My Bucket List

This is a first for me, to actually put something up on a blog! Even though that's not on my bucket list (ha, ha).

Maybe this will actually inspire others to post on this thing and resurrect it!

1. Visit every state in the US. So far, I figure I've been to 31 of them.
2. Go on a cruise (Disney, of course!).
3. Go to Israel.
4. Learn to ballroom dance.
5. Visit parts of Europe (British Isles, Germany, maybe Scandinavia).

That's about it for now. I may think of some things later, but I've been pretty fortunate in my life to have seen and done a lot of things!

Still Dead?

Yep.

Hah.

I just thought of something really funny. The blog died before it even got to make a bucket list. It's kinda not as funny anymore because making a post just raised it from the dead so that kinda ruins the whole point of this post...So...yeah...Nevermind then


-David

My Bucket List

I decided to follow the masses into creating my bucket list. At first, I had a bit of trouble getting it started, but after reading through your entries and others online, I fear that I have too much! I did repeat some from your lists, but just think, CARPOOL! Also, who better to do these activities with than friends/family? Here goes (in no particular order):

1. Ride IN a hot air balloon
2. Eat a pizza in Italy
   
3. Be a wife and a mommy
4. Race someone with a beautiful and fast car
5. Be debt free
6. Make a remarkable impact on someone's life
7. Meet a favorite author
8. Help build a habitat for humanity house
9. Visit 10 different countries (not counting the U.S.)
10. Have a role (small or not) in a musical or movie
11. Learn something new in depth (such as photography, languages, countries, etc)
12. Learn to ballroom dance (even if its just the waltz...)
13. Go white water rafting
14. See a solar eclipse
15. Be in Time Square for New Year's
    
16. Go to a Broadway show while in New York
17. Visit 7 wonders of the world (new or old)
18. See the Northern Lights (yes some of you have this too, that just means we can carpool)
19. Go to Hawaii with one and only
20. Water ski and sailing
21. Count my blessings each day (sounds easy but..... sometimes we forget!)
22. Go on a Disney Cruise with as many family members (or friends if my family is lame) as possible! It can be the cool package to go to Walt Disney World first then cruise or vice versa!

Hope you enjoyed my bucket list...

Not a Bucket List

My Bucket list will come after my return home, I'm saving the thought for the 24 hour trip home. Tonight's post is spontaneous, and is coming in spite of the fact that I ought to be studying.

I talked to a guy named Moritz tonight along with my buddy James for an hour and a half. He's about my age, German, studying in London for the year, and traveling to North Carolina this summer to work with the Challenge camp to teach football to kids. (soccer). Such a cool guy, really seemed receptive, really was actually interested in what we had to say. Asked a lot of questions that we could answer, and really seemed to think about it. He said he had a really hard time believing that people went to hell, and in the end I told him that the beautiful thing is that God loves HIM. Uniquely, individually, him, and that if tonight he took the time to go before God honestly, and told this relational, ultimate, beautifully perfect God that he was having trouble believing, God could help him out. I told him the Bible said "if you seek, you shall find" and he could come before God as he was and help him. We pleaded with him earnestly not to put it off, and told him the realities of sin, and he seemed to really take it to heart. Long story short, he didn't accept God into his heart at Leicester Square tonight, but for the first time this semester, I am so incredibly hopeful that he will.

How good is God. He loves us. Uniquely, individually, perfectly us. We fall short. Every day, every hour even, we fail to follow his law. And even if we aren't busy breaking his law, are we really doing what we should be? Even in the off chance that we've made it through the day without breaking his law, have we loved him as we should? Can we even grasp how holy, righteous, and perfect he is? Are we even capable? It's completely blowing my mind right now that I sin all the time, I don't trust him even though he has given me everything, and yet, he loves me anyway. This God of all Gods, holier than holy, created us and loves us in spite of our imperfections.

I'm stunned.

Clint's Bucket List

In truth, my Heavenly Father has already blessed me with so many opportunities I never thought I'd have. He's given me an amazing family, great friends, and above all a wonderful Savior! Way more than I deserve to experience. "If the good Lord is willing and the creek don't rise", these are a few of the things I'd like to do before I leave this land....

• go on a mission trip to a 3rd world country (because my Father said to)
  

• street preach (and not just once....I want it to become a lifetime activity)
  

• para sailing (looks like flying without wings)
  

• have a book published (has always been a dream..haven't told many folks that)
  

• finish a cancer run (that's right I said run not walk)
  

• go to Hawaii with my sweetheart (can't wait to see the smile on her face!!!)
  

• adopt a child (or two!)
  

• jump off a cliff into the ocean (Cannonball!!!!Look out below!!!!!!)
  

• own a music venue/restaurant (The Sound Kitchen morphs)
  

• write a weekly column for newspaper/magazine (or daily....I'm not picky)
  

• become mayor of Benbrook (leave town while you have the chance)
  

• go deep sea fishing (don't worry, I'll throw 'em back!)
  

• go whitewater rafting (the perfect sport for the directionally challenged)
  

• have a real Italian meal with my sweetheart in Italy (mmmmm....meatballs...)
  

• invent something (double stuffed Oreos, the light bulb, it doesn't really matter)
  

• ride atop an elephant (I actually did this when I was really young but I'd love to do it again as an adult)

Stephanie's Bucket List

I was excited about doing this, because I actually started a list of things I wanted to do a few years ago, AND I feel really blessed because in the past year I have crossed five things off that list! I wonder what God will open the doors for me to do throughout this next year... :)

Here are some of the things I want to do before I die in no particular order...

1. Start a ministry for younger girls.
2. Be COMPLETELY free of my student debt!
3. Get married and start a family.
4. Be a part of building up the church - I don't know yet if that is being a part of building or starting a ministry with a group of people, starting my own, or even just being faithful in a certain place, but I want to help build up the body of Christ.
5. Learn more about photography/ take a photography class
6. Have a piece of my writing published
7. Go skiing/ snowboarding
8. Vacation in Tahiti
9. Go Sailing
10. Take swing, salsa, or ballroom dance lessons
11. Go to Greece
12. Go camping
13. Have a nightime picnic under the stars
14. See the Northern Lights
15. Learn to surf
16. Go to NYC during Christmas
- and while there have frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity
17. Take a cooking class
18. Do something life changing for someone - preferably anonymously

The things I crossed off this year are:
-visit London
-visit Italy
-Go on a mission trip
-Travel somewhere by myself (I didn't know if I would ever be brave enough to do it!)
-Start a Bible Study

Matts Bucket List

This was fun couldn't stop at 15
**double asterisks are sub goals or notes

1. Debt Free
**Once achieved never again
2. Go through the English Channel Tunnel
** Travel Europe
3. Skydive (need more bravery first)
4. Parasail
5. Scuba dive with my one and only
6. Ride a hot air balloon
7. Learn a new language proficiently
8. Visit every state at least once including DC
**Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico,
**Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, and California DONE
**9 out of 50 DONE
9. Bungee jump something scary
**Six Flags, or Hurricane Harbor, and similar don’t count
10. Manage my weight
**Never weight more than 250
**Very high because I weight 235 now
11. Stand in the four corners
12. Ride a Gondola in Venice
13. Witness a Total Solar Eclipse
**Closest in Kentucky on Aug 21 2017
14. Ski a double black diamond mountain slope
15. Go Zorbing
**You tube it it's awesome
16. See the Northern lights
17. Visit the Grand Canyon
18. Times Square New Years Day
19. Enter the Statue of Liberty
20. Shake hands with The President of the United States
**Current or former

The Bucket Lists

Larissa and I were recently having dinner with a dear friend of mine who owns a few horses and we talked about the possibility of going out to her house and riding horses this coming summer. Rissa hasn't ridden a horse in her adult life so I know it will be a bunch of fun for her! That got me to thinkin'! There's several things in my life that I've always wanted to do but have yet to. As my 30th birthday approaches I've started to reflect a bit on my life thus far and to set dreams and goals for my life henceforth.

So with this in mind, I thought it might be fun for everyone to make their own bucket list and post it on the blog. If you're unaware, a bucket list is basically a list of things you hope to do or accomplish before you "kick the bucket". Let's make a list of 15 things. Please create a new post to display your bucket list marked, for example, as "Clint's Bucket List". Sound fun?

Hello~upate on family schedule

Just wanted to remind everyone.......

This Friday- good friday services 7:00, be there! We will (with Maylee,wink, wink!)

Sunday- 10:30 service/ lunch at 1:00

Any questions????

Will that work?

Also maybe we should color Easter eggs on Saturday?

Let me know!

*this was a friendly reminder from me and Maylee*

P.s. Everyone be praising the Lord today for keeping Katie safe while in Europe! He is so GOOD! Amen!

Blog....

Blog facts:
1. You poke the blog with a stick and it takes two days for someone to come up with a longer post..
2. The blog is lonely!
3. The last blog (besides david's poking) is about house and happened 2 weeks ago (approximately).
4. The whole Gaston family has not written a post on here.
5. The most recent posters were David, Katie, and Steph, followed by me. Where are the rest of you?
6. Pictures can be uploaded when you don't have time to write...
7. People write more with comments from the peanut gallery
8. David is the one to have posted the most in the past two months. That's shameful for the rest of you but awesome for David.
9. If you write it, they will read!
10. I am procrastinating homework and this is a useful way for the blog to help in my life, lol.

So I've posted something.. now it's your turn??!! I love you all and don't want this blog to die!! SO help me as we save the blog and please don't make me come up with a charity and/or support walk to save our blog!

~Ashleigh

Is...

Is it dead??? Someone poke it with a stick...

HOUSE

So, attempt # 3,456,890 (slight exaggeration) at reviving the Gaston Blog, even in competition with other blogs...

Tonight I was watching HOUSE as a chance to relax before midterms start coming again, and House said some strikingly wise words:

“Do it all, do nothing, or option C you’re a liar and a hypocrite.”
-House

It was in reference to Cutty's decision to hold a Jewish religious ceremony for the baby, even though she never kept any other Jewish aspect in her life, like kosher. It just got me thinking about how we need to make sure that we are going all or nothing, in every aspect in our lives, but especially in our relationships with God. When the world looks at our lives, are they going to see liars and hypocrites, or people sold out and absolutely in love with Christ?

Just something to think about...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUCKAROO!!!!!!!

This day marks the 15th year of the day that Mr. David Gary Gaston was born into this world! The earth trembled a bit that day as a fiery red head with energy to burn took his place in history. We are so thankful to call him brother, son, friend, "David!" or, as some new folks might - "Duncle". Whatever you call him I know that this kid has left an indelible mark on our lives. So to honor that sentiment, let's give a few of the highlights of the past 15 years of freckled goodness. I'll toss a few out there and please, for blog's sake, please add some of your own personal gems. Oh and by the way, Happy Birthday David! We love you so much and are so proud of the young man your turning into. Now go puck those chin hairs and have a great day!

• the time I tooted and blamed it on you (thanks for covering for me)
  
• the time we came in the house and you were hanging from the banister holding on for dear life
• doing the "dolphin dive" in the pool with ya
• walking along the Trinity Trail and seeing an Ewok in the bushes
  
• assassinating our own teammates on online gaming
• the time you shaved your legs at Gerald and Brendas

Ok so I've got the ball rolling here......keep 'em comin'!

Where..

...Should we eat tomorrow?

Tough Crowd

You guys are a TOUGH crowd. I thought all the picking on me was going to just be a family gathering thing, but evidently it's going to cross over into the blogging world also! ;)

Anyways, I think most of you want to hear all the details on London, so here it goes!

I left on a Thursday morning. Larissa was fabulous and came to pick me up in her adorable new SUV. We got there without hitting any traffic, and then I zipped right through security leaving me with about two hours to wait before my plane took off. To be entirely honest with you guys, I wasn't thrilled about the idea of sitting alone with nothing to do for two hours, but it turned out great! A friend I hadn't talked to in ages randomly called me and we wound up talking for almost the entire wait, and then my plane began boarding early!

I wound up landed my favorite seat on the plane - emergency exit window seat. I was so excited! AND to make it even better the plane was pretty empty so I ended up with just one other person sharing my row, and God is so cool becuase he sat a very cool believer named Carolyn next to me! Carolyn and her husband are involved with church planting and ministry in Boston - where we are sending a team to help with the opening of a new church planting connected with NETS this Fall. She had been in the DFW area for a conference that dealt with different aspects of church planting, ministry development, church connectivity, etc... She also has a daughter who is about my age who is involved in ministering to the homeless and inner city youth in Boston. We wound up talking for nearly the entire plane ride which was very fun and I learned a TON about what God is doing up in the Boston/ New England area!

We landed in North Carolina about forty minutes ahead of schedule, which left me with a nearly SIX hour layover! The time actually went by a lot faster than I thought it would which was really great! I went and found the gate I was supposed to be flying out of, and then popped over to the Starbucks where I wound up chatting with the barista (baristo?) for a little while - this was the first of MANY times people would try to guess where I was from - he guessed Canada, which definitely wasn't the strangest guess I had during my trip! He then taught me about the Americano, the "skinny", and a few other drinks and gave me a little phamplet that explains a TON about the million different ways you can create your "personal Starbucks beverage". I knew there were a lot of ways you could make Starbucks coffee, but I had no idea there were as many ways as there are, and I would guess that the phamplet only covers part of them! We wound up chatting about work, school, life... for a while and then after that I just settled in, talked to a few people on the phone, and then had a really great quiet time. Since I've been so busy lately it was really nice to have time to really study what I was (Esther) for more than half an hour and just have time to think about everything that has been going on in my life! Then for some reason the area my gate was in was completely dead! I felt like I was in the Terminal for a while which was a little creepy for a few minutes, because I was completely alone in this HUGE space, but on the bright side I was really able to spread out and not feel like I had to have my luggage and purse glued to me the entire time like I did when tons of people were around.

My plane to London also didn't fill up the entire way, so I had another trip where I got the window seat and only one other person on my row. This time the lady who shared my row with me was there on a girls weekend with her two best friends, and they were going to visit her daughter who was studying abroad. These girls were hillarious and kept telling me I made them feel incredibly cool for talking to them which cracked me up because I really think anyone would chat with them! They were so excited about their trip and were possibly the most organized group I have ever seen. They had every minute of their trip scheduled down to the minute. I felt SO bad for them on Monday when it began snowing like crazy, because I'm sure that threw their schedule off a LOT!

Since I ended up with my own row after we all reorganized and moved around, I was able to get a little sleep on the plane which was really great since I normally can't sleep on planes at all. We landed early in London where the sun was just rising and a beautiful day was there to greet us!

More on Day One in London to come...

Worth the wait

I think a lot of things that are worthwhile in life are worth waiting for, BUT I do apologize for making you guys wait THIS long for a post. Although you do all know that I'm just a phone call away (or just around the corner!) so you don't have to wait for a blog post to hear about things! ;O)

London was fabulous! It was an adventure from the very beginning and I still can't believe how much we managed to see and do while I was there! I just finished my last Twisted bar today and feel like I may need to go back to get some more before too long... :) I still can't believe I was there and am back already, but it was very fun and I decided it is going to take either a REALLY long post, or multiple posts to write about it all, so get excited about more to come soon...!

Question?

Why has our blog become a base for abunch of cheap spin offs to spin off from (Katie, Ashliegh, Lizzie, Katie, Stephanie) It's not like our original blog is overflowing or anything. Post here and let your own blogs die and long painfull death like the original is (Or was, sorda) suffering itself.

EPIC WIN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur0LENvY5TE

Something to blog about...

SOOO today I was at dance and fell out of this partner flippy thingy and I think I might have broken my nose. It hurts and is kind of purple and blue, but dad thinks it will be okay. it is just very painful! but luckly no work tonight!

and now no one can complain about not hearing about it. I blogged. =)

and now im going to go find ice and be lazy since I have found a good excuse!
I love you all! and I am fabulous besides the whole nose issue. but hopefully it will not stay weird colored for long and everything will be alright!

-Lizzy