30 is the new 20, right??

It is with great apprehension that I write this post, commemorating the celebration? of three decades of my life.  That's right, the big 3-0.  I am surprised at how much I have been dreading today.  Prior to this one, I have never thought much about my birthdays, or getting old. But I have to admit that today I feel like I am entering middle age (don't laugh, I know I'm not that old yet- but I really do feel like I'm not young anymore.)  As I shared my feelings about "thirty" with my friends the past couple of weeks I got various responses and encouragement.  Here are some of my favorites:

"You're healthy, you look good, you smell good, you're sexy, why does it matter if you're twenty-nine or it you're thirty? I'm the one who should be crying, I'm almost thirty and I'm still in school."    Colby

"Yeah, but think of all the amazing things you've done in your life.  You have three beautiful children, you're healthy, your husband has a good future" Amelia

"Women in their thirties are great,  they have the wisdom of life experiences..." Aunna

"I'm a little apprehensive about turning 30 too." Jessica

"Well, Meg's older than you." Amanda

Thank you everyone for the pep talks and encouragement.  As this day was approaching (due partially to the fact that my birthday falls on General Conference this year),  I kept recalling the talk given by Thomas S. Monson in November conference about change,

"Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now. The lives of all of us, of course, go through similar alterations and changes. The difference between the changes in my life and the changes in yours is only in the details. Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes."

The last couple of weeks, I have been reflecting on the changes that have taken place in my life and thinking about the experiences I have had and all that I have been blessed with.  I have come up with a list of 30 of the highlights of the past 30 years.  Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Falling in love with Colby

2. Marrying my best friend

3. The day I found out I was going to be a mom.

4. Winning a blue ribbon at the Science fair in Kindergarten (I can't even remember what my project was, but I do remember that we had to use the lid to the popcorn popper)

5.Going to see The Little Mermaid with my family at the movie theatre and sneaking soda cans in the sleeves of our sweaters.

6. All the Summers we spent playing Ghost in the Graveyard and jumping on the trampoline at the "old house" in Layton.

7.The day we could "finally" bring Carter home from the hospital.

8. The births of each of my children

9.Having a daughter.

10. July 5, 1994. My first kiss.

11. Graduating from college

12. Running the Des Moines marathon with one of my best friends, Celeste.

13. The day Colby graduated with his Bachelor's degree

14. The Stewart family vacation to Catalina Island

15. Winning 1st place in a writing contest in 3rd grade and getting to ride on a float in the 4th of July parade.

16. Our Carribean cruise with the Frost family after Colby's graduation.

17. Against all odds, making cheerleader in Junior High.

18.The six months I spent living in Russia, teaching English in a kindergarten.

19.The small miracle that was selling our first house, by owner, two days after I put a "for sale" sign in the front yard. This just confirmed what I already knew, we were supposed to move to Des Moines.

20.The trip to New York that I took with my girlfriends in college. This was also the first time I bought my own plane ticket anywhere.

21. Touring Europe with my parents.

22. Any of the road trips I took with my friends...  from shopping in Vegas to getting terribly sunburned in CA.  Oh, and I can't forget Spring break in St.George.

23. Sundays on Grandpa Stewart's farm, especially if the "California cousins" were in town.  Playing in the attic or the barn and putting on marvelous productions.

24. Singing in the choir in High school, and our choir trip to Nashville

25. Getting all dressed up to go to a UPhA Mother/Daughter luncheon with my mom at Christmas time.

26. Being on the High school drill team

27. Spending 18 hours in the car with my dad last Summer as he helped me, pregnant, with 2 kids, make the treck from Iowa to Utah.

28. Any day spent skiing.  With Colby, with my dad, with all the Frost boys-  all good times.

29. Catching a pop fly in my softball game in 4th grade.  Possibly the only time I touched the ball during a game in the 3 years that I played softball.

30. Renting a moped on our honeymoon and crusing all over Venezuela.

31. Winning at the state tumbling meet in 1994

32. Being a part of the world's best book club

33. Playing Memory or Go Fish with my boys

34. Flying to San Diego for the weekend of our fourth anniversary and celebrating (kid free!) at Seaworld

35. My Senior trip. "Accidentally" missing our flight and convincing our chaperones to rent a van and drive to Disneyland for the day.

36. The countless evenings when at 8:00 the kids are in bed, it is finally quiet and I can sit down and hang out with Colby.

I realize that I actually listed 36 items, but I just couldn't narrow it down.  Although I'm not pumped about turning 30, as my father-in-law told me, "it's better than the alternative."  There have been so many wonderful things about the last 30 years I can only hope that my next 30 will be as good.