Remembering My 20s (what?!)

Tomorrow I turn 30 years old, but not until 3:38pm.

When you're young, you feel like 30 can never come and that your 20s will last forever. You've never been older before, you've always been the one that people look at and say, 'oh to be young again'. But it comes, somehow, the days pass and you find yourself turning 30. I do still feel young. I take care of 80+ year olds, some who still seem young, so I realize 30 is still young. 

I lot happened in my 20s. Yet, I distinctly remember the day I turned 20 and I feel like it was yesterday. I still feel like 20 year me in a lot of ways, just with more experiences and hopefully, more wisdom. 

I turned 20 years old in my dorm room at Lourdes in Winona. My best friends Kelsey and Casey put up 'Happy 20th Birthday' signs all over the room, got me flowers, and a cake. Cousin Megan joined us (she lived in Winona at the time as well) and we hung out in the dorm room and then went to our favorite Winona restaurant, Chula Vista. I knew it was great, but looking back I feel so blessed and lucky that these girls made my 20th so much fun. Miss you Casey!

  

I turned 21 as a Junior and 22 as a senior. Basically my young 20s were spent studying to be a nurse. Those were the toughest years, mentally, of my life. The constant strive to do well, the long hours and overnight studying, writing papers, memorizing. That is a huge chunk of what I did for 4 years. 

4am. I decided to set the timer and take a picture of my self :) 

At the end of my 20th year, I knew I would marry Chris and 6mo later, he asked! 

Engaged!

(I could write a lot more about this, but we'll keep it short and sweet)

At 22 I graduated college and became a registered nurse. First on the orthopedic floor and now almost 6 years in the surgical intensive care unit. I cannot even possibly describe all my experiences and learning that this job has provided. I am beyond thankful for this meaningful role, not to mention the flexibility and variety it offers. Working 1/2 time, straight evenings, lets me feel like a stay-at-home mom, which I love.

Also at 22 I slept the last night in my parents home (tear), got married the next day, and moved into the town home Chris and I bought! 

A home together!

October 21st!

At age 25 I became a mother and at 28, a mother of two! A sweet girl and a sweet boy. These were by far the most dramatic and life-altering events of my 20s and probably my entire life. Only a parent, and mostly a mother, can understand how this changes us. 

Audrey Joanne

Carson Adam

I've gained and lost important people.

Lost an amazing Great Aunt and Uncle, Gerald and Helen Erickson to a tragic accident. I lost my last great-grandparent, Neil Hemmer, a man in his late 90s, who never lost the twinkle in his eye and whom Audrey also got to meet! Saw my aunt and uncle, Jodi and Darin, lose their baby boy, my cousin Isaac, on the day he was born. That heartache of that event has become more real to me now that I'm a parent. I lost a dear, dear friend, Casey, just this past fall.

I gained a sister, because my brother Brice got married. Brice and Jenny were actually together like 9 days before Chris and I. Jenny fits right in; I just love her to pieces. I hope she knows how much we/I love her and are so glad Brice found her! She is sweet and funny and not only lets Brice be the Brice we all know and love, but she encourages his Brice-ness :) So glad to share life together with her and Brice. And......some incredible news is that they are expecting their first baby in June. Ecstatic doesn't even come close to explaining how excited I am about this! 

B & J, pic compliments of my Mom :) 

I've gained new friends, mostly other young moms like me. They are so precious and invaluable to me as we walk along together in this same phase of life. To share in the joys and frustrations. I have gained the most AMAZING cousin-in-laws. I am just constantly in awe of the people my cousins have married: Kate, Josh, Michael, Travis, Kate, you all mean so much to me and it's like you were never NOT here. The way you care about our family, me, my kids, has been so touching and remarkable. Love you all! I've gained some more in-laws through Chris' side, they are wonderful as well and they've both given Chris and I our first niece, Addison, and nephew, Zachary! On the topic of those loved and cherished, consider yourself just that if you're reading this! The scary thing about pointing people out is that you might forget to mention someone!

I've come to appreciate my parents on a new level. I've always appreciated them. But now, I cannot explain how much I appreciate them. I am so glad they get to see my kids grow up and I am so blessed by the way they care about my family and I. I just appreciate them more than words.

At 29 Chris and I rented out our town home and bought a house in NW Rochester, we moved in May 2013 and have been loving it ever since. 

It's quite the journey my 20s have been. It's been learning to be a nurse, a wife and a mother, and most importantly, another stretch of the journey of seeking God and striving to live as He would have me live.

I learned in my early 20s that God is so so so very faithful. He let me feel the ache of a broken-heart, but at the same time, the joy and peace of a soul who knows it's maker. I saw Him make a life new in my (now) husband, which is the single most amazing thing I've ever been a part of. From all of this I have learned to trust that God will continue to be faithful and keep His promises to me. I cannot doubt Him for a second, He proves himself over and over. This doesn't mean He makes things easy, but it means He continues to provide and be my firm foundation. I can only hope I can continue to trust even more readily. 

At 20, my day consisted of, well, studying and maybe sharing a few laughs with Kelsey and Casey over supper. At 29 years and 364 days, my day consists of waking up two little ones, getting them dressed, fed, taking one to preschool, playing toys with the other, taking a temp, giving Tylenol, praying for them, cleaning, feeding them again, discipline, love, fun, frustration, kissing owies, room time, nap time, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, more toys, diapers, laundry, dishes, making supper (or not!), and waiting for my sweet husband to come home and see that I actually shoveled the ginormous amount of snow off the drive-way today! I love it all. Oofdah! 

My little joys

There's so much that has been done over this past decade! It's crazy to think it's almost over. I'm perfectly fine starting my 30s tomorrow. There's a lot I'd like to be better at, to achieve and accomplish. I certainly hope that I can! My kids are going to grow up during this decade. In ten years from tomorrow, they'll be almost 15 and 12. Wow. I'm beyond grateful for the relationship/friendship/partnership I have in my husband. I have no desire to go through my 30s without him! I so appreciate him. I'm sure we have a lot to learn as we soon will enter into having a school-aged child! 

BFFs

This is long, but 10 years is a lot to think about! 

I am now entering the decade I vividly remember my parents being in! Generations aren't so far apart after all!

29 year old me, signing out!