Twenty-Nine

Today is my twenty-ninth birthday. I am officially in the last year of my twenties. My, oh my. Thankfully, the upside of birthdays is that opportunity to reflect on the past year- the blessings, the challenges, the lessons learned- and be thankful that I am no longer who I was a year ago and be hopeful that the Lord has more to do with me in the next.
So here is a list of the 28 lessons I learned (some more serious than others) in my twenty-eighth year. Here's to hoping the twenty-ninth will be as fruitful.
1. A good cuddle will solve most toddler issues.
2. If you use applesauce as a substitute for sugar, your finished product will be bland and chewy.
3. Singing as loud as possible in the car is not always pleasant for the little ears in the car seat behind you.
4. When you ask the Lord to reveal areas in your life that are not honoring to Him, He answers. Quickly. 
5. A weekly game night spices up your life IMMENSELY. 
6. Marriage just gets better and better. 
7. A meal at The Girl and the Goat will be a sweet memory not soon forgotten, especially if that meal is accompanied by great friends. 
8. If you meet a friend at Caribou every Thursday for a month, you start to get free coffee. 
9. Even though green beans may be your daughter's favorite food today, they may also be her least favorite food tomorrow. 
10. Excellent shoes make any plain outfit special. 
11. Weekly date nights are a must for parental survival. 
12. Every reader should read The Help. It's that brilliant. Then go see the movie and marvel at Viola Davis. 
13. Going on vacation with close friends will be the highlight of your summer. I'm hoping the event will become an annual tradition. 
14. When playing Ticket to Ride, don't wait to take tickets until you've finished the ones you already have. If you do this, you will lose. 
15.  The truths in Psalm 139 never cease to humble. He searches and knows me....and still loves me. I just cannot comprehend. 
16. Shopping at a rummage sale is hit or miss, but when it's a hit, you never stop bragging about your purchase. Did I mention I found killer baby shoes for $1 this summer???
17. Even though you judged Kohls shoppers before you were married and had a limited budget, Kohls has a lot of great items to add to your house or wardrobe. 
18. When your husband wants to tell you all about the latest Apple conference, you listen. 
19. A book club is an excellent venue for discovering books you never would have noticed if someone hadn't picked them as that month's read. 
20. Eighth grade students LOVE to write about space travel. 
21. Risotto is an easy meal to throw together and a satisfying meal for husbands. 
22. Taking a picture with your extended family where all six babies/toddlers are smiling is impossible. 
23. A nap not cut short by a baby's cry is to be treasured. 
24. Always carry snacks in your purse. 
25. When a friend is grieving and you have no word to shed light on the darkness, a hug is a pretty good substitute. Being present works too. 
26. Banana bread is not as easy to master as everyone says it is. 
27. Husbands love when they come home from a long day of work and the kitchen is spotless. 
28. The lesson I relearn every year it seems- God is so good. He is faithful, steady, and so very good to me.