Christmas and Cows

The Bertsch family at its best: together :)

the Bertsch grab bag - every present had to be from a garage sale or Goodwill

Ryan using his massager as a microphone

the giant bear costume was a popular item in the grab bag....and the grandkids loved it.....or ran from it

My old roommates came over to do cow chores....why? No one really knows, but it was a ton of fun!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

spare time

This is what I do in all my spare time before Christmas!

Eat Japanese with my favorite sis for her birthday

build legos....yes, I think it's fun

play with the nieces and nephews

visit Alabama

work, work, work, work, work ;)

Merry Christmas!

Little's camping 2011

Every year "the littles" (the 3 youngest in our family) go camping. We try to hit up a different state park each year. This year: Brown County!

There and Back again.....by Bilbo Baggins......er Bertsch

So......Sarah Hodel and I traveled to the East Coast, and it was AWESOME! Check out the pics:

The Kloters. You just can't get much better than them. We stayed at their house when we were in CT

Their house was amazing......even if Irene knocked out the power for 2 days......when was the last time you read your Bible by candlight?

This is their AMAZING yard/pool......I may or may not have climbed on the roof to take this picture ;)

 Now, Boston.....or should I say "Bwasten.....where they eat clam chowda"

When you think of Boston, think of crazy black men dancing on street corners......

Or.....maybe think of the T (transit) that we took into Boston that had very screechy brakes

Or maybe think of Jefferson, Adams, or Paul Reviere

or Quincy Market.....a mile long building packed with perpetual food....including crab/lobster/clam

the Trolley was pretty sweet too....even if there was no windows and it blew my hair to  the ends of the earth

or maybe Boston makes you think of the Boston Tea Party? No, we did not dress like Indians;)

think of pistachio icecream by the harbor 

and more street performers

and more street performers

and more historical statue thingys that we had no clue who they were

and random men dressed like minute men and British crab coats

oh yes.....who can forget "Cheers"

or a ridiculously tasty italian place.....with no windows (we actually excited through that space behind us....simply stepping out onto the street!

 Now....how about swimming on the East Coast on the Rhode Island shore?

our beach crew

haha....ha....we were going to do that thing where you take pictures of every sign of every state you go through....well this is the only decent one I got.....but we did go thorugh Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island! :)

that's right.....i created this awesome castle.....if you look close I used a lot of crab legs and seaweed;)

The trip was well worth the 14 hours of driving each way.....i won't soon forget the "Bwosten" accent, curvy Connecticut roads, or my east coast sunshined sunburnt nose;)