Great Reunion!!

Hi everyone,
I can't believe I haven't blogged since before the reunion. First and foremost, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone involved. The reunion was unbelievable and fun and fantastic and so much more. The fact that the blog continues is a testament to our class and its new-found connection. I am really appreciative. It has been wonderful to continue to read about the lives of fellow classmates that I reconnected with at the reunion. The pictures have been great to see, too - please keep posting! I'm also thrilled to read that another get-together happened at the Sagebrush this weekend. I really hope these continue. It would be a great chance to see people again. And, if anyone happens to be in the Santa Barbara area, please let me know!! Finally, I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas, and mostly, I wish you a very happy, healthy, and wonderful new year.
Your friend,
Sheila Peterson

Still On

Everyone planning to come to the Sagebrush tonight at 7? It's still on.

Also, don't forget the chaminade 87 social network at: chaminade87.ning.com. It's easy and free to create an account, and it allows you to connect up in forums, post pictures, blogs, music, video, etc. to keep us all in touch over the next few years. Come on by.

Sagebrush Part II

Hi everyone,

It seems there will be some alums in town over the Xmas break who didn't get to make the reunion (such as Rob LeFebvre in from Alaska) so I thought it would be nice to get together again. And for those of us who did make it and had a great time that weekend, why not do it again?

So for those interested, come by for an informal get-together at Sagebrush again, Friday Dec. 28th at 7pm (on the patio again provided there are heat lamps!).

See ya there,
Sue

Reunion/Donation/Santa

Class of 1987,

Well Friends, this is it. My final official correspondence to the Class of 87! Thanks again to everyone for a wonderful reunion weekend.

A final thank you to the reunion committee, my co-chair Carol Phalen, Lynn Coyle, Amy Keating, Dave Skaggs, Dave Donnell and Dora Atkinson. You did an incredible job! Thanks to Matt Witshire for his last minute support and encouragement, and for the hot dog cart! Thanks to the bloggers, who read or contributed. Thank you Anthony. Amy, great idea! And thank you Aaron for your help reunion night.

John Lagman and Cara McGann definitely won the traveled the farthest award, from Singapore and from Chile. Thank you!

Sue Dolan won the toughest to recognize award. Welcome back to the states, Sue.

And, the easiest to recognize? Not sure. What do you think?


As you know, we are collecting donations for our Class of 1987 Chaminade Scholarship Fund in honor of Melanie Woiwode, Tiffani-Ann Francis and Erika Vote. I will be contacting the families of Mel, Tiffani and Ann to let them know that they are not forgotten! So if you have the means, PLEASE, go to your check books and write out a check. Be sure to note that it should go towards the Class of 1987 Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can make your check out to Chaminade College Prep, and mail it to Lindsay Katz, Alumni Relations, 10210 Oakdale Ave, Chatsworth, CA 91311. Your donation is tax-deductible and Chaminade will send you a receipt for your records. I hope we can exceed our goal of $1,000. We have collected $740.00 so far. If everyone could send in a $10.00 or $15.00 donation, and if a few of you could send in even more, it would be greatly appreciated. A million thanks!

Finally, a reminder that Santa Claus is coming to town, to Chaminade's Chatsworth campus cafeteria to be exact. Saturday with Santa is this Saturday, December 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. And if you are able to come remember to bring your cameras! This is a great, free, casual event. So come by with the kids for crafts, snacks and pictures. Or come on your own to visit. All classes are welcome, as are grandparents!

It has been a pleasure! May God bless you with great happiness this holiday season and in the years to come. Until we meet again...

Lisa Macias

Our Amazing Diana

Hey Everyone!

Check out Diana Z.'s ABC News report on the new non-profit organization she's started for children with special needs. As I'm sure some of you now know, Diana is a dentist. Well, she is using her skills to help children with special needs. This is, of course, a subject close to my heart because of my son Soren.

Children with special needs are often turned away by dentists because they don't know how to deal with the child's disability. Or if that child only has insurance provided by the state (Medi-Cal), the dentist turns them away because the payment is significantly lower than their usual pay. This leads parents to neglecting their child's teeth, which of course can lead to other more costly problems.

But Diana is helping kids like Soren (and she's actually looked at Soren's teeth one time!) by starting this organization. She not only sees this kids, she welcomes them. She treats them with the care and understanding they deserve--that everyone deserves.

So check out

Diana's ABC News Report

And for all these kids, I thank you, Diana!

Amy

Dark Friday

It is a cloudy, dark, and rainy Friday morning. There is something cliche' and yet appropriate about the weather. Today I sit at my desk at work, with my heart being torn to shreds, contemplating having my dog put down. Even now, I am wondering why this is BLOG worthy and why I am writing at all. I am trying to maintain composure at work so I guess this is my outlet. My grief is too monumental to be contained yet I don't want to embarass myself at work.

Bibi was adopted 6 years ago. I got her as a rescue dog. She was small enough to be around the kids and I thought she'd be company for my wife while she was home with the baby (Nathan). The first day she came home - she peed on me while I was sitting on the grass. She had the odd male trait of lifting her leg to pee and she marked me as her own from day one.

Bibi always just "existed". She never begged for your attention, although she was very happy when you noticed her. She liked to have her tummy rubbed and sometimes would like to be carried like a baby. Being a pug, she could snore you out of a sleep.

As the years past, we took her for granted a little and she did not always get the best treatment. It is hard to think that within hours I will be saying good bye forever.

The decision was not black and white. She has poor vision, mostly deaf, and has probably suffered some small strokes. She has leg stiffness and some incontinence. Three days ago she started declining food and started a gagging/choking reflex. The other side is that she "looks" fine and still acts like she has life left in her. She has the same "glad to see" you look. What do you do? Act fast and prevent her further suffering? Watch as she deteriorates for days, weeks, months? Hope that she will get better with excess vet care and medicines - or accept she is 15 and probably doesn't have that much longer anyway? The vet will do what you want and is smart enough to leave you with the facts and the burden of decision. It is a very fine line - and I am sure any decision would leave me full of guilt.

Today, I must look at that little face and hope she understands why I am helping her die. I can barely comprehend it myself, but I hope she at least finds a peace that I will not.

Anthony

Thankful for so much

Finally got around to posting about our newest arrival. Sarah Naomi was born on October 24th at 10:33 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs 4 oz and was 19 inches long.

Here are some pix from the day she was born, her first days home and of course her announcement photo.

We are all doing well and are very proud!