I absolutely cannot believe that my 30th birthday is next week. Next week! Honestly, I have no qualms about leaving my 20s and entering into my 30s. I feel so grateful for the life I’ve led so far and for all of the goodness that has occurred in my 20s – graduating from college, landing my dream job, moving to Dallas, getting married, becoming a puppy mama, traveling the world. Admittedly, there have been seriously hard times and I’ve made plenty of mistakes throughout this past decade, but overall I look back upon my 20s so, so fondly. I learned and grew and stretched. I prayed and played and worked; I cooked and read and ran. I cried and laughed and hopped on planes and took road trips. I made memories and photo books and the very best friends. I am excitedly anticipating my 30s, as I expect that amidst life’s inevitable hardship and sorrow, there will be endless amounts of joy, newness, richness, and beauty – and for that, I am grateful.

On a lighter note, I am beyond thrilled and honored that my girlfriends are throwing me a birthday dinner here in Dallas next week. They created and mailed out the gorgeous invitation pictured above – isn’t it fabulous? I feel so known & loved, and I can’t wait to celebrate with so many of my favorite women on the planet!