January 3rd

So ... wow. Today has not been a great day.

This morning I was informed that President Monson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints died last night.
Apparently a lady in our ward had a stroke.
And a friend of mine just released a large post on his pornography addiction and the girlfriend who helped him start it by sexually abusing him - and that girlfriend is my friend. And I had no idea.
And then a coworker came up to me and started telling me all about her divorce and the hardships there. Plus she told me it's unlikely that I'll get the new job I applied for, which I mean, she's not wrong, but it still wasn't a blast to hear.
And just ... wow. Life can get kinda down sometimes. It's been bad news after bad news today. Also, apparently our mattress got back-stocked, so we won't be receiving it for who knows how long and both Atlantean and I's back are starting to really hurt.
I called Atlantean just now at work to hear his voice. I love him. I love him so much. This morning in Yoga, when we did our final resting pose, I started thinking about how much I love him, and how wonderful he is and I started crying. I have married the best one.

I'm going to go backward chronologically because there has been a lot I haven't covered, and I won't remember it unless I go backward.

Today I took Brownie with my mom and I to Yoga this morning. Brownie loved it :) She apparently loves Yoga and would love to take a class up at USU. She's going back up Saturday. Afterward we went and grabbed fruit shakes at Harmons, along with Mac N' Cheese and chocolate. Yum. I had to improvise a lot of my poses in Yoga, but I felt no shame. I really wanted to do what my body wanted. And I was pleased that I did.

Apparently my father's business is not doing as well as he thought it would, and he'll be going back to school. We also all think he's going to become a bishop soon as well. This kind of stuff really stresses my dad out because he's always, as my mom says it, "lived life in a straight line" and now that things are uncertain, I think it's taking it's toll on him.

Then I got to work (which I'm at now) and tonight Atlantean and I are going to try to rush to Imp's endowment session. Pretty cool that she's getting it out tonight. Big step.

Last night, Brownie and I went to a "Ladies Night" at Game Haven just so I could try out a game I've really been wanting to see if it's worth buying, called Mysterium. And I'm both happy and upset to say that I super want it because it is actually really cool. It was a popular favorite for many of the women there and we actually got to know and made some friends I think. It was also really good to be able to spend some time with Brownie. Later that night we made a small pie, but Brownie had to leave because she totally forgot she had to pick up her brother. Atlantean also had a friend over for a little time to watch some Digimon with him, kind of for nostalgia.

Atlantean has also been on and off with work. He goes to work and is paid hourly, but sometimes he'll show up to work and sit around being paid to do nothing, and he kind of hates it. (Welcome to my world, am I right?)

As for New Years, we celebrated it with friends, and went to Dryad's boyfriend's house (whom we both adore, but I just don't have a name for him yet) and ate Chinese food and played games until midnight. It was actually really fun and I'm trying to talk Atlantean into making New Years a friend only holiday. Christmas can be family.

We also read my script! The Amalgamation Episodes 6-10 I think are gaining some speed and were received well by everyone who was there :) I enjoyed the script reading very much. Aos Si was able to join us, and I made him the villain , for which he picked a raspy voice and regretted it lol. He was actually very happy when he "died" (spoilers!) But other than that, we had a good chat afterward about parts people admired or really liked, though no one had anything really useful to say about what should happen next. But I kind of like that. These next/last five chapters are going to be my last, and I really want to make them good. I actually really liked Aos Si's voice choice.

Also, Spriggan came back into town and  helped me work on the musical a little more! We got the first song written down so it can have lyrics placed to it in order for people to sing to it, but both Spriggan and my mom are excited and even eager to try to put this play on this summer. I mean, I'm all for it :) I just wonder what it will take.

For Christmas, the family got Atlantean some pajamas so we stayed over with them on Christmas Eve and Atlantean learned to play Dominion, and the girls jammies this year were darling :) They were all Christmas-y without being too Christmas-y. All red plaid with glitter. Unfortunately, this year, Steven and I didn't get to talk to Grandma and Grandpa, but I could tell they were pooped. Some of us grandchildren just want to rant or talk for minutes on end. Mermaid said she tried to make hers fast. Other grandchildren weren't as considerate...
That night, Atlantean and I got back at 11:52, since we'd had such a good time at the party, so we just decided to wait eight minutes and open our presents that night :) We opened our stockings (which I had stuffed, but I still think it was kind of fun to finally get the things) I got a Rango DVD and some cute Christmas socks. Atlantean got a green lantern metal figurine and a green lantern magnet (go figure lol) Then for the main gifts, I revealed my bathrobe I had gotten for Atlantean for free, but of course it was too small (he's a giant after all) and lo and behold! Look what he got me! I unwrapped it, and from the old contents of an old soda box, peeped a stuffed animal head! Atlantean had gone and gotten me a manta ray plushie, just like I had wanted. He had looked at my Christmas list and set out on a mission and driven all the way out to the Aquarium to get it. I was so touched. That he would get me a plushie just because I wanted it. His 20-year old wife. Me. I got the best one, ladies.

It's weird being newlywed on Christmas. It's like now you have to share your time with both families, and they can get offended if you don't do it right, but you have preferences and traditions that have to merge, and I knew it was happening, but it's still weird that it did. So we joined Atlantean's family for a Christmas breakfast, which we enjoyed and opened the few presents we got there. His mom got me Parks and Rec Season 1 (which I recently watched the entire thing of again lol) and Jinn and Troll got us the game Curses and took 5% off our rent :D Very generous! We actually recently are doing Family Home Evening with them and our last one we played Mario Kart together. After Christmas breakfast, in which we waited around long enough to see Atlantean's brother and his three cute kids arrive and open presents, we went to my family's house where the other side of the family was gathered for food and fun. We played a couple games of Christmas charades and had some food, got drilled about newly-married life, did a couple highs and lows around the counter, and then headed back over to Atlantean's house for an hour where we didn't feel like eating anything more. I'm not sure how successive Christmases are going to run, but we'll get a system down, I'm sure. And we both have very loving families. We are both very lucky :) So Merry Christmas!

Two other things - I received my elf ear headphones, and they are awesome.
Secondly - our cat is refusing to eat, and I started reading articles today that makes me think that maybe we can't force her into submission, and that she could actually get liver problems because of her stubbornness to not eat. So now I have to cowtow to my stupid cat to find her some fancy food, gee whiz. But everything she eats makes her throw up. So that's gonna be fun.

Sorry for not ending on a higher note, but life is good :)
~Nymph