We had such a nice weekend! Jeff and Ella didn't have school on Friday, so we left Thursday after school and spent the evening and most of Friday with Jeff's family.  I didn't get any pictures there, but we had a nice time and celebrated his parents' birthdays, which are both in October.

 

Then Friday evening, we met my good friend, Audrey, at her home for pizza and dessert.  I met Audrey when I worked at NCSA in college.  She was already retired, but still worked there part-time in the same department I was in.  When I started my teaching job, Audrey's home was just a couple blocks from my school.  Audrey had begun working on a genealogy and family history that she hoped to one day publish and give to all her children and grandchildren.  She had compiled the information and started writing, but needed help with the computer end of things.  So we worked out a deal where I came to her house after school for an evening every other week.  I proofread and edited her work on the computer, helped answer questions, and fixed various computer problems that arose, and in return she paid me $5 and fixed me dinner.  It was a great set-up for both of us!  We both enjoyed the company, she was glad to have help with her book, and I was treated to a delicious home-cooked meal by my adopted grandmother.  I got to know her and her family history very well during the years I helped her and she mailed me a finish copy of the book after I moved.  Even though it is not about my family, it is quite a treasured keepsake to me.

 

After dinner, we went to Chris and Cheryl's house where we stayed the rest of the weekend.  They are both good friends from college.  Cheryl and I lived in the same house on campus for a few years and Chris and Jeff roomed together in the guys' house next door, as well as in an apartment later.  We were all in each other's weddings and have stayed in touch over the years since college.  They have two kids now, Nicholas and Harmony, so our friendship has continued to grow and change as we've gone into a different stage of life.  Spending time with them was the highlight of our Homecoming weekend.

 

And speaking of Homecoming, that is the main reason we made the trip this weekend.  Saturday was our University's Homecoming football game and celebration.  We didn't go to the game, but enjoyed spending time at the alumni festivities hosted by the houses we lived in during college.  Each year, the houses have focus years for the alumni and this year, the focus was 1995-2005.  We saw lots of people from our time there, some we knew better than others, but it was fun to see what everyone looks like now and see all the cute little kids they produced. :)  I don't know when we'll ever make it back again, but I'm so glad we went this year.  Jeff and I couldn't help but reminisce about all the fun times we had there and how thankful we are to have had those experiences.  Now we just have to remember that when it's time for our girls to leave the nest!