New baby & a New Year

Good Morning everyone. Today I've become an aunt! ...again. Kevin's baby sister, April had her baby this morning at 5:05. Her name is Payton and she is 6 lbs. 8oz. and 19 inches long! Naturally, I had to share this with all my Ladies this morning! I am excited to see who Payton looks like, I think she might look at bit like April, even though April swore to me at Christmas that she's sure she wouldn't. :)

I'm pretty excited about this next year. Last night at the HL meeting Mandy was talking goals and it got me to thinking about the goals that I want to set for 2010. Not just personally, but XS-wise, and HL-wise. I've always wanted to make clothing and do professional artwork. As we got to talking about things last night, it kinda started stirring in me again to clean out our office/hobby room and start making it happen. I would love to be able to do artwork and craftiness for a living, but that's never gonna happen if I just dream about how awesome it would be and never put action to my dreams. There are alot of things I want us to do in XS, but for a while I've been in a funk and haven't been working at it. I want 2010 to be a year that I better myself. Not just personally, but on all sides and all aspects of my life. The things that make me, me. I've come to discover that my life and personality don't come in seperate boxes. As much as we like to have the "work" box, the "Church" box, the "wife" box, the "creative" box etc., it's not really something we can box up. Who we are is reflected in every aspect of our lives. I am a Christian no matter what, I am creative no matter what, I am an overzealous person no matter what. So when I am at work, the place that I'm not necessarily in love with, I still incorporate all the different aspects that make me who I am into my work. If you look at my desk I have doodlings on almost everything, and if there's even a whiff of something creative going on our here, I'm on it. If I'm interacting with people, no matter where I am, I tend to be the loudest one in the room. Not that I necessarily mean for this to happen, but it's just me. And I would hope that whoever I meet, within a matter of a few minutes would know where I stand with the Lord. This last one is very important to me. More than anything else in my life, I want people to know that I'm a Christian and how I can't do anything without God. He is my central core. He is the One who I live for and the One I want to serve always.

I guess I said all of this to say, in 2010 I want to be a better person, and the only way I can do that is to become closer to the Lord than I ever have before in my life.

Hugs & Handpounds,
Jess

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

It has been waaaaaay too long since my last post. Ugh. I love Christmas, but I hate the almost required busyness of the Holidays.

So I'm currently listening to some Bing Crosby while typing this. I personally believe deep down in my soul that Bing is one of the only musical directions to go when getting into the Christmas mood. I've had a crush on ole Bing since I was a wee child. Yeah, I know, he was old, but there's just something about that smooth baritone voice that makes me feel all homey, warm, and Christmasy.

Kev and I are about to go up to St. Louis to see his side of the fam. It's going to an exciting time to be sure, it always is. Hopefully we can avoid police action and fist fights while we're there. Not that Kev and I need it, but his family seems to like all that sort of action. As Mandy and I say, Goooood tiiiiiimes! :)

I need to finish my Christmas shopping for the last-minute things. Sorry if this blog seems all over the place. Considering my current state of mind, it's acutally pretty organized! :)


Smooches,
Jess