Little Ladybug's Journey: First Concert

Mommy and Emily at her first indoor concert

Well, as you all know, we went to Emily's first indoor concert this past Friday night. During my adoption journey to bring Emily home, I applied for and received a grant from the Show Hope Foundation. This foundation was started by Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth after they adopted their first child from China.

Anyway...I had been in contact with Mary Beth's assistant and she said we would have backstage/meet and greet passes at the door, and if not we should contact Steven's road manager Jesse. Well, we were so excited! I had been building Emily up for a week, reading her their children's books as well. All she really wanted to do was say hi to him, as she knows they have girls from China like her!

The concert itself was GREAT!!!!!!!! AMAZING songs of praise for Jesus, and stories of hope for all of the orphans of the world! Emily did FABULOUS! She was up until after 11:30 p.m. YIKES!! :-)

I do want to state that I don't think Steven Curtis Chapman himself knew anything about this meet and greet. He is an incredible person and singer! I believe it was a MISCOMMUNICATION between his wife's assistant and and his tour people.

Anyway...the disappointment of the evening, if you can't already tell, was the meet and greet (or NOT) part. Upon getting to the concert, we showed our ID and the email from Mary Beth's assistant saying what was supposedly supposed to take place. OF COURSE, no passes for us, so they begin looking for the road manager Jesse. He cannot be located so they tell us to go get seated and they will text us when they locate him. Show starts and still no text. Julyn goes out half way through the show and they say they have given the road manager her number and he will text us...Intermission comes...Julyn talks to the lighting board guy, he talks to Jesse in his ear piece, and they say for us to wait after the show by the door and look for him, and tell us what Jesse will be wearing. As you can see where I am heading, he doesn't show up. Emily is asking when she can say hi to Steven...

Now we head to the stage area where Julyn talks to a band member who says they will go get Jesse...now this guy never reappears and still no road manager! We WAIT some more, and I am getting irritated...not so much for me but for my sweet girl who had been waiting ALL NIGHT!!! We finally ask one more person, who says they will go check for us...AND..you guessed it, he never comes back either.

We gave up around 11:30 p.m. Poor Emily was so confused, as were we!

I am really irritated at the entire situation. How do you tell someone you'll go check for them and never come back? RUDE! Again, I want to say, I truly believe that if Steven Curtis Chapman himself knew anything about this, he would've come right out! His whole concert was about adoption, helping orphans, and their Show Hope foundation!

Emily LOVED the music! That's all that really matters; she LOVES songs about Jesus!

Moving on...how does pumpkins and Christmas tree cookies sound?? Just wrong, right?? The store was already out of pumpkin cookies BEFORE Halloween, so Emily picked out the tree ones! Too funny! Something not quite right with her holding her baby pumpkin and eating Christmas tree cookies! She was HAPPY. That's all the matters!

Enjoy,

Kathy