Drum Roll..........

*Warning this is a long one*
So today I have been (sigh) 30...for a week now.

ok, scratch the sigh, I am actually feeling good. I wanted to get a feel for what it feels like to be 30 before I did a post on turning the dreaded age.

Where do I start?

I am someone who enjoys observing people. The beginning of last week as I was dreading the 14th to roll by and end my 20's I thought back on some of my observings. I thought of the teenage girl who was 16 and writing a love letter to her boyfriend confessing her love and devotion. I thought of sadness for this girl and high hopes that it was something that would bring joy for a moment and then she would get over it and somehow see how much "Joy" lied ahead for her. Praying she would not (at 16) plan her life around this crush and miss the opportunities in store for her ahead. I thought of a young mother to be in my ward. Who was so nervous and anxious of going through child birth and becoming a mother. I was happy to not be envious of this young women's anxieties. I thought of a young mother I came across with her first baby and her HUGE diaper bag and accessories and listen to her gasp at every little thing that baby did or thought it seemed and the worry in that mother's eyes and the lessons she had ahead of her to learn. I found myself grateful to have passed those moments and the confidence and many things I learned that I now take with me as I go through every day. A little surprised that I didn't want to go back to those days.

Along with my observances I thought about myself, and all the things I have learned and experienced in my 20's.

I learned a lot but a few BIG things my 20's taught me: (#1) "You CANNOT control the outcome of things"!! So many times I was so naive to think, "If people would just make better choices, try a little harder, plan a little better...they wouldn't find things not working out for them". How many times did I have to have my house, and everything PERFECT for company? How many times did I stress over my kids looking PERFECT for church? How many times did I ruin family outing because I was so stressed over everything going right and when it didn't, throwing a tantrum and setting the tone for the rest of my family? When the reality is: You have NO CONTROL over whether the power is going to go out and you can't complete your gourmet meal for company. -or-The car seat just might wrinkle your nicely ironed clothes you put on the kids for church. -or-There might be traffic on your road trip to throw you off schedule, or someone might get sick and throw-up in the car. No matter how much you plan and decide....life has a way of running it's coarse and you cannot control what it's going to do.

Whew, lesson there: Do your best with what you got. Don't let the outcome of what happens change YOUR behavior. That's all you. Thank you 20's for opening my eyes to that. What a huge relief to finally have learned that......my poor husband.

(#2) There are things worth investing in: Of coarse I always knew the importance of family. But "GOOD friends". Wow, really really good friends.....are really hard to find!! When you come across one in life, DON"T let them go! Cherish them, they will have a HUGE impact on your life.

Also, yourself. You only get one body, take care of it. I have become a runner which I NEVER thought possible. I was shocked at how much my body loved and craved that exercise. Also, how good it felt mentally. To feel great accomplishment in challenging myself and reaching that goal. Awesome experience. Also, take care of yourself for your children. Motherhood, lets talk reality here....it changes you. It changes who you are as a person and once you can accept that, it was then I could appreciate my 5 wonderful blessings! (for those who don't know, refer back to post titled "Short but fun visit with dad")

The last thing I want to mention about things worth investing in: "Your testimony" I have learned to not take for granted that I have one. Because things happen in life that you don't expect and you find that testimony that you thought was so strong....shaken up a bit! You have to continue to invest in that precious gift.

(#3) Life REALLY is too short. I have thought this before. BUT I swear with every year and with every child we bring into our life. It goes faster and faster.........seriously, "DON"T BLINK" and don't sweat the little, Petty things that happen. This one, you really have to learn for yourself. No one could have convinced me when I had my first little baby that it's ok if she ruins that outfit.

-or- breaks your favorite household decoration. Heed your own words that you repeatedly recite to your children "You don't always get your own way". This is all learned over time and experience.

(#4) Never say never-0r-Always.

Really.....don't do it.

WOW, that was a little longer then I had planned.

Thank you 20's for the good, sad, hard, funny, and "once in a lifetime" experiences.

Whatever my 30's hold, I feel a little more prepared to face them head on and hopefully be able to learn as much as I have from you.

I am sure that my loved ones that are older and are reading this are thinking: "She knows so little, she has only gained a glimpse....just wait:)

Of coarse with all this dreading of my birthday, I am listening to the radio and a song comes on and this particular sentence stands out from the rest. "Remember when 30 seemed so old, now looking back it's just a stepping stone to where we are, where we've been...said we'd do it all again...remember when".

That being said, I guess I'm really just beginning!:)