Jennifer, Crystal and Briar ready for Church

The Family ready for church

Crystal showing Andrea, Briar, and Jennifer the firemans carry

Andrea and Briar on a science field trip

A Soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Andrea and Karl in front of the Washington DC temple

Andrea and Myself outside our Hotel

Andrea and Karl at Arlington Cemetary near JFK burial

Andrea right by the Capital

Karl standing near the Capital

We're Back

So I know that everyone has been waiting in anticipation for the next installment of the adventures that have be fallen the Erickson family in Missouri and around the world. For those of you that have followed us faithfully over the years you know that the last time that we posted was a year ago. Karl was getting ready to go over to Iraq to serve his country and Protect the Commanding General of Iraq. He has recently redeployed back to the states to be with his family. He arrived home on the 25th of August. It has been a joy for him to be back in the states but most importantly a pleasure to be reunited with his family. The past year many things have happened to the Missouri Erickson Family. They have had two different adventures this past year. Even though Karl was not with us Andrea's life and the kids life moved forward with new adventures some good some bad but there lives went forward while Karl's life here in the states was put on hold. With the mission complete over in Iraq it was time for him to return back to his family. The mission over in Iraq was a different mission then Karl has ever experienced. While there in Iraq he was the person in charge of all the advances for the commanding general. As adavance agent he was the first person at the venue to make sure that security was in place that everyone was tracking that the General was coming to visit. He met the general at the drop site and led him into the venue to where the meeting was going to be held. Towards the end of the deployment Karl was given the opportunity to go TDY (Temporary Duty Assignment) to Washington D.C. two times. The first time was in the beginning of June. During this trip, thanks to my wonderful Uncle Eric, we flew Andrea out to spend the weekend with me in D.C. What an awesome trip this was. It gave me and the wife a small vacation. We also got to see all the wonderful sites in D.C. what an awesome history. Andrea also got the opportunity to see all my cousins out in Virginia that she has never met before. She left and I returned to Iraq where I was there for only two more weeks when I again returned to D.C. to drive the General around in the states. These trips gave me a break from the monoteny of Iraq. Then I returned back to Iraq to finish out the deployment. For those of you that do not know yet I reenlisted while I was down range. What does this mean? It means that I will be retiring out of the army. So now I am back in the states and many of you are wondering when the next time is that I will go back overseas. Put your minds at ease as of right now there is no orders in the near future of me returning to Iraq or Afghanistan. I am glad that I am back in the states. We have lots of pictures to share with everyone so be ready over the next few days for this blog to be exploded with pictures and more postings. We are also looking forward to the first Robert Erickson Family Reunion here in Missouri. Thanks to everyone that supported me and kept me in their thoughts and prayers. Love you all.

I just want all my family and friends to know that I am married to a saint. She is so awesome. She is my best friend. In about two weeks I will be getting on the big jet in the sky and heading over to an unknown world that only a select few of us have ever experienced. I hate to leave my family for a whole year but it comes with part of the job that I hold at this moment in time. This will be the fourth time that I have left my wife and family. It will be the third time that I have left for a full year. I know that each time that I leave it is not so easy for her because then she has to become not only the mother but also the father. So right now I want to send a shout out to my wife for being the wonderful person that she is and for supporting me in all that I have done in my career. I want everyone to remember my family in their thoughts and prayers. If it was not for my wife and kids I could not do what I do. I know that they will be protected while I am away and that everything will be taken care. I know also that I will be safe overseas and that in one year will have the biggest party of the year. I will return home safe and sound. There will be one more entry by me here in the states before I leave and then I will turn the reigns over to my wife. Thanks for all the support.

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.