Our Life

Well it has been a while since we have been on updating our blog and their has been many things that have happened in our lives and some of you are wondering what they are. Well I am going to take the next few pages and tell you what has happened in our life since our last entry. I believe the last entry was of my playing soccer on my battalion team. After that I left in May for California to go to Fort Irwin to train up for my future deployment. The family stayed in Missouri where the kids finished up school and Andrea continued to work. While I was gone to California the Kids got out of school and started their summer. The training went well. My platoon had a rough start of it but in the end we showed the first infantry division that we are meant to be there. We ended up coming out on top and to this day the command at Fort Irwin are still talking about how successful we were. In June I returned home to Missouri where summer was in full swing. When I returned I hit the ground running for some more training. Long days and even longer nights. The kids were enjoying their summer spending time with their friends. In July I started Protective Services Training. Exciting stuff. Learned some great driving tips in this school and got to shoot some awesome firearms. Loved every bit of this school. Wish all military schools were like this one. Graduated from school on the 31st of July 2009 and prepared my family for a much needed vacation. On the 6th of August 2009 My family and I left at Midnight to travel to Utah to visit my family. Along our route we were going to travel through some interesting states and see some awesome sights. Or so we thought. I80 west is really desolate and there really is nothing to see along that route. The kids did get to see some pronghorn antelope. That was exciting. Finally made it to Utah. Once we entered into Utah we still had a long way to travel. Finally at 9:30 at night we made it safe and sound to My cousin Cristy's house. I did get us lost and finally broke down and called Cristy for better directions. Such a guy. I called only after I made the wife mad. So there you have it. We had a wonderful visit with all my uncles and aunts, grandparents and even my mother and brother. It was nice to see everyone. My girls even got there hair done by my favorite sister-in-law Nicole Erickson. Thanks Nicole and nice job. My brother Eli came into town and we got a chance to visit with him. On Thursday the 13th of August 2009 my mom organized a big lunch with all my family on the Julian side and we had lunch at IHOP. My grandpa and grandma Julian were there along with aunt Beth and Jo Ann, and aunt flossy and uncle Walter, Crystal came along with Ieda (don't know if that is how you spell it sorry), Nathan's wife, and David, Nathan's step son, Tina, lance's wife, and her children and of course Cristy along with her family. Nicole and her two girls came along with my mom and Kaleb. We even had an appearance by my cousin Jessica and her husband Parker came too. Thanks again to all my family for coming to lunch with me. After lunch a few of us returned to my grandparents house where my grandfather standing in for my father gave me a beautiful fathers blessing. Thanks Grandpa it meant the world to me. It was fun seeing all my family up in Utah and visiting with my mom. But like all fun it must end at some point. We left Utah on Saturday the 15th of August 2009. We traveled up Spanish fork Canyon and I got to show my kids where I had hunted when I was younger. The I70 east was a much more scenic route until you get to Kansas then it is desolate. We stopped in Limon, Colorado and stayed the night. We ended up getting home on Sunday the 16th of August, 2009 at around 7 at night. It was a fun trip and we enjoyed all the family that we saw in Utah. We want to thank Cristy and her family for allowing us to stay at there house and be able to know her family better. Thanks Cristy. Hope all our readers enjoy this entry. After having gone to Utah we realize that there are quite a bit of family and friends that follow our blog. I am also uploading some pictures with this entry so enjoy.