Today was another great day. It really doesn't seem possible that we're now 39 shows in!
After another Walmart stop, we headed out this morning from Louisiana, bound for Conway, Arkansas. None of us had ever before visited Arkansas. It's crazy that we've been to this many states on this tour and very soon all of us can claim all 50. That's not to say that we've never been through some of these remaining states before- in fact for me, I only have three left to reach the mark of 50.
This was yet another short, pleasant drive. We rolled into Conway early enough to find the stage, then had time to visit McDonald's for ice cream before setting up (this was a good thing, because it was 94 degrees and HUMID outside). The stage, entitled the "Kris Allen Stage", was in a public square in downtown Conway. We've been on every imaginable type of stage on this tour- mostly indoors but quite a few outdoors, big, small, high ceilings and almost no height at all, and some that weren't really a stage but more of a big space that everyone could sit around and see the show. The Kris Allen stage was the best yet as far as outdoor stages are concerned. It was a huge elevated concrete stage with a big awning over the entire space, complete with lights and a gigantic seating area. Major touring acts have played here. Pastor Derek brought in metal bleachers and set up additional seating in front.
Speaking of Pastor Derek- this guy was great! He's the lead Pastor of Sold Out Church in Conway. They're really big on using creative means to reach their community. They have a big segment of their church that's comprised of bikers! So... when Silas and Clay had to use the restroom and there were none anywhere near the stage, Pastor Derek volunteered to take them to the church- via Harley Davidson! Both boys were absolutely thrilled!
After another Walmart stop, we headed out this morning from Louisiana, bound for Conway, Arkansas. None of us had ever before visited Arkansas. It's crazy that we've been to this many states on this tour and very soon all of us can claim all 50. That's not to say that we've never been through some of these remaining states before- in fact for me, I only have three left to reach the mark of 50.
This was yet another short, pleasant drive. We rolled into Conway early enough to find the stage, then had time to visit McDonald's for ice cream before setting up (this was a good thing, because it was 94 degrees and HUMID outside). The stage, entitled the "Kris Allen Stage", was in a public square in downtown Conway. We've been on every imaginable type of stage on this tour- mostly indoors but quite a few outdoors, big, small, high ceilings and almost no height at all, and some that weren't really a stage but more of a big space that everyone could sit around and see the show. The Kris Allen stage was the best yet as far as outdoor stages are concerned. It was a huge elevated concrete stage with a big awning over the entire space, complete with lights and a gigantic seating area. Major touring acts have played here. Pastor Derek brought in metal bleachers and set up additional seating in front.
Speaking of Pastor Derek- this guy was great! He's the lead Pastor of Sold Out Church in Conway. They're really big on using creative means to reach their community. They have a big segment of their church that's comprised of bikers! So... when Silas and Clay had to use the restroom and there were none anywhere near the stage, Pastor Derek volunteered to take them to the church- via Harley Davidson! Both boys were absolutely thrilled!
We got everything set up for the show. In our backstage area, Eli marked another first- he drank an entire bottle of apple juice, and shocked us all when he showed that he had zero problems holding his own bottle! Here he is backstage:
The rest of us sure wish we had our own play area backstage! Eli has also just started rolling over these last couple of days. It's truly incredible to see how fast this little guy is growing. Then again, all of our babies are growing way too fast. None of them should be as big as they are- what happened?
So, the show got underway and we all had a great time. No rain this time before, during, or after- bonus! Here's a shot with the crowd:
So, the show got underway and we all had a great time. No rain this time before, during, or after- bonus! Here's a shot with the crowd:
We really had fun at this one. Thanks again to Pastor Derek and everyone at Sold Out Church!
After loading up, we headed on to Missouri to be ready for tomorrow. It now technically IS tomorrow, as I'm writing this at 3:45 A.M. at our hotel in Branson, Missouri. Thirty nine down, eleven to go!
After loading up, we headed on to Missouri to be ready for tomorrow. It now technically IS tomorrow, as I'm writing this at 3:45 A.M. at our hotel in Branson, Missouri. Thirty nine down, eleven to go!