So... This is 30?

So  I am straying from our African Adventures this week to talk about turning the BIG 3-0.

This weekend we celebrated my 30th Birthday! Another decade in the books and I have to tell you it feels pretty good! My birthday in general was pretty much like any other Friday. The boys stay home with me on Fridays so we were up as usual at 5:15; the boys ready to play, and like normal, I was ready to lay on the couch for an hour sipping tea and wishing I was still asleep. My fabulous friend Misty stayed up to the crazy hour of 10pm on her Thursday night so that she could FaceTime me on the morning of my Birthday!! She toasted me with wine as I said cheers with a cup of tea. It was a great conversation and filled my heart early on my day! True friends stay up late so they can drink wine with you across the world!! We went about the day as normal, the boys had swim lessons, and we needed to run some errands. We stopped at McDonald's for lunch and I started questioning who's birthday we were celebrating, the boys were extra excited for the lunch treat. We came home and the boys gave me the best present of the day... they actually took naps with no complaining or fighting! It was a Birthday miracle and it gave me some time to sit, relax, and think about being 30. That evening we headed to dinner at the local kid-friendly restaurant Papachinos. I almost took the kids to a new place, but realized my dinner would be filled with me keeping them entertained at the table and would result in less relaxation for me in the end. So, we went with Papachinos where the boys could run wild and I could enjoy a glass of wine and conversation with the hubs. Saturday night Chase organized a dinner with friends to celebrate my birthday and my friend Terra's birthday which was earlier this month. We had a fabulous evening stuffing ourselves with sushi and champagne! It's been a blessing to have found some fabulous people to enjoy Africa with. Having found such good friends here has made Birthdays and everyday much easier.

Just a taste of America on My Day! 

My Friend Terra and I - The Birthday Girls! 

The Gals! 

Over all this has been a great Birthday, I wasn't really sure how I would feel about turning thirty. I kept getting texts and messages this week asking me things like "Are you ready?" "Oh, the big 3-0!" "Aren't you excited for your 30th?""Don't you feel old?" Then I just started thinking... reaching the number thirty is not really a big deal, is it? Maybe if I were living in the 1700s and getting to thirty meant I hadn't contracted any deathly illness then yeah I'd say lets CELEBRATE and pat ourselves on the back for making it this far. In reality thirty is just another number. Over all, thirty hasn't made me feel old at all, instead it has made me feel is proud of how far I've come as a person these last ten years. Maybe with every decade instead of dwelling on the number you should reflect on the positives, think about your achievements so far, and how you can continue to progress yourself in the future.  I look back at the last ten years and feel happy, and at peace with the choices I've made. I have marriage, a career I love (even though it's on pause at the moment), and two fabulous rambunctious boys that keep me young each day. If you had asked me two years ago if I would ever live in Africa I probably would have said "Hell No!" But look at me now!! I am excited for the next decade and can't wait to see what is in store for our family and myself as a person. I see more fabulous adventures here in Africa, future in my career and who knows possibly growth of our family (don't hold me to that... I could be talking about getting a cat). Whatever it is I am ready to welcome it with open arms. So bring on the next 10 - Hell, Bring on 40! HA!

What else do you do when you are 30... walk like an Egyptian Horse!