Friends and Family

This Christmas season I have been given a gift that is worth far more than money could buy. I have been given the gift of time. Time well spent with my family and dear friends. We have been able to spend a good amount of time here in california this year visiting with some old friends and spending time with family i have not seen for a while. I really try not to take for granted these times. I was able to spend some time with my grandparents on this trip which was extra special because it very possibly could be the last time I see them. They are getting older and are not in good health and they live in northern california which we don't get to go to very much. I hadn't seen them in alomost 7 years and they had changed so much. It was hard to seem them like that but I'm glad we were able to spend the time with them and they were able to meet Jess and Cali. The thing that got me and made me a little sad was the thought that the good old days of sitting at their house at christmas and hearing them and all my aunts and uncles laughing while me and all my cousins ran around is over. It was as if my childhood had finally dissapeared and I was faced with the fact that I really am an adult and responsible for so much more. It's not a bad thing and I welcome this new season of my life and am enjoying it. It's just hard to say goodbye even when it's a nostalgic notion we are saying goodbye too. I hope I do get a chance to see my grandparents again before they are gone but if I don't see them here I know I will see them again in heaven.I will have an eternity to spend with them and make up for lost time.

I have also had the pleasure of spending time with some great friends that I haven't seen in awhile as well as some cousins who I haven't seen in several years. One of the hard things about working in a touring band is being away from family and friends so much. I just have to trust that God still redeems that time away from them and that I can have peace in knowing that I will have eternity to spend with them in the best place there is. As for now on this side of eternity i will cherish the few times I do have with these people and thank God for them. I hope that whoever is reading this will do the same. Enjoy the time God has given you with your loved ones and never take it for granted.

Live Beautiful

Howdy,

it's been a little while since I've been here and I have lots of good excuses but will not bore you with them. Most of my time away was spent in pennsylvania with jess' family. We had a great time and got to enjoy some snow while we were there. Another thing that has happened recently, and the reason for my return from blogging hibernation is a new business. It feels weird calling it a business because business sounds too profesional or something or too self important maybe, hey i own a business ha. Anyways, it's really Jess' business but I offer as much support as I can and I've also been appointed, by her, as the mr. marketing guy. The fact that I have next to no marketing experience makes this interesting but hey how hard can it be. Ok I guess now would be a good time to actually tell you what the business is. Drumroll.... Tote Bags. Ok that was probably anticlimatic so lets puty it this way. My beautiful wife who is much more talented than I has begun hand crafting unique and fashionable tote bags. But wait theres more, the tote bags are just part of it. We, she, wanted to make it something that was encouraging to women as well and that has a positive message to share. We, she wanted a way to express the beauty she has inside her and in turn wanted to encourage women to do the same. So, Live Beautiful was born. The idea is to tell women, You are beautiful so Live Beautiful. I'm very proud of my wife for taking on something like this and doing such a good job at it. This "business" is not something we are doing to get rich cuz that aint gonna happen. It's a way to fullfill three things. We can hopefully make a little extra money, Jess gets to express her creative side, and we are actively engaging the world with a great message and encouragement. This is the spot in the blog where I put the link to the site so you can all go look and say wow those totes really are great I should buy one or 2 or 10. So here it is tolivebeautiful.com So there is my marketing, I just marketed to you. Hopefully you don't feel used but rather thankful that I was able to share such wonderful information about how to obtain a unique handmade tote bag. Oh, make sure you tell all your friends too that would be real swell.

Enough marketing, I promise i will try to write some new stuff more often and I promise my wife is on me about writing more new stuff all the time.