October 28-November 1, 2009

Happy Birthday to Bobby. Wednesday, October 28th, marked Bobby's 46th birthday. I love to remind him that he'll always be older than me and he loves to remind me that I'll always be his age in just 4 1/2 years. How interesting was the fact that on February 28th of this year we sang in Warren, Arkansas. That was my birthday. And then, on October 28th, Bobby's birthday, we sang in Warren, Arkansas again! It was a different church, however, it was a combination of congregations and the house was full. Pastor Bruce Culp and his talented wife, Beverly attended the concert back in February and asked Bobby to come to Warren again but this time to their church, Faith Free-Will Baptist. We had a good time visiting before and after the service with the Culps and I loved singing the congregational songs during the service as Beverly knows how to make the piano sing. She used to play for the Martins when the trio was just starting out and she, with her husband leading the singing and her sons on bass and drums make a great team.

After the service, I dressed the children in pajamas and let them go to sleep as we had a 3 hour drive to Texarkana to spend the night at Bobby's parents' house. We are there a lot lately but we enjoy staying there and I'm so glad the kids can have these memories with their grandparents in spite of the fact that we live so far away from them.

On Thursday afternoon we drove to Hope, Arkansas and looked up some old friends from nearly 20 years ago, Don and Melba Hall. Then it was on to Hope Family Church with Pastors Jeff and Pam Smith. We were just there in early September and after the service then, Pastor Jeff asked Bobby to come back for their Halloween alternative where we'd sing outdoors and the kids could enjoy hay rides. However, Arkansas received their 157th downpour for the month of October and the outdoor event was canceled. Not only were the plans changed and we had to move indoors, but people were calling the Smiths all day saying they weren't going to be able to make it that night after all. We still had a good time with the few that braved the weather and after music and a little preaching, we enjoyed barbaqued venison and other goodies like chili and hot dogs. The rain had slowed to a drizzle when we drove back to Texarkana and God kept us safe on the highways yet again.

The following day the kids did their schooling but we stayed in all day. But on Saturday morning when we arose, Bob and Tena were already gone as they drove to Lake Village, Arkansas for an annual reunion of the Lakeside Melody Boys. Bob and his younger brother, Troy, used to sing and play in a country band with 3 other boys and they still get together to reminisce and play every October. Well, 4 of the 5 boys gather. Bobby's Uncle Troy, passed away in July of last year of a massive heart attack. In photo below, Bobby's dad is centered in second row and his Uncle Troy is front left.

That morning it was so strange to be in Bob and Tena's house and them not be there. I had forgotten a pair of shoes I needed for my Sunday attire so Faith and I set out to look for a pair of black pumps. We found other treasures too, like, a 4-foot table to display Bobby's CD's for sale, and just the right clock for my bathroom. Shortly after we got back, we set out for Pine Bluff to sing at South Pinewood Baptist Church pastored by Mark Wheeler. His wife, Candy, who had been reading in the car, stepped out of the car and visited with me after we pulled up. Candy shared with me how she never expected to be a pastor's wife but we agreed that God has her where she is for a purpose. We had a good visit.

Pastor Mark and Candy pastor a church with the majority of the congregates being in the latter half of their lives. So, fortunately, they didn't face the dilemna of whether to trick-or-treat, or attend a Gospel concert. Most of them, perhaps, were glad to turn the lights off at home so as to avoid the little candy hunters. Some lady gave my kids each a paper sack filled with candy. I told them, "See? You put the Lord first and gave up your Fall Fest at Cornerstone in order to go and sing and look! You still received a bag full of candy!" They were pretty happy.

After the concert we drove back up toward Little Rock and then landed at the Hampton in Bryant. When we entered our room we were greeted with some goody bags that someone from Shannon Hills First Baptist Church had placed on a table with one of our children's names on each bag. They even included a Wal Mart gift card for Bobby and I. What a wonderful and unexpected surprise! We had not even been to the church yet, and already we felt more than welcome.

From the moment we drove onto the church property the following morning until we left after the church service, the believers at Shannon Hills First Baptist welcomed us with smiles, hugs, and warm conversation. This church of about 100 is growing a thriving children's ministry and in the last few minutes before Sunday School it seemed there were children everywhere. One of the first people I met was Becky. I can't remember her last name but I do know her maiden name was Bowman. Ain't that funny? What was really cool was that Becky has a passion and experience in working with children with special needs. She was told about Grace before we arrived so when she saw Grace she greeted her with joy and the anticipation of getting her "fix" by spending time with her. Becky was such a blessing to Grace as well as to us and her comfortableness with Grace was refreshing.

We enjoyed a great service with several people responding to the altar call. So many times after meeting folks like these, we feel like we were the ones who received the greater blessing rather than the ones bringing blessing. Actually, I think it works both ways, thank goodness.

A two-hour drive after lunch found us in Bobby's home town of Fouke, Arkansas, which is about 18 miles south of Texarkana. We made a return visit to Pisgah Baptist Church just south of town. It was great to see music leader, Brother Jimmy Templeton, and Pastor Kevin Holt again. We didn't see anyone come to the altar that night but we did hear report of someone speaking to Pastor Kevin after the service confirming that God, had indeed, touched someone's heart. We enjoyed a great meal in their fellowship hall before driving up to Bob and Tena's to spend the night and the next couple of days.

October 22-25, 2009

Back to Arkansas. Isn't that how I started my last post? Yes, it is. Maybe I should write a song called such. This time we went straight to Texarkana. We swung by Bobby's parents home and picked up his mother who was standing in the driveway waiting for us. We were running a little behind because of a delay west of Little Rock. It had rained quite a bit and I think there was an accident. However, thanks to the aircard and the Internet, we were able to find a bypass around it. Although many others took the same route and slowed us down a lot, it was still faster than sitting still on the interstate.

After picking up Tena, we drove over to Texarkana College where Bobby sang to folks who like to come out to the college on Thursday nights to eat fish. Our friend, Sheila Lynn, has really made the local college cafeteria a popular place with her home-style dishes and Thursday night fish fry's. And when she added the live entertainment with the fish, it added an element of fun to the evening. Sheila does most of the entertaining, singing classics such as, "Walkin' After Midnight," "I Fall To Pieces," and "Crazy," and the people love it. Bobby has sung there twice now and although his gospel music is appreciated, Tena and I advised him that the next time he sings at the college, he ought to have some Buck Owens and George Jones material ready. We told him with his vocal abilities, the folks would go crazy.

Bobby's dad had been working that afternoon and evening, delivering a car to Dallas, and was not able to join us but Bobby's sister, Kathy was there as well as her son, Josh. Just a few days before, Hope heard Josh's name mentioned and asked, "Who's Josh?" We told her that Josh is her first cousin and that it was a shame that she didn't even know who he was. So it was extra special to see Josh and introduce him to his "little" cousins.


The following day, Friday, we rested and on Saturday morning we drove over to Chidester, Arkansas (population 369) to a festival put on by the local churches as a ministry to the community. It was a little chilly but there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it soon warmed up. The atmosphere was that of 60 years ago with unlocked doors, trust, and small-town friendliness. The face-painting booth was a popular spot for my kids and before long they had taken over the activities there. When I caught up with them, they had all been painted, (Grace too), Hope had a paint brush in her hands and Landis was designing new ideas for the girls that were supposed to be running the booth, to try.

My main job for the day was to feed Grace and man the CD table, but I did get to tour the tiny school that 11 of the children of Chidester attended. One of the mom/teachers, Tonya, was especially friendly and went out of her way to visit with me, show me the school, and even take Faith to the bathroom for me. Tonya told me that the local public school closed a couple of years ago so instead of transporting their children to the next town, the community decided to open up their own community school. The parents volunteer teach and use mainly Christian curriculum. It's basically a home-school co-op and it seems to be working well for them.


All of the food offered at the festival was free of charge and there was no lack in the variety, quantity and quality. Those church ladies know how to set the table and we enjoyed things like baked potatoes with all the fixings, nachos, hot dogs, BBQ chicken and ribs (with homemade BBQ sauce) and catfish! Not to mention the hot chocolate and coffee in the cool morning hours and all the cold bottles of water you could drink in the afternoon.

Of course the stage was in the main area and gospel music was provided by the local groups and bands with Bobby being the main musical attraction. A band of 3 young guys from Magnolia played after Bobby and I got a chance to talk to the lead vocalist just before they sang. I found out he and one of the other guys were newlyweds and the third guy was still single. They were strongly considering moving to Nashville the first part of next year to pursue a recording contract. I asked him if he knew where he and his bride would be attending church in Nashville. Since he had no leads on churches yet I told him all about Cornerstone, how to get there, the webcast, Pastor Davis' testimony in a nutshell, etc. He seemed grateful for the information and encouraged in the pursuit of his musical dream.


Other things our children got to participate in that day was a quail race, Bible quiz, bounce house, a story time, and a scavenger hunt. When it was time to leave, the kids were a bit reluctant but the last thing Landis and Hope participated in earned them each a goldfish. I wish I could have snapped a picture of Landis' face as he ran toward the van with that goldfish. He came running toward me holding that fish in a bag of water out in front of himself screaming, "look what I got!" With painted faces, messy hair, dirty clothes, helium-filled balloons, live goldfish and candy, they rested in the van as we drove on toward our next destination which was Meridian, Mississippi.



So often I hear my children complain about traveling, about missing things at our own church and not being in their own homes, so shortly after leaving Chidester I said to them, "I just HATE traveling and going to these different places every weekend, don't you?" Landis quickly yelled, "No WAY! I LOVE it!" I loved hearing that.

We made it to Meridian at a decent hour. Well...at least enough time to get to bed and get a good night's rest. We found Anchor Christian Life Center the next morning and met Pastor Richie Ables, his beautiful wife, Dena and their son Brady. He had promoted this particular Sunday as a family day with a homecoming feel, challenging his congregation to invite friends. They even had a specific number of people they were hoping to have in attendance and he went so far as to tell his people that if they reached that number, he'd shave his beard. The room was almost full and we had a great service in spite of the fact that the attendance goal wasn't quite reached and the beard was allowed to stay. A delicious potluck after the service and warm greetings sent us homeward where we were able to arrive in good time and sleep in our own beds. However, only 2 days at home and we'd be off again.

October 16-18, 2009

Back to Arkansas. We made it to Arkadelphia by late afternoon and found Dino's Main Street Cafe` owned and operated by Dino and Jackie O'Chello. Jackie was an acquaintance of Bobby's from the 1980's. MidSouth used to sing at Magic Springs Amusement Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas and Jackie was in one of the shows at the park. Jackie's sister found Bobby on facebook and through that connection, all were re-acquainted and the date was scheduled for Bobby to come sing at Jackie and her husband, Dino's cafe. We had a fun evening as many of Jackie's family came and friends from area churches. Of course it's always fun when there's food involved...which was delicious, by the way. The kids had a blast as they met Dino and Jackie's daughter, Faith, an 8 year-old cutie patootie with a lot of spunk. They played together and had a good time before, during and after the singing and even mentioned being pen-pals with Faith.

We had a little over an hour to drive to Texarkana and that's where we laid our weary heads to rest. We rested the following day, Saturday, and enjoyed some good Mexican cuisine that evening. The following morning, however, it was back to work as we drove up to Ashdown to sing at New Faith Tabernacle pastored by Bobby's cousin, Teresa and her husband, Ed Root. I was looking forward to seeing both Ed and Teresa again but Ed was suffering from a kidney stone and was not able to be there. A great surprise was to see Bobby's Aunt Peggy! Peggy is Teresa's mother and we hadn't seen her in several years. She looked as lovely as ever.


We went to lunch with Teresa, her friend, Becky, her granddaughter Ashley and Ashley's boyfriend, and then got back on the Interstate and headed northeast to Little Rock. We made another return visit to Little Rock West Assembly. Pastor Larry Davis and his beautiful wife, Brenda, were so gracious to us a year ago when we were there. They shared with us how they have a 20 year old granddaughter, Jessica, who lives in Brentwood, Tennessee, who has cerebral palsy, and just how special she is to them. You can tell they are really in love with her and enjoy spending time with her whenever possible. Brenda and I spoke at length about her and Grace and the special needs they have and then we had cake! Pastor Davis' birthday was the following day so the church had a party for him following the service complete with dinner, coffee and of course, birthday cake.

I have to make mention here of Marlene. She's about 8 years old and approached Grace and I before church started. She informed that she's been praying for Grace since she met her a year ago. I was moved that a child would have a burden to pray for someone like she has and thanked her, asking her to please continue praying. She was so sweet.

When the church ladies asked me where we were going from there, I told them we were planning to drive home. So they loaded us up with goodies and coffee to get us down the road a little easier. We got the kids ready for bed before we left the church and made it home before 4 a.m. Three days at home before we got back in the van on Thursday.

October 9-11, 2009

It's never fun driving in the rain but that's what we did on Friday, October 9th. By the way, the 9th of October marked 8 years since Mom graduated to heaven. That was a beautiful fall day in Michigan with big puffy white clouds, bright crisp colors and a cool but gentle breeze. With the yellow mums in full bloom it was my mother's favorite kind of day. After my dad told her he wanted to take her to the hospital the day before, she quickly informed him that she wasn't going anywhere but "home." And she did less than 24 hours later. To be absent from the body is to be present with Jesus. She passed away in Dad's arms so she literally went from his arms to the arms of Jesus in the twinkling of an eye. It was a beautiful and sad day. Can you understand?

So we drove in the rain to Harrodsburg, Kentucky where we sang at Deep Creek Baptist Church, pastored by Scott Davis and his wife, Sue. I felt a connection with Sue immediately (perhaps because she was a Yankee?...just kidding). Because Grace and I couldn't go downstairs to join the others for the fellowship meal prior to the service, she stayed with us as we sat in a classroom and enjoyed our meal in a more quiet setting. Pastor Scott was a Mid South fan, first hearing a song on his car radio in the mid 1980's while living in California that really ministered to him. He waited to hear the DJ announce the artist after the song finished playing but he never did. The following day the same thing happened and once again the artist was not announced so he called the radio station and solved his mystery.

We had some time to kill the following day so we took our time with breakfast and departure and then did a bit of shopping in downtown Harrodsburg and had lunch in Lexington before driving to Ashland which is situated on the West Virginia line near Huntington. If you read my last post you saw that we met the parents of some Cornerstone friends, the McClanahans. Well, this weekend there was another "Cornerstone Connection," as the father of one of our youth leaders, Devin Williams, is the music pastor at Ashland Assembly of God in Ashland, Kentucky! We had a very small crowd at Ashland Assembly that night but what a great time we had. When it was time for the service to start and Bobby saw how few were there, he had pretty much decided he'd sing a few songs, give everyone a free CD and call it a night since we had 4 hours to travel after the concert anyway. But once he got his body into it, his spirit followed and we did a normal 75-80 minute service complete with kids singing and me testifying. The folks were so responsive and encouraging and don't you know we felt like we received more of a blessing than the rest of the folks? But they insisted they were the ones who were blessed the most and Pastor Charles said he'd like to have us back on a Sunday morning.

We dressed the children in their pajamas and moved on up the road to Greensburg, Indiana. The following morning we ministered at New Point Baptist Baptist Church where "Big T," better known as Pastor Troy Caudill welcomed us back. We enjoyed a great service here back in March of this year (see post from March ) and Pastor Troy said his congregation has been asking ever since when he was going to have us back. Now, that was a first!

Pastor Troy had a great salvation message after our singing and testifying, yet no one responded to the altar call. Now that I see empty pews and altars in so many churches and altars without tissue boxes, (no need to have tissues if there are no tears being shed) I realize that what I've been seeing at Cornerstone Church all these years as people fill the altars Sunday after Sunday is nothing short of miraculous. And I took it for granted.

When we were in New Point in March we had lunch at the Iron Skillet truck stop (now doesn't that sound good?) where "kids eat free!" and had a good salad bar. We had the same lunch on this trip and then moved on to Brandenburg, Kentucky. On the way, however, I spoke on the phone with my sister, who had just passed through southern Indiana a couple of hours earlier. She had been invited to speak at my cousin's church in Fort Wayne for a women's weekend retreat.

Brother Eddie Broughton, the minister of music at the First Southern Baptist Church of Brandenburg met us at the van and welcomed us and then helped Bobby load in. I got the children dressed and presentable in the nicest church bathrooms we've ever seen. The no-touch toilet flushers and sinks were something new to us in a church. We were impressed and we let the folks know it during the service too. It got a chuckle.

We enjoyed a well-attended and God-centered service and fortunately, Faith fell asleep after she sang her songs. It was fortunate because she was in rare form as her dear mother failed to make her take a nap earlier that afternoon. She slept on the front pew until we were loaded up and ready to turn the lights out in the sanctuary.

We were warmly greeted immediately upon dismissal and Brother Eddie's wife, Glenna told me she felt like we were family. Now that makes you feel loved.

After taking the time to actually go in for a sit-down meal at Huddle House (can we say, "grease?") we made it home before midnight and the following day discovered we had a couple of new friends on facebook from Brandenburg. How fun.

October 3 & 4, 2009

My dad came to Tennessee to visit. His first visit in many months. He arrived on Friday evening from Michigan and we left on Saturday morning for Ohio. For the first time since we've been traveling together as a family in ministry, we finally sang in Ohio.

Saturday evening we found our hotel in a town we had a lot of trouble pronouncing...Gallipolis. Once we heard someone pronounce it for us, we remembered hearing the name before. A beautiful town on the Ohio River, Gallipolis had a Holiday Inn directly across the road from the church we were ministering in. Conveniently we girls could have a few extra minutes to get ready while the guys went across the road to the church and set up.

New Life Church of God meets in a building that was formerly a restaurant. Pastor Rick Towe and his wife, Ginny, warmly greeted us and made us feel right at home. We had a great service with some snacks following. While we were enjoying fellowship over hotdogs and chili, a gentleman at my table told me I attend church with his son and daughter-in-law. I was so surprised when he told me he was the father of Jonathan McClanahan. Jonathan, his wife, Essie and their curly-headed, handsome sons have attended Cornerstone Church for as long as I can remember. Jonathan also ministers in the local prisons. Mr. McClanahan applauded our pastor, calling him a "gem," and spoke fondly of how his family so appreciates the ministry they have received over the years.

I was thankful that we didn't have far to go from the church and we were able to get to bed pretty quickly only to rise early, taking the children in their pajamas out to the warming van at 5:00 a.m. (4:00 a.m. our time) so we could hit the road and make it from the south end of Ohio up to the north end, very near Toledo, by 9:00.

We arrived at Trinity Temple in Milan, Ohio by 9:00, just a few minutes before the pastor and his wife and I was able to get everyone dressed and ready for Sunday School on time. We had a few minutes to visit with Pastor Jack Kiskaden before church and quickly developed an appreciation for him and his wife, Diana, as he told us of their experience raising foster children who's father returned to their lives and wanted them back. Pastor Jack and Diana's hearts were broken when they gave up the children they had poured their heart and soul into. Another heartbreak came when one of the boys they had raised was found dead at what appeared to be a suicide but in Jack and Diana's hearts they know not only by the physical evidence but by the fact that they knew their son, that he was, indeed, murdered. The case remains a mystery that Pastor Jack hopes to solve one day.

We really enjoyed the music at Trinity. They had a full band and a worship team and Pastor Jack helped lead the singing. I forgot I was in northern Ohio because it sounded like we were in Kentucky...which is where Jack is from, by the way.

Bobby was told he could take as long as he needed and I was even allowed to speak a bit and then Pastor Jack preached a great 10-minute sermon. Diana was so sweet as she allowed the kids to choose some toys from a box to take home with them and then helped Grace and I out to the van and stood by the van until we drove away.

We found our way to the Interstate and headed west toward Cleveland. The kids got just a glimpse of Lake Erie as we drove through the east side of town and made our way toward Conneaut (pr. Conyo). We stopped an hour shy of Conneaut to reserve a hotel room. Bobby checked us in and took a load of luggage to the room while the rest of us waited in the van. We continued on to Conneaut and arrived at Family Fellowship Church just as it started to rain softly. I surprised the pastor's wife as I entered a side door near the kitchen and asked where the nursery was. Not knowing who I was she tried to think of a tactful way to find who in the heck I was before telling me where things were. Suddenly I realized how discourteous I was by not introducing myself and giving an appropriate greeting. You'd think by now I would know how to make a proper introduction and practice good manners. Even though Mrs. Tarasiak and I began with a rough start we soon got things turned around and got better acquainted while we waited for church to start.

Pastor Robert Tarasiak had such an interesting story as he, himself is a musician who formerly played guitar as a long-haired, drug-addict from Boston touring with a band in Europe. He and his wife found Jesus and moved to Honduras to minister to the lost. They've lived and ministered all over the world and have a sincere desire to see people find Jesus as their Savior.

One more good service for the weekend as 3 people came forward for prayer. God touched people and I'm thankful that once again He proved Himself to be faithful in blessing us.

We left by 8:00 Monday morning to get back home as we were in very near the northwest corner of Pennsylvania. We knew it would take us all day to get home but what we didn't know was that Dad would have leftover soup warmed up for us upon our arrival. Yes, I think I'd like to have a butler.

September 25-27, 2009

We headed out toward the northeast corner of Arkansas on Friday morning, the 25^th of September and approached Pollard looking for “Roadside Gospel” at the home of Mark Cave, Jr. and the Cave Family. After about five miles on dirt roads we saw a couple of balloons hanging from a tree branch on the left. Not sure if the balloons were for a birthday party, baby shower or Roadside Gospel, we slowed down to get a good look. Our questions were answered when we saw the homemade banner with Bobby's name on it and our gracious host waving us in. “Little Mark,” as his family calls him, was standing out under the brush arbor waiting for us and assisted us in getting parked and unloaded. We soon met Sunshine, Mark's older sister as she walked up the lane from the house. We fell in love with Sunshine immediately and a few minutes later, was privileged to meet her parents, Mark, senior, and Mary Ann.

Physically speaking, it was an evening of bugs, bites, and bumps, but our physical bodies with all its bumps and imperfections are only temporary and God in His goodness blessed us in a special way that night. We did not come prepared for the mosquitoes and after asking around for some bug spray I soon remembered I had all of my laundry stuff in the trailer. I tucked a couple of dryer sheets in the kids' pockets, or if they didn't have pockets, I tucked them in their underwear. I think it actually helped. We did get some bites but those happened before I remembered the dryer sheets. Well, all of the bites except for the bites on Hope's hiney. She sat in an upholstered chair during the service and the following week complained of itchy bumps. I took a look and sure enough, she had polka-dotted buns! I dabbed a bit of tea tree oil on each spot and she seemed to be fine after that. No harm done. I just had to write about it because it struck me as kinda funny.

As the service neared the end, people began to share and Mrs. Cave even preached a little bit. It was one of those services where you're not quite sure how to end the evening. We topped it off with some hugs and group photographs. Little Mark had given Faith his hat which she proudly wore as she sang, and Faith loved Sunshine so much she actually asked me if she could just stay with them and not go with us.

We had a bit of a rough night as Bobby decided it would in our best interest to drive all the way back home to sleep. We arrived home around 2:00 a.m. and then rose again at 7:00 to leave for Bon Aqua, Tennessee, near Dickson. Bobby was scheduled to sing at a festival called The Coupe where several other Christian artists were performing. This being the first year for this particular festival, it was not well-attended but we had a good time and was thrilled to see a familiar face...Mr. Pat drove out to see us...well...he came to see Grace...because it was her 11th birthday.

From Bon Aqua we continued westward to Memphis and then south, staying in Tunica for the night. The following morning we had only a short distance to Elaine, Arkansas where we re-visited Elaine Church of God for a lunch and then an afternoon concert. Back in November of 2008, Pastor Dan Wessell invited us to minister, having us come for a 1:00 p.m concert in order for other churches to be available to attend. He liked that schedule so much he decided to do it again. We arrived before the morning service was over and then joined the congregation for a lunch of grilled burgers and hot dogs. After filling our bellies we had a gospel concert and then headed north to Hughes. Hughes, Arkansas was one of the first towns we sang in back in February of last year but it was at the Church of God. This time we sang at First Baptist Church and we really enjoyed fellowship with Pastor and several other precious folks. Both Elaine Church of God and Hughes First Baptist were blessings to us and we pray for blessings in return to both of these churches for their warmth and kindness shown to us.

We endured another long late-night drive home. Wow. That's two in one weekend. Good thing we're so young.

September 18-21, 2009

Bobby succeeded in booking us back in Sheridan, Indiana at Christ Tabernacle Church of God of Prophecy. We had a great service back in August of 2008 when we were there before. God blessed our time together and He touched our hearts that night. I was impressed with Pastor Rich Barker and his wife Kathy who have eight children including two sets of twins. I got to visit briefly with Pastor Rich and then hugged Kathy's neck when she arrived at the church with about four kids in tow. I wish I could name them all but at least I have a



picture containing most of the Barker clan. The oldest of the children is married with a baby and is a youth pastor at a church in Kokomo. See? Doesn't Kathy look fabulous? Especially, when you consider she's carried twins twice, has four other children and is now a grandmother! Wow. Hats off! Another item of interest and something we have in common is that Rich and Kathy and the children used to travel together in ministry. They traveled in a fifteen passenger van and pulled a trailer. Once they had five children, Kathy told her husband she just couldn't possibly go on they went home and began to pastor a church. God's richest blessings to the Barker Family in Sheridan, Indiana!


I'd love to share with you one of our traveling "joys." After the service at Christ Tabernacle, Pastor Rich treated us to some quick food at Burger King. We didn't eat in with them because we told them we had to get moving. (We planned to drive three hours north to my Dad's house that night.) However, after we got our food, it was another 30 minutes until we actually rolled out of the Burger King parking lot. We put the wheel chair in the trailer and made beds in the van for the children to go to sleep. I changed Grace's diaper, fed her and took the other three into the restroom. But about 20 minutes after we left



Sheridan, someone called from the back saying Grace was stinkie. So I crawled to the back and changed her again while Bobby kept driving. Grace tends to battle with constipation and when she's stinkie, she's STINKIE!!! So now we're driving down the road at 10:30 p.m. with this incredible aroma called "Stink a la poop," and there's no trash can for miles. We were in the middle of corn fields. Bobby threatened to throw the diaper out the window but I wouldn't let him. Ha ha. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking how could anything so foul and stinkie come from such a little cutie? Don't let her fool ya. Some of you don't think about those kinds of experiences in a traveling ministry, do you?


We arrived at my Dad's house at 1:30 a.m. and after unloading, getting drinks of milk or water and getting everyone changed into pajamas, I was finally falling asleep a little before 3:00. Even though Dad stayed up waiting for us, he still got up Saturday morning and went to his favorite restaurant for breakfast, the Bluegate in Shipshewana, Indiana. However, we stayed in bed.


We enjoyed a beautiful Saturday evening in Three Rivers at Light and Life Wesleyan Church where my cousin, John Hostetler and his family attend. John was instrumental in getting Bobby in touch with the pastor from Light and Life. He also worked hard to advertise for the event and we really appreciate all of his efforts. John's mother, my dad's younger sister, Ann, came also as well as Dad's older sister, Sue Cole. A little extra kick to the evening was the fact that Christian



artist, David Meece hung out in the sanctuary after the service as he was giving a concert there on Sunday morning and was getting set up Saturday night. I told him my sisters and cousins and I used to sing in 3-part harmony, (and I broke into song) "Falling down you know I'm falling down and I don't understand why I keep losing ground..." David Meece attends Brentwood Baptist Church where his son is on staff.


If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that whenever we visit Michigan, we have to stop at the Party Store in Nottawa and have some Hudsonville ice cream. Sorry, but I don't think Bluebell has anything on Hudsonville. And the size of the servings at the Nottawa Party Store are crazy huge. We drove past the Party Store on our way back from Three Rivers, so naturally we had to stop and indulge. When I write that we ate at Burger King the night before (at 10 p.m.) and ate huge servings of ice cream after the concert the next night, you really need to know that I didn't order anything either time but had some bites of the kids' food. I sure wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea.


On Sunday morning we sang at Locust Grove Mennonite Church where several of my relatives attend. I admitted in the microphone that morning that I visited Locust Grove on an occasional Sunday evening as a teenager mainly because I was hoping to get a date. There was not an explosion of laughter as I had hoped for. I don't know if that was because they were thinking, "I KNEW it!" or they were simply shocked. I definitely had a reputation of being a little goody, goody two-shoes.


It was wonderful to see so many dear friends that I hadn't seen in years at Locust Grove and after church we were invited to have lunch at my Uncle Fred and Aunt Marilyn's home. She went all out with



mashed potatoes, roast, gravy, veggies, apple sauce, dinner rolls and chocolate pudding cake for dessert! Everything was delicious and we were so grateful for such a spread, not to mention the precious time we could spend with some relatives that we don't see as often as others.


We had only about an hour at Dad's until we had to leave again to go to his church near Topeka, Indiana. Dad went with us and showed us how to get to Morningstar Christian Fellowship. This congregation moved to this location near Topeka at the beginning of the year and changed their name from Plato Christian Fellowship. Plato, Dad's church, was the first place Bobby sang back in January of last year. I really like Dad's pastor, Jerry Stutzman, a dairy farmer who was formerly Amish and is hungry for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. My cousin Tobey who sings with his family group, The Schwartz Family, graced us with his presence as well his beautiful wife, Erin and their son Logan. Bobby invited Tobey up to sing an old MidSouth song with him and that added to the fun of the evening. Tobey is an accomplished songwriter and actually penned a southern gospel song that was nominated for song of the year in 2005 or 2006. We had a good time of worship at the end of the service and I was privileged to pray with a lady who used to be Amish and wanted prayer for her sister who is a drug addict.


Tobey and Erin joined us for some grub at McDonald's after the service and it began to rain.


The following morning we slept in as we often do on Mondays and finally found our way out of the house to go to the St. Joe County Grange Fair! We spent the majority of our time at the animal barns because my cousin, RoxAnne's children were showing goats and turkeys as they do every year. But I was also thrilled to see 2 gals that I graduated with along with their husbands and their daughters. I rarely get to see anyone I graduated with since I live so far away but to see Julie (Everitt) Mitchell and Diana (Pagels) Yeager in 1 afternoon



was a real treat. After the children grew impatient with us we finally took them over to the rides so that Landis and Hope could enjoy some excitement. Hope and Landis are actually in the photo above situated in the front seats (left side) of the ride that's hanging upside down. Hope was crying because she was afraid she was going to fall out. Poor girl was scared to tears. Grandpa took Faith with him to see the ponies, ride a kiddie ride and see a magic show. After about 4 hours



we left to pick up a birthday cake I had ordered earlier in the day, buy some ice cream and head to RoxAnne's house where I began to warm up some chili that Dad had made and I had packed in a cooler in the back of our van. Dad joined us as well as my mom's sister, Esther (RoxAnne's mom) and her husband Larry, and my cousin Danny and his new bride, Danae for chili, ice cream and birthday cake as we celebrated RoxAnne's son, Jeffrey and Grace's birthdays. Good food and fellowship was enjoyed by all and once again, I enjoyed visiting with my Aunt Esther again as we talked about heaven.


We left Dad's house at 9:30 on Tuesday morning and was able to spend 2 days at home until heading to Arkansas on Friday.

September 11-15, 2009

I can't remember when it was decided, but a girlfriend announced that we were going on a road trip and the road we were taking would lead us to the beach in Gulf Shores. We discussed dates and I threw a suggestion out there about weekdays being better than the weekend. However, I'm the only person who's schedule works that way. My friend landed on the weekend of September 12 and 13. I had little hope of it working out for me to go but did tell Bobby about the "mommy trip" and explained that I understood if he didn't want me to go. But what Bobby said was, "we could probably make that work." I was so surprised and very excited. We did work out the details that went like this:

Friday morning, September 11th, I would drive the car to the church where two friends would pick me up. (Sorry about being so vague. Names have been withheld to protect the innocent.) On Saturday evening, Bobby and the children would drive the van to the church and attend services. Following church services, Mr. Pat and his wife, Mary would abandon their car and take Grace and Faith, in our van and drive to their house, while Bobby, Landis and Hope would take our car home. On Sunday morning Bobby, Landis and Hope would take the car loaded down with guitar, equipment and CDs and drive to Lyles, Tennessee, which is near Dickson. There, they would minister at Wrigley Church of God of Prophecy and Bobby told me later, it was very strange to go sing without half the family. He also said that Landis and Hope did a great job of singing and playing. He had to admit they sound a lot better without Faith. (Oh, poor Faith! Give her a break y'all, she's only 3!) After the service in Lyles, Bobby, Landis and Hope would grab a quick lunch and then meet Mr. Pat, Grace and Faith back at Cornerstone. Mr. Pat would take his car home that he had left there on Saturday evening and Bobby and the children would get in the van and drive home, leaving our car there at the church so that I would have it to drive home on Tuesday evening.

I thought it was pretty good planning and it went very smoothly. Well, everything, that is, except the weather. The plans were to actually lay in the sun and work on my tan. However, you know this rain that's been with us for the past week? Well, it actually started in the gulf states 2 weeks ago and has been with me ever since, except for last weekend when we went to Michigan.

The theme for our weekend was "Expanding Our Borders." I have no idea where that came from but we just started saying it and because we couldn't lay in the sun, we decided to expand our borders and do some shopping. I'm tellin' ya', these girls know how to shop! We only made it as far as Birmingham and had to start shopping. Instead of it taking 7 and a half hours to get to Gulf Shores, it took us closer to 12 hours. We were blessed with 3 free nights at the HI Express in Orange Beach, thanks to my friends' husbands' points earned from his travels. Even with the mist in the air and the lightening in the distance over the gulf, we had a great time of relaxation and some guilt-free self indulgence as we soaked in the hot tub, shopped, took late-night walks on the beach, shopped, ate out, shopped, made sure my friend got her raw oysters, and shopped. Oh, and don't get me started with the texts, tweets, emails and phone calls that caused both of these girls' phones to constantly serenade our trio with cute and funny little diddies. I surrendered to them that they would only hear from my phone (with a more traditional ring) a couple of times a day. I confessed that I must not be as popular nor as outgoing because my phone does not chime and beep and play songs every 20 minutes (or less) like their phones did. Or...maybe I don't care to talk on the phone very much and if I don't make calls, I shouldn't expect to receive calls, right?

On Sunday, the three of us went to Dauphin Island where one of us ministered in music at Dauphin Island Baptist Church. The quickest way to Dauphin Island from Orange Beach, of course is to drive west on 180 and then take the ferry over to the island. It takes close to an hour to get to Dauphin Island going that way. However, because the ferry didn't run as early as we needed it, we had to drive north and then west toward Mobile and from Mobile, due south. Going this way required us to leave the hotel much earlier and it took us an hour and a half. But when we got to the island we drove the length of it to see what it was like since only one of us had been there before. Only seven miles long, the island doesn't have much on it but houses, a small restaurant and small grocery, two churches and two gas stations...and of course, the ferry.

We were introduced to Pastor Chris Schansberg and his wife, Lee. This is a talented young couple with three beautiful kids. There was a good-sized group that met for Sunday School, which was led by Mrs. Lee, and then the sanctuary was nearly full for the church service and after one of us threw down, Pastor Chris preached a great sermon.

After the service, we were treated to lunch and was able to visit with the Schansbergs to a greater extent. I was especially priviliged to sit near daughters, Sarah and Katie and learned many things, like, what a Webkinz was. You let the children talk and you can learn a lot.



That evening as we went back to some serious business of relaxation, the sun somehow broke through the clouds and we saw the most beautiful rainbow. It was too late in the day to lay out but we were delighted to catch a few rays and feel a little hope in our hearts.

As I said, we had three nights at the HI Express but we had planned our "mommy weekend" to include a fourth night away. Instead of staying on the beach (it was still raining, you know...and besides, we had pretty much shopped in every store) we decided to see what kind of damage we could do in Mobile. We packed up and moved up to the big city and began poking our shopping noses into new and unexplored regions. We wasted no time. We only stopped shopping to get a quick dinner and then shopped some more, never quitting until closing time. That wasn't so relaxing to me but it was fun and I enjoyed not looking after anyone but me.

We shopped so much that we almost shopped ourselves out of our car. Once we got into our hotel room on that last night, major moves of consolidation were made as we combined our treasures into fewer bags and smaller spaces. Still, when the car was loaded the following morning, we could not see through the rear view mirror. Yes, the car was stuffed to the gills.

We made it home in very good time and thanked each other for such a great time away. I was welcomed home with screams, hugs, kisses and cards. There's a tiny bit of temptation that comes when considering leaving my family for 5 days to fend for themselves (I did cook their dinners for them and write their school assignments ahead of time) but I'm reassured that I did the right thing when we're so happy to see each other again. Writing this post 2 weeks after the event, I can tell you that an observation I made after my "mommy weekend," was that this time that Bobby spent with the children really suited him well. I admit that I expected Bobby to tell me as soon as I walked in the door that he needed to get out and go...to the gas station...anywhere...just AWAY. I figured he'd be stir crazy. But instead, I saw a much more patient and loving daddy. Isn't that something? Perhaps not only did I need some time away from the kids, but perhaps spending some time with the kids was exactly what Bobby (and the kids) needed. And by the way, Bobby, Landis and Hope had a great service in Lyles, Tennessee that Sunday. Bobby told me that Landis and Hope sang beautifully, and that even though my 10-15 minutes of the service didn't happen, he transitioned through that and it went very smoothly. Of COURSE it did. He's a PRO! He doesn't NEED me to do what he's doing. We all just work together to enhance and compliment what each other does. Our goal is to work together to bring glory to God.

August 28 - September 6, 2009

On Friday, the 28th, we drove to Arkansas and spent the night at Bob and Tena's, Bobby's parents' home. The following day we made a 3-hour drive to Durant, Oklahoma where we met some wonderful folks at Grace Baptist Church. We didn't get to meet Brother Daniel, the music pastor. Bobby had been communicating with him up to the day before the concert when he called to say that his father was very ill and he felt he needed to be near him as he believed his father was at the end of his life. So we regretted not getting to meet Brother Daniel but we were blessed to meet Pastor Anthony Williams. Pastor Anthony is one of those people that you like as soon as you meet him. He loves people and you can tell. A lot of people came out for some gospel music and we had a great evening.

The next morning we drove down to Celina, Texas to make a return visit to Trail To Heaven Cowboy Church. We first met Pastor Kevin Landis and his beautiful wife, Sharon back in February of this year. We enjoyed seeing worship leader, Ricky Coulter again but missed most of his precious family as most of them were home under the weather. It's fun to go back to a church you've already been and reunite with friends. Some of the church leaders had a meeting after church and brought lunch for themselves. Since we had a four-hour drive that afternoon they were generous enough to load us up with hot plates to take with us on the road. What a blessing!

Another return visit - two in one day! - this time to see Pastor Bill and Katrina Estep at Altus Church of God in Altus, Oklahoma. We met this precious couple in January of this year and had the best time in the service as well as visiting with them before and after the service. That night back in January, when we arrived in Altus it was windy but the temperatures balmy. But by the time church was over the temperature had dropped significantly and the wind had not died down at all. But the atmosphere in the sanctuary that night was thick with the Holy Spirit as one of the saints, Brother Austin prophesied concerning Grace. And this night in August was equally as great but the friendships as well as the temperatures were warmer. And, like January, we went to Pizza Hut after the service and talked and laughed with Bill and Katrina like we'd been friends for years instead of a few months.

I got a call the week prior to this saying that my grandmother, Mattie, or Reubmommy, as we call her, had stopped breathing for a minute or two one night and that we should expect a call announcing her passing soon. I got that call on Sunday afternoon just before we arrived in Altus. It was a call that I knew was coming and that I figured I was ready for. Yet, when you hear those words it hurts. But Reubmommy was 95 years old. She was tired and so ready to lay down and give up the ghost.

On Monday as we drove back toward the Dallas/Ft Worth area, we called airlines and travel agents and discussed our options concerning getting me or all of us to the funeral in Michigan. We were scheduled to sing at a senior's bible study at North Richland Hills Baptist Church in Fort Worth on Tuesday morning. If we had money to throw around, the easiest thing to do would have been for the whole family to get on a plane in Dallas after singing and fly to Chicago where my dad or brother would have gladly picked us up, attended the funeral on Wednesday, stayed a day or two and then flown back to Dallas in plenty of time to sing the next weekend in East Texas. I don't need to tell you that we don't have money to throw around, do I? I could have flown alone, but I hated to leave Bobby with all of the children. I checked into just Grace and I flying but I found out that Grace can't fly unless she has a particular car seat, which we don't have. So just before we met our friends, Mark and Anne Lunsford for a late lunch, we made the decision to make a crazy drive from Fort Worth, Texas to Burr Oak, Michigan in nineteen hours.

Yes, we got to see Mark and Anne Lunsford again. Well, we have seen Mark recently but we hadn't seen Anne in years and it was a delight to talk with them both again and catch up on their lives. After lunch, Anne went back to the house to wait for us while Mark took us to Hope Fellowship, Pastor John's church in Frisco, to give us a quick tour. We didn't get to see Pastor John but saw a couple of familiar faces there and met some new ones. The church building feels very urban and contemporary and we were impressed with the size of the sanctuary and the quiet, theater feel when you walk in. Then Mark led us over to their massive home where, this time, Anne gave the tour and explained how they have twice the house in Texas as they did in Florida but for the same amount of money they sold their old home for.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with the seniors at North Richland Hills Baptist Church on Tuesday morning. We shared a table with three beautiful grandmas that helped me with keeping my girls in line and spoiling them as well. To top it all off, we shared in a catered lunch and after changes of clothes, visits to the restrooms and some quick reorganizing in the van and trailer, we were ready to hit the road at one o'clock. Our stops were few and very quick with one big stop in the northeast corner of Arkansas to put the wheelchair in the trailer and make beds for the children to sleep for the night. We did our usual thing of me sleeping until about four o'clock and then driving to the finish line. At one point I had to stop to visit the lady's room and get another coffee and I literally ran in and ran out for time's sake. We made it to my cousin, Roxanne's house at exactly nine o'clock, eastern time, which left us with thirty minutes until it was time for the funeral to start. We unloaded luggage, cleaned up, changed a diaper, and made it to the funeral by 9:40, figuring we'd just sit in the back of the room. However, my brother, Joel, who was waiting outside the building for us, had seats saved up in the front of the room with the family.

We left Grace and Faith at my cousin's house and I tried my best to prep Landis and Hope with what they were about to experience. My grandmother was amish and the service they were about to sit through would be the longest, most boring service they would ever sit through, but it was going to be something they could say they did and live to tell about it. They both did very good and the service actually went by pretty fast. I joked later that I had prayed before hand asking God to reveal something to me that was being said as the two preachers both preached in Pennsylvania Dutch, and He did! Every time those preachers said a line in English, I understood every word. By eleven o'clock we were kneeling for prayer and another five minutes later, we were standing to pray some more. I was glad they decided to allow one more viewing before the service was over so I could take one last look at her but as I passed by the casket I decided that I'd always prefer to remember Reubmommy the way she looked a year ago. The lack of food and the wasting away had really taken it's toll on her little ninety five year old frame. Her eight children gathered around her casket one more time and said goodbye, some taking it harder than others.


As soon as the service was over Bobby, the kids and I rushed back to RoxAnne's house to pick up Grace and Faith and take them with us to the cemetery. I figured we could run back and pick up the girls and make it back to the cemetery in about the same amount of time it took a slow procession of buggies to parade 2 miles down the road. However, when we drove up, they had nearly finished with filling the hole with dirt. They didn't waste any time and seemed to be ahead of schedule. So Landis and Hope got to participate in the burial a little bit along with other cousins.

Faith stood next to the grave of her great-great grandpa, Bishop John H. Troyer.




I couldn't help but get a photo of this "kleine maedel" as she was taking her first little trip past the graves of so many ancestors.


We stayed an extra day to rest up and then made a mad dash back to Texarkana on Friday, the fourth of September. We left before dawn, drove non-stop and pulled into Bob and Tena's drive at ten p.m. Another day to rest up and then a full day of singing in Atlanta, Texas and Hope, Arkansas.


On Sunday morning we ministered at Cross Creek Cowboy Church. Bobby's sister, Judy and her husband, Deano Townes came out as well as our old friend, Pete Sams. Cross Creek meets in probably one of the most authentic cowboy church buildings we've seen yet. It was very rustic and the smell of cedar filled the air inside. It was definitely outfitted for cowboys and cowgirls in it's decor. It looked like a good place to have a square dance. Like a couple of the other cowboy churches we've attended recently, there seemed to be growth and momentum and like the others, there were a couple of baptisms at the end of the service and one couple came forward to be received into membership.


An added bonus for Landis was when after church, Pastor Todd showed him how to hold and throw a rope.


After lunch at Olive Garden and a little rest at Bob and Tena's, we headed east to Hope, Arkansas to make a return visit to Hope Family Church and see our friends, Pastors Jeff and Pam Smith. Jeff and Pam have a very unique story of how they met and the lifestyles they had before they surrendured their lives to the Lord. They were having revival services and asked Bobby to lead the worship this particular night. They also had a guest preacher and then following the first sermon, Pastor Jeff was tagged and he gave a second sermon. Following the second sermon we enjoyed communion together and then at just the right moment, the barbacued ribs were brought in. Since the children weren't singing tonight, Hope stayed in Texarkana with her Papaw and Mamaw and went to church with them. Hope would have had four helpings on the ribs. The girl can eat ribs. We knew she'd hate it that she missed them. The aroma was incredible and that's why I say they were brought in at just the right moment. Had they brought the ribs in during church, the saints wouldn't have stayed in their pews. Needless to say with so much on the schedule that evening, we didn't get back to Bob and Tena's until nearly ten thirty.

The following morning we made the long drive home again. Happy to be home for a couple of days.

August 22 & 23, 2009

An easy, breezy trip to Alabama! A few hours down the road to Sylacauga, which is southeast of Birmingham, is where an old friend, Debe Hooley and husband Phil live. Debe assisted in getting Bobby the date at Weogufka. The Weogufka High Alumni meet nearly every Saturday night in the old High School, after the city threatened to tear the old building down. The folks really show up to support the concerts and dinners held there and prove to the city that the old structure still serves a great purpose.

I hadn't seen Debe in 20 years and we enjoyed reminiscing on old times, old places and familiar faces. I was disappointed that I didn't get to see Phil, who was the most quiet person I think I've ever known. Twenty years ago I wouldn't make the same effort to try to get to know someone that I do today, so I had really hoped to see Phil as well as Debe but he wasn't at the concert because he had been called to work.

Debe and I used to attend the same church but another connection between us was an old amish couple, Pete and Mandy Schwartz. Uncle Pete was a brother to my grandpa, John Schwartz. Mandy was a sister to Debe's dad, Al Yoder. Al and Edna have passed away and Debe opened Yoder's Country Store in Sylacauga in their honor.

Presley Boswell, Bobby's contact, was a blessing to my kids as well as us. He assured us we'd have a great crowd and we did. It was a joy visiting with the people of Weogufka, Alabama. Oh, and Hope had a winning raffle ticket and won her mother a brand new iron! Mine died recently.

The following morning we had a three hour drive, but fortunately we weren't scheduled to sing until two o'clock. We arrived at Christ Way Baptist Church at noon and Bobby walked into the back of the sanctuary to hear Brother Leroy Landers still preaching. He came back out to the van where the kids and I were waiting and said he thought this was a missionary church. “He's really preaching in there. He sounds like a Pentecostal." Then he went back in and listened some more.

We had a scrumptious lunch and enjoyed tasty dishes that only church ladies can prepare. During lunch, Pastor Leroy, who has a smooth, hair-free scalp on his top and very tight curls above his ears and all around the back of his head, visited with us and somehow remembered each of the childrens' names. I was very impressed and the kids took a liking to him. At one point, Honest Hope said, "Dad, he looks like Larry!" I immediately tried to change the subject and move the conversation along. But Pastor Leroy heard her and said, "I've been told I look like Larry for years and years!" The fact that he reminded someone of Larry from the Three Stooges was old news that he'd heard many times.

We were a little disappointed that not all of the folks stayed for the afternoon concert after lunch, but we were blessed anyway and at the end of the service, a very emotional Pastor Leroy, hesitated with his words as he closed the service in prayer. Perhaps Faith should have been spanked and it's too late to do that now but she only considered herself to be helping when she kept adding an audible "AMEN" every time the pastor paused. He was waiting on the Lord and she was waiting on the pastor. I kept trying to silence her but again, she only thought she was helping him.

Community Baptist Church was just down the road so we mosied on over for the evening service. Pastor Brandon Dyar, dressed in a sharp periwinkle suit walked out of the building to help Bobby load in. This is a small, but young and stirred-up congregation that loves to sing and loves to worship Jesus. When Bobby sang some of his praise and worship songs, the children, sitting on the front row, joined in with such enthusiasm, I think they were louder than Bobby. Pastor Brandon and his beautiful wife, Maria, are in their thirties with young children, and he has succeeded in sharing his vision with his congregation. Everyone sat near the front which told me these folks come eager and ready to receive something when they walk through those doors.

After the service we had fellowship over Mexican food and Pastor Brandon and Maria shared with us how they have received the power and giftings of the Holy Spirit but have not forsaken the denominational teachings of the Baptist Church. They were a very inspiring couple to visit with and we really enjoyed our time with them.

We had a relatively easy drive home that night and was able to wake up Monday morning in our own beds. As I was about to wake up Monday morning, I remember situating my pillow under my head and thinking, "This is a very nice pillow...what hotel is this again?" And then I woke up and remembered it was my pillow on my bed in my house and I was there. It's nice to have more time at home, sweet home.