I survived the holidays and all I got was a soccer mom starter kit.

In true Hurricane Jessie style, I want to wish you all the happiest New Year!! Only a month late, right? 

I've been thinking about you all. I've wanted to come back here, but it's sort of like your hometown. If you leave and you're gone for too long, you almost feel like an intruder when you come back. I’ve had some great intentions of doing more, doing it better, and making more of it. And then I opened my eyes and it was February 7^th. Where does my time go?! (Don’t answer that, Netflix.)

I hope you all got through the holidays well and are still carrying with you the excitement and sense of renewal that every new year seems to bring (I also hope you are NOT still carrying with you those 5 extra pounds of holiday weight... that's not just me, is it?). I’m still working hard to figure out what I should focus on for 2014 (surprise, surprise)… maybe it should be FOCUS in general. 

In all seriousness, a real goal of mine is to make more time to do things that make me happy. Not work stuff, not housework, not television (sorry Netflix). I’m still trying to figure out how to carve out that hour or even just 30 minutes each day to be by myself and be creative. Why does it seem like there are so many competing forces in our universe all of the time? As soon as I carve out my 30 minutes of creative time, my physical side says “where’s MY 30 minutes of uninterrupted workout time?” and then my brain asks me why I haven’t finished reading 3 of the books that have been on my iPad for the last year now. Pinterest, of course, wants to know what’s wrong with our relationship and why I haven’t been spending as much time with her (The truth? She’s a one-upping bitch who can’t help but be a show-off. Anyone besides me think we could all use a little less of that in our lives? Unfortunately, I don’t think I can tell her that, because I don’t want to sever our ties for good).

I would love to tell you in detail what I’ve been up to since my last post in August, but it would be way too long and boring. Here is the super-condensed version: change of employment, starting up 2 businesses (and letting them both slowly starve- and then trying to figure out how to resuscitate), baby on the way, change of address, change in commute time, and a major, MAJOR change in hairstyle. Sprinkle in there a couple of serious "where the heck is my shoe/purse/cellphone/car keys" moments, and you get the picture.

I think Tots and I went through all of the life changes we’re going to go through for the next 3 years in the matter of the last 3 months, but that tends to be how we do things. Oh, I should also add to the list that I officially had to relinquish my “cool mom” card as of last night. We sold our beautiful Chevy Silverado and in it’s place now sits a  (drumroll, please….) less-than-lustrous minivan. WOO HOOO! With a 2-year old, a baby on the way, and now a minivan, it’s like 2014 brought me my very own soccer mom starter kit! Merry Christmas!

Alright, so behind my sarcasm, I’m not nearly as bitter as I sound. While 2013 brought some major life changes, I think they were all for the better. I left the job I started in January and returned to my old job, which is what I was truly passionate about anyway. There were a few modifications made and it’s not a permanent position, but it is a beautiful reality for me for right now. I will leave my position in early May, just in time to have a couple of peaceful weeks at home before baby #2 (lovingly referred to as my Little Squirrel) arrives. From that point on, I will be at home with my 3 (and a half) guys… probably perpetually putting down the toilet seat and mopping up muddy footprints. Because life is about to get much more complicated, I can't hate on the minivan too much. I know that although un-glamorous, the minivan will be a symbol of stability, convenience, and reliability in my less than stable universe. From my garage I can already hear her whisper "It's okay if you don't want to put on real pants today... That hoodie looks very becoming on you... That ketchup on your shirt really brings out your eyes... McDonald's for breakfast rather than homemade? Great choice!"

Obviously, we are thrilled about the Little Squirrel, and I’m toeing the line between wet-my-pants-excitement and sheer terror for his arrival. O seems really jazzed to be a big brother and talks a lot about sharing his toys. I know it would never hold up in court, but I’m considering having him sign a contract stating that he will hold true to his word after Squirrel’s arrival.

Our move has probably been the biggest change. We now live in the town where Tots works. This means I’m commuting every day for about 45 minutes each morning and evening. With a 2 year old. I am definitely not complaining; I know some people have it much worse, and I know it’s worth it to remain on staff at a job I’m passionate about. The only thing I would change about the whole thing is if I could go back in time and strangle Passenger before they had the chance to record Let Her Go diversify my musical collection.

I’m definitely excited about my new hairstyle. This is obviously not a fashion or beauty blog, but my pixie cut does deserve a mention. My hairstyle prep time in the mornings went from 30 minutes minimum (that was on a lazy day) to about 15 minutes max. Why didn’t I do this years ago?! That being said, I’m already in the process of growing it out because I’m having major hair envy  worried about looking like Miley Cyrus  fickle like that and I’m perpetually trying to change something.

So, there’s my life for the last few months in a nutshell. I foresee many blog posts about our house, since we moved into a sort-of dump. She’s got great bones, but it’s time for a facelift along with some implants and serious grooming some updating, possibly an addition and major landscaping.