Julie (Hoffman) Sherman
So, if they say that 60 is the new 40, then 40 must be the new 20!!!! I know, not original, but so true! Like many of you, I still feel like I am 20 years old! I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed seeing familiar faces (and unfamiliar, Patty, ‘didn’t even recognize you! : )), as well as all of the children and new babies and man, I was brought to tears with those tributes (Joe was such a part of my life in LA) and the news of Michelle’s daughter passing. My heart goes out to you & your family Michelle…what an unbelievable journey you’ve been through.
I’ll start by saying that he best thing that came from living in LA, is that after nearly 35 years, Amy Stoll-D’Astice (Cumbres, 8th grade moved to Mesa, Arizona) and I remain the best of friends! There’s nothing like having someone who knows you and everything about your life (growing up in Los Alamos) since Kindergarten! She’s a true blessing.
So, to my surprise, at our HS graduation ceremony, I learned that my dear friend Amy, would not only be joining me at ASU, but living three floors under me in the Freshman dorm, Manzanita! We went on to be roommates during our sophomore year and had so many fun college times together-double dates, tailgating, partying and yes, some studying in there. We even threw a birthday party for Philippe Sparks, whose fiancé, Jodi was pregnant with Jordin Sparks (American Idol) at the time!!! Man does that make me and Ames feel old!!! Anyway, after graduating with a BSW (Bachelor’s of Social Work), exactly one week later, I started a 15 month Master’s program at the University of Texas in Austin (Hook’em Horns!). I thought I had lost my mind when I went to the orientation and discovered the demands that would be placed on me so soon after just graduating, but somehow (with the help of an awesome bar on 6th Street called Catfish Station and a band called ‘The Business’) I made it through! After graduating with an MSW (in Gerontology & Health), I applied to The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Galveston had been described to me as a “Tropical Paradise”, but unless you were a millionaire, it was far from paradise, so I chose to live in Clear Lake, TX (near NASA) and commute. I was the Program Manager for The Adult Rehabilitation Unit, in charge of discharge planning for spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke and some burn patients, as well. The Unit started out with 12 beds and had 38 when I left (in 1997 right after I got married) so, needless to say, I was burned out.
Every year Galveston has a Mardi gras party/ parade and in 1996, I actually went to the Mardi gras party with co-workers and then went to see the parade. This is where I met my husband, Jarrett, literally on the street corner. (No, I didn’t flash anything to get his attention : ))! We were engaged 5 months later, on July 4th, and then married in May 1997 at the El Dorado Hotel, on the Plaza, in Santa Fe. We honeymooned in The Grande Cayman’s where we both fell in love with scuba diving.
My husband, Jarrett, graduated from Texas Southern University with a degree in Communications with a double minor in Marketing & Management and one week after his graduation we were married. Soon after, he got offered a fantastic job with a Johnson and Johnson company called Ethicon Endo-Surgery. He is a surgical sales rep. and has worked for the company for 10 years now. He is amazing at his job and is in surgery everyday advising doctors on how to use the surgical equipment he sells. Although we moved around quite a bit with his company, I was ecstatic when we learned, in 2000, that he was going to be offered Austin, TX as his main territory! We built a home in South Austin with the intention of staying for life and starting our family there. We went on a trip to London and all over South Africa (Capetown rocks!) as our official “last trip before children” and had an amazing time. After one miscarriage and 14 months of trying, we were finally blessed with our first son, Evan Michael Sherman on March 08, 2004. Since it had taken us awhile to become pregnant with Evan, we decided to try for a second child quickly and along came Aiden Reese Sherman, born November 9, 2005. More about those loves of my life in a minute.
Jarrett won a sales excellence trip to Bermuda in June of 2005, on which we met a wonderful couple who ranted and raved about Atlanta, as well as what a great boss he had. We jokingly told him to let us know if he ever decided to leave his territory because we had always wanted to live in Atlanta (culture, theatre, music, etc.) and October 2006 we got the call. Even though we LOVED Austin, we decided that the change would be good. So, Jarrett accepted the transfer and in December 2006, we built a home in Marietta, GA, 30 miles North of Atlanta. We absolutely love it here. The hills, hiking trails, season changes and people are all great!
I am a stay at home Mom and love almost every minute of it! My boys bring us absolute joy. I agree whole heartedly with Michelle in that there is nothing better than being a Mommy! Evan, who just turned 4 in March, is a “Momma’s boy”, very smart, funny, bossy, but a loving big brother, just so darn sweet, is an excellent swimmer (says he wants to Scuba dive with the sharks, like Daddy, when he gets older), and loves dinosaurs . And Aiden (nicknamed “Squishy”), is a “Daddy’s boy”, has serious attitude (he’s 2 1/2 after all), but is so loving and sweet, gives the BEST hugs ever and loves trucks! We’re going to try to for a third, not for the sake of having a girl-I am without a doubt a boys Mommy, but whatever God decides to bless us with, boy or girl, will be welcomed as the most precious gift ever!
Eventually (after my children graduate HS), I’d like to go back into the Social Work Field in the area of adoption. I found my biological parents/ 6 half-siblings in 2000 and am fascinated by the adoption system as a whole. Congratulations Patty on adopting your beautiful little angel!
We won’t be able to make it to the reunion, but had a great time at the 10th and hope to be around for the 30th! My heart goes out to the families of our deceased classmates. Thank you for sharing their legacy with us on this site. To all who have written Bio’s all I can say is WOW! I am proud to have gone to school with such generous, adventurous, and just plain awesome people. ‘Hope all of your lives continue with joy and grace…
Fondly,
Julie Sherman
Feel free to email me at jsherman33@gmail.com
FYI: Amy Stoll lives in Phx., got married last summer in San Diego to a great guy named Tony. She now has a nine year old step son named Matt. She is managing clinical research trials for Pancreatic Cancer. Their newest addition is a golden retriever named Max. You may email her at Astoll2 @hotmail.com.if you wish.
And finally, since I really don’t think Carrie will write a Bio., I will just share that she lives in Los Alamos (got her Master’s in Education from U. of Arizona), is happily married with two adorable kids, Liam (8) and Kylie Belle (4) and works as a Special Education Teacher at Barranca Elementary School. Her husband, Michael Johnson, a former History Teacher, is now the Assistant Principle at the High School. They have two dogs: Cosmo and Sasha. : )
Jarrett & me ~ Christmas 2007
Our first son, Evan Michael~ Austin Texas, Easter 2006
Evan at the Atlanta Zoo - Aug 2007
Our #2 son ~ Aiden Reese Sherman~ November 2007
Aiden hates chocolate!
"Doyle the Gargoyle" ~ Halloween 2007
Evan & Aiden cheezin' ~ May 2008
Jarrett, Evan & Aiden in Marietta's 4th of July parade 2008 (Wall E made in three days!)
