ARRG

I love Saturdays.. no alarms, no grumpy kids (two of three kids in this household are NOT morning people).  I get up and I usually have at least two hours to myself before others start finally getting up. 

It's been a long two weeks.  Last weekend (May 12) was the Brigade Ball (a Brigade is about 1500 people in size) welcoming home the whole Task Force that was in Afghanistan.  We took our daughters with us, so they could have their first "official" dance with their father.  It was a very nice evening.  The food was good, the speeches short, the company well behaved (and I'm talking about the soldiers here, not my daughters).  It was a very good Ball to take them to for their first one.

We had pictures taken by the photographer, but can you believe that I forgot my camera at home and so did all the friends we had there?  So.. no pics of them dancing with their dad.

May 13, Kendra had her Senior Prom.  She went with her boyfriend, Ron.  I did get pictures of them.  Ron brought Kendra a whole bouquet of roses... VERY pretty.. but no corsage.. LOL.. I thought that was odd.. but Kendra was on a cloud over her roses, so I said nothing.

This week, I've been working on the finishing touches for the table decorations for our Squadron Ball (about 400 people are attending). A Squadron is about 1/3 of a Brigade.  This is also to welcome the soldiers back from Afghanistan, but this one is just for the unit to which Paul actually belongs.  I was the head of the decorating committee (okay.. I shanghaied it and did all the work myself, planning out the design and gathering the materials).  Wednesday night I was finishing up the last of the candles (putting our unit patch on them).  I couldn't sleep that night... I think I had performance anxiety, since the next day we'd be setting up the decorations for the ball.  Everything I chose to do had been pre-approved by the rest of the committee,so it's not like any of this was a surprise, but suddenly I was worried that it wouldnt' be enough.. that it wouldn't look right... that it'd have the wrong ambience... insane stuff.... anyway.. I didn't get to sleep until after 3 am that night.

Thursday, I met up with the ball committee and the soldiers they tasked to help us.  Everything went into the hall and was set up in about an hour and a half.  The tables looked great!! I am so thrilled with how nice it all looks. But of course.. I forgot my camera (AGAIN!!), so I'm going to have to arrive early tonight to get pictures before everyone gets in there and messes it up.. LOL 

Yesterday (Friday)  was the official "Welcome Home" ceremony for Task Force Griffin.  They held it at the  Giebelstadt air field and it was one heck of a windy day.  The whole Brigade was out in formation for the speeches and then there was the uncasing and the casing of the colors, as well as an army band and a "pass and review"  (when the soldier march in formation past the audience)... it was so impressive to see all these aviators actually able to keep step LOL.. no.. really .. it was nice.  I felt sorry for the guys carrying the flags though.. there were a couple that I thought were seriously going to become airborne with the wind. Following the ceremony there was a fest (like a little carnival) and a concert with two  "name" bands.. Lit and Von Cotton. We (Paul and I) didn't stay for the fest.. .we headed home to enjoy a quiet afternoon without the kids.

So.. later today I'll be getting ready for the Ball.  I have already colored my hair.. I just need to do my nails, pluck the eyebrows and then shower and make up.  I'm hoping for a relaxing day while I do all this stuff.