On Turning 30

I've always hated getting older. Turning 20 and no longer being in my teens hit me pretty hard. And being in my mid-twenties was kind of sad. But I've matured, at least I like to think so, and age is just a number (right?!?). In my 30 years of life I have been SO incredibly blessed! And that is what I want to dwell on for this birthday.

First and foremost, I am so thankful for Christ saving me! With the Easter season I've been doing a Lent devotional through She Reads Truth, and it has consistently brought me back to what Christ did for me. He saved ME. He knows me personally. All my thoughts, sins, wishes, hurts- and He is ever so patient with me. I know in my day to day, I take it for granted that I have this relationship with Him, but I shouldn't. Because I know there are many who are lost, even people I love. And when I do dwell on that, I just ache at what they are missing out on. Because Jesus is truly everything, and the only thing that will fulfill you.

God was truly the author behind my love story with Luke. I love that I get to be married to my best friend (even if he is five months younger than me!) and do life with him. He is so patient with me and knows me so well. We met when I was 15, so I can now say I've known him for half my life! I can't even count how many times he says something and it ends up being exactly what I was thinking or about to say. He works hard to provide for our little family, and he loves on our kids. He makes me laugh and encourages me in pursuing what I'm passionate about.

What would my life be without my babies? They have my heart and have brought out a love that I never even knew existed until they were born. Motherhood is one of the greatest treasures I have been given, and this time with them being little is so priceless to me. I love watching them learn and grow, seeing them hit milestones, and each of them becoming their own little person. I love my little girl, love laughing at the funny things she says, and watching her figure out new things. I love my baby boy, love that he shares a birthday month with me and his Nana, and I love the laughter and craziness he has brought to our life in the past year.

I have a wonderful, loving family and I am so glad that most of them are close by! My parents have always encouraged and supported me. They've pushed me to grow and try new things (I wouldn't have gone on the missions trip where I met Luke if my mom hadn't encouraged me to go), and they've been there when I have had dark times in my life. They paid for all of my college so I could graduate debt free, and gave me a little nudge out of the nest so I could grow up. It's been so fun growing up with my sisters and seeing us all as adults now. Talking about relationships, getting healthy, babies, marriage, and of course our love for cats. And my brother is my adventure buddy. Okay, so maybe I'm not the most adventurous, but seeing all that he does makes me want to climb mountains and do new things. We miss him out in Colorado!

And can I just say a little something about my in-laws? The best! I feel so loved and so a part of their family. My mother-in-law is always watching out for things that we might be interested in, she loves on our kids so much, and she is such a prayer warrior. My father-in-law works so hard and is such a servant in his church. Their marriage is something I aspire to have with Luke. I love that each of my sisters-in-law and brother-in-law are so different from each other, and for the shared interests and memories I have with each of them. Whenever we get everyone in Luke's family together, there is much fun being had!

Our friends. I love our friends. After graduating college and being first married, I struggled with finding the type of connections I had in college. Close girlfriends that I could share life with, get advice from, and laugh with. Well, God provided those friendships. Our two small groups from church have given us so much encouragement in life and in my faith. And the friendships I've been able to build with my girlfriends, whether it's bonding over talking about our babies or having a Mary Kay party together, are such a blessing. I also love that I am still close with my best girlfriends from college and love that we can always pick up right where we left off.

Turning 30 means I'm another year older, with another year full of blessings under my belt. I'm looking forward to seeing what God does in this next year, and pray that most of all, He draws me closer to Himself.