So long, twenties. You'll be missed.

Tomorrow I turn 30.

Thirty...Just let that wash over you a second.

All day today I've been reliving the past 10 years of my life. I started thinking about where I was when I was 20. I'm amazed at how much has happened and how much I've changed in the last decade. When I turned 20, I was a junior at Wake Forest. The guy who I thought I would marry had just broken my heart. I also held the title of Miss Statesville and was preparing for the Miss NC competition. I didn't do as well as I wanted in that competition, and so 20 was shaping up to be pretty crappy. I had no idea that God was just setting me up for some pretty cool things. By the time I turned 21 I had met (and was dating) the man I was going to marry (for real this time). Amazing how much can change in a year. Here are some events/highlights/facts about the last 10 years of my life:

• Met my husband (age 20)
• Bought my first car (age 21)
• Graduated from Wake Forest with a degree in Biology (age 21)
• Lived with my friend Lisa for a year (first time out on my own!)
• Married Jason - my soul mate, and I really mean that (age 22)
• Got my first mortgage (age 22)
• Jason graduated law school
• Bought my first house (age 24)
• Had my first child (age 25)
• Ran a half marathon (age 27)
• Became a pastor's wife (age 28)
• Had my second child (age 29)
• Taught school for 2 years
• Worked in a cancer biology lab making a chemotherapy for one year
• Worked in clinical research for 6 years
• Became a stay-at-home mom (age 29)

When we had Jackson, I really had a hard time coming to terms with the loss of freedom that came with having a child. We could no longer decide to stay out until midnight with our friends without a week of planning and coordination. Gone were the days of spontaneity. It was an adjustment. I felt a little sad, but at the same time, I knew that Jackson was worth the changes that he brought to my life. I have that same feeling today. I must admit that I'm a little sad to say goodbye to my twenties. But, at the same time, it's worth it. Sure, I wouldn't walk a runway in my bikini today, but I like the girl I am now much better than that naive 20-year-old who didn't even know the meaning of escrow and insurance deductible.

I'd like to be able to guess what the next 10 years holds for me. But I know that 20-year-old me would NEVER have guessed me to be a stay-at-home mom and pastor's wife at 30. So, I guess I'll just see what tomorrow has in store, and the day after that, and the day after that. I know that God will give me strength to face each challenge, provision for each step, and grace every day.