10/20/30

Many of you know that I celebrated my 30th birthday this week. I love that I turned 30 on 10/20! I have always loved the even number aspect of my birthday, but tacking the 30 on this year completed the equation.

Many people have asked me how I feel about being 30. To be quite honest, I feel that my current age is a badge of honor. (26 was difficult because I was closer to 30 than to 20...after that, everything else has been cake!) I look back over the past 30 years and see that I have accomplished everything I set out to do, plus some. And, I can't help but think that these 30 years of ups and downs, ins and outs, have brought me to this place. I hope you'll forgive me for indulging (dare I say bragging) for a moment about the things I've accomplished thus far in my life. Hey--it's my birthday AND my blog...I can say what I want, right?

I graduated from high school. This wasn't a major accomplishment--really more of a given--but it was a springboard for other opportunities.

I graduated from BYU. This, to me, was a major accomplishment. With all that goes into a college experience, (much more than book learning), I DID IT!! I graduated with a degree in Family Science and a minor in Management.

I served a mission to the Baltic States. This was the one unplanned goal that I was blessed to accomplish in my life. Looking back now, and even while I was going through all the experiences a mission encompasses, I felt that my mission was more of a blessing than a trial. Sure there were tough times, but those were definitely my bonus years. The amazing thing is that the Lord is still blessing me, I feel, because I chose to accept the blessing of a mission call. I'm still trying to figure out how that works...

I got married in the temple to the most amazing man I have ever known. Really the only accomplishment here was convincing Ryan that I was good enough for him to choose me! I honestly don't know how I got so lucky! (Maybe it was hours of tracting in the snow?) While it happened later than I expected, I am certainly incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful person choose to marry me. This one just keeps getting better and better!

I have had two darling daughters. This accomplishment has probably been the most challenging, yet most fulfilling opportunity of the past 30 years. Some days, I still can't believe I'm a mother--and I can't believe these two darling girls are mine.

There are so many more things I could type here--but the things I have listed are what I feel are the most important accomplishments. I'm happy to be 30 and I'm happy to have the amazing life experiences to prove it!