Friday, November 15, 2013

2013 United States Marine Corps Birthday Ball


Justin and I had the pleasure to attend our fifth Marine Corps Ball together this past weekend.  It was at the Sheraton Addis Ababa hotel and we had a fantastic time.

Justin impressed our friends by once again rapping to Ice Ice Baby.  It's tradition, what can I say?  It definitely gets the party started.  We danced long past the midnight hour and paid for it the next day when the girls were up bright and early as always.  But it was worth it.  I love that my husband loves to dance.  I'm not a very good dancer but with every passing year, I seem to care less and less what people think of me.  HA!  Now I dance like a fool and it's fun.

Every year, we wonder if the ball will be as much fun as the previous year.  New friends move to post, people move away and sure enough everyone, new friends and old, come to the ball to celebrate our Marines, feel American patriotism, drink, get dressed up and for one night, forget just for a moment all the other things we worry about here in Ethiopia.  For that night, it's as if we are home.  We wouldn't miss the Ball for anything!

Plus my husband looks so dashing in his tuxedo.  I wish we had more tuxedo occasions.

Remember the red dress from Manila 2010?  The process of it's creation here and here and here and here and here.  It's still looking good years later!  I loved dress making in the Philippines.  Man, that was fun. Oh my goodness I had forgotten this photo too.  Bella is such a doll in my arms here.

1 comment:

Melinda Renee said...

I can't believe how orange the dress looks in the softer lighting! And the pic where you're holding Bella, adorable- I forgot that you were all barefoot there. *grin* Oh, how I miss you guys, I can't wait until you're stateside again! Someday I want to actually meet Justin, not just talk football randomly on fb in a comment here or there. *big hugs*