Here I am, reaching an age that the younger version of me would consider "old." It's quite amusing to think that way, isn't it? I realize now how silly it is. I want to retract my previous words and apologize to anyone who may have been offended. Because, honestly, it's pretty offensive to me as well. And don’t even get me started on the part where strangers call me "ma'am."
Five years ago, I sat down and made a list of things I wanted to accomplish before turning 30. I haven't looked at that list or even thought about it in a demi-decade. However, this special occasion calls for revisiting it. I must admit, I'm feeling a bit pressured right now. Secretly, I hope that I've achieved at least 80% of what I wished for. But life happens, and we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves. Above all, my biggest goal is to be acceptable to our Almighty God. If I have accomplished that, I don't need much more. But let's embrace both our achievements and failures. Are you ready to hear the list?
1.) Have two kids:
Hallelujah! Praise God for blessing us with two beautiful and healthy daughters.
2.) Take our kids on a missionary trip:
Unfortunately, this hasn't happened yet. I don't have any appropriate excuses for not making it a reality. Nevertheless, it will remain a goal until our children can see the world from a different perspective.
3.) Purchase our first home:
Initially, I didn't think I could become attached to a house, as it felt worldly and temporary. But the truth is, we have built a home. This house holds countless beautiful memories, both firsts and lasts. It's true what they say about not forgetting your first love.
4.) Have my own garden:
Does having flowers count? I attempted to have an herb garden, but I couldn't form a connection with it. I've always been more attracted to landscaping anyway.
5.) Take my husband on a trip without him paying a dime:
If a staycation counts, then we can chalk this one up as a success! I'm immensely grateful to The Mall of America for giving us the opportunity of a lifetime. They generously blessed my husband and I with an ideal Spring Break experience. That included a one-night stay at Radisson Blu and a memorable shopping spree. We will always cherish this collaboration.
6.) Visit Israel again:
Thankfully, God has blessed us with two trips to Israel during this time period. It will forever hold a special place in our hearts, especially because it's where it all began.
7.) Visit Italy and Moscow:
I'm literally laughing out loud right now. I can't even recall having a solid reason for choosing those two specific locations. Perhaps it was the captivating photographs I saw online. I can't come up with a better explanation, although I can't deny being attracted to such beautiful places. God willing, one day these destinations will be checked off my bucket list. Until then, they'll remain there.
8.) Go on a girls' trip with my mom and sisters:
Fail.
9.) Bake a cake:
Last Christmas, we decided to bake Jesus a birthday cake, even though we ended up being the ones eating it. The experience was a solid 7/10. Five points for the mess, chaos, and the less-than-pretty cake, and two points for the lovely family time.
10.) Go snorkeling:
Success!
11.) Help our children find their spirit musical instrument:
Who knew that kids could actually be good on more than one instrument? Cough cough, I mean toy instruments. On a serious note, I want Josie to play the violin. Thad wants her to play the piano. But she wants to play the guitar. Until today when she realized that she wants something completely different.
12.) Take a helicopter ride:
Woohoo someone take me!
13.) Grow my blog to 100k readers:
Lately, I’ve been MIA on my blog. No way has it grown since I've been taking breaks. My heart is happy with the pace in the meantime. I continue to pray for encouragement and inspiration from the Holy Spirit. I feel extremely blessed to have a platform where I can talk about life and praise God.
14.) Grow my Youtube channel to 1000 true friends:
Same story here. Living by motivation.
15.) Attend all of my single siblings wedding (that’s four weddings):
1 down, 3 more to go
16.) Design my very own product:
I envisioned a clean and organic skincare line. I took a completely different direction and went for baby goods. My mother-in-law and I work together to create the finest wool product for your baby. A 100% wool infant car seat cover to keep your baby warm during the brutal cold days. Yael and Yarn was first born into reality when it was time to create a car seat cover for our very own, Josephine Yael.
It appears that I have only achieved 50% of the goals on my list. How do I feel about it? Great. In fact, I feel incredibly blessed, happy, and content. These past years have been filled with significant experiences. I will always admit that there is room for improvement. However, in the meantime, I choose to celebrate both my failures and successes. They all contribute to the story of my life. They have shaped me into the person I am today. I am grateful to be alive and healthy, and I will continue to praise God for His abundant goodness and mercy towards me. Happy birthday to me!