The Roaring Twenties

Ok. This just may turn out to be the longest post in the history of posts. Why I didn't just split it up into several shorter posts, I really don't know. To be quite honest, all you blog readers (ok, there are really probably only like 4.5 people that read this, I'm just humoring myself) but you can just skip on down to the engagement pics if you want. I think this post is more for myself, a sort of journal if you will, so I don't forget. Also, in case any of you do actually care enough to read the incredibly long post, I will now be telling how one charmingly handsome, quick witted Albert and one fiery, amazingly good looking if I do say so myself :0) Erica, came to be

Albica.

It all started....with this:

I know I know, you're probably thinking what the crap does sponge bob and david hasselhoff have to do with anything?! When actually, we owe EVERYTHING to this cute little sponge and ex baywatch heartthrob. You see, somewhere around or perhaps right on August 23, I was hanging out with some friends. We decided to go over to one of their friend's houses and watch a movie. I didn't really know this girl whose house we were going to, but seeing as it was only like 9:30 on a saturday night and I didn't want to go home, I went. Little did I know, Albert did the exact same thing! Went with his friends to this girl's house to watch a movie.

We were sitting around the table, me feeling very weird because I didn't know anyone and no one had really introduced themselves, when Albert sat down. The friends I was with knew him and started talking to him, and after about 10 minutes of me just sitting there and not saying anything, feeling very awkward, I interjected with "I'm Erica by the way." Which brought out "Hi, I'm Albert." I don't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure I made fun of his name for a good 6.5 minutes. I thought it was the funniest name ever. Anyway, I digress.

We started talking, where ya from, what do you do, etc. etc. I found out he was about to start cosmotology school and my sarcastic sassy self decided to say, "Oh, so you're gay?"

Perfect. A perfectly good guy, wasted.

I was totally kidding with him, but to be honest I was a little weirded out. That's totally stereotyping, I know, but....ok I really don't have an excuse. It was stereotyping.

He defended himself for a while and finally I let the gay comment go, and we kept talking. He was flippin hysterical! I found myself cracking up and everything he said, and pretty soon we were the only ones at the table talking while everyone else just kinda chuckled at our jokes. Then...sponge bob got brought up. Don't ask me how, I really don't remember except I had just watched the sponge bob movie that day at work with my little boy and thought it was so funny. So I quote something from it for some reason, and Albi, the 5 year old in a 22 year old's body, cartoon lover extraordinaire, knew exactly what I was talking about. AHHHHH!!!! The heavens opened up and angels started singing. Ok not really, what really happened was we sat there and quoted it for about 15 minutes until we were both crying from laughing so hard.

I was hooked.

We proceeded into the other room to join the gang in watching the count of monte cristo, Albert on the floor and me on the couch. This is when I realized I flirt like a 6th grader because what do I do? Throw pretzels at him throughout the movie. I wanted him to come sit by me! I think finally it worked when I threw a huge piece of ice at him that bounced off a work out ball and hit him in the face. I knew he couldn't resist my charm. We watched the rest of the movie...and then me and my friends left. No number, nothing....

But then facebook came into play!!

Ok ok I know it's pretty lame, but Albert was supposedly shy and too scared, or something. So he friended me on facebook. Over the next few weeks there were a few chats on there, a few funny picture comments, but then nothing really else. So I forgot about it. Until one night in October, late, I was on facebook and saw that he was on. I decided I was gonna strike up a little chit chat. So I did. We chatted for a while, and then when we both decided to get off and go to bed, this is what I get:

"Hey we should like hang out or something sometime. Here's my number."

Ok. When did guys get so lame and stop just asking girls out? Or giving you their number instead of asking for yours!! I was happy about getting it, but right, like I'm really gonna be so bold as to call you first. So I play it cool and say hey ok thanks here's MY number. I didn't want to have to be so forward, but this guy was obviously not playing by the rules!

So I wait a few days...nothing. So I had to take action. So I texted him. It was an easy way of being forward but not too forward. Over the next few days we texted throughout the day, and I decided to invite him to a little pumpkin carving shindig i was having at my house that weekend. He said yes, I was excited and for some reason kept getting these butterflies all day while getting ready. He was the first one to show up. I was freaked out we would have nothing to talk about until everyone else got there, but before I knew it he had me cracking up again. I was almost sad when everyone else got there. So we carved pumpkins, laughed hysterically, and the spark from the first night we met was back instantly. Almost everyone left except him and one other person, and we decided to watch a movie. So we did, and after it was over the 3rd person left. So it was just the two of us....and then I made the mistake of yawning. Yes, I was tired, it was like 1:30 in the morning, but I wasn't bored! I guess he thought he was keeping me up so he said he had to go, had the awkward little hug at the door, and he left. Then I realized I was still wearing his CTR ring I had stolen earlier. YES!!! The classic steal your ring so you have to come back again and get it trick!!! Works every time!

So I get into bed, only to receive a text a few minutes later saying he had a good time thanks for inviting him. And then we kept texting...and texting...and next thing you know its like five in the morning! That day was Sunday, but we texted a little throughout the day and I needed an excuse to hang out with him. So me, trying to be all sly, say to him "Hey I have a bunch of treats left over from last night, and I need someone to help me eat them, you interested?"

Yes. I know. I am the lamest person ever.

But he said yes, and he came over after work, and we took a walk to the park, and talked about everything you can imagine, and then walked back to my house holding hands, and then he kissed me! Right there on my couch he kissed me!! Did we not just meet for the second time just last night? Have you even asked me on a date yet? Are you really kissing me right now? But he was, and I kissed him back, and everything was just too perfect. So I'm pretty sure we've already established how lame I am, and I go and ruin a perfectly good thing by asking what that kiss means and saying how much I like him and want to date him. Most guys would have been running for the hills from this crazy forward girl who was moving way too fast, but he didn't. He just looked at me, really looked at me, and said he wanted to date me too. So there it was. We had just met up again for the second time the night before, and now we were together. Crazy? A little. But amazingly right at the same time? Yes.

Ok I'll spare everyone (if anyone is even still reading) ALL the long details of our extremely short dating time, but there were a few other important details. So we had gotten together Sunday night...and hung out monday night, but skipped tuesday night. He called me after work though, and when I got off the phone with him, right out loud to myself I said "I love him."

What the crap Erica??!!?! You just started dating him 2 days ago! I kinda freaked myself out with this proclamation so I just went to sleep. Then...Thursday night I did something even more terrifying...I told HIM! I didn't really mean to, we were outside dancing in the street trying to say goodbye to each other but failing, and I just said it.

Albert I love you.

Silence.

And then I start panicking. I tried to backtrack and started mumbling oh my gosh I'm so sorry it just came out please don't freak out oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh. I got so freaked out I just said goodbye and ran inside. I was mortified. I had told someone I had been dating for like 4 days that I loved him, and while I knew wholeheartedly that it was true I never intended for him to know for a very long time! The next night I felt so awkward but he was great and made me feel better saying it was ok he was glad I told him how I felt and that he wasn't there yet but was getting there. (A little blow to my self esteem, to be honest, but at least he wasn't running for the hills) That night my parents got back into town-oh ya they had been out of town through all of this so they leave with a single daughter and come back to an extremely happy daughter with an already serious boyfriend-so I brought him home to meet them. To be honest, I don't think they would have cared if he had one eye, three legs, and looked like Jabba the Hut, I was genuinely, totally, completely happy, and that was something that had been missing for a very, very, long time.

Well, the rest is history. Two days later he told me he loved me (only a week after we had been dating, ya, we move fast), that same night we talked about getting married, two days after that bought a wedding dress (that's a whole other story, my mother is crazy), five weeks into us dating he proposed, and here we are! 29 DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING! That was the whole intended purpose for this post, just to say I can't believe we're already into the twenties, but I started typing and next thing I know I'm taking a trip down memory lane by myself, in my pajamas, tearing up writing the story of me and my Beautiful Boy, how he came into my life at the exact moment and time that he was supposed to, how he changed me for the better, and how honestly, completely, amazingly happy I am. (Even though it doesn't seem like it sometimes, thats just the birth control making my hormones go haywire!)

Anyone that knows me, I mean really truly knows me, knows the past few years have been rough. No, this is not to get pity, or even sympathy, like I said this post is mostly for me to remember things. There was the breakup that caused destruction of epic proportions, and the years of ups and downs that followed that, and the long time of being alone and not dating anyone because I didn't trust guys and was still trying to repair my smashed heart, how was I supposed to give it to someone else? But I'm glad I was alone. Or single I should say. It allowed me to grow as a person, get over my demons and work out things that Erica needed to work out. I grew closer to my family, went to Africa, moved out, moved back home, did much better in school, cultivated amazing life saving friendships with amazing people, learned to stand on my own 2 feet and not lean on a guy for support, something I had done since I was 13. I learned to see myself as God sees me, not the way a teenage guy sees me, I appreciated myself for my strengths and even more for my weaknesses, and I was happy with who I had become.

I know for a fact I couldn't have done any of that with a boyfriend. Especially not with the rotten ones I have always chosen.

And then, when Heavenly Father knew I was finally ready, Albert came into my life.

I know for a fact he is the greatest blessing I have ever received, and I am thankful every day that I got my life in order to be ready for someone as amazing as him. No, he's not perfect, but neither am I. No, our relationship isn't perfect, heck it moved so fast we're still working out all the kinks even though we're engaged. But he's my best friend, the love of my life, and I am so excited to marry him in the Temple. Only 29 days!

Ok. If anyone is still reading, you now know the story of Albica. I think it's a nice story, but I'm sure I'm pretty bias :)

And now on the the engagement pictures. Here's just a little sneakity peekity of some of the amazing shots the Sloans did. We were so happy with them!

Hope you enjoyed them, and sorry for the extremely long post.

And to anyone reading this...thank you. Not for reading it, but for being in my life. You have most likely impacted my life in one way or another, and many of you have impacted it in ways that I will never be able to say thank you enough for. I have been blessed with many amazing friends who have gotten me to where i am today, about to go the temple and be sealed to my best friend, and I am so thankful for all the support I have gotten through the last few years.

I love you all!