Where Are They Now? — Vicki Thompson (O'Brien)

I have LOVED reading about everyone from the class of 1988. It makes me really feel like it was just yesterday, and not 20 years ago. Here's my story . . .

I got a job at Nu Skin right out of high school. Rusty (PHS class of 1987) worked there and got me on as part of a master plan to make me wait for him while he was on his mission. I also started school at UVSC and then transferred to BYU while I diligently "waited" for Rusty to serve his mission to Caracas, Venezuela. We got married in April 1993 (just had our 15th anniversary). I stayed at Nu Skin for a total of seven years, working as Assistant to the Vice President of Distribution, until we both graduated from BYU (me with a BS in Psychology and Rusty in International Relations) and moved to Louisville, Kentucky for him to attend law school. Because of family ties, and having spent half of his childhood in St. Louis, he wanted to return to the Midwest.

Being in Louisville is a completely different experience than growing up and going to college in my/our little hometown of Provo. When I first arrived I really thought I was in a "foreign land." I quickly realized I had to learn the language – "y'all" (all of you), "meemaw/papaw" (Grandma/Grandpa), "dinner" (lunch), "supper" (dinner), "getting your picture made" (taking a picture), Thunder Over Louisville (huge pre-derby firework and air show—not a rain cloud) "fixin ta" going to do something, "The Final Four" (we're in college basketball territory), and "git 'er done" (accomplishing something). But now that I know the language and am used to all the "Louisvillisms" I totally love living here.

One of the best events of our lives happened during law school. I was told that most likely I could never have a baby, so we decided to adopt through LDS Social Services. We figured it would take a long time to get a baby, but it took 9 months to the day that we turned in our papers. We got our oldest daughter, Meg (now 10), from Wichita, Kansas. Eleven months later we had our second child Ben--9 (with a name like O'Brien of course we needed to have "Irish twins"). Three years later came Sam--6, and then Molly—almost 3 (I guess the doctor who diagnosed me was wrong). Our last two also followed the Irish theme by having bright red hair.

I, like many of our graduating class, am a "stay-at-home" mom, and love it! These days I'm "staying at home" just long enough to try to potty train Molly (give me strength!); the rest of my day is spent at baseball, swim team, ballet/dance, volunteering at school, working in Cub Scouts. I also like to run, bike and travel with Rusty. Rusty graduated from law school in 1998 and has been practicing immigration law here in Louisville ever since. There isn't an ethnic restaurant in town that our family hasn't eaten at free (with a family our size we need all the "freebies" we can get). Rusty became a partner last year and it looks like he will take over the joint in three more years, which means we're pretty much staying put. We'll be on a work trip to Vancouver in June so we'll unfortunately miss the reunion. But, if any of you would like to see the Kentucky Derby, "get your picture made" by the biggest baseball bat in the world (at the Louisville Slugger factory), or just see beautiful horse farms and tobacco fields as far the eye can see, My Old Kentucky Home is open. Please drop us a line and y'all come visit.

Vicki Thompson (O'Brien)