Thursday, October 30, 2008

On Turning Thirty

Ok, I admit it, I turn THIRTY this weekend. ACK! My impending birthday has caused much personal reflection and I am not sure what I am feeling about all of this. I think of the fact that I will be thirty in just a couple of days and think...wow, can I be that old already :-) (I know that made many of you cringe...I am sorry) I mean, am I really an official adult now? In many ways I surely don't feel like it. Then I think wow, ONLY thirty. I mean in thirty years I have been through some really tough things and have been forced to mature very quickly. In some ways I feel younger and in some ways I feel older if that makes any sense.

Every girl thinks about what life will be like when she reaches thirty and I have to say as I look around at the portrait of my life, I would not have predicted any of it. I can remember being in college and thinking about where I would be in ten years. I imagined living far from home (I live oh, less than five miles from my childhood home), I imagined teaching in a middle school and coaching cheerleading, (um...I change diapers and have seen Bring it On), I imagined being married (check!), I imagined having several children, having completed my family, living in the house with the picket fence and a dog. (As it turns out I have had four children, said goodbye to two of them before I was able to bring them home, I do love my home built by my husband's amazing hands, a picket fence would look ridiculous, and as it turns out, I am NOT a fan of pets so the dog thing...not so much) I envisioned what I thought to be the perfect life. I would be the woman who had it all, balanced it all, and was exceedingly happy. I would work full time, be a great mom who makes cupcakes and homemade cookies, I would be in grad school, I would ALWAYS make dinner from scratch, wearing an apron like June Cleaver.

I was naieve. As the third decade of my life comes to a close I look at my life and while many of those things just make me chuckle, I know I am blessed. I have lost much, I have gained much. I get to be the wife to the most amazing middle school teacher on the planet (I know, HE TOOK MY JOB!) I get to be the mom two four of the greatest little boys ever and I get to serve a God who has been the one and only constant in the stormy times, who lavishes his grace upon me even when I feel He has abandoned me.

As I turn thirty, I look forward to the decades to come. I look forward to the months to come. I look at what God has done in the past thirty years and look forward to the next thirty!

29 comments:

Anxious AF said...

Girl, I turn thirty in a few months, and Im not looking forward to it. Thanks for the different perspective, I will quit counting my ray hairs now .

The Pittsburgh Hites said...

I wish I had other words of wisdom on 30, but it's exactly the same. One day at a time...I know in time that I will look in the mirror and see the age, but not yet. So fear not my friend, it's just a number. I too had a 30 year plan, and the only thing I THINK that I have accomplished is being married and having my beautiful babies. The rest of that plan is gone, God is in control now of how the next 30 years will go.
Hang on for the ride, in ten years we will reflect on this decade too!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday, full of big sloppy kisses from the boys and are surrounded by the peace that you are loved, by all that know you!!
Happy Birthday(a few days early)
-Ging and Greg

Lisa said...

Awesome and amazing attitude!!

Laurie in Ca. said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR KRISTY!!

I love who you are on your 30th birthday. I am twice your age and I feel like a proud mom watching you grow up day by day so honestly here. I am proud of you and hope that your day is blessed with His joy. I love you.

Laurie in Ca.

Michelle said...

Happy Birthday!!! My turn was just 3 years ago and it brought a lot of the same reflection... thinking of where I thought I would be at 30!!! Hope it is a great weekend for you!:) ~Michelle

Unknown said...

Isn't it funny how things turn out? God obviously has different plans for us than what we imagine! By the way, turning 30 wasn't so bad.....I had more trouble when I turned 31! (You mean, I have to keep going??? ARGH!!)

Keep focusing on all the blessings that you have, Kristy! There's so much to be thankful for! :)

zanesmommy said...

Kristy,
Have a very Happy and Blessed Birthday. Hope you get spoiled like you deserve by your men. Thirty is not all that it is cracked up to be. Especially chasing kids!

asplashofsunshine said...

Ehhh, 30 isn't so bad. I'll be 31 next week, and for some odd reason, I can't wait. I love my 30's. You certainly have had a lot of challenges, and look at how wonderful you are. I guess one could say that you define a great woman.

Just Me said...

Having just turned 29 eight days ago, I can relate to reflecting about where I am and where I have been. I am not at ALL where I expected to be! Good thing God was the one making the plans, because my plans never would have brought me here. Here to this place where I feel SO blessed by all He has given to me, and continues to bring to me. I, too can hardly wait to see what God has planned for me in the months and years to come!

Happy Birthday!! Prayers for much joy and blessings in the days, weeks, months, years to come :o)

Anonymous said...

Your so young! I always thought I would be married and have all of my children before age 30. I didn't meet my husband and get married until I was 28; and then had three children. The last child at 37. Things don't always turn out like we plan. God knows the plan though. He brings things to us on his schedule I guess. I like to "plan" everything. It was hard for me to "wait" for Mr. Right. But did find him:) I have been following your blog for a while and have commented a few times. You inspire me to be a better Christian. I have learned a lot from reading your blog. I wish the best for you and your precious family! Oh and Happy Birthday!Katie in Maine
khatch@maine.rr.com

Denise said...

Love the post. I had some of those same reflections when I turned thirty this year. I am so glad that God did not limit my life to my plans, but instead provided me with the life He had planned for me. Can't wait to see what He has planned for the next decade!

Kirsten said...

Happy almost birthday!!! God bless you this weekend. I highly recommend the 30's decade - it has been the best so far. I feel more grounded in who I am than ever before. It is going to be awesome. Who knows what God has in store for you next. I'm excited to hear all about it. Keep blogging - we love hearing from you.

Happy birthday! Hugs to you!

Corie said...

Happy Birthday Sweet Precious Kristy! My birthday after Larson was SO hard. Life was not what I thought or intended it to be. Praying for you.

sumi said...

Happy Birthday this weekend!!! You are entering the best years of your life.

HUGS,
Sumi

Beth said...

Happy Birthday! Enjoy your weekend! I hope 30 is a great year for you!

So Blessed said...

Wishing you many birthday blessings, Kristy...the best is yet to come.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Cor. 2:9

Love,
Susie

Anonymous said...

Wow I can't believe you are thirty!! Well I hope you have a very Happy Birthday!!
Jessica :)

The VW's said...

Hope you have a wonderful birthday! God Bless You Sweet Friend!

Melanie said...

It's funny how life never turns out as we predicted it would! A very Happy Birthday to you Kristy!! May you know the joys of the thirties (even as I head toward my fourties, eek!), it's only a number!

Steve+Marie Douglas said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

connie said...

Chuckling over him taking your job.

Suzie said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU MY DEAR FRIEND. I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY. YOU ARE SUCH AN AMAZING PERSON, AND EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY FEEL AS IF THERE ARE THINGS YOU HAVE NOT DONE YET, YOU HAVE THE MOST PRECIOUS THING IN THE WORLD, AN AMAZING HUSBAND, AND 4 OF THE WORLDS MOST ADORABLE CHILDREN. I KNOW I AM BLESSED TO HAVE KNOWN YOU FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE. I LOOK FORWARD TO MANY MORE DECADES OF FRIENDSHIP WITH YOU.

TAKE TIME TO ENJOY YOURSELF TOMORROW. I LOVE YOU DEAR!!!!!!

LOVE
SUZIE

Laura said...

Thinking of you this weekend! 30 is big...you have learned to love so well in your short 30 years..some people take a lifetime to love like you do. Praying fo a sweet day with your boys.

Emily said...

Oh how things change, huh?! I'm with you. I feel so much older than I am... and yet so much younger, too. Life is not what we thought it would... but it's more. And I look forward to "doing" the next 30 with you!!

Nicole said...

Hi Kristy,

Just wanted to stop by and wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!!! Turning the BIG 3-0 wasn't so bad for me. Like everyone else said - it's just a number. :o)

Wishing you a peaceful & pleasant year ahead - you deserve it!

Take good care, Nicole

Anonymous said...

Hello,
For a young woman who just recently turned 39, 30 is nothing. I have started college again. 30 is not old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) You will stillbe able to get up off the floor after playing with your kids. Just think about how the next 30 years will be spent as a Mom. Iremember thinking that I thought I knew how my life would be by this time and God has had different plans for me. I am still finding out what they are. To all of you who are fretting about turn 30, Celebrate! I do have to admit that after I turned thirty I would forget how old I was and would have to count the years 1969, 1979, 1989, etc. :-)

Happy Birthday Amy in Fairview, PA

Kirst said...

How was your birthday?
Turning 30 isn't that bad. Now 31, that's another story. Just kidding. I always say your only as old as you feel.
Hope you had a great birthday weekend.

Hilary said...

Happy Birthday!!

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for my husband. I am ever grateful!

Blessings,
Hilary

Kenzie said...

Happy belated birthday precious friend! (Sorry, don't have access to my facebook here so I didn't get my reminder :) ) You have truly been through so much... your young spirit and old soul that has been through many tests and trials here on earth. Praise God that He is someone that loves us even when we fail, when we stumble and when we sin... like you said, even when we feel abandoned He has NEVER LEFT! Praise Him for that.

Love you and prayer for your precious family... sometimes our dreams are just that. I have realized that lately too, and yet, God always knows better :)

Kenz