Out and About and Around the Homestead

Here are some pictures of the "House that Built Me" if you don't know the song you're missing out.

Every time I am home it makes me miss it more and more. I am so fortunate that my parents have a home that keeps ALL of my memories. Some people may think it is strange that my parents are still living in the house that they built before starting a family, but I look at it as one of the best gifts they gave me. I realize however this is not something that is common, especially in this day and age. I can picture the marks on the kitchen wall where they measured our height, even though it has been covered with wallpaper I know it's still there in my memory. I remember playing with Barbies in my bedroom with Britt and making such a mess that my parents would freak out! I remember playing outside from 6am til 8pm in the dirt with hotwheel cars and our toy tractors. I remember having a huge garden on the side of the house where the tomato worms would get so huge that they scared the crap out of me. I remember riding the 3-wheelers to the woods and back with Britt and my cousin Neil (and also Britt's bad accident of course) I remember riding my bike down the driveway and hitting the cement barrier and flying off into the ditch, I crawled up the mud to get out more afraid of the snakes than if I was hurt. I remember Neil accidentally hammering a nail into my fingernail when we were building something for our hotwheel cars and dad stuck a hot rod through my finger to release the blood, blood shot everywhere and I didn't even cry...cause dad said I was a big girl. I remember learning to swim in the pond and to never stop moving your arms and legs cause the fish would bite you. I remember when Matt learned to swim and he had to wear my old bathing suit because the fish would bite his chest (sorry Matt). I remember riding in the tractor with Britt and dad and watching the seagulls eat all the worms when the ground was worked up. I remember picking sugar snap pees at grandpa's house with Brittany and eating them off the vine, I'm surprised he ever had peas left to cook for supper. I remember the best part of spending time with grandpa Gurtzweiler was when he would take us to PeeWee's and we would get chocolate shakes, and sometimes we would ride in the bed of the pickup. I remember Uncle Neil would always hold me on his lap and hold my hands in his and tell me I always had the coldest hands (don't they say cold hands warm heart?) I remember mowing the grass and Brittany always got to drive the riding mower and I always had to trim, which took at least an hour longer. I remember dad letting us drive on his lap when we were little, but I never did because I was always too scared.

I could go on and on forever, but I wont bore you any longer...here are some pictures of my house :)

Mom's pretty flowers

Gipper swimming in the pond.

My pretty boy...

I have always loved the weeping willow trees.

Me and Kaitlyn at Matt's house

Joe loves little Kaitlyn and I think she loves him right back!

Joe showing Kaitlyn if she puts her finger in the water the fish will come up, these are big fish!

Feeding the ducks!

Grandpa and Kyle at lunch in Levis

Ryan's Senior Picture Re-take...STUD

Britt, Me, Mom and Dad

John and Gloria