I met an Iowa boy 46 years ago, we celebrate our 45 years of marriage July 1, 2023.  He was a pig farmer, lives for those dang things but now only has a few for a hobby.

 I am retired and have had many jobs through the years, most important being a mother to our two children who are 44 and 40 now and grandmother to 4 who are 18, 15, 14 and 14.  Grandparent life is the best but sadly they don't "need" me much anymore so seeing them is mostly on Holidays, we live close enough to attend most of their school activities though.

We live on a 10 acre farm, my husbands grandparents built our house and we bought it from his parents 32 years ago.  Country life but I am over the yard work, takes over 3 hours of rider mowing plus trim work of about an hour each week and that's only the lawn.  I have my flower beds to attend to also.  It's the "home" place so husband isn't moving😞

I hate the cold winters more and more each year so try to be gone for some of it.  I rent a condo on the beach in Panama City Beach, Florida for 2 months which helps me reconnect with my sand, beach loving soul.

I enjoy golfing, playing pickelball, water aerobics, walking on the beach and traveling. My parents are both gone, lost my aunt in October, I use to be in California about 4 times a year to spend time with her so won't be coming that way much from now on.

Cant believe it's been 50 years and it sure has flown.  Thank goodness for Facebook, have been able to reconnect with some fellow classmates through the years.  Highlander for life!

Kim Brisson and I married in 1975.  After high school we went over to Moorpark JC and then I went on to CSUN to become a 3rd Grade Teacher and Kim became the secretary to the SV Police Chief and an Executive Secretary for a few years before we started a family.

I started a fence company which allowed me to work four days a week and go to school two days.  By the time I was approaching student teaching, the company was doing well and I opted to pursue business instead.  

Kim hired on at Royal High and worked in the front office.  She retired from there after 38 years.  After about 7 years of running the fence business I noticed how nice all the Gas Company people were who came out to fix all the gas lines we broke.  I hired on at the Gas Company and ran the fence company a while longer while all of our employees found other employment.

I worked for the Gas Company for 31 years before retiring.  I moved all around in the company and held positions in Customer Service, Advertising, Information Technology, Marketing, Call Center Administration, Program Development, Meter Reading, Safety and finished up working on the project to automate our 6 million gas meters.

Kim and I had three children and lost two.  One was Sheri who caught meningitis at 6 months old and was severely brain damaged.  She died Christmas morning two years later.  The other was our son Tim who was 20 years old that we lost in 2005 to OxyContin.  He was studying to be a school teacher.  His biography can be viewed at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajlw2heaOPc  

We have an amazing daughter named Cristy and she and her husband just had their first child 18 months ago and our granddaughter is better than anybody else’s! (Is that what we all say?)

Kim and I never left Simí.  We are very involved in our Baptist Church and I lead a 3-year bible degree course, Men’s Bible Study and head up the church safety and security team.  I am also very involved at the Strathearn Historical Park and Museum here in town.  I am also a Stephen Minister and support people who are going through end of life and other difficult times.  

Kim and I have owned an RV (truck campers in the beginning) since day one.  As a family we have traveled all over the US and put 10,800 miles on during one trip up through Alaska.  Crazy fun.  Before COVID hit we rented a car and drove all around Ireland with another couple.  So many nice people.  This was also where I earned my first International Traffic Violation.

Kim and I have been blessed.  What a great time to grow up and raise a family.  We continue to host bonfires in the middle of our cult-de-sac with our neighbors.  We also spend a lot of time with our granddaughter (did I mention she’s the best?  *grin*)

Both Kim and I are looking so forward to seeing all of you and catching up.