Ward Visit… Before Babies

The Gamblins and Wards

It is always a good time when we get together with the Ward crew.  Ryan and Megan made the trip up to Washington right before the babies are born.  I guess you can say it was the last time we could hang out without changing diapers and putting little ones down for a nap.  It was a great trip and we got a few games of Settlers of Catan in.  I can only imagine what a game would be like in a year when we have crying babies.   Before Ryan and Megan left we had to get some pregnant shots in.

Sophia Gamblin and Megan Ward

Salem, Oregon visit and Thanksgiving 2009

Sophia and I made the trip down to Oregon in November to visit big Ryan and Megan for Ryan’s 25 birthday.  Funny to think that Ryan and I are both a quarter of a century old.  As Sophia and I were driving down to Oregon we realized that Ryan’s birthday was our first official date.   We went out to Ellensburg Pasta Factory.  From there it is history.  We met Ryan and Megan in Portland, Oregon at a great restaurant called Henry’s Tavern where we had Ryan’s birthday dinner.

We spent Saturday being extremely lazy.  We watched a lot of football but did get a chance to squeeze in a game of Settlers of Catan.  For Ryan’s birthday Megan got him a grill.  To put his present to good use Ryan and Megan had a big barbecue at their home where both the Loy and Ward families came over.  Kyle, Ryan’s youngest brother is the same age of Andrew and is a Senior in High School.  Due to Andrew and Kyle being so close in age I feel like Kyle at times is my younger brother.  Love the kid.  Kyle had a new addition to the Ward family in his Tattoo as seen below.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him

Good scripture choice though Kyle.  I just wish you put it on the lower part of your back!

Thanksgiving 2009 at the Sortun’s

Sophia and I spent Thanksgiving at her Bestefar’s home in Kent.  It was a great afternoon of good food, terrible football games and entertaining game of Scattegories which I would have won if we finished but Sophia said we tied.

Visiting the Wards in Salem, Oregon

Sophia and I had the opportunity last weekend to go down to Salem, Oregon and visit Ryan and Megan Ward. It is always fun to visit the land of no sales tax and where you can not pump your own gas.

It was an eventful weekend. We drove down in a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid. It was my first time behind the wheel in the new Tahoe Hybrid which was a lot of fun to watch the navigation screen flip from gas mode, hybrid mode, battery charging. We got stuck in traffic on our way south on Interstate 5 in Tacoma. By the time I was in Olympia (55 miles) in stop in go traffic I was averaging 25 MPG! After traffic cleared and I was going about 75 my MPG slowly went down. Overall, I drove to Salem, Oregon and back on a tank of gas and put almost 500 miles where I averaged just under 22 MPG hwy.

Sunset at the Salem, Oregon BEAT Festival

Ryan and Megan Ward

At the Salem, Oregon BEAT Festival

Sophia, Ryan and Megan at the Salem, Oregon BEAT Festival

Ryan and Megan at the Salem, Oregon BEAT Festival

Sophia and Me at the Salem, Oregon BEAT Festival

Pick Your Animal!

Ryan Ward, Megan Ward, Sophia Kraljevich Gamblin and Me

Ryan Ward’s Office

Emery and Sons Has Everything!

Ryan, Megan, Sophia and Me at Emery and Sons Construction Offices

Going To Ryan’s Work

When visiting the Ward’s you have to be prepared to eat and eat a lot. Staying with Ryan and Megan in their new beautiful home was a blast. When we arrived into Sale late Friday night we caught the last of Ryan’s softball game. It was the first baseball field I have ever gone to in my life where they did not allow any outside food or drink. I am boycotting any game ever played at the Wallace Park Baseball Complex! I had to eat my Dairy Queen blizzard in the car 😦

I woke up Saturday morning to Ryan outside weeding his yard! The day was filled with lots of fun with visiting and hanging out with Ward Family and visiting local Salem sites.

The best part of our trip was when we visited Ryan’s work. Ryan works for Emery and Sons Construction which I must say does an incredible job of branding its name. Emery and Sons Construction is an industry leader for underground utilities and site-work of all scopes and sizes. From subdivisions to pump stations to major infrastructure projects. Ryan is a Project Manager. Emery and Sons Construction have a really nice website http://www.emeryandsons.com/ and they even have a blog http://www.emeryandsons.blogspot.com/(the blog needs updating). I was like a kid in a candy store asking Ryan what he does and having him show me his office. I walked away with a new appreciation for Emery and Sons Construction. Of course I took some pictures of the event, it was like the first day of school!

That afternoon we went to the Salem, Oregon Beat Festival. The Beat Festiva is a 2 day event full of music, food, crafts from all over the world! (To be honest when I was there I did not know what the festival was really about, I just found it on the Beat Festival website).  They do accept donations!

On our way home from Oregon Sophia and I took advantage of the no sales tax at the Woodburn Outlet Malls.  Sophia got a really nice Helley Hansen jacket (bright pink).  It definitely was fun filled weekend visiting the Wards!

First Post – Ward’s Visit

Sophia and Me @ Pike Place Market

Heads up “FLYING FISH”

Overlooking Puget Sound

Me and Hillary at the Seattle Sounders FC Game

Daylon, Sophia, Me and Hillary

Sophia and the flowers at Pike Place Market

This is my first attempt to post something on my blog so we will see how it goes. 

I really am interested to see how I like blogging.  I have read so much about it and many of my friends and family have blogs.  I hope that what I write or blog about may be worth the time of those who read it.  What I really plan on using this blog for is to keep people up to date with things I am up to or things I have recently done.  I will also throw in a random article of what I do at work and also I will use this blog to post things about EHS Football.

Ryan Ward and his wife Megan came up and visited the weekend of April 25 and 26.  Although Megan was not feeling well (it was not the swine flu) she battled through it.  We had a large list of things to accomplish while they visited.  Friday night on their arrival we had a big barbecue and lounged in the hot tub. 

Saturday we drove into downtown Seattle and we went to our wedding cake taste testing at Seattle Dessert Works.  All I have to say is wow.  It was the best way to start off a day.  The cakes are amazing and we are very excited to share them with you on our wedding day.  

I have forgotten how much I love downtown Seattle.  The new stores they have added are great like my favorite H&M.   Hillary my little sister says their is just a huge difference between the stores in Europe and here in America and I will have to agree with her.  I think it is comforting that you are buying a t-shirt for 7 pounds and you think you are getting a great deal because you are like hey it is 7 pounds but really it is like $14.  

I love walking through Pike Place Market.  Even as a local and visiting the market is a blast.  With so many restaurants downtown and great new places to try I still keep on going to Cheesecake Factory.

I remember a couple of years ago when I first went to Cheesecake Factory thinking it was the greatest place on earth, literally.  I think part of the excitement was there were not that many around.  This same concept was true when I was a little kid and I went to Red Robin every year for my big birthday dinner (there were not that many around).  I feel like the Cheesecake Factory is now becoming the next Red Robin to me.  I think I need to stop going so often and start venturing to other places to eat (but Cheesecake is so good and I can’t stop!). 

To cap off the day and the Ward’s visit we went to the Seattle Sounders game.  Since the NBA ripped the Sonics away from us (David Stern can suck it).  I must admit I am now a huge MLS fan.  I love our Sounders team.   The game was another sold out venue.  It was great!  The atmosphere was full of electricity.  Although the fans do need to work on getting some good chants beside sounders…sounders…sounders.  I thought I would hear a really weak rendition of ole ole ole.  I was highly disappointed.  I guess American’s are not as clever in chants or being good spectators (I think I might blog about that next).  The highlight of the night was when Ryan finally told Megan that Sounder FC did not stand for Sounder Foster Child but Sounder Football Club.  

It has been very busy for myself of late with being engaged, planning a wedding, spring football starting and work.  Until next time you stay classy my blog readers (haha, I love it)