STURDY 30.

I turned 30 last Tuesday. I don't know why it's taken me a week to write about it, but it has. Maybe I'm still in denial. I didn't really mind that I was turning the big three-oh until about a week before. It hit me like a curve ball, and it was hard to process. I mean, I know it's just a number and you're only as old as you feel, but it was hard saying goodbye to my fun, youthful, trendy twenties. Thirty just sounds old. But then a friend asked me "Would you rather be 18 again, or 30?" and all of the sudden, 30 didn't sound so bad. Don't get me wrong, 18 was mostly fun, but I think of all I've learned since then and where I am in life and I wouldn't trade anything to change time.

So, my birthday came and there really wasn't much planned. Nick had to work, obviously, so that left the littles to be my celebratory companions for the day.

We had a play date planned with our friends, the Kartaks, and the girls were going to do a lemonade stand.

It was a lot of fun. But what was even more fun is that they surprised me with a gift, homemade cards, and a cake! For reals, Melissa is one of sweetest and most thoughtful friends I have. I mean really, I shouldn't have been surprised, but my heart was just so overjoyed that they thought to do that for me. And Nugget, who earlier in the day just couldn't fathom why I wasn't having a party, was over the moon, especially about the cake part. Melissa's girls, Abbey and Alice, kept giving me hugs all afternoon and wished me a happy birthday too many times to count. Too sweet.

***
More on the lemonade stand. It was hugely successful, as in each girl walked away with six dollars and some odd change. Not bad considering our only customers were ones we recruited through phone calls and facebook.

We hit the jackpot when Daddy came by, his crew in tow.

They each threw down a pile of quarters, even when the girls were only asking twenty five cents a cup.

We picnicked for lunch, ate cake, and played outside for hours until it was time to head home for a little afternoon rest.

Later, after dinner, we headed to my favorite ice cream shop to get just that, ice cream. Cake and ice cream in one day? Thirty is shaping up just fine.

 Waiting (not so) patiently for his ice cream cone.

It always does my heart good to spend special days with the ones I love most.

Everyone has been telling me that life gets even better after 30, and I'm choosing to believe them. And I'm pretty sure they're gonna be right.

So here's to you 30, let's see whatchya got.