September: Done

Three months left in this year, people! That's it! Can you believe it? Here's September in a nutshell!

* Busy month of firsts at work! I worked my first sticker stop in Lima, Ohio, which was so much fun, despite the rain! I also got to be on the air a little more...and I think I'm sounding less like a man, which is making me very happy (as you might imagine). I worked my first Friendraiser...getting a taste of reading pledges on the air...answering the phones...and helping to serve lunch. This month also held the Laura Story/David Crowder concert...and my first time to chuck t-shirts into a crowd! (Kind of like softball...right?) We had to cancel a show at the last minute, one day, so I had my first try at reading the intro to an encore show...live on the air. (Yes, I was sweating.) AND - I did my first (and second) ever official co-hosting of a show. Lynne made that a great experience.

* Thoroughly enjoyed my first Labor Day weekend off - ever. Loved the rest and the shopping!!

* In the kitchen, I made a fabulous chicken lasagna, a batch of kettle corn krispie bars for my Mom's birthday, some very yummy pumpkin bread, and tried my hand at Aunt B's caramel surprise brownies. I also spent a day in Lynne's kitchen doing some cooking in prep for one of our shows!

* Made it to the lake at the very last possible minute - and thoroughly enjoyed an entire day on the water - even if the boat ride meant wearing a hoodie, jeans, and tennis shoes!

* Attended a concert that I didn't have to work! Ronda and I went to hear Ernie Haase and Signature Sound - which was one of the best concerts I think I've ever been to. They do a great show.

* Enjoyed season premiere week of my favorite shows. And so begins the life of making sure I'm home when they air...because yes, it's true, I don't have DVR.

* Hosted Pancakes with the Princess with my pastor's family, AND the return of Rachel's Thursday night TV visits.

Stone Altar: End of September

September's Interesting Factoids

Short post today...either I'm smarter than I thought (and therefore had less to learn) or I didn't pay very close attention to learning this month! But here are a few tidbits I picked up from Mid-Morning this month.

* At the beginning of the month, we had a show about funeral planning....in which I learned the difference between a cemetery and a memorial park. Cemeteries have tall tombstones, and memorial parks/gardens have flat stones. (Side note...there's a memorial park near the town where I live and the stones there are embedded in the ground so far that I used to think there weren't any at all. I wondered how people knew where to find the graves they were looking for!)

* In random trivia Lynne shared...did you know that Elizabeth Taylor had a double row of eyelashes? Some things just aren't even fair.

* I realize YOU all probably know this, but I didn't. Lynne said grocery stores have a day when stuff gets marked down, so watching for that day can save you some money. (Like when they're ready to restock with fresher stuff...) This is good to know! I love a deal!

That's what I learned in September! I'll strive to be a better student in October. :)

Pancakes with the Princess: September

Another month...another batch of pancakes dished up from the home of yours truly!

I've been intending to invite my pastor and his family over for a meal. Do people do that anymore? Invite their pastors to their home to eat? It was a big thing to do when I was growing up, but I'm not sure people do it anymore.

Anyway, they said yes, so this past Sunday, they came over after church, and we had pancakes! Not only did we have pancakes, but someone else tried to get a helping of them too!!
Braeya NEVER ventures forth when kids are in the house. Some of them are pretty loud and obnoxious, and it scares her. But these two were pretty quiet, so she came out and stayed. (And tried to climb up on the table to snag some lunch. Was she born in a barn??)

Judah LOVED Braeya and played with her so long that she wore completely out later and took a huge nap. (Sweet!)

And this is my friend Elizabeth. She is one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. Every week after church, she comes up to talk to me about the important stuff. (Clothes!)
And Jesse and Erin - who have taken me in as a good friend and I love that. (When I have curly hair days, Erin and I are twins, though you can clearly see she got the WAY better curls.)

I loved our lunch (and the free entertainment provided by Judah and Braeya). Pancake success!

Living with Dying

I've blogged once or twice before about my former roommate, Angela, who is battling cancer. A few weeks ago, she was a guest blogger on the Intentional Journey, and if you want to read what she wrote, you can do so here.

I don't like death. I don't suppose most people do, actually.

But Angela has been one of the best examples of living with dying...I've ever seen. She doesn't shy away from the topic, as you can see in the blog post, and she's being so intentional about these days that very possibly could be her last.

Saturday morning, I was enjoying a good sleep-in, waking up at the crack of 11, actually. About a half hour later, Braeya was still trying to coax me out of bed, when the doorbell rang. I scurried to get door-answering presentable and peeked out the window to see who was there.

Angela. Holding a box.

She came in, graciously overlooked my bedhead, smeary mascara, and questionable attire, and told me she was going through her things, choosing some of her favorites to take to her friends because she'd rather have them go to people she loved than be sold in a sale sometime after her death.

(Yeah. I was trying not to cry, too.)

I opened the box and found half a dozen Isabel Bloom Christmas figurines. When Angela lived here, she had tons of Isabel Bloom stuff, and I always called her (Isabel) "the cement lady." Isabel's creations found their way around our home, and at Christmas, we even had the official nativity set.

Angela looked at me and said, "I know you love Christmas and you decorate with a tree in every room, so I knew you'd understand these..."

She stayed for a couple of hours, and we talked about things like her memorial service and the ups and downs of her life journey.

I wish with all my heart that she'd get well, but the reality is...it's unlikely. And as we sat in my living room eating pumpkin bread and reminiscing, this thought came to me, though I wished it would leave, This might be the last time you ever sit and talk to her like this.

She hugged me before she left and that thought pushed its way back in, univited, This might be the last time you ever share a hug with her.

I hate death. I hate loss. And yetI know she's in pain. I know the treatments tear at her body and though she fights valiantly and without a complaint, I know she's tired. She looked me straight in the eye and said she's ready to go home early. To get her wings. 35 year olds shouldn't have to say things like that.

My mind is too much of a mess to make much sense of it all yet, but I am aware, as I sit here and look at the box that holds her gift to me, what a much bigger gift I was given. The gift of a friend who put up with a lot while she lived here. A friend who has embraced her own mortality and invites me to embrace it with her, even though I'd rather hide my eyes from its truth.

Everything about her is God's grace in action. I have so much to learn.

Signature Sound Concert

Okay - you know I'm a southern gospel groupie. It's true. Unapologetically true. :) So I was very excited to find out Ernie Haase and Signature Sound were in the concert lineup this fall. I didn't get assigned to work this concert, but I got tickets to attend! Knowing that she has similar appreciation, I invited Ronda to go with me. The concert was at Blackhawk Ministries in Ft. Wayne, and we got some sweet seats. Not a single person obstructed my view. That's a good night.

One thing I love about this group is how incredibly personable they are. Devin, their lead singer, did the official welcome, and then Doug Anderson, their baritone, took the stage to open with some of his solo work. Doug actually lives in Lapel, IN, which is not that far from my house. I always think of him when I drive past the sign for Lapel on my way to Indianapolis. He sang two or three songs, but this one called I'll Take What's Left was my favorite.
Then the rest of the guys took the stage. Another thing I love about this group is their ENERGY. (Frankly, they wore me out just watching them move all over that stage!) And they have much fun together while they sing. Here's a couple of my faves. This one has their previous bass in it, but the new one is just as good. And they did this one three times. Love it.

This is their new bass...his name is Ian Owens. Ronda asked me if he was turning me into a bass fan. Well, with no disrespect for my forever fondness toward tenor singers...I'll say I was pretty impressed with him!

This tour was their tribute to the Cathedrals. (If you're not a southern gospel groupie, I'll fill you in. The Cathedrals were a legendary group for many years in southern gospel. Their lead and bass singers were Glen Payne and George Younce, and both of them have since died. Their tenor, Ernie, began this new group, and this tour honors the music of the Cathedrals. I used to go to Cathedrals concerts with my college roommate, Jenny, so I LOVED hearing their music again.) Here's another one they did....and this one includes all the current members.

You know the lighters everyone waves at concerts? Well my work buddy, Amy, was across the aisle from me, and she found this lighter in her pew. I so wanted to use it. HA!!

This is their tenor, Devin McGlamery. He's only been with them 2-3 years, and he is GOOD. My favorite song featuring him last night was this one - where they worked in footage of the original quartet. Glen Payne was one of his heroes, and I just think that makes this song even better.

You know I'm die hard about my Vocal Band, but I have to say that this group is equal in my mind. (I know. Sit down!)

And one of my all time favorite songs that I've loved since the days of the Cathedrals...Ernie's song, Oh What A Savior. Love it.

Definitely an amazing evening. SO glad I went. Loved every minute of it.

It's the Weekly Recap!

* After the busy weekend I had last weekend, I woke up in a TOTAL panic on Sunday. I wake up to the station on my alarm, and when it went off Sunday morning, I heard the afternoon DJ's voice. I thought I'd overslept for work! I had no idea what day it was...cracked me up once I realized I wasn't in trouble! Sunday evening, I had a cooking fest...making food for the week and some oatmeal raisin cookies for Miss Lynne's birthday!

* Monday was a very dreary day...would have been a great one to stay in bed...good thing I love going to work! But when I came home, I had a headache from who knows where, so I just sacked out in the fat chair all evening and tried to rest it off...except when I was trying my new workout DVD, The Biggest Loser Power Sculpt. Anything with "Sculpt" in the title is bound to be effective...yet painful...right?

* Tuesday evening I went to another 31 party and found a couple super cute things I just couldn't live without. (Also got to meet a couple cute babies...that's a good day!) AND!!! Tuesday night was the premiere of the new season of The Biggest Loser! Anna is no Jillian! (I mean that she cried during the first episode. I think it took Jillian about 8 seasons to cry on camera!)

*Wednesday was my first day to officially co-host Mid-Morning. I actually called it "quarter hosting" because I declared I did not ask enough questions to fairly call it "co" hosting. Lynne still did the majority of the work (and a magnificent job of it, too, I might say). I did, though, manage to run the board, help with the interviews, introduce the giveaways, thank the underwriters, dance during the music, AND take this truly horrid photo of myself all at the same time.
(Took this with my phone...got my THUMB in the way...it's blurry from the nerve-induced shaking, and we will not even TALK about the disaster that was my hair. But it is at least photo proof of the event.)

* Thursday evening was the Grey's Anatomy premiere, which I watched with Rachel Ashley! She used to come over every Thursday night while she was in college and we'd hang out to watch Grey's together. Even though she's a bona fide adult now, she still is willing to hang out with me...so we brought back "our" night - complete with freshly baked pumpkin bread. MMMMMMMMM. * Friday night I had tickets to go see Ernie Haase and Signature Sound in concert in Ft. Wayne. (More on this later.) I really love their music but had never seen them live. GREAT show. And as you can see...the seats weren't too shabby!!


* Saturday morning I slept in until a time I will not even mention out loud. :) Then I had a surprise visit from my former roommate, Angela, which deserves (and will get) its own blog post. I had lots of work to do in preparation for company, so I spent the rest of the day doing that.

Books I'm Reading Continuing to read in Jesus Calling, FINISHED A Confident Heart by Renee Swope, and started reading The Faith Dare by Debbie Alsdorf. I need a boost to my faith, and I'm hoping the challenge of the book will help that!

Favorite God Moment of the Whole Week I had an evening this week when I just got angry and unloaded on God. The next morning as I drove to work, I saw one of the most stunning sunrises I've ever seen. (Took pictures, but they didn't even do it a lick of justice.) It was a great reminder to me that the God who can paint that has not forgotten me and despite my anger and confusion, He still cares enough to send a stellar morning, literally and figuratively speaking.

Update on Last Week's Goals OW, OWWWW OWWWEEEEEEE to this week's workouts! Between the 30 Day Shred, the Cardio Max, and the Power Sculpt, I'd say I have a plan underway and the hurt tells me it's working!

Goals for the Coming Week I want to really sink into that Faith Dare book and learn from it. I also have the opportunity to be on the air with Lynne again on Friday, so I want to do well with that show!

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Last January, when we were faced with Snowmageddon, I decided I did not want to be stuck in my house with nothing to eat. (Leave it to me to think of food before...say...heat!) I didn't have much time to prepare, so I had to work with what I had on hand...and the winner was a recipe I found online for pumpkin spice bread.

I figured it would make a great breakfast and snack, plus it made my house smell AMAZING when it came out of the oven. This was definitely a keeper recipe, and I made a fresh batch of it this week to serve when Rachel came over for the Grey's Anatomy premiere. In the spirit of fall, I thought I'd share it with you! (This also makes a great gift if you're of the persuasion to give kitchen presents!) I've modified it slightly from the original, but here you go!

The Recipe
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to the pumpkin mixture alternately with water. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack; cool completely.
My can of pumpkin is a 30 ounce can, so I just saved the other half for the next round!

Eggs, oil, and sugar in a bowl. Hey, people, I never said it was low-fat.
Hand mixing works fine. (I don't have a fancy pants mixer, so I always love a good recipe that can be mixed by hand!)

Not attractive, but the pumpkin is added...
Much better once it's all stirred...

Dry ingredients mixed in a separate bowl.

It gets thicker after the dry ingredients go in, but it's still a fairly runny batter.

Pour in (well greased) pans.

It smells AMAZING while baking.

Enjoy warm. Oh goodness. Happiness on a plate.

Happy fall!!

30 Days of You and Me: Day Twenty-Seven

We are so close to the end of this 30 day thing! (It's taken me over a year to finish it. Good night nurse.)

Today's topic is just comical to me...because it is so Bekah.

The last thing that made you cry.

I had to think about that - not because it had been so long since I cried, but because I had to stop and remember what stupid thing I cried over last!

I'm a firm believer that tears are cleansing...and let me tell you....I'm pretty doggone cleansed. While last year holds the record (and probably will for years to come) for the amount of tears shed from these eyes, I have to say that I still cry more than most.

Movies? Check. Books? Check. TV shows? Check. Bad hair day? Okay maybe not. Or maybe. One never knows.

But the last cry I had wasn't over anything frivolous. I'm actually kind of ticked that I have to fess up to this one because I'd like you to think I'm so much more together than this. (I'm so NOT.)

Sunday night I had an ugly cry (like one of those where I have to remind myself to breathe) out of sheer loneliness and anger.

I try not to complain about the land of singleness too much. I try not even to bring it up here because I don't want it to define who I am in your eyes - or in my own. But ever since the college boyfriend and I broke up, Sundays have been THE hardest day of the week for me.

Part of it, I'm sure, is going to church (alone) and sitting (alone-ish) in my pew and coming home (alone). (And, of course, watching couple-ville sit all around me.) But the bigger part of it is that when I was dating in college, Sundays were our day. Once we got home from church, we'd be together all afternoon...all evening...until we had to declare it a day. And coming home now just sometimes brings out the tears.

Such was the case by the time I went to bed Sunday night. I was lonely, I was mad that God hadn't sold my house, I was mad that He took Isaac away, and knowing me, I was probably having a fat day and was mad about that too.

So...had a cry! Big, fat, ugly, snotty, breathless cry that resulted in a magnificent headache on Monday.

So there you go. Some raw Bekah heart. Aren't you glad I usually clean it up for you on here?

Please tell me you've had a cry recently, too. Don't make me sit here with the Puffs Plus all by myself.

Etsy!

My sister first told me about Etsy. One Christmas, she bought presents for each of us from the site.

Now, one of my favorite Sunday afternoon time wasters...I mean spenders...is to peruse the shops that comprise Etsy...looking for a little bit of anything and everything. Earlier this year, I bought some super cute vinyl labels from a shop called The Vinyl Wall. I love the way they look on my kitchen canisters!

My Etsy experience was so positive, that when I got my new job, I purchased a lunchbox from Take it Personally and I love it. Might as well eat in style, right?

I couldn't believe it when I found out Lynne had never visited Etsy in her whole life! I talked about it so much that she decided to do a whole show about Etsy. (That was one of the shows I got to research in great detail during her week of vacation. Talk about a fun job!)

So yesterday, we had our Etsy show! (You can hear it here if you missed it.) I was SO excited for that show! We started the show by hearing from Adam Brown, who is the Press Manager at Etsy. It was fascinating to hear how quickly this website took off. (It only started back in 2005, and now it has 800,000 shops!)

Then we heard from five shop owners, and each was an absolute delight. I wanted to link you to their shops, in case you need to do a little shopping!

1. Newbie Noggins and Twysted Yarn with the lovely Morgan. These two shops specialize in crocheted hats and accessories - for babies and adults! She has this one purple hat that I must have. It's so stinkin' cute!! I don't think anything in life could make me LOVE shoveling snow, but I might be slightly less bitter shoveling in that hat...

2. Red Letter Words with the delightful Dee. This shop has beautiful faith inspired wall art, well crafted on canvas. My favorite is the one that says "She knew that she was here for such a time as this." That comes from the book of Esther and really encompasses how I feel about where God has placed me in life.

3. Next Door to Heaven with the very sweet Amy. This shop features postcard ornaments and burlap pillows/doorstops/bookends/message boards. I love the uniqueness of her products and my favorite is this monogrammed message board. I adore hanging things on walls and I'm recently addicted to monogrammed things. I could put it in any room of my house and it would fit adorably.

4. Bugga Bugs with the wonderful Annika. A whole shop featuring patterns for felt toys and play food. The lovely Julie Crandall made some of these for her kids and they are SO cute. I think my favorite is the hair salon set. I remember when I was a kid...always wanting to "fix" Mom's hair. I bet these would have hurt her a lot less than playing with the real stuff like I did!

5. Ritzy Misfit with the talented and creative Brooke. Very cool wax-looking pendant monogrammed jewelry! I had no idea these were made out of metal (because I didn't read the description closely enough) until the interview...I really thought they were made of wax! Oh goodness - SO cute!!! I think this was my favorite...I just love how one-of-a kind it is...

So there you go! Some great gift ideas from fabulous shop owners who were an absolute joy to work with as we put together the show. Thanks, ladies, for being so wonderful!

Waves

I wanted to share with you the little moment God and I had on the lake this past weekend. I loved it...partly because I just loved hearing from Him at all...but I also loved it because it meant something so important to my heart.

Ronda and I both love to just sit on water. (Preferably from the safety of a boat.) Since we were the only two at the lake (in our party, of course), we were in charge of our schedule and we had the freedom to take the boat to a quiet cove, drop anchor, and sit without any guilt of being gone too long.

I kicked back in my seat, propped my feet up, and leaned my head against the window behind me. With my eyes closed, I just daydreamed for a while, soaking in the sun and the beauty of the quiet lake. I heard boats buzzing around in the background, but I was totally engrossed in my thoughts.
Then the boat began to rock a bit...then more and more...tilting quickly from one side to the other. I grabbed the side of it and sat up. I could see a series of waves rolling deeply toward us. I looked around in confusion, but whatever sped by to make those waves was now far from us. Completely out of sight in some other part of the lake.

I clutched the side of the boat until the water calmed again, then I settled back in my seat to enjoy the sunshine. But this time I kept my eyes open. If something came through again, I wanted to know ahead of time.

As I stared absently around me, God began to speak.

It's like your life. Like last year. You just sat quietly, minding your own business, enjoying life, drinking it in, and trials came speeding through.

And just as quickly as they sped in...they sped out and away...and all that was left was a series of waves that rocked you...sometimes so hard that you had to sit up and grab on to stay steady. And sometimes while you were doing that, you looked around wondering where the source went...but you saw nothing...except the handful of waves still on their way to toss you.



People do that. They come in and out and don't think about the unrest they create. And like it or not, sometimes you do the same thing to others. You should think about it...about how your presence in other people's lives has the capacity to stir them up in ways that can leave lasting effects long after you've gone.
All afternoon I pondered that as boats and jetskis went roaring by...sometimes sending water pelting against the side of our boat until water rained down over us.

It was a good lesson. It was good to be reminded that the hurt that still pricks at my heart from many months ago doesn't mean I'm a failure at healing. It just means the waves might still be crashing up against me.


And it was good to be reminded that I have the capability to do that, too. I don't want to be the one who causes those kinds of waves in others' lives, though I know I've done it.


A great lesson...thanks, God!

Hello, Lake!

Last summer, I went to the lake probably every other weekend. Jonathan said it would be good for me with the way my heart hurt and frankly, I was too worn out to argue with him, so I went often. I loved the way I could hear God on the lake..and I grew to look forward to those moments stolen away with Him.

This year, because of the busyness of changing jobs and putting the house up for sale...I never made it to the lake, and it made me so sad. A few weeks ago, Ronda and I checked out our schedules and pinned down a day to spend at the lake together. So last Friday night, after the concert, I drove to the lake. Ronda and I both arrived about midnight and stayed up until about 1:30 in the morning, curled up in our chairs catching up on life. Oh I have MISSED her!

I slept in Saturday morning...and it was a little chilly when I woke up. But it's okay. A hoodie, blanket and cup of coffee made it ALL better. :)
Ronda totally spoiled me while I was there...starting with cooking me breakfast. What a treat! I never get breakfast made for me!

It was so overcast when we woke up, but that cleared off pretty quickly, and we headed to the deck to enjoy the morning sun...and the water view.

Did I mention how much I'd missed this??

I don't know whether or not you remember this, but last summer, I talked about "Grandma Sue," - a sweet lady from my church who proved to be a magnificent prayer warrior for me in my time of hurt. Well, she also has a place on the lake, and she's been asking me to visit...but it hasn't worked out. So on Saturday, Ronda and I packed up and headed over to Sue Ann's cottage to visit her. I can't even explain to you the encouragement of those almost 3 hours together...it was absolutely wonderful.

Ronda and I ate lunch and then headed out ON THE BOAT!!!!!!

It was a breezy, somewhat chilly day, but the view was MAGNIFICENT.

We anchored in a little cove and sat there for probably 2 1/2 to 3 more hours...just reading and sitting and thinking and resting and....

I actually heard the Lord whisper to my heart for the first time in forever. It was amazing.

Water sparklies...my favorite.

And this is the declaration of a perfect Saturday afternoon.

I'm sorry I only made it up there once this year, but I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. It was spectacular in every way.

Laura Story and David Crowder

I told you yesterday that Friday night I worked my first concert. Had such a very fun night and wanted to share with you some of the highlights of the evening!!

The concert was at a church in Fort Wayne and featured Laura Story and the David Crowder Band. Laura has lots of great songs. (Did you know she wrote "Indescribable?" As in the song Chris Tomlin made famous?) I like several of her songs, but her current big hit, "Blessings," strikes a chord with me because after the heartbreak I went through last year, I feel like it is a song I could have written. You know, if I could write songs. So I was very excited that she was part of this concert tour.

Crowder and his band are on their farewell tour, so this was my first and last opportunity to see them!
The station had a table, so before the concert began, I helped organize the stuff on the table. I didn't have a hanging name tag, so I decided to borrow Ken's. In return, he borrowed my regular name tag (that I didn't even know I had!). Anyway, this is Ken! (Since you're still taking a tour of people I work with.) He stops by my office to visit me and usually makes me laugh while he's there. I like friends who make me laugh. :)

And this is Amy! Amy is one of my lunch buddies...and after I'd been hired, but before I actually started working, she was the first person to email me and welcome me. I knew I was going to love her from that very moment - and she's just as wonderful in person as she was in that email.

We stayed at the table to meet people until shortly before the concert began, and then Ken, Ron, Jim and I went into this little cubbyhole, commonly known as backstage!

This would be when I started to pray fervently. This is a LOT OF PEOPLE TO STARE AT YOU!!!! We represented the station on stage to talk about upcoming concerts, throw freebies into the crowd, and introduce Laura Story.

It was while we waited there that I got a chance to talk to Laura for a couple of seconds! She had been at the station earlier that afternoon but I'd not gotten to meet her and I really wanted to at least say hi. So while she pilfered for a bottle of water, I said hi! She was very sweet.

Jim introduced all of us and no one threw anything at me, so I called that a good day. In that bag were about a dozen t-shirts, which I SUCCESSFULLY threw into the crowd. My pitching arm is better than I knew!

I was very sad to not get many good pictures of Laura, but her part of the concert was short, comparatively speaking, and I wasn't even in there for part of it. Anyway, this is Laura!

She shared a little about the story behind "Blessings," which is a song born out of prayers she offered up while her husband was battling a brain tumor. During the concert, she told us some of the funny stories from that time too - some of those "you have to laugh or you'll cry" sorts of things.

After intermission...Crowder took the stage!

The crowd was very worshipful while he was there - and I think this was my favorite picture of the entire night.

His musicians were good...those guitar guys could tear it up!

The whole band. (Well, one of the guys is hiding over to the right behind someone's head, but he's really there. I promise.)

David told a few stories of his own.

My favorite part of their segment was this part where they sort of sounded like TSO. Lots of violin and pop sounds. Very cool.

Best part of the whole night was getting to share it with my friend, Jessica! She was one of the Financial Aid student workers a few years back. She came over to my house every week to watch American Idol with me! She still lives around and I knew she loved Crowder...and she's a concert JUNKIE...so I invited her to join me!

I also got to meet someone who reads my blog - and I didn't even know her! That made my whole night. (Bless your hearts...you people who don't know me and still show up here to read. I'll do my best to keep you entertained!)