Happy Birthday, Navy! We had a Ball!

On October 13, Bryan and I got fancy and celebrated the Navy's 247th birthday! Following school on Thursday, I rushed home from school to get ready and we met up with Kerri & Joe, and Julia & Dave at the NEX Bus stop to catch a ride over to our first-ever Navy Ball!

We were shocked to be the only ones catching the early bus, but nothing like starting the night with an entire bus to ourselves!

While we waited for Meg and Mike to join us from their apartment out in town, we walked around and snapped some photos! I will say, we clean up nicely! Bryan was proud to show off his new, updated ribbon rack with all the new awards he has earned since joining the USS America last June, and I can proudly say he looks good in the dress blues!

While the guest speaker may have droned on a little too long for our liking, we enjoyed performances from a local Japanese rock band (who even knew THAT was a thing!?) and traditional Japanese folk dancers. As the night wore on, our group was the life of the party! With a chu hai station, a keg of local beer, an open bar, and an active dance floor, the night was one to remember!

America Friend Group

Darby Elementary Group Pic

As the Navy Ball simmered down, Joe suggested that the party continue at a local karaoke bar, so we grabbed taxis and headed downtown to continue the festivities. While I did take videos, I figured the group would appreciate it if I deleted those! Instead, just take a look at the photos and imagine the quality of the singing...trust me, I'm doing everyone a favor!

While this was our first Navy Ball, Bryan and I can say it was definitely one for the books! It does have us wondering where we will be celebrating the Navy's 248th birthday...but for now, we will just soak up every memory we can with this great group of friends!

'til next time!

Katie