Middleton High School Class of '98

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to attend my 10 year high schol reunion in Middleton. I had been looking forward to going because high school was a great experience in my life and I really enjoyed it. I was anxious to see some of my classmates that I haven't kept in touch with over the years and hopefuly find them all in good health and spirit.
It's kind of funny because my mom and dad came to Blackfoot a couple of weeks ago to celebrate dad's 30th class reunion! Snake River High School Class of '78! I guess "The Willows" assisted living home was reserved so they had to have their reunion at Jensen's Grove..........things got out of hand a bit when they all went "skinny dipping" in the lake but we were able to get them all back home safely in time for Final Jeopardy and a nap.................love ya dad! Bye the way, you and mom have definately aged better than some of the others we met. Anyways, seeing dad at his reunion made me think how fast time has gone by and that it won't be too long before I'm at my 30th................okay, who am I kidding, that's still a really long time away but you get my point.
Anyways, we left Friday morning so that we could get in some quality school shopping at the Outlet Malls in Boise before going to Grammy and Grumpy's. Take note that on "Justin's List of Super Duper Fun Things to Do" "shopping with women" comes in at #472.
(By the way "Grumpy" is my dad. Lexi has called him that since she could talk and it makes sense so it's stuck!)
I will hand it to Summer because she did a good job and found some pretty good deals and then to top it off Lexi and Griffin both gave me really big hugs and told me they loved me so I couldn't stay in a bad mood for too long. So a few hours and a few "Benjamins" later we finally made it to mom and dad's. Summer and Lexi ended up going out for ice cream with one of Summer's good friends, Dejah while Griffin and I just stayed home and ate Grammy's candy.
The next day at 11:00 we had a high school reunion family picnic at a park in Middleton. As we drove to the park I couldn't help but notice how much Middleton has changed since high school. There is new construction everywhere you look and it continues to grow. It's still a really nice area but it's not the same old Middleton that I remember growing up in. In fact our high school burnt to the ground about a year and a half ago and they just finished rebuilding it. It looks pretty much the same, but I guess it's all fancy and high tech now.
Anyways, at the park the weather was really nice and alot of people showed up. The girls played on the playground with all the other kids and I had a good time catching up with some of my classmates. The sad thing is that I recognized alot of them, but I'm really bad with names and I couldn't remember some of them. Sorry.........I faked it the best I could.
Seeing all of my old classmates brought back alot of memories. I have always had fond memories of high school, but I hadn't realized just how much those years had meant to me. I realized that the friendships I formed then still continue to this day even after 10 years of not seeing some of them. It was really cool.
That night we had an adults only dinner at the Caldwell Elk's Lodge. Mom and dad watched the girls while Summer and I went to the dinner. Most of the people from the picnic came to the dinner, but some weren't able to. There were also some who didn't make it to the picnic but came to the dinner. Someone else must have been having a hard time remembering names because we were forced to wear name tags. But by then it was too late...........there had already been countless moments of awkwardness throughout the day. "Hey...........you, it's so good to see you...............you there.........! You look great...........you. Yes you do!..............you."
The dinner was fun because it gave us all a chance to really kind of mingle and catch up without having to worry about kids or anything. The dinner wasn't spectacular but we weren't really there for the food I guess. Lucky for me Summer got to hear stories that even I had blocked from my memory! Apparently I was a manwhore in highschool. I don't really remember it being like that...........but whatever. I also may or may not have been involved in incidents that included:

• road signs
• firecrackers dropped from the roof of a bar
• the police (ironically)
• the rearranging of letters on a message board outside of a church (several times)
• bowling in the middle of the road

And others not safe to list because the statute of limitations may still be in effect.

Anyways............I love you dear! Surprise.............! Just kidding. None of that was true. I never missed a day of school and was home every weekend studying. Probably just like you were..................
Well as the night wore on more and more people left the dinner and i found myself saying goodbye to many friends wondering if this would be the last time that I saw or talked to them. Who knows what the next 10 years will bring or where we will find ourselves when the next reunion rolls around. And as the reunion came to an end a few of us who have remained close through the years found ourselves being pushed out the doors and into the parking lot. We talked and we laughed for a while longer before calling it a night and going our separate ways.
For me it was kind of sad to see the day come to an end. During an important part of my life these were the people and friends who helped develop and shape me as a person. When I was trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to become. I wondered if they understood how important they were to me and how grateful I am for having known them. I hope they do.
As we drove home today I looked over at Summer asleep in the passenger seat and I could see that Griffie and Lexi were passed out in the back. I couldn't help but think about how blessed I am. I was blessed with "goodly parents" as the scriptures state. I was blessed with great friends who have been there throughout my life, and now I am blessed with a wonderful wife, two beautiful girls, and a son on the way. As much as I'm already looking forward to the next high school reunion I'm excited to be making memories for the reunion that we will all attend. And I'm thankful to those who are a part of my life right now who are continually helping determine what kind of person I am and what kind of person I will continue to become. Thank you.