Tami Brannan (Olsen) Loves Kids!

Well, it has been an eventful 10 years! I stayed in Boise, and I love it. I got married 1 year after we all graduated, then in 2000 and 2002 I had my kiddos. Anders will be 7 this August and Hannah just turned 5. My husband works for the Idaho Statesman (where to show you what a small world it is, he worked with Tyler Miller). As for me, I found out that I adore kids! So I opened my own childcare and have been having a blast doing that. Other than working, I also spend a lot of time scrap booking, knitting and being the PTO President at our kids school. I am looking forward to seeing you all at the reunion and catching up on the last 10 years!

Thomas Foster a Family Man

Wow! Has it really been ten years? Well, here is a brief update on the last ten years. Six weeks after graduation I left to serve a mission in east Texas (Texas Houston East Mission) for two years. I had many great times and learned a bit of red neck language as well as some good Cajun and BBQ recipes. After returning to Idaho in the summer of 1999 I enrolled at BSU for a semester with plans to transfer to ISU. Two months after returning from Texas I met my future wife, Melissa Roundy, while delivering cinnamon rolls to the new neighbors. I learned later it was all a setup of course but hey marrying the girl next door isn’t at all bad (I also learned that Melissa was Valerie Bells cousin, what a coincidence). Needless to say I never made it to ISU and after a few months found myself engaged to my best friend. I married my new sweetheart in March of 2000 in the Boise, Idaho Temple and life has really been nearly perfect since.

I continued attending BSU for another semester while working for Sherwin William’s Paint Company. In 2001 we were expecting our first child and decided to purchase a home in Meridian where we have lived ever since. Rose, our first daughter, was born on June 13, 2001 and by some luck and a little prodding from the doctor now shares a birthday with her dad. What better of a birthday present could a new father ask for! Rose is definitely all girl and often show cases as a mini diva. She loves clothes, dressing up and all that girls are. She is currently taking dances lessons and will be attending an arts and leadership charter school starting this fall. She also likes to spend time teasing dad and will on occasion let on that she is really a daddy’s girl.

Soon after Rose was born I changed jobs and worked for a networking company for a time. In 2003 I started a career in restaurant management and took a position with Apple Grove Restaurants in Boise. Our next child was born during this time and on April 27, 2004, two weeks early; my son Caleb came to us. He is definitely daddy’s mini me and, even though he looks more like his mom, loves to do everything dad does. Caleb loves the outdoors, big trucks, 4 wheelers and shares his dad’s love for fishing. Last May at age three he caught his first three fish all by himself on fishing trip with dad. Now if I can just teach him how to cast his own fishing pole.

I decided to make a change in 2005 and went back to school to finish up a degree. I am currently working on a dual bachelors degree in Business Management and in Marketing and will be finishing up soon. In 2006, tired of managing in hot kitchens, I took a great job opportunity as a Sales Representative with the Kelly Moore Paint Company. I work mostly in the Boise Valley but every month or two get to spend some time in Seattle or San Francisco for meetings. Our second daughter (third child) was born last fall on October 2, 2006. We named her Grace and she has been a joyful addition and a great play mate for her siblings. Grace is showing early signs of talking and walking and I suspect will be much like her older sister.

Melissa spends the days being a great mom in the home and taking care of our family. She often takes the kids on excursions to the park, the library, and of course the grandparents homes. Melissa also enjoys scrap booking and finding creative ways to entertain the kids. Most of my spare time is spent fishing with my brothers or taking Rose or Caleb out to the kid ponds. I also learned how to do taxidermy and have even made a few extra dollars on a few projects I have done for people. Our family likes to take trips to places all over the northwest. We often camp when we know there will be good weather so we can enjoy the outdoors together. The Oregon coast is probably our most favorite place with lots of shopping for Melissa and the girls fishing for me. Our most recent trips have included Yellow Stone, Seattle, Salt Lake, Oregon Coast, and Soda Springs Idaho for some family pioneer heritage education.

Eagle High Gets Started

Hey, if anyone is interested, Eagle High just got their blog up and running. You can check it out at http://eaglehigh97.blogspot.com/ I know several of them have enjoyed reading up on all of you an what you are up to.

I have added it as a link to the right as well...way to be Eagle.

Not An Act, But Real Life Sarah Rutan

So unfortunately I will not be able to attend the reunion. That weekend, I have shows as well as the Festival's 20th Annual AIDS Benefit. However, I did think it was about time to spend an update.

After high school I headed out to the beautiful state of Montana, to attend Carroll College in Helena. I spent three wonderful years there, going to school and performing in the summers at the Montana Shakespeare Company. Sorry to say I did not end up graduating from that lovely institution. I ended up transferring my my senior to the University of Idaho because the opportunities for theater majors were better. One opportunity in particular, the Rex Rabold Fellowship. This is a fellowship offered to one graduating student from the University of Idaho, it is a one year non-union acting contract at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. If you know anything about theater, you know that the Oregon Shakespeare Festival is one of the best regional theaters in the nation. I transferred to the university for the chance to apply for this fellowship.

After graduating in 2002, I was lucky enough to receive the Rex Rabold Fellowship and therefore, January of 2003....I moved to Ashland, Oregon.

Fast forward to 2007. I am still here! I am currently a union actor in my fifth season here at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. So far I have performed in 11 plays with over 600 performances combined. This season I am currently playing Phebe in As You Like It and Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew. Some of the other productions have included: The Diary of Anne Frank, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Napoli Millionaria, Love's Labours Lost and others.
I am excited to report that I have recently been offered an acting contract here for the 2008 season under our brand new artistic director Bill Rauch. I will be playing Desdemona in Othello and performing in Our Town.
I feel so blessed to be making a living doing what I have always wanted to do. I work full-time as a professional actor in an absolutely beautiful town. I guess dreams do come true. ( Sorry to sound corny but I have to pinch myself sometimes to believe that I am really doing this as a job!)
The festival runs from Feb.- Nov. so summer is one of our busiest times as you can imagine. I am terribly sorry that I will not be able to attend the reunion. I have included some production photos and the link to the website, if you are interested. I would love to see any of you if you feel like you want to come and see some really great theater in the beautiful town of Ashland, OR.
www.osfashland.org

I love getting caught up with everyone on the blog!

Josh Jensen's Wild Ride

Well, here's my update:

I've been playing a bit of geographical hopscotch, exploring over the past 9 years the cities of Austin, TX, NYC, and presently, DC. I'm a professional web geek, amateur musician, and a human lint collector.

attached are photos of me being scandalous with another man's fiancée, riding a tiny horse, and looking glam with the most colorful bits of my record collection.

I won't be making it to the reunion, but, hiyas to everybody!

Remember Kasey Gates? Think Eagle...

Hey, Centennial class of '97! This is Kasey Gates! I'm not really in your class since I was transferred to Eagle High after my Sophomore year, but we would have all graduated together if not for the transfer. Jeff was nice enough to let me post on the site because I know so many of you and remember you with so much fondness. I'm hoping to be able to talk to some of you through e-mail or whatever. So here's a little of what I've been up to... I have missed everyone in high school so much since leaving, but such is life. I have been in college, doing well, for a loooooong time because I kept having to transfer due to family issues. I received an associates degree in interpersonal communication at Ricks college, studied writing at the Metropolitan State college of Denver (almost finished, then had to leave), and English at BYU (once again, almost finished, had to leave...UGH!!!). I certified as an aerobics instructor in high school and have been working in that field on and off for many years. I still enjoy composing music and writing, but I don't have much time to do anything between the diaper changings, soothings, playtimes, and teaching times of my two little ones. I was told a couple weeks after being married that I had a condition that could cause me to be unable to have children. I went through some icky treatment, then decided to try to get pregnant. I was so excited when we actually found out I was expecting! Then, to our great sadness, I lost my baby. It was pretty much like a nightmare. But we got through it, tried again, and to my joy I became pregnant again. I had a rough pregnancy and a challenging natural childbirth, something I had always wanted to do, and had the most beautiful baby girl. We named her Kassidy. Well, then fate decided to step in with a sense of humor. I was still recovering from Kassidy's birth when I became pregnant AGAIN (and AGAIN had a natural childbirth with no drugs at all even though she was turned with her skull on my spine...no, I'm not crazy...). Don't get me wrong...what a blessing...but the timing? Well, let's just say I guess in this life you are taught the lesson of patience more times than you can count. I gave birth twice in a year and eight days!! I had another difficult pregnancy while trying to care for an infant, and it still makes me dizzy trying to entertain two babies in two different stages of development....it's like having twins but people have told me it is more difficult because they are on different levels, so you have to come up with double the activities, different dinners, etc. They are the most beautiful baby girls!! I am very blessed but they are high-maintenance blessings for sure!! I don't have many opportunities to sing anymore, and I don't own a piano. That has been a little sad for me, but I try to remember that there are seasons to life, and in this season I am trying to enjoy every ounce of baby dimples and giggles that I can. They grow up so fast. I am so excited to see what everyone is up to. I'm glad I found this site!!
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Me with my girls
Kassidy, Baby #2

Kaylee, Baby #3

Marcia Benton (Warden)

Well, I thought that it was finally my turn to update everyone on myself. It’s amazing how many people have moved away. For years I have thought, “we had such a big class, you’d think I’d run into some of them.” But in 10 years of staying in Boise, I have only come across a handful of you.

I was able to graduate early, left in Jan and I’m sure you all know that I was immediately married in Feb. And I’m pleased to say, we are still happily married today, growing and learning everyday. And I have not left Boise, nor do I see myself leaving anytime soon.

Throughout the years I have done a variety of thing. I just didn’t have the desire to go to school, so I immediately started working and was able to be a secretary for a copier sales company for two years, then we were surprised with our 1^st child, Morgan. Since then, I have done odd jobs from candle sales, working as a barista at Starbucks, waitressing to finally something that I really enjoy, sales. My goal has always been to have a flexible schedule and keep my wonderful girls out of day care, which I have happily been able to do. We now have two great children, Morgan, 8, and Jasmine, 4, and they keep me very busy with their activities.

For the last two years I have finally found something to do that I love to do and gives me the flexibility that I need. I help people with health insurance, which is interesting, and recently I started working with a telecom company that is absolutely amazing.

We’ve had many learning experiences through the years which is how one grows. We also have been able to do some traveling, which I look forward to doing more. The future only looks brighter. I look forward to seeing everyone in a month and anyone who would like to contact me can, though my website, www.teambenton.acnrep.com.

BIG NEWS, BIG CHANGE, BIG SAVINGS!

As you all know - Dawn Stewart jumped in about a month ago and offered us her professional services in event planning. She has done more than make good on her word and has found a way to not only make this event even more exciting and quality, but she has also found a way for us to lower the price!!! Here are the details:

Previously we had planned on The Big Easy, which was definitely going to be fun and a great venue. Dawn had worked with a newer club called The Reef which she felt she could get us at a significant cost decrease because they are newer and more competitive for business. Additionally, she checked with several people who confirm that the food is even better (read a review here). So we decided to make the switch! The event will now be held on the same day, but at The Reef! There will be a band, DJ, tons of food, AMAZING DOOR PRIZES, an outdoor patio for chillin', a program, decorations, etc!

Now you are all interested in the price, aren't you? Well, we are now able to drop the price to $35 per person instead of $45!!!! We are talking a 32% decrease in cost for even more awesomeness. Dawn rules!!! For those of you who have already paid the $45, you would receive a refund for the additional money at the door. Click on the link to the right and purchase your tickets ASAP...the Reef has requested that we give them an estimated head count so it would be great to know who more of you will be coming. We also really want to have as much money in advance as possible to be able to afford all the fun stuff - so do us a favor and don't fight it, just join us!

The last extremely exciting news is that our old Vice Principal - yes, Mr. Jerry Curin himself - will be joining us for the reunion! He was quoted in his conversation with Mikey Smith as saying that our year was the best and most fun year of his professional career. He wouldn't miss catching up with us for anything...even amongst his world travels and retired bliss!

So seriously, join us. It is going to be amazing. BUY TICKETS NOW!

Valerie Bell Dramatizes A Day In The Life...

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In a low, dramatic, TV announcer voice…

This week on "Life with the Johnsons", prepare yourself for dirty diapers, messy meals, and candy kisses! Hold on to your seat as Valerie cooks dinner, Nathan balances the Flower Shop's finances, and the girls run willy nilly with strawberry yogurt on their faces. This weeks episode will blow your mind as the mystery of where Lizzy got the permanent marker unfolds- and how will Sammy ever get over not eating fruit snacks before dinner! Find out if Rachel can make it through 20 diapers in a single day. This time, drama is for real…

(Okay, okay, so it’s not all that exciting, but it’s reality and we make the best of it!) Hello from Heatville! This is the Valerie formerly known as “Bell”. I have since taken on the surname “Johnson” and am sweltering in sunny Mesa, AZ. It’s been so fun reading about everyone’s lives! And since I won’t be attending the reunion, would love to hear from more of you!

Here’s a recap of the past decade… After high school I worked at Boise City Hall and then went to Ricks- which was a wonderful life-changing experience. I did the Disney World college program thing- that was fun. I then received my Associates degree in Premed in 2000 and left on a mission that year to Mississippi- that was fun. I came home and a mission companion introduced me to a friend of hers. He and I were married March 18th, 2003- that was and is tons of fun!

I became a CNA to see if I wanted to take the RN route. I was top of the class scholastically, but alas- the clinicals did me in. I found out I have a hard time seeing people in pain. So, I stopped working and had a baby. Samantha Jane (Sammy) was born fall of 2004. She’s our thinker/talker and is her father’s daughter.

We enjoyed her so much, and I babysat her cousin Joseph so often- I thought- hey, we can have two kids close together. So we decided we should have another. Elizabeth Joy (Lizzy) was born fall of 2005. She is a wonderful ball of energy and a lot of work, so we decided to wait a few years for the next child.

Meanwhile, Nathan finished up a degree at ASU in Business Finance. He took the GMAT (entrance exam for grad school) and did so well, we’re still getting info from schools all over the country- even some ivy-leaguers. So, we may wait a few more years so he can take the GMAT again and actually STUDY this time so he could get some serious scholarship offers. That’s the hope. We’re also dabbling in real estate investing a bit. We don’t own anything in AZ, but we do in Idaho- go figure. I have also been doing Irish clogging and taking piano between pregnancies, and spend most days taking the girls on outings.

The whole “wait a few years to have the next child” thing failed to happen when to our surprise I was expecting once again. Rachel Annaliese was born June 18th- yes last month. She’s such a good baby!

As for now, Nathan works at the family business- which also happens to be where we live! It’s a cushy setup. No commute, and the girls see their papa all the time. I love it! Nathan and his brother are taking over the business- “Watson Flowers”. This year is the 80th anniversary of the flower shop and it’s always been in the family! (Support your local mom and pop shops!) So, if you find yourself in Arizona and need anything- look us up. We won’t be going anywhere for a while!(Pictured below is my father-in-law with his beloved, fuel efficient, Scion delivery vehicles.)

Lisa Marie (Bigelow) Jensen Update

Schooling: I attended Ricks College for my Associate Degree. I was able to stay at Ricks attending an Extension Program through Lewis Clark State College in Lewiston. I was able to finish my schooling in Rexburg and only had to attend one summer in Lewiston. I graduated in April with a double major of Elementary Ed and Special Ed. I taught Special Education at a high school and really enjoyed it. (I was only mistaken to be a student three times!!!)

Husband: My husband, Kendon, and I were set up on a blind date. He worked as a police officer with the husband of a girl I went to school with. We had our first date in August of 2000 and were married in the Boise Temple in March 2001. We have lived in Rexburg since. We live in a 115 year old home that his great grandfather built. We have a super big yard for playing and for BBQ's and love living in Rexburg. He went back to school in January 2002 to study Computer Networking. After graduating we were very blessed to find a job in this area. He works for a world wide company called NCR. They do contract work for companies varying from banks to post offices to Walmart. When their computer systems or ATMs go down, Kendon goes in and boots them back up.

Kids: We have three super kiddos. I feel so blessed to be able to stay at home and hang out with them everyday. It is the best! Sirri, will be four in August, Connor will be three in July (yes, I will have two three year olds for 11 days!), and Meg is 8 months old. What a fun, busy bunch!

It has been so great catching up on where all your lives have taken you! Keep the updates and blogs coming.

You can check out our crazy day to day life at lisamarieandkendonjensen.blogspot.com

Take care - Lisa Marie (Bigelow) Jensen