Everyday News

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