The Big 3-0

So I'm writing this in my last few minutes of being 29 (though technically I was born at 10:02pm on the 28th).

I've been excited that it's my birthday week, but I honestly haven't thought much about the number 30. It stirs up some emotions for me, as did quite a few different ages.

When I was in high school, my goal was to be married at 22, have my first kid at 24, and have my last kid before I was 30.

Obviously, God had different plans for me.

30 is weird to me, because Josh and I started dating when we were 20. We spent almost our entire 20's together. So it's weird to be starting a new decade of age with him (and to be coming up on our 10th dating anniversary).

I often think of myself as being younger than I am. I think because 25 was the last birthday I was somewhat excited to be getting older on, I often still think of myself as 25. I usually pause when people ask me my age and have to think about it for a minute.

But I'm honestly really excited about my 30's. Because my birthday is so close to the start of a new year, I often still think of new beginnings when my birthday rolls around. I'm excited to start a new decade with my man by my side. And I'm excited to see where life will take us in our 30's.

I still feel like the 90's were only ten years ago, even though it's been quite a bit longer than that. I still feel like I was a teenager not that long ago, even though it's been almost 13 years since I graduated high school. I still feel like "kids" that were born when I was in jr. high should be younger than 10, and they are adults now.

Growing older is a weird thing. The older I get, the more I understand why my grandparents would say things about "remembering it like it was yesterday". I don't feel like I've been alive 30 years, but I have.

This past month of being 29 has brought so many wonderful things. I have a new "nephew", we got to spend a lot more time with our nieces and nephew, we've had some great times and conversations with friends, and I think I may have found something that is helping me tremendously with my neck issues.

So while it's a little sad to be closing this chapter of being a 20 something, I'm so thankful that the last few paragraphs were filled with so many wonderful memories and experiences.

Onto the new...

Happy New Year!

2014 is now over.

While I am a little sad to see it end, I'm also very excited for a new year and the freshness it brings...as well as the many good (and bad) things that are coming soon.

A couple of posts ago, I talked about how I have a few hopes and dreams for 2015...as I am not a New Year's Resolution kind of girl.

One of those hopes is to figure out my neck issues and to be able to manage them better. As I have now been living with these issues for three and a half years, I'm ready for some progress in this area. I have learned some good methods of reducing my pain to help me feel more comfortable and to help me sleep better, but I would love to have this thing figured out so I don't have these restrictions any longer.

I also want to get more involved in encouraging other women through Bible study or something like that. It's been almost two years now that I was last involved in any sort of women's Bible study and I really feel like I need to be involved in one again. Whether that means I'm leading/co-leading or attending, I'm not sure. But it's something I feel I need to pursue this year.

There are also a lot of different possibilities I've been thinking on and praying about, and I'm excited to see what doors God opens and closes when it comes to them.

I'm really excited for some things that we have planned and some events that are coming up. I'm excited for the changes that are happening/going to happen in our church. And I'm excited to see how God is going to mold and grow Josh and I this year.

2014 was a good year.

Here's to 2015!