The weekend before Christmas Sheila & David came to Star Valley to open presents with me. We had a lot of fun playing board games, Wii games, and putting together a puzzle. We also watched a few movies including the Simpsons movie that they gave me for Christmas. I received several very nice gifts from my parents as well which I appreciate.
A few days later I moved down to Las Cruces, NM where I'll be living until approximately the first week of March. I particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to spend Christmas day with my stepcousins this year. I had so much fun playing the card game Apples to Apples, for several hours after Christmas dinner, with them especially. I'm very grateful for all of the memorable moments I had during this Christmas season.
I'm still trying to set up a Criminal Justice internship and I'll also be taking a Sociology class that should keep me busy until May. I'm really looking forward to attending some of the New Mexico State University sporting events while I'm in Las Cruces as well. I hope that everyone reading my blog had a merry Christmas and that 2010 will be an enjoyable year for us all.
I saw this on a random blog awhile ago and thought that I would post it to my blog as well. Hopefully this idea hasn’t been copyrighted yet...
Your 5 Favorite Christmas Songs are: 1. The First Noel 2. Oh Holy Night 3. Silent Night 4. Oh Come All Ye Faithful 5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Your 5 Favorite Christmas Memories are: 1. My friends, Katie & Todd, visiting with me in person during the Christmas season of 2007. 2. A cruise to Belize & Cozumel with my stepcousins. 3. I was able to “host” a Christmas party with some of my high school friends a few years after I had graduated high school at my home. I wasn’t in touch with my friends very consistently back then so I was grateful to have that enjoyable opportunity. 4. Sheila helping Santa put a lump of coal in my stocking. 5. Simpson family Christmas parties, with my cousins, when I was younger.
Your Favorite Tangible Christmas Gift is: 1. That’d be the Christmas ornament from the year I was born or the Denver Broncos helmet I received when I was very young.
What is your favorite aspect of Christmas? My favorite aspect of Christmas is having more opportunities to be generous to people. I’ve enjoyed spending more time with my family or friends during Christmas as well.
This year I went to my Uncle Dahl & Aunt Chris's home for Thanksgiving dinner. I had an enjoyable time visiting with my cousins, aunts and uncles. After dinner nearly everyone went to the high school to play basketball or volleyball. I always enjoy the challenge of trying to win a basketball game against my Dad or Uncle Dahl whenever I have the opportunity to. I tossed a football around with my uncles and cousins for a few minutes as well. It was fun to relive some of those wonderful, traditional Thanksgiving memories that I have from previous Thanksgivings and to feel like a kid again in some ways.
For the last two years I've been invited to help keep the score for Star Valley High School's Annual Alumni Basketball Tournament that takes place on the weekend of Thanksgiving as well. I enjoyed being able to spend time with some of my friends that I hadn't seen in ten years and to catch up on their lives for a few minutes. My cousins, Tyrell and Darnell, played on the 2004 team that finished in 2nd Place this year. It was enjoyable to watch them play basketball and to be able to spend some time visiting with them. My Uncle Dahl was one of the tournament referees as well and I enjoyed talking with him during halftime or as we were waiting for the next game to begin.
I'm very thankful for the opportunities that I had to spend some quality time with my family and friends during Thanksgiving. I always come away from the Alumni Basketball Tournament feeling grateful for the memories I have from keeping the statistics of basketball games during my high school years that still mean quite a bit to me. I'm thankful to have developed those skills and abilities back then that are still useful and appreciated. I'm grateful for the opportunity that Thanksgiving provides to think about the countless blessings that I continue to enjoy in my life on a daily basis.
1. Blogging: I'm thankful to have an opportunity to write down my "Random Thoughts" and to look back on the memorable days that I've had in recent years. I'm probably not the best creative writer in the world. However, I think that blogging has helped to give me a better perspective of who I was compared to who I am now.
2. Sports: I'm thankful that playing or watching sports, most specifically basketball, has given me several opportunities to spend time with my family or best friends. Maybe I'll never be the next John Stockton in my life but I have learned several important concepts, such as teamwork, from basketball or other sports which I am grateful for. I appreciate the additional joy and happiness that sports continues to bring into my life.
3. Technology: I'm thankful for the modern technology that allows me to have a wheelchair, to still be able to drive a vehicle despite my disability, continue my education, and to communicate with my family or friends more often. I appreciate how modern technology has provided me with a better quality of life than I may have had if I would have been born 100 years ago.
4. Kindness: I'm thankful that I've benefited from the kindness of my best friends and family. I remember being very nervous at the beginning of my freshman year of high school that immature people would make fun of me or tease me consistently because of my disability. Fortunately I've never really had to worry much about that though. It's been amazing to see the countless times that my friends have been willing to go out of their way to be genuinely kind to me even when we didn't know each other very well. I couldn't have asked for a better family and best friends than I have.
5. My mom: I'm thankful for the far reaching, positive influence that my mom continues to have on my life even though she passed away a few years ago. I'm grateful for the active interest that she took in my life, the example that she set for me to follow, and the genuinely good person that she was. I was born on my mom's birthday and I have really missed being able to spend my birthday with her since she died. My mom was one of my very best friends and I always felt comfortable with telling her about anything that was going on in my life. I'm thankful for the knowledge that I'll be able to see her again when my life is over and I really do appreciate the unconditional love, support, and kindness that she always provided for me. After she died I certainly gained more of an appreciation for how much easier she made my life and for the wonderful person that she was. I'm thankful for her willingness to help me whenever I struggled and that she was so proud of me whenever I accomplished something or was successful growing up.
Last Saturday I went to lunch with my friend Tara once again at Pizza Hut in Afton. I realize that people going to lunch with a friend isn't an uncommon occurrence in the world. However, I do appreciate that Tara makes it a high priority to see me in person whenever it's realistically possible. It always puts me in a good mood for quite awhile to see how eager she is to have an opportunity to visit with me in person.
Tara's a very enjoyable person to spend time with and she's always gone out of her way to be kind to me or to encourage me despite whatever she's personally going through. Over the years she's become one of my best friends and I'm grateful for all of the opportunities I've had to spend time with her and that she still considers me as one of her friends. I've always tried to make our friendship about how wonderful of a person she is, but she's been more than willing to shift the focus back to how great of a person that I supposedly am. I appreciate being able to have a friend that is such a selfless, generous and caring person. I'm thankful for the opportunity I've had to get back in touch with her in recent years and I've always appreciated the effort that she's put into helping me and being my friend. Hopefully we'll be able to have more memorable moments together in the future as well.
1. My Cousins: I'm thankful for my stepcousins and cousins. I appreciate the opportunities I've had to get to know my stepcousins better during the last few years. I'm thankful that they've made an effort to get to know me and that they've tried to include me in whatever they're doing whenever it's possible.
I'm thankful for all of my cousins. I'm grateful for the memorable moments that I shared with each of them as we were growing up. I'm appreciative for the wonderful memories I have of Bethany, Tiana, and I having too much fun together as we grew up especially. I've always looked up to Amy & I appreciate the example that she continues to be to me in my life. I appreciate that all of my cousins and stepcousins have treated me so well and that they are very enjoyable people to spend time with.
2. Uncles & Aunts: I'm thankful for my aunts & uncles. They've always been interested in hearing about whatever I have going on. They've been great examples for me to try to follow in my life. I really appreciate the encouragement & support that they've given me throughout my life. If I have the opportunity to be an uncle I hope that I can treat my nephew or niece as well as my uncles & aunts have always treated me.
3. Traveling: I'm thankful for the opportunities that I've had to travel and see more of the world in my life. When I was younger it seemed like quite an exciting trip to get to travel up to Yellowstone or to make the "long" trip to eastern Wyoming. As an adult it doesn't seem quite as adventurous to travel as it once did, but it's always fun to be able to see more of the world.
4. Scouting: I'm thankful for all of the important life lessons that Scouting has taught me. I really enjoyed the challenge of setting a goal and working hard to accomplish it. It was also good to realize that I needed to achieve smaller goals, and advance in rank, in order to achieve my main goal of becoming an Eagle Scout. I think that the process of becoming an Eagle Scout really did help me to become a more well-rounded person and it helped me to gain a better appreciation for the satisfaction that comes from working hard to accomplish something.
5. My home: I'm thankful that I have a home to live in. It seems like a simple thing to be thankful for. However, I realize that some people are homeless and I'm thankful not to be in that type of a situation. I appreciate the opportunity to live in Wyoming and to enjoy the beautiful scenery that surrounds me here in Star Valley.
1. David: I'm thankful for my brother-in-law David. I appreciate that he treats Sheila so well and that she enjoys spending time with him. I'm grateful that he's been willing to get to know me, spends a lot of time with me when he and Sheila come to visit me, and that he tries to help me or make life more enjoyable for me whenever he can. I appreciate the joy that he's brought into Sheila's life especially considering that Sheila's happiness is obviously very important to me as her older brother.
2. Grandparents: I'm thankful for my grandparents. I appreciate my stepgrandma. The first time I went to New Mexico she was willing to explain to me the history of New Mexico which has made it more of an interesting place to visit and more enjoyable to be able to live in Las Cruces for a few months in the winter.
I mentioned to my stepmom that I hadn't seen a horned frog before and a few days later a horned frog statue arrived in the mail from my stepgrandma so that I can see one each day. I'm grateful that she doesn't need a special occasion, such as my birthday, to brighten my day like that or to make life more interesting for me somehow.
My Grandpa Simpson always encouraged me to learn to play the harmonica, keep a journal daily, or to try to find some hidden talent that I don't know that I have. He'd give me several suggestions for hobbies that I might enjoy doing as well. He wasn't afraid to experience new things to find out which activities he enjoyed the most in his life. I'm thankful for his sense of humor and how he'd work very hard, but not take life so seriously that it stopped being enjoyable. I'll always be very appreciative to my grandpa for teaching me to learn more about the world and that it's important to live my life to the fullest.
My Grandma Simpson has taught me several things about my ancestors and has given me more appreciation for them. When I was younger, with a very limited attention span, it seemed a bit more boring to hear those stories than it is now but I'm grateful that she's always taken the time to have those conversations with me.
She also put a lot of effort into making a quilt for me when I earned the Eagle Scout Award. I remember that it was a very good feeling to know that my grandma cared that much about me and was proud of me for working hard to accomplish something. I think it was good a life lesson for me as well to realize that I should still be willing to work hard even when I'm not recognized or rewarded for it as much.
My Grandpa Schwab helped to teach me the value of hard work. It seemed like he never made excuses to avoid going to work unless he had a legitimate reason not to work. Working hard to help to provide for his family was always a very high priority for him which I have a lot of respect for. It took quite a bit to impress him and so when he'd compliment me it felt like he thought I'd actually earned the compliment which meant quite a bit more than it might have otherwise.
My Grandma Schwab has taught me a lot about generosity. If she saw me playing quite a bit with a certain toy, that was exclusively available at my her house it seemed, she always would offer to let me take it home for awhile if I wanted to. I'd end up drawing things on paper when I visited my grandparents as well. She was always willing to come over and look at the "impressive" animals I drew that were actually just stick figures that looked exactly the same. I've never been a very creative person and so I appreciate how she always encouraged my attempts to be more creative while I was younger.
3. My Disability: It seems strange to say. However, I am thankful for the disability that I have. I vaguely remember when I was able to walk and usually taking the ability to walk for granted while I was younger. I'm grateful for the opportunities this disability's provided me to see how willing my friends and family have been to help me when I've needed them to. I think that I consider more people as my best friends, rather than just good friends, than I may have otherwise due their consistent selflessness or kindness to me.
4. Music: I'm thankful for music that has an uplifting message and that listening to certain songs can improve my mood or help me to not take life so seriously at times. I'm thankful that music has enhanced my enjoyment of life in several ways. I appreciate the wonderful memories that listening to certain songs brings back into my mind as well.
5. Veterans Day: Veterans Day was this week and I'm certainly thankful for all of the military veterans that have helped to keep this country free. As much as I love this country I don't know if I'd be willing to potentially die to help protect the important freedoms that we enjoy in this country. However, I am grateful for all of the freedom that I'm able to enjoy on a daily basis.
I've decided to write a little bit about 5 things that I'm thankful for each week until the end of November...
1. Religious Beliefs: I'm thankful for my belief in a religion that brings a sense of direction and hope into my life. When using a wheelchair consistently became a part of my life it was reassuring to know that my life still had a purpose to it and that I should keep trying because my life isn't meant to be hopeless or pointless as it might seem at times.
2. Family: I'm very thankful for my family. I appreciate my dad and the opportunities I had growing up to see how much effort he put into his job. I don't think that my dad had the most glamorous job in the world, although I thought he did when I was younger, but he always took a lot of pride in doing his job to the best of his abilities which set a good example for me to follow and I certainly have learned a lot from him.
I appreciate my stepmom Becky and the active interest that she's taken in my life. I'm grateful that she's made an effort to get to know me and that I'm comfortable with talking to her about anything that I have going on in my life. It seems like whenever I'm having a bad day she always finds some way to make me smile or brightens my day somehow. She's a kindhearted, caring, and thoughtful person who I'm very thankful to have in my life.
I'm also very thankful for Sheila and the wonderful person that she is. Having a younger sister, who looks up to me, has always motivated me to try to be a better person or to set a good example for her if I can. Sheila's always been more than willing to help me with whatever I've needed her to and I really couldn't have asked for better sister, and friend, than she's been to me.
3. Friends: I feel very blessed to have the friends that I do. I'm thankful to have true friends who've always gone out of their way to encourage me when I struggle rather than only being my "friend" when things are going well for me or if it's convenient for them.
One of the highlights of my life has been being able to have a high level of mutual respect with the incredible people that I consider as my friends. I'm thankful that my friends have allowed me to look at life from different perspectives and that they've brought so much joy into my life for several years now.
4. Health: I appreciate being more healthy these days which has given me the ability to travel and enjoy life more than I was able to while I was recovering from the surgery that I had a few years ago.
5. Education: I'm thankful for the opportunity I've had to continue my education and to become a more well-rounded person by doing that. One of my goals growing up was to earn a degree from a university and I'm thankful to only be 16 credits away from that goal becoming a reality for me. I appreciate the support of my family as I've taken Criminal Justice classes in pursuit of a degree.
1. What phobia are you suffering from if you have an intense fear of Halloween? B. Samhainophobia (Halloween is the witches' New Year and is called Samhain)
2. What does the name Dracula mean? C. Devil's Son (The name "Dracula" is Romanian for Devil's son)
3. In the Medieval times, what was commonly used as a cure for leprosy? C. A spider (A spider was rolled in butter and then used as cure for diseases such as leprosy and the plague)
4. Bobbing for apple began as a party game in the 20th Century? B. False (This tradition didn't begin in the 20th Century. However, unmarried people would try to bite into an apple floating in water or hanging from a string. The first person to bite into the apple would be the next one to marry.)
5. When did the UNICEF for Halloween program begin? C. 1955 (The United Nations Children Fund was encouraged to start a trick-or-treat program in the 1950s which it finally did in 1955.)
6. Which U.S. city banned all Halloween celebrations from its schools in 1995? D. Los Altos, CA (The Los Altos, Ca., school system banned all Halloween celebrations due to the holiday's roots in "unwholesome traditions.")
7. What does the word "witch" mean? D. Wise one (The word "witch" comes from the word "wicca" which means wise one.)
8. Why did a witch commonly appear with a black cat? B. For Protection (Black cats were originally believed to protect a witch's powers from negative forces.)
9. In what year did the Halloween novelty song "Monster Mash" reach number one on the Billboard charts? B. 1962 (This great song written by Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi reached number one on the Billboard Charts for two weeks in 1962, and then returned to the charts in 1970 and 1973.)
10. In modern times Halloween is celebrated on Oct. 31st? A. True (Have a Happy Halloween everyone!)
Instructions: Leave a comment with your answers/guesses to this "Tricky Halloween" survey. Then check my blog for the correct answers when they are posted.
Please use only your brain, and no other additional resources, to answer the following Halloween related questions...
1. What phobia are you suffering from if you have an intense fear of Halloween? A. Halloweenophobia B. Samhainophobia C. Ghostophobia D. Shamanphobia
2. What does the name Dracula mean? A. Evil One B. Blood Drinker C. Devil's Son D. Vampire Bat
3. In the Medieval times, what was commonly used as a cure for leprosy? A. An apple B. A pumpkin C. A spider D. A broom bristle
4. Bobbing for apple began as a party game in the 20th Century? A. True B. False
5. When did the UNICEF for Halloween program begin? A. 1958 B. 1956 C. 1955 D. 1957
6. Which U.S. city banned all Halloween celebrations from its schools in 1995? A. Philadelphia, PA B. Salt Lake City, UT C. Santa Fe, NM D. Los Altos, CA
7. What does the word "witch" mean? A. Evil one B. Ugly one C. Wicked one D. Wise one
8. Why did a witch commonly appear with a black cat? A. For Companionship B. For Protection C. For No Particular Reason D. For Casting Spells
9. In what year did the Halloween novelty song "Monster Mash" reach number one on the Billboard charts? A. 1967 B. 1962 C. 1965 D. Monster Mash never did reach #1 on the Billboard charts
10. In modern times Halloween is celebrated on Oct. 31st? A. True B. False
Today is my younger sister, Sheila's, birthday. I'm very glad she was able to go on vacation with me to California recently, because it wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable or memorable of a trip without her being there. This vacation brought back a lot of good memories of the vacations we took when we were younger, particularly our trip to Disneyland, and I've really enjoyed having opportunities to visit more of the world with her especially as we were growing up together.
I usually say that Betsy and Camie were my first best friends, but obviously Sheila was actually the first best friend I ever had. I'm very thankful to have a sister that I always want to have included in whatever I have going on in my life. I also really appreciate her support whenever I've struggled or needed it the most.
Sheila's always had a lot of potential, she's very intelligent, and being able to watch her succeed has brought quite a bit of joy into my life. I admire how much effort she's willing to put into everything that she does to be successful. I'm very proud of the person that Sheila's become and I couldn't have asked for a better sister than she's been to me. I hope that Sheila has a very happy birthday today and that life will keep getting better for her in the upcoming years.
Instructions: Pick 8 of your very best friends, in no particular order, and fill out the survey below.
Friend one: Katie
Friend two: Kara
Friend three: Betsy
Friend four: Sheila
Friend five: Kim
Friend six: Teddy
Friend seven: Jamie
Friend eight: Camie
What are two things one and two have in common. Katie and Kara are consistently, genuinely kind to people at a higher level than I’ve ever seen before. Both of them are very selfless as well.
What was the last thing you did with number four when you hung out? I watched the BYU and Utah State football game at Sheila's house for awhile coming home from my vacation to San Diego.
What was the last thing you did with number six when you hung out? I heard Teddy sing and talked to her for a few minutes which, according to whoever is writing my blog, is always an enjoyable experience for me.
Has number one ever met number five? Yes. Katie and Kim have met each other.
Which of them have been to your home? Betsy, Camie, Katie, Sheila.
When was the last time you verbally communicated with number eight? August.
How many of these friends have you hugged? I’ll say 5 of them. I assume that I’ve hugged Betsy and Camie at some point, but can’t seem to remember for sure at the moment.
Who was the last friend that you hugged? Kara
What sport does four love the most? I don’t think Sheila had much choice other than to like basketball the most with me as her brother. ;)
Describe number 7 in 3 words. Fabulous, extraordinary, impressive.
Which one of your friends reading this do you think will fill out the survey next? I think Tara will probably fill this out next. She'll need something to help pass the time when the Dodgers lose in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
Last night I went golfing with my dad, and uncle Dahl, at Star Valley Ranch. It looked like both of them should be golfing on the PGA Tour already but even if they never have that opportunity it was still a lot of fun...
Last Saturday night, I had the opportunity to hear my extraordinary friend Teddy sing at the Star Valley Ranch Balloon Festival. The previous time I'd watched hot air balloons was several years ago and I was too young to fully enjoy the experience of getting up early in the morning just to see balloons float in the air. So having another opportunity to watch some hot air balloons, a little closer to my home, was very fun and brought back a few childhood memories that I'd completely forgotten about.
I appreciate how aware Teddy was in making sure that I had an enjoyable evening and that she's always gone out of her way to be so genuinely kind to me. It seems as though I somehow become more grateful for Teddy's friendship every year and I am very thankful for the far reaching, positive impact and influence that she's had on my life.
I've looked up to Teddy as an example of what an exceptional person should be ever since I've known her and she's always been a very tough act to follow regardless of whether she's singing or not. I appreciate the active interest she's taken in my life and how much effort Teddy's willing to put into being one of my best friends. Being able to consider Teddy as one of my best friends has certainly been much better than I ever could have imagined it would be so far in my life.
My stepgrandma e-mailed me some photos of roadrunners today that I thought I would share. I'm still hoping to see a live roadrunner, down south, one of these years...
Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "my life according to (band name)"
Pick your Artist: Paul Simon * Describe yourself: Think Too Much
How do you feel: Feelin’ Groovy *
Describe where you currently live: My Little Town
* If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Graceland
* Your favorite form of transportation: Train in the Distance * Your best friend: Mrs. Robinson
* You and your best friend are: Old Friends
* What's the weather usually like: A Hazy Shade of Winter
* Favorite time of day: Late in the Evening
* If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: I Wish You Could be Here
* What is life to you: Slip Slidin’ Away
* Your relationship: Something So Right
* Your fear: Bye, Bye Love
* What is the best advice you have to give: Learn How to Fall
* Thought for the Day: Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall
* How I would like to die: Stranded in a Limousine
What school did you graduate from? Star Valley High School
What year did you graduate? 1999
What were your school colors? Crimson & Gold
Did you receive any special awards when you graduated? A college scholarship. Student of the Year.
Did you receive any senior class superlatives? No.
Did you cry at your graduation ceremony? No, I remember my friend Brooke Martinsen giving me a hug after it was over that I wanted to last for about 20 years though.
Who did you consider as your best friend while you were attending high school? Katie or Betsy. I was the most comfortable talking with them back then.
What "clique" did you fit in while in high school? I tried to be kind to everyone & not fit into one specific clique.
Was anyone in your graduating class pregnant or had had a baby in high school? I can’t remember for sure, but I would assume someone probably did.
Did you belong to extra-curricular activities? National Honors Society with people who excelled at being kind apparently. Basketball as well.
Has your name changed since you graduated? Nope.
Would people recognize you now from then? Most people seem too.
How has your life changed since graduation? I think for the most part it is better.
What is your happiest memory from your Senior Year? Setting the bench press record. I really didn’t think I had it in me to accomplish something like that.
What was your favorite hang-out? The gym playing basketball during the lunch hour.
What did you drive to school? I rode the bus.
Where did you work? The School store.
How far away do you live from your high school? Las Cruces, NM= 1024 miles from Afton. Thayne=15 miles from Afton. ;)
Do you plan on attending your next reunion? Yes, I really enjoy spending time with my best friends whenever it’s possible for some reason.
Where will the reunion be held? Hopefully at the Afton Civic Center again. I thought it was a good venue for it.
Who was your senior class president? Lee Crook
Were you friends with this person in high school? Yes
Who were you most looking forward to seeing at the reunion? Betsy and Kim since I came close to being able to see them last year, but unfortunately it hasn’t worked out to see them again yet.
Is there anyone you would not want to run into at the reunion? There wasn’t anybody that I intentionally went out of my way to avoid. It made me a little uncomfortable talking to people that I've never really had much in common with though.
Are you where you wanted to be in life as of this point? For the most part.
Who would you currently consider as your best friend from high school? Each of my best friends are the best in different ways so it's difficult to determine that anymore.
Yesterday my high school reunion was held at the Afton Civic Center. It was obviously very fun to see several of my friends again. I'm grateful for the additional opportunities I've had to keep in touch with some of my best friends consistently, online or in person, in recent years who mean quite a bit to me. Attempting to describe the indescribable friendship I have with some of my high school friends, who read this blog, has been a challenge but it's been enjoyable to realize how much I appreciate their friendship as I've written these blog posts so far.
I'm particularly grateful for the continual support and encouragement that my first two best friends, Betsy and Camie, have given me throughout my life. I also appreciate how much looking up to my cousin Amy, Teddy and Tara as examples has helped me since my freshman year in high school. It's been good to reflect this past week on all of the people who've had a positive influence on my life and helped me to become who I am. I could probably write a few novels on the far reaching impact several of my high school friends, and a few high school teachers, had on my life so far.
(1999 SVHS School Store photo: Thane Grover, Uncle Dahl, Nephi Lewis, Lisa Hastings Tippetts, Judd Chamberlain, Blake Beus, Jenny Facer-Wilkes, Me)
However, without any further nostalgic "Random Thoughts" from me, here are the pictures from the reunion yesterday, and recent years as well, with some wonderful people who I've somehow been lucky enough to consider as my friends over the years...
