I was first in today at work, which means I’m here at 7:45 in the morning, Vanessa also had to bring her dog to work for an annual – which meant I allowed myself to sleep in.

I woke up with a headache and congested, I think it’s just a side effect of sleeping in the sunroom at my uncles. My allergies just do not enjoy it.

I feel drained from the weekend, driving takes a lot out of me. I also feel like all of my household chores did not get completed either. I have laundry to fold, floors to clean, and things to put away. I did not have the motivation to do it when we got home last night.

But on the bright side, I came home to all of my pots on the counter. I thought they just got moved, I tried to put them away but there were new pots in their place. I blinked a couple of times and then asked my brother, “Did you get new pots?”

He had purchased a pots and pans kit as a surprise for me. It was a belated Christmas and Wedding gift for Brandon and I. He bought it the night I burned soup in one of my pots.

It was actually really sweet. And I cannot wait to use them tonight!

Today we spent the majority of the day traveling back from Michigan to Ohio. It’s not too long of a trip, but let me tell you – it can be draining.

On the bright side, it is my heeler’s birthday today! Nyx turns four, and we didn’t do anything special for her we still get them gifts as if they are our real children.

Nyx got three new stuffed toys, a pig, a thin no stuffing flamingo, and a Gumby (which is her favorite) and then we got her a new busy toy. Since she is a heeler, she requires a lot of mental stimulation as well as exercise.

I cannot believe that she is four years old already. It feels like just yesterday she was a squishy little baby running after her big sister Luna.

To say they are spoiled, would be a big understatement. But how can we not, look at how cute her little face is in the snow storm from two weeks ago.

She has been the biggest challenge, yet, the biggest reward and I am so proud of her every single day. She truly has been the greatest dog, taking after her sister of course.

Nyx has been the goofiest dog that I have ever seen. Between her crack head hours and the moments that she truly shined with her mysterious attitude.

One moment that lives rent free in my head is the time she got into our roommates caramel M&M’s. Somehow she was able to open his door and not only inhale the rest of the bag, she got it stuck on her head and that’s how I found her. When she breathed in and out, the bag moved with it. I even got it on video.

Life has been just as crazy and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

This will be a short paragraph today simply because it has been a day filled with family and I want to soak in these moments before going to bed tonight.

I’m just so thankful to be in the moment with my family. Between brunch with my uncle and his kids, to my cousins wedding, and now at my grandparents house just sitting in a circle talking to everyone about everything.

But I will share this funny video of my cattle dog, Nyx, trying to crawl into my yarn bag and use it as a bed.

After too long days of not doing anything, I am back to work. This morning, I went to the gym and worked out, and I honestly felt no pain which was great.

That was, until I ate eggs for breakfast, which are very high in fat. (I guess I didn’t think about it before I ate it on the way to work.) the next three hours my stomach had a mind of its own grumbling, gurgling, and threatening to resurface.

Which began my long journey of finding a doctors office. Let this be a lesson to all of you young 20 some things who think that nothing will ever go wrong until it does. Please establish care with a regular physician prior to getting any physical ailments as you age. Believe me, because if I had a regular doctors office, I would be seen sooner than the end of February.

Beyond that, my day, although rather uneventful turned out to be pretty good. I had a good day at the gym, learning that my biggest issue is insecurity and my form which leads me to not want to watch myself work out. But I’m sure that will soon be phased out of me as Vanessa is on top of it with corrections. (Which is the biggest help of them all, let me tell you.)

I have never felt so comfortable in a gym, I don’t feel that anxiety and I don’t feel that fear of being approached. (By people I don’t know of course, I did run into another friend while I was there who told me and I quote “It’s too early for you to be in here.” which only earned a chuckle from me.)

I will say, that I am more impressed by myself every day, not to take my own horn but, I am getting up at 5:30 simply just to work out before I have to be into work at 8:45. And that’s on my late days, I’m getting up even earlier when I have to be in at 7:45 or 8 o’clock.

Most of you don’t know me, but my entire life I have been a night owl. Potentially because it was the only time I felt that it was peaceful both in my head and in the world around me. I used to find comfort in the midnight hours, watching friends on late night TBS, Writing until I passed out, painting, or drawing. Even as I grew into my early adult age, I always felt that I saved the end of the night specifically just for me for YouTube videos for goofy make up tutorials and for talking to the moon.

Part of me does miss that version of myself, but I think that she has evolved into a healthier version of me. Because I do still enjoy the night, yet I am getting to meet an entirely different person within fresh morning. Knowing that the sun is rising as I am rising, brings me the same piece that I once knew, staring at the moon.

Now I’ll look forward to kissing the sunrise every morning and silently praying that my gallbladder decides to give up trying to kill me.

At 4am in the morning, I woke up not feeling well and having strong abdominal pain. Considering I do not have an appendix, I had no idea what was going on but I called off work and texted my friend that I could not go to the gym with her.

When I went to urgent care, and they told me that my gallbladder is angry and inflamed. So, I got sent home on antibiotics and was told to watch it and see another doctor if it is reoccurring.

I am napping and cozy on the couch right now with the girls by my side. I just hope this passes soon.

When I get through tough days, the only person I want to talk to about it is my Great-Grandmother. She was always the most welcoming, kind person I had in my life. She believed in me no matter what, and she never thought the worst of me—no matter what I did or said. She had the biggest heart out of everyone I knew, accepted everyone, and forgave everything. She passed this past November, right before her birthday.

I miss her greatly every single day. Her presence is still known on every holiday that passes, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. She loved getting the family together. There is talk about an annual family reunion in her honor, just to get everyone together and stay together like a real family.

But honestly, what I miss the most is her advice and the stories that she used to tell. She would always reassure me that everything would be okay and would advice me on what she would do if she were in my position. It always made me feel so much better and it made me feel as though I would be able to handle what is going on.

On days like what Saturday was, I missed it the most.