(very long post ahead!)
Story Time:Once upon a time it was Christmas 2014! Eric and I drove straight from Rexburg, Idaho to Dallas, Texas (our home state).. a 24 car ride. Never-mind that horrific long car ride because WE WERE SO EXCITED! And I didn't blog about any of our trip. It was a glorious two weeks home visiting both of our families because they live 30 minutes apart!
Eric's family has lived on a large ranch for 16 years. Over the years I've been there many times for church activities and it's just known as the "Johnson Ranch". When we started dating we would go on four wheeler rides, fishing and horseback riding!
The ranch has been for sale and when we were there for Christmas there was someone very interested and it looked like it was going to sale. We thought that may be the last time we would get to see the ranch and I took a ton of pictures- and didn't post any of them. oops.
Then the ranch sold! With six weeks until the big move, our semester of school was ending. Eric was homesick + wanted to see the ranch once last time... But more importantly was looking for a full time job. Plans went into action quick! The new owner + manager of the ranch thought Eric was a great asset to the ranch- he already knew how to work all the machinery and tools and move cattle! Eric left right after our one year anniversary and started working full time on the ranch. Honestly, he's good at it. I admire Eric for his work ethic. He's not afraid of some sweat and to get extremely dirty. He grew up working there and he knows hard, long days of work.
The exciting part was when I got to fly to Texas! Eric had already been there for three weeks when I got to join and be there for another three weeks. There was lots to clean out and 300+ boxes to pack! I'm really glad and grateful we had the opportunity to go! The day came to load the moving truck (took two days) and horse trailers. The caravan consisted of the moving truck and 3 other cars- pulling 2 horses, 4 dogs and a trailer of more things. With the stops for the horses to drink water and my two little nieces with us to get out to walk around, we did the drive in 24 hours to St. George, Utah! After being awake for 38 hours with 4-5 hours of sleep in the car we had made it to the new house and everything was unloaded! I caught up on glorious sleep.
So I've never been to St. George... and I LOVED it!! The weather was awesome. I thought a lot of parts were pretty (I wasn't sure how I'd like the red rock and dirt). It looks like living there has so much to offer and would be a blast! We all enjoyed the weekend together. Every family member was there except for my brother in law serving a LDS mission in Washington! He was missed. It felt like a mini vacation/reunion hanging out with one another! I can't wait to go back for a visit.
So what have we been up to the past 6 weeks?!
When I showed up my skin was pasty white from living in Idaho for too long and Eric was 49385729 shades darker already!
Home in time for my Mom's 30th birthday! ;) She's the best and it was SO much fun surprising her- she had no idea I was coming to Texas. Even if she thought me calling her from the front porch was actually someone trying to break in... haha. We've had fun shopping trips and getting our nails done!
FINALLY REUNITED WITH MY HUSBAND AFTER 3 WEEKS!
Sooo, three weeks is a long time. I felt I might go crazy.. I've never actually lived 'on my own', I've always had family, 5 other roommates or my husband to come home to! But we made it!! A lot of our nights looked like this. Eric dead tired after working a long day and making sweet time to facetime me. Or fall asleep.
After Eric picked me up at the airport and we annoyed every stranger there with our gushing over seeing one another, after we drove to surprise my mom, after we picked up whataburger (classic)... I thought we were headed to the ranch when Eric whips out our hotel key card for the night. I love this man. And what a great, unexpected surprise.
I was so ready to get my tan on when I got to Texas but it stormed EVERY day and was so dark and cloudy. Did you hear about the flooding in Dallas? The amount of rain and crazy storms was high! I don't remember any other time of year like this. At least there's a beautiful rainbow after the storm passes! Then it dropped to like 65 degrees at the end of May.. what? I never got to jump in the pool.
Typical to wake up the next morning and a tree's down and the weather app consistently looking like that.
Going for a four-wheeler ride in between rain storms to check out some streams filling up!
Mother's Day was perfect and I got to spend it with my favorites. We had a great dinner all together at my husbands home. My sister is in school at BYUI.. can you tell my mom missed her? Even though this evening was spent in the storm shelter as a storm came through and waiting for the tornado warning to be over, it was still so much fun!!
PUPPIES EVERYWHERE! There were four that were found on their road abandoned. Seriously, who does that? My Mother in-law took them in to bathe and feed. I find comfort in knowing they each went to good homes, but oh they were so fun to have around and play with!
Eric's family also has always had Australian Shepherds. Growing up my family also had one named Lizzie! They've had as many up to 9 at once. They are the BEST dogs!
Typical hard, dirty day of work.
Genius idea.. sell all of your furniture so you don't have to move any! This moving truck was filled from top to bottom, back to front with boxes. And it only took an hour to unload it all!
Eric and our brother in law were in charge of driving the moving truck from Dallas, Texas to St. George, Utah... after only being able to go 20 mph up all the hills and mountains Eric needed a huge break and he's a little traumatized haha.. he doesn't care for Penny the Penske.
Lots of pool time and family knockout basketball games in St. George!
I thought this welcome mat was very appropriate ;)
All of my in-laws minus one who is on a LDS mission. They are a pretty awesome bunch! I lucked out!
We are back in our apartment in Rexburg... We're laughing because now it feels like we're on vacation because we're not living with 5-10 other people like we have been for the past 6 weeks haha! I love our life together and all of our family!! 6 days until my Mom comes to visit my sister and I in Rexburg!
