Derek's B-Day Video Message

Hope you enjoy this Derek...I had fun filming these 3 crazy drunk people A day late and worth the wait!!



Not bad for the first movie I've ever produced!

Happy B-Day Derek!

Mike's little brother Derek celebrated his Birthday yesterday! We text him and I got to IM with him for a few minutes to wish him Happy B-Day. I know the distance from our family is now a fact of our life, but I don't like it! If we live here there is distance from Mike's family...if we live there...distance from my family. Either way, we have to adapt. It would've been nice to hug him on his B-Day and go to dinner or something.

I took a video on Saturday night in the RV (thanks Michael and Regina for the evacuation home!) where we stayed in during evacuation and again when we didn't have power. Dan and Shawna came over to have a belated celebration of my B-Day and I recorded their B-Day wish for Derek. I will work on figuring out how to post the video. It is funny

Fionn and the cats really miss you alot! Come stay with us soon so they can get some attention! We need a pet sitter if you are looking for a career change...haha!



We love you Derek and hope you had a great B-Day...as soon as Mike gets a paycheck your present is on its way!

Ike by Mike

Sorry, couldn't resist the rhyming! These are some pics Mike took of our view of Hurricane Ike. Some of them my Dad took of our junk. The ones on top are of the junk pulled out of the garage, then below are of the garge while still full of the junk. Thank God we only lost things. Our family was so blessed compared to many of our neighbors. How in the world did all of that junk fit in that garage? The pics below are Butler's Courtyard. Every tree, limb, leaf, and branch that could fall did!

1st Day Feeling

Today Mike started his new job and our new life officially began!




It isn't with GE like I originally told everyone...guess I was overzealous...he was offered an even better job the same day he accepted the GE job. Thanks to Tom Hayne's kindness once again! He told me months and months ago that a good friend of his had an engineering firm and Mike should contact him when he is ready to get a job. So, Mike did, and he got an interview and was hired the same day! He is now a Nassau Engineer!! It is way more money than he thought he'd make, it has good benifits, paid holidays and sick leave, the office building is right next to mine, the guys he are working with are good friends of Tom and great Christians, a guy on his soccer team just started working there recently too...the list goes on!! Most importantly, he really liked it today and it is so important to me that he do a job he likes and is challengeing in an environment that he is comfortable and happy in.

I am so proud of him and so excited to officially be an Engineer's Wife!! HAHA This is definitely a new start for us and such a blessing as we will not have to struggle to make ends meet, and we get out of that nasty debt and even get to save money to buy a house soon!!

This morning it felt like the 1st day of school at our house. The morning was full of excitement and nerves, and hope for the future. Mike had a new outfit on...new pants, new top, new shoes and new belt. He looked so handsome I had to take his picture. He had his portfolio ready to go to fill with papers and notes. I feel so blessed to have married such an intelligent man with such possibilities! I love you Mike and I'm proud of you! Enough mush...go out there and bring home the bacon baby!! OH yeah new shoes for Amber soon...whooo hooooo!! HAHA

First day of new job = first day of new life!

It does exist!!

So yesterday we went over and helped my parents clean out their 1st floor. It was a HUGE mess!! Mike misplaced our camera (eyes rolling) so I don't have any pictures downloaded yet. I did take the one above on my iPhone though. The boat was in the neighbors yard/driveway. The city had to come over w/ 2 big bulldozers and move it over. The whole city just looks like a big junkyard/war zone with everyone getting their mess out. It stinks too. More pics to come when Mike finds our camera.

I wanted to take a few minutes and blog about the blessings we've been given lately and share my lesson in what it is to be a good Christian, friend, neighbor and American. The biggest blessing of course is that all of our friends and loved ones were safe, the other is that none of us has lost our home.

It is always so amazing to me in these times of desaster and suffering to see the American spirit. So many wonderful people, both paid and volunteer, have been working round the clock to provide the basic needs of those in this area effected by Ike. Serving food, passing out water and ice, working all night to repair power lines. I take electricity for granted...and I definitely take refrigeration for granted.

Yesterday while cleaning out the crap, seriously just wet, muddy, gross junkie crap, from my parents house we were shown kindness by some friends. Tom Haynes who does many jobs, but for us he handles all of our radio and television advertisig for both Oak Creek and the Bridal Symposium. He and my dad have worked together for years with his company/companies working with ours. I always knew he was a great Christian w/ a huge heart, and any time he visits our office he brings big smiles and an unmatched energy, but I had no idea what he'd bring to my family yesterday. We had worked for hours in the garage, we were tired and really just feeling exhaustion (both physical and mental) when we looked up and here comes Tom and his wife and 2 daughters. They were not asked to come help, just knew we were there working. They jumped right in and just worked so hard! Not only did we appreciate the physical help, the energy they brought to us was not measurable! This was not a fun job, by any means, and they kept a smile on and kept the energy high, and just gave us such a HUGE blessing!! The example they portrayed as Christians and Americans was just SO AMAZING! I thought, what a lesson they are teaching their daughters (16 and 14) and what a lesson they've taught me. Their daughters are already upstanding people I can tell just from meeting them a couple of times. I know if I was 14 or 16 I would not be as happy to be doing that task.

I wanted to post this blog so that others out there might see that kindness and friendship and chivalry do still exist!! The American spirit can not be crushed! It is too bad we only see it in times of disaster and tragedy, but I will carry my memory of the Haynes family and the kindness they and others have shown my family and Butler's Courtyard with me forever! I will, and already have begun to, "pay it forward" as they say and help others less fortunate than myself.

Thanks Haynes family!! You are amazing and there is no way we could ever repay your kindness and hard work!! THANK YOU and GOD BLESS YOU!!

Email to Cousins

I emailed my cousins today, and thought it would make a good blog entry. As I see such a mess all around and feel the sadness that many people I know must be going through, all I can seem to think about is my family...my immediate family, and my cousins and my Aunts and Uncles.

My Cousin Ben has the same B-Day as me...Sept 15 so I'd like to say Happy B-Day to him!


Hello Family,

Hopefully everyone is aware now that the Richards have survived yet another hurricane. We were in Katy where Shawna's wedding was scheduled and we had hotel rooms. Mom and Dad's house on the Island of Clear Lake Shores was definitely blessed compared to many of their neighbors. The downstairs is really pretty bad, but only had garage sale junk in it really, and just things. We believe the pictures and valubles that were down there were high enough to have survived, unless something banged into them. The island is still w/out power like alot of our area. The main clean up for us has had to start at Butler's Courtyard. None of the buildings had damage, but every tree, limb, leaf and branch that could fall did, and we have 3 weddings that must go on this weekend. Shawna and Michael live a couple streets over from Mom and Dad and their downstairs which only had a laundry/storage room was messed up pretty bad, and Shawna's car...but she's not too upset as she's hoping for a new one...haha. My apartment was totally fine.

As you probably know by now...Shawna and Michael chose not to get married under these circumstances. It just didn't feel right to them as Michael's parents were not there and non of their friends. The wedding is going to be rescheduled for the Friday after Thanksgiving. (Official word will be sent later when pieces are officially put together) We really hope that everyone can make this date, and maybe we can have some sort of family Thanksgiving together. Just a thought.

As I was looking around my apartment to evacuate it was really clear what is most important...that is family. I didn't take any of my junk that I've acquired, non of my new wedding presents still in the boxes...not my TV or my computer. What was most important to me was our family things...Nannie's trunk, family photo albums of us in Galveston...even that silly fiber optic ball thing. Mike thought I was nuts for wanting to protect it, but that has my memories. Memories of us just dying to touch it and no matter what room Nannie was in she knew when we touched it! I guess where I'm going with this is...we need to take some time, whether it be Shawna's wedding, or other, to get together and continue to make family memories. Today when I returned to work and had internet for the 1st time, the 1st thing I did was get on your blogs to check things out. You are all much better at that then me, but I love that we can stay connected through the blogs, but I also hate that instead of calling to chat and ask how everyone is I just get on there. Anyhow, I sometimes think like...how would Nannie feel knowing we haven't all been together as a family unit since her funeral. I am just as much to blame...the phone works both ways I know. I also know how busy everyone must be. I mean, it is just me and Mike and I feel like we never stop being busy, I can't imagine those of you that have children and church involvement and so many things going on. Guess I'm just taking some time to let you all know how much you mean to me...being able to get online and read your blogs was such a relief and my 1st sign of normalcy in life. Even though Ike didn't hurt us as bad as others, it has been very stressful, just even getting gas and food and wondering if we can drink water that comes from our home sink!!

Also, I wanted to say Happy Birthday to Ben. Sorry I didn't call yesterday but as I said, it has been an interesting few days. Also...it was my B-Day yesterday too!! Hope it was great for you Ben!!

Anyhow, I will work on getting some pics on our blog of the sites around town. Don't know when I'll have a chance. I hope everyone will try to make it down for Shawna's wedding. It would be awesome to get together with everyone. If not, maybe our family leaders (RONNIE AND TOM!!) will get together and figure out a time we can all just reconnect. I love seeing the kids grow in blog pics, but don't want to only know them through pictures (even if it is just a couple of nights and doesn't have to cost much)

So, Happy Birthday to me and Ben and thanks for the prayers and thoughts over our time w/ Ike

Love you all!! Amber