Today isnt a good pain day. I had to stay home from work today because my Fibromyalgia is flaring up again. I think its the stress of the holidays mixed with the stress of losing Angel.

I sort of layed around today after the post office and target trips. I wrapped gifts and looked on ebay for a Wii.

I am really feeling it now that its getting late in the day and oh joy I get to look forward to working tomorrow instead.

I will just try and do as little as possible tomorrow.

Im excited that we picked the new Design Team over at www.scrappygiraffekits.com It was a tough thing to pick only 10 out of a hundred apps.

Can not wait to see what comes from all the new fresh talent.

Goodbye dear Angel.

Today we lost a family pet. Angel our black triggerfish died. We had her for 8 years. She was really a good fun pet. I dont know what went wrong but I am hoping it was old age and was her time. She seemed to develope a throat problem where she couldnt swallow her food anymore. Possibly a tumor or something. I couldnt bear to watch her suffering anymore so I begged my dh David to ease her pain by following my friend Molly's directions for sending her to fishy heaven.

Later today we buried her in the back yard under my japanese maple next to her loving pal Fred who died a couple of years back before her.

I will miss her greatly.

We all had a good cry and talked about the day we brought her home from the pet store in 99 along with Fred and how small they were....

It was a good memory and a good way to end the service.

Its almost time!

I am really ready for this holiday season to be over. I am the grinch this year for sure. Im just exhausted and not into it. I am ONLY doing it for the kids lol. If it wasnt for them I wouldnt even have my tree up yet. I know that sounds terrible and I dont mean to be that way but I am still not feeling up to my old self. I thought if I just go through the motions then it will eventually hit me... well I am still motioning. Nothing yet.

I hate to report that I think my Black Trigger Fish Angel is on her way out. I am not sure what is wrong with her exactly but she is not eating well and is very gaunt. She is a large fish and normally has a HUGE appetite so this is sad. She lost her teeth and I dont know if its old age or disease or both but now she cant seem to suck her food into her mouth. I kills me to watch her deteriorate. Id rather it be quick. I am about to the point that I will not have any pets after the ones I have now pass on. Its even heartbreaking to loose a fish. She is 7 years old which I think is pretty darn good for a saltwater fish. But I am not ready to lose her ya know? She has been with me so long. She is a PART of this home. SIGH.

I made a stupid mistake while online shopping this week. I hit the enter button twice on an order (a BIG one) and I got two sets of boxes. Of course its heavy shit too. So I will have to mail one set back for refunds.... grrrrrr. Dumb. Be careful girls.

The family has been invited to a Dec. 23rd holiday get together at my husband's sister's house Bernadette. It should be fun. She lives a bit away though and somehow I always get to be the designated driver for these events !!! ha ha.

Dh has a little hope left to actually GET the degree this year. He has to take his Comm 101 exam again on Monday. He took it a few weeks ago and got an 82. He needed an 85 to pass that part. I think they should have given it to him. To me if you can take an exam for a class that you havnt taken and get an 82 after studying for 2 days you deserve the credit right? Its up to the head of the dept. though and for some reason she doesnt want to give my dh a break at all..... He convinced her that the test was not current enough to go along with the newer book so she is going to revise it and give it to him Monday! EEK! Pray for him. He needs a break. WE need a break. He has worked so hard.

It would be nice to have him back as a regular dad this last year before our son goes to college.

The photo is of my brother John in Iraq. He is in the Air Force and will be spending Christmas listening to the sounds of mortar fire all around.

Sam and Frodo

Its Tuesday afternoon. I am just home from work trying to catch up on a little online shopping/bill paying before my two girls are home. It gets a little hectic once they come home.

I am reading Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring to Madison. We are just starting to get into it and have read about Gandolf for the first time. She really is enjoying it. If you have not read the books you must. You must!

I better get back to shopping!