We got our pictures from the ball in today. I think it turned out pretty good.

We had a very good Christmas and it was so good having Eric home with me. We had to do our traveling home on Christmas, but we made it home in time to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" before we went to bed, which was our goal. My parents gave us a beautiful curio cabinet and me a jewelry armoire, and I love them. The only problem with them is that I can't use them until we get moved. I spent the morning packing and I got the spare room packed up (except the military gear). I'm so tired of moving, I just got unpacked here. I told my brother that I think I should do it for a living and make some money cause I'm getting pretty good at it! Oh well, once we get there we should have 2 years of not moving, that will be nice. Anyways, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.

We went to our ball and had fun. It was more fun then I thought it would be, thankfully. The commander really let loose and it was hilarious watching him and some of the others out there dancing. I'll post pictures later, when we get home. We're at my parents house right now, and my mom decided to go ahead and make Christmas dinner today so that we could all eat together. Our plans were to come here Friday and then go to Eric's moms house for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. We were going to eat with his family, but things changed. The Army decided that it would be a smart idea to give a 4 day weekend and make it Friday-Monday, making them go back to work on Tuesday. Which meant our plans had to change. We came down here on Thursday and we're still going to his mom's on Christmas Eve, but we have to make the drive back home Christmas day. That was a bummer, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Since we have to go home on Christmas day we weren't going to get a Christmas dinner, and my mom is such a sweetheart so she decided to change her plans and make dinner today instead of on Christmas. She said it's a lot better having dinner with everyone anyways, so it was no big deal. I know she's lying, considering she had to work, but it was so nice of her anyways.

Eric is still working on getting everything together so that he can go to ROTC. I'm trying really hard not to think about it because school starts on Jan 8. Which means that we have to be down in Oklahoma in 2 weeks. Which means I have to pack (which I have yet to start doing). Everything is going to be a rat race the next couple weeks, but I'm still trying not to think about it. It does me no good to stress about it, it's not going to make things go any faster (or slower, depending on how you look at it). Right now I'm just enjoying having him home for Christmas. Spending time with Eric and my family makes me happy.

This Christmas season has been wonderful and today we're doing our Christmas dinner and presents. I'm so thrilled. Lots of scheming has went into this Christmas though. Lots of lies being passed out in my family, ha! We all pitched in and got my sister a cell phone, but she thinks it's for my mom, but thinks my mom thinks it's for Eric. We got my brother an IPod and wrapped up a candle in one huge box (he has no patience, so we thought it would be funny to make him go through all this first) and then in a second huge box we wrapped about 5 different boxes he has to unwrap before he can have his real present. Then I bought Eric a gun, but he thinks it's for my dad, only I wanted it to be a surprise when he opened it, and since he knew which box it was in, I took it out of that box, put in tools to make it heavy wrapped it back up and wrapped the gun in a separate box, lol. We all pitched in and got my mom a digital camera (she took photography and loved it and has wanted a really nice camera ever since). It's been fun trying to keep all that straight, let me tell you, ha! ha! Anyways, I'm enjoying myself and having Eric home is just such a wonderful blessing all in it's own. I'll post pictures of the ball when I get home and I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

Eric graduated with his associates degree on Wednesday. I'm so proud of him. He worked so hard for it, and completed the last of it while he was overseas. He was determined and it definitely paid off for him. He even graduated with honors! I'm so extremely proud of him!

Then yesterday his unit disbanded so I went to the inactivation ceremony.

Nobody from his unit has been placed with other units though, so I'm not sure what they're going to be doing until they are. Tomorrow is my first military ball. So it's been a pretty busy week. I finished my classes for this semester and enrolled in Spring semester. At the end of next semester I'll graduate with my associates too. We started school at the same time but he was able to graduate ahead of me because he had military classes that went towards his degree. I'm not sure how well I'll like my next semester, I'm taking, Intro to Computers, Web Site Construction, Anatomy & Physiology for the Pre-Hospital Provider, and Intro to Political Science. That should keep me busy lol.

Things are going good around here. We've been busy with school and getting back into the swing of things together. It's been wonderful, and you can definitely tell there is a difference in our relationship and it's all for the best. We've grown in ways I never thought possible and it's all been a wonderful experience. Eric went back to work on Monday and I couldn't believe that his 30 days leave was over already. His unit is disbanding and they're having their demob ceremony on the 14. He graduates with his associates on the 13th, and we will probably be moving at the end of this month or the beginning of January. It all depends on whether everything goes good, and he has lots of work to do, but he will be going into the ROTC program in Oklahoma if everything goes as planned. It's a lot of work to get done in such a short amount of time, but we've been praying about it and I know that if it's the Lord's will it will happen. The down side is that he'll be getting out of the active Army and going into the Reserves until he's finished with his schooling. So, money will be tight, but again, if it's the Lord's will everything will work out how it's supposed to.

I'm so excited about Christmas this year. I got an early start, and have already finished up all my Christmas shopping. The only thing that is left is for Eric to finish shopping for me. Then we'll be completely done, which is rare because I usually leave it all for last minute. My Christmas cards are out and we've decorated the house. We still have to get a tree, but we're doing that this weekend. I love this Christmas and I am so thankful that we're spending it together. I don't think I've ever been more excited about a holiday then I am this year.