Catching up (again!)

Just a quick 'throw it all together' post to catch up on a few things I have missed here.

We had a family meal after church at 1000 Hills Lake Restaurant.  It will be closing for the winter season in just a few weeks - we always miss it and can't wait for it to reopen in the spring!

James and Jonathan

James, Daddy and Jonathan

James, Jackson and Jonathan

James, Jackson and Jonathan

Marvin, Laura and Mama

Julie

It has been SO nice to have James home these last few weeks.  He has been on a 6 week leave in between assignments.  We know it will likely be awhile before we get to see him again, so this 6 weeks has been especially precious.

Laura, Marvin, Jonathan, James, Jackson and Mama

Jackson and Jonathan have had a couple of video game marathons with two of their buddies.  They crack me up.  They move two TV's to basement then play against/with each other, communicating through XBox Live, even though they are there in the same room.  They are working their way through the Halo games conquering each disc in its entirety.  I got pictures of the first party, but not the second one.  :)

We attended the annual Truman alumni dinner (local chapter) and Jackson again donated one of his photo calendars to the silent auction.  He was thrilled when a bidding war started and it finally sold for $60.  :)  I wish I had gotten a family photo that night - I had planned to, but just plain ole forgot.  And we all looked pretty snazzy, too!  Phooey.  All I have of the evening is this fuzzy photo of the boys before we left home and Jackson's iPhone snapshot taken outside the building on campus.

Mom got a new car!  She gave her Aveo to Anna and thought she could do without one, but after a few weeks of she and Daddy trying to share the Subaru, they realized that just wasn't working.  So, she got a new Chevy Sonic.  It is a neat little car!  And I just LOVE the color.  Pretty!