Light at the End of the Tunnel

It's getting harder and harder to get on this blog to make posts.  The filters and blocks on our computers seem to get more strict each day.  I cannot believe it has been one month already since I last posted.  I was back in the US on leave and it feels like only yesterday.
I had an amazing 15 days of leave with my family.  We enjoyed our 7 day Disney cruise very much (Delaney probably most of all) and 5 more days in Orlando.  It passed pretty quickly but still it was so wonderful to be able to see Garret, Delaney and Braden in person and to be able to give out 6 months of saved up hugs and kisses.  There is no way that 15 days was enough but each minute was appreciated and lived to the fullest.   It was hard to say goodbye again, but it was made easier knowing that less than 90 days are left until I get to come home for good.

I love Christmas.  I love the music, the food, the time with family, the excitement on the kids faces on Christmas morning.  Spending the holiday here was harder than I thought it would be, even listening to the music left me sad and longing to be home.  The one thing I did get to do was contribute to our Christmas dinner (as I did for Thanksgiving).  I made stuffing (or dressing whichever you prefer to call it) for 150 people.  It was quite a challenge for a cook that never uses a recipe to adapt the recipe in my head for 10 times the normal number of people.  Regardless, the stuffing turned out really yummy and being able to cook did make me feel a little more "christmas-ey".   I will appreciate the joy of just being at home with people I love all the more in the years to come. 

the beginning of the stuffing...I know, the hairnet is AWESOME



Putting the stuffing into the pans...Yum

 I think that it's reasonable to begin my countdown again, even though I have to pick an arbitrary date as the end of this adventure.  I don't think I'll know when I'm leaving until I leave.  In any event as of today I'm going to say there are 80 days left..I think I can do that standing on my head......

I wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with health and happiness...

Be always at War with your vices,
at Peace with your neighbors,
and let each New Year find you
a better person.

Benjamin Franklin