Greetings...what an exciting Christmas we had! I hardly know where to begin. On December 15th, our daughter, LaShawn, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, flew into Minneapolis and drove home to Sisseton, along with her boyfriend, Liam Birt. Liam is originally from Toronto, Canada, and now resides in Nashville, Tennessee. They have been dating for about three years. It was so much fun having them with us for four days. Sunday night, while visiting in the living room, Liam asked our blessing and permission to marry LaShawn. We were ecstatic to say the least and of course, granted his request. So...we will be having a wedding coming up in 2007...
Christmas is just a few days away and Larry and I are getting anxious for our family to come home. They will only be able to be here for a short time, but we will savor every moment with them. We look forward to this special time all year long.
With all the joy and excitement of Christmas, there is also a tinge of sadness that there will be empty chairs of loved ones who have passed on. When dealing with grief, there is no doubt that there is a huge void at Christmas.
With all the joy and excitement of Christmas, there is also a tinge of sadness that there will be empty chairs of loved ones who have passed on. When dealing with grief, there is no doubt that there is a huge void at Christmas.
Praise the Lord! We are back home in Sisseton, South Dakota! We were greeted by zero degree, snowy, blustery winds rolling off the South Dakota prairie. Believe me, it didn't take long to unload the car in those frigid conditions. I sighed and told Larry, "Honey, I am so glad to be home! I just want to crank up the heat, put on my pajamas, housecoat, and some warm socks, crawl into my favorite chair and relax." And that is exactly what I did!
When we left home in September, the weather was toasty warm and the flowers were still blooming. Wow! What a switch! Again, I am reminded of how quickly the seasons change.
When we left home in September, the weather was toasty warm and the flowers were still blooming. Wow! What a switch! Again, I am reminded of how quickly the seasons change.
Greetings from Minneapolis, Minnesota! We have covered a lot of miles since last week. Our last service of this tour was in Smithfield, North Carolina. We then drove to Orlando, Florida, where we parked our coach until mid-January when we will start our 2007 tour in Florida. Squeezed for time and with much to do, Larry and I quickly packed our suitcases and went our separate ways! Hold on...don't get shook...let me explain!
All of our family was unable be together for Thanksgiving. Since we were flying back to South Dakota anyway, we decided that I would fly to Nashville, TN, to be with our son, Donovan, and daughter, LaShawn, while Larry would fly on to Minneapolis so he could spend the holiday with our daughter, LaDawn, and our grandchildren, Dante' and Myanna. This way....everybody could be happy! HA
All of our family was unable be together for Thanksgiving. Since we were flying back to South Dakota anyway, we decided that I would fly to Nashville, TN, to be with our son, Donovan, and daughter, LaShawn, while Larry would fly on to Minneapolis so he could spend the holiday with our daughter, LaDawn, and our grandchildren, Dante' and Myanna. This way....everybody could be happy! HA
Hi! Wow! We just had another bustling week. As I mentioned last week, we had a great time at Woodbridge, VA. We left there, stopped in Richmond, VA, and had planned to nest for a day, but the television news broadcasts forewarned us of storms that were racing our way. They warned that the severe weather was to include high winds, flash floods and the possibility of tornadoes. When I heard these storms were drenching Washington D.C., where we had just come from, I prodded Larry to travel onward to our next destination, Smithfield, NC, located about 30 miles south of Raleigh. We quickly pressed on watching as the storm clouds in the distance propelled our way.
Greetings from the East Coast! We have had an exciting weekend in the Washington D.C. area. The traffic here is quite different than the Midwest! HA! Larry had a significant challenge maneuvering our coach and suburban through all the traffic. With all of the weaving in and out of speeding cars, I was glad Larry had 45 years of bus driving under his belt. Also, it has become more clear to me why cases of road rage take place as there is definitely much hustle and bustle as everyone scrambles to and from work on the congested roads combined with a lack of patience amongst many drivers.
It was a special joy to be back at Christ Chapel in Woodbridge, Virginia, with our pastor friends, Bill and Lynna Roberts. We first ministered at Christ Chapel 18 years ago when the church was meeting in a gymnasium. This was now our fourth return trip. A lot has happened in that span of 18 years.
It was a special joy to be back at Christ Chapel in Woodbridge, Virginia, with our pastor friends, Bill and Lynna Roberts. We first ministered at Christ Chapel 18 years ago when the church was meeting in a gymnasium. This was now our fourth return trip. A lot has happened in that span of 18 years.
Hi...another week is history already. We've been in Pennsylvania this past week. Our friends, Walter, Joan and Roger Clutter invited us to park our motorcoach at their farm outside of Clarion, PA. Their place is transfixed by a beautiful pond. The landscape is so serene. When I open the shades in the morning, I'm almost convinced I'm in a park somewhere. They even have a picnic table right outside our door, but it's much too cold for a picnic these days. A couple of nights ago the temperature dropped to 18 degrees. That chilliness would definitely put a damper on a picnic. Ha!
Greetings from Pennsylvania! I can hardly believe it is November already. This past month just flew by.
Last Saturday, we drove from Western Maryland to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I am sure that as you read the word, Lancaster, your mind like most immediately recalled the October tragedy that took place in the Amish community where senseless shootings of ten children occurred at the Nickel Mine schoolhouse. Lancaster County is still reeling over this tragedy.
Last Saturday, we drove from Western Maryland to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I am sure that as you read the word, Lancaster, your mind like most immediately recalled the October tragedy that took place in the Amish community where senseless shootings of ten children occurred at the Nickel Mine schoolhouse. Lancaster County is still reeling over this tragedy.
Greetings from West Virginia! What a beautiful trip we had over to Beckley, West Virginia. It was a 260 mile picturesque scene with rolling hills, mountains, rivers and streams. En route, we passed by the New River Gorge Bridge in southern West Virginia. The New River Gorge Bridge is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It is 876 feet high. Every October, the West Virginians celebrate their annual Bridge Day. They draw crowds of over 100,000 people from all over the world. For $75, they allow 400 participants to parachute off of the bridge. Several years ago, when we ministered in Oak Hill, WV, the pastor took Larry, Donovan and me to see this unforgettable event. We were mesmerized.
Greetings from Cumberland, Maryland! This is beautiful country. There have been a couple of frosts and the leaves are quickly changing. The landscape is as picturesque as a postcard. The area is swarming with thousands of tourists who come from all over to "leaf peek". Cumberland is nestled in the Allegany Mountains and borders West Virginia. History and culture saturates this area.