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"Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy; true fulfillment."---Tony Robbins

A RETRO POST of Friends

 Today on Sunday, I worked on quite a few "fun" home projects among cleaning house.  

One project was to go on my OLD DINO computer that my bro built for me way back in 2001, yeah...and transfer files onto flash drives and my laptop.  The goal is to get all files off and trash the old DINO.  It NEVER gets turned on, but I still have it b/c of the files it contains.  Anyway, I pulled off photos and videos, and got all sentimental, especially with the kid photos.  Friends children, and children that I use to babysit a lot among other photos.  It's kind of sad, some people I still keep in touch with, but others not so much.  That's life!  :-)

There are a few videos of the kids.  I didn't post videos of kids that are now teens to keep from "embarrassing them."  I know how it is!  Enjoy my memory lane if you want!  I went back and forward whether to post this or not.  It's hard not to come across as  "look at what I've done" when you post your own pics, but at the end, I was like, why not!  Lots of great memories.

ABOVE and BELOW:  Ansley Welsh.  I had Gianni's pics too, but somehow they didn't transfer over, so I'll have to try again.  

Back when we use to have Public Appearance Campaigns, one time the Turgeon's went out of town for one of them, and let me keep Alexa and Micah overnight while they were in Dallas, Texas at the PAC.  It was my first experience of having kids overnight on a school night.  It was a Sunday...... they got up Monday morning without hassle....they got to school on time, and I got to work on time.  Great memory.  These 2 kids, now teens are VERY beautiful jewels!  Alexa reminds me of her grandma, Mrs. Barbara Flurry.  A lady of true beauty.

Roary's first year debut.  left to right:  Georgia Z.(Reese's sister), Ashlynn, Erica, Audrey, and Vienna

Brianna and Jessica.  Sweet friends!

 I always loved this pic....a memory of Garth Macdonald, ....Mr. Brad Macdonald, Mr. Kirk Macdonald, and Ross Macdonald's brother, posing with his niece Savannah before he died.  He was such a great brother to everyone.

 ABOVE and BELOW:  use to really like babysitting Savannah and Isaac Macdonald during AC functions back when their Aunt Sarah and Aunt Emily were still in college and their dad, Mr. Brad Macdonald, was in college at AC.  I remember their grandparents had to help me transfer their car seats to my car.  I was clueless back then! 

 My first time meeting Alec Brown.  Melinda doesn't remember, but she actually phoned me during the FOT all drugged up and told me he was born.  Funny she doesn't remember.  Too many C-Section drugs.  :-)  He was born during the FOT, so the day I got back home I went and met him.  Hard to believe this little baby Alec is the same little boy that is such a "manly" little boy now!

 ...at David and Jennifer's family baby shower, Bret Williams went and got a "front row seat" right in front of the cake.  He ate a lot, and then I remember entitling the below pic as "I wonder if anyone saw me eat all that cake."  Love this kid.  He's such a boy!

 These pics are the beginning of Deepika and my friendship back when she was a Freshman at AC, her VERY first year in the states.  We went to Arkansas together with my fam...

 ..and moving forward...this is when Deepika was a Senior.  We were good friends by then, and Dee invited Katherine Harmon, who lived with me her entire Senior year of high school while she attended IA, and I for brunch at Mayfair.

 Katherine poses in a hard hat for the Texas Pine Car Derby for the auction the year she lived with me as a teen.  That was a year of learning for both of us, in a good way.

 The lovely and amazing McCarty family before there was Brendan.

 Tanya Williams, poses with Brooke and Brandi in their "younger days." 

Christy and Tanya at Tanya's baby shower when she was pregnant with Zachary.  She's so skinny, she didn't even look pregnant.  If everyone was that "lucky."  :-)

A group of Edmondites traveled to Dallas, Texas for an Hawaiian Luau.  Richard and Tanya Williams really dressed up for it.  Love this couple.  They are so genuine and kind.

 Found pics of graduation certificates that our old congregation back in East Texas presented to Melinda and Melissa Brown, and Sarah Evans who graduated high school the same year.  I was one year ahead of them.

 Olivia and I posed with Eleisha S. when we were on a trip visiting in Texas.

 Gladys W. and I threw a royal dinner party at my house.  Below are pics from the photo station that Jennifer Vejil, my roommate at the time, made. 

 Paulette and Jennifer, my 2 roomies at the time.

 My bro and Benjamin Tauer were roomies at the time.

It obvious in this pic they were newly weds.  :-)

 The AMAZING Welsh Fam.

 a brother sister photo

 One summer Conner and Melinda, Paulette Corey, my brother, and myself went to visit Jeff and Sarah E. back when they use to live in Arkansas.  These photos are really sentimental now.

 ...took a trip out to Summerlin, Nevada and met Austin S. for the first time.

 It took me awhile to make it up to New Jersey, but I finally made it one year and met Jonathan B. for the first time.

 ...and I made it again when he was a little older

 I remember him getting in trouble for climbing up on the chair to get a strawberry.

Here's a video!

...and then Jonathan got to come stay in my house with his parents,  AA dedication weekend....my piano was his fav entertainment.

....and I went back to New Jersey and visited the Barkei's again when Jonathan was even older.  Above his dad plays either the viola or violin, I can't tell by sight.

Jonathan's lovely parents.

 ....traveled to Austin, Texas one summer and met Katrina S. for the first time.  At first she was scared of me as you can see in the pic below, but as the pics progress, she got use to me.  :-)

 ....now she was comfortable with me.....

Katrina and Austin's  lovely parents.

Video's of K when she was 7 months.

 Katrina's a little older....her fam moved back to Summerlin, Nevada by that time, and I went for a visit, .....love this pic her mom shot of us at the piano.

Below:  A fun day at a western themed park in Nevada

 Found old performance photos from back when a few of us were more active with our flute playing.  Above Mrs. Saranga and I with Mark J. on the piano.  Below:  All of the Edmond flutist at the time....Mrs. Saranga, Jordy, Paris, myself, Katherine, and Paulette.  Mrs. Brandon and Brenda Rumler also play, but they weren't in our choir.

 ...went back to New Jersey years later to meet Laurel B, Jonathan's little sis.

 Went to visit Larry and Brenda Watkins in North Carolina with Ramona Larsen one summer

Ramona looks likes she's had enough of me.  :-)

 My first time meeting Zachary V....and then below going back for visits as he got older in New Jersey.

 In 2009, went back to my old stomping ground of East Texas.....last visit there to this day.....only in East Texas will you find a drive thru beer joint!

 My East Texas trip.....love this pic with Savannah Brown, and a friend of hers. 

Good times with Savannah B.

 Went back to East Texas in 2009, same year, for NTBMO...the kids look like they want to touch the piano keys soooo bad.  Love this pic!

 All of the above pics taken in East Texas at NTBMO...Above:  The Githembe's back when they lived in Texas, and the Brown's etc.

More Savannah and Cineath pics.

taken while babysitting Ellie H.

BELOW:  Taken while babysitting Seth, Zeke, and Skye M in their "younger days."

Skye was always a hard worker.  :-)

 My fam, the Cocomise Fam, and John R. boarding a plane in Africa back in the day

BELOW:  I asked a pilot if we could go inside the cockpit, not of the plane shown above, but of a big two story overseas flight, and surprisingly, he let us!  We took photos in the cockpit.  Wow!  Awesome flight!

 Random photo of a Philly Singers/Young Ambassador reunion when we recorded Rise.  That was so fun!

 Photos from a trip to Paris, France with Julie B., and Corinne.

 Crowded Paris, France streets

 Oh, yes I did pose on the hood....so immature back in 2008 when I bought my car.  God blessed me with it, it was brand new, first brand new car,...totally couldn't have gotten it on my own, so it was a blessing.... so hopefully I wasn't being materialistic, but who knows back then.  We grow in character everyday, hopefully anyway!  :-)

 Photos of a trip to Australia for the feast.

Below Mrs. King entertained us during the feast.  She's a great cook!

 Above are Danielle' U's Aunt and uncle.  I spent some time with them that feast before I got sick.

 Beautiful Australia

 A few pics from a trip to Phoenix, Arizona to visit the Bacon sisters!  Wendy, Kim, and Crystal.  This pic is really sentimental since Crystal's death.

 When Jennifer V. lived with me, and was dating David, she and David started this Friday night tradition of having 2 different people over every Friday evening there was no Bible Study....B.S use to be every other week.  They would invite a male AC student, and the student would have  to bring a date.  ....Jennifer would cook, and Paulette, also a roomie at the time, and I got a "free pass dinner" those nights.  I loved that!

 When my grandfather, mom's dad died, my fam went out to Alabama to be with family.  Above...is my cousin, her son, my Aunt, who is in the PCG, my bro and myself.

Below:  3 generations....myself, my mom, my aunt, and my grandma who is still alive and well in her 80's.  I've been told I have her exact personality to a tee.  I believe everyone is correct.  Spunky yet kind.  I don't mind that rep at all.  :-)  ...If you're still tuned in with all of the pics I took, I'll end on this one with the fam!  :-)