This was a rather tough year from April until Nov. That's when MaryAnn moved in with us after a tough breakup with Leroy. After Bill took her to his house for a month or so, Lena had enough and they agreed to put her in a home. But when she was with us for a respite for Bill and Lena, she cried and begged to stay with us. So we let her. I had the fun of taking her to Washington, Mo., a few times to see lawyers (ones referred to her by Bill), take her to a lot of Dr. appointments and to the hospital a couple times. Tried to get her to eat. Put up with wild mood swings and watched her drop to 85 pounds and deteriorate from Dementia. Finally I had to insist she go into a home where she would get 24 hour care. I even lost 45 pounds---a tough weight loss program! Stressed more then I had been since Dad suffered through cancer. (Although not as much as was to come in another 10 years.) I got no support from Ken while she was with us, even when I said it was time for her to go into a home. So eventually I found one for her, near us, and she even signed the papers for it. Wasn't until then that Bill realized I was serious and they took her back to their house. She lasted a week there, ended up back in the hospital, then was released into a nursing home/dementia home where surprisingly she gained back about 50 pounds and lived for another 9 months or so. Goes to show, sometimes you aren't helping when you think you are!
On to the rest of the year:
Tim and the band he was in, The Mad Titans, playing at the VooDoo Lounge at the Harrah's Casino in St. Louis.
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1-10-10
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By far the biggest place they played in. With the biggest crowd.
Angie and Faith hamming it up at the concert.
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1-10-11
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hanging around after the concert.
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leaving the casino
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When the 5th week of the year came around, I headed to Orange Lake with David and Jane to enjoy Dad's timeshare week. I drove to their house in Texico, Illinois, and rode with them to Florida. Got there just in time to witness this pretty sunset.
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1-29-10 Orlando
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1-31-10 at Epcot
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1-31-10 in epcot
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2-1-10 P Leu Gardens in Orlando
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2-1-10 P Leu Gardens
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2-1-10 P Leu Gardens
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2-1-10 P Leu Gardens
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2-1-10 Pirate dinner show
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2-2-10 Holyland
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2-2-10 Holyland sunset
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2-2-10 DAvid bowling with the Target Ball
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2-3-10 before our airboat ride
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2-4-10 MGM studios
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2-4-10 MGM studios
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2-4-10 MGM
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2-4-10 MGM
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It was a fun trip with David and Jane. They're great travel buddies!
2-19 - 3-5, 2010 Our 9th trip to Kauai. tim and Faith joined us again after a short stay on the Big Island.
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2-20-10 Kilauea lighthouse
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2-20 Kilauea lighthouse
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2-21-10 Poipu Beach
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2-22-10 Bali Hai new pool
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2-22-10 Lydgate
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2-23-10 Saltpond
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2-23-10 Saltpond sunset
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2-24-10 Moloaa beach
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2-24-10 Moloaa beach, usually too rough in winter to go in the water, but this year we lucked out.
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2-26-10 spouting horn
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2-27-2010
We were awakened at our condo at 6:30 am and told to evacuate and move to higher ground. A tsunami was about to hit the island. It was generated in Chile, from a M 8.8 earthquake. tim and FAith were in Hilo then watching for the tsunami in Hilo where it was supposed to be the worst---but ended up being almost non existant.
We had never done the train ride at Gaylords, but couldn't get to any beaches, so figured why not take a train ride. It was actually pretty fun and had pretty scenery---so much for all the negative reviews I'd read about it.
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| 2-27-10 Gaylord Train ride while the tsunami was occuring and we couldn't get to the beach. After the train, we headed South, ended up having dinner at Brick Oven Pizza and watching tv news about the tsunami while we ate. While we were there, restriction lifted in time to see sunset at the beach. |
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2-27-10 so off to Lawai Beach we went for sunset
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3-3-2010
The kids joined us on Kauai
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| 3-3-10 Lawai Beach snorkeling with us |
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3-3-10 Lawai
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3-4-10 Smith's luau--the kids love that luau as much as I do. We go every time we have company join us on the island.
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3-4-10 Smith's luau
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3-4-10 Smith's luau
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3-4-10 smith's luau
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3-4-10 smith's luau
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3-5-2010 time to go home---
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3-5-10 breakfast at Olympic Cafe before they catch their flight home
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Hanging out on the Kauai Beach Villas beach until time to take them to the airport
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Another view from our beach
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The kids left before us, so once they were gone, we hit Poipu one more time and released our flowers. Another great Kauai vacation coming to an end.
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4-4-2010
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| 4-4-10 Easter at Angie and Josh's |
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4-4-10 Easter at Angie and Josh's
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4-10-10 Mad Titans CD release
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4-10-10 cd release
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4-10-10 cd release
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4-10-10 Mad Titans
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5-1-10 Kentucky Derby party at Angie and Josh's
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5-1-10 money, money , money
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5-1-10 Derby guests
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5-1-10 run horseys
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5-1-10 and the winner is----
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5-1-10 2nd place
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5-1-10 spring fashion at the derby
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MaryAnn was living with us now and I was taking her to all kinds of appointments. On one appointment, a tire flew into us on the highway. It was pretty terrifying! We were ok, but the car needed some work!
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5-20-10 flying tire damage
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5-20-10 more damage
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One of the few times MaryAnn had any visitors.
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5-24-10 MaryAnn with Jennifer and baby Paige
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6-4-10 MOBOT
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6-4-10 MOBOT
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6-4-10 MOBOT
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6-4-10 MOBOT
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Faith threw herself a Luau birthday party. But cut her nail really badly while preparing some of the food.
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6-19-10 Faith's luau birthday party
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6-19-10 luau props
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6-19-10 Luau guests
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6-19-10 luau drinks
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6-19-10 thumbs up party
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6-19-10 party goers
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6-19-10 me
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6-19-10 hula Gerry
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After years and years, Ken finally got his brothers over and they divided up their Dad's trains. I had to break down and throw a fit to get it to happen, after listening to MaryAnn complain over and over about it.
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6-26-10 dividing up the trains
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6-26-10 train parts
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she also wanted us to divide up her jewelry between us daughter in laws. So we drew for who gets what.
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6-26-10 drawing for MaryAnns jewelry---this particular piece she had forced into my hand at one of our xmas eve parties thanking me for all the work I do. But by the time she was living with us, she was sure it was stolen. I felt awkward giving it back to her and trying to explain why I had it. I don't remember who ended up with it in our "drawing".
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The gold/diamond earrings I gave to Angie
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6-26-10 My treasure
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MaryAnn did try to help now and then. She was good at watering the tomato plants outside our kitchenette. They didn't produce much in the way of tomatoes, but they sure were big.
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7-8-10 MaryAnn watering the tomato plants
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Bill and Lena took MaryAnn while we went to Oregon for Kim's wedding in July. It was a much needed vacation!
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7-14-2010 Oregon Gardens
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7-17-10 Kim's wedding
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7-17-10 Kim's wedding
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7-17-10 Kim's wedding
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7-2010 silverton, Oregon, flower fields
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7-2010 Oregon coat
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7-2010 Oregon coast
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7-2010 Oregon coast
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7-2010 Oregon coast
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7-18-10 Depoe Bay with William Bailey
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7-20-10 Seal beach
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7-20-10 Oregon coast
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Back to St. Louis and taking care of MaryAnn.
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8-7-10 visiting David and Jane in S. Illinois.
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William Bailey from Portland, Oregon, would always invite us to the Cardinal games he hosted for his buyers. Even after Ken was no longer employed by Ameren. He remained a good friend. When he had extra tickets, he always asked if the kids would like to come, too. They usually did.
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8-21-10 Cardinal game party room ---Bailey
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8-21-10 host and our boys
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8-21-10 William and Sue
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Loved going to MOBOT and was usually a member.
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9-2-10 MOBOT
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9-2-10 MOBOT
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Birthday party at our house for MaryAnn's 80th birthday. She didn't go out much and was still living with us.
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9-6-10 MaryAnn's 80s birthday
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9-6-10 MaryAnn and her boys
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Faith had a group of girl friends that called themselves the Caddy Kitchen girls. Faith had a wine party for them, and Tim hung out for a bit.
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10-2-10 Caddy girls party
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10-2-10 caddy girl
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10-2-10 caddy girl
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10-2-10 caddy party
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10-2-10 caddy
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10-2-10 caddy winos
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10-2-10 tim enjoying the crazy caddy girls
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It was sometime around now that I told the boys MaryAnn needed 24 hour care and I couldn't provide that for her. She was becoming a fall risk and I found her unable to get up in the bathroom one night about 2am. Another time I had to help her out of the tub. None of the boys gave any solutions until I took her to DeSmet nursing home and got her enrolled there. At that point, I guess Bill took me seriously and said she could come back and live with them. She lasted about a week before she ended up in the hospital for about a week. Then they got her placed into a nursing home for dementia patients close to them in Washington, Mo. It was a good decision. She lived another 7 months and gained the 45pounds back that she lost at our house. No matter what I did I couldn't get her to eat.
In Oct. Angie and Josh also announced they were moving to the Atlanta area---and renting a townhome in Alpharetta. So their newly renovated house (from the 2008 Memorial Day fire) went on the market. We worried about the economy's decline and them not being able to sell the house (we had the Duchesne house on the market for over a year with almost no interest before we just rented it out). But with Angie's keen eye for architecture and decorating, the house sold quickly.
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10-14-10 Risdon house ready for market
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10-14-10 Risdon
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10-14-10 risdon
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10-14-10 risdon
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10-14-10 Risdon on the market
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She was even able to get this beautiful back deck with the insurance money.
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10-14-10 risdon
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10-14-10 risdon
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Time for some Halloween time:
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10-23-10 Boo at the Zoo
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10-23-10 Boo at the Zoo
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Emily and Brian invited Angie and me to go with them to the Biltmore to do some wedding planning since I was the photographer and Angie was a good friend.
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10-30-10 Biltmore wedding planning
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She even played tour guide and took us up into the Smokey's
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10-30-10 angie and Em in the Smokeys
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10-30-10 Smokey's near the Biltmore
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10-30-10 Smokey's
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She even gave us a tour of the Biltmore.
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10-30-10 The Biltmore
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She and Brian were major architects for the Village on the Biltmore property, so we had to check it out, too!
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10-30-10 wine tasting at the Biltmore
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10-30-10 the Creamery in the Village
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10-30-10 sunset in The Village at the Biltmore--where their wedding would be held in April 2011
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Nov 5-11, 2011 7 night E. Caribbean cruise on the Eurodam.
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11-5-10 Caribbean cruise
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11-8-10 Samana, DR---not a great port, but we were following a hurricane and our St. Maarten port was cancelled.
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11-8-10 San Juan
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11-8-10 San Juan
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11-cruise Half Moon Cay---finally a pretty sunny day
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11- cruise Half Moon Cay
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11- Cruise Half Moon Cay snorkel excursion
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Angie and Josh's last hurrah in St. Louis. Time for their moving away party.
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11-20-10 Angie's going away party at Marley's
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11-20-10 Angie's going away party at Marley's
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11-20-10 Becky and me at Marley's
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11-20-10 With Darrel and Carol
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11-20-10 kids hugging good bye
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111-20-10 at Marley's
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11-20-10 the kids "moving to Atlanta" party at Marley's
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11-20-10 DIL and me at Marley's
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11-20-10 the happy couple ready to move to Atlanta
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11-20-10 at Marley's
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One more event before the big move----Thanksgiving.
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11-25-10 Thanksgiving at tim and Faith's
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11-25-10 Thanksgiving
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11-25-10 Thanksgiving
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11-25-10 Thanksgiving
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11-25-10 thanksgiving
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11-25-10 thanksgiving
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Snow on Thanksgiving! Looking towards Tim and Faith's "shed".
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11-25-10 snowy thanksgiving
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11-25-10 thanksgiving
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ANd they're off----I rode there with Angie and helped her get the house in order, sort of.
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12-15-10 on to Atlanta
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12-15-10 welcome to Atlanta!!!!
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12-15-10 Lanier sunset
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12-15-10 Their townhouse in Alpharetta
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12-15-10 moving in
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12-15-10 doggies in their new home
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12-15-10 Molly girl
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12- Atlanta Aquarium--Angie was the architect who designed the new penguin area of this aquarium while she worked at PGAV in St. Louis.
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12- atlanta aquarium
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12- atlanta aquarium
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12 atlanta Aquarium pretty neat penguin home
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12- atlanta aquarium
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12- atlanta aquarium
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12 whale shark
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12 atlanta aquarium
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12 aqaurium
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12 aquarium
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12 aqaurium
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12 - aquarium
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12 Atlanta from Centennial park by the Aquarium
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12-17-10 MaryAnn's Christmas party at the home.
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back on my own and enjoying running around again.
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12-20-10 MOBOT
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12-20-10 MOBOT
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12-26-2010 the snowy street that Tim and Faith lived on.
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