30 Things I Learned in my 20's

So this is my last week as a 29 year old! I will soon say good-bye to my 20's. Woah. I will officially be 30. Version 3.0, as I heard a friend say. To some that sounds like a baby, but I am trying to wrap my mind around this!! 30. No more twenty something! And it's not at all that I am bummed about it, because I feel incredibly blessed to have 30 very healthy and happy years. My 20's were amazing! Talk about change! Started by buying our first house, getting married, graduating nursing school, getting my first big girl job, having my first two babies, buying our second house, becoming a stay at home mom, having my third baby, becoming a homeschool mom, and now I turn 30. 20's were wild! As I look ahead to my thirties I am convinced they will be more "stable"...less change. Probably will still require an incredible amount of flexibility, but maybe less major change.

As I contemplated saying goodbye to my 20's I began to make a list of the things I have learned in this decade...this list has come together in my head over the last year. Some are seemingly insignificant and some are life changers. But all of them were learned.

So here it is, 30 things I learned in my 20's....

1. Being a wife. This union between my husband and I is the most sacred union in my life. It is to be cherished and nurtured and treated just as that. Whatever comes our way, we face together.

2. I learned, that despite my timidness towards school, because let's face it, brains just don't come natural for me, it's a whole lot of work, but I CAN do it! And I have it framed on my wall to prove it! ;)

3. Nurse. I am a nurse. A calling I never took lightly. And every once in a while I find myself reciting bits and pieces of the Florence Nightengale Pledge. I took that pledge the day I graduated and did my very best each shift to do it justice.

4. Being mommy. At 23, I became a mommy for the very first time. I discovered a love I didn't even know could exists. It changed me. Forever. And I am loving it!!!

5.I can love more than one little person that much! Love. It truly multiples, not divides, with each little one God blesses us with!

6. It was in my mid 20's that I learned my calling, at this time in my life, is at home, with my children.

7. Flossing really does matter. (stop laughing!) ;)

8. I learned to cook. (Really!!) And some days, I ALMOST enjoy it.

9. Homeschooling, while a privelage, is not for the faint of heart. It is a commitment that must not be taken lightly. It's a way of life. It can consume you. It can stress you. And it can be such an enormous blessing. It is so worth it! And I can't imagine not doing it!

10. Rely on inner strength. Outside support is amazing, but there are

some times that we just have to hoe a row alone. And once you get over the shock, you will find your grove again!

11. People let you down.

12. True friends are hard to find.

13. Love really does grow with time. You will love your spouse more each day!

14. Time really does go faster the older you get! Really. Like hard to keep up, it's going so fast!

15. A clean house is nice, but not worth stressing out over...there's always tomorrow! ;) hahaha...I am working on the not stressing out part...

16. A calendar/planner is an essential tool for life. And even then you will forget things, show up late, and double book...but maybe, with a trusty calendar, that will happen less often! ;)

17. Roots. Strong roots provide stability. Stability reaps happiness. Contentment grows roots. (That may make no sense, but Chris and I have learned to never underestimate the power of contentment...constant change makes it hard to relish the blessings that are right under our nose! And children need to learn contentment) We have never been people of needless change. We both appreciate our life. Our simplicity. We have learned not to go searching for more, because we truly feel like God has given us all we need!

18. Things will change. Some things you never imagined would, will. It's life. And being content with yourself allows adjustment to these outside changes to occur. Takes time, but you will adjust!

19. Focus on Jesus. Focus on Him. Nothing else matters. Give your children something to focus on, because the world will lead them astray every time!

20. It doesn't have to be the latest, greatest, most up to date thing to work. And children need to see this too. I think always having new, always having the best of things will set children up for great disappointment later in life. You have to keep it simple.

21. Entitlement. I despise it. I have learned recently just how much. We are owed NOTHING. We are here to glorify God, not to be glorified ourselves.

22. Money is nice, but time is better.

23. Some days seem long but the years fly by.

24. I still am not ready for a mini van.

25. Children can teach you things that you were totally convinced you had all figured out! ;)

26. 30 isn't old.

27. Family.

28. Quiet time. Love it! And life without much TV is wonderful. I learned not to just fill quiet time with noise...it can drowned out the important stuff.

29. Baseball. Somehow, somewhere in my 20's baseball found me, and I love it.

30. God is good. I had an inclination before my 20's but, really. I have come to appreciate his awesomeness. His very spirit fills our lungs each and every time we take a breath. He blesses us each and everyday. GOD IS GOOD. 

So there it is, just 30 of the things I learned in my 20's! There's more, lots more! But today I am extremely grateful for the years I have been granted, and no matter how few or many I may have left, may each and everyone of those years, days and hours, glorify God. So bring it on 30! ;)