My Best Friend's Wedding

One thing I have learned is that weddings are completely exhausting. It doesn't matter if it's your wedding or you are just a part of the wedding, you will be completely drained when all is said and done. I had every intention to be in bed sleeping by 9 pm tonight to try and recharge from the weekend....but of course that didn't happen.

That said, Katie and Quentin's wedding was beautiful. It was a super stressful day trying to get everything done before the wedding was set to begin, so we didn't even have time to feel any emotion other than stress for the most part. About 5 minutes before it was time to walk out, Laura, one of the bridesmaids, decided to say a prayer. We all gathered around and OF COURSE we all had to run for tissues as soon as she said Amen. I don't think I've ever been a part of a pre-wedding prayer that didn't end in tears.

 Lacey and Chelsea

 The bride, her junior attendant, and the most gorgeous bouquet ever.

 

Me and Laura

Katie's dad is a pastor, so after he walked her down the aisle he actually officiated the wedding. Imagine how that went! About thirty seconds into things he said something along the lines of "Katie is my baby girl" and his voice cracked.....and all the bridesmaids dissolved into tears. My mom said the best part was watching all four of us try not to cry. Katie actually held it together quite well. I had a good view of her, and I saw her eyes glistening, but never saw a tear fall. Impressive!!!

Overall, it was a beautiful, emotional wedding, and I'm so honored that she chose me to be a part of it. I thought I had remembered all of my Maid of Honor duties, but on the drive to OKC on Friday morning, we were chatting and Arsen says "So do you have to give a speech?".

Umm. DO I have to give a speech? Crap. I text Katie and she is like well, duh. I'm not one to really prepare for public speaking. I actually really enjoy it and usually just kind of say whatever comes to mind, but for some reason this completely freaked me out. I think it's because I wanted to get across how much I love my amazing friend and her super wonderful man, but I also didn't want to burst into tears. So I tried to come up with something, but ended up just kind of rambling once I got up there.

My mom was so sweet and she decided to record it on her phone so I could see it later. However, she had one of her famous blonde moments and just held her iPhone up on camera mode the entire time and didn't get anything. Gotta love Vicki and her ditzy moments!

It was a weekend full of love and extreme emotion (good and bad) and friends and laughter and dancing and all of the things a good wedding weekend consists of. I'm so incredibly happy for Katie and Q, and I'm even more happy that Katie doesn't have to worry about wedding planning anymore. I know how horribly stressful it can be and I'm still thankful that I will never have to do it again!

I'm also thankful that I am not a part of any weddings in the near future...it's hard work! My wedding was last September, one of my oldest and dearest friends was married in December and I was a bridesmaid, and now Katie in April. Luckily no one else is on the radar. BUT, I am blessed in the fact that I have TWO best friends, and my Rachel is still on the market, so I know someday I'll have another one. As long as she gives me some time to recover, I'll be ready to do it all over again when it's her turn.

I'm feeling super mushy after being around so many people that I loved this weekend, so I'm just going to stop before I get all emo on everyone. But to all my friends who might be reading this, I adore you all :)

 Me and the hubby

 The Newlyweds!

 Two of my very favorite ladies :)

My lovely Mom

Fancy Schmancy

One thing I am NOT is an early adopter. I wish I was. I wish I cared about having the newest gadgets and being into all the new technology...but I just don't. So I was a few months (years, whatever) late jumping on the iPhone bandwagon. And our laptop is nothing fancy, just some random brand, but it works just fine. So needless to say, I'm just not that cool.

But tonight I sit here typing away on our new iPad. Yeah, yeah, iPads have been around fooorever, but I literally never had a desire to get one. Neither did Arsen. But then I played around on my best friend Rachel's last time I visited her. And it was fun. And a few people at work carry them around. And they look pretty happy about it. So I decided a couple days ago that we should get one. You know, for my career. Somehow Arsen fell for that. (haha, kidding babe)

I even got a supercute purple case for it. I thought about compromising and getting blue, it seems slightly more unisex, but...the purple was just so pretty.

So basically what I'm a trying to say is I became infinitely more cool tonight. I just thought people should know.

In other news, this weekend we are heading to Oklahoma for my other BFF Katie's wedding. I'm super excited to see everyone and celebrate and do all the fun things involved with a wedding. Arsen and I are taking off work Friday and heading up there so we can see family and whatnot as well.

Arsen was checking the weather earlier and said "Oh man! It's supposed to rain in OKC on Saturday!". For .2 seconds I thought he was worried for Katie and Q, but he quickly followed up with "How am I supposed to get a tan now?!". He's been planning on drinking by the pool at my uncles while I get ready for the wedding, so now his plans are ruined. Isn't he just so thoughtful?

I am actually the Maid of Honor in Katie's wedding, so after all the wedding hoopla is over this weekend, I plan on doing a post recapping everything that I did for the shower and bachelorette. I actually did a fairly decent job of documenting it all on camera, so hopefully I can pull it all together.

So now if I can tear myself away from my fancy new gadget, I'm off to get some beauty sleep. Goodnight friends!

Our (not so) Productive Weekend

This weekend was all about relaxation. For the first time in I don't know how long, we literally didn't have a single thing we *had* to do. It was amazing. Of course I was super ambitious going into the weekend, and had a list of about 137 things I wanted to accomplish...and then I didn't.

Last week I was still feeling quite horrible, so when Friday rolled around I wanted nothing more than to put on sweatpants and relax on my couch. And that's basically what I did. We picked up around the house a little bit, but the majority of the evening was spent watching TV in our sweats. Perfection.

Saturday was a bit more productive. I was determined to hit up some garage sales that morning...and then I slept until 9. But I managed to get up and around in time to go to one measly sale before my hair appointment at 11. It was Arsen's first garage sale experience, and he wasn't too impressed. This is a recap of what he told me:

"I don't really get excited about getting new stuff. Like, I don't care if I have new things. So shopping all day to try and find good deals sounds horrible, because I don't care about good deals. I don't need anything".

Sigh. What is wrong with this man, and how are we married? I get more joy out of finding a good deal than I get from almost anything else in life. It's unbelievable. But I digress...

In our 10 minutes of garage sale-ing (not a word?), we did manage to find a couple of things that I was oh-so-excited about. I found these adorable little "cappuccino mugs" (as Arsen called them). There were only three, so not a complete set, but they were $1 for the entire bunch. Are you kidding? I love anything kitchen/dining related, so finding cute cups and dishes and whatnot is pure joy for me.

I also got this little basket for a quarter! I've been meaning to buy a basket or something to keep all of our Wii stuff in, like the remotes and joystick thingys and games, but I keep forgetting. Arsen actually picked up a couple of baskets and was like "Do we need these for anything?". Oh yeah, that's why we're married! I ramble on and on about all the stuff I need to buy, and sometimes he pays attention and reminds me. Nice! I'm actually planning on spray painting it to make it a little cuter. I wanted to do something fun and bright, like blue or yellow, but the look of disgust that came from Arsen when he heard that suggestion shut that idea down real quick. I'll probably go with white. Fun hater.

After my hair appointment where I became a "real" blonde again, we went to a yummy Mexican restaurant, Mattito's, in downtown Frisco for some queso and chips, beer (for him), and fajitas. It was pretty amazing. And so filling. We didn't have another bite to eat for the rest of the day.

Then we decided to hit up Lowe's because I've been obsessed with finally planting something in the pots that have been sitting on our front porch completely empty since we moved in like 10 months ago. After a long, looong time of debating, I picked some pretty pink ones. And no, I don't remember what kind they are. I'm not really an attention-to-detail kind of girl most of the time (I'm trying to improve). But I think they are quite lovely!

The evening was finished up with a Grey's Anatomy marathon and several Bloody Mary's. Quite the perfect Saturday in my opinion.

Sunday we went to visit his parent's, who live about 20 minutes away. We had breakfast with the two of them, his sister, and her two oldest boys. It's always so nice to see everyone, even if it's only for a couple of hours. It's crazy that we live so close to them, but we only see each other every couple of months. Well, we see his parents usually about once a week or so, but his sister and brother and their families, not so much. On our list of things we want to improve upon!

After a quick jog (where my lungs almost gave out) and a bit of cleaning house, the weekend ended the same way it started. On the couch in sweats, watching TV. Overall, it was one of the best weekends we've had in awhile. I guess when you get old, and partying takes so much energy, and the hangovers are SO much worse, and you realize the incredible amounts of money you are blowing on $8 drinks, a quite weekend at home is pretty great :)

I am NOT a Drama Queen...No Really

This morning when I had just about finished getting ready, I sprayed on some perfume. I went about my business finishing up, and then went back to spray some more. I did a spray tan last night so I'm always paranoid about smelling like awful fake tan, so I thought I could use some more. I spritzed away, and then I realized something: I couldn't smell the perfume. At all.

I had put lotion on after my shower, and it has a really strong scent. Sniffed my arm: nothing. Then I started thinking, I don't remember smelling my awful spray tan last night. And wait, my food didn't have much taste yesterday. I remember it burning my mouth, but I don't remember the flavor. Doesn't smell account for like 90% of taste or something??? Panic.

I told Arsen what was happening, and he was annoyingly calm about it. "You're congested, it's just because you've been sick". Ugh.

"Babe, I've never lost my sense of smell completely before when I've been sick. Ever. Have you? Completely?"

He gave me a look of disbelief and said "Yeah." I didn't believe him.

So the entire drive to work this morning I kept slowly bringing my arm up to my nose to try and smell my lotion without Arsen noticing. Still nothing.

I started thinking about how much I will miss my sense of smell. It's one of my favorite senses. I mean, obviously behind sight. And hearing. And I like tasting things too. And it would be bad if I couldn't feel things. But still, I really like to smell good things.

I started mourning my loss, thinking of all the smell-good candles I love, how much I love picking out a new perfume or body wash, and how good Arsen smells with his manly cologne. And wait. How on earth will I ever know if I smell bad??? I have a serious phobia about smelling bad, like an obsession, and I put deodorant on like three times a day. I used to carry it in my purse! Who will ever tell me if I'm walking around smelling like a sweaty old man???

I started wondering if there are surgeries that can be done to repair this condition. I thought about doing some research when I had some spare time.

A few minutes ago I went to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. I poured the mix into my cup, and thought it looked kind of funny. I went to give it a sniff, and it smelled normal, so I figured I was good.

Wait. I can smell? Oh. Maybe this is why Arsen calls me a drama queen....

What I'm Loving Right Now

 

 

Ramen Noodles: Because I'm feeling not so great this evening, and I was definitely not cooking. So Ramen saved the day.

The Remote: Because Arsen is out watching the Mavs game with friends, and I have complete control. Well, hello Private Practice and Revenge. I've missed you so.

My Favorite Comfy Blanket and My Slippers: Because they are nice and cozy and make me happy.

My New Shoes From Target: Because they are oh-so-cute and I can't wait to wear them. Hello, spring!

These Adorable Gift Bags, Also From Target: Because I found them in the dollar spot and they were too cute to pass up. And when I take a bottle of wine to someone, now it will be a little bit fancier :)

This Face: Because this crazy, adorable little dog always seems to make me feel better.

This Book: Because marriage is a tricky little thing, and I'll take advice wherever I can get it. Plus, I adore Guliana and Bill, so win-win.

When it rains...

I've noticed that when something unfortunate happens in life, it typically doesn't end with just that one thing. I wish I knew what the reason for that was...

The past couple weeks haven't been the best. But, they haven't been the worst either, so should I really complain? After getting my lovely sinus infection (which continues to drag on with a disgusting cough), this pesky eye infection that I've been fighting on and off for over a month came back with a vengeance yesterday. By the time I got home from work and was able to take my contacts out, I could barely tolerate having my left eye open. It got worse over night, to the point that I actually had to miss work and go to the eye doctor today. Man, I'm making a great impression at this new job! Missing twice in two weeks from all my random illnesses.

On top of that, Addie developed a strange little white patch on her neck about two weeks ago. Of course I started panicking and wanted to take her to the vet immediately, but I tend to overreact. In a major way. One morning about a year ago she was limping around when she woke up. I tried to touch her foot and she freaked out. I called in to work, took her to the vet, paid a couple hundred dollars....the verdict? She probably caught her toenail on something.

We had her groomed over the weekend, so her skin is really easy to see now. Arsen was looking at her belly yesterday morning and noticed that her skin has gotten darker. A LOT darker. As in it went from soft pink to a dark charcoal grey, almost black. So of course my panic went from minor to "ohmygodmypoorbabydogisdying!!!!!" I started doing research and came across something hideous called black skin disease, and many other scary things.

I took her in to the vet today, and he says it could be either hyperpigmentation from aging, or a problem with her thyroid. He had to take some blood....man, can that little dog scream. About 4 different vet techs came in to see what happened to her to make her scream so loud. The vet was laughing so hard he could barely do the test. She is so incredibly dramatic! So he sent it off for testing, and we'll know in the next couple days whether it's her thyroid or not.

Sigh. Not only has it all been stressful, it's been expensive too. But hopefully, HOPEFULLY, it's over. Don't bad things come in threes? Sinus infections (we will just group mine and Arsen's together), eye infection, weird doggie issue....surely it's over now.

Pouting After Her Tragic Vet Visit

Discovering the New

A few days ago at lunch I decided to take a drive. I didn't have anything I needed to do, I had picked up a sandwich to take back to the office, and I had a few minutes of free time. So I just started driving. 

I'm totally new to the area that I work in, so I had zero idea of where I was going. While I was driving I was trying to take in everything I saw. I started thinking about what I was doing, and I realized something about myself that I guess I've always known, just haven't really acknowledged: I love discovering new things.

It doesn't really matter what it is. A new place, a new store, a new band, a new book....a new anything really. I'm not one of those people who wants to be the "first" to discover something. That's never really been my thing. I don't care if you show the new thing to me, I will still be overjoyed at learning about it. 

When I was younger, one of my absolute favorite things to do was to drive around in Tulsa. Or more accurately, ride around while one of my parents drove me. Being from a tiny little town in Oklahoma, Tulsa was the nearest "big city", and it was only about 30 minutes away, so we went there quite frequently. Just about any time we had to go, I would beg whichever of my parents I was with to Please, Please drive around. I just wanted to see new things. New buildings, new houses, just new stuff. 

I never thought this was strange. I assumed everyone felt the same way. But Arsen? Not a fan. He really just has no interest in getting in the car and driving and looking at stuff. It really puts a kink in my plans sometimes, especially if we are someplace new and I reeeeaaallly want to explore. Occasionally he gives in, which is why he's such a super good husband.

I've decided this is a trait I get from my father. He loves to get in the car and drive. To Arizona, or California, or South Carolina. Every single vacation we took, up until the point that I was a senior in high school, we drove. I literally had never been on an airplane until I was 17, because we drove everywhere we went. And it's not like we didn't travel some decently far distances. He would get SO mad at me because I would sleep most of the way. He couldn't fathom that we were driving and seeing all of this beautiful countryside and I was missing it. At the time I could take it or leave it unless it was a tall shiny building. I'm coming around on the natural beauty thing as I age. 

So now that I realize this is something that brings me such joy, I think I will embrace it. I'm on a new mission to discover new. Anything new. We'll see how it goes.

via Pinterest

Sick & Tired

I had such high hopes for this weekend....and it didn't quite turn out the way I expected. Arsen started getting sick Thursday night, and by Friday he was miserable. He went to the doctor Friday and they told him it was a sinus infection. He got some medicine and laid on the couch all Friday night trying to feel better. Since it was a sinus infection I wasn't worried at all....those aren't contagious, right? That's what I've always heard. 

I went on like normal thinking I was in the clear. By Saturday afternoon, I was pretty miserable. By that night, I was definitely sick. I have had allergies and sinus problems my entire life, and I have never had a sinus headache as bad as the one I had from Saturday until late Sunday night. I'm still confused how this happened. Apparently sinus infections are indeed contagious.

I had some kind of horrible reaction to the sinus medicine I was taking and literally slept about one hour all of last night. I was still super sick this morning, so I stayed home and finally fell asleep about 9 this morning....and slept until almost 4. MUCH needed. So, needless to say it wasn't quite the wonderful Easter weekend we were hoping for!

However, we did go see my family on Saturday. So even though we were both sick that day, he was already feeling better and I was just starting to feel bad. We went by my dad's for a couple of hours to visit, and then we went to my grandparents for dinner with most of my mom's side of the family. It was really nice to see everyone...even though we all live within a few hours of each other, we really only get together on the holidays.

The most entertaining part of the evening, for me at least, was seeing Addie try to scare my Grandmother's cat. This cat is literally twice Addie's size, and he wasn't having it. Addie would run at him and bark, and he would arch his back and hiss. I think Addie knew she couldn't take him, but she just couldn't help herself. I was terrified the thing was going to tear her apart. 

This upcoming weekend is the bachelorette party for one of my very best friends. We are having the bachelorette here in Dallas, and then her wedding is two weeks later in Oklahoma. Katie and I have been super close since we met at OSU (through very strange circumstances), and I adore the guy she is marrying. I'm so happy for her! She and I have seen each other through some not so great "boy problems", so I'm relieved we both found such wonderful guys. Arsen and Q (her fiance) get along so well that I always tease them about their "bromance", so it all worked out quite well. Now if I could only convince them to move to Dallas....

Here are some photos from our trip this weekend:

Randomness

I have nothing important to say tonight, I just realized it has been a super long time since I've blogged. And since my brain feels like a big jumbled mess and I don't feel like thinking much, I think I'll just ramble for a bit....

I've noticed that there is no way possible to get anything done. I mean, sometimes I get things done, but never, ever do I get all the things on my to do list done. I think it's just something I'm going to have to embrace.

Arsen and I have both been working a lot, and by the time we get home we are exhausted. I literally feel like the house is a disaster, but I'm just too tired to care. Thankfully, I have a fabulous and thoughtful husband who had the entire house clean and the laundry done when I got home on Sunday from being in Tulsa all weekend. How lucky am I?  Buuut it's not exactly still tidy. And it probably won't get that way for awhile...

Saturday we're heading to Oklahoma to see my family for the day. We're planning on going by my dad's for a few hours and then heading to my grandparent's home (my mom's parents) for a little get together. I haven't seen them since Christmas, so I'm pretty excited. Then Sunday we will go to the Armenian church for Easter, and hopefully have lunch with Arsen's family. Quite a bit to pack into two days, but we've attempted much more in the past :)

On another totally random note, my dad's girlfriend has a great camera and took tons of pictures at our weddings, and she gave them to me awhile back. Things have been so crazy that I haven't taken the time to sit down and look at them. I finally got around to it yesterday and they are so good! I'm that obnoxious girl on Facebook who has uploaded about a million wedding photos, but I can't help myself. I've printed maybe 10 wedding photos so far, so it's really the only way I have to look at them. Yeah, that's my excuse....

SO, I'm putting some of my favorites here, just to be even more annoying :)

 My oh-so-proud parents :)

 My Dad and my gorgeous bridesmaids

 Someone looks a little stressed...

 Arsen's sister Lena and baby Haik

Me and my wonderful, supportive, and super-duper loving parents.