best. concert. ever.

Wow! I really have not been good with keeping up on my blog posts.  I promise, I'm trying to do much better with that! Fortunately I have a good excuse.  My husband has been getting 3 & 4 day weekends all month since they will be working really hard come next month.  I'm thankful I've been able to see more of him but lets get real: the blog is sucking.  So here's to more updates!

Two Saturdays ago Josh & I decided to make the most of the 4-day weekend & take a trip to Dallas to see Taylor Swift & Needtobreathe in concert.  The word I would use to sum up this experience is INCREDIBLE! Seriously, I have never been so impressed with a show in my life....& I've seen a lot of shows.

First off, we decided to park a continent away since parking for the Cowboys Stadium is $60...that's right SIXTY DOLLARS!! Yikes!  So we paid $20 bucks & enjoyed our walk...well we enjoyed the walk there...the walk back a whole different story.  I, being the genius that I am, decided to wear my extremely adorable boots.  What's the downfall? They aren't made for 3 miles of walking.  On the walk back to the car Josh gave me a piggy back ride & let me wear his shoes the rest of the way back.  What a guy I have right? Such a gentleman.

Here's us getting excited to see Needtobreathe

Best picture of the stage I could muster with my iphone

Needtobreathe is one of my favorite bands.  Their musical talents & style speak straight to my soul.  They're a Christian rock band without the dorkiness.  Lets be honest, unfortunately a lot of mainstream Christian music is cookie cutter & leaves something to be desired.  Needtobreathe brings an eclectic style & lyrics that leave you thinking long past the song is over.  They were absolutely amazing live & I think Josh & I were about the only ones in our section who even knew who they were. They played only about 6 songs, so I'm definitely hoping to see them as a headliner in the future.  Bear's voice was incredible & the band did a great job of getting the crowd ready to see Taylor....as if the crowd needed any help!

Needtobreathe's new album The Reckoning is now out & highly recommend it. Here's a taste

The stadium was primarily filled with girls ages 4-20.  All of them attempting to look like Taylor in some way. Either they curled their hair in Taylor-esk spirals or dressed in an adorable dress & cowboy boots.  They were excited at just the site of a cardboard cut-out of her.

When the lights went back off after Needtobreathe, the stadium roared with excitement.  Fifty five thousand people jumping up & down & shouting for Taylor to come out. It was soooo crazy! Sparks Fly began playing & Taylor was vaulted onto the stage from underneath the set.  Fireworks went off & the set was revealed.  It looked like it came straight from a fairy tale storybook.  A huge staircase was centered in the middle of the stage surrounded by trees covered in twinkling lights.  The band shared the stage with about 6 dancers giving a theatrical interpretation of each song.

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The show was fast moving and you never knew what was going to happen next.  With confetti resembling snow floating through the air during Back to December, dancers suspended in the air on bungee cords, Taylor changing dresses & guitars with nearly each song & the theatrical experience happening on stage, I was on the edge of my seat & enjoying the visual & audio feast of the event.  Unfortunately, my phone died during the concert but I have found some amazing pictures from the Dallas concert.

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The set for Speak Now

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and another

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At every show Taylor does a cover of an artist from the city/state that she's in that night.  She notoriously writes some of the lyrics down her left arm. Josh & I read her arm at the beginning of the show; is says "A little voice inside my head says don't look back. You can never look back."  We knew she was going to do Don Henley's song Boys of Summer.  She did such a good job.

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See for yourself here

Special guests have been showing up on the Speak Now Tour & I was super excited to find out who we were going to get.  Airplanes started playing & B.O.B came up from under the stage.  I even have a video for this one too!

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When the lights came on & the curtain was dropped the stadium roared for more Taylor.  After a couple minutes the lights were out again the curtain opened to Taylor & her band sitting on a couch in Cowboys jerseys

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Taylor ended the night with Love Story while suspended in the air on a princess balcony

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We loved every second of that concert & I hope to see them both again in the future.  All I know, is Taylor sure set the bar with this tour.  It'll be interested to see what she comes up with next.

best kept secret in leesville, la

Last Saturday night Josh decided that we needed a "fancy date night".  We got dressed up in some of our nicest attire & went out on a very romantic date.  We started the night by going to a free dueling pianos show put on by the MWR (Morale, Welfare & Recreation).  These guys were hilarious & great at what they do.  We were super impressed by their wit & talent.  

Then we went to wine & dine at the cutest little place here!  Josh started doing some research online to find the nicest place for a dinner date & ran across Booker-Lewis Bed & Breakfast.  He almost dismissed it, but then saw that they're also a restaurant.  So glad we went.  The restaurant is in a cute two-story house with an envied wrap-around porch.  The food was so good I cried a little.  Seriously the best food I've had since we've been here!  Check out the gorgeous Booker-Lewis Restaurant.

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We sat at the table in the bottom right corner.  No one else was dining inside, which allowed us to be as goofy as we wanted

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If we get snow on the ground this year, I will be so excited!  Isn't it just lovely?

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Next door is this adorable house that is home to more hotel rooms as well as John Beck's Pub.  We enjoyed a drink & chatted with another military couple that has been here for 2 years. They let us in on some great travel spots in the area.  The porch at John Beck's Pub is absolutely gorgeous & I cannot wait until they open it up!

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The waitstaff blew us away.  They were fun & accommodating.  We were trying to take a picture of ourselves (you know the "Miley Cyrus pose" as Josh likes to call it)  We failed miserably.  One of the waitress' witnessed this & she offered to take this picture of us in front of the fireplace. She was so very sweet.

He's so handsome

We really need to get a good camera.  As you can see by those last pictures, iphones don't always take the greatest of pictures.  Sure, some come out beautiful, but only in the perfect lighting.  

Needless to say we loved it & will be returning soon & often!