Today is my 30th Birthday! Many people have mixed emotions about turning 30. Not me! I'm excited to start a new decade of my life. Here's my perspective on the big 3-0:
My 20s have been an amazing decade! Filled with lots of great memories, some adventures (and misadventures), and discovering the type of woman I want to be, the last decade brought so much joy. I started my 20s much like everyone else...graduating from college with great anticipation for my future. I landed my first job doing marketing for a software company and worked myself to the bone. I started my MBA and pushed myself throughout the three and a half years it took me to finish. By 25, I had my MBA in hand, and I promptly quit my corporate job and embarked on the journey of a lifetime.
I started a year long volunteer program called Holy Cross Associates, which took me to Phoenix, Arizona, where I came face-to-face, for the first time, with the heart-wrenching realities of poverty and homelessness. That year was, by far, the most formative year of my life. I found myself during my volunteer year, but that’s not all I found. I got to know God in a way I never had before. I came to understand the importance of my personal relationship with Him. I learned to value my family and friends more intensely. I discovered depths of pain I never knew existed and the enormity of human need. I became more deeply conscious of the dignity of every life. I began to crystallize my priorities and how I wanted to life my life. I found my vocation, my life’s work.
And toward the end of that formative year, on June 3, 2005, I found the love of my life. A night out to celebrate a friend's birthday party at my favorite Irish pub led to meeting my soulmate. I will always remember the early days of our romance with a smile...we fell madly in love and knew that we were meant to be together, in spite of living in different countries with the odds stacked against us. Now, here we are, almost four years later - we've built a life together and are raising an awesome little girl who brings us such joy.
I couldn't dream of a better decade, but I will. I start my 30s with hope and anticipation of what's to come. I look forward to enjoying what I worked so hard for - the love of my wonderful husband and beautiful daughter, strong relationships with the best family and friends a girl could ask for, a vocation that I love, and an eternal optimism that helps me to see the best in all things and all people. It rocks to be me :-)
Mom (Nana) and Anna, my niece
Kirinda and Grace
Isn't this cake awesome? It was made by my sister-in-law, Jen!! She's so talented. Thanks, Jen!
Blowing out the candles...
Jen, Dad, Anna, and Brian
Even Fred and Phoebe got in the spirit of the Luau!
Mom, Christie, Billy, and Martin
Ollie entertained us with his fantastic music! Check him out at www.myspace.com/oliverchilds
The best of the best!
Good lookin' people!
