30

It finally happened...I am 30. I officially joined the club about two weeks ago. I guess that I haven't really been looking forward to it and felt that it was relatively anticlimatic because the majority of my friends are already 30 and have been for sometime. However, it is still a milestone that has taken some time to get used to and frankly I haven't fully embraced it yet either. Nonetheless, I was able to celebrate with lots of family and friends.

We took a special trip to San Antonio with another couple for a long weekend trip. We stayed at the beautiful Resort and Spa of Westin's La Cantera. The boys enjoyed several rounds of golf while us girls indulged in some quality spa treatments. I must admit it felt heavenly to lounge around, sleep late, eat at random times, and have no responsibilties whatsoever. We enjoyed some wonderful foods, the river walk, lots of shopping, and some great company. God really reminded me just how blessed I am to have strong God fearing friends, and a self-less husband. It was a refreshing get away and overall just the rejuvenation I needed especially since school will be starting up in just a few weeks. There was one small hiccup during our trip that I can't leave out. As we embarked on the trip it quickly became a joke that this was "Jennifer's Birthday Extravaganza" and I was therefore expected to make all decisions in terms of plans, eating, ect. Anyone that knows me very well knows that I do not enjoy making those type of decisions. So all in all it was fairly comical. Nonetheless, half way through our trip, Trey and I decided to spend some time laying out at the pool. When we found some lounge chairs and got situated I felt a sting on my foot. I looked down and saw a tiny little ant biting me. I quickly brushed it off and thought little about it. I have always swelled more than typical when bitten by an ant but it is something that I am used to. I have had a mild allergy to ants as long as I can remember but nothing that has ever caused me to worry. However, about five minutes later my hands began itching relentlessly. I couldn't figure out why they were itching but it was very uncomfortable. As the itching continued I also started experiencing intense stomach cramping. Not like your typical tummy ache but more like it was twisted into knots. It was so bizarre and I really didn't know what was going on. I hopped in the pool thinking maybe I was getting over heated even though we had only been outside for a short while. Trey came over to check on me and he said I didn't look so good. I finally admitted that I felt terrible. Upon further conversation Trey noticed my lips were swelling. He suggested we find a doctor or nurse to have a look at me. We did not even make it out of the pool area before I was laid out on some chairs. I had hives up my arms, all over my neck and ears, my stomach pain was INTENSE, I had begun vomitting, and my chest was getting tight. Too make a long story a little shorter, the ambulance was called and I was shipped off to the hospital for anaphylactic shock. About half way to the hospital the symptoms started to tone down and eventually everything stopped. They pumped me full of benedryl, pepcid, and steroids. I was released about an hour later to go back to the hotel. All from that silly little ant bite. When I looked at my foot. I had a track from the bite traveling up my foot to my ankle that was red and swollen. It was basically the path that the toxin from the ant bite had traveled up my foot. It was bizarre and totally different from any other ant bite I had experienced. So now I have the joy of carrying an Epi-Pen with me and I am instructed to administer this if I get bitten by another ant and any symptoms begin to appear. It is very concerning to me but my PCP has assured me that it is not something to mess around with. Luckily, Trey stood by my side and took the best care of me. Our friends who traveled with us where also very supportive. From that point on "Jennifer's Birthday Extravaganza" took on a whole new meaning.

I wish I had pictures to share but I didn't even bother with taking a camera on our trip. As you can tell the start to being 30 has been an adventure already. The past 30 years have been wonderful and I am looking forward to what the next 30 years have instore for me. I look forward to the blessing and revelations that God will show me as I continue to walk with Him. I am already so thankful for all that He has bestowed on me and my family.