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It’s the eve of my 29th birthday.
29.
The forever age.
How did this even happen? I swear I was just turning 20 – heading off to Florida to work at Disney World & soon after getting engaged & married. I can’t really be turning 29, can I? (I mean, that’s like, on the brink of old.)
I don’t really feel 29 though (actually, to be honest, I’m 31 weeks pregnant, so I actually feel like I’m 129). But, mentally, I don’t feel like I’ve lived 29 years.
Anyways, in honor of my birthday tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to write another list: a 29-list.
Here are 29 reasons why I am the most blessed woman on the planet –
(or 29 things I’m super-crazy thankful for):
- Derrick – who will always be older than me. Thank the Lord.
- Braelynn – more & more I’m realizing that she is exactly and precisely the little person I need in my life. She is my little snuggle-bug & my constant source of entertainment.
- Baby Boy – we still don’t have a name picked out for the little dude, but I can’t believe that in just a few weeks, we’ll be welcoming a little boy into our family! I’m so excited, I cannot wait!
- Abby – because everyone needs a dog laying at the end of their bed to stick their feet under & keep them warm.
- Our house – which was my day-early-birthday-gift 3 years ago! Wow, it’s hard to believe we’ve lived in this house for 3 years – I love it.
- My family – which I’m tempted to list individually, so I can get to #29 faster.
- Derrick’s family – who knew that marriage added a whole ton of new people into your life that are absolutely amazing? (including my forever best friend turned sister-in-law)
- The ability to travel – we might not have gone too too far this year (pregnancy & all) but just thinking about next year (and the year after) is so exciting!
- The ability to eat – all the wonderful things & not have gestational diabetes. I am so looking forward to a big slice of birthday cake tomorrow without any guilt!!
- The ability to smell – candles and cinnamon and apple pie – oh my.
- The ability to read – I’ve read a lot of books this summer, mostly because it was one of the few things I could do to distract from how terribly sick I was (darn pregnancy). It’s been wonderful to dive back into the world of reading!
- Facebook happy birthday posts – I’m not sure if there is anything more uplifting and fun than a whole slew of random people wishing you “Happy Birthday” on Facebook – y’all better get your fingers warmed up for tomorrow!
- Deep Creek Lake – my happy place.
- Free birthday treats – did someone say free? I’m so excited to go to a free dinner tomorrow night, get some free coffee, and eat some free dessert! Oh, happy day!
- Big soft plush blankets – doesn’t matter what temperature it is outside, give me a giant plush blanket & I’m happy as a lark.
- Photography – well, duh.
- My clients – the people who make carrying a huge heavy camera around for hours on end completely worth it! Seriously, my favorite part. I love you all.
- Movie soundtracks – I know a lot of people get annoyed with listening to the same things over & over again, but movie soundtracks seriously never get old (and just in case you’re curious, right now we’ve got Frozen & Tangled on endless repeat).
- Our Mitsubishi Outlander – my early birthday present last year – it’s still the best car ever!
- Shopping trips – no explanation needed.
- Lunch with Grandparents – lunch, in general, is delicious and when paired with time spent with my Grandparents, it’s divine.
- Consignment shops – who really can afford to buy all of this stuff at retail? I surely can’t. And I love the treasure hunt that goes along with a consignment store!
- Hard drive space – because I’m a digital hoarder & like to keep everything. *Also thankful for cheap cloud storage space, otherwise, I’d never sleep at night for fear of my hard drives failing!
- Coffee – let me tell you, there is nothing like giving something up for 9 months & being so close to being able to drink it again. I cannot wait until baby boy gets here and I can have a delicious caffeinated cup of coffee again!
- Friends – I really have some of the best friends. I might not have a million, but the ones I have are literal gold – you know who you are.
- Amazon wish lists – how did I ever accomplish Christmas shopping without them?
- Cooler weather – normally, I’m a “cold” person, so the cooler weather just makes me upset, but with being 31 weeks pregnant, I am loving the new, cooler, fall weather!
- Hoodies, specifically when straight out of the dryer – end of story.
- The end – because who knew that writing a list of 29 things could be so challenging?!
So, well, you know. This is your 24-hour warning – my birthday is tomorrow! I will not turn away any balloons, flowers, edible arrangements, or gifts that might show up at my door. Funny gifs & happy birthday texts also much appreciated!
