UCI Choir Alumni Summer Gathering 2008

Back in college, besides my roommates, my closest friends were the ones that I made in choir. I had always enjoyed singing, but didn't have the time in high school to get involved in their choruses, because I was focused on orchestra at the time. When college came around, though, I decided to try out for choir, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. Not only did we form great bonds spending time making beautiful music, searching our souls for the emotion that each piece presented, but we also bonded during our tours to other parts of the world. My love for music was nurtured with these friends, and I know that had I not made the choice to sing, my life would be really, really different right now. I think I'll blog the details about that at a different time, though.

After graduation, I kept in touch with these wonderful friends, and we still get together a few times each year, for different activities. This is the second year that we've had an outdoor gathering at the home of Shannon and Caesar, whom met in choir and got married and are highly representative of the kind of bond that we all formed in college. There we were at the beginning of their dating years, and we sang at their wedding, and they are just really great people.

I arrived a little bit early, and so did another friend and her family. Little by little, the party grew, and we were happy to see a friend whom was usually out of the country on business during our gatherings, so it was a special treat to have her there. She wasn't the only surprise: two of our friends showed up with very prominent bellies, and we were told that their babies are due a day apart. One of them is expecting twins!

We had a great time eating, drinking (well, the non-pregnant ones of us anyway), catching up, marveling at how much the kids have grown up, and saying how it can't possibly have been almost 20 years since we were all singing together. I really needed the laughs, because I was sad that Bro and family will be moving away today. I think that it was God's way of reminding me of all of the wonderful friends that I have here to keep me smiling.

Thanks, guys, for a great time, especially to Shannon and Caesar for being such fantastic hosts. (That tri-tip was tres yummy!) Our next gathering will probably be full of oohs and aahs over little baby boys, and I look forward to it!