looking back...

 From our dating days

While I was working at the salon last week, on my wedding anniversary, I was talking with a client who has been coming to me since Eric and I were dating! She made me realize how much Eric and I have been through in our short four years of marriage, and how far we've come! It's been fun to reminisce on some of our adventures, and painful to remember others, but we've made it through each one together! 

Sorry, I pulled this picture off Facebook so it's not the best quality!

Our first year of marriage was very naive :) I remember having the crazy goals of: having my school and car debt paid off, buying a home, buying a truck, and buying a wave runner. I'm pretty sure we only got my school debt paid off, ha ha! But hey, you dream big and then reality puts you back in your place! Our first year was spent adjusting to married life (which is a HUGE adjustment. People just aren't honest and upfront about that enough...) and figuring out how to pay the bills. We did fit a Disneyland trip in there! Those little vacations are a big deal for us :) Oh, and I chopped 15 inches of hair off. That was almost a deal breaker for Eric ;) Did I mention that I was 20 years old and Eric was 22? We were babies!

By the time our 2 year anniversary rolled around, we thought we had it all figured out! We came extremely close to buying our first home, but at the last second we felt all wrong about the house and backed out. Thankfully! Our agent had talked us into offering 10 GRAND over the asking price, plus the home needed some work since it was a foreclosure. She saw us coming from miles away... stupid! But we learned our lesson and when we do finally buy a home? We won't be taken advantage of! We went to San Diego for my first time and a cruise for Eric's first time! We also learned how fast your world can be turned upside down in our 2nd year of marriage. Eric was laid off from work, twice! The first time he was only laid off for a month and a half. The second time? Close to 7 months. Those were the most trying and depressing months for Eric. It definitely took a toll on our marriage!

3 years in and my life had already panned out so differently than I'd planned! With the lack of work for Eric we had come to the decision that it was time to move to northern Utah. I was terrified to move, I'd lived in the same town my whole life! But at the same time, I was excited for the adventure and so relieved that Eric was working again! I ended up loving the area we moved to, I loved the amazing new friendships that were formed, and I loved being closer to extended family! Eric and I definitely had to work on our marriage in ways we'd never had to before. We were on our own, in a new place, and were only able to rely on each other! That sounds pretty weird, but when we got married I was still completely in my comfort zone because we were in a familiar area, with my friends and parents around, and Eric just happened to fit in perfectly. When I moved away from all things familiar, I really had to learn to rely on Eric! It felt kind of like that crappy adjustment period you go through in the first year of marriage :) But clearly we made it through, together! Oh, and we finally bought that truck and paid off my car!

And here we are to 4 years! We have already moved a second time, which we all know has been extremely difficult for me. Eric landed his "dream" job, which we are very grateful for. Eric also finished school, which is an amazing feat! We get to vacation in Hawaii, which I am so ready for :) And who knows what else is in store for us this next year of marriage. I can tell you that big things will be happening (but we probably won't be buying that home or that wave runner. Maybe year 5?)! Big things have already happened! Most of them were unplanned, and each one was a huge shock. Eric and I have experienced incredible highs and extreme lows, together. But we have made it through each adventure, and each trial, together! And outcome of it all is that we have a deeper love for each other and a stronger marriage! I can't ask for more than that :)

ha ha!