Matt - Our Hero!

Matt has had an adventurous month! First - he finally got his NC Drivers License. We have lived here for almost 2 years now and he is now official.

Up until a few months ago he just didn't make time to go get it. In North Carolina you have to take a written test to get a new drivers license. The lines are awful no matter when you go and you can spend hours just waiting to get to the first person. First they wouldn't accept his Social Security card because it didn't have his middle name spelled out.

The second time he went and had all the correct paperwork but didn't pass the written test! Crazy - although he didn't study as I suggested and there are some pretty obscure questions on the test. We all (our neighbors) laugh about the attorney who passed the bar and he can't pass a 20 question DL test. He let it go for a few months and then decided to try again. He needs to get a passport for work so he has to have a drivers license.

The third time he took the morning off work and decided to read the entire 100 plus page handbook before he went. He was prepared and only had to wait about 40 mintues and then failed the test AGAIN! He missed 1 too many questions. I told him he over analyzed the questions but needless to say he was not happy.

The fourth time (and 3rd test) he aced it and now has a legal drivers license for North Carolina. Now on to the passport and finally a hunting license (Brandon-eventually he will make it for the deer hunt!)

The next major event happened in our neighborhood. We have been having problems with "things" - mostly beer and alcohol - being stolen from people's garages. Here in the south where no one has basements there are many refrigerators in garages. However the past few weeks it was getting worse and the items then became wallets, GPS's, cell phones, tools etc. There was no damage done but just little things missing here and there. I had read about the problems on our neighborhood website and wasn't too concerned because it sounded like "kids".

Well last Monday night, we had just finished Family Home Evening with the kids and they were at the table having cookies and milk for the snack. Matt went to the garage to get a diet coke and close up for the night. It was about 7:45pm and just getting dark. As he opened the door I heard him yell STOP! I jumped up and went to see what was going on. I guess when he opened the door the person in our garage ran and Matt chased after him barefoot and all. It took my 35 year old husband only about 4 houses to catch the intruder (which was a 17 year old boy).

I followed after him down the street - mind you 32 weeks pregnant and still very sick with the flu. Once I realized that he caught him I ran to the neighbors house who is an ex-NYPD detective and told Glenn that Matt needed help. A few neighbors came to Matt's rescue and we called 911.

Of course, Matt really tried to help the kid at first. He asked him how old he was and told him that nothing in that bag was worth the trouble he was in. When the kid responded with obvious disrespect for all adults - Matt no longer found it in his heart to let him get off easy. It turns out that in his bag he had stolen wallets, cell phones, beer, GPS, cameras, and that was just one night. I joke that he was sorely disappointed in our garage. We don't have a lot of the electronic toys that other people have, the cars were locked and the only thing in our fridge is diet coke, apple juice, capri sun and Propel!

Needless to say - Matt is the neighborhood hero and that poor 17 year old is in SO MUCH TROUBLE. He has spend many nights in jail and they are finding that he is tied to many of the thefts around our area - and he lives right in our neighborhood!

It has been exciting and the talk of the neighborhood and my kids really don't understand how someone would just walk right into someones garage while they are home and take stuff that does not belong to them. Good lesson and hopefully the problems will stop!

With all the retired NYPD that live in our area I think it is great that the attorney/business man who is never home is the person who caught the problem! Matt - OUR HERO!

This picture was taken over spring break at Nate's baptism by our neice Kelly. I thought it was appropriate for this post - ENJOY!