tony & erika; a little glimpse into our love story..
my name is erika and i'm a 32 year old wife and mother and i am also an air force veteran. my husband of 9 years [sep 6] is the sweetest man alive and puts up with me and my short comings [believe me this past year has been very hard and i'm sure i will blog about it] and for that i am grateful. he is in the air force and is currently serving as a military training instructor or for those of you not familiar with the air force term it's a drill sergeant.
we met in 1999 in san antonio texas, started dating in 2001 and married in 2002 in montgomery, alabama. tony and i have had a fun relationship. he is originally from toledo, ohio and i am a military "brat" so i was born in san diego, moved to hawaii, (4 yrs) then to guam (4 yrs), back to hawaii (5 years, dad extended his tour), then to washington state (3 yrs) and the summer before my senior year my dad retired so we moved back to guam and 4 months there i moved back to washington state where i lived with friends. i graduated and went to college for a few years and then decided to join the air force in 1999.
i loved it. i stayed in until 2004. i was a ssgt, or e-5. the reason i separated was because at the time alyssa, our then 16 month old daughter was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor and tony and i decided it would be beneficial if i took care of her. [you can read about that in the kids' page "when the fruit come out to play'" ] my career was a dream. i was promoted on time like you are suposed to be, and when i was able to test for staff sergeant (e-5), i made it my first try. i sewed on in 5 years, which is pretty quick. i was very blessed to get every job i ever applied for while i was in the air force. i worked for some remarkable people who i will never forget. sadly, i also worked for a few bad apples, thankfully i am a forgiver and i have a bad memory and no ability to hold a grudge =) joining the air force was the best job decision i have ever made and if i had the chance to do it again you better believe i would make that same decision over and over. no regrets.whatsoever.
tony is your typical husband, father, son, friend and so much more. he is very handy so when i see something i want to build, he is there to help me along. when i am having a bad day, he's right there to fold laundry, do dishes, and make dinner. bottom line. i snagged a good one! and, he's a keeper! i won't complain. sure, he has his moments. i'd be lying if i said he didn't. we all have them. but, you won't be reading me blogging about them. it's not good character. he loves me for me and makes me laugh all of the time. he's a funny guy. he really is. he's super cute and still gets my stomach in knots. isn't that what's it's all about? he's a huge ohio state fan and the fact that we live in alabama it's hard to watch the games here, but he can catch one or two. he gets by. football season is a good time for us blogging wives [husbands do not notices our absence...they are glued to the tv] haha we share the same dreams, he has come to see my style as style instead of weird [finally after 10 years of being together he finally gets it!] i love the safe feeling i get when i am tucked under his arm. he will enjoy a glass of wine with me and has a sense of knowing when i need a warm bubble bath and will surprise me with one , take the kids to the living room and leave me with peace and quiet [something us moms rarely get]. i appreciate him when he wakes up and lets me sleep a few minutes later and has the kids already up getting ready for school. that is what i call team work!
we met in 1999 in san antonio texas, started dating in 2001 and married in 2002 in montgomery, alabama. tony and i have had a fun relationship. he is originally from toledo, ohio and i am a military "brat" so i was born in san diego, moved to hawaii, (4 yrs) then to guam (4 yrs), back to hawaii (5 years, dad extended his tour), then to washington state (3 yrs) and the summer before my senior year my dad retired so we moved back to guam and 4 months there i moved back to washington state where i lived with friends. i graduated and went to college for a few years and then decided to join the air force in 1999.
i loved it. i stayed in until 2004. i was a ssgt, or e-5. the reason i separated was because at the time alyssa, our then 16 month old daughter was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor and tony and i decided it would be beneficial if i took care of her. [you can read about that in the kids' page "when the fruit come out to play'" ] my career was a dream. i was promoted on time like you are suposed to be, and when i was able to test for staff sergeant (e-5), i made it my first try. i sewed on in 5 years, which is pretty quick. i was very blessed to get every job i ever applied for while i was in the air force. i worked for some remarkable people who i will never forget. sadly, i also worked for a few bad apples, thankfully i am a forgiver and i have a bad memory and no ability to hold a grudge =) joining the air force was the best job decision i have ever made and if i had the chance to do it again you better believe i would make that same decision over and over. no regrets.whatsoever.
tony is your typical husband, father, son, friend and so much more. he is very handy so when i see something i want to build, he is there to help me along. when i am having a bad day, he's right there to fold laundry, do dishes, and make dinner. bottom line. i snagged a good one! and, he's a keeper! i won't complain. sure, he has his moments. i'd be lying if i said he didn't. we all have them. but, you won't be reading me blogging about them. it's not good character. he loves me for me and makes me laugh all of the time. he's a funny guy. he really is. he's super cute and still gets my stomach in knots. isn't that what's it's all about? he's a huge ohio state fan and the fact that we live in alabama it's hard to watch the games here, but he can catch one or two. he gets by. football season is a good time for us blogging wives [husbands do not notices our absence...they are glued to the tv] haha we share the same dreams, he has come to see my style as style instead of weird [finally after 10 years of being together he finally gets it!] i love the safe feeling i get when i am tucked under his arm. he will enjoy a glass of wine with me and has a sense of knowing when i need a warm bubble bath and will surprise me with one , take the kids to the living room and leave me with peace and quiet [something us moms rarely get]. i appreciate him when he wakes up and lets me sleep a few minutes later and has the kids already up getting ready for school. that is what i call team work!
a little about the fruit...
we have 3 sprightly children that keep us both busy. they are 8, 6 and 4. our daughter Alyssa is the oldest and she is followed by her brothers Isaac and Gunnar [in that order]. next year Gunnar will start kindergarten and i am both very excited and super sad. i am sure i won't know what to do with myself and then again i am looking forward to having days to clean and run errands and to actually use the restroom or take a bath without hearing "mooooooooooooooom" every 5 seconds. you can read more about the kids on their page "when the fruit come out to play"... i will introduce them there and share little tidbits about those little funny rascals.
so this is me...
ok, where was i? let's see. i have always had a passion for writing and my mom has been telling me for years to write a book. i've been reading blogs for as long as i can remember and have been very inspired by them. finally i decided with the help of a very good friend from middle & high school [from hawai'i -- yes, oh yes, we were livin the good life] tehlia [isn't life cool that social media can allow people to reconnect from long ago???] that i could start my very own blog and perhaps share a little of this and that....and thanks to her door knobs & bruises was born [literally, she named it after we shared a few of our passions through chat and pictures, my passion for decorating and building furniture and the pain that life at times offers us --- not to mention a funny little story it reminded me of about gunnar that he literally made the name come to life...i will have to share that story sooooon!]
i have become avid followers to a few bloggers that i feel like i know them personally. i wonder if i will ever get followers on my blog that will feel that way about me. that would really be a compliment. their pages are so nice and they have such great layouts. i'm very impressed. i will be like that. one day when i grow up.
i have become avid followers to a few bloggers that i feel like i know them personally. i wonder if i will ever get followers on my blog that will feel that way about me. that would really be a compliment. their pages are so nice and they have such great layouts. i'm very impressed. i will be like that. one day when i grow up.
so, i love to try new things.
i dabble in a little of this and that. it's true.
i have always loved photography but i've never owned a really great camera. well, i'm getting one. and soon. so i will be taking pictures and learing all about cameras. yes. i am so very excited.
i killed my iPhone. by accident. she drowned in my cup of water. that's all i'm saying because the reality is too painful to speak of. rip. [getting a new one thank goodness the 3G's are not an arm and a leg because a piece of me died when she did] i loved that phone.
i learned a few things about building furniture and i built a few nice and functional pieces that i am quite proud of. i will be posting about those in the very near future.
i love to make wreaths. literally they make my day. there is nothing quite like making a new wreath and hanging it up and sitting on your porch and just looking at it for a while because it really is that pretty - whar? don't judge
i find my inspiration from other bloggers. then, i change it up to make it a bit more my style and share what i have learned to whoever is willing to listen
i would love to be a blogger for blogher - it seems like such a great company and what a fun thing - i already love to do this so why not?
i have always wanted to be one of those people who gets to review things and then blog about it. i mean, really? i try new things all the time. and i tell people if i like it or love it or hate it and why anyway, so why not send me your products, right?? i think that would be SO awesome! i just have no clue how to do that.
it is my dream to be on what not to wear. seriously. i have gained over 40lbs in 2 years and will be blogging about that too. i literally just found out i have pcos [polycystic ovarian syndrome] completely treatable but i lived with it for who knows how long [thankfully i have 3 children already and didn't find out till we started trying to conceive again] but still. the symptoms are not fun. i promise i will do a post soon. tomorrow i get blood drawn so i will have more info.
i big puffy heart love [did you catch that analogy] big puffy heart [like the kind we used to get on stickers as a kid?] yes, that kind of love, the kind that can not be broken....the kind that the care bear stare can not even break. you get how much i love this next thing? vintage suitcases. love them. my best friend jen introduced me to my first love. then, the love just grew, soon i was looking for them everywhere i went. ok, i'm not that crazy like the cat lady [we all know one] i have a specific kind i like. they have to be square because they need to be able to stack nicely. i use them for storage....they really are fabulous.
i love old picture frames. the really gaudy ones. the gadier the better in fact. i paint them and hang them on my wall empty. it's great.
i find new ways to use old stuff. for example. my 6-year-old no longer sleeps in his toddler bed. so, i took his head-board, sanded it, painted it, got two large farm like hooks and 5 knobs and made a back pack/jacket rack. no worries, i'll be doing a little show and tell
i love sephora....i admit it. i actually have a confession. i have an obsession with sephora, but i'm ok with that. i've admitted to it and moved on because that's all you really can do at this point lol
i think i keep infomercials i business. i think they know when i've landed on their channel cuz the magic word comes on the screen and somehow i'm dialing the number. next thing you know, i'm on the phone giving them my credit card number and it's over. and i have no idea what just happened.
basically i'm just a simple california born, hawaiian raised transplanted in alabama girl who loves vintage suitcases [if they could talk imagine the stories they'd share] old cottage style furniture - especially shutters and windows - you can do so much with those! who probably was born in the wrong era...who enjoys her family, thinks laughing is quite contagious and does so till she cries or snorts, depends on the situation. loves american eagle jeans [i only wear them, they fit me best], has an obsession with sephora and all things associated with anti wrinkle, has a passion for writing, fashion, home decor, little school gadgets like eco friendly reusable lunch/snack sacks, really anything cute and reusable for the kids =) sugarbooger and four peas have the cutest stuff, i'm a sucker for little trinkets...i can't help it =)
and oh by the way, i can't spell at all. it used to be my best subject. to the point that when we'd play vocabulary/spell games at school i'd be the first one to be chosen on a team. nope, not so much anymore. spell check is my life saver. if i ever forget to spell check....oopsie!
and oh by the way, i can't spell at all. it used to be my best subject. to the point that when we'd play vocabulary/spell games at school i'd be the first one to be chosen on a team. nope, not so much anymore. spell check is my life saver. if i ever forget to spell check....oopsie!
looking forward to meeting friends on this blogging land and hope you will be my blogging neighbor!
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