The Big 2-9

I guess it's here. The perpetual age of most women. The last year of being a "twenty-something."  Even Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother refuses to date a lady who's older than 29. 

I once had someone tell me that they spent their 30th birthday in bed, too depressed to get up and face the reality. And while it's a little scary, jumping into adulthood and middle age, I have to say I don't dread next year's birthday too much. I think the worst part of it is now I don't have the excuse of youth for my mistakes and have to own up to the responsibilities of being an adult (which, let's be honest, sucks just a tiny bit). I'm still a little nervous about growing up, but I refuse to lay in bed blind to the blessings and good fortune of my life. 

The last nine years have brought some pretty significant changes. Graduating college, moving to Asheville, getting married, buying TWO houses, adopting two dogs and having a baby. Sheesh, could we have crammed any more into a decade? 

I'm not quite sure why we dread aging, or maybe I do, another year closer to death which is pretty depressing. But why don't we look at it as another year to experience life, another year we have been gifted? I'll be glad to see 30, and 40 and as many years as the good Lord will give me. 

I've been thinking a lot of the birthdays I've celebrated in my 20's, some of them more memorable than others, but all of them happily. I've celebrated this birthday in the best way, with good food, good family and good friends. So here's to my 29th year, I hope to make it a good one!

This would be my 21st Birthday... spent in Asheville with friends celebrating. I had just gotten Lola a week before. I considered her to be my birthday present to myself! 

This would be my 22nd. Dance parties at Dillon & Rob's house. As you can see, we celebrate differently now in our old age. ;) My 23rd birthday we were getting ready to get married the following month. I must have been too busy planning to take a birthday photo. 

24! Fun dinner with friends... this is where we ate again tonight, and at the same table no less. 

For some reason it was a big deal to be a quarter of a century...

And Dillon bought tickets to see Tom Petty! 

And we meet 26. This was my last ditch effort having a "young birthday". Tequila shots and I couldn't make it out of bed the next day. 

My 27th birthday was quite different... We had lunch with the Wyatts and I tried to keep food down because I was about 10 weeks pregnant. This picture is the closest I have for my 28th birthday celebration. Luke joined our family and we spent the weekend following my birthday in St. Simons,GA with my mom and dad.