Where Are They Now? — Marcia Matheson (Slichta)

It's amazing all the high school memories that come back after reading everyone's entries and looking at pictures. I wish I could say that you all look the same... but only some of you do and the rest of you...well, you'll have to carry around your yearbook picture at the reunion so I can know who you are. I even saw Andy Horton on the BYU channel on t.v. a couple of weeks ago teaching at Education Week or something. I thought for sure it wasn't THE Andy Horton that I went to school with...but it wasn't until after reading his entry and looking at his picture on this class website that I realized it was HIM. He gave a great talk too!

After graduation I enjoyed a semester abroad to Israel. I served a mission in Portugal--same mission as Craig Gardner and was companions with Janette Wallner (class of 87.) The mission was part of Cape Verde, 11 African Islands where I opened 2 islands up for Sisters and lived like I was a National Geographic woman. Such an adventure! I returned home and a year later married Jeff Slichta (Slick-tah...try saying that name 5 times fast) an upstate New Yorker who was at BYU getting his MPA. I graduated from BYU in Elementary Education and was wisked away from Provo a month later.

Jeff and I have had many adventures together in different parts of the country. As hard as it has been to move around we have realized that they're so many good people all over. We lived in Naperville, IL where I taught school for 2 years until our first daughter, Maryn was born. I began teaching piano lessons and did so for the next 5 years. Three years later we moved to Schaumburg, IL where Adyson, our second daughter was born. I loved seeing Jenny Gordon McIntyre working in the temple there. We were sad to leave the Chicago area but moved on to Lake Forest, CA (orange county). What a wonderful change of climate for us living in the warm weather with the beach. We thought for sure we would live there forever. Emmy was born there and right after we moved up north to Redding, CA. (are you beginning to see the pattern? baby move, baby move, baby move). After being in the big cities we we felt very out of place in this small town in Northern CA...we were with a bunch of hicks and rednecks... the people were shocked to see our mini van with electric doors. We felt out of place with a full set of teeth in and unless you were "into the outdoors" there was nothing to. It took us a long time to get used to this sort of life style but once we got ourselves an RV and friends with boats and stopped wearing shoes, we fit right in. We camped, swam in our pool, ate fruit from our 11 fruit trees, road bikes on the river trails and endured the summers at an average of 113 degrees and loved it! We also had our baby BOY finally, Kaden. We had given and served so much to these people in Redding and come to love them so much that after 5 years it ripped our hearts out to leave, but we did. We moved to Sammamish, WA (Seattle area) and have been here for 6 months now. After being in the 2nd most sunny place in the country we are now in the 1st most cloudiest place in the county. Although it is so pretty here we are having difficulties adjusting to the lack of sun.

Jeff has always served the "old folks" running nursing homes and assisted living communities. He is now the COO over a company with several communities. He has a great singing voice and is asked frequently to perform while I accompany at the piano. Music is a fun thing we share together. When we started to feel our age we decided to do the St. George triatholon...we loved it so much that we did it again the next year. We're not really buff but we loved the challenge and thrill of finishing and we're looking for another one to do around here before our muscle turns to flab. I have lots of things I enjoy doing but rarely get around to doing them...sewing, decorating houses, reading, traveling...I mostly spend my time making sure everyone else is happy.

We keep busy with the drama and enthusiasm of 3 girls...Maryn 11, Adyson 8, Emmy 5 who are all involved in dancing, gymnastics, piano or harp. Kaden, our much loved boy is the family mascot...spoiled rotton with 4 mommies. He likes to push his big trucks around with one hand holding a Barbie in the other hand. (he's only allowed to do that when Jeff's not home.) Nothing is harder than having children but nothing is more rewarding either. We're just a regular happy family trying to be a happy family every day.

I wish everyone in high school today knew that high school is not an indicator for the rest of your life. I am happy to see how great you all turned out. It's amazing the roads we all have traveled. Look forward to seeing you in June!

Marcia Matheson Slichta