28

Today, I am 28 years old.  And suddenly (and I know some of you will laugh and some of you will agree) I feel like I am getting old.  Not ancient or anything like that, but for some reason it truly feels like turning the page from 27 to 28 takes you from "mid twenties" to "almost thirty".


For some reason, 28 makes me reflect back 10 years ago to the age of 18.  On my 18th birthday I was boarding a plane for a trip with my classmates to Mexico to serve on a mission trip that would ultimately alter my life course quite a bit.  I had the huge privilege of spending my 18th birthday with my friends in Disneyland, a place I had not visited since I was 8 years old. I had no idea at that time that Disneyland would become the place that I visited every year for the next 10 years or that in just 9 short months from that date I would be traveling to Disneyland to get engaged and would return there for my honeymoon and with my children just a few short years later.

I had no idea that as I left the airport on that day and the boy who I had an itty bitty crush on and who would give me an unexpected and moment lingered first hug (of which was very out of his character and something I would be repeatedly teased about on the trip) would soon become my boyfriend and we would fall deeply in love with each other and that before the clock turned another year  we would be engaged and eager to be married.

10 years ago, on my 18 birthday I was told I was supposed to have a plan for my life and a direction but I didn't have any of that.  I had hopes and dreams but no idea what any of that meant for me at 18 years old.  I couldn't even comprehend the impact that serving for a week with adult special needs orphans in Mexico would have on me.  I had no idea that the simple words I saw daily posted on the wall of the orphanage  James 1:27: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."    would become ingrained in my heart and a part of who I am and a passion of mine.  

Things were so confusing in my life during that time. I was hurting and very confused.  I had no idea of the immense turns and blessings that were headed my way.  I had no idea that from my 18th birthday on, my life would feel like it was moving full steam ahead.  I look back now and can't believe at all that has transpired since that day.  I have been blessed with the most incredible husband for me. Who loves deeply and sacrifices to make my dreams come true. God has grown us together in such a way that our hopes and dreams are intertwined with one another and we are a united team, working hard together to accomplish our goals.  

I have been blessed with one of my biggest hearts desire - a house full of babies to love and enjoy life with!  It feels surreal to me that I am a mother of 3, almost 4 sweet babies! We have families who care about us and support us.  We've lived in 3 homes (all of which were "project homes") the one of which now feels too good to be true.  We've worked hard through college, the CPA exam, a layoff, overtime hours, and finally me being allowed to have my dream job of staying at home with my kids!   We've traveled to lots of fun places and enjoyed lots of good times and made hundreds if not thousands of good memories.

My 18 year old self could  not have even imagined all the good that would become of my life. I think the trajectory of my life made a steep and sudden change starting right around my 18th Birthday on that trip to Mexico and it hasn't slowed down for a moment since. Peter and I have lived every moment of our life together at full steam ahead. Sometimes it's hard to believe I am 28 years old and sometimes it's amazing to think of all I've done in my 28 years.  I'm so grateful for all the good in my life and I hope this next year is as busy, crazy, loving, enjoyable, and surprising as the years before it!