Classmate Updates

The following blogs are from our fellow classmates. I had asked people to write a little about themselves and I put all of this stuff into a book, and I figured I would blog it too! Feel free to add yours if it's not here, or edit your's if I messed it up:)
Missy

KEN YOUNT

After high school I served a two year church mission in Central America from 1999 to 2001. I learned to speak Spanish and some Creole English while serving in both Honduras and Belize, where I had the time of my life. In 2002, I attended North Idaho College to pursue a degree in Law Enforcement and became a Reserve Officer for the Bonners Ferry Police Department. In 2003, I was hired as a Trooper by the Idaho State Police and was assigned to patrol the Lewiston area. I've had many adventures since, which includes meeting my beautiful wife, Tiara. We married a year later in the L.D.S. Temple in Portland, Oregon. Last year Tiara graduated from BYU-Idaho and currently works at a dermatology office as a receptionist. We are expecting our first child, a baby boy, at the end of August. Tiara and I love the adventures of the outdoors and I still enjoy riding dirt bikes and classic cars.

JENNIFER (WHITTAKER) GRAHAM

After graduation I moved to Coeur d' Alend where I spent about 3 1/2 years working and going to school. I graduated from NIC in 2001 with an Associates of Applied Science degree in Graphic Design. Unfortunately, after graduation I was unable to find work in the Coeur d' Alene area and was forced to move back to Bonner's. After a couple of months of job hunting I was fortunate enough to find a job doing exactly what I went to school for. I was hired on at Fleet Graphics as a Graphic Designer and have been working there for the last 6 years doing Graphic Design and managing the large format digital graphics production. While living back in Bonner's wasn't exactly what I had hoped for when I younger I seem to have grown to love living here. Believe me, it's taken me a while to feel that way. Basically, I have spent the last 10 years being single and doing my own thing. Living, working and partying is pretty much all there is to do around BF. I bought a home
about 4 years ago and have spent countless hours trying to fix the place up. I think it will always be a work in progress.

This last year has been the most exciting for me as I have finally found the man of my dreams!! I thought this day would never come but it finally has. Forest and I were married in March and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our son or daughter in August. After the baby is born I will go from full time Graphic Designer to full time Mommy. Forest is a District Service Rep for Yamaha Motor Corp in the Marine Division. He gone during the week traveling the Northwestern states fixing boat engines and making Yamaha customers happy. We usually spend our weekends fishing and camping or with friends and family. We stay very busy and try to squeeze every once of fun out of out time together.

LARISSA (NEARING) DANIELLI

I have my own DJ business (I'm DJ Curvatus)...my son, Justus, turns two August 12 (he's half Brasilian--already has his two citizenships!!)...I traveled around a bit...lived in Brasil for a year teaching E.S.L, and got my Brasilian citizenship...lived in Atlanta for 3 years DJing...I'm currently living in Cd'a...not sure if I'll make it to the reunion, and know this is late, but hopefully better late than never!!!!! I'm at work and will have to send some pics from my computer...just wanted to send the info while I had time!!!!!
Lots of love!!!! Thanks for doing this for us!!!!

HAN BEGGERLY

Well I have My own Moving Services as well as my Real Estate Business for 10 combined years so far...

BUY or SELL Real Estate with ME;
and I will Personally and Proffessionally move you for.. FREE!!!

I own a home downtown Cda for three years now and enjoy life very much. And I have a son on the way in November and am very excited!!!

(I Still Skateboard occasionally)

Han :)

JOCELYN PEACOCK-JOHNSON

Let´s see, after high school I began working as a legal secretary in Coeur d´Alene and got an AA and AS from NIC, then moved to Portland, Oregon and continued work in the legal field (paralegal) and worked my way through my Bachelor´s Degree which I received from Portland State University in Psychology. I then attended Lewis & Clark College for 3 years and received my Masters (about a month ago) in Counseling Psychology with a specialty in adult addictions. I´ve been working as an addictions counselor for about 9 months. I also have a part time job fundraising and marketing for a small Portland based company. I have a couple non profit accounts that I am working on. I volunteer for an organization called betties 360 which involves mentoring adolescent at risk girls. they are paired up with a mentor from the community and we take them out for a weeknd and teach them how to do some type of action sport (rock climbing, windsurfing, kayaking, etc.). My partner Marla and I got married on April 19, 2008, following Oregon passing the right for same sex couples to have civil unions. We were married on our 3 year anniversary. No children for us yet, but it will be in our near future. We live in West Linn, Oregon just outside of Portland. Marla works as an instructional aid for special needs kids. We enjoy rock climbing, having board game parties, camping, etc.

JENN (SOITO) BRAKEMAN

I went to NIC after high school and graduated from LCSC with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I worked as an office manager at the CDA Inn and CDA Resort for a total of 7 years and I worked at Tungsten Holdings in Bonners as a Real Estate Purchaser for 2 years after moving back in 2003. I married my high school sweet heart Duane Pennock and we were married for 3 ½ years until I lost him in a snowmobiling accident in February of 2005. We were together for a total of 9 ½ years and he is dearly missed. I changed my career path and went back to school in New York and am now a Certified Holistic Health Counselor. I am currently studying to be a Certified Professional Midwife and feel that I will finally be doing what God has been calling me to do for some time now. I have been blessed with an amazing partner and husband, Matthew Brakeman. We were married in June of 2006, reside in Harrison , Idaho and we don’t have any children yet. We are working on relocating back to Bonners were we hope to raise a family.

APRIL HUGGINS-HENSLEE

It truly amazes me that ten years have gone by and all of us are on our way to creating our own happiness!!! My happiness begins with my husband Luke, whom I’ve been married to for 9 years and our two beautiful children, Rilynn (5 yrs old) and Walker (3 ½ yrs old). Luke works for Wood’s Crushing and Hauling, continuing to construct roads from dirt to asphalt; he truly loves his occupation and works long hours in the hot sun. Rilynn just finished her second season of dance and will start swimming lessons with her brother, Walker in August. Rilynn is enrolled in Kindergarten this year and Walker will be attending Pre-school. Both kids are healthy and ornery which is what I would expect coming from Luke and I! I still work for Wells Fargo as a Personal Banker, opening new accounts and loans for the community; in February I will be here for 3 years. I enjoy my job especially when I am able to see many of you when you visit your families that live here. We live in a small home on five acres in Paradise Valley and Luke finally built his shop this year, now he can pursue his hobby of making antler lamps and chandeliers. We love our little place in the country and spend many weekends working on home improvements and making it a happy, loving home for our children. I am so excited to see you all for our reunion and wish you all the love and happiness you deserve. See you all soon!

NATHAN TYE

After HS I joined the Navy. I did basic training in Illinois, schooling in Florida, then stationed in Maryland. In Maryland I met my wife, Brooke, we wed in 2001 and in 2002 the Navy sent us to San Diego! After San Diego, we spent some time in Post Falls Idaho and then in Northern Virginia. When we moved to VA in 2003 my wife was pregnant with our first daughter, Sadie, and a year later we were blessed with another daughter, Willow!

Currently we are still in the Northern Virginia area, I work for Customs and Border Patrol and Brooke is working as a pre-school teacher in a school that our girls also attend.

My family and I are looking forward to visiting with everyone.

JAMIE (SMITH) HULL

Jamie Smith - now Jamie Hull. I married Garrett Hull from the class below us. We have a child on the way - due October 31. I went to school at Eastern Wyoming College to become a Veterinary Technician. I work at the Bonners Ferry Vet Clinic part time, although I am taking off about 6 months soon to become a mom!! (Can't wait.) My husband is working in the oil fields in Utah right now but will hopefully be done in the spring. I am going down there in September to have the baby (so he won't miss it) and stay for a few months so he can be close to the baby. Life is wonderful. Sorry I am going to miss the reunion. I promise I will be at the next one. Tell everyone hello for me.

JACOB PLUID

After graduation I worked for a year then left for an LDS mission to Florianopolis Brazil where I lived for two years. The island was beautiful and I miss it very much. In the spring of 2002, during the Winter Olympics, I started attending the University of Utah in Salt Lake City studying Biology. There I started dating my wife and we were married the next spring. In March,2004 we had our first boy, Austin Blake. I then transfered to Utah State University in Logan where I graduated in the spring of 2007 with a BS in Biology and a minor in Chemistry and Portuguese. Our second son, Chase Byron, was born in January of 2007. We then moved from Logan, Utah to Des Moines, Iowa that fall where I began medical school at Des Moines University.

MISSY (FUNKHOUSER) CAREY

After graduation I attended Ricks College where I majored in Psychology and English. I met my husband through our good friend Sara Carey:) Kenny and I got married and moved to Pocatello, Idaho where we both attended ISU. While in Pocatello we had 2 beautiful girls, Maddie who is 7 years old, and Katelynn (Katie) who is 6 years old. We moved to Portland, Oregon in 2003 so Kenny could attend OHSU Dental School. While in Portland we had a little boy, Cole, who is now 3. I stayed busy with the 3 kids and managing apartments. Kenny graduated dental school last year, and the Army moved us to Fort Bragg in North Carolina! Kenny worked as a dentist for the Army all last year as he worked on the 82nd Airborne and even got to attend Airborne School. He just started his Oral Surgery Residency which will last 4 years. I stay busy with the kids and love being able to be at home with them!

LYNSIE (FIGGINS) ODD

Well let's see here....Matt and I got married in 2005 in Post Falls. I
have an awesome 10 year old step son Devon and then we have Kellen who
is just a little over 1. Kellen is a very busy little guy and has the
funniest personality, he makes us laugh non stop!! Being a Mom is the
best thing ever, I couldn't imagine anything else!! We also have a
Boston Terrier Macy ( she was our first baby ) and a cat named Johnny.
Matt and I have lived in Post Falls now for almost 3 years. Matt works
for Quality Dental Lab and manages the Spokane Lab. I work at Alliance
Title & Escrow and have been there for 4 years and work in Escrow.
We love being outside and have been very busy camping, fishing, and
having BBQ's. I feel so blessed to have such a great husband, family and
friends!!!

LEO ZIMMERMAN

Married 6 years to Francina. We have a five-year-old boy named Koyote and a three-year-old girl named Satori. I am managing the Moscow Applebees, Cina is pursuing her registered nursing degree at the UI. Hope that helps!

SARA (CAREY) PETERSEN

After graduating high school, Sara attended Ricks College where she met her husband, Jeff Petersen. They married and moved to Pocatello, Idaho to attend Idaho State Univesity. Jeff is currently earning his doctorate in Physical Therapy. Sara has 3 beautiful children, 2 boys and 1 girl- Caleb is 7 years old and entering 2nd grade this year, Travis is 3 years old, and their little girl, Marti, is 2. Sara stays busy with the 3 children and she works in property management.

RAMON BURIN

10 years...hmmm...what have I been doing for 10 years?

Graduated from high school. It really doesn't seem like that was 10 years ago. Went to Rochester, NY for engineering school at RIT. Rochester and the East Coast were fun, I was not a big fan of the engineering school. Worked 2 summers (99, 00) at the Forest Service in BF. Returned to Idaho and attended the U of I for the next 4 years (that's 5 years of college for those counting, and half way through the 10 years). College highlights: built a hammer, built a Sterling engine, built a 2 man bicycle for an engineering competition, analyzed photo algorithims for NASA, and built a "motion-less" joystick. Graduated from college. Moved to Valdosta, GA for a year. No jobs in the South. Moved to Phoenix, AZ for a year; worked for a packaging company. That was a vastly more interesting job than it sounds. That brings us to 7 years. Brought to Everett, WA by Boeing to work on the leading edge of the wing for the 787. And that is where I have been since.

Which brings us to family matters. I married Gina Mattia of Utica, NY on May 4, 2008. She is also an engineer at Boeing and we met through friends at work. My son, Cai Udaeus Burin, was born on Jan 17, 2007. And we have another baby on the way, expected due date is Jan 16, 2009.

KATIE DIEL

I moved the CDA after graduating and have been working as a trainer for
various call centers. Currently I work at Center Partners as a sales
trainer for the T-Mobile account, basically I teach people how to sell
T-Mobile wireless service over the phone. I'm not married and don't
have any kids, still waiting to meet the right person and don't mind
waiting for that to happen because I do enjoy being single and being
able to do whatever I want. I can't wait to see everyone!!!!

The first pic is Ben Blake and I celebrating our 28th bdays, the second
one is Jeanette Francone and I at 2008 Moyie Mud Bog, and the third one
is just me havin a good time at the bar.

AMANDA (FESSLER) BURMAN

I currently live in Denver, CO. I just recently got married in June 2008 to the man of my dreams Brad. I also have a son named Anthony, from a previous marriage, who is the love of our lives and quite the handful.

After high school I went to the University of Idaho and received my bachelors in Animal/Veterinary Science and a Masters in Food Science. After receiving my M.S. degree I came out to Colorado, following my ex. I found a job as a food scientist working with fried foods, specifically french fries and slowly progressed to working with dog chews. After working about a year and a half, I got pregnant, lost my job and my marriage started to crumble. My son Anthony was born October 21st, 2005, and shortly afterwards my ex and I filed for divorce. During this period I was a stay at home mom and was trying to get my life back together. I started attending a wonderful church that led me to meet great friends, my current job and my husband. I still reside in Denver, CO. I currently work in IT.

JON MESENBRINK

For me, not too much news to report. Graduated BFHS and went on to the University of Idaho and graduated in 2005 with a BA in German and International Studies. After that, I went to Japan to teach English for 2.5 years, and only recently came back to Idaho. Now I am looking for the next step. While in Japan, though, I met the woman of my dreams...Chiaki, and we were wed in Japan by way of a civil service, and will have a wedding on the 27th July of this year, so things are crazy.

SARAH STOLLEY

After graduation with the best class to ever graduate from Bonners Ferry High School, I attended the University of Idaho (GO VANDALS!) and graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Secondary Education with an endorsement in Social Studies. I graduated in December of 2002, and began job hunting. I attended a teacher fair in Spokane, Washington and met with Killeen Independent School District out of Texas. I applied online, and went through a couple of phone interviews and was invited to come down to Killeen to interview at one of the middle schools. I was offered the job within 30 minutes of the interview and the whirlwind began.

I packed everything that could fit in my car and moved to Killeen, Texas (about 1 hour North of Austin, TX). It has been an unbelievable experience! I'm at Liberty Hill Middle School in Killeen. I am teaching PE and I coach volleyball and track. I am the head girl's coach and I have the most amazing student athletes in the entire district. Athletics are extremely competitive in Texas so athletics takes a HUGE majority of my time. I'm one of those coaches that yells, drops clipboards, and stomps. It's amazing how kids can surprise you on and off the court. I've been teaching for 6 years and I love everything about my job.

When I moved to Texas I met the man of my dreams (Joseph Bearden), and we've been together about 4 years--there are definitely wedding bells in the future. He makes me laugh until I cry, he supports me in everything that I do, and he takes good care of me--especially since my family is so far away.

A few paragraphs can't really explain a person's journey over 10 years time, but I hope everyone's experiences have been just as rewarding and wonderful as mine.

:-) Sarah Stolley

Here it is!

This is the official notice that this blog has started!  Anyone from our class can post pictures and be a part of this blog.  Their are also links to fellow classmates blogs as well!  Have a great time staying in touch!