ready to blog about it

disclaimer: this is something i have been keeping to myself for a long time. i have have been a little scared to share this with the world. partly because this is a really personal topic between us. i ask that you just support us in this and support me in this post. this was really hard for me to click publish. thanks loves! xoxo

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since starting this whole insanity program, i have been thinking about how this is pretty good distraction for me. from the whole getting pregnant thing. this is something i have only really talked about to a select few family members and friends. 

i have longed for a baby for a really long time {long for me}. about a year but, we didn't really start trying until end of last year. i say that because before it was just something we weren't preventing, ya know. towards the end of last year i went to the doctor to get checked out. she said everything looks good and to come back if nothing happens in the next 6-8 months. i felt relieved. since then i have had a few "ohh is this it" moments. my monthly's have been a little weird the last 2 months. which caused me to think "ohh is this it?" but, nope.

i think i have been so focused on it for months. wanting it to happen so bad. that i kind of make myself crazy. when people ask "when are you having a baby?" i get sad but, its not their fault. they have NO idea what i am thinking or feeling. i see babies at the store i ache for my own, or i see a pregnant girl and i long to be in her shoes. 

this is something i have struggled with for a while. trying to not being "jealous" or "envious" of those ladies. then amanda posted this post on wens and i realized being envious is something we all face and go through but, it's not healthy. i know my time will come and i will love it. during this whole part of my life i have learned that when i am at my low, i am not alone. i have dan, family, friends and my loving heavenly father there to comfort me. dan has really been there for me, and we have grown together as a couple. i feel so blessed to have him in my life. i love you babes!

i have really put my trust in my heavenly father. i know that we will be blessed with the blessing of being parents someday. it's still not easy but, with this new insanity program. i am spending more time focusing on being healthy and less time on how i can get pregnant fastest or worrying if i cannot get pregnant.

with all this said, i know there are couples who have been trying for years and have really gone through struggles. i feel for them, i wish them all the best and wish them a child of their own someday. 

man, this was really hard to write. it feels so good to finally get some of my thoughts into words. if any of you have any advice for us or if you want to just pray for us. we will return the favor. 

thank you to all you readers for being so understanding and loving this little blog of ours. we love you all! 
xoxo

what im pinning

pin with me here

{one} i think i want to make myself a turban headband 

{two} along with this new health kick we're on, i've been searching for smoothie ideas 

{three} all about polka dot skinnies these days 

{four} new fave quote 

{five} lovely small hallway 

{six} how cute is this? 

{seven} this outfit looks super comfy and totally chic

{eight} long hair love. wish my hair would grow faster!

{nine} dinner idea open faces quesdillas 

it's been a while since i've done a what im pinning. don't think i haven't been pinning, because i have. like a fool. im addicted guys! haha. above are a few of my fave pins from lately. i really want to make #1. so cute! 

what are you fave pins lately? 

 

the start of insanity

being un happy with your body is something we all deal with it. i'm sure you've heard the excuse when you get married you gain weight. well guys, sad but true in our case. since we've been married i have put on 15 lbs that i cannot get rid of. it was 20 but due to being sick a few months ago i lost 5 of it. daniel feels the same way. we both have this extra weight that wont go anywhere. i know for me i am sick of my clothes not fitting the same. with summer coming i want to be able to wear all my old shorts and look good in my swimsuits. as well as be healthy.

i've read so many reviews on p90x and other programs i wasn't feeling them. then, after seeing alexa and her husband's amazing results from their journey with insanity. i was shocked. they look so amazing. i showed daniel and he was amazed too. we started researching it and watching before & after videos on youtube. we were 100% sold. we knew we needed to try this. we got the dvds off ksl for super cheap this past weekend.

i would work out in the mornings but, would get so bored working out by myself. same with the hubby, he used to go running in the morning before work but got bored by him self. i feel working out together will be better for us. doing this together we can help each other get through it and encourage one other to not give up. {with my luck ill probably get pregnant before this is over or after i loose weight. haha we'll just play that by ear!} 

we both have one goal for this:

to finish the whole program with no quitting!

we have decided not to set a goal of pounds we want to loose but, instead a goal of finishing the whole program, all 60 days. we think setting the goal we have will help us be more motivated to keep up with this. on insanity you work out 6 days a week, and have a meal plan to help you. we have chosen to work out the 6 days a week and adjust the meal plan to fit our lives. getting rid of the junk food and adding more veggies/fruits, no more soda {good bye diet coke!}, eating 5 meals a day and smaller portions of those meals. we know this will be so hard. like very intense but, we are positive and know we can do this!

i have even made signs that i placed around the house to keep us motivated....yesterday was day 1. it was tough but, felt good after to get day 1 under our belts. it feels so good to be starting this fit + healthy journey! here's to looking good, and feeling good in 60days!

i know of a few others who are doing this or starting this too. if you are as well and want to help us all stay on track let me know, i have a facebook group i am a part of! :) 

wish us luck!

ps. have any of you done this or some kind of drastic weight loss program? share please. i am fascinated by before and after results! :) 

instalife

green smoothie goodness//stupid snow storm//these are going to be the death of me//cozy sweaters//bowling with friends on a friday night//so grown up going to costco on a saturday//sunday best//moochies date//bff's baby girl. i love her!

....just some photos from lately. i know some people hate when bloggers share their instas on their blogs..well guess what? i love it. maybe it's because i love intsagram and it's my blog! lol. do you follow me via instagram yet? follow me @erykaann.

come back to tomorrow for an exciting post about a new journey the hubby and i are starting!! 

happy monday! 

easy peasy.

i've finally joined the dark side and am blogging about how google reader is going by bye. anyways.....you can follow me via bloglovin' simply by clicking that plus icon under our intro pic. or clicking here.

easy peasy right? leave me a comment with your bloglovin link!!!

xoxo

a recipe//thai chicken pizza

 

if you didn't know....we love us some pizza in casa de clark. we really love papa murphy's thai chicken pizza. like really love it. the other day we were at trader joes and i found this sauce sweet chili sauce and i said babes, we can make our thai chicken pizza. he was totally in. 

we made our pizza the other day and guys, it was so yummy pretty much just like papa murphy's. next time i will try to make the crust super thin. i rolled it out thin but, it got thick again. it was still super yummy! 

ingredients: 

1 small zucchini-sliced super thin 

1 small chicken breast cooked to your liking and sliced thin {i just cooked mine on the stove with some salt and pepper} 

mozzarella cheese {as much or as little as you like}

trader joes sweet chili sauce 

directions: 

1. make your favorite pizza dough or use store bought if you want, then roll it out super thin. preheat oven to 425.

2. put crust on baking sheet and sprinkle some sweet chili sauce on it. 

3. now layer some cheese and place your chicken on. 

4. layer some zucchini and top with a little more cheese 

5. sprinkle some more sweet chili sauce on it. {as much or as little as you like}

6. bake in oven for 20 min at 425. if crust is thinner i would watch closely. 

7. ta da its done and you get to stuff your face! {yeah we made bread sticks too. i love bread!!}

i love this pizza because it doesnt seem super heavy and it's not loaded up with cheese and sauce. its just too darn yummy! 

enjoy and happy weekend!

sometimes....

follow via instagram @erykaann

//laying on the couch with a heating pad on your stomach ALL DAY is okay. being a girl is rough, i tell ya.

//blogging friends text you out of the blue and its just what you need. thanks amanda! muah!

 //opening the windows and feeling the breeze come in, is amazing.

//your new calling in the nursery is a blessing in disguise. 

//you watch the documentary bully and cry and cry. i feel so sad for kids these days. it hurts my heart that the have to deal with such mean kids. i wish there was a way to stop it forever. have you seen this movie?

//soaking in the tub with a lush bath bomb soothes your cramping and achy body. 

//polka dot skinnies are your new favorite thing to wear!

//your husband surprises you everyday with how loving and caring he really is.

//watching the food network makes you so hungry. okay, all the time it does!
//you can watch lennon & maisy videos on youtube all day. these girls have serious talent. 

.....just a few random thoughts from lately. if you were to make a sometimes post....what would you write about?! pssstt...today is my dad's birthday!! happy birthday dad, i love you!!!!

spring must haves

mother nature has finally graced us in utah with some gorgeous weather && i thought why not share some of my must haves for spring. i whipped up this little polyvore collage featuring some of my favorite things this season....

on top:

comfy blouses//see some of my favorites here, here, here, and here.

a chambray//i got my fave from forever21 see some here, and here.

loose tees//target has the best t-shirts ever. see them here. i think i need some new colors!

on bottom:

maxi skirts//i am telling you now i will be living in these when the hot summer comes but till then i will still bust these out. can you say comfy? see some cute ones here, here, and here.

colored skinnies//a girl can never have too many pairs of colored skinnies. see my current loves here. im also really loving the bright colors that are in now!

polka dot skinnies//i found mine at target. see them here. can't beat target plus they are super comfy! 

on your feet: 

toms//i have two pairs and i love them. i am thinking i need to get me some of these. 

flats//flats are my best friend during these spring months. currently swooning over these, these and these. 

on your face: 

sunnies//can't go wrong with some perfect sunnies. i am loving these. 

baby lips lip balm//seriously this has changed my life. go to your local target and get you some!

on your nails:

essie nail polish//the best ever. i am loving the light colors and of course the brights right now. 

what are you loving this spring? do tell! 

happy weekend!!

our anniversary getaway

this weekend we stayed at the little america hotel in slc and went to a fancy dinner at texas de brazil. it was the perfect way to celebrate our 2 year anniversary! 

before dinner we shopped a little at city creek. got some amazing bath bombs at lush and swooned over bedding at anthro. then we stuffed our faces. the food was so good guys. like, i am still dreaming of those fried bananas. 

after dinner we got some cheesecake to go from cheesecake factory and headed back to the hotel. carmel for the husband and key lime for me! {mmm, i wish i had some right now!} after we had dessert we put some chairs on our balcony and enjoyed the cool air while we talked. it was the best, i love those times with the hubs when we can just talk and talk forever. the rest of the night was spent just relaxing and it was the best!

saturday afternoon we went to my dads house to have a little family party with my grandparents who were in town from ca. it was so fun to see cousins, grandparents and my aunts/uncles! we love our family!

did you all have a good weekend? 

him & her

disneyland march 2011

him: gentlemint

her: pinterest 

him: pizza
her: pasta  

him: minty gum
her: minty gum 

him: breaking bad + the walking dead
her: downton abbey + pretty little liars

him: legos

her: nail polish 

him: grilling 
her: baking  

him: flip flops + chucks
her: sandals + toms

him: emma stone

her: ryan gosling 

him: guns 

her: crafts 

him: the weekend
her: the weekend

him: her

her: him 

him: plaid button ups 

her: polka dot skinnies

&& just for laughs. this was last night at 11:20pm. hubby was fast asleep, snoring and i was wide awake......

me: babes, can you roll over you are snoring in my face {i may have added a freaking face in there}

dan: my dogs light it up 

me: huh? what? what dogs? 

dan: my dogssss.....{there was an emphasis on the s}

me: they light what up? 

dan: it with the special powederrrrr {again with the emphasis}

then he falls back asleep. not moving at all. still in my face. me just laughing.

me: babe. roll over.

he rolls over finally!!

dan: did i roll the right way? 

me: yes. 

dan: i rolled away from the drugs! 

me: good job babes. i love you.

dan: {some mumbles of some sort}

he was then out like a light. snoring again. oh man that silly hubby of mine! this was all in a matter of like 5 min. haha! 

happy friday, loves!

this guy is 25.

be prepared to hear more mushy husband love on the blog....because this husband of mine is 25 today. oh boy 25, seems so old. just kidding! i thought what a better way to celebrate then to tell you a little bit about this guy.....

+ he is really good with kids
+ he is really good at making anyone laugh
+ this guy loves guns, and shooting
+ dan is the logical one of us two
+ he is so hard to surprise 
+ daniel loves hot rod, duck dynasty, dexter, walking dead and breaking bad 
+ his favorite food is pizza, he would eat it everyday if i let him
+ he hates to be called danny 
+ he has a blonde spot on his hair, i think its cute
+ dan is pretty good at making up silly songs
+ this guy is my best friend and i love him so much 
+ he has a love affair with cotton candy, anytime we are somewhere with cotton candy he has to get it
+ daniel loves to snuggle {sssshhhh....dont tell him i said that!}
+ he is 25 today!!!  

happy birthday babes! hope you have the best birthday ever, you old fart. just kidding about the old fart part, not the i love you part!

how we spent our anniversary day

 

after the husband got home from work we headed to the gateway for dinner at california pizza kitchen. they messed up our pizzas so we got a free one to take home {ssswwwweeeett!} we then indulged in the most amazing key lime pie ever! 

after food we decided to walk it off by strolling the gateway, which was empty. we stopped at the toy/candy store blickenstaff's. the husband loves that store so much! 

we ended our night by watching perks of being a wallflower and going to bed fairly early. holy cow that movie was soo good. i cried. have you seen it? this anniversary day was amazing and i loved it all. 

we are going away for a night this friday to really celebrate. i am so excited!!! 

two years.

it's seems like yesterday i put on that white dress, that is now hanging in our hall closet. 

finding daniel was the best thing that ever happened to me. i love that he works so hard for our family, i love that he has a big heart, i love that he loves children, i love that he knows how to make me laugh all the time, and i love that he loves me for me. 

i cannot believe it's been two years since that day we knelt across the alter in the sacramento lds temple and were sealed together for all eternity. two years down, an eternity to go!

i love you daniel. thank you for being the best husband ever! happy anniversary!

xoxo

 

{see our wedding photos here, our 1st anniversary here, and our 2nd anniversary shoot here.}

bits from lately

follow me via instagram @erykaann

+ my momma came to visit and we had so much fun!

+ we're silly.

+ i heart city creek so much.

+ slc temple is gorgeous.

+ ruths diner for dinner with my momma and stepdad.

+ church history museum. they had so many awesome things. 

+ ombre from the children's exhibit. there were a lot of awesome art work from all over the world!

+ dollar movie night! 

+ saturday we had a surprise party for dan and his friend kevin {they have the same bday. the 14th!} it was so fun. but, my camera wasn't working so i have no pics {blogger fail!} 
+ sunday we had some gorgeous weather. so gorgeous, i didn't even wear tights to church and we opened our windows. ohh i think utah is slowly gracing us with spring!

i feel life things have been so crazy the last few days. i am pooped. then yesterday was my first day in nursery in our ward. oh man, i need a nap! haha. this week seems like it's going to be crazy too. our anniversary is tomorrow, hubby's bday is thursday and this weekend we are celebrating our anniversary!!

&& guess what? today is my little sisters 18th birthday. um, how is she already 18? i feel so old! happy birthday jenna! xoxo

did you guys have a good weekend? 

what two years has taught us

on the 12th we will celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary. 2 years?? where is the time going? 

during the 1st year of marriage everything was so new and uncharted. we really had no idea what marriage would be like, we knew it was going to amazing and hard. there were lots of dinner fails, tears, learning, laughs, bicker fests, love, memories and just happiness. the 1st year was easy at times and so hard at others but, i loved it all.

we then jumped into our 2nd year of marriage. during the 2nd year things were more comfortable. we knew each others quirks, and such. we then started to toss around the idea of growing our family sometime during this 2nd year.

that leads into the one huge thing i have learned during this 2nd year of marriage. patience in all things is a must. not just in the whole having a baby thing, but in all things. in a marriage you need to have little patience. trust me, that is something that was hard for me to understand, i am not a patient person. one example of patience in our marriage is;

as bad as i want to add a little one to our family, i know with patience, faith, and trust in our heavenly father the time will come for us to be blessed to be parents. that leads into one last thing, something else i have learned is to be grateful for the time dan and i have together as just us. i will always cherish these times and love that we have had this time to really focus on our marriage.

i love being married to my best friend!

guest post >>> five foot seven

 I have this new blog crush. Her name is Jenna and she is from Five Foot Seven....well guess what? She and I are swapping blogs for the day! After you read her post, head over to her blog and check mine out!

Hey guys, I am Jenna from Five Foot Seven! I am so excited to be doing a guest post for Eryka today! Isn't ABCDE the best??? Five Foot Seven is a lifestyle blog featuring my daily adventures living in Utah as a newly{ish} married woman. I love to post tons of recipes, short & sweet thoughts &, of course, pictures! I am an aspiring photographer so I love to add lots of bright & fun pictures whenever I can. You can check out my professional work here! 

Here are a few questions that will help you to get to know me a little bit better!

1. What inspired you to start blogging?
When my husband & I got married a year and a half ago I started this little blog in order to keep track of our adventures as newlyweds. I wanted both of our families to have a place to come to look at pictures & hear about the things that we were up to. Since then I have slightly changed the focus of my blog to really anything I feel like posting about. It can vary from recipes and weekend activities to my thoughts & opinions on various topics. 

2. Who is the girl behind the blog?
I am a 22 year old Southern Californian girl living in Utah with the hubster. I came to Utah for school, met my guy, got married & we have yet to leave. A fun & personal fact about me is that I turned down graduate school to pursue my dreams of becoming a lifestyle & wedding photographer. It was a scary decision but I am working hard to prove to myself that I made the right decision.  

3. What is the one clothing item you are dying to add to your closet for this Spring?
Maxi everything!!! I am all about comfort when it comes to fashion. I am by no means a fashionista, I would rather wear a pair of skinny jeans & an oversized sweater than heels & a tight dress. Maxi skirts & dresses allow me to feel myself while also looking a bit done up & like I put some sort of effort into my outfit choice. ;)

4. When you aren't blogging what are you doing?
Cooking & catching up on all of my favorite TV shows. I love love love to cook, bake & try new recipes. Aside from my obsession with food, I am also slightly obsessed with my TV. I am simply a TV person. Some people love to read, others love to write or read blogs...I like to watch reality TV. I am known as having the worst taste in TV & movies because I love all of those super classy shows that no one else watches...bad girls club, real housewives & lifetime movies are just a few of my favorites. You name it, I most likely watch it & I feel no shame about it!! ;)

5. What is your favorite recipe you've made?
While my favorite food is Mexican {I could eat Mexican food every day}, I recently made a French dish called Coq Au Vin. It is a chicken stew with red wine which gives it an amazing depth of flavor. I serve it over rice & with some homemade bread on the side. & wow, so good! It is such a simple recipe, too. I have yet to post it on my blog, but check back soon!

Thanks for tuning in you guys!! I love meeting new friends in this little blogging world :) ...& don't forget to come on over catch Eryka's guest post on Five Foot Seven today!

You can find me here:

Blog // Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter // Photography

it's happy list time

+ spring is on its way even if utah hasn't gotten the memo yet
+ anniversary month 
+ my supportive husband
+ loving family 
+ looking at our wedding photos
+ laughter 
+ spring colors
+ sunshine 
+ daily chats with kay
+ flowers
+ date nights 
+ girl scout cookies 
+ love 
+ new blogging friends 
+ all you readers 

um, its march. what the? well its 6 days into it but, i am so excited because its our anniversary month and spring is that much closer! what's on your march happy list? share you happy list below in a comment or blog about and share you post in a comment! 

happy march, loves! 
xoxo

bits from the weekend

+ anyone else having allergies already? i hate it. my eyes have been so itchy so, i've been a four eyes lately. 

+ i love to have inspirational quotes all around our house. 

 + finally watched breaking dawn part two. um, i pretty much laughed the entire movie it was so cheesy. until the end. holy amaze balls. i admit i bawled at the end. haha. 

+ we have some of the best friends and we love when we get to see them. saturday night we have jase + rachel from shooting the moon. we made pizza and played games. #effthisgame right rachel? 

+ saturday was also so warm and beautiful out, we then woke up sunday to a rainy day. 

+ this weekend was our stake conference and i loved all the spiritual upfliting i got. i was reminded on how important it is to love one another and to not judge others. {stake conference is where all the wards in our area meet together to hear from our stake presidency. to learn more about it click here.}

+ lately i have been a dishes freak. i used to let them pile up for days and now i freak when its like that. guess that's not a bad thing. 

+ sunday night we had kyle, stacy, and maddison over for dessert and games. we love them and love maddison she is so fun. she can even say our names....so cute! 

+ some spring cleaning of the apartment too. i love a clean house. don't you? 

+ getting very excited for my momma and stepdad to come visit tomorrow!!  

ps. don't forget to enter the beverly swimwear giveaway. ends this friday!!