A First and Final Post From Lee...

To our family, our church family and our friends,

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers you lifted up on our behalf this summer. There was never a doubt along the journey that God was with us and leading us safely from place to place. We were richly blessed by this sabbatical experience. Some of you have asked, how many miles have we traveled? The answer is...13,458! Thank God we had a safe and rewarding experience and that we never had to talk with a policeman except for asking them for directions!!!! I have many stories to pass on which I am sure you will here more about in upcoming sermons...so stay tuned. Thanks to Michele, many of you were able to "go along with us"...Thank you honey! Lastly, I appreciate the Staff-Parish Relations Team and all of those who chipped in this summer around the church in order to make this experience possible for us. You are all a blessing to us!

Love,

Lee (aka: Pastor Lee)

My Final Blog...BooHoo!!

Update on yesterday's activities: Rained out! A storm blew in right when it was time for Ben and Sam to tube and it didn't stop raining all day. Guess we have to wait until next year.

Well everyone, the time has come. Today we will be wrapping things up at Sandy Cove and beginning our travel back to home. It has been quite a journey. Throughout the trip I had a notebook that I jotted some thoughts down. I would like to share them with you now.

Things That I Learned or Had Confirmed on Our Sabbatical:

Ø Sam personifies everything. All things have an identity and personality.
Ø Ben is a worrier for all of us and a bodyguard for his sister.
Ø The hall in our camper is too small for four people getting supper ready.
Ø The bathroom is not conducive to four people getting ready in the morning.
Ø We really do have fun together.
Ø We are each other’s best friends.
Ø Lee is a faithful man with a good heart who loves to surprise us.
Ø Our God is very creative and artistic. He made an amazing world.
Ø My children have great senses of humor.
Ø Personal space is greatly valued.
Ø I miss my pets!
Ø We prayed, worshipped, and did devotions together. Our God is an awesome God!
Ø A truck is a great place for important family discussions.
Ø We don’t appreciate how blessed we truly are.
Ø Godincidences are extra special
Ø My children love to spend time together as a family and in today’s world that is a huge blessing.
Ø This trip was a once in a lifetime chance four our family. An opportunity we will never forget.
Ø Anything over 100 degrees F is HOT whether dry air or humid air!
Ø Praise God for air conditioning!
Ø Laughter bonds a family together.
Ø A family of four can fit on a queen size bed to cuddle and watch TV.
Ø My God and family love and accept me in spite of my imperfections and moods.
Ø Jesus never fails.
Ø Pictures are worth 1,000 words. Thank God for a camera and pictures. They will help us relive our memories.
Ø For 6 weeks, I lived without my stuff, but I still had what was most important – my faith and my family. With that, I lacked nothing.
Ø The most memorable moments for the kids were not when we bought them something, although they liked that. But when we did something with them.

And finally, God is Good all the Time and All the Time God is Good!

Thank you all for your prayers and blessings. We have been so fortunate!
It has certainly been a once in a lifetime opportunity!

God bless and love to all!
The Carlson Cookoos (we changed our name from the Carlson Crew earlier this week) ... If the shoe fits...

Happy, Hot, and Humid...

Thursday, August 09, 2007
Time: 11:38am EST

Happy Thursday! We survived all the daring stunts of yesterday. The biggest stunt was surviving the heat! Lee played softball in a game of staff vs. guests. He and Ben did the “Big Swing”. Sam did the trapeze twice and then was asked to come back at the end of the day to try a “catch” with one of the flyers. Only 6 people were asked to come back to try the stunt. Ben did the trapeze also. It was so cool to watch. (definitely not cool in the literal sense!)

The concert last night with Anthony Evans was awesome. He had Michael Boggs from the group FFH open for him and he was great! At the end of the concert they did several numbers together. They live close to each other in Tennessee and are best friends.

Today is our last day of full programming. We have a banquet tonight in the dining room and 2 sessions with Tony Evans. This afternoon the kids are tubing (Sam’s first time) and Lee and Ben are doing the Zip Line. At 3pm we are competing in the Rocket Launch. On Monday evening we make paper rockets as a family and now we compete to see farthest and hit targets. They use a air compressor to launch them. It would be a cool activity to do at GerberLand or something with the church family. I am including several pics of yesterday's activities for you to check out. Tonight we will do a night swim with the kids since it is the last night. Tomorrow is a 1/2 day of closing activities and then we will enjoy some down time until check out on Saturday morning.

That's all for now.

Love to all,

Michele

Hot and Humid at Sandy Cove

Wednesday, Aug 8, 2007
10:49am EST

Good Morning!
We are having an awesome time at Sandy Cove! The kids are busy with activities and the adults are being fed spiritually by two amazing speaker/teachers. Yesterday we each took a child and spent the afternoon with them. Sam and I went to the craft shop and made jewelry. Sam made a bracelet and I made a keychain. Lee and Ben played frisbee golf.

We are signed up for the "Big Swing" (i.e. ride at Darian Lake that they pull you up a million feet and then let you go and swing). I think Ben and Lee are doing that alone. At the top you have to pull your own pin to let yourself go and I don't think I could do it. Sam isn't old enough for this activity. However, she is signed up to do the trapeze at the same time. It is a circus size trapeze that they have trained circus workers run. I think she is going to love it. Ben and Lee are doing that later in the day with an extra slot in case Sam decides to do it again or I get brave enough. Hopefully, I'll get good pictures of all of this.

Two nights ago after all the scheduled stuff, they had a Dive-In theater at the pool. This means that during the night swim there is a large projection screen with big speakers and they showed the movie Cars outside at the pool. It was fun. The kids are loving all the water activities. They have been to the marina, the pool, water games, and Ben's group had a luau last night. Last night was smore night by the bay and then they had a concert with the group "The Wrecking". Tonight after dinner there is a concert with Anthony Evans. The great thing about Sandy Cove is that you can do as much or as little as you want.

It is hard to believe that we are almost at the end of our trip. We will be picking up the animals in Butler on Saturday and spending the night. We keep talking about how strange it will be to have space and seperate rooms. I've already warned Sam that she will NOT be sleeping on the couch in our bedroom because she is used to having us around. I think she will be fine as long as she has Cookie back to sleep with her. Ben has really missed not having Holly with him at night although she currently wouldn't fit in his bunk. It has been a HUGE blessing to have my Mom and Dad take care of the pets. Thank you both so much! I know they are getting great care.

We are supposed to hit 100 degrees today with a rediculous amount of humidity. It is like walking in a sauna outside. All the buildings are air conditioned though. I'll let you know how the Big Swing and Trapeze go.

Take care and God Bless!
Michele

"...And I will Give You Rest..."

Aug 6, 2007

11:30am EST

Greetings Everyone!

Praise God for Sandy Cove!

If you ever get a chance to come to a week of Camp at Sandy Cove, Do It! It is the most relaxing, family friendly, accomodating resort that I have seen. The whole schedule is set around family time, worship, and down time. The kids have their own schedule in the morning and evening to allow the adults their own time and the kids programs are awesome. In the afternoon there are family activities and free time such as trapeze, zip line, 2 pools, big swing, canoe, kayak, pontoon, tubing, and several others. I think my family is going to force me to do the big swing and trapeze. Hopefully we can get some pictures to prove that I actually had the guts to do it.

We are right on Chesapeake Bay. Today is cloudy, but the weather is supposed to get sunny and really Hot this week. The speaker this week is Tony Evans. He is the author of several books and a pastor to urban areas. The teacher this week is Dr. Ron Cline. We've heard him twice so far and have really enjoyed him.

I think this was an excellent choice for our final week of the trip. It has allowed us to stop and catch our breath. The kids have organized activities so they aren't relying on us constantly for entertainment and we are being ministered to also.

At the moment, Lee is heading to the Chevrolet dealer (again) to have the truck checked out. On our trip back we started hearing a weird noise again. I don't know if it is another bearing or maybe the transmission. Thank God for extended warrenties. The poor Avalanche has been worked awfully hard this summer. It deserves some new parts. Hopefully we can get it taken care of. That is the blessing of having a week in one place. I'll write soon! Sandy Cove has WiFi Hot spots.

Love to all,

Michele

Driving Miss Daisy (or Mrs. Michele)

Friday, August 03, 2007
10:54pm EST

Hi Guys!
We are actually in your time zone. I can’t believe it! The last two days have been spent in the car. We left Colorado Springs, CO at 9am MST on Thurs and at the moment we are in Maryland. Two days of 15 hours in the car gets a little long, but we will be at North East, MD on time.

So, what has happened the past few days, you ask? We enjoyed our time in Colorado Springs. It is a beautiful area. The first day (Tuesday) we drove Pike’s Peak. It was amazing to enter the Pike’s Peak highway with the temp at 98degrees and when we made it to the summit 19 miles later, it was 41degrees. The kids got a kick out of seeing snow on the ground. While we were eating our “high altitude” donuts at the summit, we all experienced a little altitude sickness. After passing out the Advil, we decided that it was time to head back down the mountain.

The next day (Wednesday) we headed out to Focus on the Family Organization in Colorado Springs. If you are ever in Colorado Springs, be sure to check it out. There is a Visitor Center that has a whole area for children. There is a 3 story indoor slide and a lower level that reminded me of Strong Museum. We were able to record an episode of “Adventures in Odyssey” with us as the characters. It was very cool to see how they tape the show that they put on the radio. Lee and I were the Foleys for the show (that means the sound effect men) while Ben and Sam where two of the main characters. We took a tour of the administrative offices and ate in the staff cafeteria. It was a great day. They also have a large bookstore where we had a good time browsing.

After we got done there, we headed to Garden of the Gods. This is right beside our campground. It is a national park that highlights huge red rock formations in the middle of the area. We had a great time climbing through the rocks and posing for pictures. Then we found the Helen Hunt Falls, took a few pictures and ate supper at Cracker Barrel. This was our last meal out west. In the morning we were heading out on our 1,778 mile trip back across the US.

After a day of driving, we stopped in Vidalia, IL at a Wal-mart last night. We will be checking into Sandy Cove Conference Center tomorrow for our week of family camp on the Chesapeake Bay. Hopefully, I’ll have better access to the internet this week.

For those of you who may be wondering, I just spoke with my mom and the animals are doing great. Mom says that Cookie may have forgotten that she had legs because my niece is carrying her everywhere. Holly, Pepper, and Daybreak have adjusted completely also. We will be picking them up when we are done with the week in MD. We really miss them. Every time we see a dog, one of us says, “I miss the dogs!”

As for a medical update, Lee’s ear isn’t bleeding as much although it continues to be clogged and still drains. I am going to call for an appointment with his ENT Dr. for when we get home. He is still on the antibiotic and can’t hear anything with his right ear. Please pray that this can clear up. I know it is frustrating for him.

That is the scoop for now. I’ll try to share more pics as soon as I get a better internet connection. Take care and thank you so much for your support and prayers.

Love,
Michele

It Keeps Getting Better!

Monday, July 30, 2007
Time: 9:44PM MST

It has been an unbelievable few days. What started as a day of getting sick of driving on Saturday turned into an amazing unexpected spiritual experience on Sunday night. I’ll explain…we left Mt Rushmore on Saturday afternoon. We had seen all the sites and Lee decided to get some drive time under his belt that evening to get us to Estes Park, CO at a better time on Sunday. However, Lee has been having trouble with the ear that he has a tube in since the beginning of the trip. It has been bleeding on and off and has been painful (especially with the change in elevations we’ve been experiencing). He was in more pain than usual by Saturday and I suggested we head to an Urgent Care or ER to get some antibiotic and/or treatment. So before heading out for the drive, we headed to the ER in Rapid City, SD. Unbelievably, he was seen and walked out with an antibiotic prescription within an hour. That was really a blessing, since we ran into someone from Rapid City today and they said that the ER usually takes a very long time. The Dr thought it was a middle ear infection, so Lee has medicine for 7 days. Pray for complete healing. He can hear very little out that ear because it is so clogged and it continues to bleed at times.

After the ER, we headed out and Lee drove for about 5 hours. There is nothing at night between Mt Rushmore and Colorado. The reason Lee finally stopped at a rest area is because we needed gas and there wasn’t an open gas station that late at night. I was going stir crazy in the car by that time anyway, so I was grateful for closed gas stations. We headed out on Sunday morning and got to Estes Park by the afternoon. Because we were driving, we didn’t know what we were going to do for worship, but thought we may find something on Sunday evening. Little did we know…

When we got to the campground and unpacked, Lee checked the campground website for activities and said to me, “Guess who has a concert here tonight?” Of course I didn’t know. He said, “Michael W. Smith”. For those of you who don’t know, Michael W. Smith is my favorite Christian singer and had a huge influence on me as a teenager. It happened that the GMA (Gospel Music Association) has a big conference and competition called “Music in the Rockies”. They bring in major artists throughout the week to work with worship leaders and want-to-be singers. The conference is in …ESTES PARK! Lee checked it out and we ended up at an intimate-sized concert with 3 singers. After the first singer who is a newcomer, the group “Pocket Full of Rocks” sang for about 25 minutes. They were really good. Then came Michael… I was able to sneak up to the fourth row to get some pictures and watched most of his concert from there. He sang and spoke for 2 hours! It was the highlight of the trip so far! Sam even says that it was the favorite thing that we experienced on the trip. It was so moving and inspiring! We were praising God as a family and it was memorable. We were on a spiritual high when we got home and were able to have some great sharing time. Praise God for unexpected blessings!!!

Today, we had another “first” for three of us. We went Whitewater Rafting down the Cache la Poudre River. The four of us were in a raft with a guide named Simon. There were nine rafts in the group. It was great fun. However, I joined the Poudre (“poo-der”) Swim Team when I fell out of the raft when we rebounded off a rock ¾ of the way down the river. I had to swim to the raft and the guide had to grab the shoulder straps of my life jacket and drag me in. Now I know how those beached whales feel when they are being pulled back to the ocean. J Simon was originally from New Zealand and had a great accent. He was a great guide and we arrived back safe and sound…just wet. Lee has been rafting before, but none of the rest of us has. It was a day! So far, Colorado is leaving a mark on all of us. Ben is telling us that he wants to move here when he grows up and Sam says it her second favorite state in the US other than New York.

Tomorrow we head to Colorado Springs for a day or so. We want to see Pike’s Peak and Focus on the Family. We are staying at a campground in the Garden of the Gods. We need to start heading back across the US toward Maryland once we check out Colorado Springs. Please pray for the trip back East. It is a lot of driving for Lee.

Take care. God is good all the time!
Love,
Michele

Elk, Moose & Bison...Oh MY!

July 29, 2007
11:43am MST

Location: Mt. Rushmore

Hi Everyone,
The last few days have been full of activities and driving. I have realized that the small towns and rural mountains of WY, SD, and Montana are not internet friendly, so I haven't had a convenient place to blog. We have had areas were there is no phone signal or internet. Sorry, but I haven't forgotten you.

Our days at Yellowstone were filled with new experiences. By the time we left the park, we saw male/female/baby elk, moose, and bison. The waterfalls and geysers were beautiful. What fun it was to have a bison look you in the face as it stood in the middle of the road. When we drove through Wyoming we saw a male moose with huge antlers and mule deer. The mountain roads were cool at first, but after driving up l,000s of feet and then driving down again when we needed to eat and use the bathroom while pulling the trailer, I was glad to reach civilization.

We arrived in Keystone, SD yesterday around 2pm. After setting up and eating, we headed over to Mt. Rushmore. We toured it and stayed for the evening lighting ceremony. That was well worth it. It was really inspiring. At the end when they retire the flag for the day, they ask all military personnel in the audiance to come on stage so they can be recognized for their effort. There were probably 100 active and former military on the stage and they go through and have them say their names and where they served. With the backdrop of the 4 presidents lited and these people who have served for our freedom, it was emotional for us. With the amount of the US we have toured this summer, I appreciate our freedom and resources even more.

Today, we are doing the tourist thing. We are hitting Main St. and checking out the shops. We will be heading out to Estes Park, CO tomorrow. I'll try to keep up as long as technology keeps up with me.

Take care and God bless!
Michele

Salt Lake City, Lee's Bday, and Yellowstone...

July 24, 2007

Time: 11:34pm MST

Happy Birthday, Lee!

Hi everyone,

Sorry that I've been away for a few days. We were busy checking out the sites in Salt Lake City. We spent the day at Temple Square downtown yesterday. It was really interesting to see. The architecture was beautiful. We took a tour of the different buildings of the square (i.e. tabernacle, visitors center, outside of the temple) and then we took a tour of the new Mormon Convention Center. That is truly an amazing building. It is huge and has an outdoor waterfall that starts at the roof, which has reflection pools and gardens on it, and falls to different platforms the whole way down. You can see the waterfall coming down over the glass on the inside also. The artwork displayed are originals and beautiful.

After several hours downtown, we checked out an outlet mall and headed back to the campsite in time for the kids to swim and us to grill out.

We sang to Lee after he got out of the shower this morning. We decided that it was important to sing him Happy Birthday while he was in his Birthday Suit. He blew out his candle and we had brownies for breakfast. Ben had made them last night. Then he opened some presents. Ben got him a "Fart machine" and Samantha bought him a pocket toothepick holder and a keychain that says I love you.

We packed up and headed to West Yellowstone, MT. After we arrived around 7pm and set up, we ran up to "Old Faithful" to see it erupt before dark. We made it! It was very cool to see. However, because it was getting late, the pics didn't turn out so well. We are setting out early tomorrow to go to some different areas of the park. One really cool thing that we did get a chance to see in the light was a bunch of mother and baby moose right by the road as we were driving to the geyser. They were so busy eating that they weren't concerned with the people around. The babies were so cute. I was glad the kids got to see them up close.

Well, that is the scoop for now. We will be in Yellowstone until Thursday and then we are heading for Mt. Rushmore. Hopefully, I'll get some good pictures tomorrow. It is gorgeous around here.

Love to all!

Michele

A Day to Catch Up...

July 22, 2007
Time: 9:45pm MST

In case some of you don't know, I turned 40 yesterday while we were driving from San Francisco to Salt Lake City, UT. We were in the truck for 15 hours! However, Lee took me to KFC for lunch and found a nice family restaurant for a supper. They had a rib special that Lee and the kids had and I had a prime rib special for my bday. Lee and the kids brought a piece of cake out to the camper and sang with the candles that Mare gave me at my surprise party. By the way Mare, I really appreciated having that card to open on my actual bday. It meant a lot on the road. Sam bought me a really pretty ring in Arizona and Ben picked up a beautiful pair of turquoise earrings in Oklahoma. They both surprised me with these gifts. It was very sweet.

We got into SLC, UT about 1am this morning. We found a SuperWalmart and parked for the night. We headed to the campground once we got up and moving this morning. It is a nice campground. Lee found a service to go to at 6:30pm at a Presbyterian church. It was really a casual and neat service. I think we all enjoyed it very much. The kids said that it was their favorite yet. During the day, I did four loads of clothes at the laundrymat while Lee and the kids hit the pool and worked around the camper. After the service, we came back and had a delicious meal that Lee prepared this afternoon.

Tomorrow we are heading into the city for the sites. It really is a beautiful city being surrounded by the mountains. I'll let you know the scoop.

Thanks again for the bday wishes.
Love,
Michele

I Left My Heart in San Francisco...

July 20, 2007
Happy Friday! We have had a great time in San Francisco. It has been full of activities. Here are some of the experiences that we have had over the past few days.

July18 Dream Center - Lee spoke to SPRT about the Dream Center. It is an organization in a Hispanic populated area of LA that had taken over an old hospital and devoted itself to helping the people in the area. We stopped on our way out of LA and observed the facility. There were so many ministries from Free Clinic to daily lunches served to homeless. They have a building that houses runaway teens and tons of other services. The main theme that Lee walked away with is that they function by “Ministry over Facility”. It wasn’t the greatest looking place and seemed pretty run down, however it is reaching out to the community in so many ways. Resources go to ministry and aren’t so concerned by looks. It really left an impact.

July19 – We headed downtown in San Francisco for the day. Our first stop was to find Lombard St (the crookedest street in the world) and drive down it. After we achieved that, I jumped out at the bottom and got a picture of the crooked block.

Second stop, Pier 39 holds street performers, unique shops, and even docks where seals lay in the sun. We then walked through Fisherman’s Wharf were Lee sampled the Dungeness Crab and Ben and I ate fresh shrimp cocktail. Sam settled for a big chunk of Ghirardelli chocolate. While we ate our goodies, we watched a street performer named “The Bushman”. For 28 years, this man sits on a milk crate and holds branches in front of him. He waits for people to walk by him and pushes the branches toward them and growls. They jump in surprise. He’s pretty famous by now and even appears in tons of videos on UTube. I thought it was obnoxious at first, but have to admit that it makes you chuckle to see some people jump.

Finally, we walked past the Cannery (former DelMonte fruit Cannery that has been transformed into studios for artists), to Ghirardelli Square (i.e. Mecca for me). We checked out the square and headed to the chocolate shop where the World famous Ghirardelli Hot Fudge Sundaes are served. They were amazing!!! If you come to San Francisco, you have to stop by for a sundae. After a very full day, we headed back to the campground and the kids swam for a little while as I did two loads of laundry. The evening concluded with watching Food Network. The kids were so excited to have cable at the campsite and access to Food Network.

July20 Alcatraz- After sleeping in a little, we headed back into San Francisco to go to the Alcatraz tour. Fortunately, we were advised to order the tickets ahead of time. When we got there at 11:20am, they were sold out until July 25 in the afternoon. We ordered ours last week because we knew what day we would be able to do the tour. We ferried over to the island and walked around the exhibits, saw a movie produced by Discover channel about the history of Alcatraz, and then did the audio tour of the prison. It was really cool. They gave each of us a pair of earphones and a digital recorder. By starting the recorder at the beginning point, a former prison officer narrates and directs you through the whole facility. You can stop and start as much as you want to check out all the areas. It is amazing how much history this place holds. The cells are so small and all four of us stepped into one of the cells in “The Hole” (i.e. solitary and blackout). Claustrophobia would have driven me crazy quickly.

After we got back to mainland, we headed to the Wipeout Grill at Pier 39. We partook of the famous San Francisco Sourdough Bread Bowl filled with Clam Chowder. Oh my! Super Yummy! Betty even started to eat mine. I had to wrestle the spoon out of her hand! She should know not to get between me and food. She is lucky to still be around.

Finally, on our way home, Lee drove us out to Muir Woods. This is a Redwoods National Park about 12 miles North of San Francisco. We all laughed as we walked through the trails that the trees are so immense, it made us feel like we had shrunk. It was like a scene out of “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”. The park was beautiful and I have a new respect for California Redwoods. While we were on the trail, we even came across several mule deer, even a fawn that wasn’t afraid of people watching, and a crane in the stream. It was a beautiful end to an eventful day.

Tomorrow we pack up and head towards Salt Lake City, UT. It is 12 hours away, so we’ll see how far we get. I probably won’t have much to write.

Keep praying for safety and renewal. It’s working!
Love to all!
Michele

Top 10 of LA and on our way again!

July 18, 2007
Time: 4:38PST

Wow! LA sure has a ton of things to do and see. We’ve had a great time there and are now on our way to San Francisco. The kids were able to play one last time on the beach at our campsite this morning while Lee and I packed things up. I decided to let you know our activities the last few days by creating a top 10 list like David Letterman. We decided on each of them as a family, so we are all in agreement of the ranking. Here goes…

Top 10 List for the Carlson Crew in Los Angeles:

10. Not getting totally lost in LA – We love our Mary Magellan. She guides us wherever we need to go. Our GPS has certainly been worth it!

9. Having a campsite on the beach of the Pacific – Having full access to the beach allowed us some really cool opportunities that we wouldn’t have had. (I.e. the campfire and fun in the ocean at dusk)

8. Jurassic Park ride at Universal – We loved this. We got soaked, but thought it was the best ride of the park. All the rides and shows were great though.

7. Hollywood Tour/ Walk of Stars – We took a van tour of star’s homes and sites of Hollywood, West LA, and Beverly Hills. I can’t believe the price of homes in this area!

6. Sunset/ Campfire/ Roasting Strawberry Marshmallows on the Beach – I was in a grumpy mood and didn’t want to go to the beach in the evening. Sam wanted to go so bad that I finally gave in and grumbled the whole walk there. Most of the fire pits were taken, but we just happened to come upon one that had a piece of wood still burning in it and embers perfect for marshmallow roasting. A Godinscidence. We grabbed our supplies, lawn chairs, and a log we have and enjoyed a sunset on the beach by firelight. Needless to say, it eased my grumpies.

5. Mosaic Morning & Evening Services – Lee loved the evening service that he went to at a local nightclub in LA. He thought that the whole experience was a high point. As a family, we felt that the morning service that we went to at Beverly Hills High School was great.

4. Baby Blues BBQ – A few months ago, Lee and I were watching “Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives” on the Food Network and they highlighted a BBQ joint in LA. We looked up the location at the time and realized it wasn’t far from where we are staying. With the kids’ love of Food Network, we thought it would be cool to check it out. So Monday evening after we closed Universal Studios, we headed to Baby Blues BBQ. It was a total dive, but Awesome ribs!!! The best we have ever had. However, the price was more than we would normally do. It was just one of those treats that you do once.

3. Swimming the Pacific Ocean – As I said before, Sam loved the ocean and Ben was a close second. However, Lee and I voted this one as three also because of watching the sheer joy on our children’s’ faces while they played in the water. It was a great experience for us all.

2. Jeopardy taping – Tuesday we headed to Sony Television Studios and were able to be in the live audience for the first three shows of the 24th season of Jeopardy. We met Alex Trabek and saw how they tape the show. The three shows that we were in the audience for will air the week of Sept 10. This was fascinating to watch the behind the scenes stuff and interact with Alex Trabek and Johnny Gilbert (the announcer).

1. Universal Studios Hollywood – Lee surprised us after our Hollywood Tour by heading to Universal Studios Hollywood. He had made arrangements for us the night before while online and didn’t mention we were going until we got there. We went for two ½ days. We did stuff during the day and headed to the park in the afternoons. It is a great park and we really enjoyed it.

Top 5 things we won’t miss about LA:
1. Traffic
2. Traffic
3. Traffic
4. Traffic
5. Traffic

Until I see you in San Francisco,

Love,

Michele

Beverly Hills 90210

Sunday, July 15, 2007
Time: 7:19pm PST
Happy Sunday! We went to Mosaic at Beverly Hills High School this morning. It was really interesting. The core dynamic of the attendees is 18-25 yrs old and 80% single. The sermon was very focused toward that group. Ben and Sam really enjoyed the humor that was infused during the service. It lasted 1 ½ hours and there was a praise team with a male and female singer.

After running around a little and grabbing some lunch, the kids and I headed for the beach while Lee ran to get some supplies and attend another Mosaic service this evening at a different venue. Samantha should be a dolphin. She won’t get out of the ocean. After 3 hours and Ben shivering from the water, I finally had to drag her out. They love playing in the waves! She is driving us crazy wanting to be down at the beach all the time. Tomorrow we will be checking out the sights. Before church, we had the chance to drive down Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. Unfortunately, there weren’t any stars around at 10am on Sunday morning.

Well that is the scoop for now. Talk to you soon!
Michele

Vegas to LosAngeles - Wow!

Saturday, July 14, 2007
Time: 5:42pm PST

Boy, things are gearing up. We’ve had a couple of busy days. Las Vegas is certainly an interesting town. We spent yesterday at Hoover Dam and then hit the Las Vegas Strip again last night. We’ve been hitting the free shows at the megaresorts. We’ve seen the Bellagio, the Venetian, Paris-Las Vegas, Caesar’s Palace, Circus Circus, the Mirage, and Treasure Island. We must have walked 10 miles in the past few days. The first day in LV we were there during the day and into the evening. It was a Thursday, so the evening was tame. However, we headed into town last night (Friday) after supper to go to M&M World (way cool!) and see the erupting volcano at the Mirage. Friday night on the strip is a different world. It was a good lesson for the kids to see what Not to wear and do. The hotels and shops are pretty amazing though.

Hoover Dam was very interesting. Ben got claustrophobic when we traveled down under the dam. They crammed 40 of us into an elevator that went down to the water pipes and turbine room. Walking through cave like halls was enough to creep him out. He survived though and we enjoyed our time.

We had been having trouble with our brakes burning, so when we got home, Lee took the truck to see what was going on. The kids and I went to the pool. Lee got back and said that the dealer didn’t have time to look at them, so he took them to a brake shop for inspection. The brake seals on both rear tires were bad and the emergency brake pad was shot. The dealer said that they may not be able to get to it until Monday and they may not have the parts. After pleading our case, they said for Lee to be at the shop at 7:30 this morning (Saturday) and they would see what they could do. This could change our timetable at least two days. The kids kept saying that they were praying that they would be able to see Jeopardy and spend the time in LA. Lee left early this morning and called me at 10am saying that they were finishing up and to get things ready to go. Praise God, they had all the parts and were willing to fit the truck in to be fixed. What a blessing!

Thus, we are about 30minutes outside of LA. We are on schedule and doing well. Boy there is a lot of traffic in Pasadena,CA. I’m sure LA will be even worse. I’ll let you know how our campsite is when we get it.

...I'm Back! We are right on the beach. The kids played in the Pacific Ocean tonight while Lee and I sat and watched the sunset. We are heading to Erwin McMannus's church tomorrow. It is called Mosaic and the service we are going is at Beverly Hills High School. Then we are playing on the beach after lunch.

Take care! Love Y'all!

Michele

What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas...

July 12, 2007
Time: 12:46pm MST

Boy, yesterday was an exhausting day. We went to Bryce Canyon during the day and hiked a few trails. It is truly amazing to see this area. Lee and I both agree that the Grand Canyon is overwhelming and beautiful because of it's size, but Bryce Canyon is more unique. We hiked a trail along a stream and waterfall that feeds the Colorado river. The kids (Lee included) had a great time hiking in the stream with their water shoes. I didn't think we would get Sam out of it. Ben said that morning that one of his dreams in life was to stand underneath a natural waterfall. Well, guess what! A few hours later, God fulfilled his dream. As we hiked up the stream there was a beautiful waterfall that he could actually stand under.

Then we hiked into the canyon. The path is full of switchbacks in order to make it to the bottom. I went half way and then realized "what goes down, must come up", so the other three went the whole way down and then huff and puffed back up. Remember we were in Utah so the air is thinner. I don't think I have ever seen Lee so out of breath. It was really a hard climb. The canyon is full of "hoodoos" which are these unique rock pillar formations. A picture can't capture the beauty of it.

After that we headed to Las Vegas, NV. We arrived at our "campground" and realized that it was in the older, rougher section in the middle of the city. We set up, but were uncomfortable with the security of the area. After a little while, we decided to change campgrounds. We found a very nice, secure one with a pool and very clean. I've been doing laundry while Lee took the kids to the pool this morning. Today we are going to check out the big hotels such as the Venetian, the Bilagio, and Treasure Island. Tomorrow we are going to Hoover Dam for the tour.

Hope all is well with all of you!
Love,
Michele

Travel Day!

July 10, 2007
Time: 6:07MST

Hi All!
Today is a travel day. We left Williams, AZ around 11:30PST and should be hitting Bryce Canyon, UT at 8:03MST. On one of the hills today we had our back right brake start to burn. Fortunately, Lee and Ben grabbed the liter water bottles that we had in the backseat and wet them down. Other than that it has been uneventful. We’ll set up tonight and check out the sights tomorrow. Then we will travel later in the day to Nevada.

It is nice to see grass and water again along the road. Arizona is beautiful in its own way, but I am really learning to appreciate grass and trees.

Sunset at Bryce Canyon!

Ta-Ta for Now!
Michele

It is Grand!

July 9, 2007

time: 11:49PST

I have to start with an apology regarding no post for Sunday. We had a very full day and I didn't use our short drive time to post. We went to a worship service in a coffehouse and really enjoyed the church. Ben really liked the casualness of it. As a matter of fact, he apprecitated the fact that he could get up to get a drink during the service. We made many notes on the service and will share our observations when we return.

After the worship service we headed north. We drove through Sedona, AZ on our way to Williams, AZ. It was amazing. As we drove around a corner, all of a sudden these unbelievable rock formations appeared. We all went "Whoa!" at the same time. It was a very twisted road, but well worth the drive. Unfortunately, we were pulling the trailer when we drove through it, so it was tricky driving.

After we set up camp, we were able to check in with Lee's family since they were in the area. We met up with them after they took the railway to the Grand Canyon. We watched the shootout on Main St, Williams. Then we went to dinner on the actual Route 66 at a 50's style ice cream parlor.

This morning we headed out on the Grand Canyon Railway to the Canyon. It was so much fun. They even entertain you while you ride. Once we arrived, we had lunch and spent a few hours hiking the rim on the South side. It was really hot, but the views were so amazing that it was worth it. It was great to get back on the train and have someone else take us home while we sat back and sipped cold drinks. We met some many really nice people on the train and got some inside tips for other areas that we are heading toward. One family that we spoke with even gave us their address in Colorado Springs in case we had any questions or problems when we hit that area.

We came home this evening and had a great meal at "home" (our camper) and enjoyed the evening together. Now the kids are asleep and we are wrapping it up for the night. God has been so good to us. I can't believe how well the kids are getting along. Ben has been a huge help to Lee setting up and packing up. Tomorrow we head out for Bryce Canyon, UT. We are spending the night there and then heading for Las Vegas.

By the way, Betty is having a great time and experiencing a lot of new places. She had a scary moment today when the train robbers held us up on the way home. The robber held Betty hostage until we have him some money. Fortunately, we were able to overtake them and get Betty back. She is shaken, but doing much better this evening. :-)

I understand some of you are experiencing some heat up North. Now you can relate to what we are talking about. Thanks for any of the comments and emails you are sending. I'll try to write tomorrow while we are driving to Bryce. Take care!

God bless and Good Night!

Michele