I think it's super fitting that it's 10:30 on Monday night and I'm JUST now sitting down to write this post. Apparently I'm channeling "High School Andrea" because that is totally something that she would have done :) A little procrastination never hurt anyone... until you plan on getting up early to finish what you should have finished the night before and end up sleeping through your alarm clock. #worstnightmare
With back-to-school on the forefront of EVERYTHING right now, I thought it would be fun to share a little bit about who we were in High School.
If I had to pick one thing that defined High School for me, it would most definitely be band. Depending on where you're from, band can mean a lot of different things. Our band was 200+ people, was SUPER competitive and consumed tons and tons of time. Band started in July where we would rehearse early in the mornings, go home and nap and then rehearse more in the evenings as well. We'd work on our marching show that we would perform at contest as well as smaller half-time shows and music for the stands and parades as well. I played regular trombone during marching season, and during concert season I played bass trombone (a jumbo sized trombone with a lower register... kind of like the tuba of trombones).
I'm the short one in the middle :)
We traveled to every football game (home and away) and some of my fondest memories are in the stands, on the buses and getting into trouble after the games. :)
After marching season was over, we transitioned into concert season where we'd work on music to perform at concerts and contests and take on the road as we competed out of town on trips to places like Disney World, Vail and Galveston. (The pic below is from Vail my Senior year).
I was also a member of jazz band which I LOVED! We used to get out of school to play at various events and we had so much fun. I was the only girl most years and other than having to wear a guys shirt and tie, had so much fun performing and traveling.
Our high school fine arts program put on a madrigal dinner every winter where band, choir and theater came together to put on a huge production that we performed three nights in a row during a big themed dinner. We had the best time running around the school in tights, playing fanfares to announce different parts of the show and sneaking rolls from the kitchen :)
Since we spent so much time in the band hall and practicing, rehearsing and traveling, naturally most of my strong friendships were developed in band. My senior year I was part of Homecoming Court with several girls from band. And yes... we rode in the back of a convertible in the parade :)
I've always loved a theme!!!
Dave and I met through band (he was drumline captain) my Sophomore year. This is us at his Senior Night game in 2000.
Music also afforded me some fun opportunities during high school, including playing with the Metropolitan Winds at the Meyerson Symphony Center (I think I may still be the youngest member to perform with them) and performing at several college competitions.
This is me and Dave after a Metropolitan Winds performance in 1999.
I was so lucky that my parents put a lot of effort into making our house a cool place to hang out. Now I know that they just wanted to keep an eye on us :) But at the time we were having too much fun playing capture the flag, swimming and shooting pool in the game room to care.
Outside of school I spent a lot of time in youth group.
We did the regular Sunday night stuff, Bible studies during the week and had so much fun doing mission trips during the summer and Spring break.
So the next couple of pictures are just to give you an idea of the CRAZINESS that was my room during high school. God bless my mom :)
In the picture up above, I remember that the balloons were a surprise after I passed my CNA exam. I was part of the clinical rotation program at school where I earned my Certified Nursing Assistant license after training and preparing in an assisted living center (feeding, changing, bathing, etc.) and then spent the rest of the year shadowing different doctors and practices. I spent a significant amount of time in the emergency room at the hospital where I got to assist with small procedures (wound care, staples, etc.) and got a taste of a career in the medical field. I also got to watch a c-section, knee surgery and a couple of other small surgeries as well as shadow a pediatrician and volunteer in a free clinic in a low income area. It was a FANTASTIC program.
Dave and I attended several school dances together (I think we went to 6... these are just a couple of them)...
... and he graduated in 2001 and I graduated in 2002.
As far as academics go, I was a diligent and studious student. I took lots of AP classes, HATED group work and was a total over achiever when it came to projects :) I tutored classmates in Latin, Calculus and Biology and was a member of NHS. I didn't do sports, but was most definitely competitive when it came to band (chair contests, anyone??? ) and academics. My graduating class was around 700 people and I think I ended up somewhere in the high twenties, low thirties (I don't remember the exact number), but I do remember that I ended up one class rank behind Bob Morton. He and I were super competitive when it came to grades and me ranking one behind him meant that at graduation, the only way my parents could find me in the crowd was by spotting 6'4 Bob and then looking next to him for me :) He wasn't hard to spot. hahaha
(He went on to be a linebacker for Notre Dame)
My senior year of high school I was offered a full academic scholarship to The University of Texas at Dallas (which was actually just ranked the 6th hardest Texas school to get into) which I happily accepted as a payoff to lots of hard work I had put in.
I have so many fond memories of high school, although I don't think I'd want to go back. It's way more fun to give the tests than it is to have to study for and take them. hahaha
I'm not sure when all of you graduated, but if you were in the same boat as me when writing this post you were wishing HARD that we had had Facebook, Instagram OR digital photos when we were in school because it would have made writing this a lot easier :)
Happy Tuesday, friends!!!
So fun that you and Dave have know each other since high school! Love all the photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks!! Yes... we met and hit it off at Black Eyed Pea my sophomore year. hahaha
DeleteMy parents also worked hard to make sure our house was the hangout house, and it wasn't until a few years ago that I realized it was because they wanted us under their wing. ;) Thanks for hosting this link up!
ReplyDeleteWeren't our parents smart?!?!?! :) You're so so so welcome!
DeleteSO! MUCH! FUN!!!!!!!!!!!! Such a great idea for a show and tell!!!!
ReplyDeletethanks, girly!!! :)
DeleteThis was a fun link-up!! I loved getting a peek I to everyone's high school self!
ReplyDeleteSo fun! I think it may have been my favorite so far :)
DeleteI love this Andrea!! You (and Dave!) were so cute back in high school!! I love, love, love everything about this post :).
ReplyDeleteThanks, girly! We're still cute now, right?!?!?! :) hahaha
DeleteI love seeing all of these pictures from high school! So fun!! Thank you for the linkup!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, girly!!! You're so welcome!
DeleteYou and Dave look like baby versions of your current self. So cute! Although it would make these posts easier, I'm SO glad there was no Facebook or Instagram when I was in high school!
ReplyDeleteFor photo posting purposes it would be easier, but like you, I am sooooooooo glad we didn't have any social media! I remember setting up my first Facebook account my Freshman year of college back when you had to have a dot edu email address! CRAZY!
DeleteSo great! Our high school stories are so similar... the band, youth group, academics. All of it except marrying your high school sweetheart and the nursing part ; ) What a fun trip down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteSo fun! What instrument did you play?
DeleteGreat pics! I graduated in 2012 and did marching/concert band my freshman and sophomore years. I played oboe and was in the pit. So many memories!
ReplyDeleteSo fun!!! Marching band was the best :)
DeleteOh I LOVE this series!! High school is the best - we all just have to laugh at those pictures....and imagine we may do the same in 15 years when we look back at today's pictures!!
ReplyDeleteOh, girl! I look back at pictures from like 3 years ago and laugh. hahaha :)
DeleteI graduated in 2001 too! So cool to see your pictures because they brought back memories for me. No digital pictures. Our computer lab was all the big computer monitors and I remember getting to do some research papers and using the internet. It was all very new back then. I created my first email address in high school and I still use it everyday, even though it has my maiden name in it. I just can't part with it!! #hotmailisstillcool
ReplyDeleteI was big in softball in high school (starting pitcher junior and senior years) and was involved in business classes and clubs. So fun that you got a full academic scholarship!!! You were very driven for a teenager.
haha, I still have my hotmail account too! And it's such an embarrassing email address too, but it's where everything goes, I can't part with it!
DeleteI'm STILL using hotmail!! I'm going to hold out until the bitter end :) Mine is one that I set up for wedding RSVPs. hahaha
DeleteYou and dave are the cutest!! Those baby faces!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katelyn!!! :)
DeleteI was in band too. Wish ours was bigger, but my school was preschool-seniors in the whole school. One class for each grade. Average 15 or less in a class maybe. Mine had 12 lol. So our band was small- like probably 40 members. I played clarinet first and then started playing oboe for which I loved. Unfortunately though we didn't have great teachers and not many stayed in band. Wish I could've had a more awesome experience like it sounds like you had. I didn't love marching band though as much as concert. That I really enjoyed!!
ReplyDeleteAnd believe it or not - the band from a neighboring town was WAAAAY bigger than ours! I'm glad that you stuck with it despite not having the best teachers... a great director/leader can make a huge difference in experiences Thanks for commenting, Michelle!
DeleteSuch a fun link-up today! Thanks for the creative, entertaining idea!! I think its SO fun that you have so many memories from high school with your husband. My husband and I started dating our freshman year of college, but I'm always sad I don't have any cute prom pictures with him (;
ReplyDeleteYou should recreate a prom pic :) hehehe And yes... it's fun to have inside jokes and memories from all the way back in high school. I'm not sure many people can say that they tp'd houses, passed notes in the hall and ate biscuits in high school parking lot every morning with their husbands :) hahaha
DeleteAww, you and Dave were so cute together! I think we might have lived the same high school experience, LOL. Even down to playing the trombone, although I can't for the life of me find one picture with me holding one! I'm going to go ahead and blame mom for not taking any pictures of me. I thought the same thing about, this would be so much easier if it didn't cost an arm an a leg to get pictures developed way back when, I would have taken so many more! Our kids though, watch out world, they're whole lives are being documented! And I loved Marching Band and Wind Ensemble, but quite Jazz band my senior year, just wasn't for me. I liked playing it, but definitely didn't like the solos. Solos on the trombone, not as fun as a sax :)
ReplyDeleteYAY for trombone!!! That's crazy!!! Improv was definitely intimidating and I pretty much sucked at it. hahaha
DeleteThis is adorable!!!!!! I wish I could be friends with you
ReplyDeleteyou're too sweet!!! hahaha #besties
Deleteyou seem so GENUINE! I admire that
ReplyDeleteOh, goodness!!! Thank you!!! I so appreciate it!
DeleteI was also in band and I know exactly what you mean about all the good memories! So much fun!
ReplyDeleteYAY!!! I love that you "get" it :)
DeleteI graduated in 1992 and I am so happy that there wasn't any social media back then! I'm happy that not everything was all over the Internet;). I loved high school! I wouldn't want to go back but some of my fondest memories are from high school !!!!
ReplyDeleteHahaha - true!!!
DeleteI really enjoy reading your blog. When I saw the name Bob Morton I did not think it was the Bob Morton that I know. Then I saw the picture. I live about 15 minutes from Notre Dame. Bob started coming to our church when he was a freshman. He moved away a few years ago to be a youth pastor at another church. He just moved back to be the Next Generation Pastor at our church. We are excited to have him back. Small World!
ReplyDeleteSUCH a small world!!! Absolutely crazy!!! Thanks for commenting, Linda!
DeleteHi "Andrea, totally still feel like I should call you Mrs.McAnally :)
ReplyDeleteI had to come over and check out your marching band pictures, especially since Julie (our oldest sister) went to Mckinney High too! I also got an academic scholarship to University of Texas at Dallas and can TOTALLY see you in one of my classes. I love it!