Orlando

Kyrsten and Mike Hicks, Steve and I went to the Temple in Orlando. We left very early in the morning! I am so glad we went, it is always such an uplifting experience. It was a great day! Thanks Kyrsten and Mike for asking us---Lets do it again soon!

The Test

This was a very exciting day for Hilary. She has been attending classes to get her real estate license. The classes were 2 evenings a week from 6 till 10, for 6 weeks. On Labor Day she took the test and did very well! Austin stayed with Steve and I. We sure are happy for her and her sweet little family! Way to go Hilary!!! Now she has to take the state exam. She has taken some practice tests and has done pretty well. More studying! Hang in there Chris!

More of Fay

The rain and wind just hung over Jacksonville for quite a while. Fay would just not move.
I tried to catch the trees when they were blowing, but you really can't tell in these.
Thank goodness we had a shop vac--there for a while Steve had to go out about every 15 minutes and vac up the water. The back door to the borch was blocked by the dirt bags, so he had to empty the vac with a bucket, walk it through the house, out the front door and empty the bucket in the front yard. By late Friday afternoon the rain and wind really calmed down, and we were even able to go out and get most of the yard cleaned up.

Hurricane Fay

When we heard, on Tuesday, there was a pretty good chance that Fay was heading our way Steve went to Home Depot and bought several pieces of plywood. Wednesday morning Steve met Chris at Home Depot at 6 am, and Chris bought several pieces of plywood also. They measured and cut most of the morning, and had plywood ready to go up on all the windows of our home and Chris and Hilary's home if we needed it. Thanks for all the help Chris, Steve enjoys working with you. He says your are really a hard worker---but I already knew that!
This was Thursday morning.....The wind was kicking up and the rain was coming down, but it still wasn't that bad. Steve is usually always up and out before I even open one eye in the morning---BUT---I got up before he did this morning and made him breakfast in bed. Schools were closed, the post office was closed and many other places. We had a nice day, I sewed and Steve read to me. I had just checked 2 books out from the library, written by my favorite authors, Nicholas Sparks and Beverly Lewis, whom have become some of Steve's favorite authors also. When we travel we listen to their books on tapes. Was a really fun day for us, we never just sit around when we are home!
These pictures are a little out of order--oh well-- This was Friday and Hilary had to go to work-power was still out in many places and branches and trees were down all over, but she still had to go in:<( Austin and I watched the water and hoped it didn't come in again!!
This was Thursday. I had to run out and take a few pictures, this was by our down spout in the front of our house, it was a little scary at times, the wind gusts were up to 45 and 50 miles per hour at times. I sure don't ever want to see it any more than that!!!
Our back porch flooded, it is hard to tell here, but we filled up bags with dirt and packed them all along the back porch, and it did help a little.

My Friend Trish

Trish and I first became friends when Heidi was in third grade with her son Andrew. We got to know each other while on class field trips. We found we have lots in common (well, she can sing and I can't)! We lived about 1 mile from each other and would stop in to and from the grocery store etc. We have both since moved closer to the beach, and we are still a mile apart. Trish has her own business, Arrange For Change, she has always had a great eye for decorating----AND has always helped me out. When we moved into the home we are in now, we moved in on a Saturday, Trish stopped in Sunday evening and by the time she left our house looked like a home and that we had already been there for a while. She has also helped Hilary out a lot that way. Many times when we were trying to arrange furniture we would say, "We need Trish", and sure enough she would be there to help!! When Hilary first went out to Ricks College, now BYU Idaho, Trish came with us. We had a great time, sight seeing, fixing up Hilary's first college room, the one thing that Trish will always remember is a cowboy on his horse in the middle of the road stopping traffic so his cattle could cross. The one thing I will remember is getting out of the car at a friends that owned a dairy farm. Trish said "What is that smell"?:<( Hilary and I responding "What is that smell"!:>) Lots of memories!! Trish is in a band at her church called the Grateful Bread, and on some Sunday evenings locals perform at the beach. This was one of those Sunday evenings, and Trish and part of the band performed. Trish, thanks for all the fun, memories, help and especially your friendship!

The Look Alike

If I didn't know this was Austin, I would say it was Hilary. If fact that is the same highchair she sat in 30 years ago. Talk about flashbacks!!

Little Mr. P.I.

One Friday during lunch I had to do a surveillance at a restaurant. Austin is with me on Tuesdays and Fridays, and this happened to be a Friday. So Austin, Eileen, a good friend, and I had lunch together. Steve even showed up. We were there for about 2 1/2 hours and he was the best little guy, even went to sleep for a while. Guess he got board!!! He has to be the cutest little P.I. I know! Oh, next to you Steve!