New Orleans Food

Of course, the best part about New Orleans is the food.This is a place called Mothers. They always had a line out the door. They had some of the best crawfish etouffee I have ever had.

Beignets from Cafe Du Monde is a must!

Acme Oyster Company is the best!

Our friend, Mandee, loved the grilled oysters so much that she ate 15 of them!

New Orleans Architecture

Many things makes New Orleans unique. The architecture is one of them.

















Those are beads hanging from the power lines. New Orleans has definitely calmed down since Katrina, but I would not take the family there for vacation. I still think Bourban Street makes the Las Vegas strip feel like Sesame street.

Pics from the show in the Superdome

Brock trying to adjust the sail during the storm.

When he calmed the storm, he was at an impossible angle.

The next set was less serious.





Brock brought up the President of the Lutherans to help put him in the straight jacket. Everyone loved it!

The banter between them was hilarious.

I could not capture even a tenth of the crowd.

Playing at the Arcade

Yesterday, we woke up feeling exhausted. We went to eat lunch with some old friends, but I had trouble forming complete sentences I was so tired. As we drove from Cedar Hill, TX to Dallas, Brock kept getting lost and he never gets lost.

We would be staying with Brock's brother that night and he would not get home until about 7pm, so we had some time to kill yesterday afternoon. Brock pulled over at a Dave and Buster's and said, "Let's go play games in the arcade."

I did not realize how much fun that would be! We had a very tiresome and stressful week. It was simply wonderful to let everything go on these silly video games. We raced cars in the Daytona 500. Brock got to shoot at bad guys. He was a marine in one of the games. I played Deal of No Deal and won what is equivalent to the million dollars in the TV game. On the video game, the jackpot was 250 tickets. We could use our tickets to download stuff from Itunes. Isn't that crazy? The arcade is so much more sophisticated than when I was a kid.

Exercise on the Road

I am so tired right now that I can barely form sentences. If I start saying random things, just know that it is 6am and I have already been up for 2 hours. We are flying to Texas where we will do a show early this afternoon and again tonight. Then, we will be able to rest Thursday and Friday for the first time in a week!

Last week I did my usual exercise routine Monday and Wednesday. On Friday morning as I was driving to the airport, I thought, "Oh no. I probably won't have time to do my last workout this week." I parked the truck in the long term parking where our road manager, John, would be picking it up later. Then, I realized that I had 3 bags and a 100 lb backpack. How was I supposed to drag 3 bags inside myself? I couldn't, so I took my 2 bags that I was checking on the ten minute hike (and that's at Auny pace which is fast) inside and checked them. Then, I walked back out to the truck to get the 3rd one and back inside the airport. After 30 minutes of walking with three 50 lb bags, I decided that I got my workout! Then, that night during the show, I ran from the sound board to the stage so many times and that was a big place!

I did not have time to do my regular exercise routine this week either, but I walked more than I have in 6 months probably. We were on our feet working for 15 hours in the Superdome Sunday alone. I am more sore right now than I am even after an hour long Jillian Michaels workout. I think I'm covered in the exercise department this week! Maybe all of that walking and such will make up for the food I ate in New Orleans.

Superdome Show

I will remember last night forever. The stage was set. 25,000 people were in the audience. It came time for us to do our effect that is so huge. The problem was that we didn't get a full rehearsal that day. Plus, we had not done this particular illusion in over a year. As I waited in position for Brock to begin, my stomach turning somersaults, I almost could not take the anxiety. Would magic even translate to a crowd so large? I took a few deep breaths, and as soon as Brock walked onto the stage, all of the nerves went away. The tunnel vision I have when Brock's performing kicked in.

When Brock finished the effect, I realized that we had done it! We created a storm inside the Superdome! I was still comprehending that we had actually pulled it off when I saw the video showing footage of Hurricane Katrina. The magnitude of what we did hit me. It was so cool to display how Jesus calmed the storm in the same place where the refugees stayed during a huge storm.

Then, Brock came out later to perform a couple of fun illusions. He had the crowd laughing so loudly (25,000 simultaneous laughter does that) and then standing on their feet in applause. A standing ovation!!! I didn't know if it would work with such a large crowd, but it more than worked. It was magical!

An Unusual Exchange at the Local Home Depot

Earlier this week, Brock and I were at the local Home Depot buying a new toilet since our toilet just quit working. As we were checking out, an older lady came up to us and asked if we were replacing an older toilet. After we told her that the toilet was about 30 years old, she told us this story: "We had company staying at our house. One guy came out of the shower the wrong way, and do you know that his knee came right down on the top of that commode breaking it into? So, I just need a top to the toilet." She would have to buy a whole new toilet just to get the top. Maurine was her name and she was very animated that Maurine!

We told her that we would bring her our old one, and she gave us her phone number. That was that. I bet that she thought she would never hear from us again.

Well, yesterday, I was going to do some errands, so I brought it to town with me. I gave Maurine a call yesterday morning. She did not answer, so I left her a message. I guessed that she would not call me back. To my surprise, later that afternoon, she did. We met in that Home Depot parking lot and I gave her our old toilet top. It was such a strange exchange right there at the local HD! As I put it in her backseat for her, she said, "Now this was just a miracle!" It was such an unusual occurrence for both of us to follow through on that and make it happen.

Prayer for Upcoming Week

Please pray for our upcoming week. Tonight and tomorrow night, we have shows in Kalamazoo, Michigan (yes, there really is a Kalamazoo and I didn't make that up). Friday night, we do a conference in Orlando, FL. Sunday, we do the biggest show of our lives (meaning the most people in attendance with 25,000) in the Superdome in New Orleans. We will stay there for a couple of days and then fly to Dallas to perform on Wednesday and in San Antonio, TX on Saturday of that week. Wow! It makes me tired and excited just thinking about it! (I wasn't sure if I should use an exclamation point there. It did have excited in the sentence but it also had tired. Still not sure but I went with the exclamation anyway.)

Pray that it all goes well. Have I told you lately how much your prayers mean to me? It brings me to tears to think about your sweet prayers lifted up to our mighty God. Thank you so much for battling with us in prayer.

David and Goliath

I am studying David right now. This morning, I read about David and Goliath. I was reminded of how wonderful and thought provoking this Sunday school story really is. David did not have any question as to whether the Lord would bring him victory or not. He knew that God was bigger than any of his problems.

I quickly got busy getting everything ready for our big week to come and David and Goliath were long forgotten. Anxiety began to grow as I went through the huge, intimidating stack of mail that has accumulated since we have been in Florida which potentially has large doctor bills amongst them. I came across a letter from Bariela, our Compassion child from the Dominican. In it, she said that her favorite Bible character is David because he killed the Giant. Great timing huh? The Lord used sweet Bariela to remind me that He is bigger than any giants I have in my life. What a great joy it is to be a Compassion sponsor!

Pics from 4th of July Weekend

At the drive in with Jacob and Kayla



Carrie's art exhibit at the Nashville crawl.

Watching fireworks with friends we ran into downtown Nashville.





Susan and Anna

Setting Up Carrie's Art

I helped my friend, Carrie, set up her art in a room at a gallery in Nashville. It was an interesting night. First of all, we were supposed to go into the alley near the art studio. We could not find it, so we were traipsing around downtown at 8pm on a Tuesday night. We were careful not to get out of the truck unless it was necessary. Just when she was about to call, Olga, the German lady in charge of the gallery. Her phone died. So, she used my phone to call her husband to get her number. We finally found the alley she was talking about.

The gallery was on the 2nd floor, so we had to carry all of the art up this creepy elevator. I just knew it was going to get stuck, and we would be there all night because it was after hours...nobody was around except Olga.

As we set up Carrie's room, which proved to be challenging since one wall was a thin board covering up a window and another one was fabric covering a doorway, we could hear Olga having a heated phone call in German. Carrie said that she was a little scared of Olga, but she was nice enough to let Carrie place her art in a room in her gallery for this month.

When we were almost done with hanging what we were going to hang that night, Olga called my phone (remember Carrie's was out of juice). When I answered, she said, "Carrie! You have to move your truck! Hurry down!"

We went ahead and left because I was worried that my truck (we used it to transport the art) was being towed or something. We ran down the stairs (forget that elevator!) and found that a big semi was trying to drive through the alley. We left with no problem, and got out of the big truck's way. It's always an adventure when me and Carrie are together!

Date Night

Brock and I have been having a date night every Monday night that we are home. It's been so good for us. It's a time when we intentionally spend time together. What we normally do is go to a restaurant that we have never tried. We are such foodies and this satisfies our adventurous side without having to come up with something new every week. However, we like to change it up from time to time.

Last night, the weather was so good that we picked up some tacos and took them to a park. After our picnic, we walked around and talked a little. When it got dark, we watched a scary TV show on our laptop. It made it even spookier to watch it outside in the dark!

What was your favorite date that you have ever been on? We need more ideas!

4th of July Weekend

Friday night, we went to a drive-in movie theater with another couple. The weather was perfect and we made an actual "bed" in our truck bed. Saturday, we slept in and then watched motocross racing all day. I made Sara's yummy lava cake for us using a chocolate bar we had. (I did not have any chips, but I had some chocolate!) That night, we went to the art crawl in Nashville. Every first Saturday of the month, Nashville's art galleries open up to the public displaying their art and providing music and food. It's a lot of fun. One of my friends was actually presenting her art in one of the galleries, so we got to see her and her art.

After that, we went to a middle eastern place to eat downtown. We ran into some friends, so they came with us. A couple of other friends joined us after dinner and we watched fireworks from the walking bridge. It was a fun night in downtown.

Yesterday, we went to church and heard a wonderful message. Then, we went to eat at Cracker Barrel with some friends. Four of us went to a friend's pool for the afternoon. It was fun! Last night, we went to hang out with our friends, the Rileys. Their parents live on this big hill, so we watched all the fireworks going off around town from there. What did you do?

Pics from Fort Walton Beach

Went to McGuire's for Jacob's birthday.



Since it was his birthday, he had to kiss the moose. McGuire's has some crazy traditions. Notice all of the dollars hanging everywhere. There is over 900,000 of them in this restaurant.

The bathrooms are crazy at McGuire's. They make it look like the MEN's is the LADIES's room and vice versa. Lindsey was confused!

We went to the bridge to swim. Last time, Brock jumped off of the bridge...not this year.

They had buoys trying to keep out the oil. Brock and Lindsey used it as a float.

John found a hermit crab as he was snorkeling.

Jacob and Kayla

Me and Lindsey

All of us at the Donut Hole.

John holds his knee still after Lindsey informed him that he was shaking the whole bench while bouncing his knee. They became like brother and sister on this trip. Every now and then, I would say, "Stop fighting with your sister." It was funny!

Us eating the redfish at Marina Cafe.

The girls

The guys. I won't show you the first pic I took of the guys because it involves a little crack. You know when you tell guys to take a picture together, they cannot be serious!

The happy couple.

The other happy couple.

We rented a boat and went out to Crab Island.

Crab Island is where all of the boats go and stay all day...hundreds of boats.

This was the boat we got lunch from out there.



Brock brought a watermelon to eat out there.

Brock was the driver.

Us eating at McGuire's again. (They have great burgers and steak, so I could get plenty of iron.)

Us eating at Dewey Destins with some friends.

The apartment we stayed at.

Me sitting under the umbrella at the beach the last day we were there.

More watermelon.

This was all we saw of the oil. It was only one day and it was not much. They kept saying that it was going to come in, but it remained beautiful our whole stay!