Thirty One!!!!!

On December 7th, I turned 31. It's not a huge shocker since I've technically been in my "30's" for a year now, but it still sounds a little weird. I don't know why aging comes as a shocker every year. I mean we have a whole year to get used to the next number. If you think about it, we have a whole ten years to get used to the next decade! It's not like we don't know it's coming, yet when it does come, it feels like we've been taking by surprise. It almost seems "crazy" that we're this age. I've heard it said that it's because we were created with eternity in our hearts so aging goes against what should be natural.

Personally, I would rather age than die, so I decided a few years ago that I will not fight it. I will try my best to embrace it and see the positive side, which for me is the transition from "the younger woman" to "the older woman" from Titus 2. I've benefited so much from the "older women" in my life and I can't wait to be in that place of looking a helpless young mother in the eyes and assuring her that she's gonna be ok, that she CAN do it, and that one day it's all gonna be worth it.

So this year for my birthday I really enjoyed myself. Instead of thinking about how much older I'm getting and how permanently gone my younger years are, I felt so loved by all of the people around me. The night of my birthday, Aaron and I stayed at a hotel in New Orleans and had dinner at a fabulous restaurant called Irene's in the French Quarter. A friend of ours was our server and put us at a special "friends and family only" table with a red ribbon and a huge candle on it where famous people and the regulars sit. I received many birthday wishes, a new jacket that I wear everyday now, a vacuum cleaner that I wanted really bad, a full spa day which includes a mother-to-be massage, a facial, a pedicure, and a special spa lunch! I've been wanting to do that for years and our wonderful youth group got their money together just for me to pamper myself all day. I can't wait! I also got a whole luggage set that I've been wanting since last year, a few accessories, and some money. Getting new accessories and money never gets old! Then we had a sitter for the entire next day so Aaron and I could spend all day together doing all of our Christmas shopping. It was a great couple of days and a great birthday. I felt so loved by all of the people that wanted to bless me. That is worth more than all the money and gifts in the world!