John & Samantha: HOGO Reunion 2013!--flashback pictures

~~('hogo'= HOdge, SeaGO game nights)~~

We have known Jim & Shawna for about 5 yrs, when both Jim and John were in the Navy stationed in Virginia. We started playing strategy games with them back when I was pregnant with Lucas, and made it a regular thing; game nights revolved around their work schedules, and lasted til the wee hours of morning sometimes. It has been amazing to see the growth and progress of all our kids, starting with 2 yr old Alex, and then Lucas, Jacob and Olivia. It is so nice to be done with the Navy, both in homes we love surrounded by family. Kansas City is now only about 7 hrs away from us, so the drive was easy. Next time, they will drive down here to TX, and we will have a new HOGO member, baby Frankie :)

Here are some flashback pics, sorta in random order, from 2008 to 2010, when Jim left the Navy, and then 2011, John got out and we moved to TX, and we have visited them 3 times since:

*Summer 2008*

Our first real game night...I think I brought Scrabble...little did I know, they had the serious games...that took hours and strategy beyond my comprehension...Lots of fun!

This was our first real game (Settlers of Catan, Cities & Knights) and we all loved it. Took hours and we all eventually got so good at it, that we had to amend the rules to prevent any 'kingmakers'.

I was pregnant with Lucas, so at this time all we had was Alex to entertain and diaper :)

John and I took Alex on a little outing to Toys R Us, and all he wanted was a huge crayon!

Such a cute baby.

We always ate well on game nights. Above we had some steaks and chicken, rice and I think I made sweet potato tempura. Below we had a breakfast dinner..this was just after Lucas' birth....I remember because I was still using an inflatable donut to sit down...ouch...

*2009*

Jim & Shawna getting drunk playing Acquire. haha. This was just before Shawna and I both got pregnant again.

Here we are feasting on some huge crab legs. And above playing Stone Age, with John's cocky facial expressions. :P

Someone's butt was always hanging out. This time it was Alex. I remember at this point, I would stop between games to go in the corner and pump breast milk for Lucas. Kinda funny to think about. We all became really comfortable with each other though. It was all fun and good memories :)

Then Lucas came along, and thankfully was a happy baby, and loved to sleep.

Shawna introduced me to Amy, another fun mom. We spent a few summer days at the local water park :) Lucas was so bald!

This was when I surprised John with the announcement that we were pregnant again...Lucas was 3 months old!

This was my birthday dinner at some sushi place in newport news. I was pregnant with Olivia here.

This was Alex's 3rd birthday party, (also Halloween) just before baby Jacob arrived.

Alex and his grandpa.

Lucas, with Diane, Alex's grandma. She has babysat the four of our kids a few times, they all just call her grandma now lol.

Then Jacob came along, and was also a good baby :) (foreshadowing...)

Miss Olivia came not so far behind Jacob, but was a Diva from the start..still is.

There we are...with 4 little ones...nothing can stop the game nights.

Aw...

*spring 2010*

This was one of our last game nights before they left for Kansas City and finished with the Navy in 2010.

We look younger don't we Shawna? lol

Shawna's face here says it all...John & Jim had the idea of adding gasoline to the kid's bubbles and trying to light them on fire....

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All four of em---hope to continue the game night tradition with Frankie too!

One last barbecue game night before their departure.

Jim & John with the new babies Olivia & Jacob.

I kinda miss this house, although it would've been way too small for us to stay in.

I don't even remember what game this was. It was our last game night in the navy, as Jim got out and they moved back home to Kansas City. It would be another year or so til John got out and we moved to TX.

*april 2011*

This was April 2011, just after we moved to TX fresh out of the navy. We were technically still living in a hotel, unemployed with 2 babies, but as we left to drive north and visit Jim & Shawna, John got a call from Air Products saying he got the job. It was a fun trip after that stress of worrying about our next move.

This was one of my favorite games, Puerto Rico. And one of the few game nights where neither of us were pregnant, hence the wine.

We all took naps..

His new haircut. He's always so well-behaved for them.

*november 2011*

This was the trip we took before this one. It was in November of 2011, and pretty cold. I really like how cute they all were then. All those little diapered toddler butts :)