2017 is over. 2018 is starting.

Well another year has past, an I have to say, this one was a doozy! And 2018 is already shaping up to be one as well.

In all honesty, 2017 did not start well, to put it mildly, as things personally between Jennifer and I where at its most challenging, and on a very rough edge at the ending of 2016 which lead to a very rough start to the year.

I did start a weight loss plan, and was successful for a bit. At one point I had lost 25 pounds, but added a few back on towards end of year, but in all am 20 pounds lighter on Dec 31 than was on Jan 1.

We welcomed Nephew Miles in March, he is a very cute little boy. Congrats Adam and Amelia.

Jenn and I celebrated our 20 year anniversary in April, spent a weekend together at a nice little hotel in FW, did a few things including a food tasting that was really fun.

Christopher started HS, "technically"

Josh was put into a new class, and that has been a struggle. But we are working through it.

Jennifer for a period volunteered with a cat rescue organization, and we fostered a cat that had two broken legs and was pregnant. She had 7 cats, we ended up adopting her "Diva", and Desiree adopted one of the kittens, "Jellybean". The other 6 for adopted out. We know own 4 cats, ugh!

Desiree started her senior year, very weird, got her first job over the summer and has maintained it so far, and was accepted to Texas ST. by end of year, she will probably start off at a CC then go TSU a year or two.

I think I hit a break through with my marriage, ya I know it seems that I have said I have felt that way a few times the past couple years, but this one is much different. I am finally truly getting what it means to let go and let God. Something I never could in the past, its hard and a struggle and at times not happening, but is happening more than ever before, and has helped greatly. Doing this has lead to what i feel has been some of the best couple months with Jennifer in a LONG while.

In the middle this breakthrough, Jennifer, really started pushing the idea of buying a house. Now this has been in the back of my mind for a while now, but due to a huge lack of faith in a few things, did not do anything about it. Well letting go and letting God take control, all of a sudden opened a bunch of doors, that where really hard to resist walking through, even with some doubt in my mind. But I took a couple leps and when through them. Then suddenly before I knew it, we where signing a contract to build a new home. Hopefully closing in May 2018. We are excited.

Also got some good news at end of year for some family members as well, well, still pending, but could be very good news. More to come.

All in al some very high points, and couple low points, but I feel it ending on some very high notes, and look forward to what 2018 will bring.

2017 already?????

Wow is Jan 2017 already over? Where does the time go? My parents where right, time goes by faster as you get older.

2016 was a challenging year, and I have to admit ended very rough. I am not one for NY resolutions, but I did spend a lot of Jan 2017 thinking about changes I need to make.

Here are a couple.

1. I need to learn to connect with people better, and it starts with reaching out to people, not waiting on them to reach out to me. This is hard for me. You see as a whole, I do not like people easily.  Now I don't dislike them, I just don't connect very well. And I have finally realized that these people also see that in me, and that tends to lead them away from me, which I just accept and move on. I want to work on making more of an effort to make actual connections though. People need other people, and not just for a lift, or help moving, but for so much more than I actually am willing to admit, but I guess I just did. Well anyway, there is resolution #1

2. I need to eat better. Nuff said

3. I need to look for the positive more, and not allow the negative to control my feelings about things. I do not feel I am a negative person in general, I just have a bad tendency to focus on whats wrong more than whats right. In my job for example, I will visit a rep of mine, and books might be set 95%, and Ill say, hey books looks good, BUT, and then that but will be my focus for the rest of the conversation. It is how I was raised, but I need to work on that.

So there's a few things I plan on working on this year.