Thirty minus one

The year I met Tage he turned 36 and one of my friends dubbed the house he lived in the "Forty Minus". Tage was forty-minus-four years old and his two housemates were also forty minus something-or-other. We still call that house the Forty Minus.

Today marks the first day of the last year of my twenties.

I am thirty minus one.

That is still sinking in.

I will be the last of all but one of my best friends to turn 30 (it's right on your heels, Heather) and I am not prepared for this decade to end. It's perfectly fine for other people to be in their 30's... but me?! My mom was 20 when I was born, so I clearly remember her turning 30 and how OLD I thought that was. Speaking of my mom, enjoy this picture, circa 1991, when she was 29...

Hot stuff, right? And that was after having three kids in 4 years!

Over the past month I've been reflecting on things that have happened in my life during the last decade. There have been some awesome highlights (and, honestly, my share of lowlights). Before I get into some of those, check out 19 year-old me (and don't you dare comment on how I have the same hair cut-- man, I really need to change it up...)

My friends Kim (pictured left), Roseanne, Melanie, Jaime and Lindsey surprised me with a home made cake (confetti-- is there any other kind?), my favorite flowers, and even balloons. I'm pretty sure that's a Mike's Hard something sitting in front of me and Kim is rocking the Bud Light. I wish I could recall what the rest of that night looked like!

Now on to the good (and the bad... and the ugly.) In the past 10 years I have...

...been baptized.
...gotten married.
...gotten divorced.
...started a business (sort of).
...driven a '90-ish Dodge Colt, an '87 Oldsmobile Calais, an '01 Chevy Tracker, an '07 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a '95 Chevy Suburban and an '05 Chevy Malibu.
...experienced two accidents in vehicles that have rolled, one where I was behind the wheel (goodbye Grand Cherokee).
...worked as a lifeguard, a swim instructor, at Old Navy, as a children's ministry director, in a jewelry store and as a banker.
...purchased three homes and sold one (although none of which I currently live in).
...started this blog (and then another, and another and yes, another).
...traveled to the Caribbean, Mexico, Thailand and China.
...road-tripped across the country.
...lived in another state.
...become a mother.
...moved 9 times.

God only knows what is in store for my life over the next decade. No, really. God IS the only one who knows. If there is one thing I've taken away from the last 10 years it is that no matter how much I plan and regardless of what kind of control freak I try to be, it is ALL God's plan, His timing, and my life is in His control.

I am totally okay with that.

Here's to being thirty minus one!