Flashback Friday - Old Friends

This last week my Father lost his oldest Friend "Merit (George) Trusedale." He died of a heart attack - his first one. ...I am sorry Dad for the loss of your friend. : (

When my dad and I last spoke he reminded me again how his earliest memories of Merit included them riding tricycles together.

I too am lucky to have had a number of close friends over the years. However, only Greg and Gretchen go back as far as we were born. We even hung out in Sun Beams together (our old Sun Beam teacher, Bea Peters, used to tell me stories of how Gretchen would ride on my back driving me around the classroom like I was a horse ; )

We grew up in the same Rochester II Ward, went through our awkward early teen stages together, and dated a few friends. Gretchen, in fact, was with me the first night I met Bethany at the Sherwood's home. She was actually the one who invited me and Paul Wonnacott along. Greg was always the guy every boy wanted to be like. He was the youth standard I always seemed to measure myself against.

We followed each other all the way through High School and on to college. Though our lives eventually took us on different paths, it’s really nice to know the people who you have known, loved, and have accepted you since your earliest memories remain good friends.

This last summer Greg and Gretchen came back to Rochester to attend their 20 year High School reunion. I swung up and we hung out a bit to catch up. I think their visit may have been the highlight of my summer.

I am so glad to see them both happy, successful, surrounded with wonderful families of their own.

I dropped in a few "Flashback Friday" pictures of Greg for old times sake and also included a couple pictured Gretchen took of all three of us last July.

Greg, Mark Adams and I at church (the painted cinder block walls give the location away ;). ↓ Note my super cool pants.

Greg and I in Cub Scouts at the Johnson's home. We were learning about photography that day. ↓

This picture demonstrated the one skill I had at that age. : ) ↓

1981 Cub Scout's Pine Wood derby. I guess Greg's dad was running the tracks that day. ↓

Kodak's Softball League in 1981 ↓ I wasn't that good. However, if you look close you'll also see Steve Johnson, Mark Cross, and Danny Cousineau.

Always a good picture ↓ 1983 Scout Camp. There are a lot of fun faces in the picture. : )

Steve Johnson, David Nolan, Andrew Schwendiman, Kurt Theil, Danny Cousineau, Greg, Paul Wonnacott, Stuart Johnson, unknown, and Todd Wonnacott.