The Big 3 - 0

So...I turned 30 a couple of weeks ago. During the day of my 30th birthday I came to a conclusion: My life is going by way to fast, especially the past few years. Obviously, I don't have the power to slow my life down so instead I have decided to make living my life more intentional. There will always be times when life seems out-of-control, but by taking steps to make life more meaningful and staying in the present, I can ensure that I will at least be aware of all the events happening in my life and can be fully engaged in the moment.

Goal-setting is not something I have even been particularly good at, but I have decided that completing goals is necessary and part of living a satisfying life. The key, at least for me, is to not get caught up in waiting for the goal to be completed before satisfaction or happiness can be achieved. My challenge is to live fully in the present moment while at the same time working towards successes that make my life satisfying.

In five years I will be 35 years old. This is the list of goals I would like to accomplish in the next 5 years. The list is in no particular order (except maybe the 1st one on the list) and of course some goals are more important than others...

35 things I want to do by the time I'm 35:

1. Give birth to our second child (due in a few weeks)
2. Finish Grad-School
3. Run a half-marathon
4. Buy a house (the “one” that we want to live in for a long time)
5. Visit Europe
6. Start my career
7. Complete our family (We aren’t sure how many children we want yet, but I want to be done having babies by 35.)
8. Learn how to speak Spanish
9. Compete in a Triathlon
10. Celebrate my 5th and 10th wedding anniversary with Ben
11. Improve my cooking skills
12. Learn how to take things day by day
13. Read lots of books
14. Learn to swim (I mean actually swim, not just keep my head above water)
15. Learn to stick to a budget
16. Knit something
17. Go on a mission trip
18. Watch every episode of Seinfeld…again
19. Cultivate a healthier lifestyle for me and my family
20. Research and decide on a doctoral program
21. Become closer to Jesus
22. Make new friends
23. Pay off my car
24. Start paying off my student loans
25. Get a tattoo
26. Get going with a retirement savings plan
27. Create a living will
28. Be completely present in my children's lives every day
29. Become a better photographer
30. Grow as a wife and a mother
31. Plant a successful garden
32. Connect with our community
33. Get a book published
34. Spend more time outside
35. Finish a marathon

Sam's 3rd Birthday

Yep, It's been almost a month since our little one's 3rd birthday. And yep, I haven't posted anything since last August. Oh well.

I can't believe that Samantha is 3 already. She looks and acts much bigger than she did when she was a baby, but still, I can't believe that it's been 3 years. In some ways it feels that she has always been here because I have a hard time remembering life without her. In other ways, it seems like the time has just flown by and I really am wishing it would slow down a little. She's no longer my baby. She's a big girl, and boy does she know it!


Her last night as a 2 year old.


She woke up on her birthday morning to find her very own car!


Baking is one of her favorite activities. She got to help me make her birthday party cupcakes.


On the night of her birthday, we took her bowling, one of her favorite things to do.


The next day was her birthday party! She wanted a "Very Hungry Caterpillar Party." Mama did her best.




The pinata was a BIG hit.


Happy Birthday big girl!

It was a great birthday. A great day with just the three of us and then a great party with a lot of our family and friends. We are so blessed to have so many people around us that love our little girl.