"Blessed is this life and I'm going to celebrate being alive!"

Stealing my lyrics from a hand-me-down song from my sister (credit to Brett Dennen)...

I had plans to indulge in a few minutes of reflecting on turning 30! today. Turns out I already reflected on the treadmill today, I celebrated with my four kiddos around the dinner table, and now I'm ready to indulge in a few extra minutes of sleep instead of writing :).

As I thought back over the past ten years, I have little to say except that it has been blessed. I have spent every year of those ten with my dearest friend/husband, I've given birth to four healthy children, I've finished grad school and launched a career (both out of the house and of course at home with all those kids!), I've visited 40-something states, I have sent my husband out on an interview for a college faculty job, I've kept some sort of conversation with God going (or rather He with me!) and I still sweat with the best of them at the gym. Any or all of those might sound like drudgery to you, but to me they are big accomplishments and causes for celebration!!!

It's a road I've rarely traveled alone and all those who have come along side of me should join in the celebration too.

So here's to celebrating being alive - for thirty whole years, and hopefully another sixty or so great ones yet to go! A couple of extraordinarily great moments below...