Happy Holidays for 2006

Cody's up for deployment this coming holiday season. I know it's months away, but it's a bit depressing to think of him missing our anniversary, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I'd miss his birthday too and nothing says happy birthday like sand in body parts you didn't know you had. I almost burst in to tears when he told me.

Right before he said anything, a commercial for Disney World for four came on, only $1500 for the four of us to go and stay at a hotel on site for 6 days. I'm not sure what else is included in it, but it looked fun and I said that would be great for Christmas 2006. Cody looked at me like I was an idiot and said "Yeah, if I'm still here." I guess he'd told me about it before and I just didn't pay attention? Maybe. He could have also found out in Japan when I wasn't with him. Either way, what a cruddy holiday season that would be.

So now, *if* he gets deployed I'm not sure what I'd want to do for the holidays. Do I stay here (alone) with the boys and hope family is coming out to our house this year? I could take the trip to DisneyWorld and invite Erin to go with us to fill Cody's place while he's gone, but I don't want the boys' first trip to Disney anything to be without Cody. I know the boys will love it and I want him to be there to see it. So that option probably won't happen. I could always go to Lake Havasu for Christmas, but the idea scares me a little. I keep remembering the first couple Christmases we spent there and frankly they just weren't fun for us. Everybody (family and friends) seemed to get upset that we didn't spend enough time with them at their houses. Nevermind that we spent the money to go out there, they still can't drive 15 min to come see us all at once. Oh no, we have to go to their house. It got old and annoying. This last trip out was the best one I've had and that's only because I didn't tell anyone we were going out there. Maybe it'll be different this Christmas, but I doubt it.

Then there's secret option number 4... Go to Aunty's house but tell no one I'm going. Just fly out to Aunty and see Heather, Eric and Erin along the way as well. The boys would love to see their "aunties" and "uncle cousin" again. Aside from them, no one in California really knows us either so that could be a lot of fun for us.

Either way, it just isn't going to be the same without Cody. And because I'm all sentimental now, I'll post his photo from almost fresh out of boot camp. He looks so young in it too, but I'm sure that someday I'll say that about the Christmas photo as well.