Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Milestones.

I had a birthday last week, a milestone, if you will:
I reached the big 3-0!!!
It's funny, really, because just a few years ago I looked at the thirty-year-olds with a sense of pity,
feeling sorry for them and how old they were!
I guess I didn't realize how quickly that would be me.
 But now that I'm here,
I can't say it's all that bad!


Being 30 is a reason to celebrate, right?! 
My husband treated me to a night out at the local Chop & Grill House.
It was exquisite,
in every sense of the word! [including the bill!!]
But I enjoyed being spoiled,
since I'll only be 30 once!


The girls took me to Charlottesville,
for a wonderful girls' night out!
The best part was just getting a evening away without the distraction of little ones.
I felt as carefree as a teenager!

But in the last few weeks, I've also done a lot of reflecting,
about where I've been...and where I'm headed.
The 20's were a whirlwind, full of adventure and change!
I traveled to 6 different countries,
fell in love and got married,
moved to a different state,
and had 2 beautiful babies!


 // Looking Back //
I've experienced so many new things,
from learning how to cook meals for a harvest crew 
to figuring out how to keep two babies happy in a shopping cart!
I've changed.
I've grown.
And I'm living the life I dreamed of; the wife of a man that loves me
and a mother to my sweet kiddos!
I'm so blessed.
It was so good to be reminded of that,
because the reality is that "living the dream" looks different in real life!
Seriously.
I pictured a blissful marriage, perfect kids and an all-around "happily-ever-after"!!
Then life happened :)
And I'm learning that it doesn't need to be perfect
to be a dream come true.


// Looking Forward //
I want to be more intentional in my relationships
and show those I love how much they mean to me!
I want to invest the best of myself 
into my husband and my children.
They are the most precious gift I've been given.
I want to slow down,
and savor each moment,
remembering that the future is now!
Because, before I know it,
the 30's will be what the 20's are...
a sweet memory.

62 comments:

  1. Awww...happy birthday! What a lovely "looking forward." 30 is a long ago memory for me--LOL! Enjoy your youth! ;-)

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    1. Thank you, Julie!! I know it passes by so quickly :)

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  2. Happy birthday!!! What a great reflection of your 20s :) I will be 30 in 2 years! And I say bring it on! I think the 30s will be awesome as we raise children! I have one little boy and we plan to have a few more ;) My life has been so abundantly blessed by being a mom, and I look forward to being a mom the rest of my life!

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    1. I agree, Stephanie!! Raising children is a precious gift! Enjoy your last two years in the 20's! :)

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  3. Happy birthday! Yes, 30 is a milestone. Good for you for taking a moment to reflect on all the good the 20s brought you. Hope you have many more wonderful birthdays to come!

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  4. I love your post! I think taking the time to reflect on the past and the future is so important! And, you're right, 30 is an awesome year - but, you're not 30 only once... you're 30 for 365 days - so enjoy every single one!!! :)

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    1. Thanks for the reminder, Angela! That is my goal!! :)

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  5. Great post! Happy Birthday! It looks like you have taken a great amount of time to reflect and really pick out the important things! Hope your next 30 years is just as good :)

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  6. Welcome to your 30s. I honestly didn't feel like an adult until I turned 30. I was divorce with children but somehow I just didn't feel like a grown woman until the big 3-0. Now, I'm having more fun than I did in my 20s

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    1. Isn't that wonderful?! I love that enjoyment of life doesn't have to depend on our age :)

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  7. Happy Birthday. I'm 29, so I'm on the brink of a milestone as well. Your picture reminds me of one of my own when we brought our son home and our little girl wanted to hold him. Very cute. Hope your year is a great one.

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    1. Thank you, Lindsey! And all the best to you as you enter the thirties! :)

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  8. Loved reading this post! Your 20s sound a lot like mine! :) Full of adventures and change. I agree that life doesn't look like the "happily ever after" I had once imagined, but I would change real life for a second. Thanks for the reminder to be grateful for our blessings every day! Glad you had a wonderful birthday!

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    1. Thank you, Michelle! It's so true...real life is so much more rewarding than a fairy-tale existence would be :) Enjoy your weekend!

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  9. Happy Birthday :) I am 38 and it does continue to be just as fun as the earlier years. I tell my kids, that age is like a fine wine, gets better over time. Following from Blogelina's post.

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    1. I love that!! It's wonderful to know that you're enjoying life just as much as before!

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  10. Happy birthday! I turned 38 in June and my 30s have been much better than my 20s (even if my husband does play along with me pretending I'm still 25)

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    1. That's sweet of him! :)I'm loving all the positive feedback about the 30's!

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  11. Happy birthday! I turn 35 next year, and so far, I think my 30s have been way better than my 20s! :)

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    1. That's great!! I want to be able to say the same about my 30's!

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  12. The more life "happens", the more we learn and grow. I hope I can write a similar post when I turn 30. :) Happy birthday!

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    1. Yes, so true! I'm finding that I think alot differently now than I did even a few years ago. So with age comes wisdom! :)

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  13. Life does happen fast! I was thinking I was still 30 - and then I realized I turned 31 2 months ago... I guess having a baby does that - time seemed to stand still for me during my pregnancy - and then sped up since she was born! Happy Birthday - and may both of our 30s be wonderful!

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    1. Belated happy birthday to you!! You're right; life since baby has flown by! All the best to you in the years ahead!

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  14. As a 34 year old I can attest to your 30s coming way too fast. However, life happens and through the struggles you will look up and see you are where you wanted to be faster than you thought possible. Your babies are adorable!

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    1. Thank you, Mimi! That's a wonderful thing to remember; often our dreams are realized while we're just living life!!

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  15. Oh, 30....um.....ok I remember...I think....wow, I am sorry, that was so long ago, I really don't remember! I am sure I was flirty and thirty, or something like that! haha. I do know I had kids then too, I think the 30's are when you can say, "I am finally growing up, and I feel like an adult" - does that make sense? I was still adventurous but I think I did feel more "grown up". :) BTW...you look Mav'elous da'ling!

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    1. Haha I'm sure it's not THAT long ago!! But I love that we can be adventurous but more grown-up! :)

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  16. Happy Birthday! My 30th birthday was so fun - and much easier on me than my 25th!

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    1. Isn't that funny how our minds work? I'm glad you're enjoying being on this side of it!

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  17. Yes, soon you'll be 40 and wonder where all the time went!

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  18. Me, too, Renee! I had a similar list when I turned 40 last year :) It does go by so fast, especially now that you have kids. You are right to stop and savor the moment.

    Happy birthday!

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    1. I agree...time flies by at a crazy rate with kids!! I love that you made a list when you turned 40! I think I'll do the same :)

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  19. It's a great feeling to be serene as we grow... I like the way you express it :-)

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  20. I love how you reflected by "looking back" and "looking forward". What a beautiful expression of hitting a milestone. You've given me inspiration not to dread but rather reflect upon what memorable birthdays represent.

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    1. I'm so glad, Rachel!! There is so much beauty in growing older, even though there is a part of us that never wants it to happen!

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  21. You are smart to reflect and take time to appreciate today because you are right - it will fly by - especially with little ones. I often look in the mirror and think "how on earth can I be in my forties????" I feel about 25!

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    1. Do we ever stop feeling 25?! I still feel that age too!

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  22. Wow! You took your 30th better than I did. I refused to be ugg 30 and was 29 for three years. No until last year I turned 33 and I realized I love my 30's and very proud of who I have become. Great post!

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    1. That's the beauty in growing older, isn't it? We continually grow more into the person we were created to be!!

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  23. Happy belated birthday! :) I remember dreading my dirty thirty last year and now I realize how silly I was worrying about a number. Thank you for the reminder about slowing down and savoring each moment because you are right, time flies by so fast that we should enjoy the little things.

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  24. Love reflecting on life. We're a decade apart and I love to reread my journals to see where I've been, what I thought, how my dreams have changed or come to pass. I like seeing what seemed so important back then not phase me now. Funny how living just happens. Embrace it and enjoy it. I like your future plans of a more involved life.

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    1. Thank you! It is interesting how much we change in a decade; will be fun to see where I'm at then!

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  25. Happy birthday! Sounds like a wonderful celebration of the past and looking ahead to the future. I love your observation that the happily ever after looks different in daily life. It does, but it is still there. Thanks for the reminder.

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    1. Thank you, Tracy! t was a reminder I needed as well :)

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  26. I loved your line, "the reality is that "living the dream" looks different in real life!" It is so true. But often, even with the craziness that 'real life' brings, it is so much better and sweeter than the fairy-tale we had hoped for. Happy Birthday! You'll love your 30s... I can say (at age 35) that the 30s are even better than the 20s!

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    1. You're right about that! So glad you're loving the 30's...excited about the adventures ahead!!

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  27. awesome clicks and loved how you spent your day with your friends that made you feel like a teenager, sometimes we just need to take time for ourselves to feel forever young which we all are deep in our hearts! Being 30 isn't so bad...! Happy Birthday :)

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    1. Yes, I love that doing things with friends has that effect! I'm glad to know that you're enjoying these years too!

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  28. Hi Ruby! I remember turning 30 and how much of a milestone it was for me. I remember where I was and where I was working. I was on the verge of several new chapters in my life. I also got married that year. Last year I turned 40 and had a fantastic surprise trip to celebrate. It is so very important to slow down and savor moments. I'm learning that THIS year as I realize that I have had TWO big birthdays in the last 10 years. It makes you reflect. Visiting from Commentathon.

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    1. It sounds like you've had an exciting last 10 years!! I want to be able to say the same :)

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  29. I felt the same way about turning 30...felt like my world was going downhill, but later found that turning 35 (my current age) was much more of a struggle to swallow. I'm certain 40 will be a shock for me and I'll then dream of my 35-year old days. However...age really is just a number. You are as young as you feel. There are 20-year-olds that act and feel much older then their years - it's all about your attitude and what you make of your time and life. It took a bit of time for me to realize it (and I still have fleeting moments of reflection when seeing my age as a number on paper), but it's best to dwell less on the 'number' and spend more time just enjoying yourself.

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    1. Yes, attitude is everything!! Enjoy the remainder of your 30's!

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  30. I love your perspective! As I draw nearer to 40, I can't help but think it'd be nice to be 30 again. But I look forward to the adventure that is yet to come! :)

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    1. I don't expect it will ever get any easier to get older, but you're right...it is certainly an adventure!

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  31. The big 3-0 seems so old but when you get there it suddenly doesn't seem so old! There's so much to look forward to. It's great that you look at life the way you do.

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  32. Thank you, Louisa! I still feel like I'm 25!! I hope I stay young at heart no matter what age I am :)

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