I turn 30 tomorrow and looking back over the past 30 years of my life, these are the people/events/things that have shaped who I am today. Some of them are silly, some of them are serious, some specific, some more general but all of them hold a special place in my heart:
(PS I’m very pregnant…obviously these things are in no other order than “baby brain”)
- Meeting and marrying a man that is even more perfect than I could ever dream up
- Two beautiful daughters
- Loving and supportive parents and family
- Diving deeper into a faith I’ve been blessed to have been a part of since birth
- A wonderful college experience and degree (go, Juniata!)
- Moving to Erie, PA
- My first “big girl” job at Gannon University
- My present jobs/ministries that allow me to both feed and clothe my family while doing something truly important and meeting some fantastic people
- Supportive friends who fluidly move in and out of my life as needed but are never too far
This was also my 21st birthday…not as fun on crutches - Breaking (and repairing) my right leg in the strangest fashion (always a good story)
- The graces of the 5 sacraments I have received thus far that help me daily
- Buying our home
- Leading several service-based mission trips, all of which have their own stories and memories
- Beginning (and finishing soon, God willing) my Masters degree
Vivianne Jennifer born June 5,2018 (Little Sister Gia born TBD) - Giving birth
- Our honeymoon in Jamaica
- Growing up in a small town surrounded by family
- Getting my driver’s license
- Joining the wonderful world of essential oils
- The complete life of my dog, Lola
- Social media. Love it, hate it or anywhere in between, it’s been a big part of my 20’s.
July 25, 2014 - The weekend we bought a house, moved, went on a road trip and got engaged…and then napped
- Finding and sticking with a therapist who “gets” me
- Learning (and continuing to learn) how to be a wife and a mother as a team with my husband
- Discovering that I actually do like (some) writing and using it as self care
- My trip to Ireland
- Nights where I couldn’t see through all the tears…and the tomorrows that still appeared regardless of how I was feeling
- Family vacations to Rehoboth
- The multiple rejections throughout the years
- Learning to not only accept, but love, myself (to be continued…forever)
