Amy Scott's Thoughts

Our littlest man is 4 months old today. A third of a year! He continues to grow and change. He is getting to that stage where he has personality and his little self is shining through. It amazes me that I am once again getting to know a little human. Each kiddo is different and similar. It’s been fun to see Graham becoming his own person.

At four months old, Graham is a supported sitter. He has used the Bumbo a few times and seems to like it more each time we use it. He had his first Bumbo blow out diaper on Wednesday! That was a crazy mess. He also had his first time sitting at the table in the Bumbo. Owen, Jeremy and I were all eating dinner and Graham was sitting in the Bumbo watching us from “his seat” at the table. It was super cute. Now that he is a supported sitter, we are hoping to try some solid foods in the next month or so. A lot of people wait until their little ones are six months to try solids, but Graham hasn’t been having much luck with bottles. He doesn’t get one all that often and each time he seems to forget how they work. I’m hoping that solid foods might give caregivers an option other than milk when I’m away. Plus, Graham is very interested in what we are eating. He is a chewer, biter and licker. Everything goes into mouth right now.

In other developments, Graham is close to rolling over. Owen didn’t roll over for what felt like forever. I’m hoping that Graham will get on the rolling train sooner than Owen did. Jeremy reminds me that Owen walks just fine so who cares if Graham rolls over a certain time. I can get hung up on wanting textbook development, but I know that Jeremy is right. Rolling over at a certain time isn’t the end of the world.

Graham also loves to stand like a big boy. He loves to be up and looking out. We’ve been using the baby carrier more than we did with Owen. This gives Graham the feeling of being held and he loves to be a part of the action. I’m now back to the stage of doing house chores with a baby strapped on me. I view it as burning more calories!

Jeremy and I have a different opinion on if Graham talks more than Owen did. I thought that Graham talks less than Owen did at this age. I don’t get a lot of baby choos out of him. Jeremy, on the other hand, will have lengthy conversations with Graham. This little boy loves to talk and smile at his daddy. According to Jeremy, they have a bond. Jeremy is also the one that Graham chooses to nap on. Jeremy can lay Graham on his chest and Graham will nod off for a nap. This never happens for me. It’s sweet to see them share special things.

Graham is starting to have a nap routine. Usually within two hours of being awake, he wants to go back to sleep. Most days, he is taking a 1-2 hour morning nap and another 1-2 hour afternoon nap. If he gets a good morning nap than the afternoon one tends to be shorter. Ideally, I would love the afternoon nap to be the longer one so he could sleep at the same time as Owen. However, a sleeping baby is a happier baby. I’m thrilled that a nap routine is forming regardless of when the naps happen. Plus, when Graham is down in the morning, I get to have one on one time with Owen and that makes me happy. Even with the household noise of a toddler, Graham stays down well. The great thing is I can put him in his room awake and he falls asleep on his own. Owen always had to go down for naps asleep. Graham is spoiling me in the nap department.

Life around our house is never dull. Graham is starting to watch Owen play and be entertained by his older brother. Owen for the most part does a good job of being gentle with the baby. He will ask to hold him. He also offers Graham kisses and snuggles. For the most part, he puts up with Graham being around but doesn’t pay much attention to him. I’m sure that will change when Graham gets mobile and wants to play with Owen toys. Oh the joys of sharing! I’m looking forward to the days where they interact with each more and even start playing together. Owen always wants a buddy to play trains with him and I’m hoping that someday Graham will be that playmate.

Each months brings more changes, smiles and love. I love my two little boys. They are a wild adventure and I am doing my best to keep up with them. Our house might be a nutty most days, but I’m adapting to the crazy. And I randomly call in other adult reinforcements to keep me sane. Just yesterday we enjoyed a morning spent hanging with my sister and earlier this week, my mom came over to help me with bedtime while Jeremy was away. I’m thankful for family support as I attempt to keep these kiddos alive.

 

I’m not really the type to get hyped up about Valentine’s Day. I don’t make a big deal about roses, chocolate, stuffed animals and candlelight. I have nothing against them, but I don’t really register Valentine’s Day on my radar. Maybe when the kiddos are older I’ll do more to make it a special day. Today, however, was special thanks to my littlest Valentine. We dedicated Graham at our church this morning. Baby dedications are a way of saying that we plan to raise our boys to know the Lord and we pray that they will personally come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It’s a promise to our family and our church. It’s a sign of our intent. It’s also a chance for our family and friends to show us their support in this endeavor. It’s a sweet thing and I am blessed to be surrounded by such loving, encouraging people. Our boys are prayed for and care for by the sweetest people. It truly takes a village to raise kids and I am thankful for the village we are a part of. My guys are so little right now. Owen loves the song “Jesus Loves the Little Children” and reads his toddler Bible with us. It’s the beginning of what I hope will be a love for the Lord. I pray that both my boys will see God’s love through their father and I. I pray my influence in their life will point them towards Jesus. I don’t always feel like I do the best at being “Jesus” to them, but I am sure trying. Parenting is such intentional business. I don’t want to hope for the best and leave things up to chance. I want to be a voice guiding them to listen for the Holy Spirit. I want my words and my actions to draw them to Christ. I know that I am their primary spiritual influence and I don’t take that role lightly. I am blessed to have a family that will encourage them in this same way. Many voices in unison are stronger, louder. I’m glad that I am not alone in pointing the down the right path. My church congregation is also there cheering us on and speaking life and love to our kids. It is a privilege and an honor to do life with such extraordinary people. Today we committed Graham to the Lord and pledged that we would do our best to guide him. It’s a sacred, holy work. Not for the faint of heart. I might stress and worry about the future of my sons, but I remember that they belong to God first and foremost. He is on their side and he is fighting for them. He will never fail them. I pray that he gives me the wisdom and the words and the patience and the grace to raise these little ones into men who love God and love others. What a journey we have set before us!

I would also like to thank my in-laws for hosting a little celebration gathering after the baby dedication. I appreciate them opening their home and letting the chaos ensue! It was a great afternoon spent with the best family ever!

Also thank you to all of the relatives who travelled great distances to join us today. We appreciate you taking the time to celebrate Graham. It means so much to us!

 

 

On Tuesday, our little family took off for an adventure. It was the perfect time to take a trip. I had hit a wall and I needed fun. I wanted to run away. I find that getting out of the country helps with that feeling. This marks our 4th trip to BC in the last two years. Who knew that it would become “our” spot. But BC is our spot. The place I daydream about on hard days. A lot of people think it’s because my favorite television show is filmed there. However, I have decided that is only a fun perk. There is a riverwalk in Steveston Village that we catch at sunset and it makes me so happy. It’s beautiful. It’s friendly and feels safe. The first two visits Owen hasn’t walking so we took stroller walks. The last two visits Owen has walked/ran the boardwalk with toddler wonder. The world is so exciting to him. His point of view and enthusiasm make me smile. This time, I got to walk the boardwalk with Graham in the baby carrier. It was a special moment to me – walking with my family in one of my favorite places. It doesn’t get any better!

We made it into Canada mid-afternoon on Tuesday. We checked into the hotel and got upgraded to a suite which was perfect. We had a small kitchen, living space and a bedroom. This meant that the toddler and baby wouldn’t have to share a room. Graham slept great in the living space and I got to bunk with the toddler. At first I thought Owen might sleep with Daddy since they were roommate on our last family vacation, but in the end Owen wanted to sleep with Mommy. Luckily, he slept by me and didn’t use me like a stuff animal.

Once we got settled into the hotel, we took off for Steveston Village. Jeremy and I went to Wave’s Coffee House which is a favorite of ours. We got drinks and a Nanaimo bar for later. We took our family walk, went to Costco, had dinner at A&W and went back to the hotel to play in the pool. This was Graham’s first swimming experience. Since he was with me, it was a short experience. The pool wasn’t super warm so I went to soak my feet in the hot tub. Graham got wrapped up in towels and joined me in watching Jeremy and Owen splash about.

Wednesday, we had breakfast at the hotel. We took off to explore a few shops. We always stop and buy candy bars. We had lunch at our favorite place in Vancouver. They have the best fish and chips. Jeremy and I talk about them year around. After lunch, we took off for Langley. This was a fun adventure because Jeremy wanted to avoid a confusing toll bridge we’ve taken during past trips. Avoiding the bridge gave us new territory to look at and gave the boys a chance to take a nap while we traveled. Our purpose in heading to Langley was find where they were filming Once Upon a Time that day. We discovered the filming location, but it was off the road on a big property, so we had to settle for driving by a few times. We made a stop in Langley to let Owen run out some energy at a McDonald’s play place. I was proud of Owen for conquering his fear of the slide. It took him a long time to go down, but he finally had a break through and loved it! The fun of eating in Canada is to get things you can only get there. Jeremy enjoyed some poutine at McDonald’s and I had a blueberry maple pie. I love that there is a maple everywhere! Dinner was Boston’s Pizza. We took a walk around Canadian Tire and then got a doughnut at Tim Horton’s for dessert. Jeremy and Owen went back down to the pool that night and Graham and I spent some time in the hotel room unwinding from the busy day.

Thursday was our travel day home. We went back to Steveston for one last stop at Waves. We got more Nanaimo bars and I got a fantastic coconut lemon bar. Yum! Once we made it back into the USA, Jeremy had a few stops he wanted to make. We hung out at Sky Nursery and looked at plants. We stopped at Costco Business Center. Jeremy has a few things he likes that he can only buy there. Owen loves Costco and this Costco is different then the one we have Olympia, so it’s fun to explore and see what things they offer.

We made it home with enough time to do a couple loads of laundry and unpack. It was a fun trip. Graham was an excellent traveler and sleeper. It was nice to do something out of the norm and escape real life for a while. I love my husband. I am so thankful he has an adventurous spirit. I will think back fondly on this trip for a long time. What a perfect first vacation for our little family of four!

Here is a blog about what we’ve been up in the last week or so – not much. Owen got a head cold last Tuesday and was nice enough to share it with Graham and I. Our life has been on the quiet side since we’ve had to cancel plans and lay low. We did get out to run some errands this weekend and watch the Super Bowl at my parent’s house yesterday. My parent’s got a new dog this weekend. We gave the new pup a chance to see what a crazy visit from our family is like. She handled the chaos like a champ. We are happy to welcome Teassie to the family!

After eating dairy on my birthday with no reaction from Graham, I decided to add dairy back in my life last Saturday. It has gone very well and Graham has no negative results from it. It feels good to be able to eat whatever I want and not have to worry about restrictions. Graham had a follow up with the GI doctor today and we told him that I had dairy with no reaction. I was “officially” cleared from my dairy free diet. I didn’t mention that I gave it up a week ago, but it still felt good to hear that the doctor wasn’t concerned about dairy anymore. Graham is overall doing very well and we will try to wean him off the medicine around 5 months. I’m glad that Graham has improved and I can eat whatever I want again! I have been savoring anything with cheese. My parents gave me a chocolate cake for my birthday that we froze. I took it out of the freezer yesterday and I have been enjoying it immensely! We also ordered pizza from our favorite place in Chicago. It arrived today so we celebrated being officially dairy free with a deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s. AMAZING!

The life of a stay at home mom is extremely glamorous. I spend most of my days keeping the kids happy, feeding them, changing diapers, making sure naps happen. The amount of laundry in our home is insane. I used to like doing laundry, but I lthink the 1-3 loads I do daily is wearing me down. I forgot how much laundry infants make. Owen is also in a phase where he would like to wear 4 pairs of pajamas a day if I let him. Usually I can keep it to one or two changes of clothes a day, but he looks for every excuse possible to have new clothes.

Owen is also making progress in the potty training department. For about a week now he has peed on the potty at least once a day. On certain days it’s been twice! We also have many attempts without results. We are spending lots of time hanging in the bathroom these days. I’m still letting Owen lead the way. I’m trying to not be pushy or demanding. He seems to getting more interested with time. I have no idea how long this process will continue but I am encouraged that we have now moved to daily success on the potty.

There isn’t too much more to mention. My life during the week is extremely redundant. We had a MOPS play date on Tuesday. My mom came over to hang with us on Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday, we got the final season of Downton Abbey in the mail. Jeremy and I finished the series last night and now we’re back to watching Gilmore Girls after the boys go to bed. Hmm… trying to think of anything else. Nope, that’s about it. A picture is worth a thousand words, I will stop writing and just let the photos speak for themselves.

My last blog posted ended with us giving Toby away. I finished my blog and went to bed. Once I turned off the lights in our room, I started crying. I had cried right after Toby left and a little that evening, but when the lights went out we entered the “sobbing” phase of mourning. It was ugly. I couldn’t sleep. I felt sick. I felt panicky. Seriously, the worst feeling ever. I knew we made the right decision, but the emotions over took me and I was a wreck. A complete and total wreck. This little dog for good or bad was a big part of our lives. My day revolves around keeping an eye on him, taking him out to the use the bathroom, trying to keep him emotionally happy so he doesn’t pee on my floor… There were no sounds of dog paws on the floor. There was no barking. He left a void. Like I said, for good or bad, life was different and I was grieving in a more intense way than I expected. I think that all the emotions that I’ve been feeling inside over the last few months just exploded. The flood gates had opened. I broke down. Everything made me cry. So that was my Monday… crying, crying, crying. Good times, huh?

Yesterday morning Jeremy gave me a call saying that Toby was coming home. The lady that took him realized that Toby is going to need to be the only pet in whatever home he ends up in. She has too many pets to keep him herself and everyone she had in mind to place him with has another pet. She will keep looking for a home for Toby, but until the right home opens up, he is back with us. I have no clue how I feel about this. I grieved so hard when he left. I was looking forward to moving through the emotions and getting to a place where I could appreciate no longer having a dog. We never got to that point. Now things are back to “normal” and yet something feels like it has shifted in me. I guess it’s probably because I feel like Toby might be loan to us. Who knows if we have weeks, months or years left with him our household? I’m keeping an open hand with him. If I better home opens up then I want him to go there. For both his sake and our sake. However, I want to accept the fact that he might be back for good. It’s like this summer all over again, but way more intense. This summer I got to a point where I started to find a home for Toby. It was hard to come to that decision, but once I made it, I realized that finding him a home was going to be a challenge. The doors didn’t open and I accepted once again that he was ours to deal with. Lots of up and down. This time I thought it had really happened. I thought he was gone for good. And now… I just don’t know what to think about all of this. My emotions are shot.

There you have it. The next saga in the epic Scott family drama. After a day and a half of total and complete misery, we are back to where we started. I am tired. I am unsure. I’m trying to process how I feel about all of this. I do know that the world will keep on spinning. I have floors to clean and a snack to make for my class tonight and I have kiddos to take care of. I’ll keep you posted if any other drama arises. Until next time!

In big and small ways a lot has changed in the Scott household. The end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 have left our family reeling. Some good things. Some hard things. Lots of emotions. So many emotions…

After doing a ton of minivan research and totally blowing our minds with details, Jeremy’s phone died. It was a long time coming since it has been cracked for months. With the death of Jeremy’s phone came more discussions, details and research. After comparing new plans and numbers, we decided to switch cell phone carriers. I have been with AT&T since I got my first phone at age 16. AT&T is all I’ve ever known. It’s comfortable to stay with familiar things. However, after crunching the numbers, we switched to Verizon. I know this is a small thing, but it gave us a major headache as we tried to figure out the right direction to go. I think our brains were fried from major minivan decision. Now we have new phones and a new cell carrier. Weird.

If buying a minivan, getting a new phone and turning 30 weren’t enough to making my head spin, we had to take our minivan into the dealer. Why you ask? Because I washed the car key. The electronic car key. The car would start with the key, but it would no longer lock or unlock the doors. This was our only key and a new key would cost $300. I felt sick. I couldn’t believe I had done something dumb and expensive. After calling around, Jeremy talked with a dealer that noticed an open recall on the keys. We were without the van for 24 hours, but we got 3 new keys for free thanks to the recall. It was crazy to be back in the car for a short period of time. After riding in the van, the car felt really cozy.

That brings me to the car. We listed it on Craig’s List with no interest. We listed it a bit high and there were plenty of similar cars in the same price range. We weren’t surprised to see that no one was biting. Then we got a call through a friend connection. On Saturday morning we got the call that they were interested and then by that afternoon the car was sold. Jeremy had some paperwork in the file for the car from my grandpa (the car was originally my grandparent’s). The paper had my grandpa’s handwriting and the stationary from his business that is now gone. Oh my! The emotions. Here we were selling car that we brought both of our babies home from the hospital with and I was sad to say good bye to the car because it’s been a good friend. We had many adventures in the car… but seeing the paperwork from my grandpa made me get a bit teary. The emotions have been riding a high these days.

Let’s add to the emotions, we got a phone call on Friday from someone who was interested in placing our Toby dog with a new family. I don’t want to blog about this… I do, but I don’t. This summer I seriously looked into placing Toby with a new home and all the doors seemed to be closed to me. It was hard to come to a place where I was ready to let him go. There are lots of pros to not having a dog, but the main reason we let Toby go was he isn’t good with small children. I’m constantly trying to keep him away from Owen. Owen and Toby had a love hate relationship. They had good times and bad times. But the problem is Toby is a biter. He has bitten Owen multiple times and others as well. I’ve stopped having play dates at my house because I’ve been too worried about my dog biting kids. It’s a rough road. Toby is a sweet, lap dog. He is perfect for an adult with a quiet life. He loves to snuggle. He adores attention. Our home was just no longer a good fit. Anyway, the doors opened quickly for Toby to leave our household. It was a hard decision, but Toby left us this afternoon. Oh the emotions. Ahhhhh!!!! It’s been a rough afternoon/evening. I’m not entirely sure that the worst is over yet. Owen keeps looking for Toby. Every time he asks I tell him that Toby is on a new adventure. It makes me sad to see Owen looking for Toby when their rough relationship is the main reason Toby is gone. Again ahhhh…. As Toby drove off, Owen said “Bye bye Tobers”. Tobers is one of the many nicknames we have for him. Have… Had… Time to start using past tense. There is a chance that if things don’t go well with Toby and his placement, he might come back to us. I doubt he will, but it could happen. There are a lot of pros that I don’t feel like listing right now because mainly I’m just sad. Really sad.

Moving on… Life has done a good job of making my brain reel. As silly has it sounds, since the arrival of Graham a lot of things have turned upside down for me. Adding an infant to the family, having struggles with Graham’s health, having to change my diet… all of the things I mentioned above and more. I feel a bit unsteady. There is so much good in the midst of the change. God is doing something. Jeremy and I can feel it. He is shaking us up. We are trying to keep up with him and trust more each day with whatever happens. There is a lot to process. Lots of decisions to make. We are doing the best we can for our family. Today has been hard. The good definitely outweighs the bad, but today, at this moment… it’s rough. I know our family will find a new normal… At least, I hope so. Normal would feel good right now. But maybe normal is a myth. I guess I’ll find out with time.

 

Graham has survived a quarter of a year with us. Or the other way around. Maybe we’ve survived him! I’m happy to report that he is a much improved kid now that he takes meds for acid reflux. It’s great to see him more relaxed. I truly appreciate not having a screaming baby 24/7. It’s been like a chain reaction. Now that Graham is more chill, Owen has gone back to being more chill around the house as well. No more diving for my lap or freaking out for attention. It seems like we have found a much more normal balance.

Things are starting to find a flow again. Right now both boys are napping at the same time. I can’t get Graham down for naps in his room with Owen around. I’m working hard to make sure that they both go down at the same time in the afternoon. This gives me a short window to not be on kid duty. It doesn’t always work out, but it’s now my goal to get them both sleeping their rooms at the same time. With Owen it was easy to work out a nap schedule. Graham is subjected to an older brother who makes tons of noise. Our house and Graham’s room placement doesn’t help cover up the noise of the toddler. I have a fan on Graham’s room for white noise, but that doesn’t always cover up the sounds of the house. Plus, I would love to quietly put Graham down, but Owen is always by my side. He talks loudly and doesn’t understand the concept of putting the baby down for a nap. Thus, Graham’s nap time is always after Owen is down for his nap. Graham will just have to live with interrupted daytime sleep.

The big news is that Graham now sleeps through the night. He sleeps 9-11 hours every night! He has been in his own room for a week now and I am singing the praises of having my space back. I love not having baby central in my bedroom. Now that Graham is sleeping solidly, I’ve been staying up about an hour or so after he goes down. With more rest, I’m not as ready to go to sleep the second Graham is unconscious. It’s nice to have some downtime without the kids before going to bed for the night. It’s amazing how life improves when solid sleep is finally achieved. I am so beyond happy. I am a much better person when I get my sleep.

Graham is just now starting to show interest in toys. He likes to grab things and hold them. He especially loves grabbing onto blankets and pulling them up to his face to suck on. He is a little Linus. I think a lot of times he grabs a blanket to hid from the noise and a chaos surrounding him. He will lay for short periods of time on his playmat and look up at the toys and mirror. Owen will snatch any baby toy I give Graham so we cycle through a lot of toys in the hopes of keeping both boys happy. It’s interesting to me that Owen is way more fascinated with baby toys as a toddler than he ever was an infant. He loves them. As Graham continues to grow and develop, I know that play time and toys will become an even bigger part of our lives. Graham is doing well at holding his head up and getting stronger. I look forward to the days where he can sit up on own and play with Owen.

Owen can now say Graham’s name. However, he says Baby Graham not just plain Graham. He also says Baby Boy a lot. It’s cute to see Owen learning how to treat a baby and what makes baby happy. He still enjoys giving Graham hugs and kisses. I’ve learned that I can use Graham to get Owen to do things. Owen will do almost anything if Graham has done it. Whenever I clip Graham’s nails, Owen asks for his nails to be clipped too. The other day I wanted to get Owen into his Seahawks jersey, but he didn’t want to until he saw me put Graham into his Seahawks onesie. Maybe there is some logic behind matching outfits.

Overall, Graham seems to be improving and growing and in general doing what he should do for a 3 month old. He has almost outgrown size 3 month clothing. I pulled out all the 3-6 month clothing last night. He is also graduating into size 2 diapers. I am looking forward to getting his weight at our doctor’s appointment at the end of the month. I’m sure he isn’t putting on a pound a week like before, but he is growing. He remains my little stout chunk.

The days are long and zany around this house, but we are slowly reclaiming ground and finding our new normal. It’s taken a while, but I’m not starting to feel more human again. Hopefully all the night sleep will help me keep up with these crazy busy and wonderful boys.

 

It happened! I entered my thirties! Whoa! To celebrate my birthday, I had a day where I let myself eat dairy. It was my first time testing waters (well, sorta. I had a small amount of cheese a few weeks ago). I wanted to see how Graham would do if I ate a day full of dairy. Because the small amount of cheese didn’t bother him, I had high hopes for my dairy day. I am happy to report that Graham suffered no ill effects from me eating dairy. I’m tempted to give up the dairy free diet altogether. If anything, I might allow myself to have dairy when I eat out or on special occasions. I’m still undecided. We have a follow up appointment with the GI specialist at the end of the month. I might wait until after the appointment to make a final decision on where dairy stands in my life.

Anyway, the day kind of revolved around food since I was going to let myself eat whatever I wanted without worrying about restrictions. The morning started off at a local spot for breakfast with my boys, mom and sister. I had a waffle with strawberries and whip cream. It was delicious! YUM! We took off after breakfast to hit Hobby Lobby. I had a vision of decorating a blank wall in our house. We walked out of Hobby Lobby with many new pieces that look great on our wall. I’ll post a picture when the project is complete. After Hobby Lobby, it was lunch at P.F. Chang’s. Jeremy told the waitress that it was my birthday so I got a giant slab of chocolate for free. And they don’t sing to you there. A non-embarrassing free birthday dessert is a win my book! The afternoon was spent shopping for some new clothes now that I’m living with a post baby body again. The shopping was very successful and not too painful. Praise Jesus! Dinner was clam chowder at Ivar’s and dessert at Krispy Kreme. Overall, a fantastic and ambitious day spent with my hubby and little boys. Jeremy took the day off to be with me and made this big outing happen. It was super sweet of him. He made the day special and wonderful. I was very blessed.

Today, I had my family over to celebrate with them. We made a huge pasta bar and we will be living off the leftovers for days. Pasta is a great for a dairy free meal and I made my lemon cake for dessert. Like most birthdays, Owen tends to be the star of the show. The kid demands an audience. Various family members took turns playing at the train table with him and running amok around the house. Graham as always got passed around and came back to me numerous times so he can could eat. It was a fun night to just hang out and enjoy the company of my loved ones. Good times all around.

30 has been pretty great so far. I’ve been loved on by so many friends and family. Three different friends gave me Starbucks cards so I am well stocked for the beginning of 2016. I might have to hit it before church tomorrow and splurge! I feel so blessed. I am loved by many and I am thankful for the people God has placed in my life. Seriously, age doesn’t matter as long as you are surrounded by people who make life a joy. I am thankful! I have a feeling my thirties are going to be amazing!

Tomorrow is my last official day in my twenties! How did that happen? Day by day, year by year. My twenties were a lot of fun. I got to travel way more than I expected. I visited places like Nashville, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, and Hawaii. I got married, graduated from college, bought a house, had two kids, bought a minivan. I realized that my minivan post on Instagram was my 666th post. Should I be worried or find that funny? I don’t know. Anyway, below are some pictures and a walk down memory lane! I am thankful for who I have become in the last 10 years. I know that I haven’t arrived. Perfection has not been reached. God has been good to me. I have grown and changed in ways I never expected. I walked down roads that I never thought I would take. I feel like I really grew up in my twenties. I was talking with my friend, Maggie, yesterday about being thirty since we both have January birthdays. She said that turning thirty made her realize that she is an adult now. Not a young adult, just an adult. It’s so true! I am an adult. I have grown up (to some degree). I have hopefully gained some wisdom from youth, but now I am an adult. I am excited to see what my thirties for hold me. Lots of friends have told me that they loved their thirties for various reasons. I plan on making the most of them. I don’t want to be upset about aging. I want to embrace it. I want to live a good life right now. Here’s to a new decade!