Turning 3-0: Some Highlights From My 20's

Today is my birthday! As of 6:14 a.m. on January 4, 2015, I will no longer be a 20-something. Of course, it's bitter-sweet. I'm excited to reach the milestone of 30, but sad to be leaving my 20's.

With this milestone approaching quickly, I feel that I finally "get" my life. I'm feeling comfortable with my life, with being a mother and wife, and knowing what God wants me to do on this Earth. This feeling could be here today and gone tomorrow, but I'm at peace with it today. I don't just feel older. I feel alive and accomplished.

 

The past 10 years have been such an immense learning time for me with many changes. Full of wonderful times and not so wonderful times. Let me take a brief moment to recap my 20's for you.

When I turned 20 in 2005, I was still living in Manhattan and attending Kansas State University working on my degrees in Animal Science & Industry and Agricultural Communications & Journalism. My boyfriend had just dumped me, but later on in the Fall I would meet my future husband Matt through a friend. The next day, Matt and I realized we had a class together! We officially started dating in October of 2005.

The next two years were spent in Manhattan until we both graduated in December 2007. In 2006, we became fur parents to a "baby" beagle pup named Scout.

I wanted to get my Master's Degree, so in January 2008 Scout and I moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma to attend the OSU Graduate School. This was THE hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Moving 5-6 hours away from all family and friends made me so homesick, but the long-distance encouragements from Matt, his parents, and my family helped me make it through. Matt tried to visit me as much as he could and on Valentine's Day of 2009, he proposed to me in my apartment!

The 1 ½ years I was away from everyone I knew and loved was so pivotal for me to grow, mature, and make my own decisions. It made me such an independent person. I had no one to depend on. No one to take care of me when I was sick. No one to help me when I had a flat tire. No one to help me carry groceries in from the car. I was responsible for myself, my schedule and Scout.

The distance and the change was mentally stressful on me for a while. I threw myself into staying busy with my classes. I enjoyed my grad school classes and the work came easily to me, so I needed something more challenging to throw into my routine. I decided to train for a half marathon.

I had never been much of a runner, so I started at one mile and then upped my             distance each week. Slow and steady was key. I watched other runners' form and tried to copy how they ran. I eventually made it to 13 miles and completed my first half in April of 2009 just weeks before graduation.

 

 

 

 

 

Spring of 2009 brought more change. I graduated, started my first job as an Extension 4-H Agent, and we bought our farm all in a matter of weeks. Whoa! I threw in a lot of wedding planning because we had set the date for September 5, 2009. It was a wonderful wedding day. We spent a week in Estes Park, Colorado for our honeymoon.

We started buying animals for the farm in the Fall of 2009. This included several weeks of fence building and pasture care as well.

We adopted another beagle Sage in 2009!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2010, I joined the local YMCA and met some wonderful new friends through the Zumba Classes. They motivate me, remind me to be a more positive person and accept me for who I am. Later on that year, I was asked to become certified as a group fitness instructor.

The highlight for both 2012 and 2013was growing a baby in my belly and giving birth. Motherhood has been such a humbling and maturing experience for me.

This past year, I worked on losing my baby weight. With the help of my fitness friends, I got myself back into shape and competed in both a Warrior Dash and a Rugged Maniac.

As I prepare myself to enter the world of the 30-somethings, I think about how much I want to accomplish in the next 10 years. I will let God guide me through the good times and the bad. I want to stay in shape. I want to be the best mother I can be to my children. I plan to continue to love and care for the land for those years to come. Most importantly, I have big plans for change this year to increase my own level of happiness and to love my life even more than I already do.

Here's to my 30's.

Until Next Time,

Farm Fit Mama