Back after almost a month!

Well, the holidays are OVER and I'm wondering if part of being an adult is feeling relieved instead of disappointed (like when you were a kid) when the holiday season is over. But we're back home, and had a lovely New Year's Eve get-together with friends from school. We ate chocolate chip cookies, drank pomegranate martinis, and discussed how the Catholic church got it all wrong (at least, that was what I was arguing, but my Catholic friend Sarah begged to differ)!

Christmas was crazy and emotional, but it was wonderful to reconnect with family. Coming home for the first time not only as a fully adult member of the family, but also as Daniel's wife, was also a wonderful experience. Our first Christmas together was hard, since it really hit us how much we are missing out on being so far away in Tennessee, but also wonderful to see how our relationship has progressed from a dating couple to marriage since last Christmas.

And while the holidays are over, Daniel and I had a second Christmas of sorts yesterday. First came the last of my gifts from the Baughs (well, this one was more from Scott than anyone else, I think) - an entire toy set of the Roman army and Carthaginian soldiers complete with elephant corps, Numidian cavalry, and Spanish allied infantry. Do it, I dare you: call me a nerd! :) Actually, that was what the gift message said on the invoice, "Happy nerd Christmas from Scott." I also got a way cool Trojan war set with a Trojan horse, and its awesome. They're still sitting on the floor waiting to be arranged in battle formation by me (what shall I do first? Battle of Zama? OOh, I don't know! Three Punic Wars to choose from!)

Anyway, Daniel received a gift card to Macy's from the Baughs. So we went out last night and spent it! He was very sweet to let us both choose things for the home, so we got a lot of really cool stuff: rice cooker, desperately needed pans, apple slicer (yay!), pizza cutter, Christmas ornaments 75% off, a set of ten dinner plates, a bar set, martini glasses, a set of two wine glasses and a decanter, and he got a beautiful vest (the kind that are so fashionable these days . . .). So we went home, made dinner with our new pans and rice with our new rice cooker, and enjoyed a martini. Lovely evening all around.

I'm very excited about the plates because we and two other couples have decided to start having dinner parties at each other's houses every month. We don't have more than 4 place settings, so I'm happy. It will be nice to have people over and to entertain. Daniel and I have never done that as a married couple. It's also nice to start developing true friendships and having a social life! :) It took a while, but were definitely getting there.

So today was spent getting things organized and written for summer school applications. I am applying to three programs. One is the American School of Classical Studies in Athens summer program, which is six straight weeks of traveling to the most important Ancient Greek monuments. Also applied to the American Academy in Rome, which is six straight weeks of traveling to the most important Ancient Roman monuments. And last, I applied to an archeology program through the AAR, which is three weeks of traveling and four at a dig in either, Sicily, Ravenna, Rome, or one other place I can't remember at the moment. I have no idea which one I'd rather go to. And I have no idea which ones I will be accept to. I won' t know till March, but then Daniel and I buy our plane tickets and start planning our trip! I think he and I will travel for a week or two before my program. I'm so excited! This is finally happening - I'm actually going to spend an extended amount of time overseas. I have always wanted to do a study abroad program, and I am blessed beyond belief that Vandy is paying for ALL of it. Plane ticket, room and board, tuition, and $1000 spending money. Crazy, isn't it?