With Chuck and I it was "love at first sight".We were both kids,he fresh out of boot camp and me a crazy mixed up kid.I was at a friends house when I first saw him in his army uniform.I did not think he would give me the time of day.He took me home and asked me for a date the next day.Now,I didn't know him well enough to go out alone with him so we doubled with my best friend.Chuck fixed her up with his buddy.To the two of them it was just a movie,some burgers and a few laughs.That was not to be with us.To my surprise on the first date we went on Chuck asked me to go steady,the next night he announced that some day I would be his wife and the mother of his children.I had never met anyone like this and it was too good to be true.I thought this guy has really got a line.He was sent to Germany 2 months later.We wrote to each other all the time he was overseas.It would be almost 2 years before we got together again.That was in 1963 when we first met and in June of 1965 Chuck came back to the states and we have not been apart since.Of course there were the nasty times that Uncle Sam separated us and sent him away again.I had to put that in just to give you a little background on us.I remember his sexy,dreamy eyes.They just melted my heart and they still do.Gals, you know the kind of eyes I am talking about.I better shut up because if Chuck reads this part it would make him turn 50 shades of red from embarrassment.Enjoy yourself and read on for some more of our life story.



This is a picture of Chuck when we were stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB,North Carolina. By this time I was pregnant with our third child.Now instead of my soldier boy,he is my fly boy.He looks as sexy in his air force uniform as he did in his army uniform. I better knock off all the mushy stuff because I will really make him blush.
Stroll down memory lane with us. We think it will bring back memories of your own.
So come on inside, relax and have a cup of coffee with Chuck & Rustyjo
Share some of their experiences of their life together.



It seems such a short time ago when in 1965 we started our life together.
We have traveled on the highway of life on the paved, smooth roads and the rough rocky roads.It was on the rocky, rough roads that made our love grow stronger and allowed us to appreciate each other more with each passing day.



Our love for each other produced 3 beautiful baby boys, Jeff, Kevin, Jody and 1 beautiful baby girl, Krissy.
We have a page about our *kids*.See my favorite pic of the 4 of them when they were so very little.

Our sweet baby boys have grown into strong, caring men. Our sweet baby girl has grown into a talented, sensitive woman.

They now have little boys and little girls of their own. They will develop a new outlook on life since they are now parents.

Our children will experience the pleasures and pride their children bring to them, They will also know the helplessness and the heartache of being a parent. Through it all the pleasures that a child brings to ones life far outweighs everything else.

A marriage is built on a foundation of trust, respect and unconditional love for each other. This is the blueprint we have tried to use to raise our children.
This is the advice that my dad gave to me on my wedding day.
Chuck's dad gave him great advice also.He told him never to criticize my cooking or above all,don't compare it to his mothers cooking.Chuck was a real trooper.Can you say "Lumpy Gravy." *Grin* We both had pretty smart dads.Their advice has helped get us through some pretty rough times.

Of course,our kids did not pay attention to what their grandpa had told their daddy.Nobody could cook like the 2 grandmas.Their kool aid was even better than mommys.That was not much of an ego booster but than grandmas are very special people

We were in the military and you had to go to so many places where we could not be with you.It was so hard being so far apart and worrying about you so much. I would be so afraid that you would get killed. It was such a happy time when you returned to us.

We had some very rough times after we got out of the service and into civilian life.We taught our children the value of a hard days work and that anything worth having is worth working for.

We worked as a family in every way.Chuck was always the main breadwinner but we all helped out,even the youngest children.In addition to Chuck & my regular jobs,we also had a family paper route.It was a weekly paper but it involved 2 days work.One evening was spent folding the papers,the next day we delivered them.We had quite an assembly line at the kitchen table.This involved folding the circulars,inserting the circulars inside the paper,folding the paper and stuffing it in the plastic bag.This is how we were able to get our kids some of the things like other kids had.Also we paid each of the kids because this was a family venture.It was always exciting every week.Just like the mailman we had to be out there in rain,snow,sleet.The kids saved their money and over the years bought clothes,stereos,bikes.When Jeff was 14 he took his money and bought a 10 speed bike,rode it to school,locked it and it got stolen.It was hard to explain to him why anyone would steal from him or from anyone.He did not think it was fair and he had worked so very hard.They never did recover his bike.They learn lessons very early on in life.I can still see little Krissy holding her brother Jody's hand as we delivered papers.We had a route of 800 homes.Our kids also cut grass and did odd jobs.When they turned 16 they got jobs at Kroger,Big Bear and Woolworths and helped to buy their school clothes.When times were really bad the kids would go to their daddy and take the money they had saved and offer to give it to him to pay one of the utility bills.I am very proud of my children and the way that we raised them.

Too many couples getting married want everything right away without the sacrifice.This is sometimes how marriages get into trouble.They want instant gratification.

Many was the day when we had soup beans and taters.Sometimes we didn't even have a strip of bacon for the beans and so I just threw an onion in the pot.People talk about making ends meet,I had a heck of a time to even get the ends to wave at each other. *Smile*

Our children looked upon us as "Square & Mean"especially when they lamented,"Why can't we do that,everyone elso gets to do it?" Every parent since the beginning of time has heard that a zillion times.
When our children became young adults they each came to us and told us that *we* had really gotten "Smart" in the last few years.They understood why we had been so "Mean & Square".I am sure that my children's children will tell them that they also are so "Square & Mean".

Now we have the peaceful, quiet home that we once had so many years ago when we were first married. Upon reflection. we long for the days of the horseplay, the laughing, the constant chatter that made our house a "home".

Now we can be kids again and ride bikes,play videos games with the kids.Tell the kids to remember when they were little when their little ones act up, just the way are parents told us.

Life is constantly changing.This is our time to be able to enjoy each other more than ever before.

You can work on the computer in between the times you are busy getting the bad guys off the street.

We have tried to instill good moral values in our children so that they too will be enriched with the blessings of love and family as we have.

We have started a new chapter in our lives. It is a time to renew our love for each other, a time to grow old together and to be each others "rock". It is a new beginning of our life together.



It was a very long time ago since we looked like this. The years have added their toll but we will grow old gracefully together.



We have found some funny suggestions for all of you campers or wannabe campers.Remember we have to laugh at ourselves.That is sometimes all that helps get us through the day.All the jokes on my pages are meant in good,clean fun and in no way is meant to offend anyone.

We love to camp. Campers are the friendliest people. They are always ready to lend a hand.The experienced camper will take the novice under his wing and give hime great tips and advice.
There is such a feeling of relaxation sitting around the campfire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows in the evening. The next morning the aroma of bacon and eggs fill the air. It is so delectible.We started camping when our children were just babies.We started out with a tent and not much of anything else. We really roughed it for a while.



This is me, Rustyjo, giving Jeff a bath in the washtub
my mom is giving Kevin a bottle

When I was a little girl I helped my daddy wash our dog, Joy, in a washtub.You have probably seen them. Now they are used mostly for bobbing for apples or to fill with ice to keep pop or beer cold. It wasn't much bigger than this.That is what I used for a "wading pool".
Good thing I was always such a little bitty thing. LOL

Krissy took her first steps at the campgrounds. Jody was only 4 years old when he learned to ride a two wheel bike at the campground.That night it stormed so hard I thought we were going to get blown away.On top of everything else we kept hearing strange noises.We found out in the morning what the noises were.We had been visited during the night by a racoon.Guess maybe he wanted some of those scrumptious marshmallows or hot dogs we had roasted on the campfire that night. We had one good day while we were camping,it stormed every day we were there.That is what camping is all about.

Life has come full circle. Our children now take their children camping.They tell their little ones of their experiences of camping when they were little. They tell their children how their job was to gather the firewood for the campfire. Usually, they came back with little green twigs. I can see their smiling faces now. They all were so proud. I don't know if they ever figured out that they were given this important task so their daddy, Chuck, could set up the tent.

After all the years have past we are alone. We will remember when we are camping, just the two of us, all the wonderful,funny times we had at the campgrounds with our kids.I really miss those times when the kids were little and we sat around the campfire roasting hot dogs.

Why is it that when you go somewhere by yourself you constantly think of your kids.Everything brought back memories to us of when our kids were little and we camped as a family.It is great being with each other but wouldn't it be nice if we could go back in time,just once?

Now we go camping all by our lonesome.Sometimes the kids come out and we do the same when they are with their family at the campground.

One time this season we went camping everyone and their brother had the same idea to go camping.The weather was great this time around.We did a lot of hiking and I managed to fall down a ravine on my backside.*grin* Don't ask how it happened.Let's just say that I was not hurt except my pride.

A friend of ours told us to make sure that we take our camera so we could put some pics of our adventures on our page.Sounds like a marvelous idea.Well, let me tell you.You are looking at a person that makes lists for everything and then checks everything off just like Santa does.A person has to make sure that everything is packed that is on the list.Makes sense to me.

Ain't too much fun getting old, is it?

The holidays are hard on me.It is a happy time but also a very sad time.Chuck was overseas on the Christmas that I was pregnant with Kevin, our 2nd son.That same Christmas season my grandpa died on Dec.22.I loved him so very much too.He was my moms dad and was of indian heritage.He was great fun.Then a few years later my grandma died a few days before Thanksgiving.A few years after that my 6 year old niece died the day before Thanksgiving. So yes,the holiday season is a mixed bag for me but we have to go on.This is one of the many things my daddy taught me.He had said to rejoice because our loved ones are with God and will never feel pain again.He also said that life is for the living,to grieve but that we had to go on with our lives. I hope that some of my daddy's great qualities and my Chuck's great qualities have rubbed off on our children.We try our best to mold them and guide them in the right direction but in the end it is up to them.

My dad died on Christmas morning when Chuck and I were helping Santa get things ready for our little ones.My youngest,Krissy, was only 3 at the time.We got a call from the hospital at 1:30 a.m. on Christmas.I did not get to the hospital in time to say goodbye to my daddy.I worshipped the ground he walked on.He was my hero.That was the hardest day that I had ever went through in my entire life.I had to put up a front for our babies.I could not ruin Christmas for them.They wanted to go see grandpa at the hospital the next day.I could not tell them that grandpa was now in heaven,there was plenty of time for that.My babies loved their grandpa so very much.Jody was in the 1st grade,although he was only 5 years old.He used to cry and say that he wanted to die so he could go to heaven and play with grandpa,Jesus and the angels.I had to explain to him that grandpa would not want him to come right now but that grandpa was in heaven watching over him and would always watch over him and his brothers and sister.Grandpa was his "special guardian angel".When it would storm and the thunder would boom,the lightning would crack the kids would say that their grandpa was playing baseball with the angels and he hit a homerun.They were not afraid anymore when it stormed because it was grandpa having fun.

My dad has guided me through my life and when I am really blue he reaches out to me.All of the wise things he told me as a child has all come back to me.I laugh when I think of him telling me that "it goes in one ear and right out the other".Well, daddy I think some where along the line it stuck like glue because I have tried to live my life as you did.You were kind and generous to everyone.You never knew a stranger.I am a much better person for having had a father like you.

The holidays were much easier for me when my kids were little.Was always too busy to dwell on the past.Now Chuck usually has to work on Christmas.That is when I sometimes fall into the trap of having "my own little pity party".Then I snap out of it because it does no one any good to dwell on the past.I do think of the happy times with my daddy,and it always brings a smile to my face.He was only 54 when he died and he was the kindest man ever.Then I remember all the Chrismas past,singing Happy Birthday to baby Jesus,waiting for Santa and all the excitement that can only be seen through the eyes of a child.Not only do I get a smile,I get a big grin ear to ear.

Where does the time go! Seems like when you are young time stands still.Seems like only a few years ago when my children were just babies.How time has flown by.Funny thing though! It is hard to understand how those kids of mine are getting soooooo old and I am getting younger!Yes,my kids are getting so old and I will never grow up.I am just a kid a heart.

This page has been a reflection of some of the memories of Chuck and Rustyjo