the latest Jeffrey...

I know, I know... it is rather ironic that the evening after we watched "Marly and Me" we go and buy a dog. But it has been a long time coming...

So...

We bought a dog.

We pick him up tomorrow... and he's a little guy. A Yorkie (my wife's fav), but will be a great addition to the family. Eventually, I'm sure I'll get a dog more my size... but until then, we're very excited about this one.

I have a feeling that this will help ease the 'baby' angst to a degree... no offense friends, but you're all having babies... and not that we're not happy for you... ha! It just becomes frustrating to a degree to hear about everybody's latest 'bun in the oven', especially the "oops" babies.

I'm sure you've figured out by now that we are hoping for kiddos soon. We had been hoping by the end of this year, but hey, all in God's timing, right? However, we've enjoyed our time that we've spent completely alone and together this year. But after almost 5 years of marriage and 7 years together, we feel its time for a little more.

Until then, we'll enjoy that nephew of ours, our new dog 'Mac', and the kiddos of our friends...
Speaking of kiddos, here's a video of one of our favorites!

Reassessment...

Beautiful night! Tonight, Jamie and I had a small date night... dinner with her parents and then Jamie and I watched the movie "Marly and Me". The movie was really good, really uplifting... and pretty emotional. Yes. Even for dudes. C'mon, it's a tear-jerker about "man's best friend"...

Now, this may sound really strange, but tonight, while watching crooked-nosed Owen Wilson's character, something he said clicked with me...

The movie really prompted something in me that I haven't felt in awhile. A connection missing... a wire loose that was all of a sudden reconnected and it all made sense again.

There was a line in the movie... he, being a columnist for a paper, always wanted to be a reporter, not a columnist. Either way, he's writing, but still, its not quite his passion... then he gets a chance to report, relocates and does what he's always wanted to do... then misses the freedom of writing a column. Something his wife says to him is something Jamie has said to me before... she says to him, "John, its just... exhausting sometimes. It's exhausting watching you want something you don't have."

A-ha! That was the moment. Something about that line...

Jamie's said it before, but it clicked because I could visually see a character that I identify with. I just shared 1 hr and 40 minutes of character building with a character who, I feel, I'm not too far from story-wise.

I'm doing what I've always wanted to do, yet, everyday, long for something more... I often feel that the reason I've even come up here in the first place is because of some completely different thing God has for Jamie and I. Part of me feels it has something to do with the church... with ministry. Lots of opportunity continues to present itself to me through the church and through ministry. But then again, who knows. I'm just along for the ride.

It just ceases to amaze me that I can be doing what I've always wanted to do, and still be unhappy to an extent. I've always been told by friends that are ministers that you 'know' you're called or you 'know' you're passionate about something when you're not happy doing anything but that thing. And that's where I am right now. Playing guitar all day, yet something is missing and I'm daydreaming about something completely different.

All that to say, I'm at that reassessment stage... I'm sitting down and reassessing where I want Jamie and I to be in 3 years, 5 years, 10 years... 25 years. I don't want it to be 'exhausting', and I don't want to live my life always wanting something else.

another year...

Friday was the big 2-5 for me... nothing completely intriguing about being 25 really. Nothing fancy happens. 16 you get the drivers license, 18 you can vote, 21 you can buy alcohol, 25?

Well... you can start looking forward to 30... and insurance goes down a little.

My wife planned a great little get-together on Friday with some of our best of friends. You know, it's slightly strange to relocate to a new city, church, job, etc., and look around from year to year to see the new faces that enter your life with such change. With the exception of my best buddy T-Y and his lady friend Reags, and of course, the family, it was a great evening spending my birthday with these new friends.

So... (sorry to all my friends over 25, which is most of them... ha!), 25... 5 years away from 30. My wife is getting annoyed with me because of my little 'getting older' comments I keep making. I've been hitting the sack a little earlier... tonight, I looked down at my hands and said "Hey baby, are my hands starting to look old?".

Now, now... know that I'm paranoid for a 25 year old... gray hair scares me, no hair terrifies me, arthritis happens, but I don't want it... I have a feeling I'll be the 80 year old grandpa with a faux hawk and a very un-useful knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and design. Also know that when I complain about how I'm not sleeping in like I used to, and although 9AM for me on a Saturday sucks, most would love to sleep until 9... like the V's... sorry for that comment on Saturday night guys! :)

So another year has come and gone... 363 days until 26, which again, should prove to be uneventful in itself. However, this past year has been a very crazy/eventful year and turning 25 sets a monument for me to remember these events by. If anything that makes 2008 a great year, its that we've seen so much change and adversity within this last year... changing jobs, changing cities, buying a house, buying a car, changing positions and changing churches... as scary as all of these were, God totally took us and guided us through this year...

I'm only trying to help...

What is it about the words "I'm really trying to help you out here..." that people don't understand?

Since when do people take that with a grain of salt... to say, "I understand, but..."

There's really no "but" to it... I'm doing what I've been asked to do by my superiors, and now I'm asking you the same. Do I always agree? Of course not. Do you always agree with me? Nope. Obviously. But don't become insubordinate just because you're upset. That's what separates leaders from complainers.

Ugghh...

Frustrating day today indeed...
I'm way too nice about 90% of the time... and today was my 10th percentile day.

Happ'y'ness...




All my friends are getting married and I love it.
My best friend got engaged over the Thanksgiving weekend and my other friend is fixing to do the same... exciting indeed!

Having been married almost 5 years myself, I've gotta say, it'll be nice to have some more married friends our age. We got married pretty young... or so everyone says. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Love it! Here's to marital bliss, some family vacations, and a partridge in a peartree.