the first getaway

Sometimes I feel like life is a crazy rat race and I try and try to get everything done in the day, but somehow only ever manage to accomplish like 60% of what I'd like to do, and so the cycle continues on and on...

One of the things on my neverending list is getting caught up to date on the blog, so I can quit doing boring catch-up posts, and actually write something worth reading.

Well I haven't quite made it to the latter yet, but here's one step closer to catching up!

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Jared and I went on our first overnight trip at the end of June. We spent the night up in a nice resort in Midway as an early celebration for our Anniversary. Here's a shot of the view on the drive up.

Can't you just smell the mountain air looking at it??

Our room had a box of chocolate dipped strawberries waiting for us, which I was pretty excited about.

Unbeknownst to us, this cute little vacation town shuts down at 8pm. Like really shuts down. So Jared and I had to go on a wild goose chase looking for something to eat. The only thing we could find open was a Domino's pizza carry-out. So we took our pizza back to our room and laughed about the grand, romantic meal we were having on our special anniversary getaway.

Aside from that little hiccup - it felt so amazing to just sit back in the jacuzzi and/or sauna and have nothing on my mind. And especially amazing because it was the coolest hot tub I've ever been in.

(yes thats a tree coming out of the waterfall)

I also spent some time basking in the sun on a lawnchair (one of my favorite things *which I literally had not done since before Emmett was born!! There is no lounging on his watch!) However, Idaho boys apparently don't know how to appreciate a good lay in the sun... I guess you can't blame them - what opportunity do they have to practice it? So my basking was short-lived. Yet still glorious.

After the dinner adventure, we figured we had a little room to splurge on the resorts gourmet breakfasts (which were delicious but disappointingly small. Your buck doesn't go far here).

 

We finished the day out by biking the hills of Midway (a real rush on the way down, but boy did uphill suck!), racing down the Alpine Slides, and shopping at the Park City Outlets.

We came to the consensus that little, even local, getaways are a necessity in any relationship. It was just a nice recharge - and honestly was one of the only times we had nothing to worry about besides enjoying each others company. So here's to (hopefully) many more anniversary trips to come!

Trois Ans...and still in love

Jared and I celebrated our 3rd Anniversary a couple weeks ago. It was a Monday night and Jared worked that day so we didn't do anything extravagant, but we still had a great time.
We went by my favorite dessert place and picked up a slice of triple layer Madagascar Vanilla cake to share. I Loooove Madagascar Vanilla, and this cake was uh.maze.ing. The problem was that Emmett felt the same way... I figured he was very much a part of our special day and gave him a taste too, in celebration. But by the time I'd eat a bite, and be getting a bite ready for Jared  (we got it to go and ate it in the car) Emmett would be in the backseat kicking his legs and yelling "ah! ah! ah! ah!" frantically to alert me he wanted another bite. I think he mayyy have ended up eating more than Jared. haha.
Finally when all the cake was gone, Emmett was still squawking in his carseat for more. I showed Emmett the empty carton and did the sign for "all done" and said "We're all done, there's no more!". Emmett replied with a sad whimper and the "want" sign. LOL. Now that's a babe that knows how to communicate! And we know exactly where he gets his sweet tooth from :-)
Since we didn't really do anything that night, we decided on buying tickets to see "Thriller" a halloween dance show that goes to 5 different locations around Utah. I've been wanting to see it for the past couple years, so we figured we'd take advantage! I'll post next month and update how it goes! What I really want to find out is how I can be IN the show. We all know I'd love that!

I had to put at least one wedding picture - as is standard for the "anniversary post" but I thought it would be be more fun to post a few pictures from back when we were dating! So enjoy!

(raiding his parents closet. Yes these were their legitimate clothes!)

(how and where we met! Snowboarding class in college <3)

Could we look any younger?!?! Well it's amazing how far we've come in these past three years, and I am so happy and excited for many, many more. Here's to us!

The Best Two Years... (So Far)

This past Sunday, August 22nd, marked Jared and I's two year Anniversary!
* (Sidenote: That's 2 for 2 years that we have spent our Anniversary at Family Reunions, so all you fam out there reading this...mark this day on your calendars!) haha.

We had a really great weekend up in Idaho, which is definitely worthy of its own post so I won't give out the details just yet!

It's so crazy to think it's really already been two whole years. I feel like our wedding was just 6 months ago! But then I think of all we've done/accomplished/been through.... and then I think... How does that all fit into 2 years?! 

Here's the noteworthy things that happened since we tied the knot in 2008: 

• I began working my first post-college job for the City of Rexburg, working in the Building Dept/Planning & Zoning (I actually started about 4 months before we got married, but it still played a huge role in our first years of marriage)
• We decided together that Civil/Environmental Engineering was a better fit for Jared than Business, and changed his major
• We were called as Nursery leaders in church where we stayed for about 1.5 years! (way too long for Nursery! haha)
• We found out I was pregnant right around our first anniversary!
• Jared got accepted to transfer into BYU's Engineering program for Winter 2010
• We did our first move together as a couple, and packed up and headed down to Cougartown (aka Provo)
• Shortly thereafter, we found out I was pre-eclampsic and was admitted to the hospital
• 4 days later our miracle baby, Emmett Jared Erickson, was born at 1 pd, 15 oz
• We survived 3 months of being in the NICU, and developed an even deeper bond with one another
• We brought little Emmett home to the new apartment (which until then WE had barely spent any time in either!)
• Jared got his first summer job related to his field at the Department of Natural Resources

These past two years have been amazing, and we've both grown in so many ways. I love you Jared, and I'm so glad to have you as my best friend! I look forward to all the many wonderful years to come!

...And they lived happily ever after...

It's amazing to think that we have officially been married for a year and a month now! It seems like just yesterday we stepped off the plane from our honeymoon in Mexico. We have have had such an awesome first year together, filled with lots of trips and memories. It's neat to see how much both of us have grown individually as well as a couple. 
Like clockwork, we received our anniversary "gift" just in time to celebrate. It happened to come in the form of two pink lines... That's right...a BABY! Despite the positive result, I was skeptical so I took another test... and then another one. By that time I figured the results were pretty certain. Any doubts I had left were definitely obliterated by my newfound friend, Morning Sickness. Which is kind enough to be with me morning, afternoon, night, and yes, even when I sleep.
We experienced the first ultrasound a week ago, and finally got to see our little "Peanut" for the first time. (yes, it already has a nickname. haha). It was healthy, perfect size, and had a perfect heartbeat. It was such a neat feeling, it's hard to describe. I have felt the baby inside me for the past few months now, but being able to see it move on the screen in front of me was surreal. I just kept staring at it in awe. It was such a relief when that image showed up on the screen, confirming that there was in fact a healthy baby inside of me, and moreover that it was ONE healthy baby, not two. Haha. (I had a dream a day before I went in for the ultrasound that the doctor heard two heartbeats!)
I tease Jared all the time that he has "sympathy symptoms". He mysteriously seems to share my fatigue, feel "sick", get headaches, and has an increasing appetite. I just attribute it to him being such a good husband. He is taking on my pains for me
:-) lol.
I am so excited for him to be a dad because I know he is going to be a natural at it. He is so good with kids, it amazes me! 
It's about time for me to be getting back to work but we'll keep you posted!