Our first BALL!

Matt and I attended our first military ball together last night. I usually laugh uncontrollably in socially awkward situations, but I kept it together this time :) Formalities are also another thing that I find hysterical, however, I found the ball reminded me a lot of my grandfather, Daddy Joe.

Daddy Joe died the end of my Junior year of high school, and he was such an inspiration to me. He was a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force and taught me so much about history, especially about the World Wars. We watched the History Channel before it was cool, he taught me how to shoot a BB gun by setting up a Diet Coke can in front of Dot Dot's shed (which I destroyed with tiny BB holes). Daddy Joe also took me on a tour one day, one of the most memorable days of my childhood, to an Air Force Museum where I learned about the Army Air Corps and it's evolution into the modern day AF.

It was there that he explained to me the POW table that is set at balls to remember soldiers that never returned from war.

Well, last night, I saw that table. As they were explaining it, I remembered Daddy Joe's voice, and he and Dot Dot's stories of the balls they attended. It was a very emotional and exciting night for me, and I know Daddy Joe was looking down on me, smiling, and so proud of Matt and me :)

And we were rather dapper and dashing. I know, we clean up nice. See for yourself:

Matt and me

SGT Killian and his beautiful wife, Jackie

Jackie and me

Matthew, me, Abby, and Ben!