Observation #1

I'm a church going kind of girl. But this isn't about that. This is about a book that one of our leaders gave to each young woman in the class. The book, titled "It's Good to be Alive", was about a father of 3 that was paralyzed from the head down after an accident while he was surfing in California. After the accident, he can no longer breathe, or even speak by himself. He has to have a machine take in air for him, but he still has no way of communicating.
Hard, wouldn't it be?
He had a different outlook on it.
Every week since that fatal day, he has sent emails to his family and friends that are simply titled "Observation #X". He would send these as what he learned from only being able to blink his eyelashes day in and day out.
So I thought. Maybe that's not such a bad idea. Maybe I should try that. Stop focusing on all the horrible in my life and try to focus on the good. Give a little advice to those who have lived a little less than myself. So here I am.
Observation #1 - Don't ever take anything for granted. It sounds cliche. Stupid to say. I don't care. But it sucks like nothing else when you have something or someone you think you're gonna have forever and they walk away. Go tell your friends and family that you love them. Tell them they mean everything to you. Call up your long distance friends (don't message them in Facebook or text them. CALL.) and tell them you miss them. Send someone a letter in the mail. Because you never know when it might be too late to do so.
Little Miss Erika

Everyone who means everything to me is dying.

Melanie died.

Jessie died today.

Sara might be close.

2012 sucks already.

Goodbye, old friend....

GAH. Honestly. I'm kinda sad to see 2011 end. Like. SAD. This has been the best year of my life. Because this year. I got a family. And not just any family. But a Sugarfamily. And friendships that will last a lifetime. And family that will last so much longer than that. I got to meet some amazing people, have once in a lifetime experiences, and enjoy a lot more life than I thought possible.

January - January was a boring month, I won't lie. A new semester started in school and I hated my classes. I auditioned for the school talent show and made it, singing "Settlin'" by Sugarland. First concert I ever did a Sugar song at :)


February - February was boring too. Didn't do too well in the actually performance of the talent show but it was really fun and I still miss the rehearsals sometimes. We finalized plans to finally meet me best friend the following month, Holly Lawson. Booked our flight to Detroit. I packed and unpacked and packed and unpacked about a billion times for that trip and I still didn't get everything perfect.


March - Possibly the best month of my life. Because. I finally got to meet my best friend, my idol, my sister, my baby girl, my lovely Holly Paige Lawson. It was crazy. I got to see the Beauty and the Beast production her school put on, with her in it, then spend a little time with her taking pictures and gawking over her amazingness. Love that girl so much.
I also got to record my first cover CD in March. All the songs on there were Sugarland, except one Miranda Lambert song we stuck on because I could.
My grandma on my dad's side passed away in March, but it's okay. She was ready to go.

April - April I got to go to the Reba, George Straight, and Lee Ann Womack concert with Vivian. AMAZING! Reba touched my hand and George straight waved at me. I about died.
In April we again booked a flight to Detroit in July... to see Holly again, meet some of the Sugarfamily, and most of all, meet SUGARLAND THEMSELVES. Wow.
My Grandad passed away in April, joining my Grandmom up in heaven. I'm sure they're happy.


May - Hm. Don't remember too much other than celebrating that school was over. And I cut my hair. And. Summer started. FLIPPIN YAY.


June - June was the CLINT BLACK concert! We had FRONT ROW. He touched my hand like a billion times. And then tweeted about me. Yeah. Pretty much one of the best nights of my life.
I got myself some nice little pit tickets for the Sugar concert in SLC for August. Yeah. That made me purddyyy happy.
My Grandparents 50th was in June. We took pictures at Temple Square and then ate dinner at The Roof. Fancy... :)

July - Um. Well. Let's see. I love July. I love July a ton. I went to Stadium of Fire with Vivian on the 2nd. Brad Paisley was there!!! Eeeeep! He did amazing. I got to meet him, but no photos sadly.
The next day I left on an 8 day vacation, starting in Milwaukee, then Chicago, Detroit, Ohio, and Memphis. Detroit was the best part. Because in Detroit. I got to not only meet Holly again, and spend like 2 full days with her, but I got to meet some of the Sugarfamily, and I got to meet the two people that brought all of us together. Yes. I got to meet Sugarland.
Also in July I spent a week up at USU at RFG. Summer camp for LDS youth. It was fun but I'm not sure if I'd do it again. I met some good friends though.

August - I got to go to the Tim McGraw concert in August with Vivian. AMAZING. Great show.
August was the month that the Indiana stage fell. Killing 7 (I think? Or is it 6?) and injuring more than 40 people. I knew two that died and more than I'd like to count in the hospital. That was one of the hardest days of my life, "but the hard times pass like the good ones do."
One week after the stage fell, we welcomed the Incredible Machine to Salt Lake City. They were AMAZING. I will never forget the look in Kristian's eyes when he read my Little Miss Project sign, that said "I lost my two best friends in the Indy stage collapse." He practically sang the entire song to me, and Jenn pointed at me when she said "You are LOVED." I constructed over 1,000 handmade signs for that concert. Amazing. So amazing.
August also called time for another performance for me, at the Salt Lake County Fair. I did bad.
But the next day made up for that, because we got to drive up and see THOMPSON SQUARE (my other favorite band) at the fair. And. I MET THEM. And. I DIED. And. I LOVE THEM.

September - September took a lot of recovering from the stage fall, but it was still fun. We took a two day trip to Idaho to visit some friends. I learned I'm getting my first album on iTunes this coming year. And we also went to the Rascal Flatts concert, with um. You know. Justin Moore. Cough cough. My hubby.


October - I dressed up as Jennifer Nettles for Halloween. We finalized plans to go meet Sara in December. My best friend who had been in a coma since the stage collapse woke up :)We went to Disneyland for fall break.

November - Where do I start. Plans changed. I met Sara. I met Sara Jean right then and there. We went to CMA Country Christmas together. I died. I DIED. That girl is perfect. And to meet her. In Nashville. Was perfect. If I had the time I would sit here and talk about her and that trip all day, but we'd be here for months. I love her more than anything in the world. We're crazy. We're idiots. We fight like sisters because we love like sisters. I got her. She's got me. I ain't never lettin' go. She won't let go. That girl is my saving grace. I don't know what I'd do without her. She is my Little Miss Sara, and always will be. I love her. I love her like crazy.

December - December brought around my birthday & Christmas. I got a new phone and Lady A and Little Big Town tickets. I didn't get much since my big present was my trip to see Sara. I got to meet LBT. AMAZING NIGHT. Crazy. They were so nice. Phillip was the best. He acted like he was talking to an old friend, so did Karen and Jimi. Kimberly I was so starstruck with I don't really remember anything about her.

I'll be proud to admit that a lot of my resolutions last year I achieved. I wanted to me Holly - check. Wanted to finish my first studio album - check. And I wanted to go to a Sugarland concert - CHECK.

2011 has been so good to me, I can't wait to see what 2012 brings. I am so blessed.

Little Miss Erika

Little Big Town

KIMBERLY WAVED AT ME 5 TIMES AND BLEW ME A KISS.

KAREN WAVED AND POINTED AT ME.

JIMI WAVED AT ME.

PHILLIP THREW 4 GUITAR PICKS AT ME AND MISSED EVERY TIME SO HE JUST POINTED INSTEAD.

I MET THEM.

JIMI SHOOK MY HAND AND SAID HE LIKED MY HAT.

KAREN CALLED ME ADORABLE AND SAID SHE LOVED MY JACKET AND NECKLACE. AND SHE SHOOK MY HAND.

KIMBERLY SAID SHE LOVED MY NAME AND TOUCHED ME ON THE ARM.

PHILLIP. OH GOSH I LOVE PHILLIP. HE TOUCHED ME ON THE ARM, HELD MY HAND, BONKED MY HAT AND TOUCHED MY FLIPPIN FACE.

this is me dying.

I wish this night didn't end.

This night was perfect.

Perfect way to start 2012.

Perfect way to end 2011.

I love LBT.

Erika