One Family's Journey

Well, I survived two weeks of bachelorhood while Lori and the kids trekked back east to visit family and spend a week at Appalachian Youth Camp. I rarely cooked for myself and depended on my skills of appearing as pathetic as possible to weasel dinner invites out of friends. It worked. So, thanks to Marc and Talisha; Royce and Tammy; and Doran and Diane for the delicious meals. Oh, yes, and Melissa Roskam for the outstanding cheesy potatoes (she came over to the Ritcheys, too). As much as I enjoyed the culinary delights of Wendys, Taco Bell, and the ilk I was SO ready for Lori and the kids to come home.

They had a great time hanging out with siblings, parents, and cousins on the visit. They flew into Indianapolis, spent a day in Cincinnati, and then traveled to Pennsylvania to spend a long weekend with Mom and Dad Frederick. They dined like kings, feasting on scrapple, Philly cheesesteaks, east coast pizza,while enjoying cultural favorites like Italian ices. Yeah, all this while I was eating chicken nuggets from McDs. Here are a few pictures from the visit:

Lori, the kids, and Nanny and Pop-Pop.

Lori, Char, and Dave pose with Mom and Dad. Dad's hoping to get this photo shoot over as soon as possible while Dave tries to see how far away he can get from Char while still staying in the picture.

The grand kids and Nanny and Pop-pop Frederick. Back row: David, Alicia, Ankie, and Christy. Just so you know, I told David back in the day that if he made those weird faces that it would stay that way. You can see what happened...

Trey gets swatted by Ank. Ankie is Trey's new hero. They hung out quite a bit.

Kass enjoyed a little 3-wheelin'. She's got her game face on.

Running the break. Reminscent of Nash and Stoudemire (that's for Trey).

The red hat ladies captured by roving paparazzi (read: Char). I enjoyed Lori's retelling of the sales clerk's explanation of what the red hat craze was all about. She told them that it was a fad that was way too old for them. Since, Char was wearing her covering she inferred that she (Char) probably wouldn't be interested since it was a "social club" and that's probably something she wouldn't want to be a part of. "Covering discrimination".

Lori and the kids left on Tuesday for AYC. I'm on the youth camp board, but due to a scheduling conflict couldn't make it this year. I was pretty bummed. This is one of the highlights of my summer. Nothing beats making fun of my cousin Ray Mac all week while trading insults with Tony and Abby. I also missed directing the AYC choir. They are incredible! The best music groups I've worked with have been found in Roxbury, PA every July. Lori spent the week helping Char with the Kidz Adventure portion of the camp. My kids loved hanging out with the Frederick and McCrary cousins all week. From what I hear it was a great week. Jeff Keaton was the evangelist and they had some incredible worship services with many, many teens giving their lives to Christ. Awesome! Every evening they have an afterglow and due to a rainstorm they had to host an X-games-type competition in the tabernacle after one of the services. Kassady told me about it and said, "They rode skateboards and bikes in the church, and Dad, that just isn't right!" Trying to synthesize her church-behavior training with what she just witnessed was a little difficult.

The Hawaiian luau was a great success and quite the hit with my kids. They loved hanging out with the "big" kids and doing the hula, the limbo, and pineapple bowling. Fortunately, the authentic Hawaiian Hut was available for a photo op.

Cheers to everyone!

Trey tubin' down the water slide. Definitely, the highlight of camp!

Kass can do anything her big brother does. Don't believe it? Just ask her.

After AYC, they drove back to Cincinnati, getting in about 11:30 PM. Kassady and Christy decided to stay up and watch a Disney movie and didn't fall asleep until after 1:00 AM. I called Lori after our concert on Friday and was shocked when Kass got on the phone. She's her mother's daughter, that's for sure.

On Saturday, the fam went to see a Reds game at Great American Ballpark. Yes, I was a little jealous. Trey is a huge Reds fan (I've trained him well) and he felt like he was coming home to Mecca. There was a rain delay, so the players didn't come out for batting practice. Which meant that he didn't get their autographs. He did get Gapper, the mascot, to sign his hat, though, so it was all good. Trey called to tell me that his favorite player Ken Griffey, Jr. blasted homerun 607 in his quest to pass Sammy Sosa on the all-time homers list. You have to understand that Trey is a walking sports encyclopedia, and he's been obsessed with Griffey's progress. I tried to explain that there was a good chance that Griffey wouldn't hit one out at his game, but his faith endured. Of course, less than a week later (yesterday to be exact) Griffey got traded to the White Sox. I'm glad Trey was able to be there for one his final games in a Reds uniform.

Trey thought he'd died and gone to heaven. Great American Ballpark! Cincinnati Reds! Ken Griffey, Jr.!

Trey nearly wet himself with excitement when Griffey belted home run number number 607. He was there. Here's the swing...

...and, the butt-slap from his teammate. Trey and I are still Griffey fans even though he was traded to the White Sox less than a week later.

Sunday afternoon, found the Waggoner fam headed to Frankfort, Indiana to meet up with my family. Mom and Dad picked them up in Indianapolis and brought them on in to Mamma and Pappa's house. I hated hearing about all the great food they were eating. Mamma is one of the greatest cooks this world has ever known. Her Sunday dinners are legendary. So, yeah, I was pretty homesick. Bobby, his kids, Alyssa, Alyssa's son Josh, Mom & Dad, Sharilyn, and Mamma and Pappa grilled out on Tuesday night (I had a frozen pizza) and had a great time together.

These women are SO much alike: Mamma and Kassady. They're both independent, opinionated, mouthy, and loyal as can be. And I love 'em both!

The kids and uncle Bob gang up on Sharilyn for a ticklefest.

One task I was always dragged into as a kid was husking corn and then silking it so we could have corn on the cob. I used to hate it! That and breaking beans. Man, if only I could go back in time...

Trey and Kassady got a taste of gardening. They enjoyed it. Of course, when Bobby and I had to do it we were working with several thousand bushels of corn (or so it seemed). It was usually a 3 or 4-day ordeal. But, I'm telling you, nothing tastes as good as the corn out of Mamma and Pappa's garden!


Dylan, Jillian, Josh (Dylan's buddy), Kassady, and Trey. What a bunch of posers!

These are the steps leading up to the attic of Pappa's barn. There have been more kids that have fallen off of those steps across the years. Most of the accidents were caused by shoves from well-meaning cousins or siblings. At least the ones involving me and Bobby. Fortunately, the kids survived. It's about 145 degrees up in that attic, but that was the coolest place to hang out. I'll bet the only things up there to this day are some croquet mallets and wickets. And, maybe a shuffleboard disc or two.

Absence did make the heart grow fonder. I missed my family so much. Finally, Wednesday evening found Lori, Trey, and Kassady home in Idaho where they belong. And, I ate well.

Bus Driver

Thanks to one of my loyal readers, Ellen, Liberty's version of Bus Driver is now available. Check out my shaved head. I've gone Bic and I'm not looking back.

NASCAR

OK, maybe this is overdoing it, but this one's good, too.

Coming soon to a restaurant near you...

Amazed

Shhhh...keep this between us. I just heard the rough mix of the new Liberty CD "Amazed" and it's...WOW!...just...man, I don't know how to say it...it's very...well, just wait 'til you hear it.

You can hold it in your grubby little hands on Saturday, September 27 (but, only if you come to Family Fest.08 at Valley Shepherd Nazarene in Meridian, ID).

I'll let you be the judge.

Who Am I

I will blog soon. I promise. Until then, enjoy this clip (thanks be to Sheila).

Canadian bound

I mentioned in the post below that I'm getting ready to leave for Canada. We're going to be singing at the Frenchman River Valley Gospel Music Jamboree (try to say that one real fast). So, I've been working on our inventory forms for the Canadian border, making sure that everything's ready to go for a smooth, fast crossing (who am I kidding?). We have to pay tax on everything we take into the country to sell, whether or not we sell it. Now, we don't pay a tax on the sale price, but on the production price. Anyway, so I've been filling out the B3 form. You have to make sure you have the right Canadian classification number which is tied to the world-wide Customs Tariff. There are 99 chapters in the Tariff. It's pretty much 2 NYC phone books put together. So, after 3 hours of research and then converting the US prices to Canadian prices and so forth I hit a button that populates a PDF form and, voila, it promptly disappeared. So, I had to start over. I strained some veins on that one.

While I'm working on this little project of joy, I get phone calls from Royce and Dan informing me that our bus, which has been in the shop the last couple of days for repairs, won't be available for this weekend's trip. Now understand, this going to be a 20 hour trip, by the time we get through customs and finally get to our destination. Dan has been calling around to several places trying to rent either a van or SUV. As of now, I'm not sure what our final ride will be. I've definitely taken the bus for granted. So, I feel like I'm in the GBS quartet again. Nothing like close fellowship for 20 hours.

So, get ready, Liberty Quartet is coming to town!

I still have a lot to catch up. Our video taping of our two hymns DVDs, my T-ball coaching endeavors, embarrassing photos from the past: plenty of good material. But, this will have to do for now. Have a great weekend.


OK, Jolene does this get me off the hook for a few days?

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary...to us! It's been 9 wonderful, blessed years. I'm more love with my beautiful wife than ever before. It's been a great adventure (still is). Of course, due to our crazy schedules, Lori with the Grace VBS and my trip to Canada this weekend, we'll have to celebrate our anniversary in a couple of weeks. But, today's the day. WOW!

CCM Fans

Spence Smith, a former member of Big Tent Revival, asked an intriguing question today on his blog Connecting People to Life: Has Contemporary Christian Music overlooked the fans? He points out that country music has the Fan Fair and Southern Gospel has National Quartet Convention and wonders why CCM hasn't brought all their artists together for an event geared specifically for fans. Interesting read.

I know I haven't posted anything lately, but just hold on. The deluge cometh.

By the way, I really liked Big Tent Revival. I wish they were still touring.

Be Like Chuck

I normally don't post corny sites I come across, but this one just had to be shared: Chuck Norris Facts.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.
• Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.
• Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
• Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.
• Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.
• Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.
• There is no 'ctrl' button on Chuck Norris's computer. Chuck Norris is always in control.
• Apple pays Chuck Norris 99 cents every time he listens to a song.
• Chuck Norris can eat just one Lay's potato chip.
• Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise.

Liberty and Greater Vision

Greater Vision joins Liberty on "City Comin' Down". Thanks again, Ellen.

Liberty at Fresno

Thank you Ellen for uploading these clips to YouTube. Royce sings "I Thirst".

Les of Liberty

OK, this is hilarious. Les Beasley joins Liberty on "Jericho Road". For some reason, Les's mic was cranked up hotter than anyone. Very interesting.

Clouds

I know I'm way overdue for a post, and I have a lot to post about. But, for the time being let me leave you with tonight's observation: clouds are much larger, not to mention more majestic, in the west than in the midwest/east.

The first verse of "How Great Thou Art" came alive tonight.

The Champ

I'm shocked! America got it right. David Cook won American Idol. I know that my support for this year's champ makes me unpopular with women and humans under 16, but Cook's musical creativity coupled with his dynamic voice made me take notice early on in the competition. The guy can flat out rock. I'm looking forward to his first CD.

A breathless explanation

It's been quite a while since I posted. And, it will probably be quite a while before I post again. This week is going to be filled with activity. Liberty Quartet is shooting two live videos on Saturday night; singing at a banquet on Friday; and finishing up some studio work. I also have to finish up some behind-the-scenes video clips for the pre-service. Our T-ball team started practice this week; every evening, Monday - Thursday. I can already tell it's going to be a blast! My parents and sister fly in on Thursday. Trey has end-of-the-school-year obligations this week, too. So, yeah, it will be a while before I post.

In the last few days I had a birthday. Yes, I sure did. Pull out the chalk and scratch another line on the wall. I also want to wish my friends who happened to be born on May 18 a happy birthday. So, Travis Johnson and Dave Bittinger: Happy Birthday.

You'll hear from me in a few days. Have a blessed week.

PS Kassady did inform me yesterday that she's contemplating being a mermaid when she grows up. She said she wants to either be a mermaid or a doctor.

Happy Mother's Day

I am married to the woman Solomon highlighted in Proverbs 31. Lori is an incredible wife and mother to Trey and Kassady. Lori is a mother who instills biblical precepts in our children by intentional teaching and by modeling them in her everyday walk. She is practical, yet sensitive. She mothers, but doesn't smother the kids. Lori allows Trey and Kassady to experience life, even its bumps and bruises, but is always there with the band-aid, the hug, a hand to tousle the hair, the words that take the sting out of the hurt. I'm blessed. Lori, I love you. Thanks for being my kids' Mom.

Dottie Rambo

My heart is sad this afternoon after hearing the news of Dottie Rambo's tragic accident. While I never had the privilege of meeting Dottie, I was ministered to by her prolific songwriting. I have sung Rambo's songs as long as I can remember. One of my favorites is "Sheltered in the Arms of God". My college quartet sang this song a couple of years back in the late 90s. There's a line in the second verse that says "I'll fall asleep and wake in God's new Heaven, sheltered safe within the arms of God." From the sounds of it, that's what happened. Dottie and her prodigious talent will be missed. The legacy she left through her inspired lyrics will always be with us.

The Latest from Kassady

We're in the midst of putting in our sprinkler system, yard, and fence at Waggoner estates (with help from our friends at TT), so it's been pretty busy around here. Tonight I finished raking out the backyard, preparing for Monday's sod-laying. Where are all my Amish friends when I need them? Doran, the closest I have to an Amish friend, will make sure that he is nowhere to be found on the big day. Anyway, Lori has also been putting in her flowerbeds. Last night both Trey and Kassady helped us out. Trey assisted Lori in clearing out the weeds, while Kassady served as the clean-up crew.

I finished mowing our currently installed yard and asked Kassady to sweep the grass off of the driveway. It was hilarious to watch. The broom is twice as tall as she is, but it doesn't intimidate her one bit. She briskly whisks it back and forth, all business-like, clearing some debris and creating a bit of her own.

After she was done, I asked her to put the broom away in the garage. As I followed her into the garage, I told her how much I appreciated her help. Without breaking stride and with nary a glance back at me, she threw a hand into the air and said "Praise the Lord Jesus Christ." I have no clue where that came from. While I didn't think it was the case, I wanted to make sure she wasn't being sac religious, so I said "We do need to thank Jesus for helping us get the job done. He's the one that gives us the strength and ability to do what we do." As serious as could be, one more time she said, "Praise Jesus" and walked out.

I about fell on the floor laughing. Dan is convinced that we have a little Assembly of God girl on our hands.

Saturday Nights at Fresno

Saturday evening was our last performance at Fresno. Our set list included:

• When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder/Hallelujah! We Shall Rise
• Battle Hymn of the Republic
• I Thirst
• Great Day
• City Coming Down

What a fantastic response! They wouldn't let us quit singing! This was only the second time that we had sang "I Thirst". It's going to be on Royce's solo album (coming out next month). By the time we got to the last song, the crowd let us know how much they appreciated our ministry. Greater Vision joined us on the last 2 choruses of City Comin' Down, much to our delight. It was a wonderful way to cap an incredible weekend. Thanks to everybody who stopped by to say hello. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

I don't know how this picture got in here. This is actually me singing the solo on "I'm His" in the Songwriter's Showcase.

I don't know what we're doing, but we're pretty intent on doing it. Feet planted, chin jutting out, this is serious stuff, folks.

Greater Vision hitting the last chorus of "City Coming Down" with us. Royce was absolutely awesome on that song. He's gonna kill me for putting this in here, but I'm going to anyway. 2 or 3 of the big-name artists on the bill (I'll protect their identity since I just happened to overhear them) told Royce that he was one of the best in the business today. I agree totally. He's one of the best I've ever heard. I don't just say that because he signs my check...well, OK, maybe that's part of it. No, seriously, he's incredible and I'm privileged to travel with Royce and the other guys.

We had a great time and we're already looking forward to next year. Now, I'm off to bed. Night, all.

Songwriter's Showcase

Doran was asked to participate in Saturday's Songwriter's Showcase. He did a fantastic job! He told the story behind his composition "I'm His". It was powerful. We then sang the song. I had so many artists stop me after the showcase and tell me how much they appreciated the message and performance of the song. I'm proud of the guy. Doran and Connie Hopper spent most of the afternoon in transfixed wonder, drinking in the words of host Phil Cross.

The showcase concluded with the Hoppers and everybody else belting out Phil Cross's hit "Yes I Am". Dan and Mitchel Jon cranked it out louder than anyone. The mic is off and they're still drowning everybody out. Sheesh~!

Fresno Candids

Diane, Doran, Royce, Tammy, Donna, Tammy, Keith, Lori. It was so much fun to have our wives along. However, it's a good thing that we depend on everyone else to laugh at our jokes. In all seriousness, we couldn't do what we do without the support of our better halves. They are strong, dedicated women. We're blessed!

Dan with his parents, Bill and Audrey Gilbert. Bill occasionally drives bus for us. And, for those of you who have yet to meet Audrey, she is the life of every party!

Dan with our incredible graphic designer/details person/booking agent/fill in the blank, Dee Sienknecht. Dee did a fantastic job of handling a lot of the details of our Fresno trip. We brought a bus with 43 people on it from the Treasure Valley. From the sounds of it, they had more fun than we did. Rick Waitley, our manager and president of Associated Management Group served as tour host, and the bus was driven by my old friend Milo Wittkopf.

I have this thing for art of Jack. Really. OK, it's a little creepy.

Speaking of creepy, security got several calls about some weird guy circling the RV parking lot begging for food. He was chased off, last seen clutching a bag of Cheetos.

Diane, Lori, and Donna pose with our wonderful friend Wilma Pound (see Grillin' with Liberty).

A startling resemblance to be sure. The jowls are a slightly more pronounced on the little guy.

I had a chance to reconnect with a lady who has become a special friend, Dot Veltkamp. Liberty was privileged to be able to minister to her at a very low point in her life.

Breakfast with Liberty

Saturday morning, Liberty hosted a outside breakfast for the Fresno fans. They had the biggest breakfast turnout they had ever had. We laughed. A lot. Here are some highlights:

Lori and I just try to be servants. We used our God-given talent for distributing napkins. It was greatly appreciated by our unloved, saved ones.

Dan explains to Dean Hopper his philosophy of sound: "Now, Dean, here's what yer goina' wanna dew: get that there microphono in close and personal. pretend it's a lollipop if that helps ya out. Then, just wail on it for all yer worth. Yep, that's what I have ol' Big Daddy here do each and every night and look where it's got 'em." Royce tries to pretend that Dan's a dab of lard on the sidewalk.

Royce and I nailed the choreography on "This World Is Not My Home", while Doran (once again) stumbles along behind.

Les and Roy Webb were in rare form. Les got a phone call while Dean was talking. First off, he never even heard it ringing and it was on deafening loud volume mode. So, everyone but Les knew he had an incoming call. Finally, Dean asks him if he's going to answer it. He pulls it out of his pocket, says (into the mic) "well, lookee here, it's my wife" and then answers the phone "hello, honey." While everyone watches, he chats a while. Finally, he gets off the phone and say, "Good news, folks. I just saved 15% on my car insurance."

Les decided to join us on "Jericho Road". The result was painful and hilarious. Dan, yes, Dan of all people was feeding him words. The crowd loved it and of course Les hammed it up. I'm convinced that Royce is Les's long-lost son. There are some similarities there. It's like looking down the road 40 years. But, I digress...

Amanda Henry has become one of our good friends. She sings soprano for the Herb Henry Family. She was out there trying her best to get us to laugh. Well, Dean decides to bring her up in front of everybody and ask her if she's content being single. She had a classic response. She said, "I have to be, since you're taken." Dean blushed a deep red and couldn't utter a word. That's the first time I've seen him at a loss for words.

Lately, Dan has been reading Fanny Crosby's autobiography and it's starting to have an effect on his appearance.

I have no clue what we're doing right here. Ol' Fanny looks surprised, though.

Roy Webb was very impressed with the way Dan lays out the cords. He kept muttering, "Curious. Very curious."

Roy also leaned in to get a better look at Royce as he hit one of those crazy low notes that seem to emanate from some subterranean chamber.

A great time was had by all.

Grillin' in Fresno

We have so many good friends that drive out for the convention. The beautiful part of it is that they love feeding us! On Friday, we all headed over to the RV parking lot for lunch with some dear friends: Larry and Wilma Pound; Bob and Toni Conway; and Courtney and Lucille DeWeese. The food was incredible as you can see from the pictures below.

Wilma trying to explain to Larry that a fork works just fine for flipping chicken on the grill. Either that or she's challenging him to a duel. If that's the case, and knowing her spunk, my money's on Wilma.

Doran, Lori, and I trying to get as much food on our plates as fast as possible. Now Lori knows why I've put on a few pounds since I started traveling. However, I'm not quite as plump as my billowing shirt would make me appear. Sheesh! I look bloated. I work hard to protect my svelte physique.

Tri-tip steak, grilled chicken, baked beans (which I avoided, reasons which are understood by those who know me; probably not what you're thinking, either), asparagus, salad, fruit, garlic bread, and strawberry shortcake.

Diane, Tammy, Donna, and Lori pose beside Wilma's Liberty painting. We inspire the arts! This was the first time that all of the wives were able to go on a trip. We had way too much fun. I have so many stories that I can't share. I'd love to, but if I did a missing person's report would soon be filed and my body would end up in some secluded ravine wrapped in plastic. You don't want to mess with these women.

This was supposed to be a picture of Doran and Diane, but somehow an orange albatross ended up in the shot.

The same thing happened in Tammy's picture. They really need to do something about those birds. They're annoying. I sprayed it with Round-Up.

Thanks to all of you guys (yeah, I know you're out there and you read this blog) who fed us, clothed us (OK, that didn't happen), and made us feel like we're someone special. We love you!

Thursday concert

We left Boise/Nampa on Wednesday around 5:00 PM and drove throughout the evening. We arrived in Fresno around 8:30 AM Thursday. John Bentham, promotions director of the Fan Fest, called me Wednesday afternoon to see if we could do a TV interview with Fresno's CBS and Fox affiliates. I asked him what time we needed to be there and he said 5:00 AM. There ain't no way! So, while it would have been fun we had to skip the interview. Besides, who wants to sing tenor that early in the morning? We were the first group in to set up our booth, so once that was out of the way we took off for some food. We had planned on checking into the hotel early and grabbing a little shut-eye before our 4:30 PM sound check, but that didn't happen. The earliest we could get in was 3:00. By the time we picked up the rental cars, ate, got in the room, and showered it was time to head to the Save Mart Center.

Dan and Royce were dragging. Apparently neither one slept well (if at all) and they were dead tired. We were the first group on, so we dressed and headed backstage. Now, my favorite part of these concerts is hanging out in the green room. Besides all the food, I've heard the biggest stories from all the old road warriors. They're always trying to one-up each other. It's great.

We hit the stage at 6:09 PM and had a great set. Our songs for Thursday evening included:

Ride That Glory Train
I'll Fly Away (Doran piano solo)
Bus Driver
The Eastern Gate
Say It Again
In God We Still Trust

I have to hand it to the sound crew. They did a fantastic job! Wes Pritchard was running the monitors and they were spot on. This is probably the best sound that we ever had at a convention/festival. The crowd responded so well to our songs. I think we had the right lineup. It was a nice mix of up-tempo and laid back songs. And, for all of you who were praying for my voice, God came through (like He always does). It sounded fine. Well, as fine as my voice gets anyway. Thanks for praying!

For a full run-down of Thursday night, click here.

Enjoy the pictures!


Gargantuan Keith coming at you. Lori made sure that my nose and ears were free of impeding and conspicuous hairs. She's a caring wife.

Royce had the crowd laughing throughout our Thursday evening set. I'm not sure what he's doing here, but I apparently enjoyed it.

Dan found paternal satisfaction in my histrionics, watching proudly as I sang my little heart out. It was either that or the fact that he hadn't slept for 32 hours. Shortly after this we carried him off the stage.

One of the highlights for me was singing "In God We Still Trust", one of the most powerful patriotic songs you'll ever hear. The energy in the arena was electric!

Overall, it was a wonderful night. After we were done we had a chance to relax and hear some of our favorites: the Booth Brothers, Legacy Five, the Beene Family, the Herb Henry Family, and the Hoppers among many others.

Fresno

Whew! What an eventful week! Today, it's nice to sit here in the room with the windows open, hearing the night sounds, reflecting on everything that happened. Instead of providing you with a blow-by-blow account of the Great Western Fan Fest, I'll tell the story in pictures (coming tomorrow).

In the meantime, for those of you who want all of the details visit the blog of my good friend John Scheideman. You'll feel like you were there. If you visit, you'll also get a bonus review of our Sunday night concert at Riverdale Assembly of God, one of the best concerts I've ever been a part of. You'll also be hearing more about that. Later.

As for now, start reading John's account and I'll post some pictures tomorrow to give you an idea as to what he's talking about.

Whew!

Wow! What a day! It started off in the studio, where Doran, Dan, and I did the final vocal fixes on our new album (title still undetermined). Then, I ran home to finalize the concepts for a Liberty Quartet photo shoot. At about a quarter to four I raced over to Meridian and met the rest of the guys at a studio for some shots for the new album. Then, we headed over to Royce's house where we shot the photography for his upcoming solo project. By the time I left his house it was a quarter after eight. After a nutritious supper of Burger King I turned the ol' green Explorer for the rolling hills of Waggoner estates. I've just now finished catching up on email and other business. And, I'm tired.

Yeah, and remember all that stuff about my voice? Well, my allergies just kicked in and they are kickin' my backside! My throat is raw. Of course, that was due to happen the same week as the Fresno Fan Fest. So, while I might not be singing well, I can at least enjoy everybody else.

One news flash that I want to mention, Doran has been invited to be a part of the Fan Fest Songwriter's Showcase with Phil Cross, Rodney Griffin, and others. In spite of all the sarcastic barbs we lob at each other, I'm proud of the guy. He's writing songs that stand with the best lyrics being written in the Southern Gospel genre today. This is a well-deserved honor. That will be fun.

I'm tired. G'night.

I'm a Soccer Dad

Trey scored 5 goals in his game today. His team was trailing by one when he came into the game. He scored 2 goals in the first 30 seconds he was in. He was all over the field. I think I might have an athlete. He had everybody on their feet with a couple of his hustling plays. I'm a proud dad.

Kassady also scored 5 goals in her game. That's more than all last year's games combined. Go figure. While she's still not the most aggressive player on the field, she knows where and how to kick the ball. I'm a proud dad.

Trivia

Did you know that the Statler Brothers, who started out singing Gospel music, were originally known as the Kingsmen? Interesting trivia tidbit I picked up today.

Cutlery Capers

Kassady informed the family at the supper table the other night that she could hang a spoon on her nose. I told her that I didn't believe her. So, she did it. And, it really hangs on there. She doesn't lean back to make it happen. Of course, I had to try it. Can't do it.

I'm thinking that if her chosen profession doesn't work out, she can always fall back on a circus career.

Full Voice

The one thing that was never discussed in voice lessons was the importance of diet. We worked on breathing exercises, phonation (ah, those dipthongs), proper posture, vibrato, vocal resonation, and I even learned a little Italian and German along the way. All important, to be sure. But, yet, not a word about diet.

I'm a picky eater (my wife, parents, and the Liberty guys shout "Amen!" in chorus) and as a result find it difficult to appreciate many healthy foods due to my persnickety taste buds. I've heard the old wives tale that your taste buds change every few years. While I'm sure they are, it has yet to affect my eating habits. Trust me, every year I try to eat salad again and end up gagging on the lettuce. I try to eat new foods, playing mental games with myself, trying to convince the brain that I really like it. Sometimes I force myself to acquire a taste for something, most times not.

I know that I often eat food that's probably not good for this finely toned body. I'm trying to do better, but it's hard. I have a strong affinity for spicy foods: Mexican, Cajun, hot wings. In the past, I've imbibed to my heart's content. It never really did anything to me (if you discount all the treks to the room down the hall). That is, until the last 2 years. I'm now noticing that if I eat pepperoni, it's going to hurt me later in the day (or night). Hot wings take more than a day for the recovery process. It's painful.

Last year was the toughest for me from a vocal standpoint. I started the year by getting a cold on my trip to Ohio and Indiana in December, 2006. Thank you, family! I never quite got over it. We started our traveling in January and it was non-stop singing until the end of March. There were times that I was barely squeaking out my notes. There were a few concerts that I went out to the bus after we were done singing just to avoid over-talking. Those of you who know me, know that this just killed me. I was in a never-ending funk. I went to the doctor at least four times during the first three months of 2007 and they prescribed every type of drug you could think of for voice problems, but it never made a lasting impact. In March or early April I went to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist. He stuck the little camera up into my nose, down my nasal passage, and took a look around. After about 3 minutes of looking at the images on his computer, he asked me if I had ever suffered from heartburn. My initial reply was "nnnguhhgaaoo" (the camera was still stuck up my nose). Once he pulled it out, I told him that occasionally I would have a mild case of discomfort, but nothing serious. He said that my nasal passages were very irritated and that it appeared that I had some strange allergens (or something like that) in my system. He prescribed Prilosec and some heavy-duty stuff for allergies.

It should have sunk in that heartburn could be causing my vocal issues, but it didn't. The next few months weren't much better. I would have a good night on Friday, decent night on Saturday, but by Sunday I was a vocal mess. Vocal fatigue was becoming an issue, due to my tendency to over sing as a means of compensation for my problems. While we were at National Quartet Convention last September, Daniel Riley announced from the stage that Steve Ladd, their tenor, was on complete voice rest (except for singing). I later found out that it was due to heartburn. It still didn't sink in. I was trying everything from combining Advil with Claritin D to whatever else I could think of. Nothing worked. My voice was getting worse. Royce began making comments about the need for me to see a voice teacher to start singing right and correct some of the bad habits I was beginning to develop (once again, caused by over singing). Every once in a while I hit some depression periods, but I went about as low as I've ever gone in November. I was seriously considering giving up singing. I was so frustrated!

In the middle of November, Legacy Five was in town and I went over to their concert. Frank Seamans (their tenor) and I have developed a pretty good friendship over the last couple of years and in my talking to him after the concert I mentioned the vocal struggles I had been having. Well, it immediately got his attention. Unbeknownst to me, Frank had gone through some significant vocal problems during his time with Legacy Five. I knew that he had struggled initially, but I wasn't aware how bad it really was. He suffered with the same depression that I was combating. It was during that time that he resigned from Legacy Five. Scott Fowler wouldn't accept his resignation, though, and told him that he was willing to do whatever it took to help him recover. Frank began to share with me some of the steps he had to take to get his voice back. Man, it was like a breath of fresh air. At the restaurant later that night he filled me in on several techniques I could use to regain the use of my voice. After we had walked out of the restaurant and were getting ready to leave, Frank hung back and said, "Listen, Keith, I know what you're going through and I know you're frustrated. But, don't quit. I just want you to know I'll be praying for you." He doesn't know it, but God put those words in his mouth for me that night. For the first time all year, I felt like God could help my conquer this giant.

In December, I started analyzing what I was doing that could possibly harm my voice. I quit taking all my medicine. It was actually drying my voice out too much and harming my vocal cords. I then quit eating spicy foods in the afternoon and evening and on the weekends (well, except for the hot wings I had over at Marc and Talisha's). I started taking one Prilosec tablet every evening. I initiated a consistent exercise regiment. Then, and I'm sure this was a major component, I had 2 weeks and half off, no singing.

This January it was totally different. I felt like my voice was back to normal. I can almost feel it getting stronger. I now actually enjoy Sunday mornings. I'm keeping up with my habits that I established in December. I'll admit that I could exercise more, but I'm working on it. I'm still trying to avoid eating too many spicy foods. Ham is now my pizza topping of choice. I rarely suffer from heartburn symptoms. Every once in a while I'll have a vocal night that's more difficult than usual, but those are few and far between. I'm enjoying singing again.

God is good. Thanks to good friends, prayer, and some common sense I'm able to give 100% each concert. If I ever teach voice again, diet is going to be on of those items that I throw in the mix with "Caro Mio Ben".

O be careful little mouth what you eat!

Thanks, Dave

Pastor Dave celebrated his 200th post the other day. I was hoping to forget this little incident.

Weeds

I am getting our back desert ready for a sprinkler system and eventually grass, so I've been clearing out all the weeds and rocks. Lori caught me at my most graceful.

Lori's primary contribution was taking embarrassing pictures of my rear end which she found to be hilarious. My wife has a twisted sense of humor.

Trey and Kassady helped pick up most of the rocks. I promised them ice cream from Dairy Queen. They were motivated. I have a feeling getting good help for under $4.00 isn't going to last long.

This is currently my favorite commercial.

American Idol Results

America got it wrong. Carly should still be on the show. Good grief! Who's gonna be next? Archuleta?

Media Moment

Daniel Mount over at Southern Gospel Blog featured an interview with me on his site today. We had a chance to sit down and shoot the breeze for about an hour or so two weeks ago. Daniel was in Boise speaking at the annual Biblical Worldview Conference. I first met Daniel at NQC this past fall. I've enjoyed reading his commentary on Southern Gospel music for the past couple of years. We both seem to share an appreciation for the same Southern Gospel groups. Anyway, I was honored to be interviewed by Daniel.

Check it out and post a comment about how good-looking I am.

AI Predictions

Based on last evening's performances (not on how much I like them overall), here are my current American Idol rankings:

1. David Archuleta
2. David Cook
3. Syesha Mercado
4. Carly Smithson
5. Brooke White
6. Jason Castro

The only real surprise last evening was Syesha's rendition of Rock N' Roll Too Many. It was the first time that her vibrant personality has really shown through while singing. She gives great interviews but seems a bit detached on stage.

I love Brooke, but she sunk herself. You can't forget the lyrics at this stage of the competition. I'd say that either Brooke or Jason are going home tonight.

Several weeks ago I said that my two favorites were the two Davids. I stick by that. They are both head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. I find humor in the fact that Cook's CD was the number one seller on Amazon (ironically beating out the new release from last week's vocal coach Mariah Carey) until pulled by AI officials.

T-Ball Coach

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Nampa (AP) -- The Nampa Parks and Recreation Department announced today that Keith Waggoner has been named coach of the Astros. Waggoner, whose previous experience includes coaching at HHYC and AYC, will bring a high level of expertise to the Astros as they contend for the crown in the highly competitive T-ball league. Waggoner won two championships at HHYC during his four years coaching there and one championship and a third-place finish at AYC in the AA division. He was voted coach of the year in both leagues. In a press conference this afternoon, Keith stated that "I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity of coaching in the small leagues. I look forward to meeting my players soon and beginning to build the nucleus of a championship team. Bringing to mind the examples set by my big-league mentors Billy Martin, Earl Weaver, and Lou Piniella, my relaxed, laid-back approach to coaching will instill a sense of self-worth in my players as well as a great affection for grape snow cones." Keith indicated that he will be stressing improvement in five main areas: hitting the ball, catching the ball, throwing the ball, running in the right direction, and creative team chants.

The Parks Department also reported that Waggoner will be bringing Marc Taylor on board as an assistant coach. Taylor, who has a long and storied history as a Nampa athlete, will oversee many of the hitting and catching drills as well as scheduling the team snacks. Taylor said, "I am honored to be chosen for this opportunity to give back to the community. I look forward to enhancing the hand-eye coordination of our players, promoting team spirit, and coming up with innovative nicknames for the umpiring staff."

If your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or the annoying next-door kid is interested in signing up for T-ball (and you must register soon for a low price of $22), click here and then select in this order:

The state (ID)
Nampa Recreation Center
Register for Activities
Youth Sports
08 T-Ball (5-6YRS)
Register
Be sure to select the "Astros #6" in the "Team" category

Keith Waggoner closed his press conference by saying that this experience for Astros players "will be like playing Ninteno Wii, riding a roller coaster, and eating as much ice cream as you want, all rolled into one."

Gold City

I've been curious as to what Gold City's new lead singer Bruce Taliaferro sounds like. Aaron Swain over at Swain's Musings found a couple of video clips of Bruce in action. Check it out. He definitely has energy and soul. I'm looking forward to hearing him live. I'm going to miss Wilburn, that's for sure. But, hey, life goes on and so does Gold City. They're still one of the premiere groups on the road.

GBS Gag Reel

Kudos to Joel and Tim on a great video. Joel, I shamelessly stole this from your Facebook page. This is for all you GBS alumni out there.