Vacationing in the Emerald Coast

I'm all excited tonight, because tomorrow my beautiful bride and I travel to the beautiful Emerald Coast of Florida. The "Emerald" in the name "Emerald Coast" comes from the distinctive, irresistible shade of green seen on the Gulf of Mexico waters. We'll be spending the night in Baton Rouge, LA and hopefully enjoy some great seafood while there. Sunday, we should arrive in Destin, Florida where the white sand beaches are beautiful. We'll be laying at the beach and having a great time enjoying the sunsets while there. Fort Walton Beach is just around the corner and the largest Air Force Base is also located within a few miles. Eglin AFB is the largest AFB in the country. That should be amazing to see. We might even get to see some lighthouses; however, I'm not sure the lighthouses are near this area. There is plenty of recreational things to do while visiting the Emerald Coast; nevertheless, we'll probably just sit back, relax and enjoy the wonders of God's beautiful handiwork. I once read there are three very important things to take on vacation that doesn't fit in a suitcase: a sense of adventure, an open mind and a sense of humor. With all three things in mind, we should be able to have a great time. I've got to go to bed since we're getting up at 4:00 AM to pack and try to leave by 8:00 AM. Keep us in your prayers for traveling mercies.

June Happenings!

June has been a very busy month for Rhonda and me. With Father's Day at the beginning, we celebrated with my family at Logan's Roadhouse (one of my favorites) and also my families. They always serve us well with such kindness and love. We like the big room (I think they call it the barn). This area has such great space and wonderful ambiance, complimented by a beautiful stone fireplace. We got to enjoy my sister, Cora and her husband, Ronnie this time, along with my brother Archie and his beautiful wife, Linda, along with one of their daughters, Cheryl and her great family, and of course Dad and Mom LaRue. It was just a wonderful day and I appreciate my dad so much for all of his leadership in the church and guidance throughout my life. Dad - you're the greatest! Rhonda surprised me with tickets to Gaither Homecoming, convening this October in Wichita Falls. Wow! Can you believe Gaither's are coming to Wichita Falls? We're moving right on up with the big dogs! Ha! Ha! Our church has reserved a section and should really be good seats. I can't wait! We heard the Gaither's at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City last year and they were marvelous! We were on the sixth row and had great seats. It was such a fun trip.

We're trying to pack everything up for our vacation. We'll be leaving for Destin, Florida (the Sunshine State) and can hardly wait. Destin is such a beautiful area with The Emerald Coast and such white sand beaches. We've always travelled through this area; however, we were never able to stop and visit. The waves are calling me right now. Just two more days and we'll off and away. Can't wait! Everyone's been teasing me at work this week, counting down the number of days till my vacation, so I had to throw that in.

God is such a great God, having just read on Kenny & Karen's post that Kolton went home from the hospital. His surgery was great and we will continue praying for Kolton's continued healing power to flow within him. We love you, Kolton.

I'll close for now and keep you posted on our trip.

Have a great day in the Lord!