09/22...Expedition Timpanogos...

That's what we set out to conquer, Mount Timpanogos.


We got a little off course and found this tree, which
surprisingly, was wishing me a happy birthday!

It was absolutely gorgeous with the colorful leaves.
First day of Autumn.

We met a young family from Prague. It was really neat to

hike with them. They were up there to celebrate their son's
birthday, which was the same day as mine! His name was

Jacob, and he was the sweetest boy ever.

These mountain goats were all over, and so close to the

trail. I loved it!

This lake is called Emerald lake, as you can probably see why.
It is a run off from a glacier. We were very excited to stop here

and rest our weary feet and dip them in the cool water.

Tyler has had a very bad ingrown toe nail, but he was still

sweet enough to do this for me without complaint. I love him

so much and am so grateful he is my husband.

I was very tired by this point.

You cannot see it, but there is a trail right along these

cliffs we had to walk. Twas a little frightening to say the

least.

That is the top of Timp.

This is not a very becoming picture of me, but I think you

will forgive the hair and exhausted faces for the breath taking

view behind us.

And here lies the city of Orem, with the beautiful lake of Utah.

I have never endured such a hard day as was this one. The

hike is normally 13.8 miles, but we got lost and ended up going

5 miles off track. So, we actually did more like 20 miles in 8 hours.

The hike was so beautiful and was very rewarding to overcome all obstacles

and conquer this epic mountain!

Viva La Revolución!

This is a very historical site of the Revolutionary War.
It is called Kings Mountain, but really it is just a hill.
Well, a mountain to these southerners.

We watched a movie about this British Major. It told how
he had an opportunity to shoot George Washington whilst his
back was turn, but at the last second decided not to for moral
principals. It makes you realize how God played such a big
part in our country's developement.

Livi's new thing is plugging her ears. I don't know

how she came up with that. Perhaps it was my singing.

Little Cosmo being all cute and little.

Our good friend Jon came with us.

It was really neat to visit a site that had so much history.

There was quite a reverence about this place. Lots of men

died here for the American Dream of Freedom.

A day at the Carowinds...

This is an amusement park in South Carolina.

It reminded us a lot of Lagoon, but had bigger

and more rollercoasters. It also had a water park.

Tyler would like me to share the story of Livi going

down a kiddie waterslide on her own. She absolutely

loved it!

Livi had this determined focus look the whole time

she would ride a ride. She is one brave little girl.

You can't see her, but Liv is at the steering wheel.

By the end of the day, we were all exhausted.

What a blast!

We saw this magnificent beautiful butterfly that night.

It was pouring down rain. I think it was using our balcony

for coverage. The pictures do not give this creature justice.

It was HUGE!

This is a playground at our apartments. Liv sure loves to
come here everyday and play.


Livi going down a slide.


They are laughing.

Livi REALLY wanted to pet these geese. She was furious with me,

becasue I would not let her get close. I know from experience that

they can be quite vicious.

We don't get out much, so when we do, it can be

very exciting. As you can see, Tyler is bursting

with ecstasy.

Ode to Joy~~~

This post is not too exciting, but I thought those who wanted to see Olivi may appreciate it. Love and miss you guys!

4th O' July!

For Independence Day, we went out in nature to
enjoy this country's beauty.

Cosmo and me.

Livi loves to walk the dog. She is getting older

by the minute. Truly remarkable.

Livi wanted to get into the water, but I think the

stream was jus a wee bit too chilly for those feet.

The state park was nice and peaceful. Liv and Cosmo were

real troopers, and we all enjoyed this beautiful day. God Bless

the USA!

A stroll in the park~

Last night Tyler came home a little early from work. So, we (me) decided it would be really nice to go to a park. This park was beautiful and quiet. It was so nice to reconnect with nature since being cooped up all day inside. Truly one of the best nights we have had here.

Liv and Cosmo enjoying the green grass.

My little flower child is handing me a flower. So sweet.

It was so nice to be one with nature. Tyler literally was a few feet from this peaceful bunny.

Well we have learned that our daughter is a fearless creature. As you can see, she started walking slowly into the lake, and we thought surely she will stop. Oh no! Tyler had to hurry and go in after her before she walked clear up to her neck in water. We can't help but be a little bit proud of our courageous strong child.

As you can tell, Liv had to ride back in just a diaper.

"Note to self: bring extra clothes for any occasion!"

A Father's Day in Charlotte. . .

A cool statue and a one handsome dude~

This was a beautiful park area right in the middle of the city.

It was wonderful to go experience the city of Charlotte. The down town is pretty and the builidings are gigantuous!

For the Grandmas~

I love her long locks~

Look at those beautiful tonsils!

Peace~

Behind us is the apartment complex we are living

in this summer. We are on the top floor with a

beautiful view.

On the road again...

This was us before the long travel. Notice we look rested and fresh. Oh how quickly that changes.






We were clearly happily delirious.

.

We had to get "creative" for the little one to be quiet and good. I'm surprised no one has thought of this before. I guess we are just the best parents. Perhaps, I will write a book on it.

Out for the count!

This was on the side of a semi truck.

I love her smile... even with the food in her mouth.

Our first and only sunrise on the excursion.

Oh, the open road, how it holds so much adventure and unknown. We took so many back roads and detours this trip. I loved seeing the real country and not just the freeway. We are all happy to be at our new home in Charlotte, but miss our lovely families terribly.

Oh Spring is in the Air~!

Where has Spring Gone? Where Oh Where?

Please come back soon! I know Miss Liv misses the beautiful sunny days.

very uh exciting stuff.

OKay so it has been a LONG while since I have updated new pictures of us. Hence, the first picture in front of a Christmas tree. enjoy~

Tyler is 27!!!

Happy Birthday! Hope its a great one!

Look how they've grown

This is Ryan and Livvy as teeny little newborns....

then a little bit older and the two bottom pictures are from Saturday night! They were both too busy to sit still for a picture!!!

Blast from the Past!~!

Here are some pictures of us in Oregon. We lived there the first year of our marriage. It is so surreal to see how much we have changed. Our whole countenance is different.

I am so excited that it is cold enough for Livi to wear this adorable hand sewn poncho. She is such a doll! I love my little girl insanely too much.








This picture was taken at DJ's wedding. I just like it. I don't have to explain myself to you! Alright.

We are Alive and Well!

Well, it has been quite a while since my last post. We have been doing nothing and it has been absolutely wonderful! We had a lovely time in Nauvoo and Adam-ondi-Ahman was beautiful! Now we are enjoying family and leisure-time in beautiful Utah. Here are just a few pictures to show how our trip went.





Nauvoo was so authentic and old fashioned. The people there were great! You could really feel the peaceful spirit of the Saints who once had a short stay there.



All along the Mississippi River there are thousands of Lily pads. We had stopped for Melanie to take a picture of a huge barge going down the river. I jokingly turned to Tyler and told him he should go pick me a lily out of the Mississippi. Next thing I know he is outside shin deep in good ol' Mississippi mud! He was hollering by the time he got back to the car. The lily got destroyed in the act but I still think it was the sweetest!




Adam-Ondi-Ahman was the most peaceful, reverent place I have ever been to. It was beautiful and serene. I would tell anybody to do whatever it takes to go to the garden of Eden, truly.


It was so nice to be get back home and see all the kids once again.


After this busy summer we have had, we find the urges to just laze around and read. I must say I am really enjoying it!



Go Cougars~!

Leaving North Carolina!~!~!~!

Hello Everyone: We are bursting out the seams with excitement and anticipation. I have never been so ready to go home. We miss ALL of you and cannot wait to see y'all real soon! We leave tomorrow around evening time (trying to do a graveyard so Livi stays asleep). Then a nice trip to Nauvoo and we will be on our way to fabulous Utah! Hurray!~!




Here is a little going away present for all of you spider enthusiasts.

Check out this hair

Look closely at this next picture. She is casting a shadow with that crazy do!


We'll be in Nauvoo a week from today, home in 10 days!

Okay New and IMPROVED Videos of Liv~

Slide Show~!

..

By Popular Demand

AHHHH~!

I had the most traumatic experience last night. Never have I felt so afraid of sleeping in my bed. I hate being in this third world jungle and cannot wait to get out of here! Believe you me~! I think these pictures will illustrate my reasons.





All I can say is thank goodness for Bulwark! I am very happy and pleased that Tyler is out doing some good. Making a real difference. Helping people eliminate these scary pests. The funny thing about this whole ordeal is one of the exterminators was actually as afraid of the spider as I was. Maybe more so! He screamed like a litte girl.



This litte frog was right outside our door. He was a cute little fella especially because he was eating all of the spiders. It just further illustrates that we are living in a jungle out here. Oh how I miss beautiful safe bug free Utah! Soon we will be free of this wretched place. Soon!

Update

Hello everybody:

Nicole you might want to sit down before reading this. . .we have decided to stay in North Carolina an extra two weeks. We don't especially want to but financially it makes a little more sense for us. Before posting any vitriolic replies, just remember, we know you want to see Livi and we want you to also. Two weeks is not so bad. Everyone should plan a trip to Nauvoo for Labor Day and come meet us there. Nauvoo is only 18 hours from Utah Valley and 14 hours from Charlotte. (Yuck. We've got a 32 hour trip to make in two weeks.) Any takers?

We miss y'all. Can't wait to see you soon.

A little something....

As you may all know, Liv and I don't get out much...so here is just a little photo shoot we had together.

Our Short Vacation to the Atlantic Shore~

Yesterday was quite a day. We woke up early and cruised to Charleston, South Carolina. It took us three hours to get there and three hours to get back, but it was well worth it! I have never been to the East Coast or the South for that matter. The water was really warm. The only scary thing about it, was seeing a fin in the water. It was really close to where Tyler was swimming, so I started flailing my arms and yelling at him to get out of the ocean. Naturally Tyler didn't take me seriously and took his sweet time getting out. A local guy saw how I reacted and was nice enough to come over and reassure me that it wasn't a shark. Apparently there are a lot of dolphins in the area. The only sharks around, he said, were little ones that only came out really early in the morning.
I love the Atlantic! We had a beautiful day.










This building was built in the 1680's. Most of the buildings in historic downtown Charleston were from the 1700's.

My Oh My~

I peeked in on Livi after her nap, and she truly amazed me! This little girl has so much energy... way too much for her momma! I'm with Nic on this one. I need as many naps in the day as she does just to keep up with my little rugrat.

7 months and growing....

I cannot believe how fast this little girl is growing. I have evidence to prove it.




Livi is growing just as fast as her hair!

Happy 4th~!!!

Okay this last one, not so happy. But she just looks so darn cute when she cries; wouldn't yall agree?

Good Old Godzilla

A Day at the Zoo

For Business Purposes. . .

Hey y'all:

Just as we were mastering our Okie accents, the call of duty beckoned us to Charlotte, North Carolina. We are expected to be there by July 1st, and (hopefully) we will live out the rest of the summer on the east coast. We hadn't exactly planned on cross-country travel, but what can you do?

We were planning to go and see Tom Waits play here in Tulsa on June 25th, but tickets are $85.00 a piece! Can you believe it? I wouldn't pay $85.00 to see ANYBODY IN THE WORLD! Except maybe Celine Dion. Or like, Bob Saget.

Tulsa has been lovely, but greener pastures await. Eastward, HO!

Okay, I know I am obsessed with my little girl. However, it would be a shame to not show her off. Here are a few more pictures I adore.







Yes, of course I had to show off my hunk of a husband. Watch out he's taken. :-)

\

Yesterday was Father's Day, and Livi was so excited to have her daddy all day long. It was really touching to see them playing together. I am so happy to have him in my life. He is an amazing father and a wonderful husband. I am so proud of him. He works very hard and does a tremendous job of taking care of his little family. We love him immensely~!

Happy 6 month Birthday Livi Joy!~!

Livi's a special little girl. It's exciting to witness her develop. She is starting to do the "army crawl", so I have to keep a closer eye on the little monster. Her favorite toy right now is the remote control. She can play with that thing for hours (and I gladly let her). Livi has also started talking. In her own way of conversing with us, she says "momma" a lot. I love to watch her grow. She has a sweet little soul. Deep within her eyes, you can see a fire within an ocean. It's awe inspiring. We love our little girl and can not wait for all the many more treasures she has to offer.

Our life as it unfolds

Just because....

Oh what a wonderful girl.

It is truly amazing!

She is growing everyday before my eyes.

ominous cloud

We woke up to this eerie storm cloud engulfing us this morning. We are currently under a tornado warning until one o'clock AM. Go Tulsa! Not!!!!

The torrential downpour lasted about ten minutes and probably dropped 5 inches of rain on us. According to the news, just a little further south this storm dropped hail the size of golf balls.

We've lived here a month and this is the 4th huge storm we've seen.

mmmm.... carrots

A day at the park

We took Livi to the park for her first time in Tulsa. It was hot and humid, but she had a good time. Especially, swinging with her daddy.

Short Family History

Hello world:

We are the Hatch family- Tyler, Ciara, and little Olivia. We hail from Pleasant Grove, Utah, though for now we are living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For those of you who know Ciara & Tyler, you will already know we have a knack for. . .adventure. Yes, that's what we'll call it. Our family goal is to stampede the world, searching for whimsical adventure wherever the path might lead us. Our travels these days are perhaps slightly more responsible than adventures of the past, (enough said,) however, the whimsy is still alive and well. We're having a great time during our temporary midwestern sabbattical, though we do miss home, our families, the mountains, the Bombay House, and myriad other benefits of life in Utah Valley.

I am a bug guy. I've been told that there is something hypocritical about a vegetarian providing pest control to the masses. Perhaps. But hopefully it speaks of my character that I place the happiness of humans above the happiness of bugs. We provide a valuable community service which is much needed for the humans in this part of the country, yet I can't help but feel slight sympathy for each of the little critters which perishes by my omnipotent hand. At least I don't eat them. (Well, not that often.)

Ciara is the captain of the bug guys, the boss, the godfather. She is managing our office for the summer, and this office happens to be located within our home. It's working out pretty well for her. She can care for the offspring whilst working, and her added income has been a tremendous help during our transition. Her job basically involves handling new accounts and coordinating routes for our technicians. Each morning we have meetings with all the laborers in this vineyard, and instantly established solid friendships with each of them. Pictures are forthcoming.

Olivia is growing right up on us. She is a big five months old now. She is already striving to talk, and every once in a while we hear her say a whole sentence, though she struggles to articulate her ideas effectively. Gotta give the little rugrat credit for trying though. Ciara swears she heard Olivia say "I love you" a few days ago. Even as I type the little chatterbox is telling us a peculiar little story. I think I heard her say something about eels. Eel house? Something like that. How she knows anything about eels is news to me. Ciara must have taken her to the aquarium while I was at work. Wait, do we even have an aquarium in Tulsa? There's something fishy going on here.