Squadron Christmas Party

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this has been such a sweet season! Christmas is always so special and fleeting, and we are trying to enjoy every little second. Parker's squadron had their annual Christmas party recently, and this was our first year to get to attend!

Some of my best friends are also spouses in the squadron... we really hit the jackpot with this one. Since the wives of the squadron are so close-knit, even the wives with husbands deployed attend the Christmas party. I really love this and will be grateful to still get to participate in things like this when it becomes my time to fly solo for a few months. 

I didn't really know we were attending this party until a couple of days before, so I'd like to thank Target for helping me out in the dress department at the eleventh hour. I really pushed the envelope on the "cocktail attire", but it worked. 

The theme wasn't black and blue, but it might as well have been with our attire. I'm a big fan of these ladies!

The theme was masquerade, so Parker and I again pushed the envelope and decided that just meant we needed something to cover our eyes. We opted for some super spiffy, multi-purpose gold sunglasses, because why not? 

Our friends whose husbands were away brought pictures of their faces on a stick. How adorable is that? They were there in spirit!

There was dinner and a bit of dancing, but the main event of the evening was a big raffle. I wasn't really paying close attention while the numbers were being called, but thankfully one of my girlfriends grabbed my attention when she heard my number. Whoop whoop! I ended up winning an iPad air, so that was cool! As I took my prize, I looked at the guy and said "wait, I get to keep this?!". He looked at me like I was a little off my rocker, but it's not every day someone just gives you an iPad. I'll take it!

A few of my friends were also in sororities, so we had to take a greek life picture. Delta Gamma, Zeta, and Alpha Delta Pi were represented! Throw whatcha know!

Love this fellow DG friend of mine. Fun fact- she was the president of her chapter! I was VP: Finance of mine, which is not nearly as cool as being the president ;)

Overall, it was a fun night with fun people. My favorite forever date makes anything a good time, and he was looking handsome as always! Squadron Christmas Party 2015 is in the books! This was our last Christmas party with friends for the year. Sad it's over, but it was fun while it lasted!

Also, big thanks to my friend Lea for being the best documenter at events like this! If you're in the Norfolk/VA Beach area and need pictures taken, I know just the girl!

Life Lately

Every so often, I think "Man, life is good. I love this season". Right now is one of those times. Christmas on the horizon makes everything a little sweeter, and I have just been soaking up every moment. These are the days where I want to press the "pause" button and just keep reliving it. Since that "pause" button doesn't seem to be available in stores yet, blogging will have to do.

So friends, this is what life lately has looked like for our little family...

Parker was away for the weekend, which meant I had the perfect excuse for a little girl time! I saw The Nutcracker with these fine friends and had the best time. So thankful for these ladies!

It has been unseasonably warm in Virginia these past few weeks, which is just fine with me! It still looks and feels like Fall, so I have tried to spend as much time outside as possible. I snapped this picture on a run the other day. Gorgeous!

Parker and I were perusing Target the other day (what else is new?), and he immediately spotted this coat, put it on, and gave me this pose. I didn't even have to ask. He was channeling his inner Jon Snow (Game of Thrones).

I received a fitbit for reaching 5 years of service with my company, and I was so excited to finally see what all the fuss is about! So far, I really like it. It's hard not to become mildly obsessed with getting 10,000 steps each day, but I suppose that's the point.

We had a date night around our town center and just had the best time. There was a free Christmas concert going on outside, so we sipped what was maybe the best hot chocolate ever and listened. The weather was perfect, the town was decorated for Christmas, and my date was pretty darn cute. Not too shabby for a Friday night. 

We watched our friend's dog over the weekend, and Jenny loved having a furry friend to hang out with! We love having Dug the dog over, the coolest golden retriever around. So cool that he even has his own Instagram handle (@dug_the_dog1217).

We also checked ice skating off the bucket list for the winter season! Since it's been so warm out (comparatively to last year, at least), we decided to do the outdoor mall skating. It was slower paced since the rink is fairly small, but still fun!

This mug says it all. Hot chocolate every night, warm pjs, and Christmas music on repeat. It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

So that's what's been going on with us! We hope you are all enjoying this fleeting season as much as we are!