Flood Waters Hit Atlanta

On September 21, the rains came and stayed. Jim went to work, but called and said that they were being delayed for two hours. Then he called and said the schools were closed because roads were flooded and there was no way to get students to and from the schools. Several of the high school students were already at school, and their parents had to be called to pick them up. Several roads were closed, and the waters kept rising. There were deaths and lots of basement flooding. We were not affected by the flood waters, but some in our Ward had water in their basements. For a time Highway 29 (that I usually take to work) was closed in one area, Five Forks was closed, Sugarloaf Parkway (where we go to Stacy's house), and several freeways in the North part of town were closed. The kids were home from school, so Stacy called late morning and said the pool was still heated and that she and Dahra decided to have lunch together and then let the kids swim in the rain. Dad and I decided to brave the elements, and we took off for Stacy's house. Thank goodness Dad was driving, because we got stopped at Sugarloaf and at Highway 29. He found a way around through Lawrenceville, and we had a great time having lunch and watching the kids swim in the rain. They had a ball, and it was a good way to while away the hours! We started home before the rush hour, but it was still raining quite a bit. Road closings and flooding continued through Wednesday...quite unusual for Atlanta! No one in our family seemed to be affected except with road-closings and inconvenience, thank goodness! Amy got a picture of the Brinkerhoff kids playing with a neighbor in the rain outside their house. There were buses at the parking lot at Parkview High School that were turned over and moved by the water. It was really powerful!

Mom Sends Pictures to Hayden Museum

Grandma sent this picture of her father and two of his employees, Ray Zabel and Ray Kiddie to the Hayden Heritage Center this month. After visiting the museum and finding the printing press that her father worked with in the museum, she set about finding the pictures she knew she had of the print shop. She e-mailed them to the Museum and got a great e-mail back saying that they were really happy to get the pictures...they didn't have anything authenticating the print shop or the people. It's kind of comforting to Grandma that they are preserving some of the history that her father lived through in Hayden, Colorado!

Brielle Has Fifth Birthday Party

Brielle decided she wanted to have a jumper slide for her birthday, and Stacy found one that could slide into the pool. The kids (and some of the adults, too) really enjoyed the slide and spent the whole afternoon in the pool! Stacy had the food catered by Shane's Rib Shack, and the food was also delicious! Everyone had a great time visiting and swimming! It was quite a family weekend with the birthday parties and get-togethers.

Tori Has Sixth Birthday

Tori decided that she would like to have a skating party for her birthday. Grandparents and friends and family showed up at the skating rink on a Friday night, and it was plenty loud and noisy!! The kids had a ball skating (or falling a lot) and having pizza and punch. Tori loved every minute of it!

Mom Has New Job

Mom has a new job with Heritage Candles in Tucker. The commute is about 45 minutes, and she is answering phones, taking orders and doing invoices and shipping. This is their busy season, so the day flies by. She is working two days a week (Thursday and Friday). There are several different kinds of orders, so the learning curve has been interesting, but she enjoys it and has learned a lot of things. The busy season is through December, so we'll see what happens after that!

Malia Turns Three

Malia decided she wanted a swim party for her third birthday. Stacy invited some of her friends and family. We had a great time eating pizza and cake on the patio and watching the kids play and have a great time. When Grandma asked how old she was, Malia said "I'm still two!" She had her party on Saturday, but she wasn't turning three until Monday. She had a great time, though, and the cousins loved the water slide that Uncle Tony brought and put on the big hill by the house!

Grandpa Announces Taylor's Football Games

As he did last season, Grandpa is announcing Taylor's home football games for the Gladiators this year. As he likes to announce, there are three generations there...Grandpa announcing, J.J. coaching (he's the offensive coach), and Taylor playing. They all do a good job, and the team does really well!

Before the team started this season, J.J. met Jonathan Terrell (who has autism/aspergers) and his Dad at a game at South Forsyth High School. J.J. found out that Jonathan loved football, and he wrote his Dad an e-mail asking if Jonathan would like to be presented with a jersey, be an honorary captain, and help as water boy. Grandpa was asked to announce his name, and they made a ceremony of presenting him with a jersey. J.J. got the following e-mail after the game and forwarded to Grandpa with thanks for his part.

"What an incredible experience Jonathan had Saturday evening. You, the entire coaching team, the players and so many more made a once-in-a-lifetime impression on my son. Jonathan had an awesome time and I have no words that can express my heart-felt gratitude for all you did...thanks so very much! My wife (Brenda) and I have focused so much over the years on Jonathan's medical needs, therapies, etc.; we never have experienced such an outpouring of support for our son. Often, Jonathan will simply be ignored or avoided because of the quirkiness associated with his autism/aspergers...Saturday night he got to experience a moment in the spotlight (a moment I'm sure he will not soon forget). He may never be able to fully express what he felt on Saturday, but I can tell you without a doubt...you made a difference. Also, please let your son know how much I appreciate him coming over to encourage Jonathan throughout the day...I know how difficult that can be for a kid to reach out to an atypical peer (your son is a winner on AND off the field). Davis and others on the field were also incredible...we look forward to cheering you guys on as the season continues."