A 20 year Search and HAPPY SURPRISE BIRTHDAY, SUSAN!!!

I will admit...

... I have been keeping a secret. 20 years in the making... let me share a little story with you...

Several months after graduating from high school and starting Jr. College at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, I thought I was being "rebellious"... and I moved out of the house with 2 of my girlfriends, Latrese and Susan Mitchell. Both were friends of mine from the dance program at Saddleback and Susan and I moved into Latrese's 2 bedroom apartment... we figured a simple way to split the "amenities"... I got a room to myself, Latrice got the parking spot and... actually, I can't remember what Susan got... but it all worked out GREAT for awhile!

Jump forward a few months when I became pregnant by my very first and high school sweetheart... Tom Howard... I was SOOOOOO morning sick that I had to quit my job and move back home... I lost 25 pounds in the first 2 months of the pregnancy and was almost hospitalized because I couldn't even keep water or ice chips down. Tom and I were married about 4 months into the pregnancy and, of course, my roommates were there!I lost touch with my roommates, but I had several boxes of photo albums and memorabilia that belonged to Susan when she moved home to Texas to be with her family. I kept those boxes with me for YEARS and every time that we moved, we moved Susan's boxes, too.

I looked for Susan... she had become a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader when she moved back home (oh, did I forget to mention how beautiful and TALENTED my friend was...?) I couldn't find her... I searched phone numbers... I couldn't find her... every few years, as technology improved, I would search again... no luck. I joined Facebook and looked for her there, and of course couldn't find her.

Almost 20 years passed and I had just gone through another round of searching for Susan when I got the strangest email on Facebook... someone emailed me asking if I ever lived in Mission Viejo or went to Saddleback College... I had NO idea who this person was, so I said, "Yes... Do I know you?" This person went on to say that her daughter was about to turn 40 and that she was throwing a HUGE surprise party for her... that she had been going through her daughter's old "stuff" and found a wedding invitation from me... long story short... IT WAS SUSAN she was talking about... and although that wedding she went to ended in divorce, it was STILL ME and I HAD FINALLY FOUND SUSAN!!!

I was invited to this GRAND party for Susan... which is happening as I type this, but due to circumstances, I couldn't make it... instead, I created a special mini album for Susan and sent it to be revealed at the party tonight... I CAN HARDLY WAIT to finally touch bases with my long lost roommate... one of the most special and happy people you will ever know... although I haven't known her for almost 20 years... I know I can make that statement and it will still hold true!

I hope that you enjoy these pictures of the album that I sent as a surprise for Susan... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY SWEET AND BEAUTIFUL FRIEND!!! I CAN'T wait to talk to you and catch up! WOOOO HOOOOO!!!