First Lady of the Journey: September 2006

Rob went fishing with Jim Bonneau and caught his first large mouth bass ever...good looking fish caught by a good looking man!

Sunday September 10, 2006 Rascal Flatts Concert

Last Thursday a couple in our church gave Rob and I tickets to go see Rascal Flatts in concert (Thank you Kregg and Veronica). Although Rob (somewhat) likes country music...Kayla LOVES it. So I decided to make some great memories and take Kayla to the concert with me. The concert was in Mansfield, MA at the Tweeter Center. We left around 4:30 in the afternoon and got to the center at 6:30. We grabbed a bite to eat from the concession stands and then made our way to our seats. Opening acts were Katrina Elam and Gary Allen. Both were very good, but Rascal Flatts was the real deal. They opened with the song "Where you Are" and the night was filled with all their greatest hits. Kayla's reaction to seeing them come out on stage was priceless and no camera in the world could have done it any justice. Since the venue wouldn't let me take my own camera in(because it had interchangeable lenses), I had to borrow one from a friend of mine. The shots aren't great, but they do capture the memories as best as I could. After the concert we waited 2 hours to get out of the parking lot and got home about 3:00 a.m., but it was all worth it. Thank you Kayla for sharing in this time with me. You mentioned that it was the best day of your life, and I just pray that they only always get better from here. I love you!!!!

Kayla and I are more than ready to rock the night away with Rascal Flatts.

New and upcoming star Katrina Elam demonstrates what great vocals she has just moments before Gary Allen

Gary Allen opens for Rascal Flatts..."When tough little boys, grow up to be men, they turn into big babies again..."

Forget the other singers...we're here to see "RASCAL FLATTS"!!!!

Just minutes before the lights go out, Kayla is anxiously awaiting...

...where are they?

Oh my gosh...Rascal Flatts!!!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

Gary on the big screen

Kayla enjoys the show

Jay on the big screen

Joe Don and Gary sing together

Joe Don...I think he is the cutest!

Gary and Joe Don play a duet on the guitars

Gary and Jay with Joe Don in the back right corner

The Encore was "What Hurts the Most". This was the best shot I got all night...Joe Don to the left of stage, Gary in the middle and Jay to the right of the stage.

"Thank you Mom...this was the best day of my life!" That was Kayla's comment after the concert was all over with.

Labor Day September 4, 2006

Today about noon the kids started asking us if we could do something because they were "bored"...what else is new! I looked online for some local hiking spots and came across a place called Mount Major. Mount Major near West Alton is a rocky summit with extensive views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the Belknap Range, and even the White Mountains in clear weather (which wasn't completely clear when we went). The elevation is about 1100 feet on the ascent, minor on descent, with a round trip hike of 3.6 miles. Now when I read the description of this hike I wasn't aware of how hard it would actually be. Rob and I have both lost about 20 pounds each, but even that wasn't enough to prepare us for what was to come. So off we went to hike Mount Major (which is a BIG thing here in NH). At times it was extremely difficult, but I knew that the views at the top would make it all worth the pain. Because Rob has a fear of heights (especially when the kids have NO fear) only Seth made it to the very top. The rest of us were short about 50 feet...we just couldn't bring ourselves to climb the big rock at the top. Below are pictures of our "Labor" day. ENJOY!!!