Marriage

I'm getting married.

September 10th.
On a cruise.

To Mr.Christopher.
Pretty excited.

We will be together 7 years on September 10th, 2012.
September 10th, 2005 was our first kiss and the day we mark as the beginning of our relationship.

It has been a wild and crazy ride so far.

We've grown up together.
I still feel 17. I still get butterflies when I see him.
I still text him throughout the day-just like in high school.

Some how everything has stayed the same and everything has changed and gotten so much better.

17 days and I'll be a Mrs.

I'll be a wife.

That alone amazes me.

This is what happens when you tell your best friend that its time to mow the lawn...you get a email with a list of things that they would rather do. Erica...you are ridiculous.

Things Erica Would Rather Do Than Mow The Lawn:

1. Get punched in the gut every morning at 10am for 30 years.
2. Suddenly develop an allergic reaction to beer (for the record I’d still drink it, it would just be crappy).
3. Never be able to find a pen when I need one.
4. Fall down a flight of stairs, but not be injured, just be super embarrassed.
5. Never ever be able to say the words/phrase: “awesome”, “delicious”, “lickable” and “it’s not even my birthday!”
6. Only have a birthday once every 2 years for the rest of my life, but still age in the appropriate manner.
7. Only be able to wear brown shoes for 3 years straight.
8. Step in dog poop so thoroughly that it goes in between all ten toes and makes an ooooozing sound.
9. Gain 9 lbs.
10. Run into all the major exs every day for 5 months and every time they are with someone prettier, funnier and more accomplished than me and I’m doing something embarrassing like picking my nose.
11. Have “California Girls” play continuous for 1 week.
12. Give up coffee. Forever.
13. Fall into a giant vat of glitter.
14. See Glee get cancelled. Yes. I hate mowing the grass that much. Of course they would have to finish out the second season because it’s already started.
15. Knit a sweater.

This is not the end. I’m just pausing.

Ridiculous.

Happy Birthday Mom!

It's my momma's birthday today.

Aunt Barb & Mom

My brother, mom and I are going to stay at a hotel in Neptune Beach tonight.
It will be all about amazing food, drinks and conversation.
A way to honor the day that this amazing woman was born and is the reason for my existence.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Sorry for the delay

Sorry for the delay after the posting below. All went well with seeing Jack.

I picked up some magazines(Parenthood, Glamour & a Ford Mustang) along with some snacks, some balloons and a pineapple at the grocery store before I picked Chris up from work around 8:30. Then we picked up some Sonic for the hungry parents and attempted to sneak in/sweet talk the security guard to get into the hospital after visiting hours. You wouldn't believe how many doors and intercoms we had to get access to even get into the hallway where the rooms were. Chris and I did have a laugh about the "Birth Unit" sign when we walked by. I don't know why it was funny...I just could imagine someone saying to me "Lady..you are ready! We are taking you to the *Dun Dun Dun* birthing unit." We got there around 9 and stayed till 11:30. Regina was a champion. She not only sat and held a conversation with us but she let us hold Jack the entire time. I was telling Chris on the way home how I probably will be extremely clingy when I have our first baby. I would just want to stare at it. Chris really shocked me with his reaction when he first saw Jack. He started getting really emotional and couldn't stop smiling while he held him. I've always known he was going to make a amazing dad but seeing him like that really touched me. I can't wait to have his children and be able to see the love in his eyes when he holds them.

**Break from the cheesy stuff for pictures**

Jack's "Superman" Pose

Chris holding Jack for the first time

It's a touching experience meeting your friends first child. I won't ever forget it. I do understand the baby fever everyone talks about after holding somebody's baby. Reality set in the next morning when I was laying in bed thanking my lucky stars that I still have a few more years. I like my me time.

Introducing Jack Pion

I met Brent when I was 14 and in 9th grade at the public library. He was sitting next to me at the computer area messing around on random sites with Chris(before we started dating) while I was trying to do a report for school. I remember thinking Chris was really cute but he didn't say much. Brent did most of the talking. They ended up following me around the library and Brent told me he had a really expensive car outside which I followed up with..."Then why are you using the public library computers?" He was all talk. I saw them both the next week at school and I was shocked to see that they didn't really remember me. I give Chris a hard time about this even today.

Anyway when I started dating Chris in 2005 in the beginning of Senior year Brent was always hanging at Chris's house when I came over. I've mentioned the story to them in the past and they still don't remember but I'm positive it was them. As Senior year progressed and Chris and I became more serious I started hanging out with Brent all the time. Sometimes he would even drop Chris and I off at school in the morning. He ended up moving in with Chris and his parents during the middle of senior year and from then on the 3 of us were inseparable. When Chris and I would skip school we would skip at his house with Brent. We played countless amounts of board games and watched tons of movies. I even went to my first Planetfest concert with him.

Over the years we have hung out but we sort of fell out of touch last year after his mom passed away. He took it really hard and began partying a lot more than Chris and I were used to. In August we caught back up and in just a year things have changed for him drastically. When we talked in August he was not only engaged but was going to be a daddy in December.

On September 4, 2009 he married Regina. He made us so proud when he asked Chris and Garrett to be in the wedding and asked me to coordinate things. Regina is perfect for him. I've got to know her over the past couple of months and you can tell how much she loves him and how great of a wife and mother she is going to be. Brent has been a doting husband and daddy to be. They have had a rough start but I can tell that they are going to be a very happy family.



Today, December 30th, Jack was born into this world at 12:19PM. I get to see him tonight and I am so happy for them both. I'll post pictures tomorrow after I get to see him.

Here is a little preview:

I'm proud to announce Jack Pion.

Gotta Quit These.

I think I've been relying on these babies way too much.

Stress does that to you.

It makes you want to attach to something that helps with the anxiety.

Somehow these help.

But they smell like crap and they are getting quite expensive.

Everyone finds something to balance out the stress...whats yours?

Strange Day

Work is stressful. Money is tight. I'm feeling a bit hopeless.



I know everything is going to be ok in the end. But...its days like these I wish I were in bed.

Or in a dank tent hiding from reality.