SV Reunion

It's no big shocker that 17 year olds are not the most grateful folks to be around (I had a new appreciation for this while we had our own 17 year old living with us last year. It made me want to hand out belated "I'm Sorry" and "Thank You" cards to everyone who knew me then). Just the other day I was telling someone about how I worked at Water World in high school when I didn't even drive or have a car. "How did you get there?" that person asked. And I couldn't even remember how. That means that someone's mom (MINE!) and another were driving my friend and I to THORNTON every day. And picking up. Blame it on the raging hormones or egocentricity, but I can't believe that I probably never even blinked an eye at that sacrifice (consider this my "Thank You" card to you mom...there's more coming your way).


*this was good for me to remember too because I could see that this self-centered ungratefulness isn't intentional. Just an oversight until all the dust clears when adolescence rages through your body, paired with a million life changes, decisions, etc...I won't take it personally (or try to!) from here on out :) *

In addition to my mom, (and dad of course) there were two other people who countlessly poured into my 17 year old self and friends, and who made eternal differences in my life, and basically changed the trajectory of the course of that said life. Their names are Scott and Wendy DeBruyne. They were on staff with Student Venture, the high school ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ at my high school. 

In a journal entry from high school (yes, I've always had the compulsion to write everything down) I wrote, "God, show me what it looks like to be a Christian in high school. Give me real, true friendships" because at that time I felt lonely and empty and directionless and knew that there had to be more to life. About a month after that, a girl I barely knew turned around in class (that's YOU Ali Monroe Larson!) and invited me to a Student Venture Clothes Swap. It was there that I heard a girl talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus and saw people who truly seemed alive inside and loved each other deeply and sincerely. It was filling that "God shaped hole" in my heart. Through other tough high school times/family times my newfound friends came around me, showed me love, took me to Dairy Queen to talk (Ash and Kari :) and showed me the answer to my question: What it looks like to truly follow Christ in high school.  I am still certain to this day that our friend group had more fun in high school than anyone else...with our Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt put on by our guy friends, crazy tapings of Saturday Night Live skits for SV meetings, Getaways in Estes, etc...it was a highlight of high school for me. 

And a lot of these shenanigans happened or were facilitated by Scott and Wendy. Wendy led a bible study I was a part of  and poured into us girls in high school. She and Scott put up with our flakey tendencies, egocentricity, tears, drama, questions and immaturity :) They came alongside us in life to show us a Christian marriage and a life fully devoted to following God's command to love people and tell them about Him and His desire to know everyone personally. And for that, I'm ETERNALLY grateful. I'm sure that working with those age groups doesn't lend itself to hearing "thank you" very much.

This struck me afresh recently and I emailed Wendy. That started a dialogue that brought about planning a little Student Venture Reunion. A lot of us made it with babies and husbands in tow. It was pretty great to see Scott and Wendy and their grown kids and to all be together in a group again. Of course not everyone could be there, but it was a good start.

Here are the pictures!

Thank you Scott and Wendy :)

That's the SV group! (well the half that my scanner would scan ;) from a sweet scrapbook from Ali!

Ashley, Isla and Tatum

Scott and Wendy's middle girl Kylie, the babysitter extraordinaire at the BBQ

Jenda, recreating the David Spade "seatbelts" part of Tommy Boy:

Ali and Benjamin

Natalie and B

Nate "Nake" and his fiancee

Trampoline fun!

Swanee and Nate

The boys, sharing a lil lunch :)

Bode has really been loving forks. After watching us use them, he DEMANDS one at a meal and then pushes his food around with it.

...or in this case, uses it as a weapon.

Isla, preparing for her next role as "big sister"

Then the DeBruynes' oldest boy Lucas got in the mix. The kids LOVED it.

Bode and Caleb, playing soccer.

It was actually Lucas' birthday the day we came. What a guy, to have a random group of people over on his special day. The littles were VERY excited to have birthday cake as the grand finale to our fun day.

practicin' :)

I really can't get enough of these two together...I kind of love it. Just because since they're the (almost) the same way, they mirror each other in how they play, what they do, etc. 

outtakes from the group shot...

Happy Birthday Lucas!

Thanks again DeBruynes!!!!!!!
For Saturday and all the years prior :)


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