"On With the dance! let joy be unconfined; No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet to chase the glowing hours with flying feet- George Gordon

High school times have been on my mind a lot lately, mainly because all my classes have high school students in the running start program in them and all my old High School buddies keep growing up and making adult decisions like marriage, children, and buying their own homes. Which makes me think "remember how not that long ago the biggest decision we had to make was more like what the heck am I gonna wear to Homecoming!"

Speaking of Homecoming, that is another thing that sparked my trip down memory lane. Our High School here in Moses had their Homecoming game and dance the beginning of this month and it reminded me of how I really lucked out, because all my Major High School experiences have been awesome! Today I've decided to share with you some of my dance photographs. Unlike my current dating life which consists of no boys asking me out, I got asked to all the dances I was eligible for (everyone after I turned 16) I never had a horrible dress or hair do that I hated, and I even won a crown or two while I was at it, so unlike my posting of my school pictures and stuff. There's almost nothing awkward to see hear, unless you don't like my outfit, then that could be uncomfortable!









SO here goes. . . . . .





























I turned 16 in December, which meant I was old enough to go to the Sweetheart's dance that winter, February 2000 to be exact! A lot of my friends started to get asked, and I was a little nervous no one was gonna ask me, then one Saturday I got invited to two parties. One by my buddy Karen Eide and another by Steven Butterfield. I got invited to Karen's party first, and had decided to go to that one when I received a call from Steven asking if I was gonna be at his house that night, I told him I wasn't gonna be able make it, and when my Mom overheard me say that, She promptly scolded me after I hung up with him, for turning down an invite when the boy actually called to see if I was gonna be there. She then made me call him back and say I changed my mind.









Well she must have had some kind of motherly premonition because turns out Steven and his best buddy Zach Eager intended on asking Brigette Peterson and I to Sweetheart's that night. They dressed up like Superhero's and gave each of us a bag of Sweetheart candies. Needless to say I was pretty grateful My Mom made me go. Because I had a blast!

Oh and another thing because I was always looking for attention back then, I found some leopard print slippers at Gottschaulks and decided to wear those to the dance instead of normal shoes (Another thing my Mother was not crazy about, but this time did not get her way), it made for a pretty sweet picture if I do say so myself. . . . .

I forgot to mention all these pictures are scanned from my scrapbook of them, hence the stickers and the crazy backgrounds!

Here's our whole group! Hey Dee. . . . .remember how you and I had the same material for our dresses. . . . .what are the chances?









Ok so pictured below back row is Zach Eager, Mark Butterfield, My Date Steven Butterfield, David Jones, Michael Hogsett, David Fackrell, and Commie Kevin (I'm not sure I've ever known his last name) 2nd row Brigette Peterson, Melanie Grant, Me, Dee Anne Green (Mecham), and Laska King. The last two in the front row are Crystal Rodebeck ( Bruce) and Lisa Hesse.

Homecoming my Junior year I went with Michael Duvall. He called me up one night and asked me to go. . . . . nothing fancy just cut right to the chase. Then one day Kyle Jackson and i where talking and he wasn't sure who to ask, so I told him he should ask Erin Caraway (Lawson) and right then and there (we where in the HS parking lot) he spotted, her ran up, fell to his knees and asked her to the dance. . . . that's Kyle for you!

I was excited he listened to me,because then Erin and I where in the same group and she was one of my best good friends! Kyle's Mom suggested we make masks because it was a Mardi Gras theme, so Erin and I had craft time at the Jackson's house and came up with these gems. I still have mine. . . . thank you!

This is like the sterotypical dance picture poise!

Apparently I couldn't get enough of Kyle because I then asked him to Sadie Hawkins! Probably because I knew he wouldn't say no! That was a super fun night, we planned an amazing Italian Dinner at Katie Jenson's (Reece) parents business. Ahh Homestead Gardens. . . . .so many memories! We decorated the place the night before and had a sleepover in the loft upstairs. That night after an amazing picture scavenger hunt we had dinner by candlelight while we sat on pillows at a lowered table! After the dance we went to my house and attempted to watch a movie. . . . I wish I remembered what it was. . . . anyway funnest dance ever!

Pictured here in the back David Price, Me, Kyle, and Danny Payne. Dee Marlette is somewhere in the middle there and then Callie Lybbert, Lena Campbell (Gilbert) and then Katie!

Here's a fun fact apparently my Mother's first Boyfriend was Leon Baker, and my Mom has always had a special place in her heart for him, His son James and I where a year apart and did a lot of stuff in High School together, and My Mother always wanted me to marry him. (He just had a baby with his wife 3 weeks ago, so that's a dream that probably won't come true) But he did ask me to Sweetheart's my Junior year, and boy was my mom excited!

Here's the couple shot of James and I. . . . man he hasn't changed a bit!

Yep. . . . .that's the same kid!!!!!! Awe Jamesy!

Here is our group photo the Boys in the back are James, Matt Pryor, and Dee Marlatte and then of course the ladies are Me, Lisa Winterton (Don't know her married name come to think of it) and Alisha Lancaster. That night we ate at JonathInns, which was actually where I worked at the time.

I can't remember if I've mentioned it before, but I was Homecoming Queen my Senior year, something I'm still a little puzzled how I actually ended up getting. I always considered myself a middle class citizen as far High School social classes go, and so actually getting nominated was a pretty crazy thing, almost dream like really. If any of you saw that horrible made for TV movie Niki Blonsky did for Lifetime called "Queen Sized", about the fat girl that wins homecoming queen, I'm pretty sure they patterned that after my life.

I've got a couple theories on how I won; it was either due to the fact that the other 4 candidates where the pretty popular girls that where all in the same friendship circle, so all loyalty votes had to be split, or Ivan Craddock, My Homecoming King stuffed the ballot box, which he had been known to do because that's precisely what he got caught doing when he ran for Senior Class President. Who knows, what I do know is, I got to wear a crown and cape and use my pageant wave I'd practiced for so long as a little girl, dreaming for the day I'd get to show it off! So there!

Another funny story is. . . . . I didn't have a date until like 3 days before the dance. I even got so desperate that I actually asked two different dudes. . . . which is something I DO NOT DO! Finally My good buddy Nathan Brown called me up and asked me, man was that a relief! We doubled with Calvin Stoker (Gwenny's Brother) and his date Ilene.

Here's our group shot! Yeah!!!

I would like to say I thought of this idea, but it was all the photographers, still pretty funny!

Sadie Hawkins my Senior Year was much like the Junior year in that it was super RAD!!! We ate Mexican food with Chop Sticks and we did this amazing video Scavenger hunt (Video this time not picture) and my most favorite memory was when we had to go to a drive in and either order something that wasn't on the menu or sing a Christmas Carol, I guess everyone doing the hunt had decided to hit up Jack in the Box for their drive-in, so by the time our group got there, they had apparently had enough and sent the manager out to give us a stern talking too! Before the manager showed up though we should have known something was up because everyone inside the restaurant was staring at us, apparently the intercom was loud enough for them all to hear us singing, "It's beginning to look alot like Christmas". We know this because miss manager mentioned something about it in her tyraid! Ryan Schmidt was my date that night, He was my Theatre BFF we did a lot of plays together and stuff and he was like the funniest kid ever in the world! He did a pretty sweet impersonation of that Jack in the box lady that yelled at us, and I remember laughing so hard that night especially when we re-lived the moment! Lena you remember how funny that was, right?

Here's our shots from that night!

Yes that's Gary Coleman on my shirt!

I know his sign and his colors are pretty contradicting, i should have warned him!

Nothing like a little role reversal!

Ok this might be slightly complicated! Starting from left in the back there is Callie Lybbert again and Ty Winder, then of course Me and Ryan, and then Katie once more with Roger Mar, Then You've got Brigette, Crystal Montoya (Harris) and Brandon Earl next to Lena and of course Theryn Herd. Jared Stones is holding the front row down!

Probably my most favorite date to a dance was Isaac Earl, we where in choir together and that kid made me laugh sooooooo much! It was funny because he asked me when he was dating Ashley Waites (Mar) at the time, I forgot why she couldn't go. . . . .Ashley if your reading this you should tell me if you remember. Anyway it worked to my favor because I got to go with one of my favorite people and it was just chill. To ask me, He left a note in my room that said "I'll wear Pants to the dance you can wear a dress. . . . .Will you go to Sweetheart's with me? Isaac Ken Earl PS Sorry I'm not that creative"! I thought that was pretty funny! Although I have to admit, i was super embarrassed he left it in my room, because my room was always pathetically messy. . . I mean not just a few things out of place messy, more like If people didn't know better they'd think I just got robbed. but oh well. . . . all water under the bridge it was a great night with a great dress and a great date!

Lastly there's Prom, Oh Ron Weaver! I think it was quite fitting Ron asked me to Prom. It was a bit of a pre-cursor to what my life would be like a few years later. He had supposedly liked me in high School, but he came out of the closet a few years after we graduated, so I think it was more he wanted to be me then be "with" me! Anywho, We did the Musical; Cinderella that year and after one of our performances some of us where at Shari's and Ron came in all tied up in ribbon and a sign that said "I'd be all wrapped up if you'd go to Prom with me?" or something like that! You gotta give the guy props for going out in public like that!

Anyway Prom was interesting, food was good we ate at Kiyoji's, and we doubled with Lance Garza and Amanda Yates. we where all Choir Buddies. That's about all I can say about Prom, Danny Payne and I where nominated for Prom King and Queen, but Stephanie Pimentale and Tony Lopez won, and my group left the dance early and went to Shari's where Ivan joined us, then I was Home by midnight. No crazy parties, stories, or Hotel room trysts! This is probably the most borring dance to report, sorry!

Is it just me or do I look totally jazzed to be in this picture!

True Story I'm wearing the same jewelry My sister did when she went to Prom.

I think I forgot to mention that my Mommalla made all my dresses. . . . every last one! Some of which she was sewing a few hours before my date showed up, but boy was I grateful for a Mother that sewed! It made dress shopping way more awesome and not so depressing!

So there you have it, thanks once again for joining me on the memory train! Thanks for sticking this one out! Maybe if your good I might post some of my pictures from my dance recitals as a kid. . . . .those are especially delightful!

Peace!