Today is my 30th birthday!
To be honest, I have dreaded turning 30. It just seemed so... grown up and scary. But here I am and it's not so bad. Here's 30 things about 30... reflections, insight, and memories from the last ten years.
1. I went to college and graduated in 2008 with a degree in Elementary Education.
2. I am the first person in my family to graduate with a bachelors degree. I graduated cum laude and I am so thankful for my college experience.
3. In college, I also experienced my first real heartbreak but it made me so much stronger.
4. That heartbreak led me to finding my husband.
5. After dating for almost a year, he proposed to me at Woods of Terror. A Zombie Proposal made it onto the news that night!
6. I was able to travel with Josh to Disney Land in California- my first time flying.
7. We got married in June of 2008, when I was 22 years old. Our wedding took place downtown at the park and a storm was brewing in the background. But we got married and missed the rain. Thankfully our reception was indoors. It was one of the best days of my entire life!
8. Our honeymoon was in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Such a gorgeous place!
9. I started my first teaching job as a third grade teacher in August of 2008. I will never forget that class. 15 girls and 4 boys! It was such a learning experience but a fun one!
10. We purchased our first home together in January of 2009.
11. We moved in just as the two of us with our dog Maggie with hopes of raising a family in our new home.
12. Our dog Toby joined our family right away and has been the sweetest companion for Maggie. They are still best friends.
12. On Valentine's Day of 2009, we decided to start trying for our first baby and in July of 2009 we found out we were pregnant with Julianna.
14. Julianna gave us a scare by being IUGR and I had to deliver her at 37 weeks (St. Patrick's Day of 2010). Thankfully she was a beautiful and healthy 5 pounds and 8 ounces.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. James 1:17
15. Life has never been the same since Julianna made us parents. Motherhood changed me for the better and rekindled my faith in God. I literally sat in awe of this sweet miracle for hours. Just thanking and praising God for choosing me to be her mother.
16. We always knew we wanted at least two children, so when Julianna was about 18 months, we decided to try for baby number two.
17. I got pregnant right away and we were so excited about another sweet baby. About a week later, I miscarried. One of my toughest experiences. Even though I never saw that sweet baby's face on earth, I know I will meet him/her one day in heaven.
18. Seven weeks after our miscarriage, I got another positive pregnancy test! This pregnancy literally felt like a miracle.
19. In May of 2012, our second sweet little girl was born. The first thing I noticed about her was the cute little dimple in her chin.
20. I made the difficult decision to leave my full time teaching career to be a full time mom to my two girls. One of the most bittersweet decisions of my entire life but I knew it was the right choice for me and our family.
21. Not long after Olivia was born, my story got a little more complicated. Ups and downs. Scary moments. But the most important part of this time in my life is that my faith in God grew more than I realized it could. You have to go through storms in life to find the rainbows.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
22. In January of 2013, I began my job at The Dream Center. This opportunity just worked out perfectly for me and my family. I was able to go back to work doing what I love, contribute financially, and still spend a majority of my time with my children.
23. During this time in my life, I also started posting my outfits on Instagram as a hobby and a means of motivating me not to wear workout clothes everyday. I started posting outfits that I created with my thrift store finds. I was so surprised when people starting liking my photos and following me. I have always enjoyed styling outfits since I was a little girl so sharing my #ootd has been so much fun!
24. Josh has had many jobs since we met but this past year he accepted a wonderful job at a family owned company. I love seeing him come home feeling happy about where he works and content in his job. I am so proud of him!
25. We have been able to travel so much recently. We've taken the girls to the Outer Banks twice, visits to South Carolina to visit family, weekend beach trips to the North Carolina coast, and we were able to take the girls to NYC for the first time- everyone's first time there! I won the trip through Sweet Frog from a picture I posted of my frozen yogurt. See, it does pay to post random pictures of your food!
26. I have been leading a community group for moms at my church for the last couple of years. I am thankful for the fellowship and the opportunity to connect moms.
27. Julianna started kindergarten this year and I am so proud of the little lady she is turning into. She is so smart and sassy!
28. Olivia is in preschool now and she loves it! She is the sweetest and most loving three year old I have ever met... but I might be a little biased.
29. My blog and Instagram has grown into a fun little business now. My outfits are only a small glimpse of my life but I love sharing and inspiring others to get dressed and feel good about themselves. I have been able to work with so many wonderful companies and I am so excited to see where my blog takes me in the coming years.
30. Thirty. I am not scared of it anymore because I have accomplished so much and learned more than I could have imagined in the last ten years.
And I'll be living by this quote for the next ten years...
"Do your thing and don't care if they like it." -Tiny Fey
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