12.3.

December 3rd

If you've visited this blog before you probably have noticed...I love birthdays.

Tomorrow I will turn 30.  

As I sit soaking up the last night of my twenties (which for the record I was in pajamas by 8:30 and spent the evening reading Pete the Cat's New Shoes and scrubbing toothpaste off the bathroom floor)  I wanted to reflect a bit on what has been a very busy and blessed decade.

On my 20th birthday my boyfriend and my best friend threw me a surprise party.  It was a cold and icy night in the Shenandoah Valley and a friend of mine came from the other side of town....her boyfriend drove her over his trusty red truck and stayed for the party so he could drive her home safe afterwards.  He sat in the back of the room and when everyone yelled surprise and rushed me with hugs and smiles he stood in the back quietly taking it all in.  I walked over to introduce myself - his name was Brannon.

Rome, Italy - Summer of 2005

On my 23rd birthday I was in the throws of cramming for final exams.   I spent the entire day at the Health Sciences Library crafting study guides, re-typing and re-reading my notes - I. was. exhausted.  I arrived home to find all the lights off.  Candles were scattered across the house.  Our electricity had gone out. Our fridge which had been on its last legs -  died that day and our hot water heater was broken.

I found Brannon in our living room holding a candle next to our Christmas tree.  In the tree there was a letter -  and in the letter he told me that some days were going to be like that day - that some days and some times would be difficult and would feel like everything was going wrong - that he couldn't promise me sunshine and roses but he could promise me that he would be there right next to me whatever came our way.

And he asked me to marry him on my 23rd birthday.

 And I did.

____________________________________________________________________

Quite a bit came our way.

At 24 - A year and 3 weeks after that proposal we became the proud parents of Benjamin Dean on December 28th. 

When I was 25, we bought our first home.

  *And repainted the entire thing ourselves*

And 26 - that was my favorite year.  When I was 26 I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with my Doctorate in Audiology.  With 2-year-old Benjamin on my hip and 5 months pregnant with Austin - I finished my AuD.

I loved 26.

I felt empowered and unstoppable at 26.

Which probably explains why I thought it was a good idea for Brannon to start his Masters while we both worked and we had an infant and a 3-year-old....turns out - that is tough.  But as it turns out, so am I.

27 was a happy year.  How could it not be?

Honestly, I am not sure how I got from 27 to today - its been a bit of a blur.  

In between cute pictures there is a lot of this...

A good blur - in a stretch-you-and-grow-you kind of way. 

 A solid mixture of pushing my boundaries in various parts of my life: as a mother, as a wife, as a friend and a professional.  

  I am still trying to figure out just how to fit all the pieces together.....

I am so thankful for the patience and love of the wonderful family, friends and coworkers in my life - that have tolerated me working on that puzzle and inevitably dropping half the balls I am trying to juggle.

I am a work in progress....and I am looking forward to my thirties - whatever comes my way.

Bring it on.