Starting Over

Ok, so I've had an account here for awhile in order to follow and read my daughter's blogs. AND I've blogged over the years on myspace and posted "notes" on facebook. I decided today that I should have some central place for all of this and so you have this, my first blog here.

Today is a very special day. January 4th will forever be etched in my and Ashley's minds as a wonderful, eventful, fun, amazing day despite it's place smack dab in the middle of the cold of winter. One year ago today, on January 4th, 2009, Ashley and I roadtripped it to Nashville, TN to the historic Ryman Auditorium to see a special one-night only concert dubbed "Jonas Brothers and Friends." Several months prior, I had promised her that I would take her to see the JoBros the next time they toured and right before Christmas they announced this special concert. I suprprised her with tickets that I paid too much for (but like that is anything new) and off we went. Cold, gray and gloomy, we set off in my dad's car warming ourselves with laughter and music all the way down to TN, arguing with "Jen," our Garmin tour guide. No worries, eventually Jen saw things my way and took us right to our hotel in downtown Nashville.

It was warm and rainy. We drove around a bit, visited the Vanderbilt University campus (where we did not get caught by the police trying to break into Memorial Gymnasium), then decided to walk around the music district of Nashville a bit before heading to the auditorium. It was all so colorful and musical. I wish we had had more time to spend there but we were on a tight schedule. Rain-drenched, we stood outside the auditorium waiting for the doors to open and trying to control our hearts everytime a group of girls started screaming for some random reason. Those screams can be pretty unnerving the first few times you hear them. You feel like you're missing out on something fantastic and want to go see! You soon realize that it is either nothing...or by the time you get there, you'll have missed whatever great thing it was that they were screaming at.

When we got inside, we were astounded at how small the place was. AND at how close our seats were. We sat there in anticipation, nearly hyperventilating in the last few minutes before the show started. The concert was amazing. Any words I put down here will simply not do it justice. The boys played lots of their songs, covered several well-known songs including "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder and Tom Petty's "Free Fallin" (be still my heart), and also shared the stage that night with a diverse group of artists. i.e. the "Friends" part. We saw Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and the boys performed with Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Phil Vasser, Martina McBride, Steven Curtis Chapman, Brad Paisley, Jordin Sparks and they introduced the world to the group Honor Society (who knew?). Each person would come out and they all would sing a Jonas Brothers song and a song or two of the guests'.

Ashley and I stood there 28 years apart in age but exactly the same on the inside. Singing and screaming and dancing and enjoying the music and the atmosphere. After the show, we weren't so much sad that it was all over as we were amazed at what we had just seen. We got back to our hotel room, made a few excited phone calls, then lay in bed for probably an hour talking about what we had just experienced.

The early-morning wake up came too soon and bleary-eyed we headed off on our return trip back to IL. Caffeine and music kept us awake and made the trip go by quicker. We have been to lots of concerts together, some close just in Peoria and some hours and hours away like this one and I think that we both agree that the ones that require roadtrips are the best. Yes, you lose sleep and are wiped out the next day, but the road trip there--or sometimes back as my sister Jackie can attest to--oftentimes makes the trip. The concert experience is enhanced by the time together in the car excitedly talking (and singing) in anticipation or talking (and singing) in remembrance.

One year ago today Ashley and I shared what is easily one of the best days of my entire life. Yes, the concert (our first JoBro concert and our introduction to Honor Society) was amazing and unforgettable. However, those 36 hours shared with anyone else simply would not have been the same. It was one of the best days and concerts of my life because I shared it with Ashley. Making memories that we will have with us forever. Ashley, I love you.