Back to Reality

It really is amazing how quickly two weeks can fly by.  Fifteen days ago the hubby came home for Christmas leave.  And now here I am, sitting back at my desk at work after yet again saying goodbye at the airport this morning.  I am just very fortunate that my job gives all of the staff 1.5 weeks off for the holidays each year, so I only had to add in another few more days of leave time in order to be off from work for the entire time he was home.

Much of our holidays were spent traveling to see family and was very reminiscent of our vacation we took at the end of the summer right before he shipped off to basic.  We had Christmas weekend down in Florida visiting his mom, step-dad, and two little sisters, then followed it up back in Georgia with a couple days seeing his dad's and step-mom's sides of the family, and then finished up the grand tour with an evening with my parents and brother.  All throughout, our time was filled with lots of shopping and lots of food, leaving our wallets a little lighter, and our stomachs much fuller.

We each were able to spend more on the other for Christmas this year and each got some things we had been eyeing.  This meant a lot to both of us because this was the first year of not living paycheck-to-paycheck at the holidays, so it was like we could reward each other for making it through the more difficult times from the past four years.  I got him several video games that he had mentioned to me over Thanksgiving that he wanted, and then we also ordered him a pair of prescription Oakley sunglasses that he has wanted for probably about two years now.  He got me a North Face fleece that I've wanted that matches the one he received last year, a really nice cookie sheet from Williams-Sinoma (I've been in need of new ones for a while), and then surprised me with a beautiful watch as well (I'm pretty sure my jaw about hit the ground when I unwrapped this one).

Overall we had a fairly chill time off together, including a very subdued New Year's Eve at home that had us in bed by 11pm and very fast asleep by the time the clock struck midnight and we entered 2012.  And I do have to say, I am kind of in love with how TSA has approved family members of Military who are arriving or departing to receive gate passes to get past security at the airport.  I was able to both meet the hubby at the gate as he landed two weeks ago as well as see him off as he boarded his plane back to AIT this morning.  Extra time together is wonderful and I will certainly take it however I can get it!  Now the countdown begins until he graduates in 2.5 months and we are finally reunited after getting to experience our first PCS and move out to Texas :)