My 1986 Jenks Sweetheart and I met on the Jenks Bus… She will tell you what I was wearing getting on that bus describing the exact yellow striped shirt my first day of 5th Grade. Years later we found my First Day 5th grade picture and it was EXACTLY as she described! She has an incredible memory.  She had been a Jenks Lifer since Kindergarten. And I was beginning my First Jenks day as a 5th Grader.  My parents gave my brothers and I the option: continue at Holland Hall or start at Jenks...easy decision! Give up the khakis and start living.

I sat behind her in first hour band.  My best friend and I always cut loose with her and her friend -(OK you asked for details)...we would frequently continue chewing their gum after they were done with it.

5th-12th Grade: Never dated or went out as a couple in Jenks. Either on of us would had never ever had considered it, but were always good friends. I was in band playing the saxophone until graduation.  She eventually switched from band to pursue Theatre and Acting.

At 15 1/2:I had my driving permit and was driving my '75 Bronco to school and took the shortcut to school; cut the intersection corner (when it still was an option) at Delaware and 81st and caused her and my first accident. I didn’t look and crashed my front Bronco into her drivers side of her VW Rabbit... no joke…my Bronco killed her Rabbit. That day our parents first met.

Great friends all through High school and even have our graduating ’86 Jenks Yearbook where she remarked….. we survived High School even as the Rabbit Died…. 

I went to KU; as she did… I hated it… she loved It!  I last 1 semester and then I continued at TU until the end. She continued and finished Theatre at KU and Loved it. Always remaining good friends.

After College: I had to chase her and convince her to date. Proclaiming that dating wouldn’t ruin our friendships with our group. Finally accomplished…then SHE had to convince me 4 1/2 years later TO… get on the bus or move on… 

I planned to propose in front of the Christmas tree; Christmas Eve in the living room of her rent house. I had to quickly improvise as multiple unexpected overnight guests were NOW staying at her house AND sleeping in front of the Christmas Tree. 

Ever try to buy a Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve? I got what was available: a “Charlie Brown” tree (one string of lights was all it took) with a Red Norwegian ring bearer holding the ring on the top. I set my Charlie Brown up in her Driveway.  To this day, she says it was a house plant with a few lights…. but she did say YES!

I graduated TU and began into Real Estate. She graduated KU and continued into Arts and Theatre.  We now have been blissfully blessed! Healthy and Married 25 years. She was hired from college and is now the Dean of Performing Arts at TCC and I began into Real Estate sales taking my commissions to buy rentals.  We now have rentals, cows, sheep, a horse, chickens, and 4 Border Collies. Oh and we bought my folks house I grew up in and still live in that same house where we met on the JENKS bus. Life couldn’t be more complete. Keep those Jenks Friends Close…. you never Know…..