Party Like It’s 1981 {Or 30 Years Later}

Cue the disco ball, ya’ll…

I turned 30 on Sunday. {Sarah and I are birthday twins!! So cool!}

And, yep, it’s a little strange.

{Yep, it’s taken in my visor mirror in the car. No worries, Nolan was driving.}

I mean really, really it’s not that big of a deal. But I admit, it’s going to take a little bit to sink in.

I’m not “20-something” anymore, I’m … 30.

It’s just…

…different…

My dad gave me the perrrrfect card. It said, “Admitting you’re 30 isn’t easy.” {he should know, he quit counting at 29 } “It takes courage. It takes confidence. It takes a positive attitude! {Opening it up} It takes five or six years!” Ha, ha… Then the back says, “You’ll get used to it.” And I’m sure I will!

But, hey! I figure now’s the time for that “Oh, you’re not 18? You look so young, you’ll be grateful for that someday” thing to kick in! Whoop, whoop!

But I’m not complaining. I’ve had 30 wonderful, wonderful years!

And because there’s so much I want to say about my 30th birthday, here’s what I’m going to do… I’m going to pause right here and tell you about my “big day,” and then I’m going to revisit my blessed 30 years tomorrow in my Grateful Wednesday post. {Because…it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to write what I want to, write what I want to, write what I want to…Oh wait, that’s not from the 80′s}

So! My birthday was Sunday, but on Saturday a few of my friends got together and surprised me with a delicious dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. I think there are few things in life as wonderful as spending time with people you love – be it friends or family or whoever. To talk, to laugh, to just be together is a treasure.
Thanks, girls, you made me feel so special!

On Sunday, Katy {my sister} along with the help of my mom and Leah {my other sister} planned a wonderful surprise for me!

They filled my mom’s living room up with 30 balloons and baked 30 Pig Lickin’ Pineapple Cake cupcakes {yes, they are that good!} which required me to blow out 30 candles {so, maybe I’ve got some hot air in me, but, no, I did not blow them out all in one breath }.

But the humbling…the overwhelming…the oh.my.word I can’t believe it…the I feel so loved… part was that Katy had contacted my closest friends and family and asked them to help celebrate my big day by sending a gift – just a gift of love.

30 gifts, ya’ll! One for every year I’m celebrating! When does that ever happen? How amazing is that?!

I’m pretty sure one of my top {if not the top} love languages is gifts, so you can only imagine how I felt when I saw the chest covered in gifts love!

I was blown away and oh, so excited!

Thank you ALL {I know a lot of my family and friends read this ol’ blog} for showering me with love! I’m so blessed! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

We topped the night off with yummy food at “Little Italy” Maggiano’s. And tiramisu. And it was wonderful. :::sigh:::

So that was my fantastically wonderful celebration of my birthday. So much fun!

I’m a richly blessed 30 year young gal.

{Birthday self portrait. Nolan thought I was so silly for taking my own picture. Oh well…Being 30 allows you to do things that you might now normally do, right?}

{Be sure to pop back in tomorrow, and I’ll share with you 30 things I have to be grateful for in my 30 years.}