All's Quiet...

Its too quiet here in the house. Of course, it is, after all, 1am. But I've gotten used to the glow of my brother's laptop in the corner of my office, and the familiar clicking of his NONSTOP texting (I swear. I am NEVER texting.) If he's not texting, he's snoring, seriously. But over the past month, I've gotten used to having him around. Its nice, actually, now that we're grown-ups and not tearing each other's hair out. He left today to head out to Vegas for a week or two. A few odd jobs here and there, something to keep him busy, so I think it'll do him good. And I know a little alone time for just M and I will be nice, and a 4 day weekend this week on top of it :)

I find myself unable to go to bed before 2am anymore, for no real reason at all. The vicious cycle, of course, is that it means I sleep later, so I get tired later, so I don't go to bed until 2am, so I sleep later, and so on. I have GOT to get back into a normal sleep pattern (having an insomniac for a brother didn't help!) When I'm sitting up at 2am, I find myself staring at the calendar on my desk, wondering WHERE in the world 2008 has gone. Here we are, December 30th, and the last year has just slipped through my fingers. . .

Two trips to MI - practically unheard of, I almost never travel more than just for Thanksgiving, and we didn't even do that this year! One trip to celebrate the grand opening of my Mom's Curves, then another, 6 months later, to WORK at Mom's Curves after she was in a bad accident, breaking her collarbone in 2 places, and a bone in her neck.

Visiting with my oldest brother a few times this year, having "the other brother" move in over Thanksgiving. I've seen more family this year than I have in the past seven, and for that I'm grateful, as I find myself without any real friends here in AZ. Oh sure, I had a couple here and there but none of them stuck around... the old saying about friends coming and going, sure does seem to be true.

Lots of my (non local) friends have become parents to some darn adorable children, and many will become parents early on in 2009. Perhaps this time next year, I'll be the one announcing a pregnancy. My nieces and nephews are growing at an alarming rate, save for Caitlin, who is desperately trying to regain the weight she lost, when we nearly lost this year due to the most severe appendicitis case I've ever heard of (and so agreed her surgeon).

I lost one of my three Grandmothers this year, and I've just received word that another is very ill and to "expect the worst" in the next two days.

**UPDATE - my Grandma Grace passed away this evening, around 5:30pm, 12/30/2008**

M started school, finishing his first semester with a shiny 4.0, and I've had the best year ever with my business, which is a nice accomplishment. Otherwise, I mostly seem to just sit here and watch the world change around me. Which is fine with me, most days :)