The Marriage Project | Erich & Keely
Erich & Keely got married on a blazing-hot 4th of July, almost a year & a half ago. The entire day was overflowing with the kinds of things we live for at a wedding day--laughter, happy tears, raucous best friends, plenty of alcohol, and alcohol-embellished dance moves. We've been wanting to just hang out with them ever since, and we thought they'd be a perfect couple for another Marriage Project post.
Keely is quickly & beautifully approaching her due date, and they're expecting their baby Weston in a few weeks. The boys had wine, the ladies put their feet up, and we all fought over each other's amazing Erich-created berry cobbler. We had an amazing time laughing and comparing pregnancy and marriage notes, and rehashing their wedding day. They told us about their amazing Mexico honeymoon (Erich even got them first-class plane tickets as a surprise, and Keely was so happy and exhausted that she cried). They're even happier and cozier together now that they've been married almost a year (although it's harder to hug/put shoes on these days). :)
[Since we've interviewed these two, their glorious baby boy Weston has made his chunky debut!]
how he describes her
Full of love--and he gets to receive so much of it.
how she describes him
Full of life, SO friendly. He inspires her to be more kind and outgoing. His comfort zone is: everything. She's more affectionate now because of him (even hugs her best friends finally).
favorite thing about being married
His: Having a forever teammate.
Hers: Getting to introduce him "my husband" instead of "the guy from the bar".
tricky things about being married
We loved how Erich said this: "It's not about my way anymore, it's about our way." With random little habits, household things, putting the blinds down or not... Being able to let things go and being willing to change.
new things learned about each other
That she can eat anything at anytime. (Even garlic wheat thins before breakfast).
That he actually doesn't have a cold heart. He has a totally new-to-her sensitive soul.
their marriage in one word
Full.
date nights
Pretty much single Friday night since they've been together (4 years), Erich has either taken Keely out, or made dinner in. No talking about work, no TV and no sweatpants--a time to dress up and reconnect together. Their favorite "dates" are also all-day Saturday dates, going up to the Columbia Gorge and hiking, getting hungry, and heading to Hood River for beer and lunch.
jobs (usually)
She cooks dinner, he washes dishes. They nonverbally happen to take care of different things: Keely scrubs the toilet, Erich cleans up dog poop.
the most important thing they do every day
He gives her a kiss and a hug when she gets home. She can get caught up in getting home, starting dinner, and busyness, and it helps her to reset and realize she's home.
her advice to husbands
Just listen! And don't zone out--try to take it in, and not always try to solve it.
his advice to wives
Support him. There's nothing a man needs more than knowing his girl 100% believes in him.
key to marriage (kinda)
Have three bathrooms and poop in the one that's furthest away from the other person.
what they're most excited about
Baby! They're thrilled to get to be parents, and have been ready to start their family ever since they got married. Being together has been amazing, easy, and comfortable, and they're excited for the new challenge, and the complete change to their life/routine.
marriage + baby
It's super important to them to continue to prioritize their marriage. As Keely put it, "Erich will still be #1, and the baby will be #1.5."
