Goodbye 20's

Well, Todd and I are 30 years old now.  Does this mean I'm a grown up yet?  Do I have to stop saying "When I grow up I wanna be/do______."  It's funny because I thought I'd feel like an adult at 18 when I graduated High School.  I still felt extremely young.  So I thought... after college then.  Still felt young.  Then maybe after a mission.  After getting married.  After having children.  Buying my first house.  Maybe at 25 when my car insurance would go down!  *sigh*  So I stopped wondering when I'd feel old and assumed maybe it would happen all at once at 30. 

Well, I can see now why the elderly describe themselves as having the mind of a 21 year old and the body of an 80 year old.  I suppose I bettter accept that I will feel young at heart forever.  Which isn't a bad thing, right?  Maybe I'll have less waitresses call me honey or sweetie when I'm 30.  "Can I get you some ketsup, Honey?"  That bothers me, not sure why.  Maybe because I only call little children that.  I used to look 14 when I was 18.  And 21 when I was 25.  But I think my age has quickly caught up with me.  Ten extra pounds, a bunch of forehead wrinkles, and sunspots seem to have hit me all at once, even if wisdom of age did not!

But I suspect the past ten years will forever be some of the most exciting years of my life.  Just so much change and progression and setting the course for the rest of my life.  I graduated from Ricks.  I met Todd and found my best friend in him.  We served missions .  We married in the Boise Temple.  I bought my first car, we bought our first house.  We had 3 beautiful, wonderful children.  We moved 6 times and settled in Fruitland, remodled 2 homes, designed our home we'll soon be building to stay.  We helped start and sold a pest control company, then helped start a hospice and got Todd's carreer off running.  Todd earned his bachelors.   We've taken up new hobbies and discovered talents we didn't know were there.  I've fallen in love with motherhood.  We did our first triathlons.  We've traveled to some beautiful places.  We sent our oldest to school! (Kindergarten...)  I've re-connected with wonderful friends from my childhood and made many new friends.   I love the man of my life infinitely more than when I married him, and I adored him THEN.  I was blessed to know him that entire decade of my life as I met him one month before I turned 20.  And the years were sweet because he was in them..  I've loved and been loved and blessed by my family and by the family who welcomed me by marriage.  I've increased in faith and testimony.  I've learned tons.  And I can say I am truly happy with my life today.

That said, everyone tells me the thirties are better.  And I will admit, as much fun as the ride's been so far, I'm still every bit as excited for the future. 

So goodbye, Twenties. We won't look this young again... for a long time.  But we'll grow old together.  And that's the best thought of the day. 

Bring on the wrinkles!

(My fav. pictures of us- Todd at 23 and me at 27)