Dave and Suzie Malcom

Well, where do I begin? After graduation, I hung around Arizona til the winter. I took several logging jobs that eventually took me to my grandparent's hometown of Cuba, New Mexico. There I met the love of my life, Suzie, the following summer. We dated for almost two years and were married May 25, 1991. Six months after we were married, we moved to my wife's old stomping grounds in Texas. I worked several different jobs while in Texas, including mechanicing on semi-trailers and later welding for a rail car refurbishment company. God blessed us with 4 beautiful children (I threatened to fly my wife to Arizona each time she went into labor, but she didn't go for that) so they were all born Texans. In the Spring of 1998, when our youngest was 4 months old, God led us to a position at a Christian Youth Ranch in Colorado as a Restitution Director working with juvenile offenders. My wife and I have always had a heart for kids and God has blessed us with the opportunity to work with children and youth in every church we have attended. We moved back to Texas 2 years later to pursue a degree in juvenile counseling at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. After one semester of trying to balance 2 jobs and going to school full time, I realized my family was more important to me than any job or degree. If getting my degree meant having to sacrifice my family, it just wasn't worth it. So we moved back to New Mexico in 2002 where I got a job hauling crude oil. After a year of that, we moved to Northern Nevada where I worked on an alfalfa farm. This job enabled my wife and kids to go to work with me often and be close by my side. Those were 2 wonderful years of seeing God bless my marriage and family because I was often able to take them to work with me. This was great family time, but unfortunately it really didn't pay the bills. So in 2005, I got a job operating heavy equipment at Newmont Gold Company of Nevada. A year and a half ago, I transferred to the maintenance department, where I have been a drill and shovel mechanic ever since. God has blessed me with a job that pays ridiculous money and I only work 2 weeks out of every month. When I'm not mechanicing at the mine, I serve as a Deacon and Youth leader in the church where my father-in-law is pastor...so it's the best of both worlds...time with my family and financial stability. Finally! Thank you Lord.
Our 15 year old son Kaleb, our gentle giant, is 6'3" and growing by the minute. He is obsessed with the drums. God has blessed him with enormous musical talent and he serves the Lord playing the drums in our church's praise group. I am blessed to be a part of this ministry as the male singer of our group. Who woulda thunk? Shy little ole me. Just proves that God can work miracles. I enjoy being able to serve the Lord with my oldest son by my side. 2 years ago, Kaleb announced to our church family that God has called him to be a full time pastor and will go to seminary after college, Lord willing. He has such a heart for the Lord and we are so proud of him.Our youngest child Zachary is 10 and adores his older brother. They are best buddies and love skateboarding together. Zack could drop in the 7 ft. at 8 years old and amazes us on a skateboard. He seems to have natural athletic ability and is good at everything he tries. He is the clown of the family and keeps everyone in stitches. He is already serving the Lord as a junior usher in our church and helps wherever he is needed.
Our oldest daughter Danielle (right) is 14. She loves animals and being in the outdoors. She is the quiet one of the bunch and is perfectly content to be alone with her animals for hours. When it comes to horses she is a natural, and loves to ride whenever she can. She has been blessed with wonderful artistic abilities and draws everything around her. She has quite a portfolio already. She wants to be a missionary when she grows up and has a heart for young children.
Her sister Rebecca (left) is almost 13, going on 27. She likes to talk on the phone almost as much as she likes boys. She doesn't know a stranger. She and her sister have been in the local dance academy for the last 4 years and are both very graceful. The whole family looks forward to their dance recitals each spring. Rebecca is learning the piano and hopes to join the praise band one day. She is the prayer warrior of the bunch and serves our church by signing the praise songs we sing in our worship time. She also signs and leads the children's music time for various activities in our church.

Spending the last 19 years with Suzie has been such a blessing. Not only have I grown more and more in love with her each day, but I've grown closer to the Lord with her by my side. She is my best friend and the one I want to grow old and gray with, or old and bald...whichever comes first...either way, I could not have asked for a better soulmate. She is a real inspiration to me, in her walk with the Lord, and her devotion to me and our kids. We enjoy hiking in the mountains behind our house (the ones behind us in this picture) and we love to go shooting together. I am blessed beyond measure.
We had planned on coming to the reunion, but 3 weeks before it was time to leave for Arizona we wrecked our Yukon in a freak June Nevada snow storm. Go figure. God has a reason. Hope to see you on the 25th. Thank you ladies for all your hard work and time in planning this reunion.
It's all good,
Dave
Proverbs 3:5-6

Posted by Dave and Suzie at 9:03 PM

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Ellen (McBride) Brewer

    I attended Eastern Arizona College for two years after graduating.  I did end up earning a business degree.  I enjoyed college for the most part but I didn't teach me what I wanted to be when I grow up.  I am still working on that. 

    I returned to Show Low in 1994 after living in Tucson for a couple of years.  I have one son, Aaron, who will be 18 in July.  He just graduated from Show Low after attending Blue Ridge K-11, and is out of the house!  When he was 11or 12 he told me he was pretty sure he could make it on his own.  He is finding out how ready he is!

    I married Brent Brewer of Pinedale in 2000, and we have settled in Show Low for now.    

    I have been helping out at Cabin Fever in Pinetop for a few years, which I really enjoy.  I came out of retirement in 2005 to help at the store owned in part by a brother-in-law.  It keeps me busy, challenged, and entertained.  If you're around for the reunion or if you live around here, stop in.  Cabin Fever has a giant selection of the Life is Good line of clothing and accessories, gifts, home decor and furnishings, and a bunch of other really cool stuff.  Er, it's starting to sound like a commercial, but check it out.

    In the past two years I began teaching families, groups, and individuals self-reliance which resulted in me peddling food stuff, mainly bulk dry foods, but also some higher-end import items.  I don't really know how this fell in my lap but I handle upwards of 50-80 tons of food per year.  I guess compared to a grocery store it's not much, but for me it seems like a lot at times.  Trucks arrive with 40,000 pounds of goods to unload and sort; it really seems big.  Got Wheat?
    Oddly, I have spent the past five long, drawn-out years learning that I am no more or less a pretend lawyer than any other "lawyer" or "State Bar Member" in the state.  The AZ State Bar lost it's right lawfully exist in the mid 80's.  They only operate unlawfully at the moment, but at least they all pretend to be part of the same illegal club and continue to issue each other unlawful State Bar numbers.  I have been defending myself against several of them after being charged with, this is NOT a joke, 32 (give or take) felony counts of basically "causing injury to [Terry Kent Brewer's] feelings"!  (Those are his own words in a public document; please don't sue me for libel.  Yes, he has the same last name; he's my brother-in-law.)  In the State of Arizona, causing injury to a person's feelings, if they press charges, is a crime.  Who could have known?!  I guess it's not a punishable crime for judges and lawyers to use the color of law to deprive me of every Federally protected Right, but you can sue anyone you want if they hurt your feelings in a really bad way.  Bizarre!  In a few years I may start a legit AZ Bar and sue the current pseudo "bar" for unlawful and fraudulent competition.  I remember in high school wondering how in the world anyone can write a 5-7 page report.  It was terrifying to me then.  Now, I find myself trying to cut out 20-40 pages out of my motions to keep them within "legal" guidelines.  It has become my hobby being as though the relentlessness of these people who refuse to obey the law don't ever back off.  You gotta take it all in stride!  Apparently, if you don't, you become bitter and sue people for injuring your tender little feelings.

    I really enjoy living in the White Mountains!  It calls me home when I leave.  I love the outdoors, hunting, and fishing.  The fish have actually set up their place in my thoughts.  Luckily my home is 5-7 minutes away from fishing in any direction! 

    I look forward to this reunion as I missed the last one due to conflicting family activities.

Joanna ( Rhineberger) Chidister

The last 20 years have been interesting. I got married to Ron the day after we graduated. We lived in Mesa for many years. Then we moved to Ark. in 1995 where we have been every since. I have two GREAT kids. Kevin will be 20 in November. Samantha will be 17 in August. Kevin just graduated from Hazen High School. Samantha will graduate next year. Where does the time go? I was working at a gas station as a clerk when I got robbed at gun point. Since that experience, I have decided to stay home for awhile. We get back home when every we can.

Paula (Renner) Martin

Wow!! Where has the time gone? It seems that just yesterday we putting on the Caps and Gowns and walking down to get out Diplomas. Now its 20 years later and were did the time go??

After going to Prescott in the fall of '88 and attending a semester of collage in Yavapai Community College I came back to Lakeside. I married Mark Martin in May of '89 and in February 1990 we moved to Chesapeake Virginia. Mark had joined the Navy. He was stationed on Oceana Naval Base and then Stationed on the USS Shenandoah. After Desert Storm and another 6 months to sea enough was enough. Mark was Honorably Discharged from the Navy in 1994 and we moved to Chandler. After the 10 year reunion we came home, sold our house and moved to Taylor. That was very short lived in and 2001 we moved back to the Valley of the Sun. We live in Gilbert now and we love it. Mark took all his Military training and has worked for the past 15 years as a machinist. He currently works for Astrotronics, Inc. While in Virginia, I went back to school and received a Paralegal Degree, but after working for Attorney's in Virginia, North Carolina and here in Arizona I have decided I do not like the stress that position holds. For the past 10 years I have been working for Automotive Dealerships through out Arizona. I am currently working for Big Two Toyota Scion of Chandler and I love it. It is just enough job with out the stress.

During the past 19 years Mark and I have been very busy with our 4 boys (tried for a girl 3 times), and two dogs. Max & Lady. Devin is 18 and just graduated from Higley High School. He will be going to College in August. He is going to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He was accepted in their Honors Program and will be majoring in Aerospace Engineering. Keep your eyes on the stars. His goal is to go to space in 2018 when NASA returns to the Moon. Sean is 16 and will be Junior this year. Ryan is 11 and will be in 6th grade. He is very nervous about having a different teacher for every class. Mark is 8 going on 30 and he will be in the 3rd grade. Heaven help his teacher. None of the boys did sports. They have all chosen the music side of life. Devin plays the piano, clarinet, base clarinet, trumpet and mellophone (a marching french horn). Sean plays piano, saxophone, and is learning guitar. Ryan is learning the piano and clarinet. Mark does not play yet but he wants to do the drums.

Over the past 19 years we have experienced our share of ups and downs. However, we are very blessed to be healthy and happy and together. Our family has become Mickey Mouse's' best friend. We travel to Anaheim once if not twice a year. Do any of your trade pins? Mark and I had the opportunity to go on a second honeymoon this past November and I can tell you have found a new love. We went to Maui, Hawaii and spent the most fabulous 8 days ever. We did the beach scene that was night, but we were able to take a helicopter tour of the island and then we did the zip line through the forest. We saw a magic show and of course we experience the wonderful Liahna Luau. We want to go back and spend several days and see Pearl Harbor. The boys stayed home (great perks having and 18 year old) Devin cooked his first Thanksgiving Dinner. He said "Never again".

As of today I am unable to make it to the Reunion. Thank you all for your hard work and setting all this up for the reunion and for the web site. It is so nice to hear about everyone and their families. I hope all have a good time and if you can please post some pictures of the reunion. If it turns out that I can make it I will come we will see. Take care and God bless you all.

Life with Faith

Okay, I’m jumping in! I’m not a blogger, let alone computer literate. Just ask Kim Grolla and Cathy Dawson. In the beginning stages of planning our reunion, I'm sure I probably scared them a lot since I haven’t caught up to the 21st century of technology. I have however really enjoyed seeing everyone’s pictures and catching up on your last 20 years, so I thought I’d give it a try too.

Can we really be 38? It seems just like just yesterday that we were running around the playground, getting our driver’s licenses and planning our senior ditch day at Salt River. The day we had all looked forward to, the last day of school, receiving our diplomas and saying goodbye to treasured friends, teachers and amazing memories doesn't seem all that long ago. The fact that we were finally done, ready to conquer the world, move on and for most of us, leaving the mountain was going to be a major accomplishment. Some could not wait to leave, while other’s left for only a little while and even some never left at all, but where ever you went, were or are now, we all shared something special in that little place we called home and for all the good and or bad memories we shared, I consider it a real blessing for having known each one of you. So, here’s my life in a nutshell or is there a better, more politically correct word that works better here? You’ll have to email me or talk to me at the reunion and let me know!

After graduation, I decided to take a home correspondence course in the travel industry. The thought of landing a job for a cruise line, airline and or just anywhere in the world of travel at that time seemed like a great thing for a 19 year old. Who would pass up a chance to see the world and enjoy travel? I said "sign me up"! Upon completion of the home course, I headed to North Miami Beach, FL. for a 5 week in house training. I flew to Miami Int’l Airport, got lost as soon as I got off the plane and called my mom crying! After what seemed a lifetime stuck there, I finally figured out that crying was not helping when a vagabond approached me, inquired about my teary, pathetic and panicked stricken look, I thought to myself “do I talk or play as though I were deaf?" Alone, in an unfamiliar city, 19, and talking to strangers, “didn’t I listen to anything my mother had taught me?” Well, the vagabond was actually an “angel” he grabbed my bags, and led me to the exact place where I was to catch my bus to the school. He had disappeared before I could even thank him. Forever grateful to him, I made it to school, finished the training and couldn't wait to come home! Miami definitely wasn't for me! Some world traveler I'd turn out to be.

I worked for a couple different travels agencies in Lakeside and then applied for a job with American Airlines, as they were closing their Los Angeles office and moving reservations to Tucson. Richard (my high school sweetheart) and I married June 1990 and I moved to Tucson the following January to make sure it would work out. We commuted back and forth for almost 1 1/2 years. He was starting schooling, while I tried supporting us. Well, that didn't last long, he had to go to back work and school was put on the back burner. Our daughter Kayleigh was born in '95 and Brandon came along 3 years later in '98. I went part time after Brandon, and worked nights to avoid childcare. The kids began school and I got involved volunteering who knew I'd end up being groomed to be the next PTO President? I helped coach Kayleigh's softball team, amazingly enough I could still fast pitch, I'm no Jenny Finch, but it was fun to see the dad's faces when I actually put a little heat behind the ball as they took a swing and yep, strike one! I took a second job as co-director of the children's ministry at our church, but two jobs, volunteering and trying to be wife and mom was just too much.

I was offered an opportunity to work for American from home and it came at a time when gas was just approaching $3.00 a gallon. "Does anyone remember when it was only .99 a gallon"? I took the chance and have been home ever since. I have the 13 step program up my stairs and into my office (bedroom) and make reservations and or better yet, change or correct reservations for those that are computer illiterate like me. "It's job security you know for those of us that aren't the computer techies that many of you are." Maybe within the next decade, I'll learn more about computer's.

I've been with American for 17 years. I wish I could say I've traveled the globe but, I've only driven through Globe, AZ that is, I did manage to make a quick three day trip to London. Having the time, days off or money never seem to go hand in hand. We fly often but mostly to see family in PA. Now that the kids are getting older though, it's fun to make a day trip to Dallas just to go shopping.

Life is just what it should be, and there's always room for improvement, I'm certainly good at making my share of mistakes. But for each mistake, I'm given an opportunity to learn from it, and to move on, to forgive or even ask to be forgiven.

So how's living with Faith? Well, my floors are usually dirty, thanks to all the kids that come over and our dog Zoe, the desert dust never goes away it really likes all my furniture, dinner is never served on time, and someone is always looking for something in the never completed pile of laundry, volunteering well, I just pull the family along, they help whenever and wherever they can they're amazing that way. My kids; they are such a blessing and as their time at home becomes shorter and shorter, I find that I value and treasure each moment knowing that we have so little time left together as a family, Kayleigh is determined to be an American Idol some day and Brandon is content to want to live at home forever! My marriage; Richard and I just hit 18 years this week together, and that I consider my single most treasured accomplishment. He is an amazing man with so many talents and it is truly and honor and blessing to be his wife, and their mother!

Danny Wahlin

Wow....time really flies when you're having fun I guess! I can't believe it's been 20 years already. I didn't make it to the last reunion so I'm looking forward to seeing everyone this time around. Here's a quick synopsis of what I've been up to since school.

After high school I put my time in at college and graduated from BYU with a degree in Economics and a bunch of pre-med courses. My original plan was to go to medical school but during my junior year I got involved with the Internet (back when it was still new and unknown) and ended up jumping into software engineering. It turned out to be a great move for my family although I'm considering pursuing medical school again at the ripe old age of 38 since I've always wanted to be a doctor. It seems that I've forgotten just about everything I learned in college though so it'll be a lot of work if I end up doing it. Time will tell.

While up at BYU I met my wife (Heedy) under fairly unique circumstances. I saw her walk into a CD store back in 1991 and was too chicken to talk to her directly so I left a note on her car with my number (cheesy, but at the time I thought she was out of my league...now I know otherwise...and she'll probably slap me once she reads this :-)). I didn't hear anything for over a month but her roommate found the note in her room and convinced her to give me a call since she didn't like the other guys she was dating at the time. She admits that she thought I was a loser for leaving a note on her car. My extreme "charm" won her over though....at least that's what I think it was although she denies it of course.

Since getting married we've had two boys named Jeffery (12) and Danny (13). They're great kids who are into basketball and karate right now. That is...once we can get them off the PS3 and Wii (anyone else have that problem with your kids?). We like to go up to Pinetop to golf in the summer, go skiing, jet skiing, quadding, play basketball, ride bikes, etc. Here's a picture of the family at their favorite place (notice I didn't say "my" favorite place). They go to Disneyland and California Adventure WAY too much for my taste. My wife's still stuck at the age of 10 when it comes to Disneyland since she never gets sick of it. One day of the crowds is enough for me though.



Here's a picture of the kids back when they were cute and didn't talk back as much. :-)



Since graduating from school I've been involved in the software engineering and consulting line of work. I ran a software consulting company (Wahlin Consulting) for 6 years providing software architecture, development and training to companies around the US. I traveled back east to Boston, Manhattan, and D.C. a lot though and ended up taking a job here in Phoenix 2 years ago so I could be home with the kids more. It's really nice to stay home and away from airplanes and hotels. Anyone who's done business travel before knows that it gets old real fast!

In addition to software development and training, I spend a fair amount of time at night writing columns for different technical journals and have authored/co-authored several books on various software technologies. The books aren't anything that most people would care about (unless you're in the software business and consider yourself a "geek") but I suspect Ms. Petersen would be surprised since I wasn't too excited about writing back in High School. One of these days I need to thank her.

In addition to writing I still like to play around with music and record songs from time to time. I'll hopefully do something with my songs but for now it's a fun hobby that lets me work with some cool people. Well...that's a wrap for the past 20 years. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone soon.

Jill (Brewer) Moffat

I was really hoping to make it to this reunion but it looks as if I won't make it again. I am really bummed. A trip for my stepson's graduation in California and a family reunion in July keeps me from attending. I was looking forward to seeing everyone. It has been great seeing posts from other classmates. Time has flown by! It is unbelievable to think that 20 years has came and gone.

Well, I guess I will give a quick recap of the happenings of the last two decades. After high school I married my steady of a 2 years Dennis. We moved to the valley where I worked in a salon for about 2 years. After 3 1/2 years we welcomed our 1st child Megann(now 16). I became a stay at home mom. In 1995 we moved to Tigard, Oregon. In 1998 we welcomed our 2nd child Dylan(now 10) a few weeks before our tenth reunion in which I didn't attend. Dennis worked his way up in the company and was transfered to Las Vegas as a Store Manager. We lived in Las Vegas for 3 years, while I still remained a stay at home mom. In 2000 we moved back to Arizona and resided in Gilbert when our marriage of 13 years began to fall apart. I moved back to the White Mountains which was probably one of the hardest things I have had to do.

Crystal (16), Dylan (10), Bladen (18), Megann (16), Dalton (3)

I lived in Lakeside for about a year when I knew it was time to start a new life as a single mom. While evacuated for the Rodeo Chediski fire my parents took a trip to Missouri where my older brother Doug had lived. They fell in love with it and decide that they were going to retire there. Knowing that I was ready for a change, my sister Tina, her husband Scott and I flew to Missouri and made the decision that we too would give it a go. The fall of 2002 I moved to Missouri. I went to work in a salon in Springfield. In the Spring of 2003 I started looking at Internet dating. ( where else do you find a fella when you have 2 kids?) In April I met a guy named Chris who lived in Sacramento, California. We hit if off right away. After flying back and forth for 6 months, we were married and I moved to Sacramento. I gained a new husband, a step-son Bladen (now 18) and a step-daughter Crystal (now 16). Chris had custody of his kids and so did I so our family grew to 6 under roof. Chris and I were both satisfied with our family and were finished having children when surprise in April 2005 Dalton arrived. Making yours, mine and ours. After 2 1/2 years of living in California not loving it there. I talked Chris into moving to Missouri. Chris' kids decided to live with their mother for the first time in 8 years and Megann went to live with her dad in Mesa. We went from 5 kids to 2. It was an adjustment. I miss Megann tremendously but she is doing great. She is on her schools debate team and does well in school. She is driving now! Which brings us to the present. We reside in Stockton, a small town about 2,00o people. I am currently a stay at home mom going back to school for elementary education. I am about half way there. I will be student teaching when Dalton starts kindergarten. Dalton is full of energy, if he was my first he might have been my last. He keeps me running! Dylan is involved with just about everything. He loves to read, he has already read 5 books this summer none of which is shorter then 500 pages ( He is my child believe it or not). Straight A student. He is 2nd baseman on his baseball team, 5th yr of soccer, a webelo scout and is active in 4-H. WE ARE BUSY!

I hope all those that get a chance leave a little something to read as I will miss seeing all of you. I have great memories of so many of you. I hope the next 10 is good to everyone. Take care

Dion Russ (Russ)

The years have passed so quickly. It's hard to believe we graduated 12 years ago. At least this is what I tell people since I only admit to being 29. After trying ASU for a Fall semester, and Yavapai the following Fall semester, I enlisted in the Navy. It seemed drastic, but ended up being a sound decision. I learned responsibility and was able to visit Africa, Europe, Western Asia and the Middle East. After serving in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Bosnia, I decided to get out after 4 years and try college again.

While I worked on my degree, I took a job that my Navy training really prepared me for, bartending. The 90's are a bit blurry. I worked at clubs in Jacksonville, FL, San Diego and Tempe. My last restaurant stint was at Rainforest Cafe as a corporate trainer. I finally picked up my AA in Visual Communications. As I tested the waters, I realized you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a graphic designer. The pay was lower than waiting tables. So back to school I went and picked up a BA in Criminal Justice. I'm planning on using this to enter the field of insurance investigation. In the mean time, my side business of building arcade cabinets with retro games has taken off and I'm enjoying working from home.

I've never been married, never had kids. No, I'm not gay. I tried it with Eben Riggs but we decided girls were better. (That's a joke, don't tell his wife or she will beat me).

I camp, boat and ride my bike for fun. I live in Peoria and am a little tired of typing about myself, so that's about it.

Life and Times of....Karla Webb Butterfield

It is so great to read everyone's life in a capsule. I am currently living in California on the Central Coast. I am married to a wonderful man Floyd. We met while I was teaching school at Blue Ridge Mid School. I was cruising the internet and we made a connection. After a long distance courtship we married in June of 2006. He owns a carrot farming business so it made sense for me to move to CA. I have 3 kids from my first marriage. Elizabeth (12 yrs) lives with me and is very involved with life and friends. Nicholas (14 yrs) and Dolan (17 yrs) live with their dad in Utah. My husband has 4 kids. We share custody with Ben (12 yrs) and Sam (17 yrs) just moved in with us. His older daughters are in college or working. We found out a little while ago that we will have a little bambino due in Dec.

My wonderful husband is a farmer, geophysicist, and inventor. His latest invention/creation is being marketed by one of the founders of Novell. It is a machine that you can own at home which makes fuel ethanol for your car. The product will be out the end of this year (check out efuel100.com). I substitute teach and now that school is out I am working at my brother-in-law's water park plus being a full time mom which definitely keeps me busy. We live on 20 acres and our kids are involved in 4-H so we have a dog, pig, and sheep that they show at the fair. The kids get to train the animals and care for them all summer. I am grateful for a wonderful life filled with adventure, faith, love, family, and friendships.

I can't wait to see everyone at the reunion!!!

Craig Garrett

Blog huh? I suppose since I won't be able to make the trip this summer for the reunion I should put together a brief (mayhap interesting???) sketch of my history/present.

Where to start.... I can't say I have overly fond memories of HS, couldn't wait to leave really. Soon as I got out I found out the real world was less forgiving. I managed to drop out of Yavapai College in Prescott after one semester (got kicked out would be another way to describe it if one was so inclined). I left with a lot of misgivings about college in general and a steady girlfriend, so there was an up side.

After my experience with higher education I decided the military was the place to go, and since the navy would teach me electronics, pay me, and move me up the ranks fastest, I signed up..... After bootcamp, I got through my first 6 months of training in Orlando Florida, then came back to Arizona long enough for aforementioned girlfriend to become wife #1. Then we were off to Great Lakes Illinios forthe second half of my training. About now I should mention that while I was in training ones academic standings were the deciding factor in the order in which we chose our first duty station. While I am the quintessential slacker, I am not stupid. I was second to pick, and I chose a station on San Nicholas Island off the coast of California. This also provided me with several more months of schooling in airfield radar and IFF equiptment, this time in Millington Tennessee. Before leaving Illinois my wife was pregnant with my son Patrick. Patrick was born in April 1991 while we we stationed in Millington. After leaving Millington we moved across the country to California.

California was definately not my cup of tea, too many people, and the commute by plane to an island twice a week and resultant time away from the family were wearing thin on the marriage. So after two years, I called up for new orders and took a spot on Adak Alaska. While remote and isolated from the world this was supposed to allow me to come home to the family every evening..... After the first year the families were all sent back to the states to further the decomissioning of Adak as a military site. So once again I was separated from the family. Adak was a great place to hunt and fish, and I did more than my share. I always liked Alaska, and it felt like home even in a remote military site.

One of the things I noted early in my military "career" was that everyone who told me what to do had a degree. I decided that I needed to get that college degree to get ahead in life, so I started taking eveing classes toward that end while I was in California and continued on Adak. After my tour ran out in Alaska, I requested and was granted (this was at the end of the first gulf war) 6 months off my 6 year enlistment so I could go back to school and start in the fall.

So it was that in the fall of 1995 I was back in Arizona at NAU taking courses toward a degree in electrical engineering. It took me four years to earn the degree, during which I was a single parent to my son more often than not (all that seperation while in the navy took its toll). I graduated near but not at the top of my class. The last summer I was in school I took an internship with IBM in Tucson, and the following spring when I graduated I moved to Tucson to work for them full time.

Shortly after moving to Tucson, my wife and I decided to get the long overdue divorce that had been on the horizon for years. I got custody of Patrick (9 at the time), and it was a "friendly" proceeding. Given my relative freedom, and the fact that I needed something to clear my head of about 10+ years worth of crap, I bought a Harley. I quickly realized the mistake and switched to a BMW, and spent a couple of years burning my free time on the road on two wheels.
It was during this time that I met Wendy. We met online and hit it off so I agreed to a date. We spent a couple of years dating and finally decided to marry in 2005. So she is now wife #2, and a wonderful mother to my son Patrick.

We continued on with Me working at IBM, and Wendy first in IT at the power company and then back in school for a masters in education and then teaching high school math.
Somewhere about 2007 (after multiple layoffs, and constant department transfers within IBM) I realized I was profoundly unhappy in the corporate world, and I needed a change. I started looking for a new job. Mid June, I was contacted by an old college buddy and he told me there was a job in Alaska. By the end of June I had quit IBM, and we sold the houses in Tucson, and by August the entire family was moved to Alaska.

I am now working for Halliburton (yes that is why the red coveralls) in Alaska, I do real time logging on oil and gas wells as they are being drilled. The last 10 months I have worked on the north slope of Alaska, south central Alaska, California, Colorado, and Wyoming.

We are living a what can only be described as our dream home in Palmer Alaska, and I work a schedule roughly two weeks on two weeks off (lots of time for getting out on the lakes and fishing).Wendy is teaching math at a local high school and working to get her certifications to teach science and physics as well. My son Patrick keeps busy with his garage band, marching band, and he is getting ready to start his senior year in high school.

Looking back at it all, if anyone had told me that at 38 I would be living in Alaska in my dream home, with a son getting ready to graduate and go out on his own. I would have told them they were insane. It has been a long strange road to get to where I am, and who knows where it will head next.

Like others I have read on the site, I probably had more fun at the last reunion than I did the whole timeI was in high school. Time it seems truly is a great equalizer.

Here's to the next twenty, may we all find in our lives what we truly hope for!

Mark Marble

Hello classmates. It seems a lot of you have made some fine memories in your lives. I have as well, along with my share of mistakes. It all starts back when we were Seniors at the beginning of our 12th grade year when I was injured in a football mishap. I crushed my spine during practice and bruised my spinal cord. Because of this injury my dreams were shattered. I dropped out of school during the first semester and later started my career working construction. At the age of 20, I was married and had 3 wonderful children. Cody who is now 17 years old-he's my bodybuilder, Cristina is 15-she's my track star, and Casey who is 13-he is Mesa City (Wrestling) Champion in the 100 lb weight class for 2008. Father hood has been great and my kids are awesome. I stayed in the trades and 7 years ago became a contractor in Colorado. Everyone knows as we get older things get harder. Last year I lost everything. All my tools stolen and I couldn't work. Then jobs became slim. I ended up loosing my house so I moved back to Mesa in February '08. I have had poor luck in my life up until now. I was reunited with a person from my past that holds a very special place in my heart. I dated her our Sophomore year, Mary Knowles. I'm proud to say, she will be coming as my date to the reunion. Hope to see everyone soon. God Bless. Mark Marble

Ian Sweetman

20 years?  Really?  No way!  I'm not that old!  What?  Oh.  I am that old.  Great.  I guess that explains the "really, really, blond hairs" in my beard.  Thanks ever so much.

As some of you may recall, I got impatient with the whole high school thing and got out early (so, technically, this will be my 21 year reunion.  My diploma is now old enough to drink!).  After creating a minor ruckus on my way out, I went on to study Administrative Communication at NAU.  After three years, I ran off to Florida as part of the Walt Disney World College Program, a terrific internship where they promise to teach you the inner workings of a major entertainment corporation.  I suppose I learned a little about the inner workings, but mostly it was about hanging out with the international students who worked at Epcot (those Norwegian kids really know how to party!) and providing cheap labor in the theme parks.  At the end of my semester, I had the choice of going back to NAU to complete one credit hour, or just take a class at a local community college and send it back.  I figured that because I had a job and a girlfriend, two things distinctly missing from my life in Arizona, I'd just take the class and stay in Florida.

I spent a couple of years working in Theme Park Operations ("Hi, how many?  Please watch your step as enter the car/boat/train/theater/etc.") before I became completely burned out and restless.  Fortunately, I was able to transfer to a new location:  Main Entrance Operations!  That's a fancy way of saying that I was the guy directing traffic in the parking lot.  The only upside to me, other than the FANTASTIC farmer's tan, was that my new department gave me permission to audition for a role as a Disney Character.  So, that summer I became "very good friends" with Tigger, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a few others.  After going back and forth between the Parking Lot and a fur costume for six months, I was finally hired to be a full-time Character.

In my personal life, I was still dating the same girl I had met when I first started the College Program.  Soon after getting full-time Character status, we got married… and a few months later came the separation… and several months after that, the inevitable divorce.  The only good thing to come out of that experience was it provided a common ground for many of us at the 10 year reunion!  I have to admit that I had more fun with more people at that reunion than I did in all my three years of high school.  We were just ourselves, scars, warts and all.  We weren't trying to live up to any expectations, our own or others; we just were.  And that was enough.  We bonded through our mutual pain and discovered that we weren't all that different after all.

I went on to work in numerous shows at all four of Disney's Florida Parks, most notably "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Bear in the Big Blue House".  They're "most notable" because I had the most fun working on them!

In 2000, I left Disney for a few months and started working with the City of Orlando Puppetroupe.  I was hired to be a puppeteer, but my boss figured that my Communication degree meant that I should also write scripts.  I had never written a play before, nor had I ever built a puppet, but by the end of the summer, I had written, designed, built and performed my first puppet production, "Tibbens in Time."

I went back to Disney after the summer ended, but the seed had been planted; I knew I couldn't just be a performer anymore.  I wanted to have more creative control over my projects.  And I wanted to make a name for myself, something not possible working within the Disney machine.  So, in the fall of 2001, I went back to school.

I enrolled in the graduate program in Puppet Arts at the University of Connecticut.  I thought it would be an easy degree to get, especially since I had been working as a puppeteer for so many years already, but I quickly learned how little I knew about puppetry.  I was good enough for a Disney puppeteer, but those skills barely scratched the surface of what there was to learn.  I spent the next three years learning everything I could, and finishing my education with the production of my thesis show, "Totems:  Tales of Raven" a story based on the creation myths of the Northwest Pacific Tribes.

After graduation, I returned to Florida and worked every puppet job in the Orlando area.  I worked in theme parks, museums, community centers, elementary schools and a small marionette theater.  The number of jobs available was amazing, but the paychecks were always too small, so I eventually took a job that moved me out of Orlando, and, temporarily (I hope), out of puppetry.

I'm currently working as the Stock Supervisor for the Metropolitan Opera Costume Shop in New York City.  It's a fancy title that means I get to organize and track all of the materials used by the costume shop to create the clothes appearing in all the operas.  It's a job with unique benefits (i.e. the opportunity to see some of the world's greatest singers at the best opera house in the world), but I still keep my eyes open for opportunities to take me away from the opera and into your televisions.

Last December, parents of small children had a chance to see my right forearm in action in "Elmo's Christmas Countdown".  It was a small role as part of a large forest scene, but it's a start.  I got to work with fun people, doing what I enjoy doing, and I got paid for it!  What more can you ask for?

Wait!  I know:  Fewer of those "really, really, blond hairs!"