Twenty-Eight in Twenty-Eight

Just writing the title to this post made me slightly nauseous and almost caused some type of strange identity crisis. I think I'm in denial that I will be 28 in just over two months. Seriously, I find that unbelievable. Where on earth did the last 10 years of my life go, and how am I almost 30? Ahhh!

Anyway, Erin over at Living in Yellow (a lovely blog that I stalk on the regular) did a fun link up for her 26th birthday, basically listing out 26 things she hopes to accomplish in her 26th year. I'm definitely a list lover, and I'm all for setting fun goals, so I thought I would jump on in and participate. So starting on October 12th (write that down) I hope to accomplish these 28 things before my next b-day rolls around in 2013. Here it goes:

1. Be brave and dye my hair a pretty brunette shade...no more chickening out and ending up with dirty blonde.

Maybe? Too Much? I'm scared.

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2. Start pursuing freelance writing opportunities.

3. Get back to a weight that makes me feel healthy and happy...aka, no more squeezing into clothes that are too tight and then feeling fat all day. Instead of going up a size, make myself fit into them.

4. Knock a few trips off of my looong list of places I want to visit.

5. Be a better wife. I need to become more loving, less critical, and less defensive.

Cute hubs. I should always be so sweet.

6. Attend some type of blogging conference. They always sound like so much fun, but they're usually so far away! I'm determined to make it happen though...

7. Grow this little bitty blog of mine. I don't really have a particular number of followers in mind...maybe 250? That seems somewhat attainable for a year.

8. Start taking more photos. More interesting photos I should say. As adorable as Addie is, she takes up about 75% of the photos on my camera and iPhone combined.

Can ya blame me?

9. Relax. And don't overreact. Arsen calls me dramatic all the time, and he might just be right. I feel like I might live longer if I could learn to stress less and take a moment before reacting...

10. I want to make some sort of baby goal, but I'm not sure...let's just say if a baby happens, I won't be too upset.

11. Maintain a healthier lifestyle. Eat cleaner, exercise more, use more "green" products...I'm starting to realize the amount of junk that I put in and around my body, and Arsen and Addie for that matter. I really want to change that.

12. Be a better friend. I don't think I'm a bad friend, but I can go a month without talking to my very best friends. Not cool.

Some of my very favorites. Love them.

13. Stop buying a million cheap things everywhere I go, and invest in some nicer things. I will head straight to Forever 21 and buy 10 things instead of investing in two nice things. That has always served me well, but I feel like I might be getting a bit too old to keep that up.

14. Send thank you notes. I'm the worlds worst at this. I have a million adorable little notes at home, but I never remember to send them.

15. Stop feeling so guilty all the time. I constantly feel like I'm not calling my parents enough, seeing my friends enough, blogging enough, working out enough, giving Arsen and Addie enough attention...I know I'm doing my best, and I need to accept that.

16. Become a little more crafty- and stop judging myself for not being "creative" enough.

17. Start pursuing some of the dreams I have for myself. I know I can do some pretty great things...I just have to go for it.

18. Read more. Simple enough.

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19. Volunteer more. I would love to get involved with one of the shelters around here...somehow I need to do this without bringing home a million pets.

20. Go to more concerts. Live music is one of my very favorite things, and the past couple of years Arsen and I have really been slacking in the concert attendance thing.

21. Cook more. I've got about 8 million recipes pinned on Pinterest. I might as well put them to use.

22. Be friendlier. I'm naturally a bit reserved, I think out of insecurity, and it's about time I let go of the fear that people don't like me and just jump in there.

23. Learn to be okay with who I am. I have always suffered from horrible insecurity (see above) and I feel like it really holds me back. No one else is focusing on my flaws. Why am I obsessing over it? I've done this since I was a child, and it's something I'm determined to overcome.

24. Go to the movies more. I absolutely love watching movies in the theater, and we rarely do it. Last year we started going every Sunday, but got out of the habit. I'd love to start back up.

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25. Spend more time with my family, and Arsen's family. It's so important, and so easy to let time pass without realizing how long it's been.

26. Buy a bike. And start biking. We've been talking about it for awhile now, might as well do it.

Kid's bike that I want desperately. Too cute.

27. Start treating myself to massages on a regular basis. It's just about my favorite thing ever, why not?

28. Stop wishing time away. I've always been a big dreamer, so I'm always looking to the future...I want to embrace the present and all the amazing things that I have going for me, here and now.

I feel like these are pretty attainable, and things I should be doing anyway. Having them all listed out here will just make it that much easier to stay accountable. So why don't you join me? Make a list of your own and go link up! Actually, you'll have to hurry because I'm a huge procrastinator and the link up is over in like a day...but whatever, go for it.

Can't wait to see what happens for me in my 28th year...I feel like it's gonna be a good one!

The Social Butterfly Strikes Again

Of course my weekend of doing absolutely nothing turned into a weekend of a whole lot of something, thanks to the hubs. The guy just can't help himself. If someone wants to do something, he is always willing to go. This is actually a good thing for me, because I could easily sit at home every weekend and read a book or organize the house or do a little redecorating. He keeps me social.

Anyway, so instead of watching the opening ceremony Friday night, Arsen came home and said we were going to dinner with a coworker of his and his family. We went to Texas Roadhouse, which I love, and then did a quick little Target run. Pretty easy little Friday evening.

On Saturday we had plans to go golfing. Our tee time or whatever it's called was at 10:30, and by that time it was already a million degrees outside. Since I started sweating the minute I stepped foot outside, I made the decision that I would not be golfing, but I would instead be observing from the golf cart. Arsen had also informed me that we would be golfing 9 holes but nope, they'd signed us up for 18.

So basically I drove the golf cart around, sat in it to try and not melt in the sun, and watched everyone else golf. And then I left after 9 holes and went shopping while they all finished. So overall I can't complain :)

After meeting back up with the golfers for a little lunch, Arsen and I went home. He napped while I cleaned up, we ordered Pho for dinner, and watched Lost...until 3 AM! Arsen just kept saying "Let's watch one more!", and how was I gonna say no to that? So we did.

Today we had brunch with friends, did some work around the house, went to the gym and bought groceries. Tomorrow I'm starting a weight loss cleanse, and we stocked up on tons of fruits and veggies. I have GOT to do something to get back in shape. I cannot believe how out of shape I am. Last week I finally realized how bad it's gotten, and I am horrified. So I'm hoping to jump start things a little and then take it from there. We'll see how it goes, but seriously, I've gotta do something.

Now it's time for yet another week. I can't believe it's already almost August! This year is absolutely flying by. But I am so incredibly excited that it's almost fall. It's my very favorite time of the year, and I wish it lasted longer around here. It will stay deathly hot until almost October most likely, and then by December it's pretty freaking cold. So I really, really enjoy the couple of months of glorious fall weather that we get.

So I guess it's time to head to bed and get ready for another Monday. I'm looking forward to happy hour with friends on Wednesday, and hopefully a less stressful work week than the last one. Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Super-Exciting Weekend Plans

Happy weekend people! I'm so excited for this weekend because I don't have a single plan. Not one. The past few weekends have been so busy, so I can't wait to just relax and clean and do crafty stuff and laundry. But if I know my husband, and I think I know him well, he will most likely find some social activity to involve us in. He's such a little social butterfly...he just can't help himself.

I personally am excited to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics tonight. I have a confession to make: I've never watched the Olympics. Summer or Winter. I've seen like two minutes of it and then gotten bored and switched the channel, but I've never been one of those people who are superpumped about it and watch them every day. Does that make me un-American? I certainly hope not.

Actually, one year I did watch the Olympics, but only the figure skating, and I thought it was uh-mazing. It was the year of Oksana Bauil and Nancy Kerrigan. I have no idea if either of them ever competed more than this one year (when did that whole knee thing happen anyway?), but in 1994 I was 10 years old and I thought they were the coolest ever. On the playground we always "played ice skating", and I was always Oksana, because I had blonde hair like her. I thought she was the coolest anyway, so that was fine by me. We would slide around on our tennis shoes and spin and jump and I'm pretty sure we looked like lunatics...but it was great fun. So yeah. That's the extent of my experience with the Olympics.

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I'm determined to pay more attention this summer. I actually have a friend who's husband is competing in wrestling, so I'll definitely need to be watching that. We'll see how it goes, I may even enjoy it.

So to all you Olympics-fanatics out there, I hope you have a wonderful two weeks or however long it lasts. Everyone else, have a super weekend. I plan on it.

Well That Was Just Awesome...

Today started out on a not-so-great note. I woke up about 10 minutes late, but that's no big deal, so I just rushed and was out the door about 5 minutes later than what I was hoping. I remembered that Addie's seat belt and blanket were in Arsen's car, so I tried to rig her a little set up with a leash. Didn't work the best. After I got her settled in and turned on my car, I was reminded that I was out of gas. Awesome.

I stopped to get gas and got back on the road...I was definitely behind schedule, but I could still make it to work about 10 minutes early (I try to get there about 15 minutes early every day, although the past week hasn't been going according to plan). Since she wasn't strapped in the right way, Addie kept going back and forth from my lap to the passenger seat, which was annoying, but nothing too bad. And then the unthinkable happened.

She peed in my car.

She has never, ever done that before. Ever. I didn't even register what was happening at first. She always spins around several times before she pees, but she also spins before she lays down. I saw her spin, but OF COURSE I assumed she was going to lay down. Nope. She just squatted there, peeing on her blanket, her toys, and my freaking seat belt. I was yelling "Addie STOP! Addie Stop It Right Now! ADDIE!!!!", and she was just staring at me while she continued to pee.

Needless to say I was not happy. Actually, I was so shocked I didn't know what to think. I called Arsen freaking out, but he was already at work so he just listened to me, told me to get some paper towels at a gas station to clean it up, and said he needed to go. So I just cried frustrated tears the rest of the way to daycare. Then Arsen sent me about 10 text messages with tips of what I should do. Helpful, yes, but I was looking for "Oh my God babe that sucks! I'm so SO sorry your morning is going so rotten!". Somehow men always think they need to give a solution, not sympathy...oh well, the solutions can be quite helpful I suppose ;) You know they mean well....

I dropped Addie off, made it to work right after 8...and then decided I would really rather not leave a urine covered blanket, toys, and seat belt to sit in my car all day long in 100 degree heat. I can't even imagine what that would smell like after 10 hours...goodness. So I picked Addie back up a couple hours later, came back home, cleaned everything up, and have been working from home the rest of the day.

Of course my mind goes to the worst place...maybe she's sick? That's just not like her. Something has to be wrong...and then my mom sends me an email about shih tzu's being prone to kidney disease. Gooooood Lord. Let the paranoia begin!

How could I stay mad at this tiny dog?

Back to Life...

Our quick trip to the OK turned into an all weekend event. I had a teeny tiny feeling that might happen, but I went fully intending on coming back Saturday afternoon. However, before I even got out of bed Saturday morning Arsen started basking in the sun in the uncles pool, which is like heaven for him, so I knew there was a good chance he could be convinced to stay. Then after a yummy, loooong lunch of Mexican food and several beers, he was more than happy to stay and continue the day.

It was a really great, relaxing weekend. We spent some time at the hospital visiting my sweet little granddaddy, and the rest of the time was spent lounging by the pool or on the couch watching TV. The uncles were dog sitting for a good friend of theirs. Not just one, but two little pups- Sophie and Solomon-  so Addie was in heaven. It was a nice, low-key weekend, which we needed after the past couple eventful ones.

 

One and Only Pic of the Pups

 

Their pool that I want

 Their gorgeous patio furniture that I want

Saturday night we went out to dinner in Norman (which where my uncles live) to a place called Blackbird. It had delicious food, and it was gorgeous. It's a fairly new place apparently, but it's in this great old building. I tried to get some photos without being too obvious, but I didn't really do it justice.

Arsen and I split two appetizers of Mac and Cheese and Chicken Nachos, my mom had Shepard's Pie, my uncle Rick had Chicken Pot Pie, and my uncle Mark had Spicy Meatloaf. I took it upon myself to sample everyone's food, and every single bit of it was so yummy. Also, their drinks were great. I had a Cherry Basil Mojito that I loved. I could have easily had more than one because it was super refreshing and went down quite quickly, but they weren't cheap. Similar to Dallas prices I would say. Me being the cheap little woman that I am, I couldn't rationalize spending close to 20 bucks on two drinks. No one else seemed to have that issue ;) Not sure if anyone reading lives anywhere near Norman, but it is definitely worth trying!

After dinner we had plans to go back to the house and swim, but after such a heavy dinner and a couple drinks, everyone was ready for bed. Arsen and I sat outside for maybe 20 minutes, trying to motivate ourselves to swim, but it didn't happen. We were in bed by probably 11. I swear, we're getting older all the time....

Sunday morning Mark fixed a huge breakfast of biscuits and sausage gravy and eggs with cheese, peppers and mushrooms, and we had bloody mary's and mimosas. I'm telling you, going to visit my family isn't half bad! After lingering around the table for awhile, we decided it was time to head home.

 

Their built in bar that I want

 

My favorite little trinket

Their sunroom that I want 

On the way home we stopped by my dad's for a few hours. He still has those crazy flying grasshoppers that terrorized me last time we were there, so once again I had to sprint to and from the car. There are seriously hundreds of them, and they fly. What in the world? I can't take it.

It is way too hot outside in Oklahoma right now to do anything other than lay in the air conditioning. It was 109 this weekend! I can't believe it, but it was actually hotter there than in Texas. Unbelievable. So we layed around chatting with my dad and watching ESPN. Normally watching ESPN for an extended period of time would be my worst nightmare, but they were doing 24 hours of some type of short films, so it was actually interesting. One of them was about Tim Tebow, who I've never paid any attention to whatsoever, but after watching that little film, he just seems so sweet! I might have to hop on the Tebow fan bandwagon....probably not, because let's be honest I'm not much of a sports enthusiast, but still...nice guy. 

After we got back home we weren't too super productive. Arsen did put together my new desk for me though! I've been wanting a small desk to put in one of the upstairs guest rooms, to make into a mini-office for when I work from home. My mom and I were at Target Friday night, just browsing around while we waited to go pick up pizza we had ordered, and I randomly saw a boxed desk on a back row by the towels. It was marked down to $28 because it had a scratch. I looked at the scratch and it was nearly impossible to see, so I pretty much had to have it. It's really cute, and 28 bucks? Are you kidding? You know I love a bargain. In the basket it went.

Other than that, we just caught up on what the Kardashians have been up to. Since we've been so wrapped up in Lost we've missed the last 4 or 5 episodes, and I love me some Kardashians. I don't know why I torture myself, because I just sit there jealous over their beauty (yes I think they're gorgeous) and their money and their fabulous lives....but I love it. Maybe someday Arsen will send me a room full of designer dresses like Kanye sent Kim...maybe. A girl can dream.

So now it's back to life. Back to reality. Ha. (anyone? a little late 80s/early 90's reference? no? mmk.) Alright, I hope everyone had a super fab Monday! I'm off to bed. 'Night friends!

Friday Randoms

Arsen and I are in the great state of Oklahoma for a quick overnight trip this evening. I'm super duper excited to spend some time with my mom and dad, uncles, and granddaddy. Unfortunately the reason we're here is because my sweet granddaddy is in the hospital, but the good news he's getting better. So Arsen took a half day this afternoon and we headed this way. We're staying the night with my uncles tonight, stopping by to see my dad tomorrow afternoon, and then heading back home.

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Other than that, no big plans. We've been so busy the past few weekends, I know what I should do, and that is clean my house. Not like pick things up like I do every night, but clean it. Like scrub the shower and toilet and baseboards and all of the things that make me so angry I could punch someone. Does anyone else get violently angry when they are forced to do these jobs? Or do I have a problem? I honestly don't mind day-to-day cleaning, and doing a deep clean of the kitchen gives me a real sense of satisfaction. I think it's just bathrooms. They just gross me out so much and I really don't want to be the one cleaning them.

Wow. I guess I needed to that off my chest, because I got waaaay off track with that little convo. Anywho....

I've got several projects that I have been wanting to get to, and this might just be the weekend for it. Also, our front yard could use some work. Major work. It's embarrassing. I would post a picture as proof but I'm afraid you guys wouldn't want to be friends anymore. I feel like we're "those" neighbors, the ones that everyone on the block is like "Good Lord I wish those people would trim their freaking bushes!".

Okay...I've got a major case of ADD going on today, so I think I'll just go ahead and stop while I'm ahead. I'm super excited to watch miss Ruthie on House Hunters tonight...everybody be sure and tune in! And Happy Friday!!!

Thoughts on Summer

I have a confession to make. I hate summer.

I know, I know. You probably don't understand, think I'm crazy, are somehow offended....I just can't help it.  I try. I give it my best effort. But I'm just not a fan. I hate being hot. Hate it. It makes me angry. I sweat easily, and I sweat like a man. Sexy, right? I also have a phobia about smelling bad, which makes the sweating thing even worse. I carry deodorant around in my purse, and am constantly checking to see if I smell okay. TMI? Oh well.

This problem is magnified because I live in one of the hottest places on the face of the earth. I have no idea if that's accurate, but it feels like it. Being over 100 degrees is no big thing. It's actually pretty much expected for the majority if the summer. As soon as I walk outside I feel like my skin is on fire and, oh yeah, I start sweating. Disgusting.

There is no way to be comfortable. No clothing option works for this weather. I could walk around naked and still be miserable. I would never do that, but even if I was brave enough it wouldn't help. My poor little dog can't walk in the heat for more than five minutes without collapsing on the sidewalk and forcing me to carry her back to the house. Maybe she's just lazy, but I blame the heat.

Also, buildings take it to an extreme and make sure it's negative five degrees inside to combat the heat. Which means my little summer dress that I'm forced to wear because of the ungodly heat outside equals extreme discomfort and shivering when indoors. And at work I'm forced to wear a cardigan AND wrap up in a blanket to stay comfortable. Misery.

And I'm not really a lake person. Or a river person. Or a camping person. And even if I was, I'd rather do those things in oh, maybe 90 degree weather? It's too hot to even swim. The water is like bath water.

Oh, and bathing suits. This didn't bother me until the last couple of years when I no longer have zero fat on my body. Now, it's pure torture. I sympathize with every woman who has ever tried on a bathing suit and then been forced to go in public. This is not good for my self esteem, people.

As you can see, I've reached the point in the summer when the weather makes me feel like a real b-word. So I've decided to make a list of the things I enjoy about summer to try and trick myself into being less cranky. Here goes:

I like the sunshine.
I like being able to take Addie out without putting on shoes.
I like wedges and sandals.
I like maxi dresses and other flowy things.
I like okra, and it only seems to be around this time of year.
I like the pretty flowers, trees and green grass.
I like not shivering when I walk outdoors (Texas is extreme, one or the other)
I like that I get off work at 1 pm on Fridays.
I like that it stays light outside later.
I like having the option of getting in a swimming pool.

And there you have it. I gave it my best shot. Gotta be honest though, not feeling too much more chipper. At least I tried.

Have a fabulous summer day everyone...hopefully you enjoy it MUCH more than I do! 

A Bit of Randomness - Me, Myself & I Link Up

So I've been seeing all kinds of people linking up today for the Me Myself and I link party, and I thought I might as well join. Even though we put a lot of ourselves out here in this blogging world, the random little facts that really let you know who someone is are rarely mentioned. I thought it would be fun to clue you guys in on a few of the things that make me who I am. So here goes! 


1. What's Your Biggest Phobia? 

Biggest? That's hard to say. I've discovered that when it comes down to it, I'm a big huge chicken. Number one might just be crickets, which is unfortunate since they are EVERYWHERE in the summer. A close second would be frogs. Oh, and mice. And those ugly black crow looking birds. 

Other than creepy crawly things, it's flying. I hatehatehate flying. I'm the girl on the plane who has her eyes squeezed shut and is gripping onto the arm rests. The entire flight my mind focuses on the fact that there is NOTHING underneath me. Just air. Thousands of feet of air. And if this massive hunk of metal somehow malfunctions, I'm going down. Why on earth would you ever want to risk that?

Pure Torture

2. If You Could Re-Live Any Day of Your Life, What Would It Be and Why?

This is super tough. I can think of periods of time I would want to re-live, but a particular day? If I have to choose, I'll go with my wedding day. Cliche, yes, but it's the only day that has ever really been 100% all about me (and Arsen haha). It was so amazing to have so many people that I love in one place celebrating, and it was SO much fun. So we'll go with that.

3. If You Could Choose To Stay a Certain Age Forever, What Would It Be?

I would say 23. That was an amazing year. I was old enough to make smart (enough) decisions, and I had got whatever "wild" streak I ever had out (for the most part). That year was all about having fun and spending time with friends. I didn't have a care in the world. I went to class for a few hours a day, maybe worked a few hours at the tanning salon, and went out. Oh, to be so young and carefree...

Also, that's the year I met Arsen. All my life I said I knew I would meet the man I would marry at 23, and get married at 26. We met three weeks before my 24th bday, and got married 3 weeks before my 27th. Crazy, right?

 Me at 23
 

4. Which Celebrity Do You Get Mistaken For?

I haven't heard anyone in awhile, but when I was younger I got Kelly Ripa A LOT. I'm not complaining, I love her! Now if only I had her body as well... 

Twins? Didn't Think So

5. What Songs Are Included in the Soundtrack of Your Life?
 Ahh, another tough one! I'll just go with songs I love that don't necessarily have a meaning to me.

Don't Speak- No Doubt. Has been a favorite of mine since the age of 9 or 10. 
Home- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This song immediately makes me happy no matter what.
Oklahoma Girl- Eli Young Band. Perfect song for me and Arsen. 
Anything by Lana Del Rey. Majorly obsessed right now.
Make You Feel My Love- Adele's version. Our first dance at our wedding :)
Til The World Ends- Britney Spears. Love her. Her music makes me dance. Don't care. Judge away....
Paradise- Coldplay. Makes me feel happy.
Say It Ain't So- Weezer. Another lifelong favorite.

So that was fun! If you link up for this please let me know in the comments! I'd love to get to know more about you guys too :)

Last Weekend = Somewhat of a Fail

It's funny how you can be so excited about something, plan it all so well, and then it just doesn't quite work out. That pretty much sums up a good chunk of my weekend, which is unfortunate.

Friday night went pretty well...I got my yummy sushi dinner that I wanted, and we relaxed like I was hoping. We went to bed decently early, and I got an amazing amount of sleep.

Saturday morning we got up early and dropped off Addie to be groomed and stay the night at her favorite daycare place. She went to the same place in Plano for almost two years, and when I got my new job we had to switch. She still loves that place so much and gets excited whenever she gets to go back. It's pretty cute. Check out her new haircut. Adorbs.

After dropping off the fur baby we picked up Arsen's parents and dropped them off at DFW airport. They're spending a little over a week in Salt Lake City visiting his dad's sister. One observation I made is that the amount of luggage that they take for a week long trip is less than what Arsen and I take for an overnight stay. Not surprising.

Then we went back home to get ready to head out for our fun day in Fort Worth. This is where it all fell apart. We started watching Lost while we ate our lunch, and then we were sucked in for like two episodes. That show does it every time! Then I somehow got inspired to mop the hardwood floors, do the dishes, and a little laundry before showering and getting ready. By the time we finally got around and left the house it was almost four, and we were supposed to be at Arsen's friend Adam's house by 5:30, so...

Needless to say we didn't get to do my fun tour of Fort Worth that I had planned. But we did end up having a really fun night with a lot of good friends. It's so funny how different things are than when I met all these guys in college. We sat at a few tables talking and having a few drinks for a few hours, then left to go home around one. In the past none of us ever would have considered leaving before the lights came on at the end of the night..now we were home in our sweats eating pizza by that time. Unbelievable.

One super exciting thing that happened this weekend is that I got my package in the mail from Amanda at Maggiano Takes Austin. I won her big giveaway last week and I couldn't be more excited...it was like my birthday or Christmas! It's the perfect way to brighten my day, a bunch of free stuff :) Look at all my fun little goodies!

Now that the week has started, it's back to reality (blah). Tonight we did some grocery shopping and cooked a super delicious recipe for Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese I got from Sam over at Reddy or Knot. Seriously people, she has the best recipes over there...I think I've pinned every single one of them to my recipes board. And they are all "skinny" versions, so even better! Go check her out :)

I ended the night cuddling with my husband, playing catch with my crazy little dog, and you guessed it, watching Lost. I'm so predictable. Now, on to the rest of the week...

Friday, Glorious Friday

I couldn't be happier that it's Friday. I feel like this is a common theme for me, right? I say it probably every Friday post that I do. Not that I don't enjoy my job, but man it's nice to have a couple days to do whatever I want, whenever I want. This week actually went surprisingly fast so I've really got no complaints, but still...

I worked from home this morning, which I love. I wish I could do this every day. It's so nice to be able to sit here in my backyard and let Addie run around while I'm getting my work done. Plus I got to sleep like an hour later and work in my sweat pants with no make up...seriously, can't beat that.

I discovered today that Addie is becoming increasingly lazy. Maybe it's because she went to daycare three times this week, but she hasn't done much this morning but nap. Which is helpful since I wouldn't have been able to play with her anyway. A couple years ago she seriously never calmed down, ever, until she finally passed out late at night. It's crazy to see how much she's "grown up". And a little sad. I don't want her to get old!

So this should be another fun-filled weekend for us. Tonight we don't have anything planned, maybe dinner somewhere. Actually I just this second had the brilliant idea for a sushi date, so I'll be texting Arsen in a few minutes to let him know :) Then tomorrow we are dropping the child off at daycare to be boarded overnight, and we're heading to Fort Worth for a friends birthday. I'm super excited, because even though it's only 45 minutes or so from here, I've only been to Fort Worth a handful of times. I've heard it's actually a super fun city, so I'm hoping I can convince the husband to leave a little early and do some exploring. I'll try my very hardest to be a good blogger and take lots of photos. Arsen just loves it when I embarrass him by stopping in the street like a crazy tourist to take photos of everything I see, so he should be excited.

Alright, I'm off to clean the house...somebody has to do it, and I guess that someone has to be me (unfortunately). BUT I have decided to reward myself with a massage, so come 4 PM I will be relaxing to some Enya or whatever it is they play. Hope everyone has a super wonderful weekend!

California Dreamin'

When I was 20 I moved to California. It was something I had always dreamed of doing, and I finally got up the nerve and convinced my parents to let me go. But let's start at the beginning.

From the time I was a very young girl I loved to perform. I started dancing around the age of five and continued up until junior high. I was super shy as a child, but for some reason never had an ounce of stage fright. I eventually quit dance so I could focus on cheerleading (biggest mistake ever), but I've always regretted it. So even after I wasn't dancing anymore I still had an urge to be on stage performing.

I started acting around the age of 15, just taking acting lessons here and there. Unfortunately my school was so teeny tiny that we didn't have theater until my senior year of high school. And even then, I don't think it can actually be considered theater. The two plays that we did that year were "Santa Strikes Back" and "The Legend of Sammy's Swamp". No, I'm not kidding. I wish I was.

After high school I really had no idea what I wanted to do. I knew I didn't want to go to college, I had never planned on going to college, but somehow I randomly enrolled in college anyway. I knew I still wanted to act, but I didn't have the confidence to major in theater. I started taking more acting lessons outside of school and auditioning for student and independent films here and there.

I stayed in school for about 3 semesters before I just lost all motivation. I had never really wanted to be there, I was newly single, and I was dying to move to L.A. and take the acting thing seriously. An acting coach that I had at the time said he knew a girl that was about my age who was also wanting to move there. She and I met up for lunch one day at Panera Bread, and five minutes into our conversation we had already decided that we would be moving in July and going before that to find an apartment. I went to my parents with the plan, and after some convincing they said I could go.

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I moved to L.A. the summer of 2005 when I was 20 years old. Moving from a town with less than 3000 people, to a college town in Oklahoma, then to one of the biggest cities in America within two years was quite a change. For the first month or so I wouldn't even drive on the freeway. It was a bit of a shock to the system, but I loved it. I felt like for the first time I was where I was supposed to be.

While in L.A. I took acting lessons, auditioned, got an agent, and booked a few very small things. I also missed home more than I ever thought possible. All my life I had been dying to get out of the small town I grew up in...and then I missed it terribly once I was gone. I would call home on the weekends and my friends would all be together. If I were there I would have been thinking of all the amazing things I could be doing in California, but now that I was there I could only think about the fun I was missing out on back home. To make matters worse, my roommate and I weren't getting along. So I was all alone in a huge city, with no friends and no support system. At such a young age I just simply wasn't strong enough or secure enough to handle it.

That spring I got sick. More sick than I have possibly ever been, before or since. My roommate was basically living with her boyfriend by that time, and I didn't have anyone to take care of me. My mom had always babied me up to that point, so I was completely lost. I remember driving myself through L.A. traffic, from Studio City to West Hollywood where my doctor was, with a 103 degree temperature, crying because I just hated my life. I called my parents that night and told them I wanted to move home. Within the next couple of months, I was back in Oklahoma.

When I look back on my time in L.A., it's definitely bittersweet. I learned so much about myself during that time. I learned to take care of myself, to be alone in a huge city, and I overcame a lot of emotional stuff that I had been dealing with. I chased my dream, although if I had it to do all over again I would do everything completely differently. You live, you learn I suppose.

For a long time I regretted moving home because I felt like I gave up on my dream. I even was planning on moving back to L.A. in January of 2009....but luck would have it that I met this crazy Armenian guy who turned my world upside down in September of 2008. I honestly do believe that everything happens for a reason, and if I would have stayed, who knows what would have happened? I could have found some success, but never would have met Arsen. I wouldn't be living this amazing life that I'm living today.

The life that I have now is certainly nothing like what I imagined it would be, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'll take the life in the suburbs, the husband, the dog, and someday, the kids. If you would have told me five years ago that I would be completely satisfied with this type of life I would have called you crazy. But what did I know back then?

A Very Belated Weekend Update

I'm a little late with this post. I've just been so busy, with things like watching Lost every free minute that I have, and....that's about it. Have you seen that show? It is so insanely addictive. We're watching it on Hulu and we're maybe a third of the way through the second season. It's literally all we've been doing when we get home from work until the time we go to bed. It's messing with my head, but I can't stop. Anyway....enough about that.

Last weekend our friends Katie and Q came to visit from Tulsa for a friend of theirs birthday. They got in Friday evening and we decided to go play Top Golf. I've never played this crazy game before, but it was actually a lot of fun. I am seriously just awful at it, but I still had a good time.

If you're not familiar with what it is, you're up on this two story high ledge thing, and you hit golf balls off onto the ground below. The goal is to make it into one of the round circles...which I found to be pretty freaking impossible. How do you aim a golf ball? I'm still working on figuring that out....

 

Check out my cute glove! 

Then on Saturday evening, after a day spent shopping for Katie and I, and at the driving range and taking naps for the boys, we headed out on a party bus for their friend Kara's birthday. I've never been on a party bus before, and it was quite an experience. Twenty or so people riding in the back of this tricked out bus, drinking alcohol and swinging around on a pole (not me, other people. I swear.)...It was intense. Even though we didn't know anyone other than Kara and her husband, we ended up having a really good time. It was a bit awkward at first, because Katie, Arsen and I were the youngest people...by quite a few years. And the older women on the bus didn't seem to be our biggest fans. Actually, I take that back. Older women LOVE Arsen. Always have, always will. He is such a ridiculous flirt with them, and they just eat it up. I've always said if he cheats on me it will be with a muuuuch older woman. Not that he would cheat on me, but still....gotta watch those cougars! So in reality I think they just didn't care for me and Katie....but I think the drinking helped things? Maybe...

After stopping at a random bar and switching buses because the first bus didn't have a working music system (really?), we drove around and made a few stops. One country bar we went to was a lot of fun. Mechanical bull, two stepping, cowboy hats...what can be better?

All in all, very successful weekend. Although, two late nights out just about killed me. I literally don't think I moved more than a total of 10 times altogether on Sunday. I just can't handle it!

And now...it's already Wednesday! I'm already planning for the next weekend, and I feel like this last one just happened. Not that I'm complaining...can't beat a quick week :)