It's been 10 years!

My 10 year ACU reunion was this past weekend. I'm feeling a little old just thinking about it. In some ways it seems like it's been centuries since I lived on "the Hill," but in other ways it feels like just yesterday.

I dug through my old pictures today to find some from those precious years I spent in Abilene. Sure, Abilene isn't the prettiest of towns and not the most exciting all on its own. However, combine it with 4 years spent with friends & dating, candlelight devos & lunch in the Bean and a little education thrown in for good measure, and those years certainly were precious.



Here are a few highlights from those years I spent attending ACU.

*Welcome Week! This is simply one of the most amazing weeks I have ever spent in my entire life! Every single second was packed full of fun (with no time scheduled for missing Mom & Dad...that came the next week!) From the overwhelming noise in Moody Coliseum as I looked for my Inter-G group to the mud pit to watching the hypnotist, it was truly a fantastic week!

*Freshman Follies! "I like BIG BOWS and I cannot lie........" Truly talented songwriting for Nelson 2nd floor! HA!

*N23BB....Nelson 2nd & 3rd floor Bowhead Bandits...Some may know what I'm talking about.

*Road trips to Kyle Roberts house in Denton, TX for the weekend. These were done as Freshmen....maybe some later; I can't remember. They were tons of fun! I remember one time we went, his parents weren't home. I neglected to tell my parents this important fact. I knew that we were going to be good (& we were!) but my parents found out after the fact and weren't pleased. I don't remember anything too bad happening b/c of this omission but they did give a lecture.

*My first date with Chris. January 13, 1992 I think it was. It was a group date with Valerie (Osburn) Loe, Jim Newhouse, Chris & I, Scott Hinshaw, & Rhonda Boudra. The date consisted of roller skating, a trip to HEB (grocery store) and I guess we ate somewhere.

*Going home for the weekend for the first time with Chris. I stayed up until 2:00 in the morning trying on my friends' clothes and choosing what to take. He wasn't kidding when he said there weren't really many places to go in his hometown. Our big excitement the first night was to go down to the Shell station, with his parents, and get a root beer. We even sat in the booths the station had installed for the comfort of their customers. I was with Chris, though, so it was all good! And yes, in case you're wondering, that picture is cut into the shape of a heart! This was taken right before we left for NM that first time.

*Pledging! What a time it was to attend all the social functions & teas with your friends hoping that you would get a bid AND that all of your friends would get one to the same club as well. My friends & I spent many an hour in Nelson Dorm practicing the Siggies song. Go EOX! "It's the yellow & white of Siggies that we are proud to wear......."

*Pledging as an upperclassman! Once we had pledging over with our sophomore year, we could really enjoy it while being the ones "in charge" while others pledged.

*Sing Song! What wonderful memories! I was an usher my freshman year which was a blast. Sophomore year, I was a STAR for Siggies (see below), Junior year, I was a GIRL SCOUT for Siggies, (see below) and Senior year, I was TINKERBELL for Siggies I think. I think I was only in my class act one year. That's horrible that I can't really remember. We NEVER won for Siggies when I was there. We were cute but we couldn't sing! HA!!!!!!!!!

*Dorm life! Nelson 2nd floor my freshman year. Sikes 3rd floor my sophomore year. Living in the dorm was great! I loved it! I didn't love every aspect of it, but I did like it. I didn't like when I got my checkbook stolen my sophomore year by a girl down the hall. (That still makes me mad!)

*Spring Break Campaigns! My freshman year, I went to Tijuana, Mexico. (What were my parents thinking?!?!?) Really, though, it was a good trip. We slept in a tent and pottied in a hole or something similar anyway. We did have good chaperones that year (Wayne & Mimi Barnard). My sophomore year, I went to New York City, NY. (What were my parents thinking again?!?!) I do feel like we could have been more productive that year with our ministry and I'm thankful that we made it back in one piece (Corey, if you're reading, you do remember who my chaperone was, right??? DAVE HANCOCK!) Seriously, I am very thankful to my parents for allowing me & supporting me to go on these trips. It's not like we did anything bad. I just realize that a little more organization would have preferable (on the NY trip anyway.) God was surely with all of us who went on these various campaigns.

*Living off campus with 4 other girls! My junior year, I lived in a house one block off campus with Susan (Wilburn) Newhouse, Jennifer (Reynolds) Robbins, Nicole (Deveny) Dickey, & Shannon (Cox) Terry. That was fun!

*Dating Chris! We started dating 2nd semester of my freshman year. During Christmas break, I had told my mom I didn't want to go back to ACU. I was so homesick! She told me to finish the year and then I could transfer if I still wanted to. Guess what?!?! I never did transfer!



























*Getting engaged! Chris & I got engaged Sing Song weekend of 1994. I had my "Pass the Key" after the Saturday afternoon show. This is one of the highlights of a girl's life at ACU. Well, maybe not for every girl, but it was for me! My club sisters gathered in a circle. The "Keeper of the Key" reads a special letter that the fiance has written for his love. People are looking around wondering who it is. The ring is tied onto a wooden key. It begins to be passed around while we sing one of our club songs. It makes its way around once and everyone "oohs" & "aahs" over the ring. It begins its second go round and the girl will keep it and say, "It's me!" Then of course, everyone claps & tears flow, etc. You know.....all that sappy stuff! See the girl scout picture of my friend, Renee (Bradford) Preston's reaction to hearing the news. She & I were friends in high school and she pretty much introduced Chris & I, so she was excited to say the least!

*Getting married!!!!!! August 13, 1994, the summer before my Senior year, Chris & I got married! It was fun having a little house & being married while still in school.

*Singing "The Lord Bless You & Keep You" in chapel. Looking back, I know I didn't fully realize how special chapel was. Tuesday night devos and Wednesday night Bible studies were also special.

*Of course, I did attend classes while at ACU. I even received my degree and taught elementary school for 4 years after graduating. I had a great Student Teaching experience which helped prepare me although I certainly learned more & more each day! Having teachers who invited us over for dinner and prayed often during class was very important!

*Dr. Perry Reeves! He was absolutely my favorite teacher at ACU. He believed in me and my abilities to be a good teacher and made that clear. He is an amazing teacher!

*other favorite teachers: Dr. Dan White, Dr. Finis Cavender, Lucy Hatch, Jim Mankin & Dr. Kelly Hamby.

There are so many things I could write, but I'm not as young as I used to be 10 years ago, so it's waaaaay past time to be asleep.

































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