And a cute little cat

 And now, for your viewing pleasure,

is simply one cute cat who likes to sit on the heating vent.

70 YEARS!!!! Yes, 70!!!

Who would have thought these two crazy kids would be celebrating their 70th (yes, 70th!) wedding anniversary.

But 'tis true, and we all drove over the river and through the woods to Peter and Robyn's new venue to celebrate the happy occasion. Because of an impending storm, some of the out-of-towners decided to stay out of town, but all the siblings and a good showing of grandkids, great-grandkids, and one great-great-grandkid made it to the party. What a wonderful occasion!

Christmas, Lots of Snow, and a New Car!

Now that the kids are older, it's a little tougher to get photos of all the Christmas frivolity. So you'll have to trust me that we did indeed celebrate Christmas, including our traditional Christmas Eve service, dinner at Clyde's, and then Christmas morning at home. It wasn't a white Christmas, but we did get a big dump of snow in January that left us homebound for a few days. Luckily we were well prepared with plenty of snacks and plenty of firewood to keep things cozy. And did I mention our new car? Well the good news is that we have a new car! The bad news is that within a couple of days of owning it, a critical error appeared that brought us back to the dealership to learn that RODENTS had basically eaten through the electrical system. Because why not? Luckily, I think the dealership realized this likely did NOT occur in the two days we had the vehicle but more likely the months and months it sat on their lot, so they did not charge us for the damage. So, hopefully no more rodent shenanigans for us, and we can enjoy our new car!

Christmas Tree Traditions

 We have two traditions on the day after Thanksgiving: (1) get our Christmas tree and (2) ask a random stranger to take a photo for my mom to use in her annual Christmas card. Yes, most likely she would prefer a slightly more .... composed? ... Christmas photo from us. But hey, we got all four of us together and everyone agreed to smile. I consider that success!

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Our Own Male Model

Well, with a teen daughter, Halloween equals skimpy clothing. And our Ellie didn't disappoint! Then came Thanksgiving; a big part of ours was supporting the church's Thanksgiving Bag drive for Loudoun Hunger Relief. Oh, and did I mention that Jack's handsome mug is gracing the walls of the business building? (Let me point out that I knew him when...)

Two Quick Trips

 I had a great time at my church's annual women's retreat at a place called Mar Lu Ridge. It was nice to get away, fellowship with ladies from my church, and dig into the Bible. We also did a quick trip to WVU to see their football team play against Utah. It was a bit rainy, but still fun to make the trip and see Ellie and her friends. 

Just a Little Fancy

We're just a little bit fancy now, what with our newly remodeled bathroom. It was probably time, given that it had begun to leak down onto our first floor and likely had more than a little disease-causing funk buildup after 35+ years and two Sorenson teenagers who didn't quite get the concept of fully closing a shower curtain. Meanwhile, Jack got settled in at school (look at him looking fancy in his suit), and Ellie's roommate was able to keep her fancy do up-to-date.

New Beginnings

 It was time for new beginnings, with a young couple getting married and two kiddos heading off to school. Jared and I flew out to Mesa, Arizona, to attend nephew Brock Sorenson's wedding to the lovely Rachel. It was great to see all the family and get a little time away. Then it was time to get the kiddos off to school. Jack settled right in - he's an old hat at this, after all. Then it was time to deliver our baby girl to her first year of college. Luckily, she's good at jumping right into the deep end, and before we knew it, she was ready for us to hit the road. Bittersweet, for sure!