Anybody going to the fifteen year reunion?

Long and Lost....in Kansas City

This is a long overdue update that I told Rebecca I would do last year. You can see at how well I am being social online as I do not have a Facebook account and I have not posted here since early 2006 if I recall correctly.

Short update (which may turn out long):

I graduated from Iowa State in May 2007 and took a job with the Missouri Department of Transportation as a Highway Designer in the Kansas City district. I've been working here in the disitrict office in Lee's Summit ever since and just got my 2 year government promotion just like clockwork this month. I have worked on several jobs since I started but the area I have worked the most in is the design of roundabouts. Roundabouts are great! I have one that is going to be constructed next summer (probably) out near Warrensburg and I am currently in final design of a second roundabout in Parkville, MO. I am busy working on plan sheets. Roundabouts are relatively new to the state system but we hope to put in more where opportunity knocks.

I am living in Independence renting from some friends of mine from church. Kansas City is the largest congregation of our church and I am really enjoying being able to have so many friends here in this area because of it. Sometimes I am too busy and have to find time to be at home - like tonight taking care of things I should have a year ago. One really nice thing about living here is its central location. It's about three hours from Omaha where I have friends I visit, three hours or so from Mark and Amanda down in Fayetteville, and just under four hours to Oskaloosa where my parents still live. Lisa is a seven hour drive to Wisconsin near the twin cities. She, by the way, has two kids now, Eli and Arrielle.

I just had to purchase a new vehicle so I am the proud owner of a 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac -- not as fuel economical and eco-friendly as Jay's Prius, but none the less, I am happy with it and am enjoying it. My sorry, old beat-up Ranger had had it.

To catch up on some travels of mine, after graduating in 2007, me and a buddy of mine took an 18 day road trip to the northwest where we camped at National and State parks along the way seeing all sorts of beautiful sites. We stayed for about a week in Seattle with my aunt. We caught Theodore Roosevelt, Glacier, North Cascades, Olympic, Craters of the Moon, Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks as well as Battle of the Little Bighorn National Monument, Mount St. Helens, the Space Needle, a Mariner's game, beaches, a rain forest, got a tour of huge Boeing building (my uncle worked there). We took tons of pictures.

The other notable trip was last Fall when I observed the Feast of Tabernacles in New Zealand. Me and my travelmates flew into Auckland and spent the Feast in Tuapo in the middle of the North Island. After the Feast, we went down to the South Island and toured around the West Coast. We went up to Franz Joseph Glacier and spent a day ice climbing. We also saw Queenstown billed as the Adventure Capital of the World, took a tour of Lord of the Rings film sights. We also saw just a bit of Christchurch before we came home. It was a great, great trip.

Unfortunately, I won't be making it to the 10 year reunion. June and July are going to be busy months for me. The 100th Wilson family reunion is in August at the Honey Creek resort near Lake Rathbun, IA. Then in early October all my family and I will be in Barbados keeping the Feast this year.

I hope all is going well for everyone. I'll post just a few pictures from my trip if I can. If anyone is traveling through Kansas City and wants to see me let me know. Email me. It's still the same or you can probably find my email at work on the MoDOT website. We can go get some barbeque or something.

St. Mary's Lake - Glacier National Park

Yellowstone National Park - Near Norris Campgrounds

Rialto Beach - Olympic National Park

Mt. Saint Helens

Ice Climbing in New Zealand

My feet from Mount Maunganui, City of Tauranga below and Pacific Ocean

Sunset over Lake Taupo

Hwy 6 on the South Island next to Lake Hawea

Mount Tasman on the Left, Mt. Cook (highest peak in NZ) on the right

Franz Joseph Glacier, NZ

A haiku about You've got mail

I've seen it before

Though it was in Seattle

But this was better

My bucket list starts with: Zero-Gravity flight.

Zero-Gravity flight.
Always wanted to be an astronaut!

Where can I park my Prius?

Fuel Economy wins!

UPDATED Reunion Schedule!

All,

Here is the official information regarding the 10 year class reunion.

1) We will "unofficially" start things off Friday night at Friday after Five at the town square in Oskaloosa.

The reunion itself will take place Saturday, June 27th at 7 PM in the basement of Doc Salami's. We have the basement reserved for the whole evening.

2) The menu has been set and I will be sending out this menu to each of you. The cost will be $15 for one person and $30 per couple if paid for by June 1st. After June 1st, the cost will be $17.50 for one person & $35 per couple.

This deadline will give the restaraunt a preliminary headcount so they can be prepared.

3) As far as plans for Saturday afternoon, there are no "official" plans, but I know some people would like to have a potluck-style Family Picnic, while others would like to golf, etc.

I personally will not be planning these Saturday afternoon events, but I would be more than happy to help anyone that does want to plan these events.

4) I am still working on amassing mailing addresses. 

If you have not sent me your mailing information, please do so. 

I would also like to put information about your family (spouse's name and child(ren)'s name(s)) in a "program" for each of us to have.

I will be updating the addresses that I have, and I will post those people that I do not have addresses for. I ask that if you can help me in any way, please do, because I want EVERY MEMBER of our class to get an invitation.

If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to email me.

Thank you.

Eddie Pierson

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21267496258

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Anybody still there?