Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

Thirty years old. I thought a lot about turning the big 3-0 right after I turned 29 and then forgot it was coming until it was already here. I think I love the idea of being 30 for the most part but I'm also sad to leave my 20s behind. I was generally very happy in my 20s. It didn't have the drama and self deprecation of being a teenager and so exiting this phase of life doesn't come with that lovely sense of relief. It just feels old.  I don't need any more reason to shrug my shoulders and succumb to being a chubby, boring mom in sweats everyday but as long as I continue to set goals and move forward, there is no reason for that to be my future.

 I love the place I am in my life. I have no regrets. Thirty sounds very grown up. You're not a girl in your thirties you are a WOMAN-- which I don't really consider myself but maybe I should.  Thirty year olds can stop comparing themselves to all those teeny-bopper 21 year olds and their superficial lives. They're past that and have moved on to something better. They know who they are and make no apologies. They are old enough to slow down a bit and perhaps appreciate life and their relative youth a little more.

 I'm far more confident entering this decade than I was entering the last. I'm far more comfortable in my own skin, I don't care or compare near as much as I used to and I love that. I was so lost when I turned 20. I hadn't done anything and didn't know who I was or what I really believed at all. It makes me wonder how my life will look when I turn 40 when I ponder on how much changed in the last 10. Rosie and Evie will be twelve years old and even that alone is too much to grasp. Life seems too long and too short all at once.

I had an incredible birthday. I didn't have very high expectations for this milestone birthday but I couldn't have asked for anything more. On the eve of my 30th, I had a long day babysitting another little boy and decided to take the night off and pamper myself with a pedicure and a free makeover at Sephora. A friend gave me a big bouquet of flowers and I opened an awesome birthday package my family had sent. The next morning some dear friends made me the best breakfast of my life including a big gluten free chocolate cake. We ended up skipping the gym and staying all morning and letting the kids play. It was lovely. You would think being a stay at home mom, you would have lots of time to sit with your girlfriends and gab but with so many young kids wanting attention every second and so many differing nap, school, and other schedules it doesn't happen very easily or often. There are usually so many distractions and starts and stops during a playdate that an entire decent conversation is hard to get through. But the stars aligned that morning and it was just what I needed.

Shortly after I got home and put the girls down to nap, fabulous Cindy showed up to babysit and Ben and I were off to Estes Park to spend the night. We had a long leisurely dinner, went to an Irish barn dance which was part of the Winter Festival and had smores and hot chocolate, went hot tubbing, and cuddled up for a movie. Ben even surprised me with a beautiful silver locket he picked out all on his own. It's perfect and I can't wait to get pictures inside it. We slept in and then went to Claire's for breakfast, took a walk by the lake, and couldn't leave without getting Ben his favorite cherry vanilla ice cream. We came home to our sweet girls and got to watch Sadie so Cindy and Chris could have a night away too. Cute, cute cousins and sanity saving swaps.

Best Birthday Ever. Thirty is lookin promising.