Leaving Albequerque we made it to Forest Lakes late on Friday evening to be reunited with portions of our sweet family. It was a very pleasant evening after we finally got parked at the Art Sr. and Martha Enriquez's cabin at the top of the highest mountain in that particular region (I don't really know where it is...) It was rather dismal to be perfectly honest. And the abundance of trees that had been stuck in previous storms by lightening was hardly something to lighten the mood... Oh well. The cabin was toasty and comfy, and the company was lots of fun. We enjoyed a wonderful couple of days complete with Grandma Martha's "toss and throw" cuisine. that is the affectionate name we have applied to her cooking skills! From authentic mexican to her absolutely fabulous leftover concoctions, we were well fed to describe it quite literally.
A few of us had a pleasant hike together on Sunday and we took Mama along with a LOT of younger children. Michael was in his heaven jumping around on logs in the pine forest, playing with plants he'd never seen, etc... After a while we heard his excited cry and turned to see what new treasure he had uncovered. His eyes were as bright as the sun itself, and his smile was a mile wide. He held out his hand which held something brown. No further inspection was needed as he loudly and exuberantly informed us of what he had found. The words "Mama!!!! Elk poopy!!!" is about all that's necessary here. And at Mama's little scream he apologetically stalled mid excitement and dropped the offending mixture to the ground, rubbing the leftover residue off onto his shirt... Well, no one can judge him for "not attempting resolution".
We are now nearing Desert Hills where Uncle Art and Aunt Kim live. It's rather hot all of a sudden, and I'm really amazed at the climate change. Like a door that perpetually opens and closes with the cold of winter outside and the heat of fire on the inside. It feels like I could catch some sort of sickness from coming down from that extremely high altitude and cold, down to low altitude and HEAT! I better at least get a tan out of this....
Ya'll have a great afternoon (evening, night - whatever it is to you).
E for the bunch
Hey guys!
Just wanted to let you know that you can visit our youtube channel to see some recent videos. Also, find us on Facebook because we post quite a few videos there as well.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLindseyFamily
Peace to you all!
I dug up some videos from last years gigs and found this one. We played in upstate NY at the Tug Hill Bluegrass festival and Kenny Smith was kind enough to join us on a song. What fun!
<object width="320" height="240" ><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/206094812755533" /><embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/206094812755533" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="240"></embed></object>
Enjoy! NY tour is coming up, and we're getting excited about being back in the north!
We had a great time at the church in Graves Fork; met some neat, fun people, and sang a couple of the new hymns that we have been working out.
Afterwards we went to some friends' house where a bunch of friends were getting together. We had a great time talking, eating, laughing, joking around, etc... We should do it more often now that I think about it... :-)
The chair jumping competition was hilarious! I wish I had had jeans on to try it! But it was fun to take pictures and watch the cell phone videos after each person jumped. You guys probably think we don't do crazy fun stuff because we travelling and being good little children, right? Well, let me tell you, when we have the chance, we most certainly do! I love good fellowship...
I hope you all had a blessed Easter, and are continually amazed and thankful that Jesus is indeed, alive!
Blessings!
The Lindseys
I can't believe it! It's snowing! Given, not like we're used to, but there are visible flakes fluttering merrily to the ground and........here's the cool part (!)....STICKING! I have not seen the like in Kentucky yet! :-) Now, what I wouldn't give for a good old snow storm... :-)
Have a great day everyone!
Once again, lax in blogging.
Well people, we're on the road again! HAve been a lot these past few months. It still feels good! we were happy with the release of our Singing as We Go CD back in June, and even more happy to have Jared finally getting to finish his CD this winter. Things are going smoothly!
The next couple of weeks we'll be in OK and NC. The Faith Family Freedom Tour has several shows in OK which we are looking forward to greatly!
We also feel so blessed to have so many neighbors taking a fierce protectivity to our home! It's almost funny, but truly appreciated.
Other than that, we continue on day by day singing as we go!
Blessings to you all!
Elisabeth
All you patient people! We've had a big month of catching up on our outermusical lives. The school is progressing at its own little pace, but things are getting done, and we are blessed with a lot of help.
Upcoming is Canada, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. The Lake Itasca Family Music Festival looks like a good time. Canada is always a ball, and Faith Family Freedom is back on again! This will be so much fun!
I'll try and post pictures sometime. However, you can find us on Facebook as well at this link.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=131108286916669&ref=ts
Join if you can! The pictures on there are a lot more regular. And there is a string of videos as well!
It's been a great few weeks, but I'm actually looking forward to being on the road again. We have to go work just to get family time anymore!
Blessings to you all.
Elisabeth
Hey Everyone,
The newest CD (Volume II in our collection of Hymns) entitled "Singing As We Go" will be available within the next couple of weeks!
Get a copy and let us know how you like it!
Love from all of the Lindseys
There is a time to rejoice! Caleb Lindsey is the Southern Ohio Indoor Bluegrass Festival Mandolin Competition CHAMPION!!!!!!! We got the news about an hour ago (we didn't all go to the festival) that he had won his new Weber mandolin. They asked him to play a song on it, which thrilled him! I'm so proud of him!
On a much sadder note there is also a time to cry. Many of you heard of the tragic accident in Southern KY yesterday morning on I-65 N. Of the eleven people that were killed there were nine of our friends and neighbors. The pain is overwhelming, and the sorrow gripping. There is absolutely nothing like hearing that the reason you're stuck in traffic for over an hour on your way back from Ohio is becuase nine of your friends died in a horrific car crash. But the comfort is that God didn't forget to watch them. As a matter of fact, it was such perfect timing for all that occured that I see no way that there was any coincidence. And the truth is, Jesus loving people always win. There's no losing with Jesus. It's a secure bet and investment. We cry and hurt for us, and for the family because it does hurt. It could be a long time before we see them again. But we're still the winners. If it was the devil, His plan is backfiring as the story reaches across the nation being a light. If it was God, then whether we live or die, we win.
In memory of John and Sadie Esh, their son Leroy and his wife Naomi, and their baby Jaylen, Anna, Rose and Rachel Esh, and Rachel's fiancee Joel Gingerich, and their friend Ashlie Kramer.
These people were a light to a dark world, and such a blessing wherever they were. We loved them, and loved their friendship. And their families.
In Sadness, and in Rejoicing,
Elisabeth for the Lindseys
Hey Everyone!
As you can all see, we are being extremely slack in news of late. My apologies.
We had mentioned earlier this year that we were in the process of a new CD, and it was to be released mid February. Well, due to some time consuming circumstances we were unable to finish it. We are hoping to finish it now before our upcoming tours in New York State. Jared is also planning to release his solo CD sometime in that time frame as well. Keep your eyes peeled!
Caleb is going to be entering a mandolin competition in Ohio this weekend. He wants the $3500 mandolin that comes as the 1st place prize.... :-) Motivational methods! He and Papa will be going to Ohio for that. I hope he wins!
Other than that, we've been working out the kinks and problems with our new sound system. I'm praying Jared gets less sensitive ears, because he's always turning us down! And I'll digress before I get started on that!
This weekend is also busy because my grandma will be coming in from Ohio (as a matter of fact, I think I'm driving her back last I heard). We're excited to have her after she wasn't able to visit for about six or seven years due to my Grandpa's health. Also, Grandpa Lindsey is missing his family and wants to come down, too. Then a couple of concerts on Sunday. Should be an awesome weekend!
Oh! The bus brakes gave out a couple of weeks ago (right after we got back from Texas) So Ben and Caleb have been at our Diesal Mechanic's place working on it the past week or so. It looks like it's getting a pretty decent makeover. The wheels were off of it and things pulled pretty well apart when I saw it this morning. I never thought that monstrosity could look helpless, but it actually does at the moment.... :-)
Our friend Sara Richardson (for whom we were going to be producing a CD for and it didn't work this time) is well on her way to completing the first project! How exciting! her website is www.sararichardsoninfo.co. Go over and say hi to her!
On that note, I'm off to work.
.....are on the photos page.
Sorry it took so long to all you patient people!
Blessings!
Elisabeth
Hey Everyone,
We've been busy on the road and all of our other activities, so I'm sorry that there haven't been updates on here!
Just got back from Texas. Great trip, spent two weeks with the Greers and the Link family's (The Link Family Music and Lindley Creek is the Greers). Really enjoyed our time with them. Came away inspired and with a whole new music plan that's underway. You all keep a lookout for it! It's not something you're going to want to miss. I'll keep you updated on the status as we move along.
For now, we're looking forward to spring... :-)
See you all down the road!
Blessings,
Elisabeth
I just added pictures all you photo hungry people!
Everything is going really well. Olivia's a good screamer. :-) She's very expressive and alert for a two day old baby.
Mama is well, though on some strict rules for lifting etc... for the next few weeks says the midwife. :-) Don't we love that...
Thanks everyone for your prayers and thoughts!
Love,
ElisabethMiss Olivia Lindsey made her way into the world at 12:10 this morning. Tiny at 7.3 pounds. Mama and baby are well, and all siblings rambunctiously excited about their sister (BTW - boys haven't won a tie breaker since Naomi... *smile*)
Love to all,
Elisabeth Lindsey
Us older five were in the studio studiously (no pun intended) recording and producing for the completion of the collection of hymns CD's when there was a call from none other than John and Joyce Rossbach who were with family in Nashville over the holiday's and wanted to pop up and see us! Always a pleasure!
We spent the greater part of the day with them - mostly getting new and good tips and information... (they're both good at that! *wink*)
Miss Joycie is a wealth of knowledge (no offense Mr. R!) and she re-inspired my inspiration to start up square dancing and tapping (clogging, step dancing). I'd forgotten how much I like square dancing!
They even brought along Banjo (their dog... :-) ) Isn't that name creative?!
I guess we didn't really give a forewarning about that CD project. We're working hard to complete the Hymns Collection so that we can begin the process of revamping our set lists to more original material. Joy, joy. We'll hopefully have this project finished by the Texas trip and a whole new set worked up....but you know how things go!
Keep checking in...we'll be around more in a couple weeks!
With love,
Elisabeth for Lindsey Land
Often in our ministry we tire of all the work involved when it seems that it's not doing that much in people's lives. We all find great inner motivation when we see the fruit. It's difficult for us to plow the ground that others get to plant seeds in, and others get to grow the harvest. Yet in God's Kingdom I think that not one of those jobs is less than another, and not one of them any more fruitful. We experienced this last night with a phone call from someone that loves our music. Her testimony touched us all deeply. I'd like to share it with you all,.
Her husband had not been faithful to God for many, many years. He had to be dragged to church, and was not at all reticent to inform those who greeted him that he was there not of his desires. A hard man. His wife prayed for him for years and years a believer herself. It was through the abundant grace of God and a chain of events begun years ago by God (our music ministry, our relocation to Kentucky, a meeting with a man before we moved that invited us to this church to play) that this man was saved last year at our concert. On a side note, this concert was two days after a dear friend of ours drowned and we did the gig anyway because we felt called to honor our word. Even though our hearts were not really looking forward to it. Some of my family recalls meeting this man and his wife and the man saying with tears streaming down his face how blessed he had been. We didn't think of it again until a month or so ago when we played a concert at the Columbia Downtown days in Kentucky and this couple approached us backstage with this incredible light of their faces - an unexplained joy. When they shared with me just how much this man's life had changed because of us doing what the Lord called us to do, I called more of my family over and asked them to share with them as well. We were honored and humbled by their story. Again, we sort of forgot about it.
We heard a couple weeks ago through some friends during a flash flood over near Columbia that a woman had gotten stuck in the creek in her car and a man (her husband) had come in with a tractor to get her out. The tractor had flipped and the man was washed away (found 17 miles down stream). We were shocked, but didn't think too long about it.
The woman that called last night was the man's wife. The man was the one that got saved at our concert. The man who many testify changed so much in the last year that is was perfectly clear that his life had done a complete turnaround. He never came to the alter in front of the gathering to openly testify, but his life changed completely. His wife was radiant, and there was so much joy. And she called to tell us that the last couple of weeks have been so much easier for her because she knows where he is. When we finally connected all the dots we were again amazed and humbled at how the Lord works.
Blessings to you all,
The Lindsey Family
Jared did back up for a young lady friend of ours as she sang a few songs last night at a Veterans dinner. I tagged along with him and ended up serving food... :-) Anyway, the head guy asked if Jared would play a banjo song or two. Jared did one, and they wanted another one, so he asked for suggestions and Stephen Poindexter (who by the way is running for our District Judge) asked for dueling banjos. Which was a complete oxy-moron because obviously you need two banjo players to accomplish even the TITLE of the song! Well, my ever surprising me brother looked up in this state of "hmmm...I don't think that will work" and then proceeded to surprise me by saying "okay. I can do that!" I was like "oh boy!" but people, he played dueling banjos with himself to the GREAT amusement of everyone present... :-) I think I will never again underestimate a banjo picker!
Most Sincerely,
Elisabeth
Life is never normal in Lindsey Land, nor does it ever slow down! A friend asked me on the phone last night with this hilarious incredulous lilt to his voice "do you guys ever NOT work?" Big laugh!
We had a really pleasant blessing on Sunday when a couple taht had seen us at a festival in NY showed up at one of our concert's in KY... :-) They had driven five hours that morning to come and see us from TN where they were with friends. And God used the gentleman to encourage Papa's very DIScouraged heart. We were honored and blessed.
Sometimes our crowd can be hilarious. As the song says "there's one in every crowd". This lady on Sunday evening was whispering very loudly behind me to her friend naming off instruments with this enthusiastic "oh, I know what that one is!!!" She got through most of them - the A and F style mandolin really confused her, but she pulled through. I was facing the front and trying to hide my amusement when she pointed at the bass and whispered REALLY loudly "what on earth is that swelled up guitar thingy??" I burst out laughing! The husband of her friend told me when I turned around that they found her on the street and they were thinking about taking her back!
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with lots of friends. Great fellowship, good food, and fun!
Jared was banging around in the studio the other day...again... Drums are unforgiveably loud! He's written a new REALLY awesome song... I like it better than Love Hurts. Hopefully he will link his web page to our site soon so you all can go listen!
As for today...it's cold, rainy, dreary, and I'm in high spirits despite it! The guys are back working on our new dwelling so we're praying the weather won't be what it says it's going to be - 20 and below at nights. And our bus heat pump doesn't work below 30*. Why that is I'm sure I don't know, but I'm sure I could chat extensively about it with whoever installed and/or invented such a worthless contraption!
Two weeks left before number eleven graces our home. I think Mama's beyond ready. Her stomach was literally jolting her last night! I looked over and she had this awed expression on her face like "how in the world is the thing doing that?" I think it's feeling claustraphobic... I sort of sympathize with the internal beating the thing's giving Mama!
We're in the process of working out a new set for the quicly upcoming Texas trip. We'll be doing a concert with the Link Family and the Greer Family while we're there (not sure when) but I think it will be great. Both family's are a lot of fun to be around, and I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time. At any rate, the "new" Lindsey Family band will hopefully be in full effect by that time. Slow going though I have to admit.
I'm also scheming to get a little vacation time in on S. Padre Island. I think we've nailed it a bit because my whole family is feeling the need for vacation, but now I'm trying to connive and get some friends to come along! What better way to spend a few days? Beaches, friends, laughter, fun, talking, swimming, etc...etc... Hmmm...can't think of much! And no better inspiration to write a song either! That environment just keeps 'em coming!
Well, you all have the greatest day! I'm sure I will :-)
Smiles,
Elisabeth for the bunch
Hey guys!
God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~William A. Ward
I'm discovering the art of thankfulness - Practice makes perfect... :-)
Have a blessed day you all!
Elisabeth for The Lindsey Family
This Weekend's Top Ten:
1...Grandpa joined us in Pierce for the weekend! Always a laugh, joy, joke, and a smile! And if he fails at any other sport he's great at ping-pong. :-) He remains the king so far in Lindsey Land!
2...the school is looking great! So much work those guys have put into it! I'm so proud of them. They've worked so hard, and despite their complaining that it's a mess and it's overwhelming, they're doing awesome! It can be so discouraging in a project to not have even ONE place to go that is complete and doesn't need work. They're handling it admirably!
3...We did the video footage for the ABC Extreme Home Makeover courtesy of a videographer in Bowling Green, KY on Saturday. It was fun, however, different!
4...We had two concerts in our community on Sunday and finally discovered where all of our neighbors are from whereas before we really felt like we couldn't possiby have so many - they were simply living in the sky! From where we are we can't see the "real" community, but in the three mile long drive to Oak Grove Baptist Church on Sunday morning I counted 73 homes...and met most of the people living in them! We've begun this little stunt where people have begun coming up to us and we seem them forming the words "Hi! I'm your new neighbor!" And just for clarification, you hear that and think "awesome!" about one hundred times before you start getting really...ummm...confused. :-) So we've begun to interupt them as they finish the "hi" part and say "oh, are you my new neighbr, too?!" :-) They laugh at us! Don't let those seemingly back country roads fool you! There's hair salons, restaurants, dairy farms and convenience stores dotted here and there and everywhere... :-)
5...I cleaned the boys bathroom at the school - after the showers were installed. I'm still trying to figure out how in the world compound joint got on the 12 (or ten, very little difference) foot CEILINGS. Wow, wow, wow! I couldn't figure out how to get it off either...oh well, the commodes and floors and stalls kept me busy for three solid hours. I can't wait to attack the girls room! LOL!
6...I call this an event, but it's really very sad to us. Jack Hurt of the Spirituals passed away yesterday morning. Be keeping that precious family in your prayers. He was the life of their home.
7...a friend of ours in NY wrote to me to let me know that they know and Amish family who just lost their seven year old boy to swine flu. Another prayer to think of.
8...Did I mention that Jared got a drum set? This is a big deal you all need to know! He only bangs when I'm in the office...my poor head! He's having a great time in the studio with the thing. Lord bless that guy! His practice might be at the expense of my ability to know a beat from a beat!
9...The bus inverter blew up...what's news??!!
10...I can't think of it right now...it's there, but at the moment I'm writing a song at the same time, so I think I'll just have to let you all go! I'll post pictures ASAP.
Blessings, love, and smiles to each and every one!
Elisabeth
We're prepping to head out for the weekend. A wedding on Saturday (for which Jared is feverishly attempting to record his song soundtrack for!) And then off to Ridgeway, Ohio on Saturday night to be there for the gig on Sunday morning. Hopefully all the stray coughs and congestion and earaches will subside by then! We all sound really great when we're shooting and missing every vocal note... :-) Actually, I believe frogs may sound better, but that's beside the point.
The boys will all be going up to the school most of next week to finish our temporary quarters. Pray for nice weather and agreeably fixable problems (if there have to be problems at all).
I'm off to go make food for the weekend (a mental task for this crew!)
Enjoy the sunshine, ya'll!
We enjoyed a day out yesterday that didn't include singing! Actually, I take that back because we DID sing, but it wasn't "our" day. We just sang two or three songs after Second Wind was done at the request of Cedar Grove's congregation. We love you guys! We had a great time at the Barry Scott and Second Wind concert again. Great music, awesome vocals, and real potential for rocking the bluegrass world with the message of Christ. You guys keep it up! We did however, miss their concert with Newfound Road in Tompkinsville on Saturday night because we had a gig somewhere else in Tompkinsville. But we stopped by and left them a message through the door guys as they were going on stage (dressed as the Village People no less!) Sorry we missed that one! I managed to catch a glimpse of one of Newfound Road's guys through the door as he came off stage - his costume was not repeatable! :-) Oh, Halloween and your miserable definitions of fun...!
Today is beautiful! You all go enjoy that sunlight and breath in that fresh, crisp air!
Until Next Time,
Elisabeth
Last night marked yet another eccentric and spontaneous night in Lindsey Land when a bit of a problem arose concerning the surveying of our land. Papa's voice rang up the stairs "all who want and Algebra lesson, come on down!" (Those who are not aware, this is a common phrase in our house and the "Algebra Lesson" can be replaced with any such lesson concerning anything from a theological debate to a matrix for recording preparation.) At any rate, several of us piled downstairs to plop into those well worn (should I say "sat"?) seats to embark on a two hour long lesson about how Papa figured out a missing point on the survey... This involved a lot of Algebra, and a little bit of Trigonometry. At the end of this lesson we had all used a common algebraic formula to find this particular missing point and line on the survey which was very cool... :-) And because many of you like to know what home life is like in Lindsey Land, I will post pictures later of this "event" so that you have a taste of evenings in our home. I do hope you enjoy... :-)
On a different note, we thank the Lord for preserving the lives of Papa and Ben yesterday as they travelled to the school in the big van with a trailer and Papa got stung by a bee and presumably (unconfirmed as of right now) had a never-before-had allergic reaction that evidently cut off oxygen from his brain while he was driving. Ben (thankfully) has a level head on his shoulders and was able to take over steering after they ran over a mailbox and he realized that Papa was not "there". The Lord must have reached down and done something because as Ben was pondering how in the world he was going to get this basically unconscious driver to stop, Papa applied the brake and they got into a parking lot where Ben called 911. We have not confirmed that it was the bee sting, but it seems the most logical explanation. Moral of this story is already written in the new drivers manuals as a priority - if you begin to feel wrong and sick in any way, do not wait for the prime place to pull over or you may never get the chance. Do it right away. :-)
On a yet different note... Plans still progress for moving sometime at the end of next month (hopefully). We have been so blessed by the help of our new neighbor's in Pierce preparing the school to move in. You all know who you are, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
We had a great visit with our friends the Richardsons from Ohio, an even better time at the Appleseed Shoot in Knob Creek, KY, and Jared produced a song for Sara as a fun project in the studio while they were here. Perhaps I can persuade him to post it for you all.
Have a great week! We'll see you all around!
Elisabeth for the gang
Hey Everyone!
I guess we've been a bit slack in updates lately, eh? Here's the most recent. A musician's/singer's nightmare - WE'RE ALL SICK! We were in Tennessee all of last weekend and oh the hills we had to climb with our poor voices! A couple of good laughs, but I think we overcame pretty well all things considered. We were warmly welcomed in the several towns we passed through in TN. It was a pleasant trip, although cold. Grandpa Lindsey was down for the weekend as well which is ALWAYS such a blessing! He even debuted his new song - the Wreck of the Old '97 :-) It was rather spontaneous, but he did great!
This week Papa has been in Boston, MA and we had some dear friends in from Ohio. Although the project with Sara Richardson was cancelled for this project, we did record a song with her that Jared is currently in the studio finishing as I speak. I think he wants me to come do backup vocals, but I'm stalling. And I have to record bass... I love being in the studio! Jared becomes a different person when he produces, though. :-)
He is also currently working on a songwriting project for a friend's wedding. It's in two weeks and he's not yet ready. I think he just likes to wait until the last minute to do everything!
This weekend we will all be travelling to Knobb Creek for something that is not related to our music!! Isn't that different? We will be joining the Southern Kentucky Appleseed Shoot which I think has a lot of American Roots History involved in the weekend of learning to shoot military style. Hmmm... I intend to come away a Rifleman!
You all have a great weekend!
Elisabeth for the bunch
Hey everyone,
We (Jared, Ben, Caleb, me and Papa) went to Nashville last night to pick up the last of IBMA and jam with a bunch of friends. We got there around 11 pm after eating out with a friend from North Carolina and finally found some friends whom we hung with until four in the morning... :-) We pulled back home around six (the crack of dawn is pretty!)
We're a bit tired this morning... :-)
You all have a great day!
Elisabeth
Hey everyone,
We had an awesome weekend! Being number one amongst some really great bands was definitely an honor. Dave Parmley, Steve Day, and Randy Graham were judging. It's been quite the time around here! When the judges announced second and we still hadn't heard our name were all thinking "man, I didn't think we wouldn't place, but I don't think there's a chance we beat all those other bands..." Then we heard "the..." and we all had our chins on the floor!
Thank you to all of our fans out there who made our time at the festival great! We love you all!
Elisabeth, for the crewThe five oldest Lindsey children competed in the Cumberland River Festival in Burkesville, KY this weekend and placed #1 out of 8 bands.
The Cumberland River Festival lineup was great this year; Barry Scott & Second Wind, David Parmley & Continental Divide and Larry Stephenson all played great sets Friday evening, and the house band on Saturday was Blue Highway. There was a good turnout, and it was a fun time for everyone.
...Is coming up this weekend! It looks like we'll be competing in the band competition. Jared will be entering the guitar and banjo competition (competing against his younger brother on guitar I might add!) I don't know if Ben will do the fiddle or not. Caleb is entering the guitar and mandolin competitions. I was thinking of a relaxing weekend doing next to nothing, but I've been voted in for backup again... :-) That's the lot of a bass player's life. It means I get to learn all these new songs. Yay!
There's some changes going on in the Lindsey Family Band setup. It looks like Papa will be taking his attention away from the older children's music and putting it on the up and coming Lindsey Family Band II. The younger children need Papa to bring them up, too. Lindsey Family band I will be the five oldest Lindsey children. Kind of different, but we feel good about the fact that the younger children will get the same opportunities that we did.
The latest news from Lindsey Land: Yesterday Timothy was playing with an electric drill and as "a joke" he put it up by Liberty's head and held the trigger. I heard screams and crying from upstairs and dashed down when I heard Mama go "no..oh no...STOP!" I came out on the porch expecting I don't know what and found Jared holding on to an electric drill that had a patch of Liberty's hair coiled and twisted around it. He dislodged the head and it took a good bit to untwist it. Only then did we see that a whole patch of her hair had been ripped out. Only a girl can understand the implications! That kind of pain is excruciating. Liberty's head has been officially battle scarred!
You all have a great day!
Elisabeth
They're heading to the school today to close on it. Whew. What lies ahead feels and looks like an awful lot! That's why I choose the one day at a time principle!
Our cousins can't get used to this "it takes a half an hour to get anywhere bigger than IGA and Tastee Foods"! Some of us took them into town yesterday and the one stoplight really amused them. They can't believe we've had famous people in and out of our town a good deal. :-) We are having a great time with them.
Grandpa called and is heading down today. YEAH! Looks like a promising weekend.
We have a concert at Dale Hollow State Resort Park tonight. Stop by!
Blessings,
Elisabeth
We have some of my mother's cousins in this week. Nathan is a worship leader, and plays and sings great! Yet another music style to have fun with. It's great to have Nathan and Sarah with us!
Jared brought mastered pop-country copy of his song "Sometimes Love Hurts" to the house last night for us all to have a listen to. It's really awesome! There's some minor touchups that might be done, but for now, we're all really impressed!
I'll update pictures this weeken. We have a singing at Dale Hollow Lake on Friday evening that should be a great evening. I'm not sure what the plan is, but I think it's a sort of festival more geared towards southern gospel. It goes all weekend long.
We'll see you all down the road.
Elisabeth for the crew
My Great-Grandparents (Paul and Ginny Hinds) came this week. They arrived on Tuesday afternoon and we spent a couple of sweet days with these special people. Grandma got to be with her dad once again - those moments are rare and to be treasured. Out came Rumikub, MadGab, Carcasson, Dutch Blitz, Scategories, etc. If you can't tell, these people like games... :-) They got an unexpected call on Thursday from Uncle Tim that their house had been broken into, so they left in a hurry a little sooner than we would have liked. It was such a sweet visit!
We also got an unexpected call from our dear friends the Stegamans who have spent the last fifteen years of their lives in Guyana with the Akowaio people creating a written language for them and translating the New Testament into the language that they have created and taught. They are in the United States for a few months visiting friends and family and reporting to people who have given to their work for the Lord. They were sort of passing through, and they only do that once every four years. So they came up from Knoxville for the afternoon on Wednesday and SUCH a sweet time we had. Mr. Ray and Miss Dee have known my parents for probably twenty years and they have a lot of old and mutual aquaintances. Their children Hannah and Luke have spent their lives in Guyana and fluently speak the Akowaio language. Now they are going to be moving to Papua New Guinea for more mission work. These guys are such a blessing! It was wonderful to see them again and all too short of a visit.
We have a bit of a long weekend coming up. Be sure to see the calendar and stop by to see us!
Smiles for your day!
Elisabeth
Here's the link to the house description, specs, etc. pictures are availble at a link from the link below.
http://skipsmusings.blogspot.com/
Grandma Bear arrived in Nashville yesterday afternoon. She's well, though tired and a bit pale. She'll be here for about three weeks before her next appointment in Pheonix on September 2nd.
Grandpa Lindsey is coming down tomorrow for the weekend. My Great-Grandparents are coming in early next week for a few days, too. Papa's in Knoxville this week. Busy few days.
Jared has been working on studio planning. He was up drawing plans at three this morning! The affliction of a musician: An idea always hits at the most inopportune moments!
We're working on moving plans. The boxes are back out and our lives are being packed - again. I have a dislike for boxes these days!
Something funny about the school: we don't know how many teachers/parents over the years have had keys for the school, so there could be tens of twenties, a hundred... we don't know. Wouldn't it be funny if someone didn't know that the school was being turned into a home and they decided they wanted to reminisce? But I can't imagine somebody NOT knowing something in Kentucky... :-) Hopefully that doesn't happen!
You all enjoy the sunshine today!
Elisabeth
The Benjamin Trio (well, they're not a trio anymore) was on their way home from a week in the studio in Nashville yesterday and called us up. They came for a late lunch and a break from the road. It was great to see them! Don't tell, but we got to hear a pre-mix/master of their newest cd! Joyce Martin of the Martins (southern gospel) produced it and they said that she mixed them all up all over the place! She did a great job.
We've pushed off Sara Richardson's project for a couple of months due to our rather ill-timed move. She's getting antsy! She got Mike Radcliffe to do her drums (Mike drums with the stars in Nashville ...And he's a pushover, so that should go good!) Seriously, he's very good, and I'm looking forward to hearing what we can make of this project. I'm hoping it will be something more than a "first" sounding thing.
I think our bus is going into repair next week (hopefully put a more automatic engine in so I hear!)
Hey, if you can, catch us at one of the four concerts this weekend. We'd love to see you!
Elisabeth
We bought a 15000 square foot school building. As in, to LIVE in. LOL! Before you write us off as looney, let me tell you this story:
Earlier this week, end of last week, Papa began getting this urge that he needed to get his family settled. The house we are in now is just not functional for our needs, ambitions, goals, dreams, etc. So he began spending most of his days googling, surfing the internet, looking around, driving places (Mama managed to get her long overdue dates!) and nothing was settling quite right. He got plenty of ideas, and looked in all the strangest places not willing to have a box around what God could do. Well, on Wednesday we got a call that a couple good friends of our's were flying back from Honduras into Louisville and needed someone to pick them up. Papa would go, and I would go with him (they were flying in on Thursday evening). On Thursday morning Papa got a call from another friend (who lives in a school, I might add) that these two schools within twenty miles of each other were going up for sale - one on Friday morning, one on Saturday. And come to find out, they were ON THE WAY to Louisville. So on Thursday Papa and I set out and we stopped by the school on the way to Louisville. Papa's words to after leaving the school were "I'm having a hard time containing my excitement". I guess the "no boxes around God" took on a new meaning for me about then... :-) Schools are a little ...umm.... sterile?! Anyway, we got home late and Papa said that the older kids and Mama were to get up early to go to the auction yesterday morning (Friday). So Papa, Mama, Jared, Ben, Caleb, Rebekah, and Naomi all up and left at around seven. I was home with the four youngest getting the work done because we had company come in for the weekend last night. I got the call around 11 that he had bought the school. Wow! I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Mama sounded kind of similiar.
So, folks, that's how it runs. Papa wants to be moved in beginning of November. And Oh, the remodeling that must take place before we'll ever be comfortable in such a place. But hey, there's room to work! There's a big gym, seven large classrooms, a commercial kitchen, a huge library, several teacher's offices/lounges, other rooms, and lots of hallways... :-) Other than that, we'll not have to play on a hillside anymore. We can run and not be weary, walk and not faint...etcetera. :-)
Oh, I have to tell this story! Southerners CRACK ME UP! I wasn't there, but I'll try to recount it exactly as I heard it. After Papa bought the place they had lots of people coming up and introducing themselves as our new neighbors. As everyone was leaving a lady came up to Papa and they were talking. She said "Do you know anything about the guy who bought this place?" Papa decided to play on it I guess "yeah, sure do". She said "I heard he has TEN children, five of them adopted and some of them handicapped!" Caleb (who was standing there) left to go and have a good laugh. Papa said "yeah, he does have ten kids. I don't think any are adopted, but the oldest ones are handicapped". (Of all the nerve of him! He was referring what he affectionately calls "teenagers losing their heads". I suppose that makes them handicapped, huh? Losing their heads is a mean way of saying they're going through adolescense. I scorn to reply to that! I think he meant his sons... :-) ) anyway, the lady just kind of nodded and they kept talking about the people that bought that place... :-) Then she had to leave, and she left none the wiser! How in the world did that come about?! Where in the world would that story come from? Out of the woodworks if I know a good southerner!
Well, folks, that's our story. Keep checking back to see the status of the Lindsey Family who are no longer home schoolers, but school-homers. We'll be living a royalty of space!
Elisabeth
Finally... Sorry it took so long, everyone. There was some kind of server fiasco (well, it wasn't that bad). Maybe I just wasn't in the mood to fix the problem a week ago! Some friends are bugging me about it, though, so I had to do something to get them off my case. :-)
Newest news: It's looking like Jared will be beginning a small studio here in our valley. He wants to get into the producing and engineering part of the projects more. He's very good with that end. Our friend in Ohio who has a beautiful voice, writes a lot of songs and plays piano is going to come down and Jared will produce a Christian Contemporary album for her. It will be fun to try another music style. I get to do a lot of backup vocals. At least I can see if I have anything but country and bluegrass in my vocal abilities! Actually, we already did one of her songs earlier this year and it turned out great (yes, I managed to cut the "twang"). Notice I don't even have to comment about the things Jared had to change of his musical style to accomodate the CCM. He's just a natural!
Grandpa came down for the weekend and of course we had a great time as always. Jared convinced him to go sailing with him at Dale Hollow on Saturday, and I tagged along because it sounded better than being holed up in an office all day (I forgot what playing feels like... :-) ) Well, what do you know if sailing isn't as much work as it is fun? One isn't supposed to sweat when they're on the water. Grandpa says sailing doesn't float his boat. LOL!
As soon as we get back into the groove of living in a house again it'll be time to hit the road. Most of September is full. And we have weddings coming up all over God's green earth! We'll see you all down the road I'm sure.
Have a joyful day, people.
Hey Everyone,
We had a great time with our great friends the Richardsons in OH. We left Athens around three PM yesterday and got home at around 10:30 PM. We're back in the busy loop of life trying to catch up. Paperwork is kind of mountainous right now... :-) They got the AC installed in the office though, so working is a lot less of an uncomfortable thing now. I'm currently waiting for Papa to sync all the computers so I have my accounting stuff and email, etc... He slept kind of late.
Jared drove for a long time last night. He did great through Somerset business district, but he was trying to shift out of first on one hill after a stop light and we ended up stalled in the middle of the road. He pulled through, though and did great!
Until next time, folks.
Elisabeth for the Monkeyshiners
Hey Everyone,
We got to stop by our dear friends the Richardsons in OH on the way home. How we love that opportunity! We'll either leave tonight or tomorrow sometime.
It's been a good tour, all ya'll. :-) Down the road!
Elisabeth
PS: Happy Birthday, Uncle Rob!!!
Well, we pulled across the border into Canada in the wee hours of Friday morning with zero problem. (we are finding that ten children in a tour bus causes a stir with the border patrol....I thought they'd seen it all!) We pulled over to get "checked out" and I watched as a couple of officer's literally unloaded vehicles down to the floor mats and checked through everything. I was thinking "man, that could take awhile on this thing." But the officer that checked us seemed to think we were legitimate. :-)
Renfrew was great fun. Over the weekend there were about three to four thousand people. We got to hang out with Michael Cleveland's band a little more and discovered that two of their band members (Jesse Brock and Jesse Baker) live near us. Hopefully if we get Nick Piccininni down to visit (the banjo player for the Abrams brothers) then we can pull in a professional jam session. That would be fun! This is to Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, and I'll add Audie Blaylock and Redline as well: It pays for professionals to be friendly, approachable people...Ones that don't let their heads get big. You guys are great!
Canadian people are SO MUCH FUN!!! they were bursting with energy. We certainly felt very warmly welcomed plus some!
Mr. Bob Johnston and his people do an awesome job with the festival. Very well organized, cleaned, and packed out. All the things bands like to hear and see. Thank you to all of you guys who made our stay incredibly wonderful!
It only rained (I should say "poured") on Saturday morning, and then cleared up by the time the evening set was underway. Otherwise the weather was perfect.
This morning we played at a Pentacostal Church gathering in Renfrew, Canada where we were SO BLESSED once again! Great people, great time. Thank you all! Especially for lunch. We were not feeling like cooking! You guys were such a blessing!
Oh, I've got to tell you about crossing back into the USA. This was funny... We thought (based on what people told us) that it was going to be a bad ordeal coming back into the states. Well, we made it through all the security cameras and when we pulled up to the window the lady was super friendly. She asked how many were on board, and Papa said something about "twelve at last count". Well, she gaped and asked how many were children and papa was like "well, it's me, my wife, and our ten kids...one on the way if that counts." The lady laughed like it was some kind of joke. Then she was like "are they all brothers and sisters?" When the answer confirmed that we are she was like "oh my, this keeps getting better. Open the door." Then she came around and before she came on board she opened the window to the booth on our other side and was like "hey listen, this guy's got ten kids!" When she saw our shoe hanger on the door where at least fifteen of our shoe pairs get stored she laughed and was like "oh my gosh, look at all these shoes! Just look at these shoes!" Then she just went through the passports and we had to tell her what we were doing and so forth, and when she heard we were a singing group she was like "let's hear some!" So the boys sang her an accapella number. She just got the greatest kick out of it. Then she asked real quick if we purchased anything in Canada and when we all started laughing and talking about the "bags of milk" we must have sounded pretty convincing! It was too funny! Anyway, we were only there for probably ten minutes before she waved us through. Wow!
Now we're sitting at the church we play at tonight. It was funny because we were driving through Waterville trying to figure out where we were supposed to be, and when we found the place we thought we were supposed to be we stopped and Papa got out to ask if there was supposed to be a concert there tonight... :) Talk about an impression. Well, GPS did a good job at last! I need to go help set up because we're a little behind the schedule.
One more thing, WE'RE SICK!!! At least God has good timing, right? At the end of the tour... :-)
Down the road, all ya'll,
Elisabeth for the clan
Well, we'll be playing in Holland Patent (our "hometown") tonight and leaving for Canada sometime tomorrow. The weekend is bound to feel long. We have two shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, then one more on Monday.
We have children showing signs of a stomach bug. That's bad news in tight quarters... :-) Hopefully it's a passing indigestion or some other sort of minor malfunction.
Blessings to you all!
Elisabeth
Hey guys,
We had three events yesterday and pulled back into our friends the Zehrs driveway at around eleven something. The ground is really soft from all the rain so we were trying to park on boards to avoid getting stuck, and got stuck trying not to get stuck... Isn't that funny?! We left it for the night and got up this morning (late I'll add) and Mr. Matt Zehr came home from work and all the boys worked to get us unstuck. It was pretty interesting. 36000 pounds is nothing to mess around with (we know from previous experience) but I guess ignorance is bliss - it sure allows more room for faith... (smiles). With some help from the neighbor's big green tractor we finally pulled out (a little late, but late compared to not at all is a pretty fair trade).
We ate a late lunch with the Benjamin family (go check them out - I think they have a website - the Benjamins, or the Benjamin trio I'm not sure). Anyway, Papa's highlight of the day (week perhaps) is driving a 1929 Model A Speedster... (grins!) I'll post pictures soon.
We had a great time tonight at Brookfield Baptist. Great turn out, and a lot of great people. Then we hung out with friends until one in the morning. We are currently on the way to some good friends' house to spend what's left of the night in their driveway. Hopefully they don't wake up when this thing pulls in...
Goodnight all! Blessings,
Elisabeth for the crew
We pulled into Millerton, PA last night in time for a bit of dinner and a lovely time of fellowship with our CD engineer (Harold Burrell and his sweet wife Corinne) before our concert. I'm sure that if there was a fire code in the building that we broke it when it with how it got packed out. It was a lot of fun and we met some cool people from here and there. Papa got what he called "the most awesome back massage" from J.R. (don't know the last name, but we talked to him and his brother for a while) sweet people.
We have to send a huge thank you out to Corinne Burrell who took our laundry today and did it for us (not only that, but she folded it!) Anyone who knows a big family knows that the laundry is not a piece of cake! Thank you Mrs. Burrell. Also for the folks who put together dinner on Monday evening. What a blessing!
Today Jared and I went with Mr. Burrell to his studio (got to see where all of our CD's get mixed and mastered). It was a lot of fun and we learned a good deal. Mr. Burrell is a cut up and we had a great time with him in the studio and afterwards when we went out to dinner.
We pulled out of PA and on to Conklin where we just now pulled into the Little White Church (I think that's the name - I recognize the church from last time anyway!) It isn't little, and it isn't really white. :-) Just thought you all might like to know. Hey, come on out and hang out with us tomorrow and the next morning.
See the rest of you down the road,
Elisabeth
The Lindsey Family introduces a collection of Hymns CD hot off the press (so to speak!)
DAY BY DAY - A Collection of Hymns by the Lindsey Family just arrived yesterday and will be available on our tour in New York and Canada as well as on the website ASAP.
It features not only the main band but the Lindsey Family Band II (younger children!) Slighty different twists on a lot of common songs, as well as several more obscure numbers. Be sure to check it out!
See you all down the road!
The Lindsey FamilyHey everyone!
The last three days in Lindsey Land have been a whirlwind! Preperation for the New York Tour that we embark on tomorrow is still underway, and we have a long way to go. I'm thinking that twelve hours of sleep is in order by the time we get on the road. :-) We have been working on food prep and bus packing most of the day - and all that food is beginning to make me sick to my stomach.
The bus has some work to be done on it, but I think it should be ready to go shortly. Otherwise we have a lot of thought still to put into packing.
Papa has been dealing with security and customs on the Canadian border because we found out two days ago that all of us kids' passports expired on June 3rd. Of all the rotten news. Six week renewal turnaround, and three weeks til we have to cross the border. Fortunately, we can get across with our birth certificates (it is a bit of a walk-by-faith situation though).
Be sure to check back often and see if we've updated anything. I have a hard time posting pictures when we're away because they are large files and the internet is always in and out, but I will try.
Pray for safe travels for us tomorrow as we'll all be tired.
Blessings to you all!
Elisabeth for the crew
We arrived late last night back in Kentucky after what GyPSy said was about 55 hours on the road (does that add up? We left AZ Sunday night and drove until Monday night where we stopped in a Walmart somewhere, then we were back driving all day on Tuesday arriving home around 10:30 PM).
Jared did brilliantly driving for almost ten hours total through three major cities and a windstorm.
I confess to only having driven about four hours total and only through Amarillo, Texas to speak of. :-)
We got unloaded last night, and Rebekah and I put stuff away and cleaned because I have a long day at the office today and didn't want to leave everything with poor mother!
We just found out that my dog got hit by a vehicle while we were away. It's been a very long morning.
Papa drove Grandpa back to Ohio this morning and he'll be gone until Saturday in time to get back for a couple of concerts over the weekend, then we prepare for the month in NY and Canada and PA. Whew! We don't need to see a hurricane - we perpetually live one.
Bye Guys,
Elisabeth, for the crew
Leaving Albequerque we made it to Forest Lakes late on Friday evening to be reunited with portions of our sweet family. It was a very pleasant evening after we finally got parked at the Art Sr. and Martha Enriquez's cabin at the top of the highest mountain in that particular region (I don't really know where it is...) It was rather dismal to be perfectly honest. And the abundance of trees that had been stuck in previous storms by lightening was hardly something to lighten the mood... Oh well. The cabin was toasty and comfy, and the company was lots of fun. We enjoyed a wonderful couple of days complete with Grandma Martha's "toss and throw" cuisine. that is the affectionate name we have applied to her cooking skills! From authentic mexican to her absolutely fabulous leftover concoctions, we were well fed to describe it quite literally.
A few of us had a pleasant hike together on Sunday and we took Mama along with a LOT of younger children. Michael was in his heaven jumping around on logs in the pine forest, playing with plants he'd never seen, etc... After a while we heard his excited cry and turned to see what new treasure he had uncovered. His eyes were as bright as the sun itself, and his smile was a mile wide. He held out his hand which held something brown. No further inspection was needed as he loudly and exuberantly informed us of what he had found. The words "Mama!!!! Elk poopy!!!" is about all that's necessary here. And at Mama's little scream he apologetically stalled mid excitement and dropped the offending mixture to the ground, rubbing the leftover residue off onto his shirt... Well, no one can judge him for "not attempting resolution".
We are now nearing Desert Hills where Uncle Art and Aunt Kim live. It's rather hot all of a sudden, and I'm really amazed at the climate change. Like a door that perpetually opens and closes with the cold of winter outside and the heat of fire on the inside. It feels like I could catch some sort of sickness from coming down from that extremely high altitude and cold, down to low altitude and HEAT! I better at least get a tan out of this....
Ya'll have a great afternoon (evening, night - whatever it is to you).
E for the bunch
I'm quoting too many songs and movies lately... Honestly, I've never really seen Oklahoma, so don't bust me on that!
We finally did make it to OK yesterday afternoon and pulled into Uncle Butch and Aunt Marybeth's driveway at around 4:00 PM in time to eat dinner and then pull out again into Cushing to set up for our concert. We should have gotten there earlier... :-) Using other people's sound systems can be a bit challenging (especially if they have a really good one but the environment is wrong for it). Anyway, we had bad feedback issues (the walls were sheet mettle, and the floors were concrete - one top of a cathedral like ceiling) and had to change our mic setup. That kind of threw us for a loop and we didn't have as much energy as we might normally have. ANYWAY! The people were awesome! We don't get a lot of youth at our concerts when we play the backwoods churches, and this place had an abundance of them. It was great to meet them (Whitney and Britny - I know you guys said that your name was spelled with "i's" but I couldn't figure out where... Sorry! Anyway, you guys were so much fun! Thanks you guys for hanging out!) We all enjoyed EVERYONE we talked to. And we felt honored to be in the Oil Pipeline Crossroads Capital of the World! Wow! Every small town has something special...
Then at the end of the concert the youth pastor called our family up to the altar and had the whole gathering surround us while they prayed for us, and prayed for Grandma. It was such a blessing! Thank you all!
This morning we are lazing around because Aunt Marybeth wants us to stick around until after lunch. So we're exploring their farm, meeting animals, and laughing a lot. :-)
I have decided that I really like Oklahoma, and I really want to come back! The people are great, and really friendly, and the countryside is lovely. Anyone want to get us some places to play so we can come back?!
We're off to Arizona shortly, and the front AC is broken again. Boy oh! It's gonna be a long fifteen hours... :-)
I'll try to post pictures as soon as I get a faster internet.
Oh, and I can't forget: DRIVERS BEWARE!!!!!!!! Jared and I drove the bus for the first time yesterday... :-)
Blessings to you all!
Elisabeth for the entourage.
Hey everyone!
We're on the road again, and this time it's to uncharted territory for the Lindseys (at least from a solid ground perspective). I will tell you that Memphis looked far easier to navigate when we flew into it for a connecting flight a few months ago. Honestly, our GPS unit is so STUPID! Petesake, all we wanted was a Walmart so Papa could rest his eyes. I'll tell you about it (who can resist telling a good story)!
We left yesterday at around six our time (a round of applause please, we were ONLY six hours late). After a "quick" stop to Lowe's ("quick" is relative when you're talking to a guy - in this case Papa). We were out within two hours. Finally, well on our way.
Well, we were making "okay" time, but around one in the monring Papa's eyes were getting heavy and droopy (we know this because the rumble strip was connecting with our tires a bit too much for any comfort - this explains why I was in the BACK of the bus). So Papa proceeded to punch walmart in GyPSy (GPS unit whom we affectionately call GyPSy) for locations in Memphis where we were getting close to. The first walmart was all we needed, so we followed directions. She's so naive. Doesn't she know that city's develop? Walmart wasn't where it was supposed to be. And we were in a part of Memphis that did not look promising at all for any further walmart prospects. So we pulled back out on the interstate after punching in the next location. Once is strange, but twice. No way. But you can't argue with your eyes. No Walmart. I always believed in statistical probability (or I think that's what it is). You can't base an entire conclusion on one incident. There has to be at least three. But in this case, I might have been willing to bet that poor GyPSy was in the wrong city at least. So we pulled out of a lower class portion of Memphis that was packed out with homeless night-owls, and down a hill to a stop light where a portion of the expanse of a river came into view. The back of the bus had gotten unbearably hot and we were kind of breathing eath other's carbon dioxide, so Rebekah and I came up front and confiscated the master bed. We were being a little crazy (lack of shuteye can do such things to otherwise calm and collected people). Our tones quieted when we were working our way through the business district, and on the way down the hill, where there's a river waiting if you don't stop, and a red light at the bottom of the hille, well, suffice to say we're not altogether accustomed to the strange shifting behavior of the bus (speeding up to shift down? Holy Moly! Who would think?) When the river came into view there were several more kids up and on the bed watching the night show. Papa broke into a rendition of "Old Man River" and we all realized that we were facing the Mighty Mississippi, and we all joined for the operatic ending "He just keeps rolling along" all Mr. Walther style (Mr. Walther - once our piano teacher - and always a perpetual movie line or corny joke, in this case, if you all didn't catch the 'Showboat' line, then that was a movie we watched with him a few years ago. Old Man River was kind of the theme song for us, and we sing it in Mr. Walther's honor whenever we get the chance!) The bus began climbing up towards the bridge that would take us across and make us officially in the west. But that had nothing to do with the story. The Walmart. That's what I was talking about. Okay, so finally GyPSy actually got us to a Walmart somewhere outside of Memphis, and we started to pull in. Low and behold, there was a height limit, and our bus was considerably too tall. WEll, this made us a little unhappy. So we drove around groaning and complaining a little about modern technology and business marketing and sale strategies (basically, keep the big vehicles OUT so a lot of smaller vehicles can get IN). Well, apparently another vehicle about our size thought that it was annoying as well, and must have lacked self control because one of the tubes on the height limit thing was torn off and all that was left were the chains. In we went! Well, that was only the beginning of our troubles. They are really serious about this keeping big vehicles out because the even conspire against us with the landscaping. THe concrete borders are just wide enough for the cars to get in and out of, and certainly not a bus with no break in the middle... Man! Well, we found a double wide one and scooted in. Okay, so now they compact their parking lots to house a lot of (guess?) SMALL CARS. So we might have gotten IN, but if there were a lot of customers in the morning, we sure weren't getting OUT. So we pulled back out and found the place where the walmart trucks park for the night, and pulled in. As we started to kill the engine I noticed a sign that said "TRUCKS: Two hour parking!" I moaned theatrically and brought it to Papa's attention. We all stared at the sign like a bunch of unbelieving victims of a marketing explosion, having just been through one too many hurdles. Fortunately, our dear Papa would make a good lawyer or something: "We're not a truck" he finally said, and we all chose to not argue the point. Too tired.........
We're on our way this morning. At current, a little past Little Rock, and a long way from our concert destination! Uncle Butch and Aunt Marybeth, a tornado is headed your way... :-) Can't wait to get there with ya'll!
We'll be back on later with more news. For now, I am Elisabeth Lindsey, thanking you for reading the Lindsey Land Experiences. Please check back later for more from our adventures.
Have a great day everyone!
Elisabeth for the crew
PS, we're also REALLY thankful that the front AC is workable after thinking we were going to have to travel to the scorching west without cold air. :-) Thank you everyone who was praying!
Tonight¢¬?¢s concert was held at a church called Pleasant Hill Baptist, and upon arriving they found the building to fit the exterior atmosphere. Rustic, captivating, old- surrounded by a graveyard. The graveyard itself told a story involving time. There were brand new burial headstones, and right next to them were old, rough stone grave markers. A new shelter identical to the old one had been erected not ten feet from the old structure, and the difference was striking. This place had a history, something that the modern lifestyle erased so quickly with all of its state of the art buildings and architecture. Something about the oldness of the country seemed to draw you in. It was if there was a magnet the grabbed a place inside of you that you¢¬?¢d forgotten was there into a realm of history, stories, tales, heritage and the very meaning of life. The people themselves, as they began arriving for the evening concert were a living relic of this life we were witnessing. I wouldn¢¬?¢t call it one to be envied, but perhaps one to be in awe of, and read as you might a great book. Appalachia has taken on a new and indepth meaning to us ...
... But that has nothing to do with my story ... :-)
As the van got loaded after the concert, and weary children and adults piled back into the cramped transportation, oldest son, and eighteen year old Jared climbed into the driver¢¬?¢s seat to drive. He revved the engine and then flipped it off just as quickly.
"Papa, this van¢¬?¢s on empty!" Papa groaned and hung his shoulders
"Ah, man, I forgot about that. I meant to fill up in Burkesville. We¢¬?¢ll have to see how far we can go, but you know the drive, it was a long way up here, and a nearby gas station is unheard of." The next few minutes were spent getting directions to the nearest station from a lady standing nearby, which ended up being on the way home anyway. "Phooey too, this van only gets thirteen miles to the gallon, and it was twenty miles into this place." said Papa shaking his head and grinning at his forgetfulness. The rest of the crew laughed and returned "ah, we know how to do this. Remember our miracle on I-90?" They were referring to the van (with the trailer hitched on) on the way to Ohio one year and running out of gas at the bottom of a hill in between Cleveland and Erie. There¢¬?¢s no better way to learn about faith than to put into practice, eh? So they had prayed that van into action and made it to the top of the hill, where it stopped and coasted down. Faith stoked, they prayed again, thanking the Lord for that awesomeness. The second hill felt even more powerful from the sheer force of what faith really was, and by the time they reached the gas station and coasted into the one open lane only to find out that it was out of order, they were ready to pray it into gear one more time.
Same thing here, right? The adults (worldly-wise old things they are, including Grandpa!) smiled and let it go, but those kids prayed anyway. Finally, the gas station came into sight (they weren¢¬?¢t technically out of gas because they hadn¢¬?¢t yet begun sputtering) and Papa, the ever resourceful and cheap man that he was, told Jared to drive by and see if they could make it to Burkesville. There was a resonance of disagreement and pushback that reverberated in the back of the vehicle, but who¢¬?¢s to argue with the dad?
"Do you think that might be pushing God's grace, Papa?" Elisabeth asked rather circumspectly.
"Oh, I¢¬?¢m not, I believe that if he can get us here, he can take us to Burkesville." Was the confident reply. Half a mile later the sputtering began, and the Papa (full of faith, remember?) Said to turn around and go back, which Jared did willingly, only to find when the gas station was in sight, and we were almost up the small grade leading to the entrance that pressing on the accelerator was doing nothing. There you have it. Out of gas, right next to the gas station entrance. What a pickle.
"I think we should pray for God to get us in" Elisabeth said, and was met by a chorus of "yeahs" and "of courses" and a "would you do it?"
"Jesus," she began, "we¢¬?¢re sorry for taking advantage of your miracle, and we just ask that you would grant a little more grace and get us into the station. Thank you Jesus."
Amen¢¬?¢s followed, and Jared turned the key, the engine rolled, but not for long before it died. Papa switched with Jared, saying something about having to do something a little tricky to see about getting it started. Rebekah and Elisabeth looked at one another with a look that said "I think we should rely on the miracle instead of tricks" and both simultaneously fell back into their seats with a frown and arms crossed. Papa took the wheel, looked for traffic and let the van roll backwards, and when it picked up enough speed he turned the wheel and flipped out into the lane enough to have the front of the van point down the hill "to get gas in the front of the tank" he said. Those strategies only worked for a moment, and certainly not long enough to get them into the station. Elisabeth¢¬?¢s blunt and somewhat reproachful voice popped up from the rear,
"I think someone needs to ask God¢¬?¢s forgiveness for taking advantage of his grace and his miracle." Her words were generalized, but they were obviously directional to one individual, though sweetly coated in humor. There was a laugh that circulated around, and then Papa put his head on his headrest and his hands gripped the steering wheel, and still humored he prayed, "I¢¬?¢m sorry God, I didn¢¬?¢t think I was taking advantage of you, but I¢¬?¢m sorry if I did. Please, please, please, just get us to that gas station. I¢¬?¢m really sorry." There was a satisfied grunt, and smirk of satisfaction and triumph on Elisabeth and Rebekah's countenances. It would work now. The two conspirator's crossed their arms and sat back, smiling confidently at each other.
Papa rolled the engine, and it...didn¢¬?¢t work.
Ah man! But when there¢¬?¢s believers stoked like they were, there was no backing down or getting discouraged. They were ready for a miracle!
"Do it again!" Came the chorus of laughing, excited voices from the back of the van.
Shaking his head, and Grandpa shaking his concurrently (though he was being strangely quiet with that ¢¬Ë?I¢¬?¢m wiser than you, and this is funny, but go ahead and have your childish fun¢¬?¢ look on his face), they rolled the engine again.
Like a hybrid electric car, it sprang to life, and with a holler that travelled through the van, Papa put it into gear and swung around. It pulled up the hill, up the entrance to the station, and was still humming almost noiselessly when they pulled into the pump and stopped.
Throughout this time Grandpa¢¬?¢s worldly-wise appearance had vanished, and a look of awed shock fell in its place. As we stopped, and there were shouts of joy and praise to the amazing God drifting outside of the van to curious onlookers, Grandpa¢¬?¢s hand fell from his face, and he looked at his son and voiced his timeless, trademark words:
"I¢¬?¢ve seen it all now."
Amen?
Amen!
We had a great time in Ohio beginning with spending some time with our lifetime friends the Richardson's (I say "lifetime" because my parents have known them since before I was born!) We don't hardly see them enough these days! I guess that's the curse of a busy lifestyle...
The concert on Saturday (Winter Gospel Concert - or something to that effect) was a success (at least in the sense that the building was packed out). The Welch's did a great job advertising it. We were the last band at around 9:30 or 10 PM, so it went late, but we had a great time. We met a few new bands, including the Welch Family and For His Glory (the Walker Family). We had met a couple of the Welch's on a previous Athens trip, so it was nice to get a feel of the whole family.
We immensely enjoyed our fellowship after the concerts (until one in the morning I might add) with the Walker Family. They have not been in the music industry that long, but they definitely have the feeling and the drive along with the family effect that makes poplularity invevitable! The fact that they love Jesus is also very obvious, and we love to find family bands that have that as their primary focus! Hopefully some more fellowship with them will be orchestrated in the near future...
As stated before, we had a late night on Saturday...and two concerts on Sunday (one on Sunday MORNING). Ugh! Not a nice way to start. And we also had to say our goodbye's and do all our packing on Sunday morning. On top of that, Ben came down with some horrible sickness on Thursday, so he was completely out of the loop. And to add the cherry to the whipped topping, the first church we played at we couldn't get the sound working. Talk about a set up! But God uses what we think are incredibly difficult situations to show us that He is incredibly creative and completely unhindered by anything. It was their first day with a new Pastor, who's message was awesome, and the fellowship with the sweet folks afterwards was really a blessing.
Then Grandpa Lindsey and Grandma Jeanie took us out to Golden Corral for lunch. Oh my was that ever good! Thanks Grandpa and Grandma! I love being spoiled once in a while! We were so stuffed that I was sick! I think the bible says something about that doesn't it? ...Eat so much as is SUFFICIENT for you...? I offer no excuses...
The evening concert was again a blessing (though we struggled with the sound, but that happens frequently so we just try to move past it. it wasn't anyone's fault at all!)
The weather had turned bitterly cold, so loading wasn't pleasant, and we had to do a lot of switching between our two vehicles due to the fact that Jared, Papa, Ben and I were leaving in the morning to go home while the others remained behind in Cincinnati with Mama's parents for a few days. When we finally got on our way (Jared and me driving) it was another 2 hours before we reached Cincinnati, and by then Ben was in absolute agony (we had sort of diagnosed a double ear ache, plus a really bad sore throat). We got settled in and one of Ben's ear drums burst... Oh! Ouch! But the fluid behind it drained some, offering a temporary relief to what he called "knives hacking at his ear".
The four of us left at around noon the next day, and then Papa took Ben to our doctor friend on Tuesday who said Ben had major congestion, Strepthroat, double ear infection, and a nasel infection. Wow! What a list! Well, some friends called on Tuesday and wanted a couple of us to come over and work on their computer, and Ben really couldn't go, so I stayed home with him. You'd think by playing the sweet, sacrificial nurse that I'd be spared the contagious disease, but boy was I wrong! I came down with the most horrible case of strepthroat and the achy stuff again that I have EVER in my life encountered! Maybe that's due to the fact that I have not encountered much sickness in my life, but just the same, it was AWFUL! Naomi and I were put on antibiotics for the first time in our lives, and that is helping. But here's the good part...
THE LINDSEYS HAVE BEEN STRUCK DOWN WITH PLAGUE NUMBER (what was it again?) 5??? I think... I hate to be a raincloud, but that leaves five to go, right?
Everyone's got bad stomach sickness, dehydration, and diarrhea, and a few have strepthroat. Well, here we go again. Ya'll pray for us! This is nothing like we've experienced. Lindseys have a bunch of tough immune systems, but they have met their match in Kentucky. A friend, in an attempt at consolation, offered that perhaps the constant winter in NY froze all the bacteria... She might have stumbled on to something there... :-)
And, as a side note, I would like to mention that we are in the process of the first of a collection of Hymns CD's. The hope is that we can complete it and have it ready by June... We'll see how many more plagues we can conquer in the process!
I'll be updating the pictures sometime later, so be sure to check that.
May the Lord bless you all!
Elisabeth
We arrived in Athens, Ohio yesterday night after a longer drive than usual because the van's transmission was skipping a little.
Today, we hung out with our friends the Richardsons, and Sara (Richardson), Elisabeth, Ben and Jared did a full-blown production on a song that Sara wrote, then we all ate pizza and wings for dinner...it felt like we were in New York again. :)
We played tonight, we'll be playing tomorrow, then twice on Sunday, then we'll probably go visit Grandpa, then head back home.
We had a "photo shoot" on Sunday (which was actually just a thrown together jumble resulting in some half decent photos intended for my aunt who needs to update her picture wall...). Anyway, Grandpa was here, so we made it a bit of an event. We seem to always pick the less than best days to do this sort of thing. I was going to set it up in a "studio" environment down where we work, but nobody wanted to cart the whole entourage down there. So we did the "make do".
It was quite funny because the section of the porch that we used for the picture was the part that was done - this insinuates that to GET to it, you have to somehow get across the four feet that is just bracing that is NOT done...and a long fall if you miss! - So, we safely escorted the crew across, and I timed the camera, did the settings, and pressed the button (this would be the first of many). Then I had to skirt the empty space in the air without falling through, or worse, straddling one of the braces... Not my kind of adventure in a skirt and dress shoes. I won't give any more details on this, but it really was funny!
I was going to ask for you all to leave your comments on the pictures. Ben is doing a new web design and we're thinking about using some of these. Give us your feedback!!
Elisabeth
Hey everyone,
That nasty sickness has finally been killed. We all held our breath two days ago when Mama said she wasn't feeling that great, but she skipped right to the head cold part and missed all the other progressions. Thank you Jesus!
The weather has been awesome here in southern KY. We've been out in t-shirts working and playing, and soaking up the sunlight. It smells like spring ya'll! I woke up at around six this morning (I had left the window open last night) and the birds were chirping and the wind was whistling. It was great! We had severe weather warnings yesterday, but just got the after effects of some bad storms in TN. Just rain and fast winds.
Lastly, the parents headed off to Bowling Green this morning (early) to have Grandma Bear's car worked on, and return a bunch of her stuff that was sitting at her house. I'm hoping that Papa doesn't spend the whole time on the phone or on his laptop and does the "real" date thing... :-)
You guys have a blessed day!
Elisabeth
Things have been quiet around the Lindsey house--by necessity. All of the ten children have been in one stage or another of relative comatose for The whole last week! It starts with headache, body aches and follows with 4 or 5 days of just laying around unable to do anything. Now, many have sore throats and are still having difficulty standing and we're supposed to sing tonight. Hmmm. I heard Papa practicing some of his favorites from 20 years ago. Maybe it'll be a solo experience!
Looks like due to the sickness and falling behind here, we won't be attending SPBGMA this year so we'll miss seeing many of you.
Hope you all stay well and warm!
God Bless,
Tammy (the still-well Mama and nurse-maid)
Hi All,
Texas was awesome! We had a great time, and look forward to being back possibly for a couple of months in 2010 and 11. I have to say, though, if I had a to pick a favorite time, it might have been the flights. There wasn't a one that I didn't meet an interesting person - and my siblings either. From Nashville to Atlanta on the way out, I met a man from Los Vegas, and he said he wants to get us there...doesn't that sound interesting?! On the way from Atlanta to Austin our flight attendant was Montgomery Gentry's bus driver's wife... She was fun, and we gave her some music instruction ideas for her kids who are interested in music. On the way back from Austin to Memphis Caleb was talking to a chatty man from....I forget, but we had a great time with him. Ben also met a man from somewhere who is a videographer, and worked with Garth Brooks, spent a lot of time in the music world. They talked for the entire hour and half flight! Jared also talked to a man very interested in music, but I couldn't hear the conversation as they were towards the back of the plane. Then on the way from Memphis to Nashville Jared and I met a sweet Christian young lady who works in NY City in a Theater. She was really nice.
The showcase went well, as Jared said, but we had some struggle with the sound... That's to be expected - they don't deal with a lot of bluegrass bands! But the response was good.
We spent the weekend with the Links, Greers, and met a couple new, sweet family's. It was a great time! Our average bedtime for all of last week was probably 3 in the morning.
On Friday we all (us, the Greers, and the Links) all packed into the Links bus and went to South Padre Island, and that was really awesome. The boys carried sand in their pockets for the remainder of the trip. Well, that's what they get for jumping off fifty foot sand dunes, rolling, tumbling and playing king of the mountain! We sure didn't go prepared for the beach, but it was fun anyway.
We never did make it into Mexico, but we were right next to the border, and I wish that we had had time. I love Mexico, and I know Jared was dying to speak some Spanish.
We went to a Golden Corral on Friday evening before we left for the Link's concert, and our waitress was this sweet old mexican lady who hobbled around very deliberately. She made us laugh so hard! We were leaving and Rebekah put a note on the table with the tip that said "we love you, and Jesus loves you, too!" Caleb and I glanced back as we were heading out and saw her pick it up and look at it, and next thing we knew there were about two other waitresses and a waitor all inspecting it... :-) Well, it might keep them busy for a couple of days!
We had to be up early on Saturday to head out and catch our flight in Austin. Papa wanted Indian food really bad, so we stopped at this really nice restaurant for all of 20-25 minutes or so... What a way to waste $12 a person!! But we did catch our flight... :-)
We pulled into Nashville around 9:30 PM, and it was FREEZING! Then we took the long way home (I don't know why) and got home around 12:30 AM.
Yesterday was spent catching up, celebrating Timothy's birthday (Papa and Mama took him to Glasgow for the afternoon) and then we watched a movie last night.
Today we're all back to work, work, and more work! Which reminds me that I have a couple of bank reconciliations to do before I head home...
Catch you all later!
Elisabeth
P.S. I am trying to get pictures of the trip up, but so far it is not working. Hopefully tomorrow they will be on here. Check back!
Hi All, it is 12:50 PM and we're just getting ready to get some sleep so we can head back to Austin tomorrow to Fly back home.
These last few days in Texas were crazy and fun all at the same time! Here's the story:
We flew into Austin from Nashville thursday night at about 8 or 9 PM and rented a mini-van and got something to eat. By the time we left Austin it was 10:30 PM and we were dog-tired. We pulled into Harlingen at 5 AM, and slept for 3 hours before getting our show clothes on and going to play that morning. Caleb and Rebekah were both sick (really sick) all morning right until we were supposed to play, but we prayed for them and they did just fine!
Traveling a lot is fun, and we have met a few new bands and people recently:
Also, I have to tell you about one of the coolest family bands we know: The Link Family is a great group from Missouri, and they have been nothing but kind and helpful to us ever since we met them last year. They're awsome people! Be sure to check out their website through the link above.
Today we went to South Padre Island and spent the morning and early afternoon just relaxing...it was awesome!
We'll be back home tomorrow!
Jared
I know that sounds kinda cool, but rather exaggerated by a long stretch... :-) We are going to Texas, though. We'll be flying out on Wednesday, and getting back on Saturday. We're praying the Lord's blessing on the trip, that He would do with it what He wants done with it.
We'll be really close to Mexico, too, so I'm thinking about asking to bring passports and heading over there for our one free day. I think I love Mexico! Maybe it's just the people are cool... Okay, so I really don't know much about it at all! Papa says it's a lot different there. Still, what can't you love about a jet black haired, chesnut brown child? It'd be neat ministry opportunity. Who knows, if we end up in Texas for awhile next year we might be able to take it over the boarder some... :-)
We have had a busy weekend - one of those wordless ones! Thursday Mama and I drove to Nashville to pick up Grandma Bear at the airport, and didn't get home til 11 pm or later. Some of us went to a dinner on Friday evening after a long day of work, and Papa didn't get home from Knoxville, TN until late, and then we sang on Saturday, got up and sang again on Sunday, and went to our friends the Matneys for a DELICIOUS lunch, and awesome fellowship, and then had to run at around 3 PM so we could get home and get Grandma Bear's going away/birthday party together (Oh! There was WAY too much food to fix!) People arrived early, so we were rushing a bit, but almost everyone that was invited came, and Grandma was so surprised and I think blessed. Then Mama and a few of the kids had to get up early to take Grandma BACK to the airport this morning... Whew! I love it...
All of this means that I should be back at the house helping those dear littler siblings of mine keep up with the littler-than-them siblings that stayed home!
Have a Blessed Day!
Elisabeth
Hi Everyone! It's been a busy couple of months in Lindsey Land, and it's not bound to slow down much. Alan's Mom was just diagnosed with a type of bone cancer, and she will be doing treatments in Phoenix, AZ, so that has consumed a lot of our time dealing with doctors, briefings, appointments, etc... As well as preparation for her to be gone for a few months.
Pray for her please!
ElisabethWe had a wonderful time at Cedar Grove Baptist Church (though we arrived slightly late and made a grand entrance! Then again, when you have ten kids, all blond hair, blue eyes, we typically make rather grand ones whether we try to or not...) We got front row seats :-) It was really fun being under the toes of the poor band, but they were great sports! The place was packed out, and not surprisingly. Barry Scott fit right in, and as we did when we played there, noticed the amazing spirit in the people there - they really love eachother and it just radiates. The environment is great! BS & SW did a lot of accapella, and Barry even played the piano (extremely well I might add!) Their concert was great, and they meshed with the environment like pros. Things were a little tight, and up front, and knowing what playing in tight places can be like, I saw the little grins and head shaking that accompanies a stepped on toe, or not being able to get close to the mic, tripping over cords, etc... It was amusing, but they pulled it off great, and of course everyone loved it! We got to hang out with them a little after the concert, and had a "right good time" as they say here. Really great, down-to-earth people. Jason Leek (bass player) got a couple of us together and we started singing accepella hymns, and Alan talked with Matthew Munsey about his ministry in missions and the possibility of accompanying on one of them, Matthew's wife, Julianna was very sweet. Zane played with Jared for a while, and Travis came and joined the cheery little circle after he finished with the table. We closed the place up, but it was fun! Sometimes professional musicians can be a bit uppity and distance themselves from the very people that need to be reached by what we have, and BS & SW are great at being normal. Barry said that he was going to find a corner after they finished and listen to some of the Church's singers and groups, and boy that place has hidden talents.
The entire day was indeed a very refreshing experience. Barry Scott and Second Wind are a band that I would recommend for a very reviving, healthy, vibrant with Jesus Christ, hour or two of awesome music, great testimony's, and genuine people. Go find where they're going to be and support their ministry!
The Lindseys
Hi Y'all!
We have been keeping ourselves impossibly busy of late. KY is the state of revivals if there ever was one. We have been singing at a lot of them, and unfortunately having to turn down offers to sing at them because there are so many!
We had the honor on Tuesday I think it was, to sing at a revival where Cameron Mills (former player for Coach Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky - google Cameron Mills Ministries or check out his website: http://www.cmm21.com/, and you can see what he does and his biography). He talked about some really great things, and we all really appreciated his message and his genuine love for the Lord.
Otherwise, we are keeping up with our every day lives, and that is proving to be quite the undertaking! We are in the process of planning a Florida, New York, and Canada Tour(s) for 2009, and really look forward with much anticipation to all that He will lead us in. I am positive that it includes a lot of awesome people, a lot of neat places, and a lot of great memories.
Just wanted to keep you all posted as to what is going on. Sometimes when you do this thing long enough, what is news to other people (fans, and friends, etc...) is very un-newsy to us! Therefore it is difficult at times to come up with something to write about, when in reality, people seem to like to hear everything! We'll keep this updated better in the future!
Much love to everyone,
Elisabeth
We head off to Ohio tonight for a couple of concerts on Sunday. Grandma has a couple of things for us to do at her house, and she misses having us around. We are extremely busy with preperations, so no matter how it is put, we will not leave early. The Lindsey's have a standing reputation for seldom ever appearing decently early anywhere (much to the chagrin of some of us individuals!) I have tried every imaginable thing - even resorting to setting the clocks back one hour so that we would at least arrive ON time rather than the late alternative. However, my little scheme was discovered and the hurry was replaced by a lethargic energy... Well, next time I will cover my tracks a little better and we could possibly render that trick effective. Otherwise I will continue to rack my little brain on how we can begin to set a new reputation!
Anyway, we will be heading out today and coming back on Monday in time to greet guests on Monday afternoon through Wednesday morning (hopefully "in time"!) Then we have another very busy weekend after that. I think we'll keep up this schedule until the middle of November! The poor children struggle with our busy schedule sometimes!
I must sign off in order to go accomplish my list of "to do's" before leaving this afternoon (we had about 200 individual books that had to ship out individually today, so that has kept the morning busy, leaving the late morning/early afternoon for packing and preperations for the weekend.) Ah! What a lively life!
You all take care!
Elisabeth Lindsey
Hey Everyone!
I just added some new pictures from the Bville Festival and our very long weekend (the festival, then two concerts on Sunday, plus the lemonshakeup stand, and then a work bee thing on Monday to clean up another house we own so that we can move our home business down there as well as keep it nice for a recording studio.) Jared is supposed to be getting me a black font in the caption line underneath the photos so that I can comment on them for information's sake, but I think he's pretty busy on other things right now, so I'm trying not to bother him! Y'all take care!
Elisabeth
What a great weekend we had at the Cumberland River Festival right here in our hometown of Burkesville, KY! I'd say there were about 1,500 people from all over the US there to see Dailey and Vincent on Friday night and Grasstowne on Saturday. We set up our Lemon Shake Up stand just like old times and several of the children participated in the instrument competitions. Jared and Caleb both took second place respectively in the banjo and mandolin 13 and up category. Rebekah took first in guitar for 12 and under. Naomi took second place in mandolin 12 and under. And Timothy was the star dobro player for the 12 and under category winning first place...never mind that there were no other entries! :=) He did a great job playing "Jesus Loves Me" and "I'll Fly Away."
In the band competition, it was even stiffer than last year with lots of out-of-state entries and all very professional bands. Still, Skip and the kids placed fifth out of 15 bands. They did a great job and we had lots of fun.
It made it extra special that Grandpa Lindsey was with us as well as our friends from NY, Autum and Ashley Elliott and Marianne Bouffard. My cousin, Jeremy and his family from Cincinnati also spent the weekend. So it's been a full few days.
We're looking forward to some slower days ahead to rest and catch up. We have a few upcoming dates here around home and will be in Ohio the weekend of October 12th. Be sure to watch the calendar and stop by and see us if we're near you! God Bless!
~Tammy
Hey Everybody! We got home last night at around 6 PM after a long day of driving. It was an all around awesome, great time for a first over the Great Misssissippi in a vehicle! We spent some time with some friends, made some new ones, got to spend a full day at S.D.C (Silver Dollar City) and got some great critiquing from professionals in the music business. We finally got to spend some time with the Link family at their home in Lebanon, MO, and had a great time and great fellowship (even successfully kept them from their work for the afternoon! We hope they'll forgive us!) I'll be updating with some pics soon, so keep coming back to check into that.
We had a new experience on Sunday morning when we pulled into a church we were playing at and bottomed out with the bus... meaning, the dip between the road and the parking lot was too deep and we began to turn and heard the fateful groaning and scraping. Our back wheels were spinning helplessly with nothing to grip but air, and we were stranded above the ground. The Lord was gracious, however, and as soon as the air let out (after the concert) we went out and piled the boards (with the help of the very gracious, and kind folks of the church) along with jacking the bus up, and pulled it out (not without much groaning on the bus's part!)
We are now back into the routine here at home, and no significant travel very soon (though Oct. is booked fairly well). Hopefully we are thinking we will release a Hymns CD by early next year. We'll see how things fall into place! Hey, get on and sign that nearly empty guest book if you can! Later, Elisabeth
It rained in Branson yesterday, but Silver Dollar City is awsome! We played three sets yesterday, and it was the most fun we've had in a long time. Everybody here is really nice and friendly. We hope to come back soon.
We also got to visit with the Link family until 11:30 last night, they're a great family to be around. Make sure you go to our hyperlinks page and check out their website.
Hey Everyone, I'm really enjoying this ability to "blog" (though Mama may have a thing or two to say about me submitting an article - being the journalist major and all. Oh well!) So for the exciting news (well it is to US): They are FINALLY going to put a new AC in the back room of the bus (it got SO hot back there where all of the bunks are because the back AC is broken!) We are all very thankful that it's going to work out before we leave for MO next weekend. Hey, that's gonna be fun guys! We'll keep the updates coming during the trip. I think I might ask Jared to do a journal page on this new site so that we can draw a line between news and notes/memories. What do you all think? Hey, if you have any suggestions to offer on the new layout and content, let us know. We love suggestions! And while you're at it, sign the guestbook to let us know you've been here! Take care and many Blessings! ~Elisabeth