Baby on the way

As many of you already know, Erik and I are expecting a baby June 16th. We are very excited and can't wait until he/she is here. We will hopefully find out the sex of the baby at the end of January. I am starting to feel better each day as I am getting closer to the second trimester.

Thanksgiving 2007- Lind, WA

Thanksgiving 2007 - Lind, WA

We had a most wonderful time this Thanksgiving as we mixed and mingled with the Hooley five, the Cheney four, the Marler five, the Sharp six, and the Sharp two. We arrived at the ranch Wednesday night to a rude welcome. The guests before us left us a surprise in the kitchen refrigerator (Rotten milk, eggs, etc.). The top floor stunk to high heaven and so we quickly went to work to eliminate the stench. We also had a couple of drawers full of water from a leaking pipe and bathtubs with spiders. Not to worry, we all pitched in to help fix the issues and quickly had the house looking good and feeling loved. When all the vehicles were unloaded and beds prepared we spent time together playing cards, ping-pong, bowling, and shooting some billiards.

Thanksgiving morning we awoke and went for a motorcycle/4-wheeler ride. What a cool place to ride around! The property contains multiple sand dunes that were great places for all of us to ride, jump and race. The morning ride helped us gather our appetites and we pitched in to make our Thanksgiving feast a very palatable extravaganza.

While at the ranch we had ample riding time out on the dunes, we played some killer rounds of Bunco (Nina is really good at this game), we ate great food (Thanks for organizing the food Linda), we watched some movies, we woke up to warm fires outside (Provided by Mike), we took pictures, and most importantly we spent quality time together as a family. Thank you to all who made this a great trip to remember.

Our Adventure with Hannah, Jake, Addy & Ella

Our adventure with the Sharp children (Hannah 9, Jake 6, Addy 3, Ella ~2) began Wednesday night (OCT 17th) at their house. Their parents (John and Amanda) were off to Hawaii for a week and would leave early Thursday morning for the airport. I woke up Thursday morning and headed off to work while Karen began to prepare herself for the motherly duties that lay ahead. Karen's routine during school days was to wake up the older two around 7:30am and help them get up and off to school. Hannah and Jake were both very cooperative and made the morning routine for Karen less stressful. Addison and Ella usually woke up around 8:00am and needed help getting dressed, eating breakfast, and then they were off and running. Those two little ones are very happy kids but when they are awake the decibel level in the house is always very high. Addison is a true girly girl and loved to dress up as a princess. Often when we were at the dinner table together she would ask me if Karen was my princess. It was really cute. Ella loved to run around following Addison and scream and giggle. Ella is also a great eater. She would gobble up anything we put in front of her and she LOVES string cheese!!!
Thursday afternoon I called Karen and asked her if the power was on because a wind storm had blown through the area. The power had been knocked out around 2 pm and wasn't on still when I arrived home that evening. I noticed upon arriving home that a tree had snapped two power lines that were now laying on the ground and I realized it might be a while before they got to our little street. Karen and Hannah managed to round up some candles and flashlights so we wouldn't totally be in the dark. We ate a beautifully prepared spaghetti dinner by candlelight. Now usually that sounds really romantic but with one kid who loves to talk and the other kids all asking for more bread, the romantic aspect was gone along with the lights. The kids were troopers in the dark, not really minding the fact that we didn't have power. We read stories by flashlight and put the little ones down around 7pm. Karen and I were worried about the food in the fridge so I called up my dad to see if he could help me load up a generator at my father-in-laws house (my father-in-law was also in Hawaii) so we could at least hook up the refrigerator and a few lights. He and my mom so willingly came to help and we brought the generator back to the house to hook it up. We pulled out the generator cord and to our dismay it was missing one of the plugs. We figured we would deal with the plug problem in the morning and just directly connect the fridge to the generator. The generator ran all night and preserved the food in the fridge. In the morning I went into work a bit late, taking a shower from a bucket (I hadn't done that since my mission), and trying to help Karen fix the generator cord problem. My mom volunteered to come over and help with the generator and cord so that I could get off to work. She went to Home Depot, bought the correct part and then came back to the house and wired it properly so we could get the generator working. What a trooper my momma is!!! Thank goodness the generator was fixed because our power was not restored until 10:30pm on Friday night. We ate dinner over at Karen's parents house so we could use their oven and have some light and heat. Needless to say we were all very elated to have the power back on after 32 hours without it.

Saturday was our pumpkin patch trip. Karen had scoped out a fun children-friendly pumpkin patch were the kids could pick out pumpkins, climb up and roll down a saw dust hill, look at baby farm animals, get lost in a corn maze, and feed grain frenzied chickens. We outfitted the kids in rain boots, coats, and attempted happy faces. The older kids loved the corn maze and tried every outlet at least ten times before they exited the maze. Ella found a toy tractor and loved dragging it through the puddles. Addison so graciously tried to "wake up" Snow White the pumpkin princess from her spell and in so doing pulled her legs and arms off. I had to quickly restore Snow White to her original status and we then headed off to see the farm donkeys before other characters were "rescued". The rain tried to "squash" our outing at the beginning but it let up and we had a most awesome outing. Saturday night we took the kids over to Wade and Linda's house for a birthday celebration. Wade turned 30 for the 7th or so time and we celebrated with some yummy salmon and a rich chocolate cake from Costco. The kids enjoyed playing with their cousins and Karen and I liked the adult company as well.

Church was at 9am on Sunday and we were a bit worried about getting the kids to church on time, but we tricked ourselves. The clocks were set 10 minutes ahead of the real time and we ended up early to church by 10 minutes. The younger 3 kids colored, ate string cheese, and switched off sitting on Karen's lap. Hannah woke up not feeling well but she gutted church out like a soldier. When Karen and I went to take Addy and Ella to Nursery they screamed bloody murder and held onto us for dear life. It was a sad experience handing them over to relative strangers when they wanted to be with you more than anything at that point. The Nursery leaders were used to this routine and they said they would be fine after a few minutes. Sunday afternoon Jake, Hannah and I put Martha Stewart to shame as we baked a batch of scrumptious chocolate-chip cookies and a pan of luscious lemon bars. Sunday evening my parents and Kirsten came over for dinner and we had spaghetti, Vach Caesar salad (Awesome job Dad!), and Italian bread. Following dinner while a few of us played Rummikub my mom read Addison a couple of books. Addison quickly fell in love with "Erik's Mom" and "Erik's Mom" helped put the kids to bed. When the younger kids were in bed the rest of us played Yahtzee. I would have to say that Jake was the master roller but my dad pulled out a gutsy 267-264 victory over Jake and Erik. We had a most enjoyable evening.

Monday morning both Karen and I woke up with sore throats and some congestion. This wasn't the most ideal way to start off the week. We are still battling these colds as we write this (Friday night) and hope to be over them soon. Monday night for an activity we carved the pumpkins we picked up on Saturday. Hannah carved a spooky cat and Jake carved out a Ghost saying "Boo"! The kids had fun gutting the pumpkins and carving away!

Tuesday night we took the kids to "Literacy Night" at their elementary school. At "Literacy Night" the kids listened as three stories were narrated by various community leaders and then the kids were able to pick out a book to take home with them. All the kids and some of the parents showed up in pajamas for the event and the PTA provided milk and cookies.

Wednesday morning Karen's sickness was running on all cylinders so I called my mom before her seminary class to see if she could help Karen out later that morning. She graciously accepted to help Karen and picked up the girls around 10am so Karen could get some rest. She kept them most of the day and brought them back around 4 pm. Thanks Mom! Karen was able to get some much needed and appreciated rest. Wednesday night Hannah attended Achievement Days and they made cupcakes for their Halloween Carnival tonight.

Thursday night we took the kids to Dairy Queen for a little treat. It is so fun watching little kids trying to eat cones as tall as their heads. The little girls were really cute because each time they dripped ice cream onto the table they would ask for napkins and they would quickly wipe it up. It seemed as if Addy was afraid the people who worked there would get mad at her if she didn't quickly clean up her mess. We tucked in all the kids Thursday night and then Karen went to pick up John and Amanda. Our adventure was over!

Karen and I learned a lot about the duties of parents and we respect anyone who patiently and lovingly raises children. Kids are a lot of work but are most worth it! We enjoyed reading books with the kids each night, listening to Addy ask me if Karen was my princess, watching the glee on Ella's face as she ran circles around the living room, playing games with Jake and Hannah, and just sharing time with these happy kids. Thank you Hannah, Jake, Addy and Ella!

We have to take pictures of ourselves just to find a reason to post a blog. We haven't had any outstanding experiences to report about lately, however next week we will be up for a new adventure. We are watching John and Amanda's kids while they go on a trip to Hawaii. We will be responsible for four kids. Yikes!!! We are excited for the adventure and have fun activities planned for the kids. (That should give us something to post about.)
We have determined we need to better condition our bodies so we have begun attending a local gym called "The Body Studio". At the gym we take classes such as, kickboxing, core conditioning, & spin. The people there are really fun and energetic. Karen works there part time managing the front desk and watching kids in their day care center. She receives free membership and my membership is half off. We are enjoying our time in Orting and are becoming more and more comfortable with the ward we are attending. I recently had a run-in/run-out with Starbucks in Seattle and hope to never repeat that experience! We love you all and wish you the best.

Love,

Erik & his incredible wife Karen

Fall Has Arrived!!

Fall is upon us here in the Pacific Northwest; the air is more crisp, the mornings are colder, and the sweatshirts and hoodies are being dusted off. Karen and I are both experiencing the summer to fall change for the first time in a long time because we have always been away at school. Karen hasn't experienced a fall season in Washington since 2001 and I haven't experienced fall here since 1999! The leaves will start turning exquisite reds, yellows and oranges and the smoke from chimneys will be seen throughout the land. To ring in the new season Karen put together a very cute scarecrow that is now hanging outside our house. She painted the wood pieces a couple of years ago and finally added to finishing touches today. Isn't she crafty! She is much more than crafty and I am very grateful for her and her many many talents.

Training in "The City of Brotherly Love"

Yo Karen, I did it! Well, I didn't quite climb the same steps or defeat Clubber Lang but I came away from Philadelphia feeling like a champ. I was recently in Philadelpia for some new hire training. Turner sponsored the training and brought in close to 80 new hires from around the country. We were taught the importance of leadership, ethics, teamwork, work-life balance, safety, etc. It was a good conference and was a fun networking opportunity. Although I was competing on a different surface and in a different game the Italion Stallion would have been proud of my grind it out, in your face, get knocked down-get up again basketball game against a baller from the East coast. All in all it was an educational and worthwhile conference but the best part was getting off the plane and landing in my gorgeous wife's loving arms. I love you Karen. Enjoy a few photos of City Hall and downtown Philly!

TEXAS

While Erik was enjoying his football fun in Provo, I was getting settled in Texas. I went to Texas to help my sister Camille on her journey home with two kids after spending the heat of the summer in Washington.

After a long flight on Saturday we took all day Sunday to recover. We went to church in the morning and spent the afternoon relaxing as we adjusted to the time difference.

On Monday, Ryan had the day off and joined us on our adventure to the aquarium in Dallas. We saw all kinds of interesting animals.

Throughout the week Camille and I had fun dancing, jumping on the trampoline, and listening to fun music with Elise. (Kids have so much energy!) Although we were not excused from changing diapers, doing the dishes, and fixing meals.

We enjoyed going shopping for things we didn't really need, projects we don't really have time for, and the shoes we will probably never wear and not to mention the purse to go with it.

On my last night I gave Davis a hair cut at 3 months old.

Thanks for such a fun time Camille, Ryan, Elise, & Davis!

Provo & Back in 34 Hours

I left the Great Pacific Northwest on Saturday morning via Southwest Airlines. My destination: Provo. My purpose: To unite with my family and 60,000+ Cougar fans for a football game against the University of Arizona. It was a very warm summer day in Provo for the season opening football game. The Cougar defense shut down the University of Arizona and our offense looked real good for most of the game. We beat the Wildcats of Arizona 20-7 to start the 2007 campaign off on the right foot. We did have a scare right before the game when our beloved brother Austin couldn't seem to find the tickets! Austin received a few death threats before he finally found the tickets, and I know he was sweating bullets. We love you Austin! Following the game we got a bite to eat, tested out Tyler's new tricked out ride, and threw the football around.

We (Dad, Mom, Kirsten, Austin and I) said good-bye to Tyler and wished him the best of luck as he embarks on his first of many semesters at BYU. We love you Tyler! Go get 'em! On Sunday we left the Salt Lake Valley and headed home together in the van. We picked up a runaway on our way home and although we were nervous she didn't try to pull anything funny. We arrived back in Maple Valley around 6 pm and when we arrived back at the pad our house had been "forked". A couple of Austin's friends had "forked" the house with 500 forks and numerous banners were stuck to all three garage bays. Upon unpacking we relaxed with a couple of games of UNO (Dad's favorite game) and had some good laughs. Thanks for the fun time Mom, Dad, Kirsten, Austin and Tyler.

Sisters night out

It has been a busy month. After reuniting with Tyler, my sisters Camille and Jan came into town. We had all kinds of fun! Jan even motivated all of us to get out the door and go running. We kicked our feet up and had pedicures, played games and made dinner together.

Since then much has happened but most recently we had a party for Camille's birthday. In the afternoon we had a picnic in Linda's yard while the kids played on the swing and explored.

Later in the day Elise helped me decorate cupcakes for all the kids. With 28 candles lit, all of the kids helped blow them out.

They must have been tasty cupcakes!=o)

Reunion and Green Lakes Hike

Yes! The stud muffin is back in town. Well... he was back in town. Tyler came home August 8th from serving a mission in Brazil. Cavin, Angie, and Braden flew in from Arizona the day before so we could all be at the airport for the arrival of Tyler.

Once Erik and I arrived at the airport we were surprised to see a "big brother" shirt on Braden. It was a subtle way of saying, "Angie is pregnant!" Congratulations Angie!

While we were all together we enjoyed various activities including a hike to Green Lakes. It was a most beautiful day for a hike. We meandered along the trail taking breaks for pictures, water, and huckleberries. We stopped along the trail near the river for lunch. While munching on lunch we quickly made friends with a dog named "Dodge". He tired us all out just watching him fetch stick after stick after stick. After lunch the guys and gals split up. The gals (Kirsten, Mom, Angie & Karen) and Braden headed back for the cars while the guys (Austin, Tyler, Cavin, Erik & Dad) continued the adventure to Lost Lake. Thankfully the boys found Lost Lake and after a few James Bond sightings renamed the lake Golden-Eye Lake. Did you know that James Bond can walk underwater from one side of a lake to another? We saw it happen!

Mariner's Game

A beautiful park, wonderful company, a gorgeous day, but oh what a woeful performance. On Tuesday (LDS Night) we (Karen, Austin, Kirsten, Dad, and the Marler clan) went to the ball game. We sat one row removed from the very top of the stadium. We shared popcorn, ate some well prepared dinner, and guzzled 20 ounces each of water in about 3 minutes or less. Security wouldn't let us through with unopened water bottles so it was either we drink the water and take in the empty water bottles, or we could throw the water away. We decided to drink it and see who could do it the fastest. Karen and Kirsten were the winners. I knew girls had big mouths:) We enjoyed each others company and the atmosphere but the mighty Mariners couldn't pull out the game. It ended up 8-0.

Woodland Park Zoo

I consider myself a lucky guy

'Cause I know that beautiful butterfly!

On Saturday we were able to spend the day with our niece Hannah and nephew Jake at the Woodland Park Zoo. We went to the zoo as part of the Turner Construction annual summer family picnic. Turner sponsored a lunch, paid for parking and our entrance fees, and provided the kids with toys and face paintings.

Karen's favorite part of the zoo was the elephants because they were moving around and splashing themselves with water. Hey...that reminds me of a song...Splish! Splash! I was taking a bath...Okay, I'll stop. Jake liked the orangutans and Hannah is a reptile lover. I personally liked the elephants and bears.

Karen was able to put faces with the names of people I work with and I got to meet spouses and friends of those I work with as well. We enjoyed the zoo experience and had fun watching the kids get excited about all the animals.

Mini Golf

This is going to be a shorter post than normal; aka a "mini" post. On Friday night the troop (Karen, Kirsten, Austin, Chris and I) challenged our putting abilities at the Taylor Creek Mini Golf Course. It was a beautiful evening as we meandered our way around the scenic 18-hole course. There were a few amazing shots, some un-amazing and baffling shots, and lets not forget the pool table shots by Chris. We all enjoyed the time together and even got a chuckle out of Austin's "pimped out outfit". Enjoy the photos.

Rattlesnake Ridge

One of our relatives recently had an encounter with a wolf...spider that is, but on this trip we were facing a much more dangerous and slithery foe...the dreaded rattlesnake! We (Chris, Austin, Kirsten, Dad, Karen and I) set off on our parlous adventure on the eve of the 7th of July. The air was clean and crisp with the only wind coming from the backside of a few hikers (we won't name names). The two mile ascent took us on several switchbacks through the moderately forested terrain. We stopped a few times on our journey for a refreshing drink of our beloved Maple Valley & Kirkland filtered water. Oh, it tasted so good! On one pit stop there was an opening in the evergreen forest and we stood for a moment to bask in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. We looked out over an alpine lake with such resplendent color that it nearly took our breath away. We continued on our trek and met at the top of the ridge to enjoy yet another breathtaking view of the tree covered mountains, deep blue shimmering lakes, and an orange hewn summer sky. The best part of the ridge though was the company. We snapped a few photographs, laughed and joked together, and ate a delicious delicate meal consisting of ham sandwiches, potato chips, water, and most importantly Monsters, Inc. fruit snacks. Some of the crazier hikers (Austin and Chris) went spelunking into a deep dark crevasse. Thankfully they made it out alive and only had to fend off fifty bats. Fully fueled and racing against the sun timed clock we set out on our descent led by the fearless, most exquisitely beautiful and lovely Karen Vach. She safely led us all the way down the perilous rattlesnake infested trail to our horses that were being kept in the engine block. We loaded up our gear and then shared refrigerated well cut up juicy watermelon. It was a most awesome adventure!

Fun Pictures From Temple Square

After a tour of Welfare Square we took a quick trip to Temple Square with Erik's family when they were in town for graduation.

Don't they look happy?