Goodbye to 27!

I've been contemplating doing a review of last year and planning for 2011.... but I had a hard time ever getting down to actually doing it... Well... I can now see why... I'm more interested in my 28th year than I am 2011... So, instead... I'll be blogging again soon about my plan for my 28th year, and hopefully will every year from here on forward. In reviewing my 27th year there were definitely good things and bad...

It all started with a white birthday. My mom, sister and nephews were in town... I worked a blood drive and it snowed... all... day! It was awesome! Friends came into town and we had a dinner with Lauren Doggett, Jessica Hazlewood, Cody and Jessica Coe, Jesse Garner, James Jenkins and his gfriend (at the time) Alison Krause, Esther, Tia and my family! It was an awesome time! The next day we made snowmen and played a bunch. And so started the theme of the year... fun with friends and family.

It was a big year... I moved into a house in Tyler with 5 other guys that I've developed brotherly bonds with, went on my first cruise in October, bought a professional camera, professional lens and lighting equipment, added 3 more countries to my life journeys, and got a dog named Harley. I experienced no deaths in my friends and family but lost friendships with several people... mostly due to not being compatible for dating...

I rang in the new year in Austin with Brian Elliott and Gonzo and have been a part of 2 weddings (James Jenkins in December and Chris Gonzalez in January). A long time friend and someone I always adored dearly was married (Amanda Baze... now Hall) and my half sister Sydnee graduated high school and moved to San Antonio with her boyfriend. My best friend from high school David became Dr and moved to Kentucky and my sister and her ex divorced. My brother turned 30 and him and my dad went on our first fishing trip since we were little kids. Definitely a great year.

This year I got a little healthier and lost 30 pounds. I also learned, any way I look at it... I love donuts. I swam with stingrays, held a sea turtle and sang and danced on stage in front of thousands. My friends the Malloy's, The Petty's, Heidi, The Reynolds, The Castillo's and I am sure more became pregnant and some gave birth.

I did not have a girlfriend, but considered it, maybe even came close, but in the end realized what I have wanted in a woman for years, may not be "just a dream". I began to see God's desires for me long term and to search for the creativity that lies within.

I learned that the way I seek God needs improvement and my desire needs to grow, but I do, love Him and want to be more like Christ and less like me. I'm lazy and undisciplined and waste a LOT of time, but when I'm not wasting time, I'm busy. I've learned what it takes to make the most of my time I DO Have and found the ways to get myself to focus. I Baptized my first person (Brian), and worked all year with the children's ministry at my church.

What a year it has been... and I still have 2 weeks! Thank you God that THIS IS MY Life!