Part: Adult Festivies (aka my last week in my 20s)

I personally had a really fun time on this past trip.  My 30th birthday had kind of been looming over me the past month, and I thought that there was no way I was going to feel like I said goodbye to my 20s properly.  I know that's dumb.  I just love birthdays.  And I'm always sad when they are over.  And I felt like the 30th was such a big birthday that no matter what I'd be disappointed by it.  I know that's dumb too.  No pressure Kyle, right?  haha. 
I really wanted to do something to say goodbye to my 20s.  Run jump in the ocean in the middle of the night in the winter.  Or jump out of a plane. 

Instead, one day Kyle and I went and played tennis with Ty and Keri.  No big deal.  We were gone for a few hours.  Then that night, we went to the church and played volleyball.  We are a big family now and I think there were 11 of us.  We played for like 3 hours until about 11:30 pm.  I love the feeling when my kids are asleep and everyone is in party mode.  (Terry was at home with Kathy while the kids slept.)  Volleyball with the Millers is so fun because, well, we are all pretty athletic (insert water squirting out of my nose here).  haha.  Just kidding, except we can seriously play a good game.  No matter how we split the teams it was always a really close match.   

On the way home we all stopped at 7 Eleven and got slurpies and between all of us we ate 2 maples bars before walking out.  

I only mention all these details because we continued to do this every night that we were there.  It was kind of awesome.  Even on Thanksgiving night, which might've been my favorite, we were back at the church playing volleyball, playing through the soreness (we were all so sore from playing so hard).  We finished at midnight, and then the girls headed to Target, stood in a black Friday line, and ran through the store in madness.  (We looked like we were hardcore because we were in our "running clothes.")  As we were heading home around 1:00, we drove passed the 7 Eleven and thought about calling it a night.  Instead we flipped a U, got slurpies and maple bars, got in the car, toasted the last day of my 20s, and headed to Kohls for more Black Friday midnight madness.  It was my favorite.  (Tera, on the other hand, was doing black Friday shopping but she wasn't "farting nuts about it."  I've never laughed so hard in a Kohls.)  We finally headed home around 2:30 or 3 am?  (Only after seriously considering stopping at IHOP for some pancakes and SAU-SAG-ES!  SAU-SAG-ES!)

We were all exhausted on Friday and stayed closer to home.  We ordered some things online from Kohls (the line at the store was moving at a snails pace so we ended up not getting anything the night before).  I actually ordered new bedding, which I'm really excited about.  Our bed has looked like a college student's for way too long now. 

And then it was Saturday- my 30th birthday!  And I was perfectly content and happy to be 30, and I didn't feel that pressure anymore to have an awesome day because I felt like we had played so hard all week!  I felt like in a way I had done a few things I'd never done before (Thanksgiving dinner, black Friday shopping, bought adult bedding- haha), and I'd also celebrated youth with nightly long volleyball matches topped off with slushies and maple bars and staying up until at least 1 am every night.  Top that off with the fact that my kids were great all week so it left me feeling footloose and fancy free. 

That day I was up for a phone upgrade so we went into the store to get a new phone.  I was just going to be responsible and get the free upgrade, but Kyle and my Miller siblings convinced me that I was turning 30 and I could be extravagant for a day and actually pay for a phone (also something I've never done- I don't think...Kyle?)  So instead of the free upgrade I got the new iPhone!  I'm not going to lie.  It's pretty sweet.  I've been totally loving it.  I just push a button and say, "set a timer for 5 minutes" and it's done.  I love it. 

It was like 85 degrees that day so we took the kids to the beach.  I'll post some pictures once I get them from my sisters, but it was a great afternoon.  The kids ran straight into the water, and Joslyn was OBSESSED with everything.  She loved the freezing water, she loved the sand.  She was in pure beach heaven.  I guess she is my California born baby...

That night all the family (minus the parents again.  Kathy had her surgery on my birthday.) went out to eat dinner.  It was a nice little fancy place.  They brought me out a creme brulee with a candle. 

Keri, why didn't we have the manager take a picture of our group again?! 

When we got home, I opened my present from Kyle (also a little extravagant- he got me a new laptop.  The laptop we have has a cracked screen and you can only really see out of the bottom left corner.).  So by then I felt too spoiled.  I think we might've ended the night with the movie "Crazy, Stupid, Love." 

So it was a great week.  I actually feel a little relieved to be 30.  I don't know if it's because it's been hanging over me or because the pressure of being in my 20s is gone.  I didn't even know I felt pressure until I turned 30 and felt relieved...?  But I'm glad it's come and gone and I'm glad it was such a great experience.  So great. 

We drove home on Sunday, and about an hour into the drive we realized that we were completely dumb and had decided to drive home on the craziest traffic day imaginable.  We really should've just left on Monday.  We drove 11 hours and stopped for the night a little past half way home.  The total drive usually takes 14 hours.  Worst. 

But it was worth it.  Such a great week.  Thanks Millers for indulging me in my 1/3 life crisis!