Celebrating My Age

This birthday was a big one. In case you can't see it clearly, those candles spell out "30." 30!! When did that happen?! I have to be honest and say it was a little tough to swallow. Not that I feel that 30 is old (because I don't feel old), but I just feel a little "behind" for 30. Just ready to be out of the schooling phase, the renting phase and ready to move on to a family with a home and established career phase. But we're getting there, even if we're a little behind our peers in the process, right?! The following pictures show some of the great things done for me to help make my 30th birthday so nice.

Sunday morning I woke up to Grant's awesome decorating -- streamers hanging from my bedroom doorway and all over the kitchen. He did a fabulous job! Eliot loves the balloons and amazingly isn't terrified when he pops them.


The roses were also from Grant. Peach are my favorite, and these were especially beautiful.

A display of all the sweet things I got from Grant and friends from the ward. Lots of pampering body washes, scrubs, and lotions, plenty of yummy chocolate, and other thoughtful gifts. Thanks to everyone for being so generous. I was also very appreciative of the e-mails, Facebook comments, and phone calls throughout the day. Can't wait to sit down and watch The Sound of Music, nibble on my chocolate and give myself a pedicure!

All in all, I'd have to say turning 30 wasn't so bad. I thought I'd "take a moment to celebrate my age" and list the things I loved in my first 30 years and the things I'm looking forward to in the next 30.

What I loved about my first 30 years:

• A wonderful, memorable childhood. I have parents that taught me good work ethics, who provided me with great opportunities for education, to develop my talents, to travel, and to become a responsible person. They love me immensely and worked tirelessly and cheerfully to provide for my needs and so many wants. I know that I took for granted what a happy childhood I was blessed to have. Another wonderful part of that childhood was the influence of amazing grandparents and extended family on my life. I have truly been blessed with a wonderful heritage.
• Surviving my adolescent years and growing out of my dorky stage of glasses, braces, and awkwardness into a somewhat normal person. In junior high and high school, I formed meaningful friendships with good people, many of which remain in place today. I'm especially grateful for the friendship I formed with a young man named Grant!
  
• Meeting Grant in high school and then developing our relationship over the years until we finally realized we were just meant to be together. He is my greatest friend and my favorite person and absolutely the perfect match for me. I love him more than I can say.
• Gaining a great education, even though it took me a while to finish up, which included a fabulous experience away from home at Ricks College (Now BYU-Idaho -- see, I AM old, huh!). I had the best experience and met wonderful people there, including roommates that I still remain in touch with, and had great opportunities to progress and find my own niche. I was also very blessed to finish my degree at BYU in Provo, the best part of which was working at the MTC after my mission. Hands down the best job in the world.
• Serving my mission in Spain. One of the most meaningful, faith-building, difficult, and stretching things I've ever done. My life would not be the same if I hadn't gone. My testimony of the gospel, my relationship with the Savior, the foundation I built of gospel knowledge and so many other skills just wouldn't be what they are today without my mission. I loved the people of Spain and think all the time about how much I'd love to go back and see the people I taught. I miss that time of my life very, very much.
• Getting married and roughing it through our first few years in a scary, yet wonderful little apartment in southwest Provo, living blissfully on nothing but being incredibly happy. One of the best parts about our first married years was our unforgettable first ward -- the Freedom First Ward, where we had unusual opportunities to serve, formed eternal friendships and saw first-hand some of the most Christ-like service we will probably ever witness.
• Welcoming Eliot into our family as our first and to this point only child. We love him more fully than we could have ever imagined. He has brought "life" to our life and a joy we weren't fully prepared for.
• Starting up law school and moving to Oregon. It was tough to leave family and the life we were so comfortable in, but this has been the absolute perfect fit for Grant and for us as a family. As we have had to rely on each other and our ward "family" and friends away from home, we have grown closer together and have formed some meaningful friendships that we're sure will endure for many years. We have seen some beautiful places together and have very much enjoyed this time "away." It has been a stretching, strengthening time for our family.

What I look forward to in my next 30 years:

• Finishing law school, passing the bar, and watching Grant excel in a satisfying, successful career. I know he has a lot of good to do and am so proud of his sacrifice for the good of our family. What a sense of accomplishment we look forward to in just the next couple years as he finishes his degree and enters the legal field. Whew -- can't wait!!
• Hopefully getting to move back closer to family so Eliot can enjoy more fully his relationships with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins (and so we can enjoy those same people, too!).
• Getting into a home of our own and finally laying down our roots somewhere more permanent. I can't wait to decorate and furnish and make our house a home someday.
• Growing our little family and getting to see what spirits Heavenly Father has reserved for our family. More than anything else, I look forward to mothering and loving and cherishing my family.
• Getting to stretch and grow in new/different callings in the Church. As much as I have loved my callings in Relief Society, I look forward to getting to serve in Primary and Young Women someday, which I've never had the opportunity to do so far.
• Getting to make/meet new friends and continue our associations with those that we have already made.
• I hope to continue my education someday and pursue a Master's degree. I think I'd like to get one in the field of communications and become an editor of some sort, but I may change my mind over the next 15-20 years.
• Though I never planned on it, I would really enjoy continuing to teach piano lessons from my home. I dream of someday being able to own a grand piano that I can enjoy playing, our children can learn to play on, and even Grant says he'd like to learn! My only rule -- I won't teach Grant or our children to play (I'll help them learn, but I won't be their sole teacher -- it's a conflict of interests in my book.).
• Hopefully do some traveling. I would love to see New York City at Christmas time, Washington, D.C. when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, I'd love to go back to Spain and on a Mediterranean cruise so I could see France, Italy, Greece, etc. I've always wanted to visit Norway and Quebec, I'd love to take my whole family to Hawaii to see the places that are so meaningful to me and my family, I'd like to visit Guatemala and sights in Central and South America, I've never seen the Church history sites in Pennsylvania and New York, I have yet to see the Nauvoo temple . . . so many places to see.

I've realized what a blessed, full life I've had -- not perfect, but rich in meaning and memories. And I've got so much I'm looking forward to, bumps and challenges and all. Here's to the next 30!