A Trip Down Memory Lane

New Year's Day 2016 started off with a really fun night!  A friend of ours from high school (Brett) got married and we got to spend the evening catching up with a few other high school friends (Matt, Isaac, and Micah) and their parents.

We get to see Brett occasionally since he lives in Rochester, but we haven't seen Matt since Luke was a baby, Isaac since our 10 year class reunion, and Micah...I'm not sure how long that had been.  We also got to hang out with Matt's parents, Gert and Janet, and Isaac's parents, Mark and Cheryl.  We spent A LOT of time at Gert and Janet's throughout high school. They are great people and opened their home and fridge to us always:)  We even got to know their next door neighbors well since we were there so much.  I didn't spend as much time with Mark and Cheryl, but Brent spent LOTS of time with Mark, since he was the varsity basketball coach at Mayo High School.  They're also a lovely couple and it was great catching up with them.

Janet and Gert, Mark and Cheryl

Brent, Isaac, Matt

Brent, Brett (groom), Matt, Isaac

Brent, Brett, Matt, Isaac, and Me 

Guys with Coach Kieffer

Guys with Mark and Cheryl

Guys with Janet and Gert

Guys with Doug (Brett's Dad)

Guys (add Micah) with Cindy (Brett's mom)

While we were at Gert and Janet's after the wedding, we found some fun, old pictures of the guys too:)

Matt is #33, Micah is #31, and our friend, Luke,
who grew up in Rochester is #23

Same team as above, Matt in the back row,
Luke and Micah in the front row

Brett, Brent, Matt, Isaac, Micah at Senior Homecoming Dance

There were a few things about the night that really stuck out to me.

• It was awesome to see Brett find a lovely girl to spend the rest of his life with.  
• Fifteen years out of high school makes a big difference.  I remember seeing friends from high school while we were in our early 20s and it honestly felt more like a comparison/competition to see who was at what school, getting what degree, etc than actually enjoying each other's company.  Seeing Matt, Isaac, and Micah (Brett was pretty busy with the wedding;)) was nothing like that.  We genuinely enjoyed our time together, learned new things about each other, and reminisced.  It was wonderful.
• Fifteen years also skews the memory:)  Matt, Isaac, Gert, and Janet were all recalling a night in the winter that the guys decided to camp outside.  It stuck out to them because there was also a call to the cops involved, but Brent didn't remember a thing.  Everyone swore he was there, but he had no recollection.  It's tough getting old;)
• I was reminded how blessed and amazed I am that Brent and I met at such a young age and have made a life together for the past 12 years.  I am so grateful for the path we've taken together and the family we've been blessed with in Luke and Nora.  

There is a recent country song called, I Got the Boy, by Jana Kramer, that makes me think of Brent and I.  I got the boy, in eighth grade, but I also got the man.  I am truly blessed.