Reflections on being 30

It was my 30th birthday yesterday.  I have honestly been dreading the day for over a year.  Thirty just sounded so old.  Was I really that grown up already?  You'd think that a college degree, almost seven years of marriage, two children and three houses later I would feel like an adult.  Not really.  I was stuck on 18 all through college.  Then I got married and was stuck on 23 until I had a baby.  I've been stuck on 27 ever since. 

But I think I've turned a corner.  I felt oddly at peace yesterday with this calming sense of maturity about me.  I don't say that to sound arrogant, but only to try and describe what I was feeling.  So rather than feeling "old" I simply feel more "mature".  It's a good feeling.  Like I've finally arrived (although I'm not sure exactly where!). 

I'm coming to grips with what bodily aging means.  I discovered and admitted a few weeks ago that I do indeed have some silver hairs (silver sounds so much more elegant than gray).  I realize that the combination of middle age and having two babies means my body will never look exactly like it did on my wedding day.  I know that when I feel all achy from sitting in the same spot too long it's only going to get worse. ;o)

But aging has its perks, too.  I am much more self-aware and understand how God has uniquely wired me.  I can see that in other people, too.  I feel like I can handle more than I thought I could before.  I finally feel old enough to be a mom.

Anyway, enough of the introspective ramblings.  I had a good day, although it began at 4:00am when Austin's alarm went off because I had forgotten to double-check that it was turned off the night before (he had to catch an early flight out of Cedar Rapids the day before).  Emily helped make a birthday cake--oatmeal chocolate chip.  Mmm...my favorite.  It isn't meant to have frosting, but Emily insisted that it have sprinkles anyway.  So it ended up with melty yellow moons and blue stars.  Then Emily worked hard on making me some Happy Birthday faces--how sweet.  I was pretty impressed with her cutting and gluing skills! 

We had play group in Denver in the morning, and I picked up some Pizza Ranch pizza for lunch.  I got to take a bit of a nap in the afternoon before relaxing in a deck chair with my feet in the pool while Emily splashed around.

Bless his heart, Austin had made secret plans for a babysitter to show up so he could take me out for a surprise birthday dinner.  However, the plans fell through at the last minute.  But that's okay.  It's the thought that counts!  We still enjoyed my favorite meal of ham balls, cheesy potatoes and fresh steamed broccoli.  I even wore our new birthday crown. :o)  Since both kids took late naps we attempted to take a family walk after dinner with the intention of going to DQ for ice cream, but that didn't work out so well either.  We made it a couple blocks, went home to put the kids to bed and then enjoyed some quiet time just relaxing on the front porch watching the fireflies dancing across the lawn while the stars came out.  Not a bad way to usher in a new decade of adventures!