Taking me back in time

I always love a good concert and Sunday night was no exception! My daughter invited me (I'm a lucky mom!) to the Blake Shelton concert in Portland and it was four hours of boot-stompin', drink-raisin', yee-hawin', hat-tippin', great country music! I love Blake's music as well as his personality. He is very comical! He talked between songs and even stopped in the middle of some to say something on his mind. He likes to cuss, drink and deer hunt ("and not with a camera... I like to shoot 'em!). His conversations took the concert to such a personal level. He seemed like just an average guy talking to his friends up there... not the big country star that he really is!

Opening for Blake were two spectacular artists, Dia Frampton and Justin Moore. Blake was Dia's coach on The Voice last season and she ended the season as the first runner-up. Blake obviously believes in her talent! He said Dia "earned the right to tour with him on his Well Lit & Amplified tour." How cool is that?! She really is great and I can't wait to hear more of her music! Justin is a total cowboy "from a town of 300 people" (Can you even imagine?!) and got the crowd hoppin' before Blake took over the stage. (Seriously... Justin could have had his own show!) Dia and Justin each returned to the stage to sing a song with Blake. We also had a surprise visit from Blake's wife, Miranda Lambert!  It was a great concert from beginning to end! Not to mention... we had fantastic seats!! FANTASTIC SEATS!

Going to this concert certainly took me back in time to my childhood. I grew up in Texas and loved country music, cowboys, and the whole "being southern" thang. My family traveled to West Texas every year and went deer hunting (not that I could ever do it now, mind you) with my grandparents. Spending time in the Big Bend are some of my very favorite childhood memories. As much as I love living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, the South, it's music, it's laid back lifestyle, the accents, the cowboys (oh yes, the cowboys!), etc. still - and always will - pull on my heart strings. Big time.

Thanks Brittany - for taking me along and letting me boot-stomp my way through part of my past! I loved every minute of it!