Tues.,10/26/21, Bill had Rehab Evaluation, did yard work, went to Vikki's, went to Eli's concert

We've had lots of rain which means my plants are still doing good even though we were gone for 9 days

The yard isn't doing as good...too much rain for it.  My little garden is too wet to even go in with muck boots and weed.  Bill tried to mow the lawn, but too wet for that too as you can see.  He was able to do the front yard though.

Nice fall colors in my mirror on my way to Vikki's

Isaac playing the piano

  

Peyton

Eli on the left in the front row. He did great!

Papa Bill, Eli and me

Bill got up early and went to the VA for a rehab evaluation and to have a blood test.  I had my coffee and oatmeal, then did my morning reading and played worship music.  I talked to Kimmy for a while and caught up with her.  I have sure missed her.  Bill called to let me know he forgot to take the garbage out.  I took it out for him.  There wasn't much, because we have been gone.  It was sunny and nice out, 50 degrees, so I cut down some plants and trimmed some small shrubs.  Filled two trash cans.  I got one out in time for it to be picked up.  The other will have to go next week.  Took the coffee pot I got out to the camper.  Put a couple of other things out there too.  Cleaned and washed the inside of the truck from our trip.  Vikki called and wanted me to come for potatoes and carrots left over from the roast meal she made.  She knows I love them.  There was some really pretty color on the way there.  I was happy to see Peyton and Isaac again.  Vikki has been getting compliments from their teacher and others about what nice kids they are and how well mannered.  I sure am proud of them.  I came home and made Bill a sirloin burger,  air roasted potatoes, and freezer corn from the garden.  We went to Eli's band concert.  He did great and looked so handsome.  It was our first time in the new auditorium and boy was it nice and the seats were so comfortable.  I talked to Melissa on the way home and then she called me back when I got home.  I sure have missed her.  I missed all my family and sure am happy to be able to spend time with them.

Monday, 10/25/21, Ate breakfast, left for home (yay), Vikki and the kids got to our house right after we did.

I don't think Bill noticed that Bull coming through the wall of the gas station by Cabela's

Bill in Cabela's

It was a rainy ride in Michigan, but the color was still beautiful

Cold and rainy so Bill started our first fire in the Kernel Burner

Peyton at her friend, Starlyn's Birthday party at Kokomos

Peyton

Got up early, showered, got ready, read Bible, then we went to breakfast.  It was and amazing breakfast and the breakfast area was beautiful!  The manager came and talked to us for a while, and was so nice.  She said if we like this hotel, we should stay at the one in Frankenmuth.  It’s the nicest she said.  I saw that my niece Sara Ann had commented on my Facebook posts, so I messaged her.  Her headaches aren’t near as bad and she said she feels like she’s turned the corner now.  She was thanking God and grateful for all the prayers.  I am thanking God too!  Thanks to anyone who prayed!  We listened to great worship music as we drove!  It started raining when we got close to Toledo.  Got into Michigan at 11:30. Stopped at Cabelas in Dundee. Colors were beautiful even in the rain.  We got home and Bill was taking the motorcycle off the trailer, when Isaac came around the corner, then Peyton, then Vikki.  What a great surprise.  It made our day!  They helped us unload all of our stuff from the truck.  Wow! What a blessing.  They stayed for just a short time, because Peyton had a birthday party and had to go home and get her homework done, before she went to it.  We ordered pizza's for dinner because the refrigerator is empty.  I ordered a no cheese for Bill and a 3 item with cheese for me.  When I got there to pick them up, the girl told me they made a mistake and made one with burger, cheese and no sauce by mistake, but had the new one made right too.  She gave me the other pizza they made the mistake on for nothing.  I added sauce to it and baked it more when I got home, then put it in the freezer.  I can't wait to make a homemade meal tomorrow.  Restaurants are good, but there's nothing like homemade.  Vikki tried her new Bissell Proheat shampooer and loved it.  I knew she would.  Isaac read the instructions and put the whole thing together for her.  He’s an amazing helper.  Vikki faceTimed me and let Isaac video her while she used her shampooer so I could see it clean.  It’s amazing how well it cleans the carpet.  I listened to some of the Changing of the Colors Rally that was live streamed. I also listened to Crossing's Church in Mena.  The couple who did the song, I Speak Jesus, at the rally lead worship there, and I wanted to see if they had sung it in a worship service at church.  Didn't find that song, but was blessed to hear them sing Maverick City, Brandon Lake, and Dante Bowe songs for their worship service.   So good!  Bill went to an Elders Meeting at 6:30 and got home at 9:45.  Thankful for him and the other Elders who seek the Lord and oversee our church.  We got a letter from, Frank, our new child we sponsor.  He sounds so sweet and caring.  He said he is a good boy who likes to carry water home and eat Irish potatoes.  He likes playing ballgames.  He wants us to pray he does well in class, and he will be praying for us.  

We left our hotel at 8 a.m., headed for The Ark in Kentucky, Walked through the amazing Ark, started traveling towards home again

Me and Bill

Me

Cool bush giraffes by the Ark

Bill

Me

Bill by the 12 sones that’s a memorial to remember what God has done through the generations 

In the Ark

Bill by the huge tree beams in the center of the Ark

Shem and his wife.  All that pottery reminds me of Kimmy and Jared

Lots of food growing in the Ark

Noah sending the dove out

Me and Bill by the big door

Nice table by the fireplace at Cracker Barrel 

Bill enjoying his food when we finally stopped to eat

 We were on the road again by 8 a.m.  No breakfast at our hotel and Bill wanted to get started on our trip, so we ate Granola bars, cookies, pretzels and donuts and drank coffee and water.  Not the healthiest, but we did get full.  We drove til we got to the Ark Encounter at around 2.  We got on the bus that drove us up to the Ark.  We watched a presentation on how they came about thinking of building the Ark and how they built it.  It was such a God thing and God brought everything together to do it.  There were some Amish builders that we very skilled with building with wood and they headed up the construction.  What hearts for the Lord the people working on it all had.  It was amazing to see and amazing walking through it again.  We went there the year after it was built on our motorcycle with Faith Riders.  We left there around 4:30. We FaceTimed with Vikki for quite a while.  Then we stopped at a Cracker Barrel for dinner.  We went a little farther and stopped for the night at a Druiry Inn for the night. Beautiful hotel, spotlessly clean and very nice room. The nicest people here too

Saturday,10/23/21, Went to breakfast, then started on our way home. Praying for niece Sara Ann who has Covid

Our bathroom in the lobby of our Mena Mountain Top Resort 

Bill hooking up the trailer 

Ready to load the motorcycle 

Bill with the pond in back of him

Beautiful scenery riding through Arkansas 

 Got up at 5:30 and got ready, did morning reading, packed up and we loaded the truck.  We went to the Skyline Cafe for breakfast . We went back to our hotel and Bill loaded the motorcycle on the trailer. We each got a banana and a pack of powdered sugar donuts from the breakfast bar for our trip.  Last year they couldn’t have any food because of COVID, so we didn’t know they had anything this year til today.  We started heading for home on a new route.  It was an absolutely beautiful country route with many hills and curves. I always pray for God to hold the deer back.  There were three deer by the road we didn’t see until we were right by them, and instead of running straight ahead, the turned back and went into the woods.  Thank You Lord!  I talked to Melissa and Vikki while we were riding. We traveled until 6 and then found a room in Henderson, Tennessee.  I got a text message from my sister Brenda asking all of us to pray because our niece has been suffering with a horrible headache.  Let the girls know to pray and put it on our church prayer list.  She is the sweetest niece!  She messaged me back so we would know what symptoms to pray for.  We ate at a Texas Roadhouse.  My favorite restaurant. 

Friday, 10/22/21, morning CMA service, walked through campground and youth center, RFS Seminar, Evening Service

Bill telling John Ogden Sr. About the motorcycle that was in pieces someone gave him to sell for RFS.  He sold it and made 3,500 to donate to RFS.  Praise God!

Nice spot to do my daily reading. Texted with Adam while I was sitting here too!

Went to breakfast, then went to Iron Mountain for CMA worship and service, great as always.   We  came back for the motorcycle and rode to lunch at the Skyline Cafe, the went back to Iron Mountain and walked around the campground.  We visited with Mel and Betty from the Muskegon chapter, then went to the RFS seminar. Came back to relax at motel.  Vikki called so I got to talk to her and the kids for a while.  We went to the evening service and worship was amazing and the message was a moving one.  We met Ziggy, Wayne and Lisa at Baskin Robbins for ice cream. I forgot to take a picture of Wayne and Lisa there.  We had a great time with them.  Wayne and Lisa just moved to Tennessee.  They were our State Coordinators.  We have missed them.I texted with Adam, Kimmy and Melissa! Missing my family! Can’t wait to see them!

The Bell tower here.  There is prayer time around it every morning 

Where our services are held on Iron Mountain 

Campground and motorcycle's

 RV part of campground.  Lots of cars here for evening service 

Ziggy and Bill at Baskin Robbins 

Thursday, 10/21/21, went to the morning service.. Rode the Talimena Trail, up the Wilhelmina Mountain. Ate in a beautiful restaurant at the top.

Riding through Mena. Where the motorcycles on the right are is where we eat breakfast 

Matt, Ziggy, Bill, me, and Kim. This was from our ride yesterday.  Just got it 

Me and Bill

Lookout step on the way up

Restaurant we ate in at the top of the mountain 

Ziggy’s selfie of us

Ziggy and his new

John Ogden Sr.

John Ogden and his wife Holly

Rayleen and Roger Wilson,,they used to be our evangelists for our area.

Jerry Williams lead the worship again which was amazing.  The board directors of CMA search took turns telling about CMA and how they started coming and what it means to them now.  These are older men with wisdom from the Lord.  Love that CMA has men like this who keep the ministry focused on Jesus.  CMA has never borrowed money for anything, but God has provided so much.  One of the men had a mini stroke last Sunday, and we were surprised he made it there.  He reminded me so much of my dad in looks.  He shared about what God has done for him and asked for continued prayer, crying some of the time as he shared.  I was in tears.  After the service, we went on a motorcycle ride with Ziggy, Kim and Matt from Goshen, Indiana.  We went on the Talimena Trail up the Wilhelmina Mt.  Lots of hills and curves and beautiful scenery.  We got to pray with some people on their motorcycles and do bike blessings for their bikes.  They were so nice, and loved Jesus, but weren’t CMA members.  We ate lunch at the Queen Wilhelmina Restaurant at the top of the Mountain.  We rode down a different way and it was a little scary, but very fun.  We came back to our motel to relax for a while.  We went to the evening service and were blessed to have Roger Wilson give the message.