Simpson College Reunion 2008

Last night, Joe and I hosted a mini-Simpson College reunion at our house. We had a few friends from out of town that were actually in town for the holidays so thought it'd be a good idea for us to get all together. All I can say is this: My, how times have changed. No longer will you find us up at 1 a.m. at the bar (with Matt serving us), instead you will find us up at 1 a.m. rocking a baby. No longer will you find us checking out guys, instead you'll find us checking out at the grocery counter with nothing but diapers and wipes in our cart. No longer will you find us coveting our mug for Mug Night at the Zoo, instead we covet our cup of coffee needed to stay awake the entire day. No longer will you find us studying until midnight cramming for the last exam....oh, wait, we never did that. Anyway, times have changed - and I think as we get older, we only get better! Here's a run down on the crew!

Landen (above), son of Kim Cullen (now Kim Price). Landen is cute and ambitious and gave Joey a "boy" to play with! Joey took his hand as soon as he walked in the door and said, "I'll show you my toys. I have Spiderman and Batman and you can play with them." It took him a little while to warm up to the crew, but once he did, he loved it! He is a happy child and always smiling.

Olivia, daughter of Kim (with Kim, above). Olivia never cried or grunted or crabbed one time. She was content and easy-going. She would go to anyone- we all got to hold her at one time or another. She is adorable and so easy to love.

And, let me say this about Kim. Kim and I were friends in college and I've known since then that she would be a mom and she would love unconditionally always. Kim didn't have the easiest life growing up, but is determined for things to be different for her kids- and I admire that so much. She is someone who has remained positive throughout the good times and the bad times....I'd say she is resilient and strong. And, she found a wonderful husband. Kim is easy to compliment someone else and also eager to learn from anyone she can. I love that she lives close by and we can get together on a more regular basis. I've learned a lot from Kim.

Next in line - Ella (above). Ella is the daughter of Gabe and Staci. This is what I loved most about her: She walked in the door and said, "Where are the toys?" She was ready to play! She is bright and funny and her face lights up when she smiles. She looks like her mama- a little "Mini Me" - which she will be glad for in years to come (Staci is beautiful). Ella is also very polite - said 'thank you' many times without being prompted. She is what has prompted me to make a New Year's Resolution: Pay more attention to my children's everyday manners. Gabe and Staci should be proud. Also- Ella reads while she poops on the potty. And, at our house, she read "See you later, Alligator" while on the potty. I'll never look at that book again without thinking of Ella.

Ella's sister - Karine (above, with Staci)- not to be pronounced 'Karen'. Karine is sweet and delicate and makes you want to hold her immediately. You literally want to reach out and grab her, squeeze her cheeks and snuggle with her under a blanket. And, it should be noted that she goes to bed at 6:30! Wow. I think they should keep her.

Staci announced BIG news at the Simpson bash: She's pregoroni (the San Francisco treat!). That's right, a third is on the way. Deb said it best: "Wow, Gabe, another girl!" We'll see if they'll be throwing a boy into the mix soon. Staci is due in July. Where I would be hyperventalating, Staci takes it in stride. Like I said earlier, I always knew Kim would make a good mom someday - but for Staci, I would say that I've always known she was born to be a mom. She's a natural-born sweet, loving mama. It was her destiny and her kids show it. She is gentle and caring with them, and I feel like she is always teaching them something.

Ellison- daughter of Deb and Josh Smith (above with Deb). Unfortunately, Josh had to work so couldn't be at our reunion. Ellison looked like Josh right out of the shoot, but now she is the perfect mix of Josh and Deb. She has PERSONALITY! And, the best part: she loved me the most at the party. She loved the toy room. I played down there with her by myself and she kept looking at Spiderman and saying, "I don't like him. He scares me." Then, I would say, "Spiderman is nice - he saves people, listen to him sing." And, she'd say, "No, I don't like him. Scary." I feel like she speaks very well for her age. She is also very polite, and on this night, she sported a bandage from her stitches- falling off the bed and hitting her head on the table. Poor thing. Maddox hated on her bandage all night. Ellison will have a brother someday soon. I can feel it and wished all of my pregnancy vibes on Deb last night. Not one more ounce in me.

My good friend, Deb - we've been friends since my sophomore year at Simpson. She was a year younger than me, and I felt it was time to take her under my wings and show her the light! Deb is fun and loves to get together and makes random comments that make me crack up out loud. Ellison is tall for her age, and in true Deb-fashion, Deb is self-conscious about that. But, I love that, and I wish I was taller so I wish Deb wouldn't wish that away on her. I admire Deb's honesty the most - she says what she feels and makes you feel totally comfortable for feeling how you do. Ellison is going to be a knockout someday, and will make a lot of trouble for Josh, and I can't wait to be witness to it. We really want Josh and Deb to move back to Des Moines. My fingers are crossed.

Next up- Elizabeth Duncan- daughter of Matt and Alicia (above). Elizabeth reminds me of her mom. She is gentle and patient and never gets worked up over anything. And, I've always felt Alicia had good style- like she can pull off some looks that I could never dream about. And, she's passing that down to Elizabeth- who sported a totally cute shirt that I would have never picked out but that looked Adorable (with a capital 'A'). I'm not sure if Elizabeth is a daddy's girl but she was always looking at Matt adoringly- I loved that. I can tell Matt's a good daddy.

Last but not least, Stephie Evers. In this photo, Stephie is holding her "baby" - we gave her Leapster Frog to keep track of all night long (although I'm pretty sure it was left behind at some point). Stephie is always fun, always laughing and always appreciative of a good joke. Steph wants to fall in love with the prince and live the dream. That hasn't happened yet, but it will. Steph deserves happiness -- she just doesn't know that yet. Steph lives in Arizona so we don't see her very often, but it's always a "treat" when she comes home! I love that she ALWAYS shows up with a smile on her face. She ended up crashing at our house on the couch before she headed out this morning for her flight.

Here's a group photo of just us girls! Here's what we look like without our kids....together, smiling, organized, happy. And, here's what we look like WITH our kids: chaotic, busy, disorganized, frantic - but still HAPPY. Steph turned in Leapster the frog and decided to just hold her drink. See- some things DON'T change afterall!

Simpson College brought us together....miles keep us apart. But, we do our best to stay in touch. As we were all standing in the kitchen, we felt very old: drinking Michelob Ultra (no Natty Light anymore), bringing appetizers, changing diapers, talking about our jobs and mortgages....we've grown up. Some days, I could snap my fingers and go back to one of those frat parties with these girls. But, most days, I'm happy with where we all are right now. We've been through a lot together- breakups, makeups, roommate dramas, drunken episodes, engagements, weddings, moves, births and so much more - and the best days are surely yet to come. So, here's to good friends, good moms, good kids, and good husbands- may we love them all and never leave them!