The New Year

It's already the middle of January in this New Year, and I'm STILL in Georgia! My original plan was to head back on the 5th, but my parents decided they wanted to visit (largely fueled by the fact that my mom dreaded the idea of me driving home alone, though I have to say, my trip out here by myself was probably the easiest so far...), and the best time for doing that was before MLK weekend. Which means my mother and I would have been leaving today, and my step-dad would be flying out tomorrow. But after all of this crazy Georgia weather (INSANITY), my step-dad wasn't going to be able to make it, plus my mom was having a really hard time trying to book plane tickets. Then Andrew happened to mention he had a TDY (temporary duty assignment-this one would be similar to a business trip to attend a meeting, not like the training assignments he's been on in the last few months) at Warner Robbins AFB in Georgia on the 25th, and I realized that if we drove back together the Air Force would pay for it. So in my staying a couple of extra weeks, our trip back is virtually free! Did I lose you, there? Oh the magic of logistics...

Cross country road trip tally (about 1400 miles):

Dec '09: 1

Aug '10: 2

Sept '10: 1

Nov '10: 2 1/2

Dec '10: 1

Jan '10: 1

Grand total: 8 1/2 trips in just over a year. I'm due for a service, and it's about time for new tires. My dreams are plagued with desire for a third row SUV.

I really didn't think I'd get to a place where I was jealous of people who get to fly...

Christmas in Georgia was a great success. All in all, thanks to the generosity of our families, we basically broke even in terms of how much we spent to make it out here, which is pretty great in my book, considering how much of a gift it was just to be here with our families. Christmas Eve dinner was spent with basically 3 families at my mom's house (my step-dad's, mine, and Andrew's) which, again, is SUCH a blessing! It is so amazing to me that Andrew and I are in a position where our families are close enough to spend the holidays together. Love. It.

Andrew and I both loved the gifts we exchanged with one another (I guess it'd be hard not to, considering we picked them out ourselves), and both managed to surprise on another a little. I got a lovely necklace with a partridge in a pear tree for our first Christmas-so sweet! Though he does realize he's kind of set himself up for the next 11 years of gifts :). And Andrew seemed to like his recipe martini shaker and all the records I got him to go with his new record player. Getting everything back out west in the car will be a chore, but having it all there will be awesome.

The last few days have been spent in true laziness, stuck inside and unable to drive. Mike and I took my step-brothers' sled out and went for a spin down the golf course. Emily's boyfriend got a puppy, Lily, who's been spending some time terrorizing my dogs and being a teething, cuddling, sleeping machine.

All in all, it's been a fantastic trip, but I'm getting anxious to get home and to see my husband again.