face
80. My indie bike t-shirt is my favorite
82. I'm not overly ambitious
83. I love my family
84. I hate it when I wearing socks and step in water
85. If I could do it over again, I would rap eminem’s song “loose yourself” at kick off
86. Nothing makes me more mad then bumping my head
87. I find it invigorating to pee outside
88. Animal cruelty makes me sick to my stomach
89. I think stereotypes are often more true than people want to admit
90. My favorite candy is York peppermint patties
91. I can do a blind taste test and accurately name every artificial sweetener. That is how much I hate them
92. I like my martinis dirty
93. I like to build fires
94. I feel guilty driving the discovery
95. I have a passion for anything aesthetically interesting
96. I enjoy photography
97. If I could have any job, it would be in advertising
98. The first movie I ever cried in was “fivel goes west”
99. I see the time 11:11 at least twice everyday-sometimes more
100. My dreams are so graphic and disturbing that they usually affect me the following day.

maddie and mama

hello

heather, Love your hair! You look so chic!

just got back from a motorcycle trip with Lee along the Blue Ridge parkway. Saw chad & cyndi & kids very briefly. my butt is still sore from all those miles.

Springtime Fun

Hey, what's the deal?  Where is everyone?  Does anyone even look at this thing anymore?  Anyways, here are some more recent pics.  There are a few pics of Emma with her cousins at the Agricultural Festival in Salem (taken in April) and more recently, pics from a little 2 mile dayhike we took with our friends, Eberly's and Kauffman Smith's.  It was a beautiful day and the girls had a great time.  Would love to hear back from you all.

I need my coffee

Here's my little barista early one morning waiting to do her thing.  Little does she know that she's getting a coffee maker for her birthday (a toy one of course) so she can practice and be a pro like her Aunt Gretchen.  The girls have been into dressing up in "balleg" clothes (as Sophie refers to it) and dancing to Beethoven.  After some dancing they decided to rest those little toes by having some tea.  Wow, dancing and tea parties can wear a little one out.  I love my little girls! 

Where's Everyone?

People must be busy.  Here are a few photos of the girls. The photo of Emma is up at the cabin.  She built a fairy house in the snow.   Isn't it nice?  Can you guess which picture Emma took?

Heather

stinker

I'm back!

I couldn't get on the blog for the longest time. Here is a 6 month picture of jesse.

maddie in a box,
maddie in a chair,
maddie maddie EVERYWHERE
maddie eating socks,
maddie with my phone,
maddie maddie leave me ALONE.

WINTER

Just posting a few more pics.  These winter days make me miss having you all around just to hang out with in our pjs, drinking cups of coffee, laughing lots.  I'm still looking into plane tickets for April.  Mom, what is your schedule like the week of April 14th-22nd?  I'm thinking of bringing the girls.  Tickets are $168 but they are all overnight trips which might be okay.  It would be good to be home again.  Well, I need to go start my day.

Heather

here are some pictures for you heather. i think maddie might be in need of a trim.