Hey everyone! So I have a fair amount to catch you up on! Can you believe it?! Our holiday season hasn’t been super boring. However, I haven’t been that great at documenting it on camera. 
What can I say? You win some, and you loose some. So, I have some good stories, but I don’t have great photos. Sorry. It is what it is. To be honest, it’s taken all I have to keep my head above water, or so it seems. My energy level has taken a dive with all the holiday stress, but hey- it’s a learning curve. Dan’s been handling me and my lack of abilities beautifully, he’s simply amazing and makes me rest even when I don’t want to. Have I mentioned how amazing he handles the fact that I’m chronically ill, even when I don’t want to admit it to myself?
Anyway, Thanksgiving was spent with Dan’s side of the family, which was wonderful. His mom cooked and the food was amazing. Compared to my family (There’s four of us when it’s just the immediate family, and by four I mean it’s mom, dad, Dan and I.) Dan’s family is HUGE. He’s the youngest of four, and while his brother is in Texas, there’s still a crowd. So it’s always fun. We got to catch up with some family from out of town and see our young niece. All in all, a very successful Thanksgiving.
Two days later we embarked on our Christmas gift from my parents. Yeah- being an only child has it’s perks and Dan is now experiencing some of them. 😉 We went on a family vacation. It was super enjoyable. We enjoyed some time on the beach and while we weren’t always around one another, we did get to enjoy some family activities. My grandfather and step-grandmother even joined in on the family vacation. In the end, we all agreed that it was the most relaxing vacation that we have ever taken. Though, it probably had something to do with the fact that we all came and went as we pleased, we were all adults and there was PLENTY of food.
Dan out on the beach.
Loving the beautiful views.
Went for a walk out by the water.
Once we got back, I barely had time to breathe, okay or that’s what it felt like. Because a few days later was the Army vs. Navy football game. Now, if you know us personally or read the blog regularly, you’ve figured out by now that Dan is in the Navy (for now at least). But this year, he had a special opportunity to go and volunteer at the game itself! Please understand that out of the two of us, I watch this game religiously, he could care less but yet because he is the service member, he gets to go volunteer and gets the free seats at the game! Yup, that’s how unfair life is. I must admit though, on game day, I wasn’t too mad since I had a party with some girlfriends and he got to freeze his butt off out in the cold. 😉 Dan ended up coming home early, and we lost the game (first one in 15 years- just saying) but it was still a really fun day, and I’m hoping to have another football party next year since it was so much fun. 🙂 Who knows, maybe it will become a tradition for us.
So the game was on Saturday, and then on Tuesday we were gone again, so this was a week and a half after being home I think, if that. We had to go to New Jersey this time. Can you believe that? What is in New Jersey you ask? Dan’s Command Christmas party. Yup, we had to drive there for that. Now, military events tend to scare me. There’s a lot of pomp and circumstance and formality, so I tend to try to look nice, be quiet and mind my manners. It works well. Especially since at this command I’m the wife who is really sick and my husband stays home and takes care of me. Dan and I don’t really know anyone here and we won’t get the chance to know anyone since Dan isn’t really working here, it’s just how this duty station will go, no big deal but it does make these type of events more awkward.
Before the Christmas party though, Dan had mandatory training. This left me in the hotel room all day. Part of me didn’t mind this since we had just been on vacation, had a football party and then driven to New Jersey, I needed the rest- all the rest I could get. I’m learning that I can’t do all the things I want to do anymore. My body likes maybe one big event per week and that’s about it, after that I need lots of sleep to keep up. However, there also wasn’t any food around. So this created a major problem for me. By the time we got to the party, I was struggling to stay my perky, well mannered self. In fact, at one point I’m pretty sure one of the other couples heard me say to Dan that I was going to eat my arm- oops. Oh well, they would have been in the same boat if all they had was a little bit of Starbucks early that morning too!
Luckily Dan and I sat with his division, or basically people he knows and because I go wherever Dan goes, I somewhat know when I’m not in the car. I also got to meet some of their wives, which was a nice change of pace for me. Unfortunately the food left much to be desired for us and caused me to become physically ill. So Dan and I had to leave early. However, we still made the most of the evening by going to Outback Steakhouse for “real” food.
Finally, about a week later we come to Christmas. Can you believe all this? I told you we’ve been up to a lot. Just before we were to leave to spend Christmas with my parents, we met up with Kevin, my friend from college and now Dan’s good friend. He was in D.C. for training so we did dinner and dessert at a different location. Dinner was at an awesome restaurant that sounded like a family Pizza place but totally wasn’t, instead there was white table clothes, people in business attire, and a wine bottle art piece in the middle of the restaurant. The food was fantastic, but pricey, so we decided to take dessert elsewhere.We ended up at a pub that had coffee, specialty drinks and some awesome desserts. It was fantastic! At the end of the evening, we had to take Kevin back to the metro, which wasn’t a big deal- but here’s where things get interesting. Dan put his wallet on top of the car (something he NEVER does), put his coat in the back and then got in and drove off.
As we get on the on ramp to the highway, we hear a thud, and figure we had run over something. Dan asks what the sound was and Kevin says that something is laying in the road. Dan continues driving. We drop Kevin off and say we’ll see him later and then we head back home. Luckily, I have to use the bathroom so Dan starts looking for a place for me. When he finds a gas station, he decides to fill up and this is where things go south, fast. I come out of the restroom only to be half scared to death by my darling husband who informs me that his wallet isn’t in the car or on his person. We then realize the horrible reality before us, the thud we had heard on the on ramp was Dan’s wallet! We’re 45-minutes away, and we have no idea if the wallet is there. The wallet has all of Dan’s personal information, government ID’s and Christmas money we were given. Yup, this is really happening and it could only happen to us. Then the worst sinks in, we can’t visit my family if Dan doesn’t have his driver’s license, which is in his wallet.
So we decided to take a risk and go back to see if we could find it amongst the on ramp. But which on ramp was it? We text Kevin who’s phone was about to die and we begin to pray. Luckily Kevin has an awesome memory and could help us out and we between him and ourselves we remember where we were. Now time to backtrack. Dan gets off the on ramp and pulls off to the side, and against all odds we spot the wallet! Even more amazing we found all the cards and documents untouched including the Christmas money! God is so good! It was truly a Christmas miracle. Needless to say, Dan is making copies of everything in his wallet.
Now, Dan and I spent Christmas with my family. So it was just the four of us, which means that it was pretty quiet. We played a lot of games, had some great food, went to Christmas Eve service. However, our favorite part was confusing my father about his Christmas present. We bought him a creeper for his garage to help him work on his cars. The box was over half my height and just a big rectangle, he couldn’t figure out what it was, and we didn’t allow him to see it until Christmas Eve. I kept telling him “it’s something on your wish list.” To which he would reply, “I didn’t know I had a wish list.” And then I would sing, “I know what you’re getting for Christmas…” over and over again. Needless to say, it was fun. Mom enjoyed getting in on dad’s fun too since she knew what we got him, and she knew what her main gift was (mom doesn’t like surprises, though I still got her a small surprise- a Mr. Tea man who relaxes in her mug for her loose tea, yeah it’s funny) and could enjoy teasing dad. All I can say now is, sorry dad but you’re too easy to pick on.
Mom and dad spoiled us as always, we didn’t get as many material gifts this year but- as you read above, we got a vacation. A fully paid 5 day vacation. I got memories and my parents got us an ornament from the vacation for our tree, which was super sweet. It was also nice to collect memories over things.Hopefully it’s something we’ll consider doing again.
As we are going into 2017, Dan and I are excited for what’s to come. However, 2016 was a truly unique year for us. In 2016 we:
- Celebrated our 2nd year of marriage.
- Moved back to the United States
- De got a PICC Line put in and taken out
- De’s had a roller coaster in health
- Dan has been busy in college
- We took our 1st family vacation
- Dan was in one of his best friend’s wedding
- We went to my college best friend’s wedding
- We’ve been able to spend more time with family
- Dan got to see the Army vs. Navy game in person
Hopefully 2017 will bring on many fun adventures. Thanks for sharing in our life with us! We love you all and wish you the Happiest of New Years!
Dan and De go on an Adventure 