Wedding Season Re-Cap

So...I've been at some weddings. 

I love weddings, as a general rule. 

Looking fancy, yummy food/drinks, dancing, nostalgia...

And most importantly, witnessing a huge event in the life of someone you love. 

So a little re-cap. 

I was LUCKY to be invited to three weddings within the last month. 

Three celebrations of love & happiness. 

Ann & Justin--Buffalo NY

Meg & Zack--Newport RI

Pat & Betsy--Allentown, PA

Annie and I became friends when she lived in Plymouth and worked at Schwartz. We were hired within a month of each other, and instantly clicked. Before I even met Brian, I actually visited Ann several times in Plymouth to hang out/get drinks. We drove to Albany together, went shopping in Newport. And once I met Brian (who lived 1/2 mile from Ann, small world), we were neighbors!
Ann moved to Arkansas last October, when her fiancee Justin was re-located there for work. I visited her in March, which was amazing. It was great to see her again, it's been six months!

Meg & I have been close since high school. She was one of my closest friends then, and continues to be a good friend today. She moved to Washington DC (well, technically just outside it) in December 2009, and since then we have been long-distance friends. Meg & Zack met in Newport but started actually seeing each other once she moved. And clearly, it worked out!!!

Needless to say, we've been friends since glitter dresses were in style. 

Patrick and I have been close since 2006, when we met in grad school. (He was wearing that Notre Dame jersey the day I met him too.) I wrote an intimate portrait about Pat, too. To read it, click here.

These weddings were a great way to catch up with friends--old and new! 

And frankly, the dance floor was HOPPIN' at all three weddings. 

What a party! 

It is especially heart-warming to see my friends find partners that they can be THEMSELVES with. 

Goofy, silly. It makes you believe in marriage. (In times where it seems like no one stays together.)

And it's good to know all my friends (now grown-ups!) still have the "moves" of their younger days! 

At the end of the day--it's about true love, right? 

About being willing to give it all up--your freedom, your heart--to someone else. 

Because you get so much back. 

Is there ANYTHING better than seeing someone YOU love, getting the LOVE they deserve? 

And it makes me appreciate MY partner, MY love, all the more. 

I just love him. 
I just love my friends. 
I just love being part of their special days. 


Ever just feel lucky and blessed? 

Mini Sunday Night Update

'

Random update: Weighed in at my parents' house, on a reliable scale. 

Verdict: 164! BOOM! (Relief!) 

Wanted to share this pic with my boo. 

Really loving him lately. 

I think he's just about the most wonderful person on Earth. 

And finally, sharing some happy news...

My little brother Chris eloped this week with his GF (now WIFE), Natasha! 

I'm excited to have a new sister-in-law. 

They seem really happy! 

Also, the shower for Penny went well. 

Complete with purple candies, a clothesline of holiday outfits, and fun. 

Penny is only two months away from making her debut!!! 

So excited! 

The Thirty Year Itch.

So. I'm turning 30 in about 6 months.


Lately, my life is full of big events...for OTHER people.

ENGAGEMENTS
WEDDINGS
BABIES


I know that, logically, I'm exactly where I need to be. 

I often say, I don't wish I was married with babies--I wish I was 5 years younger so I wasn't stressed about my biological clock.


Alas, 30 is creepin' on me.


Brian and I just moved in this May. It's been a big three months, growing together. I know we need to take our time. This relationship has helped teach me patience. Big picture stuff.


But I'm thrown off by my biological clock.
My sense that the world is moving faster than I am.
The feeling like I should be doing more. Faster. NOW. 


It's really difficult, to be honest. 


I have this sense that Brian and I are moving towards engagement. He says we have the same goal, and we're on the same page. But he's also frustrated because he says whenever someone else has a new milestone, I get a whole new batch of nervous energy he needs to reassure.


On one end, I want to be engaged NOW. I want that reassurance. That commitment. To stop WAITING.

On the other end, I ONLY want this if I am 100% sure Brian is 100% ready.

Therein lies the rub, as they say. 


So here I wait. 
Hoping this all works out the way I want it to.
Praying for patience. 
Trying to remember that MY life is not the same as everyone else's.
And everyone has their own timeline. 
And that there are wonderful things to enjoy now.


I will say, to my friends who are lucky enough to have their life partners nailed down, or their babies on the way--you are LUCKY to not face 30 without any guarantees. Because for me, it's scary. 


But for now I'm going to focus on this: 
I have a wonderful boyfriend.
He reassures me we are on the same page.
I feel that we are.
I don't explode when I turn 30, so everything will be ok.



STAY TUNED. It's only gonna get hairier as 30 approaches. 

Erroneous.

Me: "I gained five pounds!"

Brian: "That scale says I weigh something different every time I step on it."

Me: "What do you mean?"

Brian: "I weighed myself last night and then first thing this morning and I'm five pounds lighter. How did I lose five pounds in my sleep?"



The good news is, I might not have gained 5 lbs.

The bad news is, I need a new scale. And I have NO idea how much I ACTUALLY weigh.