30 Rocks!

Today we're celebrating some major milestones on Kell's Belles. You're reading post #200! Woohoo! Also, I turned 30. As the big day approached, I wasn't feeling so "woohoo!" about it. I guess I thought I'd wake up with 400 more gray hairs and extra wrinkles or something. Thankfully, that didn't happen. I've had some time to reflect on the life I have lived so far, specifically about my 20s, and I can't believe how blessed I've been. Not everybody can tick off their top five moments of the last decade as easily as I can:

#1-Sealing up Carter as MINE for all eternity

#2-Chloe

#3-Piper

#4-Sadie

#5-Tessa

Note: #2-5 are in no particular order of delight. I think being (re?)productive and busy during my 20s has helped smooth the transition into my 30s. I managed to cram a lot of major life events in ten short years (marriage, graduation from college, four kids in quick succession, buying a house). It's kind of exhausting just thinking about it. But I really feel like I've lived life to the fullest during my 20s and I can let that period close feeling good about what I've accomplished. And honestly, I'm really looking forward to the next ten years. I'll bid farewell to changing diapers, for one thing. And in the next six months, I will finally break the pregnancy/nursing cycle I have been in for nearly eight years (seriously, I haven't had a full month off of that ride since 2002). Watching my daughters grow will be the best thing I ever get to do. I'm excited for the adventures that are sure to come. Because, hello, I'll have teenagers by the end of this decade!

Another reason that I'm okay with turning 30 is that Carter really pulled out all the stops (all the stops possible with three small children and a nursing baby, that is. We couldn't exactly fly to Paris for the weekend--right, Em? What I'm about to describe may not seem that remarkable, but it was to me!). When I woke up the Saturday before my birthday, he had 30 roses waiting for me:

Roses are my absolute favorite (because I am one, I guess). These flowers were gorgeous! And they're still looking pretty great (even at their advanced age):

A few died and had to be plucked out. But believe me, there are a couple of years I'd like to edit out of my life. (2002 would be my top choice! That year was awful!)

Besides the flowers, he had printed out all the reasons why 30 is a magical, important number. Soon Grandpa D showed up to watch the girls while Carter whisked me away for a surprise breakfast out (at the Belgian waffle house I've been itching to try) and we managed to have an entire conversation without being interrupted 50 times. That's rare for us! When we got home, he gave me my gifts (a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia--my favorite!-- and a beautiful metal cut out of the Salt Lake Temple). Then I got to go shopping at the mall for a couple of hours while he handled the grocery shopping and shuttling the kids to a primary activity. After that, we got all dolled up and went out for a night on the town (Grandma D had babysitting duties this time--thankyouthankyouthankyou!). Carter took me to the Porcupine Grill where I had the most delicious dessert I have tasted in all my 30 years, The Chocolate Porcupine:

Thanks, random girl's blog, for the photo! I wish you could see inside that little guy, though. His innards were chocolate mouse, Bavarian cream, and chocolate cake.

Then we went to the movies. It was a perfect end to a perfect day! The next day (my actual birthday) was the primary program at church. Piper and Chloe were very funny and cute! They remembered their parts that we had worked so hard to memorize and waved at me at least 75 times each throughout the program. My family came up from Provo to see them and have lunch. And then we had a nap party. It was AWESOME! I got so many calls and emails and FB messages that day. I felt so loved. Seriously, one of the best birthdays I have ever had (8, 11, 14, 16, 19, 20, and 29 would be the other contenders).

So yes, I have decided that being 30 really does rock. (Even if I couldn't blog it for ten days due to Chloe's nasty bout of stomach flu and my stint as a single mom that lasted most of last week when Carter was away on a shoot in Denver.)

And at least I'm not 200, like this blog.