And then there was 30 ...

So I have waited one whole week to publicly acknowledge/discuss the fact that I have (gracefully ? ;-) entered the 30s-club with most of my friends. This last year I have noticed many of the gals I went to school with having little facebook comments popping up on my homepage or blogs about their impending birthdays. It has been humorous to see how each one relates to the "big" birthday in different ways. Some of us have approached it with serious fear and dread, while others seem to be excited about the new decade and its possibilities. I think maybe it depends in many ways on what is going on in your life currently. For those who are married and starting to have children, I think it is almost positive to reach a new level of "maturity"--at least in the eyes of others. (In my profession, being in my 20s still has always made me feel/treated so young and unexperienced) For those who are still waiting for their prince charming and/or their time to have children, I know it may feel like the clock is ticking faster than preferred and may be an unwelcomed sign of time passing. I think it just depends on how happy and content we are with where we are in our life. For those who have always been very athletically inclined, or for those who have always been conscientious of their youthful looks, I think the number hangs over our heads reminding us that our bodies are starting their downhill spiral. For me, that realization happened 2 years ago when I gave birth to my son! And my body hasn't been in good shape since I quit playing soccer after college. So the NUMBER of 30 doesn't mark a change in my outlook on my physique, just yet, anyway. We'll see how that metabolism changes! I have several friends who have started getting in BETTER shape since college, who are preparing for running half or full marathons right now, and for those girls, I stand up and applaude you. But from the SIDELINES. I need a goal of some sort myself, but running is NOT something for me to get excited about!

It also makes me laugh about how all kinds of people treat their birthdays differently. I know of people who announce their coming birthdays months ahead of time, reminding family and friends with a daily countdown and posting gift suggestions thruout the house and car. Some expect and love a big party with as many people possible to help them celebrate themselves. I'm not really sure what drives this type of person. I DO find them interesting...But I'll keep mum from more comments at this point. Then there's the OPPOSITE extreme, those who don't want ANY fuss to be done on account of them---who would just as soon spend a quiet day doing something they enjoy and having no acknowledgment that another birthday has come and gone. I tend to fall pretty severely on THIS end of the spectrum--although I've never (yet) wished to spend my birthday in total solitude or denial, I would just as rather it pass quietly with only a handful of people realizing it has come around. Cards in the mail from family are nice, cards from old friends who actually remember is maybe even nicer (because history shows they don't usually know, or bother). I do enjoy to have my husband do some sweet, thoughtful things for me, like surprise me with a good movie or concert or show I would like to see, and a thoughtful gift of something I need or would like but haven't even thought of lately myself...those things are nice. My dad used to always take us out to breakfast for our birthday, which is a tradition we haven't been able to do lately and I really miss. I would rather go out for breakfast than dinner!

Anyways, I know most of you reading this probably fall somewhere in the middle of those two extremes too. I realized this year that how people prefer to spend their birthdays tells ALOT about their personalities and temperment, doesn't it? There's those who like the attention and are party people--sanguines, extroverted, like to be in the spot light, thrive on other's energy......versus those more intraverted types who prefer to be behind the scenes, spending time with just a few close friends or significant other. And I'm WONDERING what type my son, Noah will be as he gets older, since he LOVES birthdays right now and is ALL ABOUT CAKE and PRESENTS!!! GREAaaaT. Is that just "kids"? Or do I have an extrovert-making-a-countdown on my hands?

My birthday was last Sunday, and I actually, surprisingly, had a really nice day/weekend. As I mentioned, I don't like to have any fuss made over me at all, outside of my husband and close family. Well, Matt treated me Sat. to a nice evening out--chick flick movie and dinner at a Studio Grill (where you get to eat dinner IN the movie theater--cool idea.) Then we wrapped up the night with delicious pieces of pie at a cool little 24-hour pie diner he heard about. A definite new favorite. Well, so Saturday was GOOD. Then he let me go most of the day Sun. with only one public announcement--up stairs with the youth. Not bad. (I hate Sunday birthdays!) Chipotle for lunch---GREAT. When only a small handful of our Life Group was able to make it that evening to our regularly scheduled Life Group meeting, I thought I had made it out unscathed. But alas, as the door bell rang around 7:30p and they casually asked me to "see who it is", my face flushed, the blood pressure skyrocketed and I realized I had not made it out alive yet. At the door was of course another 20 or so friends from church, mostly youth staffers and a few younger gals/families with a huge cake, with my pic plastered on the top (from my freshman year of high school) aFIRE with 30 candles and 5 or 6 camera flashes going off in my face. I think there might have been a "surprise" yell in there somewhere too. And our hostess pulled out a spread of food Matt had brought over the day before, and a slide show of pictures from my life played in the background...

Thanks, Matt. Really. I know you thought you "owed me", but we are more than even.

I really appreciate everyone who came out to support me and celebrate. My hubby is a sweetie and I hear he had been planning this for a long while. It didn't turn out quite as he would have liked--many people were out of town or couldn't come for one reason or another *thank you GOD!*. But I do want to say how much he means to me and I know his intentions were to love on me and make me feel special.
It's just that...you REALLY shouldn't have!

Now that the worse part is OVER-the whole obligatory celebration and embarrassing thing---I am totally okay with being 30. As I mentioned, in teaching I have always felt in some ways looked down on for my lack of years in a profession that expects you only get better the older you get. (In most cases, that's true....but I know some older teachers who are synical CRANKS!). But more importantly, I am really looking forward to what this year and the next few have in store for me and my family. We look forward to our time here in Houston, possibly getting settled in our first purchased house soon, hopefully having more children, hoping for new additions to our extended families, and just feeling content with many things about my life---relationally, spiritually, etc. I am loving watching Noah grow and am enjoying being a mother more than ever. I've been working to be a better wife lately and this summer marks 7 years of wedded bliss for us. So despite the fact that the last 6 months have been the most stressful ones of my entire life, we are learning and growing and feeling stronger together and hopeful of the future.

So, 30 and fabulous, here I come. Now I just have to get my grown-up-lady hair-do on.
Maybe.