30 Years

It's been 30 years since graduating from good ol' San Mateo High School. Time has flown by so fast.

Our official 30 year reunion will be this October. Throughout these 30 years many of us have stayed connected.

Check out my post: Oldies But Goodies

This summer, one of our high school friends was coming home from Down Under for a short visit and I thought, why not get together now while he's here?

Its so hard to gather nowadays.. Either we're too busy or we don't want to relive the past. That might be  an issue for those who don't want to see old friends… some do not want to go back and remember what we did when we were young... which were probably stupid things.

But to me, the past doesn't define you or make you who you are now... it's what you do with your past that makes a difference.  Either we forget about it, dwell on it, or accept it and move on.

Well... we've accepted it and moved on.

(L-R) Greg, Betty, Tam, Shari, me, Chris & Dave

Dave graduated CAL and is now a pastor at a church in Australia. His is married to wife Leanne and they have a daughter, Kailani (age 16). Funny thing our girls played with Kai when they were little, and she never exhibited any accent at all,  but now she has the cutest Australian accent. Apparently Dave has one too but I have not heard it. Kai says he can turn it off and on. (Yeh right!) Leanne, being an educator and teacher, has not changed her accent, enunciates and speaks proper English! LOL!

2007

2014 (Leanne, Kai and Dave)

Chris is one of, if not the smartest of our class who went out of state for college, University of Washington. I would have thought he would be a shoe-in for CAL. But God has a plan. Chris is now a professor of Asian American Studies at CAL. Go figure, he ended up there eventually.

Shari went to Chico State, is in marketing and has 3 girls. (ages 5, 7, 9)

Shari and her adorable girls! Who knew this tomboy gets all girls!!

Tam is home (like me) and busy taking care of her boys, hubby Barry and high schooler, Tyler (age 15).

Tam, Barry and Tyler

Betty is a OBGYN for Kaiser in San Mateo. Her husband Al has his own medical practice and they have 3 boys (ages 11, 14, 16).

Greg, a pediatrician, also has his own practice. His wife, Mendy, is a nurse and they have 4 kids, 3 of which are Greg's (ages 9 mths, 3, 5). Yes he is a very tired father.

Many others in our group were unable to come but we hope to reconnect with them in October at our 'official' 30th reunion!

Oldies But Goodies

It's almost 30 years since we graduated high school. We all ate, played, laughed, cried, studied, and grew up from being young innocent teenagers to 'young' mature adults. We attended college at Cal Poly, UC Davis, Berkeley, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz or UofW. Then we graduated college; found jobs; went back for more schooling; got teaching credentials, Masters, MD's and PhD's; changed jobs; dated; married; bore children; adopted children. We all made the best of what God has given us.

Now you see before you: educators, medical professionals, engineers, even a self-made businessman.

Get-Together 2011

Most of us still live in the same area. One even lives a couple of houses down from the house he grew up in; his kids are going to the same school he went to as a kid. Another one has moved so many times I lost count. (btw, I need your new address!). One even lives as far as 'down under'. But no matter where we are we try to get together as much as we can.

Dave & Leanne's Wedding 1990

Darryl & Jennifer's Wedding 1993

Bryan & Angie's Wedding 1994

Betty & Al's Wedding 1994

My Wedding 1995 - I am so bummed that I didn't have a group picture. That's what happens when I'm not taking the pictures. I guess I was a bit busy.

Get-Together 1996

Get-Together 1999

Get-Together 2004

Get-Together 2007

Get-Together 2009

Yes we have tried to get together throughout the years. Not all of us make it but those who can, do and we have a great time reminiscing about the past and sharing about the present and future. Our kids get together and even though they don't know each other as well as we grown ups do, they still bond by doing the universal kid thing: play!

The girls swam outdoors and ate..

... while the boys ate and played indoors.

I am very lucky to have these cherished childhood friendships. We all haven't changed that much since high school. Yes, we have more responsibilities: our own home to care for; a job to go to; and bills to pay but we still stay true to who we were some 30 years ago. Our personalities are still the same, and hey, some of us still look the same. The phrase "young at heart" rings true for all of us. Yes, I am very blessed to have them in my life!