BACK TO THE FUTURE

I am a Don.
Which is to say that I graduated from Spanish Fork High, home of the Mighty DONS.

Go class of '92!

A few weeks ago I attended my twenty year high school reunion.

(Here is a snippet of a silly "Bill and Ted" skit my friend Melanie and I put-together for the evening - 

people started walking out and asking for their money back... 

ha ha I'm kidding - it was bad...but maybe not that bad.)

Good times, good times.

As I was driving to the reunion, my nerves were getting the best of me, but I was so glad I went.

We had a great group and a memorable evening.

you might be saying...
"what Hilary? twenty years? no way!
you look way too young,  and seem so youthful, with the body of a twenty year old, the energy of a teenager and you certainly don't look a day over 40."
Oh you are making me blush, go on...

OK, nobody believes that... 

but, do believe that this year during the Fiesta Days parade,

we were the "old people" on the alumni party bus. 

believe it my friends.

And while you are believing that,
believe also that I have a son attending Spanish Fork High as a Junior this year.

yup. Believe it.  

Walking the same halls, sitting possibly in the same desk as I did twenty years ago.

One big reality check!

It seems impossible that I have a High School'er.

The biggest argument I have with my teenagers isn't about good grades and clean rooms,

it's usually about which music/clothing trends are the best...mine or theirs.

Mine was an era of grunge and boy bands -

punk rockers and Vanilla Ice

. . . . . . . .

Puffy sleeves, 
combat boots, 
neon,
floral prints, 
big hair, 
overalls,
doc Martens, 
flannel shirts, 
baggy jeans,
and oh so much more.

I loved everything about our era, but I was oh so happy to throw it all away, burn it and never expect to see again,

... well, that's what I thought.

One look around the local mall, 

and you will see that it's all coming back around again.

That's how I know I win. 

Ours was so gnarly, it's back!

Brett is channeling Ferris Bueller this year.

School shopping was very haunting this year.

It's a full blown 90's revival!

Wade only accepted high-tops and skinny jeans.

Lauren tried to convince me that these acid washed jeans were all the rage now. 

I just couldn't do it. 

She and I ended up going on a tri-county search for the perfect pair of floral jeans. 

Yes, FLORAL JEANS!

Brett was on his own.

I took this picture with my zoom lens outside the store window, 

right before I was escorted away by mall security. 

But hey - check out those jeans...familiar? 

My older kids love to look through the few clothing items 

that Dean and I saved from our younger days.

Like some unearthed discovery, Brett holds up one of Dean's Michael Jordan ball caps and exclaims, "this is so vintage!" and then they all laugh.

I Recently unearthed a discovery of my own.

A few "slides" (yes slides) from 

"a day in the life of me" - 

a High School Senior.  (Spring 1992)

 Here I am with my BFF Randi in Yearbook class (foul or fair Rand?)...inside joke.

 Wow, look how high-waisted my pants are! 

And my hair?! dirty-dishwater blond must've been in back then. 

Hey, here's was a novel idea... eating school lunch...in the lunch room!
Imagine that.

 I'm talking to you my "too cool for school" son whose name rhymes with Smett. 

 Yes, we ate school lunch and doggone it, we liked it ~

Here I am being awesome as I examine some film,

while sporting a mood ring, pink eye shadow and sweater vest. 

Aw, just look how charming and dainty I was back in the day.  

It's a wonder the boys weren't beating down my door. 

Again with the pants? 

Here I am with Randi and Stacy just after receiving our pictures from Morp.     

One might question if I ever went to class-

...uh, let's move on.

I clearly remember this outfit.  It was my best - 

A sweatshirt from Guess and white stretch pants (that leave plenty to the imagination) 

with forest green socks and penny loafers and a velvet headband.  

ssssmokin hot!  

It's a bit surreal to look back twenty years on what seems to have just happened a few days ago. 

I feel a bit like Marty McFly "Whoa, this is heavy"

I wonder what I would say to that young gap-toothed seventeen year old girl regarding her life twenty years in the future.

Would I tell her to run? 

hide?

move far away?

be afraid? 

join a monastery?

Nope, 

I'd tell that youngin to get ready, 

cause here they come.  

Oh and by the way - 

"Hey Brett!.. Zach called, he wants his era back!"