​Since Emma graduated this year we decided it would be fun to do a girl’s trip with all the girls before she headed off to college. Mike surprised us with a fun weekend in Las Vegas to see Adele in concert. The girls were beyond excited and all we did for the few weeks before was listen to Adele on the turntable. We stayed at the Four Seasons hotel which was not only a really nice hotel but also a hotel without a casino. We flew in on Friday in the early afternoon and after getting all checked into our hotel we got ready in our little black dresses and headed on over to the Ceasar Hotel and ate dinner at Amalfi. The food was incredible, and everyone was full and happy before we walked right over to the concert that was also at the Ceasar. We were smart and took photos in front before dinner before the crowds of people were there. We right in and found our seats and took a few more photos before the concert started. Even though I had already seen this concert with Mike the November before, it was still incredible and fun. The girls were in heaven, and it was fun watching them singing along. The set was amazing, and Adele’s entertainment factor was top notch. Again, I was so impressed with how well she connected with the audience and how funny she is in person. This concert was something the girls and I will never forget. After the concert we were planning on taking an Uber back to the hotel, but Uber was so backed up, so we ended up paying for a limo ride in a swanky black SUV. It was not a bad way to end our night. The next morning, we had breakfast outside and then spent the rest of the morning at the pool. They kept bringing us small little treats poolside which was fun. After eating lunch, we headed back inside to shower and get ready to catch our evening flight back home. Our first girls’ trip was so much fun, and it will be hard to top this one!

​We were all so excited to see the Piano Guys in concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. We had excellent seats which made it more exciting to watch. However, the weather was not the most cooperative. We knew going into the concert that it would be a little wet. It’s a good thing we brought our rain jackets and two outdoor blankets because it ended up raining quite a bit. The older girls decided to stay back at the hotel since Emma was running in the Track and Field State meet the next day and Abby stayed to keep her company. The concert was so good, and Madeline was so excited by the cello. Stephen Sharp Nelsen even had a segment where he talked to all of the kids that were currently playing string instruments or even just interested in playing a string instrument. I thought it was so good for Madeline to hear what he had to say. Madeline was a good sport through all of the rain but by the end we were all happy to go and get warm and have only a short drive to the hotel instead of heading all the way back to Colorado Springs. This was an experience none of us will forget!

Abby has spent the last year falling in love with a relatively new band called, "Ritchie Mitch and the Coal Miners." Coincidentally 3 of the 4 band members graduated from Pine Creek High School the year before Andrew. She even got me listening to them and when she found out that they would be playing at the Dusty Boots concert in Denver, we quickly bought tickets as part of her birthday gift. We had so much fun bouncing from the different concerts that were playing at the Civic Center Park, eating snacks from the park vendors and drink water from a gigantic can. The best concert, however, was definitely Ritchie Mitch and the Coal Miners. They were even better in person and since we got to the stage before they started we had front row views of them. I loved watching Abby's excitement as this was her very first concert!

​Emma’s Advanced Jazz Band was nominated by the CMEA (Colorado Music Educators Association) as one of the top 2 best jazz bands in Colorado, along with Montrose HS. It was a huge honor to be selected. They were invited to play during the CMEA weekend at the Broadmoor and had an hour-long concert where they played seven songs. It was the best high school jazz concert I had ever been to, and this was the best I had ever heard this band play. They sounded amazing and so professional. The ballroom where they performed was so beautiful and the perfect location for a classy jazz concert. I was so moved by how amazingly talented Emma and the other musicians were in this select group. 

​Back in the spring I found out that Billy Joel was coming to Denver to perform in August. There was no way I was going to miss out on this opportunity to see one of my favorite singer/songwriters of all time. I grew up listening to Billy Joel and watching his incredibly fun and entertaining music videos on laser disc. I remember sitting with my brother, Greg, watching those laser discs over and over again.  Since I didn’t delay in getting tickets I was able to get some pretty great seats on the floor.  Mike and I ended up making a date getaway to Denver and spent the evening at the concert and then stayed at the Ritz Carlton for the night.  We got upgraded to a suite which was awesome.  Thank you Platinum American Express card! We ate dinner at Elway’s at the hotel and then headed on over to the concert at Coors Field.  We were pleasantly surprised at how cool it was to be so close on the field with the floor seating.  We walked around and got a closer look at the stage before the concert started.  We’ve both been to many concerts, but I think this was probably one of my favorites.  Everything about the concert was perfect from the stage set up, to the great set list of songs, to the hilarious comments made by Billy Joel, and of course being there with Mike.  I couldn’t think of a better way to spend our anniversary this year than to watch Billy Joel and stay the night in Denver together.