01 September 2008
07 July 2008
Cedar Rapids- 3 weeks after FLOOD
Sunday night we sang at Immanual Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids. This church is located 7 blocks from the edge of flood waters and was setup as a Red Cross Emergency Center. We came into CR from the north end seeing first-hand the areas where water had been up to roof-tops of homes and totally covering some businesses. FEMA has these huge vacuum pump systems hooked up to the large businesses and building sucking out the water. 
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams were on-site providing over 3000 meals a day to people. It is a very organized operation and takes 100s of people to pull it all off. New teams were arriving as we pulled in from South Carolina, Illinois, Virginia and Texas. 
The church has a huge parking area and every inch of space was being used for Red Cross trucks, shower and laundry semi-trailers, food preparation and included an area for serving meals. 
Many SBC teams were there for the "mud-out process" (scooping out the mud and debris from homes and basements). As we drove through town, we notice large neon labels on the doors of homes as we passed. We found out that each home that was flooded was inspected by FEMA and label with a color code to indicate whether the home was salvageable or needed demolished.
Many volunteers from SBC Disaster Relief and Red Cross came our the concert that evening. We took time to talk with several before the concert. Even in their state of cleaning up and so many families without homes, the church felt our concert was divinely appointed to bring some "good news" among all this devastation. We had a very sweet time of worship. To them, we brought joy. To us, they brought encouragement and an extreme love to God's people who see the need to help others! What an inspiration they were to us! We all needed each other!
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams were on-site providing over 3000 meals a day to people. It is a very organized operation and takes 100s of people to pull it all off. New teams were arriving as we pulled in from South Carolina, Illinois, Virginia and Texas. 
The church has a huge parking area and every inch of space was being used for Red Cross trucks, shower and laundry semi-trailers, food preparation and included an area for serving meals. 
Many SBC teams were there for the "mud-out process" (scooping out the mud and debris from homes and basements). As we drove through town, we notice large neon labels on the doors of homes as we passed. We found out that each home that was flooded was inspected by FEMA and label with a color code to indicate whether the home was salvageable or needed demolished.
Many volunteers from SBC Disaster Relief and Red Cross came our the concert that evening. We took time to talk with several before the concert. Even in their state of cleaning up and so many families without homes, the church felt our concert was divinely appointed to bring some "good news" among all this devastation. We had a very sweet time of worship. To them, we brought joy. To us, they brought encouragement and an extreme love to God's people who see the need to help others! What an inspiration they were to us! We all needed each other!July 4th Weekend in Iowa
We enjoyed the 4th with Kyle's Sister, Susan and her family in Brookfield, MO 
and then drove North to Iowa for a BBQ and overnight at my folks. 
My Mom and Dad keep the home place so well groomed.
and then drove North to Iowa for a BBQ and overnight at my folks. 
My Mom and Dad keep the home place so well groomed.My Mom has always had a green thumb and Dad is maticulous about his yard the patio as you can see...maybe someday HGTV will discover how beautiful the place is. 
We sang Saturday night and Sunday morning in Northwood, IA. Northwood is a bright spot in the US and we've grown to love our friends there like family. Pictured is a few of those folks at the Myhrie house. 
As we begin our last journeys to some dear places, our retirement of Living Sacrifice is met with mixed emotions by people. Northwood is like a second home for us, so we'll greatly miss our dear friends!
We sang Saturday night and Sunday morning in Northwood, IA.
As we begin our last journeys to some dear places, our retirement of Living Sacrifice is met with mixed emotions by people. Northwood is like a second home for us, so we'll greatly miss our dear friends!
23 June 2008
Our first 3 Days before the cruise...
Hello family and friends...
To celebrate our 20th Anniversary in 2008, we booked a cruise to ALASKA and decided to leave a week early so we could visit family and see a little of Seattle. On Tue-June 10, 2008, we flew from KC to Portland, Oregon to visit Kyle's
sister Annette and her family for a couple of days before meeting our ship in Seattle. We had a great time! We had a couple days to visit at their home in Portland and then drove to Seattle to spend a day with them seeing Seattle sights. Went to Ivar's on Pier 54 and climbed (or rode the elevator) to the top of the Space Needle, visited the Museum of Flight, saw lots of fish, produce and awesome food at Pike Place Market and ate breakfast at Lowell'
s. We visited the original Starbucks and also had some Seattle's Best coffee. Fri-June 13, Annette & Ambrose drove us to Pier 30 in Seattle and we boarded our ship, Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas. This would be our 7th voyage with Royal Caribbean, but a new ship and new adventure to "the last frontier" of ALASKA.
To celebrate our 20th Anniversary in 2008, we booked a cruise to ALASKA and decided to leave a week early so we could visit family and see a little of Seattle. On Tue-June 10, 2008, we flew from KC to Portland, Oregon to visit Kyle's
sister Annette and her family for a couple of days before meeting our ship in Seattle. We had a great time! We had a couple days to visit at their home in Portland and then drove to Seattle to spend a day with them seeing Seattle sights. Went to Ivar's on Pier 54 and climbed (or rode the elevator) to the top of the Space Needle, visited the Museum of Flight, saw lots of fish, produce and awesome food at Pike Place Market and ate breakfast at Lowell'
s. We visited the original Starbucks and also had some Seattle's Best coffee. Fri-June 13, Annette & Ambrose drove us to Pier 30 in Seattle and we boarded our ship, Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas. This would be our 7th voyage with Royal Caribbean, but a new ship and new adventure to "the last frontier" of ALASKA.
ALASKA CRUISE 2008 - Day 1 Departing Seattle
After boarding the ship and since are "seasoned" cruisers, we went to our stateroom to check it out, meet our room steward and then did a quick look at the happenings for the day. It was about 60 degrees at that point in Seattle and our ship departed at 4:00PM ON THE DOT. Food is accessible constantly on a cruise ship so we had to go up the Windjammer Cafe for a lite (ha) lunch. As the ship pulled away from dock the wind instantly started. That 60 degree wind would end up being the "WARMEST" moment on the ship until we docked on Day 7....but we didn't know that at the time. We came prepared though. They told us to wear layers and we did.
The first evening in our dining room, we met our table-mates. Barb and Carol (friends) were fr
om California and very sweet. They worked together and were food friends....left their husbands at home for a girls-cruise out. Janie & Jan, also at our table, were from Washington state and were sisters. They had cruised several times before and also left their husbands at home this time. So.....you do the math.....Kyle had his work cut out for him at this table of all ladies. By the 3rd night, he turned on his charm and entertained us every night after. Carol found out on Day 3 she was a grandma again! Janie and Jan did lots of great and adventurous excursions. We learned quickly to love these gals. And.....we were all Christians.....the best of all!
After dinner, we took in the show, The Comedy of Tim McTigue. Funny (& clean, thank you) guy and a great way to start the cruise!
The first evening in our dining room, we met our table-mates. Barb and Carol (friends) were fr
om California and very sweet. They worked together and were food friends....left their husbands at home for a girls-cruise out. Janie & Jan, also at our table, were from Washington state and were sisters. They had cruised several times before and also left their husbands at home this time. So.....you do the math.....Kyle had his work cut out for him at this table of all ladies. By the 3rd night, he turned on his charm and entertained us every night after. Carol found out on Day 3 she was a grandma again! Janie and Jan did lots of great and adventurous excursions. We learned quickly to love these gals. And.....we were all Christians.....the best of all!After dinner, we took in the show, The Comedy of Tim McTigue. Funny (& clean, thank you) guy and a great way to start the cruise!
ALASKA CRUISE 2008 - Day 2 At Sea
Since we start adjusting to a 2-hr time change and our stateroom was in the middle of the ship, we slept until 10 AM (8AM Central). WOW...when you have an inside stateroom it's pitch-dark all the time and you could sleep the day away. We set our alarm after that. Breakfast in the Windjammer cafe....all you can eat...everything you can imagine that belongs on a breakfast table. One of my favs is the fruit! The rest of the day was spent exploring the ship. We wanted to just camp out on the prominade or top decks outside, but the temperature (while the ship was moving) was probably about 30 degrees maybe colder. We weren't conditioned for that yet. Took a glorious nap that afternoon and we were well on our w
ay to relaxing after that.
It was FORMAL night in the Edelweiss Dining Room which means break-out the evening gowns and tuxes (though Kyle and I went reserved this time). Every night on the menu there were about 3 choices of great Alaskan seafood that always included Salmon. Halibut was featured a couple of times and we had "butter fish" one night...tastes like chicken! One night, Lobster was on the menu which was awesome. Kyle and I learned a couple of cruises ago to like escargo (snails). So, he ordered that appetizer one night. The highlight for me was the appetizers on this cruise...they were the best. Dessert this cruise was good, but not my favorite.
Day 2 Evening entertainment in the Broadway Melodies Theater was and impressionist and comic, Fred Travalena. To our amazement, we had seen Fred before on TV. In the 70's we was a guest on almost all the variety shows, Carol Burnett, Johnny Carson, etc. His impersonations were remarkable! He's quite the story-teller, too. Loved it!
By 10PM, we were out on the deck (still daylight) and seeing some awesome snow-capped mountains come into view. Before the cruise, I knew we would head into a time zone with more daylight hours than dark....but it is true. If it's not dark, you don't get tired. Each night we were up and going past midnight or 1 AM quite a bit. I loved that part. And, 1AM in Alaska is 3AM Central time. So keeping those kinds of hours for 7 days made coming back to Missouri (CST) a bit tough.
ay to relaxing after that.It was FORMAL night in the Edelweiss Dining Room which means break-out the evening gowns and tuxes (though Kyle and I went reserved this time). Every night on the menu there were about 3 choices of great Alaskan seafood that always included Salmon. Halibut was featured a couple of times and we had "butter fish" one night...tastes like chicken! One night, Lobster was on the menu which was awesome. Kyle and I learned a couple of cruises ago to like escargo (snails). So, he ordered that appetizer one night. The highlight for me was the appetizers on this cruise...they were the best. Dessert this cruise was good, but not my favorite.
Day 2 Evening entertainment in the Broadway Melodies Theater was and impressionist and comic, Fred Travalena. To our amazement, we had seen Fred before on TV. In the 70's we was a guest on almost all the variety shows, Carol Burnett, Johnny Carson, etc. His impersonations were remarkable! He's quite the story-teller, too. Loved it!
By 10PM, we were out on the deck (still daylight) and seeing some awesome snow-capped mountains come into view. Before the cruise, I knew we would head into a time zone with more daylight hours than dark....but it is true. If it's not dark, you don't get tired. Each night we were up and going past midnight or 1 AM quite a bit. I loved that part. And, 1AM in Alaska is 3AM Central time. So keeping those kinds of hours for 7 days made coming back to Missouri (CST) a bit tough.
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