You're never far, I will be where you are...

**My Birthday Weekend: 9/13/12 - 9/15/12**

Call off the search party, I'm alive!  First, I would like to apologize for not writing in MONTHS!  This year has been full of work, big life changing decisions, and lots of travel.  I know I still have to finish my 2011 cruise review and do my reviews on the UK baseball regionals, UK basketball championships, my cruise reunion in Washington D.C., and a trip I took to New York to see some former UK baseball players play. However, with my first post back, I just couldn't go without writing about my birthday weekend last month.  It was a weekend full of my favorite things and favorite people, a weekend that will forever stay with me in my dreams. 

September 15th was my birthday.  I had been super excited when it was announced that there would be a University of Kentucky Alumni Charity basketball game on September 15th, which would bring back former Wildcats who are currently playing in the NBA.  Well, any University of Kentucky athletic event is to my sports world as the Backstreet Boys are to my music world.  To make things even better, there was also a UK football game that day AND my husband was actually willing to go with me for once.  I was totally ready for a day full of Wildcats!

And then something happened that completely changed my course of action...Leighanne announced that there would be a Wylee Party on Saturday, September 15th in Roswell, Georgia.  Now I was completely torn.  Lexington, Kentucky was only 6.5 hours from me and would entail an entire day of festivities.  Roswell, Georgia would be at least a 12 hour drive and the Wylee Party would only be five hours.  To some this would seem like an easy choice, but I was presented with two options and I had to make a choice.  No matter which I chose, I knew I would have a great time.  I discussed my options with my husband and my friends and took suggestions.  I guess my husband really knows me best when he told me, "Go spend your birthday with Brian."  He was right.  There would always be another UK game but spending my birthday with Brian would be something that I had only dreamed of ever happening.  Little did I know that even afterwards, it would seem like a dream.  So I made my decision.  I was going to drive down to Roswell, Georgia for my birthday. 

Then some news was announced that I thought would once again change my plans.  Just a few days before I was supposed to take my trip, it was announced that the Backstreet Boys would be performing in New York at an event for Old Navy on Friday, September 14th.....yes, the day before Brian was scheduled to be in Georgia for the Wylee Party.  Since the Old Navy Event seemed to be so last minute, I was worried that Brian would not be able to be at the Wylee Party.  Don't get me wrong, I love Leighanne and I've bought my fair share of Wylee products.  However, I would really have to think about making that long of a drive without Brian being there.  Luckily, there were still tickets left for the UK Basketball Alumni game if need be.  There had been no word one way or the other as far as whether or not Brian would be at the Wylee event.  So I decided to send out a little tweet to Brian, Leighanne, and Wylee to see if I could get some kind of confirmation one way or the other.  Anyone who has tweeted Brian or Leighanne know that it can be a bit difficult to get a response back.  Apparently, my birthday was going to start two days early because I received my second ever tweet from Brian Littrell...



Let's just pretend that it is my birthday that he wouldn't miss for the world...



Alright, so I was going to be heading down to Georgia after all.  My plan was to drive to Louisville on Thursday night and stay with a friend so that I'd only have an 8+ hour trip, rather than 12+ hours.  However, a baseball team that I had been following all summer had made it to the playoffs and were playing the championship game on Thursday.  I had started listening to and following the Hudson Valley Renegades (Class A Short Season Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays in the New York-Penn League) as soon as I had discovered that one of my favorite UK Baseball players, Michael Williams had been placed on the team after he had been drafted to the Tampa Bay Rays.  It was also very convenient that another UK Baseball player, Luke Maile, had also been placed on the team.  I had actually taken a trip to New York just two weeks prior to see the two play, but that will hopefully be another blog entry at another time.  Anyway, the Renegades had tied a best of three series up with the Tri-City ValleyCats and were going to be playing the Championship deciding game on that Thursday.  If I drove down to Louisville that night, I was going to miss it.  I made the decision to stay at home and listen to the game (yes, listen since it is only minor league baseball and not on TV).  The Renegades ended up winning the New York-Penn League Championship that night!  Two of my Bat Cats (UK Baseball players) were Champions and this would be considered early birthday present number two!

2012 New York-Penn League Champions - Hudson Valley Renegades



And I bet your wondering where this talk of UK Baseball all of a sudden came from?  Don't worry there will eventually be a blog post about that too!

So, Friday rolls around and I am on very little sleep.  I never get any sleep the night before I leave for a trip because I'm up late getting everything packed and prepared.  It's the one aspect in my life that I never finish early and I have no idea why.  In order to pack for Georgia, I still needed to unpack from New York two weeks prior since the vacation fairy had failed her job miserably and hadn't done it for me.  Even though I was on little sleep, I knew the adrenaline of the trip would keep me awake.  The fastest way to get to Georgia from the Chicago area is to head straight down to Nashville and then over to Atlanta.  However, I was heading south.  Lexington is south.  I love Lexington.  Do you see where I'm going with this?  By cutting over to Lexington and then heading south, I was only going to add thirty minutes to the drive.  The feelings of pure joy I get when I am in Lexington was going to make that extra time well worth it.  I had been getting some suggestions of places to eat in Lexington that I wanted to try.  Additionally, I thought it was very convenient that Lexington is pretty much the exact half way point between here and Roswell (6.5 hours for each leg). 

Michigan City, IN -> Lexington, IN -> Roswell, GA - Approx. 733 miles

As I crossed the bridge over the Ohio River and into Kentucky, I immediately felt a sense of peace.  It's the feeling I always get when I travel to or through the state.  I just feel so at home there and there is a calmness that passes over me as I see that "Welcome To Kentucky:  Unbridled Spirit" sign.  I said so long to Indiana and hello to the place that I most want to live.  I said goodbye to the miles and miles and miles of this....

This is the only cool part of Indiana, our wind turbines amongst the corn fields.

And said hello to this...

The hills of Kentucky between Louisville and Lexington

If only it had been slightly later in the fall so that the leaves would have begun to change....then the drive is even more beautiful and breathtaking.

I finally got to Lexington at about 4:30 or so.  It was an odd time since it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner really.  However, I had planned it so that I would be hungry at that time.  I stopped at a recommended hamburger joint just off of campus called Tolly-Ho's.  I ordered my burger and was just getting ready to leave when early birthday present number three walked in the door (although it took me awhile to figure this out).

I saw a young guy walk in wearing a Milwaukee Basketball shirt.  I thought it was funny since one of the UK Basketball players, Doron Lamb, from the 2012 Championship team had been drafted to the Bucks.  Then I noticed that he kind of looked like Lamb.  He walked away to the bathroom (I'm assuming) while the two people he was with ordered and sat at the table caddy corner from me.  It was then that I realized that one of the other guys looked like Marquis Teague, who was also on the 2012 Championship team and had been drafted to the Chicago Bulls (and was from Indiana).  I started to get pretty excited but wanted to make 100% sure it was them before I went up and made a fool of myself.  I always have a problem recognizing athletes when they aren't in their jerseys...you're just used to seeing them that way.  Luckily, Tolly-Ho's calls out your name when your order is done.  Then there it was.... "Marquis"....."Lamb."  I started to do some major fangirling.  These were like the Backstreet Boys of my sports world.  Not only did I have two University of Kentucky basketball players sitting next to me, but two UK players that played for the 2012 NCAA Championship Team.....AND were now professional basketball players.  They were in town for the UK Basketball Alumni Charity Game (remember that was supposed to be happening the next day).  It took me a few minutes to work up the nerve to go ask them for a photo.  When I did, they had already started eating.  Remember, I had already finished eating when they had walked in or else I would have waited to bother them until they were done.  The friend they were with (I later found out his name was Dion) asked if I could wait until they were done eating and I willingly obliged.  Thank goodness the restaurant had wi-fi so I could fangirl on Twitter and Facebook for the thirty minutes I had to wait while they sat there in silence, not saying a word to one another, and on their phones.  Finally, they started to get up and Marquis gave me a little nod to let me know they were ready.  I told them what a big fan I was and how I had been there in New Orleans to watch them win the championship (again, another blog entry eventually).  I don't think they said a single word to me.  I got between them and they of course towered over me.  I'm glad I got my photo but their social skills need some working on.  Maybe its because I'm spoiled by the four Bat Cats that I've met, chatted with, and had photos with (three of whom are now pro in the minor leagues).  The photo could have been better in so many more ways but I will gladly accept it since it was a totally unexpected part of my trip.  Just think, if the Renegades would not have been in the Championship game, I would not have been at Tolly-Ho's at that exact moment to get that experience.  Everything does happen for a reason.

Doron Lamb, Me, and Marquis Teague - Former University of Kentucky Wildcats (basketball)

I was walking out of the building at the same time, thanked them, and wished them a good weekend.  What happened next was just weird.  As I got into my car, which they had parked right next to, Dion (the friend) asked if I was from there and if I wanted to hang out with them.  I explained that I was just driving through and was headed to Georgia (but really I was thinking that there was no way I was going to put myself in a sticky situation)!

I was sad to leave Lexington, even though I knew I was headed to see Brian that next day.  I'm just always so happy when I am there.  Because of my stop in Lexington and other pit stops along the way, my total trip to Roswell took about fifteen hours, although I did have a little motivation along the way from one of Leighanne's good friends, Jodi...

Thanks to my friend Jessica, Leighanne had been informed that I was coming a bit of a distance and I got my first tweet from Leighanne, thanking me.

It feels really good to be appreciated for my dedication

I was still too pumped from everything that had happened to me thus far to really get any sleep.  It was officially my birthday by this point and I was going to get to spend the day with Brian and Leighanne Littrell.  I knew the next day would go by incredibly slow as I waited for 2pm to roll around.  Luckily, I had an old high school friend that lived in Roswell to go to lunch with and get my mind off of the waiting.

I showed up to the Teal Gallery about 15 minutes early and there was only one person waiting outside at the time.  It made me wonder how many people were actually going to be at this Wylee party.  I looked in the window and Leighanne happened to be standing right there setting things up.  We waved at one another and I took a seat outside to wait for the party to start.  More girls started to show up as it got closer and closer to 2 o'clock.  At one point Brian came out to make a quick trip to the Wylee trailor that was parked outside.  He apologized that it would only be a few more moments...imagine that, the event was not going to start on time.  Don't we all know and love Backstreet time?  Brian then poked his head outside again to take a photo of the group that was so patiently waiting to get inside and tweeted the photo.

That's me in the "Birthday Girl" sash

He tweeted the photo at 2:09 and I would say that we still waited another 10 minutes or so before they finally let us into the building.  I would say that there were probably 20-25 people in line to get in as Brian took some video.

Video courtesy of SimplyLeighanne

I knew exactly what I wanted but I decided to look around anyway.  As I looked around Jodi and pretty much all of Leighanne's family wished me a happy birthday and thanked me for making the long trip.  I knew that she would have some new stuff that wasn't on her website yet.  There was and I, of course, wanted it.  However, I'm not made of money and knew that there was one item that I wanted more than anything else there...the Brian Cross Necklace.  

Brian's Cross Necklace - Wylee by Leighanne Littrell

I didn't see any as I looked around and had to ask Leighanne if she happened to have any with her.  She gladly helped me as I became the first customer of the day.  As she was checking over the necklace to make sure that it had not been damaged at all, Baylee and Prue (Jodi's daughter), came up to Leighanne to let her know that they were leaving (they were going somewhere with a family member, I'm pretty sure it was Leighanne's step dad).  Leighanne asked if Baylee had visited any of the customers and told him that it was my birthday.  Both Baylee and Prue told me happy birthday.  Baylee then told Leighanne that I should get the special birthday discount.  The boy is just too adorable and so much like his father.  I would say that I was done with my purchases by 2:45 but there was no way I was going to leave that party until it was over.  Brian, Leighanne, Jodi, and all of Leighanne's family (mother and sisters) were busy selling away as the crowd grew bigger.  I would say at one time there were maybe 50-60 people there at one time, since people were constantly coming and going.

At about 3:00, Brian said that he would be taking photos in 20 minutes.  I found some very nice fellow Backstreet fans to talk to as we waited.  An hour later, Brian finally started the picture taking.  He was running on Backstreet time once again but I really didn't care.  I was having a good time with everyone as I waited.  I got into line and started chatting with some new girls around me.  At one point, Leighanne was standing next to me so I got my photo with her...

Leighanne Littrell....looking gorgeous as always

It was at about this point that Brian announced that he would really appreciate it if everyone only got one photo so that those people that were in the back of the line would get a chance to get their photos.  Apparently, a lot of girls were asking for a serious photo and a funny photo.  When he had started the line, I was pretty much the end of it.  By the time that I got closer, there were 15-20 people still behind me.  As I had waited in line, I new exactly what I wanted my pose to be.  The girls in front of me said that they would be happy to take my photo for me.  When I finally got up to Brian, I asked him, "Since it's my birthday, do you think that I could get a kiss on the cheek for my photo?"  That was when he leaned in very close and whispered into my ear, "Now if I do that for you all of these girls are going to want that," and it just so happened that the girl with my camera just happened to get a photo of it.

 He asked me if huggie pose was okay instead.  Ummmm, what girl would ever refuse being in Brian's arms for a photo???  Not me....Happy Birthday to me!

Before the party, I had been trying to decide if I was going to wear something Wylee to the party or if I was going to wear my University of Kentucky football jersey because Kentucky was going to be playing later that day (and because I wanted to see if he would remember me as "Kentucky Girl" like he called me on the cruise).  I eventually had decided to compromise and go with my Wylee No EGO's (Edging God Out) shirt but was wearing my University of Kentucky shoes and earrings.  I had brought my jersey with me in case I decided last minute to change my mind.  After my photo, I decided that it was time to show my team spirit and threw my jersey on over my shirt.  I was now in football mode.  In between  a set of photos Brian had looked across the room at me and just kind of laughed as he shouted, "You changed!"  I had to shout back "Of course, Go Cats!"  I'm not going to lie, I had a huge smile on my face because 1) Brian had noticed me specifically in a room full of people and 2) He had remembered what I had on to realize that I wasn't wearing the same thing.  Leighanne also got a big kick out of it.  She asked me if I was trying to make it look like I was at two separate Wylee parties in my pictures.  

It seemed as though once people got their photos, they left.  I had kind of been hoping for that so that the crowd would get a little smaller and Brian wouldn't be so busy trying to get around to everyone.  I do hope everyone that was there bought something though.  If it is one thing I can't stand, it is those fans that go to Wylee parties for the sole purpose of seeing Brian.  I have been to five Wylee parties and have bought something at every single one because I love her stuff.  The girls I had been talking to stuck around for a little while longer before they decided that they had to get going.  Once they left, I just kind of wandered around.  

Brian eventually finished his photos and started interacting with those left a little more, rather than going back to selling things.  I did have a few conversations with him.  We talked about how I had run into Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb on my way down and got to show him my University of Kentucky shoes.  He seemed to like those.  I had also started a conversation about the UK Baseball team and then he called them the "Bat Cats."  It made me smile because only UK fans really know them as that...at least those of us that are more than just fans of their basketball team.  Then we started talking about Corey Littrell....a junior left handed pitcher that pitches for the University of Kentucky.  Brian actually wasn't familiar with Corey and I had to show him the photo I had of him on my phone.  Apparently, Brian did not know of this Littrell (who also happens to be from Kentucky, only Louisville).  It seemed to intrigue him.

Corey Littell - Junior - LHP - University of Kentucky

  

It was also quite funny because as I was looking for the photo, Brian happened to notice my background on my phone, which just happens to be a photo of my favorite poster...

When he saw it, he started cracking up laughing and asked "who is that young good looking guy?" as he struck the same pose as he was in the photo.  The whole situation just made me laugh.

Earlier I had overheard him talking about how he had actually flown back into Georgia that morning from New York where he had been with the rest of the guys for the Old Navy event.  I asked him about it and he had told me how Kevin, Howie, and he had gone out after the event and time had slipped away from them.  Before they knew it, it was 3am.  Brian had to be at the airport at 6am so he only got a few hours of sleep.  Once he got back into Atlanta, he got home, showered, and then basically started to get ready for the Wylee party.  Sometimes I just don't know where he gets his energy!  I had noticed that during this conversation that more girls had come in and were just kind of standing there.  I told him that since there were some people waiting to get photos with him, I was going to let him talk to them and that I would talk to him later.  I wanted to make sure that everyone got a fair shot to talk to him and get their photos with him.  I knew that as long as I kept talking, Brian would probably keep listening and I didn't want to hog him.  I know I dislike it when other people do that.  I moved on and chatted more with Leighanne's family, who couldn't believe I was still there.  I told them that I had traveled 15 hours, I wasn't going anywhere!    

I was eventually able to catch Brian again and since I had changed shirts and there wasn't a line of fans to talk to him, I decided to ask him for another photo.  And in case you were wondering....he did not call me "Kentucky Girl" at all this day.

With about an hour left, there were probably only about 10 fans or so still there.  I realized that if I was ever going to tell him the story about how he brought me closer to God, it was probably a good time to do it.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this story, I encourage you to read about it in my You did reach out your hand post.  When I had decided that it was finally the appropriate time to tell him, he was having a conversation with what appeared to be a nice couple.  

At about 6:30 I saw my chance when he had finished talking with them.  I went up to him and told him that I just needed to thank him.  He told me you're welcome and we both laughed since I hadn't told him what I needed to thank him for.  I told him that I needed to thank him for helping me make what I thought was the most important decision in my life, the decision to become a Christian.  It was then that I went into the story about how God had found a way into my heart during his Christmas tour with Rebecca St. James at the Naperville show (he told me that he loved that tour by the way).  I told him the whole story with tears in my eyes and rolling down my cheek....something I knew would happen if I ever got to tell him my story because of what it meant to me.  He thanked me for telling him that story and that he enjoys hearing stories like that...than he wrapped me into one of his hugs and just held me for a few seconds.  

I went on to explain how its been very hard for me for about the last two years since I moved back to Northwest Indiana because I don't have the same support with my faith up here like I did when I lived in Southern Indiana.  I told him how I hated being back north even though all of my family (and my husband's family) is there.  Then Brian told me something that I think I always knew but could never really put my finger on....he simply said, "Because you've changed."  He was absolutely right.  He then told me how it was okay because change can be good and that I should just keep changing, there was nothing wrong with it.  He explained that now that he was out of Lexington, he was probably never going to live there again even though he loved it growing up...because he had changed.

I couldn't believe it, I was having a heart to heart life lessons conversation with Brian Littrell.  And it was only going to get better...

I went on to tell him how I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder in 2006 and how when I get into my depressive states after my high anxiety states, it is knowing that God is there and his album that usually helps pull me out of them, especially my favorite verse of "Angels and Heroes."  He asked me if it gets especially bad for me during the winter.  It totally does, especially now that I am back north and the winter suck with the lake effect snow that we get from Lake Michigan.  I just couldn't believe how much he just genuinely cared about everything I had to say.  

There were two more amazing parts of conversations that occurred while in this conversation.  However, I am sorry to say that I just don't feel like I can share them.  They were stories that Brian shared with me about his life so I believe that they are his stories to share when he wants to and with whom he wants.  I will say that the fact that he shared them with me makes me feel very special because he felt comfortable enough with me to share them and he was sharing aspects of his personal life with me.  A Backstreet Boy was sharing a part of his life with a fan (there was actually one other fan with us and one of Leighanne's friends).  I'm sure he's shared the stories with others and I am not the only one.  If the stories ever come to light in the fandom then I will be more than happy to share them.

The whole conversation from start to end was probably about a good 45 minutes.  That was 45 minutes of personal heart to heart conversation, with his strikingly sparkly blue eyes looking me right in the eyes as he focused his attention on me as I was sharing with him some of my stories.  The fact that it was my birthday, was just icing on the cake.  I'm getting goose bumps now as I even just type this.  I have to believe that the conversation actually would have been longer but it was already 15 minutes after the party was supposed to end and they started to kick us out so that they could get out of the there before they were charged extra for going over their time.  I said goodbye to Brian, thanked him again, and gave him one last hug.  Before I left I had to say goodbye to Jodi and Leighanne as well.

Jodi and me

As I was saying goodbye to Leighanne, I thanked her as well for everything and for having the party because I had finally gotten to tell Brian my story of how I was influence to become a Christian because of him.  I wish that she had also been standing there when I had told my story.  She thanked me, wished me a happy birthday, and asked if I had gotten some cake (they had finger food, wine, and sweet tea the entire day....at one point when I was talking to Brian I had spilled my glass of ice all over right in front of him...only me).  I ensured her that I had and realized that I have a lot of photos with Brian and a lot of photos with Leighanne, but none with the both of them together.  So I asked for one more quick photograph as they were ushering us out...

Brian, me, and Leighanne

Once I got into my car, all I did was sit there for about 15 minutes and took a deep breath.  I couldn't believe what had just happened to me.  Even that 45 minutes would have made the 15 hour drive all worth it.  I probably could have sat in that car for hours just thinking about what had just happened...but I had a Kentucky football game to watch at my friend's house and I had already missed the first 30 minutes of it, except that once I got to the friend's house, he told me that he was recording it for me.  Kentucky lost, imagine that.  They may know basketball but they do not "know their way around the pigskin," as Brian had mentioned earlier that evening.

Once the game was done, I went back to my hotel room but there was NO way I was going to be able to sleep.  My computer at the time was broken or else I would have actually typed this whole thing up that night instead of now, one month later thanks to all the studying I have been doing for my Graduate Record Exams.  At about 3am, I started to not feel too great.  The next morning when I was supposed to drive back home, I was flat out sick.  There was going to be no way that I was going to be able to drive home.  So, I got the hotel for one more night and spent Sunday sick as a dog in Roswell, Georgia.  I was just thankful that whatever it was (I'm pretty sure it was because of my dinner from the night before) hadn't hit me the previous day.  I woke up Monday much better, although tired and weak and drove home in some pretty crappy weather, stopping once again in Lexington, this time to have a Hot Brown at Ramsey's.  

So, there you have it....what is the the best birthday I have EVER had and a birthday that pretty much started two days before my actual birthday.

Time has come for us to reunite...

**2011 Pre-Cruise Wylee Party**

I am back from BSB Cruise 2011 and I don't even know where to start!  I have to get photos onto Facebook, videos onto YouTube, and review the best four days ever.  I am so glad that I took today off because I needed the break!  Most of my travel mates had to go back to work today and I truly feel for them.  After four straight nights of 2-4 hours of sleep and standing on our feet for hours, I know I had reached the point beyond exhaustion.  And even with 14 hours of sleep last night, I will be doing all of my computer work right from my comfy bed today....which is not swaying nearly as much as last year.  

So many amazing things happened on this trip and I don't want to forget any of it.  I know there will be so many reviews out there and mine will be yet another.  I'm not going to review every little detail...just the big stuff and the most memorable for me.

I flew into Ft. Lauderdale and had to wait about and hour and a half for Cory's flight to land.  I couldn't believe I had made it to Florida and that I was going to spend four days with the Backstreet Boys.  With the cruise being one day shorter this year i was going to make every moment count.  Cory landed and we caught our shuttle to Miami.  Laura, Anne Marie, and Jen were going to be driving down to Miami from Florida, where they had just spent the last five days at Disney.  Cory and I walked down the street to McDonald's and had a quick lunch and then explored the shopping area and the art exhibit by our hotel.  The girls finally arrived and it was time to finally start getting ready for the night of festivities.  We would start by attending the Wylee Party, grab a quick bite, and then go to the BSB Pre-Cruise Party so we knew we had to dress in our best clubbing clothes before we left.

Waiting to Meet Brian Littrell at the Wylee Party

I had lost about 8 pounds for the Cruise and don't normally get super dressed up but I decided to go all out for this.  We got to the Eden Lounge a few minutes later than we wanted to but still had to wait for the Wylee Party to officially open.  We saw Brian through the glass and couldn't wait to get in.  There were a few Hold It bags that I wanted to buy for the cruise and I couldn't wait to see Brian.  There were not as many girls there as I expected but I doubted he was going to be able to mingle much even though the security guard said they would be around to.  Brian, Leighanne, and Jodi were frantically selling the Wylee merchandise in the dark and the "line" was moving so slow due to the fact that girls would buy their merchndise and then stay at the front to talk to Brian and get photos.  I hoped I would be able to buy my merch.  I eventually got up to the table and new exactly what I wanted.  Leighanne was the one to help me.  I was able to purchased my Leigh Leigh Hold It but the Danny Hold It had been sold out.  So, I decided to buy the Vintage B shirt instead, which I had been debating buying since it came out.  I had my wallet out so that I could pay and realized that I needed to show Brian because it was University of Kentucky.  He slightly walked over to me and complimented me...but it wasn't on my Uk wallet....he complimented me on my necklace (thanks to the girl at Body Central who helped me with that one)!  He said he also like my wallet.  I told him how upset I was going to be because I was going to be missing the UK v. UNC game on Saturday (those were the teams ranked #1 and #2 in case you didn't know).  He said that he was also going to miss the Georgia championship game.  I have to remember that he lives in Georgia now but he will always be a Wildcat in my eyes!  While I was paying Jodi for my purchase, I heard the security guard tell them they would have to shut down in 30 minutes and then they would do photos.  As soon as I paid I let the girls that we could not leave until this happened.

Eventually the shut sales down so that Brian would be able to get photos with everyone there!  I had never been a Wylee Party where there were that many girls there and he was going to take photos.  I was in heaven.  We were towards the back of the line and I prayed that they wouldn't cut the line off before we got to him.  He looked good that night and I was dressed to impress.  He had already complimented me and it looked like he was giving hugs to every single person that he was doing a photo with.  I was totally going to ask for Huggie Pose because I wanted to be extra close.  As I walked up to him he said "Hey Kentucky Girl."  That totally made my day even though I had just talked to him only thirty minutes or so earlier.  The fact that I had made that impression on him made me so happy.  I asked for Huggie Pose and he gladly obliged.

I love being in this man's arms...

This was already turning out to be a great night.  I knew I had at least a photo with the Backstreet Boys coming up at the Pre-Cruise Party but I didn't know what else to expect at the party.  Whatever it was, I was going to enjoy it and make the most of it.  We had left the patio portion and then realized that we didn't get photos with Leighanne.  We tried to go back in but were stopped by security.  It was worth the try.  The University of Kentucky game against St. John's was on so I watched part of that as some of the girls said their goodbye's to others.  Brian and a game in on night....i'll take it!

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Next - **2011 Hey Sailor BSB Pre-Cruise Party VIP Package**

So why be alive if you don't follow your every dream...

**Brian Littrell - Welcome Home Tour - 11/4/2006 - Elmer S. McVety Centre - Toronto, ON, Canada**

*Part II - The Concert, Meet and Greet, and Road Trip Home*

After an interesting Road Trip to Toronto, we were ready for Brian's concert to start.  His set list was very similar to that of his Grand Rapids Concert, except there were some differences.  It was seeing these two shows that made me a firm believer that every show is different, even during the same tour.

Brian's opening act for this show was a young Canadian Insipirational artist by the name of Roshana.  I enjoyed her music and ended up purchasing her CD at the show.   

The playlist of this concert was similar to his Grand Rapids show but there was also one more song that was added.  It is a song that is not one of his own, but instead was made popular by country music artist Tim McGraw.  Brian sang "Don't Take The Girl," during this concert, which was shortly after his appearance on CMT's Studio 333 where he sang this song.  Just a little tid bit for you - the son of the man who wrote this song actually did the gardening for Brian at the first house he bought.  This is probably one of my favorite Tim McGraw songs so I was in heaven when Brian's amazing voice was the one singing it.  I was able to get part of it on video....but after watching it, I realized that I should NEVER sing along during concerts when I am taping.  So as you watch this, I apologize for the awful singing in the background, ruining Brian's heavenly voice.

"Don't Take The Girl"

The "Birthday Party"

At one point, Brian brought up a bunch of young girls.  It was one of the girl's birthdays and she was there with a bunch of friends.  There were a lot of them and I thought it was so sweet of him to do this.  I am not sure if the birthday girl was a fan of Brian's or not since she was so young.  My guess is that she would not have been there if she wasn't.  I can't even imagine what I would do if Brian were to ever bring me on stage, espcially during my birthday.

If you remember reading my Remembering 9/11 post, you will remember me talking about how it was during this concert that Brian shared the story of how Leighanne was supposed to be on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001.  This was the first time I had ever heard this and my heart just sank.  I had been exploring my faith (or at least the start of it) a little more at this time and knew that it was God that kept her off of that plane on that Tuesday morning.  There is no other explanation for the feeling she had gotten to stay with her husband on that morning, instead of flying to the west coast.  It was an emotional story because that day was an emotional day and he was telling it before an emotional song.  Make sure to check out my Remembering 9/11 Post to check out the video of Brian talking about this and him singing "Gone Without Goodbye" afterwards.

Brian and Leighanne share an intimate moment

I also loved this concert because we got to experience an intimate moment between Leighanne and Brian when she came on stage and they shared in a nice simple kiss.  Every time I have ever seen them together, you can tell how completely in love they are with one another.  As a matter of fact, sometimes I wish my husband and I were more like them....as much as I love my relationship with my husband.  Brian and Leighanne are so much in love and you can see it just by looking at them and listening to the way that talk about one another.  Looking at them, you can see what love truly is and what it is supposed to be all about.  I cannot even imagine how life would have changed for Brian if Leighanne would have been on that plane on 9/11/2001.

The show itself was amazing, but what happened afterwards was even better in my eyes.  Tammy and I always wait until venues clear out a bit before we even attempt to leave the show.  We just never see the point of waiting in the crowds.  As we were waiting for the venue to clear out, we heard through the grape vine that Brian would be coming out for a Meet and Greet after he was done doing an interview.  I was so excited!  At this point, I had never met Brian...a dream if mine was going to come true.

Tara and I went to the table that Brian was going to be signing his autographs and were the first in line. Tammy was trying to figure out if she wanted to stay in front with us or if she wanted to go to the end of the line.  If she stayed first with us, she was guaranteed to meet Brian but probably wouldn't have the chance to actually talk to him about anything.  If she went to the end, she was not guaranteed that he would stay around that long but there might be a chance to actually talk to him.  She had met him before and he actually had influenced her to become a Christian.  She decided to go to the back of the line and take her chance there.

Brian and Leighanne visiting with the fans

Brian eventually came out and we were ready!  Leighanne was sitting with him as he was signing autographs and I thought it was awesome that she wanted to be a part of that.  She talked with the fans as well and was just so friendly to everyone.  I will be the first to admit that when Brian and Leighanne started dating, I was not very happy about it.  I was teenager and was jealous.  My friends and I would call her names and talk about how bad she was for Brian.  It was at this point that I realized that I did not know Leighanne at that time and had no right to talk about her like that, for she was being incredibly nice and friendly to everyone that approached that table.

We were informed that Brian would not be taking photos. I was upset by this because I wanted a photo with him.  I handed my camera to the person behind me so that they could take a photo of me meeting him.  As Brian was signing my item, I thanked him for his "inspirational voice and music."  When he thanked me for the compliment there was such a look of thanks and gratefulness in his eyes and smile.  You could tell that he was truly thankful for his fans and what he was doing to inspire others.  I then asked him for a hug and he gave one to me over the table.  I couldn't believe that I was actually in the arms of Brian Littrell, something that I had dreamed about for so long.  I could not wait to see the photos that the person had taken behind me.  Unfortunately, the person was too close and the photo did not turn out as I had hoped.

Getting ready for my hug

Anyone want to take a guess as to what I did next?  I walked away and cried.  I could not believe I had just met the man that was such an inspiration in my life...a man that I was absolutely in love with....a man that was teaching me about God and faith....a man that is just plain amazing.  I was overwhelmed. When I became a fan in 1998, a never in a million years thought I would get to meet Brian, let alone get to hug him.  I had made sure I had walked away so he would not see the emotions I was showing.  After settling down a bit, I returned to the table area, as we still had to wait for Tammy to get up to the table.  At that point, Roshana was out signing her CD's so I bought one and had it signed by her.  Leighanne had also left Brian's side at that point and was talking to fans off to the side.  Tara and I went over by her and also had her sign our items and then got a photo with her.

Tara, Leighanne, and I

My First Personal Brian and Leighanne autographs

Tammy eventually made it up to the table and had the ability to talk to Brian for several minutes.  She talked to him about the first time she met him and how he influenced her to become a Christian.  I was happy for her time with Brian, but I was also very jealous.  Brian had always been my favorite and I though I deserved that kind of time with him as well.  I know Brian had greatly influenced her but Kevin was her favorite.  I see now how it was stupid to feel this way but I did.  Maybe it is because I now have had conversations with him, although I still have not been able to tell him about how he influenced me to become a Christian, a conversation that I do want to have with him at some point.

Tammy's Brian hug

It was all such an amazing time and we went back to the hotel in high spirits.  I had problems sleeping because of what had just happened.  However, I knew we had a long drive back the next morning.

The trip back started out uneventful...at least compared to the Road Trip to Toronto.  We did want to stop for lunch and were specifically looking for a McDonald's because we knew that is one restaurant that we could actually find.  I mean there are McDonald's all over the place....except when you want one.  We could not find one to save our lives!  We did eventually find one, however.....after several hours of driving along the highway.

Remember how I said the trip back started out uneventful?  Well, that changed as we were coming back into the states.  As we passed through the passing point, we were informed that we were randomly selected to have our car searched.  Now, you have to remember that we had borrowed my brother's car.  He is a pretty good guy but I didn't know what he could have in that thing or if one of his frat brother's had something in there.  As the car was being searched we had to go inside a building and show our credentials.  Everything checked out and the car ended up coming up clear.  Whew.  I can now say that I have been checked out at the United States border.

As we were driving through Michigan, a Brian Littrell song came on the radio....so in the many, many hours of driving we were able to hear at least one Brian song since there was no CD player in the car.  We returned the car to the pizza place that my brother worked at and offered to pay for the light plug that had been damaged on our way to Toronto.  Larry's boss refused to charge and said he should have taken it out in the first place.  Larry gave us another free pizza and we exchanged vehicles.  We were on our way back to Muncie, crammed in my little Ford Ranger.  The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful.  We got back to Muncie pretty late and Tammy still have the long drive back to Nashville.

Overall, it was an amazing weekend and road trip with some great people!  Tara decided not to join my sorority after all.  I would see her around campus every now and then but never really talked to her much after the trip.  We are still Facebook friends and so I stay updated as to some of the things going on in her life.   Sometimes I wished we would have stayed in better contact but I have to remember that she decided to join this trip at the very last moment when I needed someone to replace Megan.  I think if I would have actually known her better beforehand and she would have joined our sorority's chapter, the friendship could have grown into much more.

Tammy and I have pretty much done all of my Backstreet trips after this one together.  It is pretty much the only time we get to see each other so we always have a great time anytime we do.  Who wouldn't have a great time when you are doing anything Backstreet Boys related.

You are my fire, the one desire...

**NKOTBSB Tour - 7/20/2011 - KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, KY**

*Part III - Concert*

Originally, I had this review done.  Then, I went to delete one little thing in it and it deleted the whole review!  It auto saved before I could recover it so I had to start all over.  Now I have been trying to decide if I wanted to go along the same route with the same full review or do something different.  In the end, if I wrote a full review for each of my 6 NKOTBSB shows, there will be a lot of repetition.  So, I am going to just focus on what made this show different from the others.

KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, KY

Me and Tammy

At the time of this show, I had already been to 4 NKOTBSB shows and already had a feeling that this one would be greater than all the rest.  My time before the show had been amazing.  And for this show, we had great seats, it was in Kentucky, and I was with a great concert friend.

After my soundcheck, I needed to meet Tammy outside the venue.  She was just getting into town and it just so happened that Leighanne had moved the Wylee trailer in front of the venue.  It served for a great meeting place.  While waiting for Tammy, I saw someone that looked very familiar in front of the venue.  I approached her and it was determined that was actually the Rush Chair the semester that I rushed Epsilon Sigma Alpha, a philanthropic sorority at Ball State University.

Tammy finally showed up, wearing her new Wylee dress.  She wanted to show Leighanne how she was able to make sleeves from her Wylee scarf and Leighanne fell in love with it.  Leighanne asked Tammy to take a photo with her.  This has been the only time that I have met Leighanne and did not get a photo.

The Prime Lounge

We knew we had some time before the show started so we decided to walk down the street to the Prime Lounge.  Howie was supposed to be having his after party here after the show but he informed us during the soundcheck that it was cancelled.  The Prime Lounge was playing BSB music and was packed.  We ordered a light dinner and could not find an empty table.  Tammy approached a table that had some room and we sat with a girl who was going to the show and her friend.  We chatted about BSB and the show.  It was great to meet some new BSB fans.

On our way back to the venue, we stopped at the Wylee trailer once again to see if there were plans in the works for a Just Ask (formerly Healthy Hearts Club) charity event this fall.  Leighanne had left but her best friend Jodi informed us that she had not heard of anything yet.  Bummer.  Last year's event was amazing and I was really looking forward to one this year.  One may still happen but we'll see.

We got to the venue and found out we had missed the first opening act, Midnight Red.  It would have been the first time seeing them but I was happy that I had not missed Matthew Morrison.  I am a huge Glee fan and was super excited about seeing him.

Floor 4 - Row B

We had great seats - Second Row just to the left of the head.  Because the front row was up against the barrier, we didn't really have to strain to look over them.  I think these were actually the best seats I had for all of my concerts (well except for maybe the front row during the first show).

When Brian came down to the head of the stage for "The Call," he looked at me and then pointed to his hat and smiled.  I was wearing my University of Kentucky hat and he was basically telling me that he saw me.  It was the first time that I had ever been acknowledged during a show.  I had been smiled at and such but nothing ever like this.  It made me super happy and I hope this was one sign that maybe I would get picked for "I'll Never Break Your Heart" after all.

I had made a sign in hopes to get picked for "INBYH."  I had actually talked to Leighanne about it at the Wylee Party in Nashville.  Although at that time, my idea for the sign had been something along the lines of "Brian - Show these Cardinals some Wildcat spirit.  Pick me."  Leighanne loved the idea but informed me that he would probably pick his mom since she would be there.  I figured I would try anyway but decided to shorten my sign.  A friend of mine had told me about problems she had trying to get her sign into a show and I wanted to make sure that mine was not too big.

Showing my Wildcat pride!

Once I knew they were going to be picking girls, I grabbed my sign and held it up as high in the air as I could.  I was screaming my head off.  Brian looked at me, saw my sign, and gave a little giggle.  I thought for sure that he was going to pick me!  Then, I saw Leighanne coming on stage!  At first I thought, "Of all the shows to pick her, why does it have to be here?"  Then I remembered...it was her birthday.  So I couldn't stay mad for long.  I mean, I had gotten another acknowledgement on stage from Brian.  That is better than nothing.  Some fans next to us did tell me after the show that they think he would have picked me if it would not have been Leighanne's birthday.

And while this next part happens at every show, it is one of my favorites...

Donnie's abs during "Cover Girl"

Before this show, many of my friends and I had been talking about going onto the concourse when NKOTB are singing "Tonight" in order to see if we could meet whatever BSB is there for "Shape of My Heart."  I did not do this during this show because I knew some of the NKOTB were going to be walking pretty close to us when they came out into the audience for "Tonight."  I am glad I did not leave because Jonathan walked right by us and shook both mine and Tammy's hand!  Anytime you can have physical contact with any celebrity, it is super exciting.

"Tonight"

If I would have gone out into the concourse, I would have seen Howie and AJ.  I think I would have regretted it a little more if Brian would have been on my side so I was glad that it was those two.  Howie ended up taking his son, James, onto the stage.  It was adorable.

"Shape of My Heart"

Something that always changes slightly is the introductions that the group has for one another.  Brian started off by telling the group how to correctly pronounce Louisville.  Here is the rest that I got on video.

Louisville Introductions

The only intro that I did not get that I wished I would have was Howie's intro of Danny.  Usually he uses the same line of "He knows how to bring the Wood to the party."  However, this time he got creative and said, "He's got more Wood than a Louisville Slugger."  It was so perfect for the city we were in and the rest of the group loved it.  Everyone gave Howie a high five and told him how awesome it was.

My favorite part of this show had to be the fact that they did, in fact, find a University of Kentucky jersey for Brian to wear.  My Kentucky boy had come out to play...

NKOTBSB Encore

Tammy and I did not want the party to end so we found some photo opportunities around the arena.  We first found some University of Kentucky heroes that were displayed around the arena.  Only we would find something UK related in the University of Louisville arena.

Then came our photo ops with the NKOTBSB poster.

And I think we would have both looked great on Danny Wood's Harley.

Overall, it was a great night.  I am glad that Tammy was able to join me and make me miss our many trips together, especially to Lexington.

You can check out the rest of my photos here:  NKOTBSB - Louisville