Snickers is Gone

Yesterday morning I woke up and started my day like usual; went to the bathroom, scrolled through Facebook, got dressed, started to feed the guinea pigs, and found Snickers dead in his cage.  His death wasn't as big of a surprise to me as Krissie's was.  Hers came out of nowhere...but Snickers was 3 and had a swollen mammary gland (which I have read was probably cancerous). I have heard life expectancy for guinea pigs is between 3 and 5 years and he was a little more than 3.  But even with it not being much of a surprise, it still hurts.  I have regrets with the guinea pigs because they were just so content to be together in their cage.  They never seemed to enjoy time out of the cage, so we fed them, gave them oranges and peppers for vitamin C, cleaned their pan out once or twice a week, gave them water and just let them be.  I don't know how long he had been dead, I was dealing with some stuff Wednesday night and I didn't check on them, I just went to bed, and there he was Thursday morning.  Shadow was laying next to him when I found him and that breaks my heart to think his buddy died and he had no way to tell me.  I hate death.  I know they are "just" animals to some people but they wiggle into your heart and become part of your family.  I never thought I would love a rodent, but Snickers was one of the good guys....and we will miss him.  Shadow is missing him.  Hemi is acting weird again like he did with Krissie, I am beginning to think he knew even before I did by the way he was acting. 

With the pain I am feeling over my animals, I can't imagine the pain of losing a human companion.  There are so many who are aching right now over lost loved ones.  I have been blessed with a somewhat healthy family and I haven't seen alot of death, but I know it is coming.  Everything on this earth will die eventually...and I have to pick up my game.  There are so many people who don't have a relationship with Christ and I need to find a way to bring them to know Jesus.  I am doing a great bible study right now by Priscilla Shirer called the Armor of God.  I am learning a lot and my tired soul is getting a much needed boost.  Things are changing around here and I need to learn to deal with some of it better.  I want to love better. I want to be better. I want to do better.  But I can't do any of that without putting my armor on first, knowing God's Truth and wearing it proudly.

Randall has decided to stay with Zaxbys. James is still at Harris Teeter. They both have 2 weeks left of their summer classes and then they will have an Associates degree and will begin UNCC in August.  Jeremy is going to some summer workouts for soccer.  He is going to try out for the High School team.  I don't know if he will make it or not, but we are definitely proud of the effort he has given so far. There are a lot of kids trying out, so I am holding on to hope, but if he doesn't make it, I will still be proud of him.  He will play rec ball and life will go on. JC is busy keeping us all together, taking care of us and now his parents. I am so blessed to have him. My job is changing, getting busier, but OT has been cut.  This is a good thing and a bad thing as I have been used to the money, but I think mentally and physically it will be a good thing in the end and an answer to prayers I have been praying during this bible study.  I know God will provide for us rather I am working 40 hours or 60 hours, so I am just going to start moving forward and see where it takes me.  Work will continue to get more stressful as we head into transitioning next year.  It is scary but if God is for me, who can be against me??

Here is my favorite picture of Snickers.  I am sad today, but joy comes in the morning.  We will miss you Snickers buddy.  If there is a place for animals after they die, and I don't know if there really is, but if there is, I can hope that Scooter, Grace, Skeeter, and Krissie greeted you when you got there!