Happy first day of school parents kids!  In the social networking world, I can see parents rejoicing that the start of school is here and the busyness that it brings.  For me, it starts a not only a new chapter, but a new book in my life.  My dad loving calls it my retirement, but today begins my first glimpse of being a stay at home mom and freelancer.  Seeing that it’s only 1pm, I can say, it’s a fine balance. 

Gary and I like to do wild and crazy things around our 30th birthday.  Gary’s 30th birthday brought us his college undergrad graduation, signing on our first house and me being 4-5 months pregnant all without him having a job.  No stress, really.  But the Lord gave us the ability to buy a new home with minimal work to be done, an extended internship and finally a job at Calvin around Thanksgiving time and an easy labor and delivery with Anna!  For my 30th birthday, we decided to have me quit my job, buy a pop-up camper and try my hand at building Unity Design Group as my job all while maintaining the house, cooking and working on my patience spending quality time with the girls.    Again, no stress.  In all reality, this is what I truly want in my life right now.  To be able to keep the laundry piles down, to keep the dishwasher loaded, attempt to make healthy and delicious meals, to take the girls to visit daddy on lunch, ride bikes, do crafts and domesticate them (we have kids to do dishes and laundry, right?).  I want to expand my freelancing to more clients, maybe get into the wedding world with invites, sell some crafts online and at craft shows, be apart of MOPS at church, use the talents God has given me in different ways rather than just at a desk job.

This past decade was filled with a lot of firsts, life lessons, joys and heartaches.  In my 20’s, I lost my mom to leukemia but gained new parental relationships and siblings that have blessed me beyond measure.  I fell in love with a man that I never dreamed of but has been more than I dreamed of, he’s my rock, my best friend, my partner.  I reached my highest weight of 267 (maybe more than that even) but have lost 81.5 pounds of that with a lifestyle change and I’m not done yet!  I had 2 beautiful baby girls who are the light of my life but have lost 2 babies that just weren’t fit for this world.  I’ve lived in dorms rooms, an apartment and now a beautiful home.  I’ve seen friends move away, lost friends but have gained so many more.  I’ve been challenged in my faith continuously and am looking forward to more challenges.

I’m taking on my 30’s with a hitch in my step.  To live it healthier, to be at my goal weight, to see my kids off to school each day, to support my husband in his dreams, to make our house a home, to love my family deeper and to become closer to our friends.  I’m so ready for this new decade and all it’s uncertainties.  So thank you 20’s for molding and preparing me for this new decade.