Feelin' Fine at 29!

When we're younger, we always wanted to be "grown up" and our parents would always, always tell us, "slow down, enjoy these days, you'll be an adult in the blink of an eye." Back then, we never believed them. And now, as much as I hate to admit it, they were right. 

29 years have come and gone faster than I could have ever imagined. 

Yesterday, as I was going down the playhouse slide (for the 10th time), Brynlee on my lap, I couldn't keep from smiling. My view from the top of the slide is everything I've ever dreamed of. 

From there I was able to see my husband tinkering in the garage. A man that was placed in my life 12 years ago and has been a saving grace ever since. I was able to see my nearly 10 year old son, laying in the middle of the trampoline, singing his heart out to a song by Twenty One Pilots. A boy who wears his heart on his sleeve and loves with his whole heart. I was able to see my daughter's eyes light up and hear her little voice say "let's do it again Mommy," as we got to the bottom of the slide. I was able to see the house that Jacob and I initially joked about being our dream home, the one we worked so hard for, the one we are now able to call a home. I also saw the back porch, a gathering place many evenings for our family and friends. A porch that holds memories of conversations, cards games, laughter and tears. 

I'm blessed in many other ways as well. 

I have a group of friends that have been there for me through thick and thin. These people are my tribe. They're the people I reach out to when I'm hurting or upset. They're the people I laugh with. They're the people who know me (better than I know my self at times). They get me. 

I have an amazing work family. They make the normal 8 to 5 day more interesting and more fun. They're my therapists when I need an unbiased opinion regarding an issue. They're the comic relief when the times get busy and chaotic. 

And while I was initially having a hard time grasping that Monday marked the beginning of the final year in my twenties, I know it's going to be a good year, considering I only have 363 days to complete my "30 Before 30 List" (an update on that is below). So here's to a year of love and laughter. A year of adventure and chaos. A year of new things and new places. A year guaranteed to be one for the books.

30 Before 30

1. Start writing again, for me. To explore the possibilities of starting a blog and getting my thoughts out in hopes that it can help me find an outlet on days like today, to find my way back to something I am very passionate about and maybe, just maybe, help some other people through days like today.  I feel I can officially cross this one off my list as I have continued to work on this blog. It may not be as regularly as I'd like but hey, it's a start.

2. Get healthy. Eat better. Lose 15-25 pounds. (I am 8 pounds down from when I originally made this list). Be more active (I've been going to the gym for a solid 3 weeks now). This will always be a work in progress but that's okay. There is beauty in every step forward.

3. Be a better me. For myself, for Jacob, for our kids.

4. Take more pictures of us. Of our children. Of nature. Find beauty behind the lens.

5. Get another tattoo. An anchor? The kid's names? Both?

6. Partake in a paintball fight.

7. Find adventure. Try new things. Say yes more often.

8. Go on a random road trip with friends.

9. Travel to a new city or state. We have a family trip to Dauphin Island, AL in June. With only 51 days before we leave, the countdown is on! 

10. Play messy twister.

11. Become a "regular" somewhere. 

12. Learn to cook. I've screwed up hamburger helper for Pete's sake!

13. Start a new family tradition.

14. Know that it's okay to say how I feel. Holding it in doesn't provoke change.

15. Rekindle the romance and friendship with my husband. Times get tough. Sometimes giving up seems like the easiest thing to do but 11 years is too far to come to just walk away. I feel Jacob & I have both made steps forward in this category. He is my best friend. He always makes me laugh (even when I'm trying really hard not to). He calls me on my crap. And at the end of the day, we have each other and we're working to be the best versions of ourselves for each other and our kids. 

16. Go to a Chase Rice concert. 

17. Worry less. It's okay to go a day without makeup or the perfect hair. And lazy Sundays are and should be a thing. I've definitely been embracing the exhilaration of not having to get all dolled up on the weekends.

18. Finally watch the Lord of the Rings & Hobbit trilogies.

19. Find the prettiest waterfall in the state of Kansas.

20. Experience a drive in theater. 

21. Re-read the Harry Potter series & have a weekend marathon.

22. Continue to make more time for family.

23. Lear to let go. Of hurt and of anger.

24. Make time for myself.  The time between 5am & 6:15 am, Monday through Friday, that time is for me (even if I'm spending it sweating my butt off in the gym!)

25. Home improvement projects. Kitchen (done), wall decor, office area.

26. Explore the opportunities within an online course or certification. 

27. Find the best cheeseburger in the state of Kansas.

28. Read more. I've read some good ones so far this year. I've found a new favorite author, Kristin Hannah & really enjoyed and recommend "The Good, The Bad and the Grace of God" by Jep & Jessica Robertson.

29. Go to a musical.

30. Never back down. Go after my dreams.