Happy 237th Birthday Marines!

(Yes, I know, the actual birthday was on the 10th.  But since we aren't celebrating until tomorrow, I still get to use that title.)

Tomorrow night, I will put on a fancy dress, uncomfortable heels, and strut my stuff at our battalion's birthday ball.  I honestly am not sure there is any other branch of the military that celebrates their "birthday" the way the Marine Corps does, but it sure is fun.  It is the one night of the year in the Marine Corps that is really just fun.... mandatory fun yes... but still just fun.  

There is a lot of ceremony and tradition, and some somber moments of reflection and remembrance.  The ceremony reminds us what it means to be a part of the family that is the Marine Corps, and how truly important our Marines' roles are in protecting our country. (And, a handful of days after finding out that deployment #5 is official, it will be good for me to have this reminder.)

It also makes for some fantastic people watching.....ha!  (Gold lame' mini anybody?!)

This year will be my 9th ball.  I've actually been to more than the boy has.  The year he was deployed, the unit that was tasked with keeping an eye on us invited all the spouses to their ball.  So I took my sister as a date, and we had a fun girls night with all the other ladies. 

So here's a look back at us at Birthday Balls of the past:

2004

 This was our very first ball! The boy had gotten home from Iraq about 5 weeks earlier. I flew down from Penn State, and the drastic change in weather gave me a cold.  This was also my first experience with Marine wives- I will never forget the one wife who felt it necessary to show me that she was in fact duct taped into her dress!

2005

2006

With my baby sister! She was sweet enough to fly down to North Carolina and we had a blast!

2007

Our first ball at Quantico.  Obviously a bit intoxicated, and the woman that did my hair sprayed me with glitter before I could protest... bleh.

2008

This is my fave!

2009

Drunk again... ha!

2010

Birthday ball.....in the gym.  And dress recycling!

2011

So there ya go- the years in review.  There is obviously some drinking, lots of fun, and plenty of great memories each year.  It is such a fun, special night for us all- and it never hurts to be in a room surrounded by Marines in dress blues!