Racing for Brianna

 So tonight I'm scrolling down Facebook and I see a link a friend of mine has posted to raise money for a race she is running in June. I casually click on it only to find out she is running it for my sister who was diagnosed with Crohns 5 years ago.  This friend of mine is one of my best from high school and over the past 7 years we've really only probably seen each other a handful of times..it just goes to show how treasured a good friend is.  I read through what she wrote and I'm literally crying; I had no idea.  I am so grateful that God has blessed me with such a wonderful friend!  Please consider sponsering her race, even the tiniest donation will make a difference! Let's help my friend reach her goal and kick Crohns' butt!

Click the link below to find the page to donate:
http://www.active.com/donate/chicagoWI13/ChiRKallas

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August in February

     This was my second go at seeing Chris August in concert, and I was A LOT less freaked out about it!  Okay, I'll admit I was a little bit concerned that I could have freaked him out a little bit last time but this time I  was just mostly excited to go and enjoy myself and more or less worried about just getting there on time.  I over think most everything and my mind had been on many other things so that probably helped.  The show (Redeemed tour..so it mostly included Big Daddy Weave with a dash of Citizen Way and a dash of Chris August) was a good 1 1/2ish drive away and the doors opened for VIP at 5 and I got off work at 3:45. It was a race against time and I had been fighting off feeling sick all week..determined to not be because I knew I had this show. 

      We get there and are the second to last people in VIP line before it get's cut off.  A "local" Christian College has set up camp in a booth right outside the (inner) doors and one of the girls comes over and talks to us.  She is extremely nice and we chit chat about Chris August (she's a fan too :)).  The line moves and she tells us to come let her know if he remembers me (which I'm sad to inform we never did go back to talk to her).  We first meet Citizen Way (two sets of brothers that areWisconsin natives...woot woot!) and they all introduce themselves and ask our names and we take a group picture. They are genuinely REALLY nice guys.

Citizen Way, my sister and I

     Next up is Chris along with a couple of the Big Daddy Weave guys, we walk over and Chris says "Tabitha right?" I tell him yes and that he just made my day. We take a group picture..which is kinda awkward looking because everyone was kinda mushed together but spread out at the same time but I love it, so whatever.

Chris, Me, B, and Big Daddy Weave

     We then head to find our seats and end up in the 7th row in between two older couples, one of which has easily become my favorite people that have ever sat near me during a concert/show.  They were the couple to the left of us and they had a paper bag full of goodies..cookies and coffee.  The guy also made a handy little contraption out of his glasses by attaching earplugs to the ends and asking us if we think he'd need them.  I joked that he must have known he'd be sitting near my sister. They ask us who we are there to see and I quickly respond with Chris August, to which he says "Oh" and smiles.  He clearly has no clue who I"m talking about.  The show starts and Citizen Way is on stage, I am impressed.  These guys were really good and I can't wait until their cd is released.  I would definitely go see them again. 

 

Ben Calhoun, lead singer of Citizen Way

Then Mike Weaver (Big Daddy himself) comes on stage to announce Chris August, joking that you may not be able to see him because of the camouflage.  The couple next to me makes jokes about Chris August and nudge me every time someone says his name, they also cheer...it's a grande old time.  Chris comes equipped with a full band decked out computer named Cletus, magic tricks to amp up the show, lots of jokes, and sweet vocals of course.  I'm bummed that everyone sat through his set but it was amazing and I like some of the special little things he did with Cletus. 

Cletus and Chris

Oooooooh I almost forgot I have a whole like 2 seconds of vocals..but I'll share with you :)

Next up is intermission, which in the couple next to us asks if we are having fun and informs me that they enjoyed Chris August.  They think he has a great vocal range and a great sense of humor (I agree).  Then B and I head out to the foyer to just kinda hang (ok..really to try to figure out where Chris is hanging out).  He's hanging out in the greenroom hallway so B calls out to him and he head over.  We just kinda sit and chat for a while, about the show, converting the couple next to me into fans, little sisters, and snow and such. It's pretty awesome. We take a picture and as the conversation dies down I say we're gonna head back inside to which he says "WAIT you're leaving?!" I tell him no we aren't leaving we are just gonna go back into the show and he tells me to come back and see him before we leave at the end of the show..he'll hang out by his merch table...I promise we will and we head back inside.

By this time Big Daddy Weave is a good way into their set and we come in just in time to hear our fave song of theirs :).  It's a fun time and I really don't have many pictures (all of 2) because they had a pretty hardcore light show which was mostly pointed into my eyes a lot and it was just hard to get pictures.  They end the night in worship and prayer and some really healing things happen. After this I think it's safe to say I would go see BDW any time they are in the area.  

We gather our things and head back out to the front to meet up with Chris as promised.  It's freezing out there because they have all the doors open and it's below zero outside and he is not to be seen.  We just kinda hang out in his merch table area.  It's just us and a big group of kids that are talking/taking photos with Ben from Citizen Way.  

Chris finally makes his way out and I ask if I can take a pic on my camera( because B won't send hers to me right away) and he says yea and tells me to sit down next to him.  We chit chat with him again for a while. He does his Kermit impression both just vocal and starry night version for B after I tell him a story of how our brother thought that B would be a frog and so when my mom was pregnant we called her Kermie.  At this point there is a line forming behind us so we say our goodbyes and He promises to come back to the area soon.

Although this time it wasn't ask shocking it was really fun that he remembered me and to just sit and chit chat.  Now I just can't wait til April ;)