Way Way Behind

I know that I am way way behind and haven't updated in FOR-E-VER. But my new goal is to get caught up by Christmas! I really haven't taken that many pictures or done very much worth blogging so it shouldn't be too hard to get caught up...so that is my goal! And now that it is in writing...I will have to actually do it! Wish me luck!

What Heaven Will Be Like For Me...

Today is pretty much the best day ever!!!! My friend Leslie called me and said that she had watched Reba on Regis & Kelly this morning and Reba made a big announcement!!! I went to Reba.com and just copied the announcement to post here!!!

THE KING OF COUNTRY AND CMA’S ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE GEORGE STRAIT ANNOUNCES 2010 TOUR WITH 4X CMA FEMALE VOCALIST & ENTERTAINMENT SUPERSTAR REBA MCENTIRE

Nashville, Tenn. (November 2, 2009) - The “King of Country” is back! 17x CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee George Strait will kick off his arena tour early next year and this time, he’s bringing along one very special lady – Reba McEntire.

The superstar acts performed together for the first time in many years for a sold-out crowd at the Cowboy’s Stadium inaugural event in Dallas. Selling out in less than an hour, fans and critics proclaimed the show one hot ticket! The concert was hailed by the Dallas Morning News as “an extravaganza” that “showcased Strait at the pinnacle of his musical game” and Ft. Worth Star Telegram wrote “Reba McEntire’s performance was a breathtaking master’s class in effortless brilliance.”

With 57 number one hits, 33 multi-platinum albums and countless sold-out shows year after year, Strait who holds the record for the most CMA wins and a record 17 CMA Entertainer of the Year nominations, is known for giving fans exactly what they want and expect. This year will be no exception.

“I can’t wait to get back out there and perform some of my new favorites from Twang along with hits the fans already love,” says Strait. “And with my friend Reba, we will make it a really spectacular night.”

Strait’s recent release TWANG debuted at #1 on The Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. This is the fourth time in Strait’s career that a new release has debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and the 13th time debuting at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart. It has become a critically acclaimed album and received rave reviews in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, People, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, The Boston Globe, Billboard and many more.

Strait co-wrote three songs on TWANG including the debut single, “Living for the Night.” The current single and title track of the album sits at #22 on Billboard and Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart.

At last year’s CMA Awards, George became the artist with the most CMA Awards in history with Album of the Year for Troubadour and Single of the Year for “I Saw God Today.” He adds 4 nominations this year with nods for “Entertainer of the Year,” “Male Vocalist of the Year,” “Video of the Year” for “Troubadour” and “Vocal Event of the Year” for “Everything But Quits” with LeeAnn Womack.

His platinum-selling Troubadour was named “Best Country Album” at the 51st Grammy Awards and in April, Strait was the fifth artist ever to receive the Academy of Country Music's Artist of the Decade honor. Strait has won 19 Academy of Country Music Awards including "Entertainer of the Year."

With a career spanning more than 25 years, Strait has the most number one singles of any artist in history including Elvis (57 To Date). He has sold more than 67 million records and with 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums has the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and the third in all genres, behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

One of the most successful female recording artists in history, Reba has sold over 55 million albums worldwide, earned 33 #1 singles and was recently recognized as the biggest female hit-maker in country music history by “Billboard,” “Mediabase” and “Country Aircheck.” She is the winner of 15 American Music Awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, 9 People’s Choice Awards, 7 Country Music Awards and 2 GRAMMY Awards.

Reba’s new album, Keep On Loving You, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart – her first solo studio album to do so. With 11 #1 albums, Reba holds the record as the female artist with the most #1 albums in the history of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The superstar also recently scored her third consecutive Top 10 single of 2009, as her new song “Consider Me Gone” jumped into the Top 10 this week on both the Billboard Country Singles and the USA Today/ Country Aircheck Chart powered by Mediabase) charts.

In November 2008, McEntire signed with The Valory Music Co. reuniting her with multimedia entertainer and industry leader Scott Borchetta, President & CEO of Big Machine Records and sister label The Valory Music Co.2010

TOUR DATES

22-Jan Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner

23-Jan Greensboro, NC Coliseum

29-Jan Knoxville, TN Thompson Boling

30-Jan Charlottesville, VA JPJ Arena

5-Feb Phoenix, AZ US Airways

6-Feb Las Vegas, NV MGM

18-Feb St Louis, MO Scottrade Center

19-Feb Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena

20-Feb Tulsa, OK BOK Arena

25-Feb Atlanta, GA Philips Arena

26-Feb Orlando, FL Amway Arena

4-Mar Memphis, TN FedEx Forum

5-Mar New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena

6-Mar Little Rock, AR Verizon

26-Mar Portland, OR The Rose Garden

27-Mar Tacoma, WA Tacomadome

8-Apr Omaha, NE Qwest Center

9-Apr Kansas City, MO Sprint Center

10-Apr Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena

I am seriously seriously so excited!!!!! I can not think of anything better than Reba & George TOGETHER in concert! It's honestly like a dream come true! Reba & George, Reba & George, Reba & George...maybe if I say it enough it won't seem too good to be true!!

Here is the conversation Becky & I had on text message...

Me: Reba and George Strait are touring together next year!!

Becky: That is what heaven will be like for you

Seriously....truer words were never spoken!

Thanks Leslie for making my day!!!!

P.S. I LOVE REBA!

Vegas - Saturday!

Saturday Morning Brandon and I got up and decided to do what one does when in Vegas...go walk the strip! So we just started at one end...and started walking! And we just went in places we wanted and stopped whenever we felt like it! It was really fun!!!

I think my favorite casino was the Paris! It was really cool...and not that I've ever been to Paris but it felt very much like I was walking the streets of Paris (plus a lot of slot machines thrown in for fun)

Here we are outside the Eiffel Tower...


We also went in to the Planet Hollywood Mall! That is where Holly Madison has her Peep Show. (I didn't know who she was...but Brandon LOVES her! Like really loves her! And if you know Brandon you know just how funny that is!) We were discussing how much Brandon loves her and he was explaining to me who she is and what happened? She walked out of a store and right by us! Our conversation went something like this....

Brandon: Oh my gosh...that was Holly Madison
Tara: Shut up! Are you sure?
B: Yes, that is her, right there
T: The one with the dog and the hat?
B: Yes
T: Well do you want to go stalk her?
B: YES!!!!
T: Let's go

So we turned around and followed the way she had gone...but by then we had spent so much time being shocked that we had really seen her...that we couldn't find her again to follow her :( But let me just say that we could not stop talking about the fact that we really just saw her...at the same time we were talking about her!

So since we were not quick enough to get a real picture of her and follow her for the day....we just took many pictures of Brandon with her posters instead...

There is this one....


And this one is just funny...


But this one is my VERY FAVORITE...


We had so much fun taking that picture! I could seriously not stop laughing! And Brandon is trying so hard not to laugh for the picture! And now looking at it again I can't stop laughing! So so so so funny! (Notice the people behind him watching us and the guy sitting down giving Brandon a thumbs up!!!)

While in the mall we found a Build-A-Bear! (If you know me at all you know how much I love Build-A-Bear!) I didn't buy anything but Brandon did get a picture of the 'show girl' bear! Hee Hee!


We grabbed lunch at sbarro and got pizza....


We also watched a really lame 'rain storm'. We sat around and waited for it for like 15 minutes and it was LAME!!! A few sprinkles that hit the pool of water in the floor and some lights flashing and thunder sounds...LAME!!!

Also we went in the New York, New York, the Coke Store, the M&M Store, and many other casinos! So much fun! Kelli met up with us in the afternoon and after walking around some more we headed back to Brandon's to get ready for....

THE REBA CONCERT!!!

Stay tuned for the next blog all about it!!!!!!

Consider Me Gone!

I just need to take a break in the Vegas blog posting to say....

REBA'S NEW VIDEO IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's for her new song 'Consider Me Gone' and can be found on the Reba website!

http://www.reba.com/

It is fantastic, she is beautiful, and I LOVE it!!!!

Seriously.

Watch it.

Go now.

Vegas - Friday Night!

I got to Brandon's house around 10:30 I think. It was a long long drive but not as bad as I thought it would be (I tend to get really tired when I drive and this was my first long road trip without anyone in the car with me to keep me company and awake!) Becky let me borrow her thing that lets me listen to my ipod thru the stereo and that was a HUGE help cause I could sing at the top of my lungs! So between that and my friends letting me call them and talk for long stretches of time (I don't know if I've mentioned it before but I have THE BEST FRIENDS EVER!)

Anyways so I got to Brandons and after unloading my car (if you ask Brandon I had a TON of stuff...but I would only say I had alot of stuff! hee hee!) and some very needed catching up...we decided that we wanted to go out! We WERE in Vegas for heaven's sake and it wasn't TOO late!! So we jumped in Brandon's truck and headed to the strip! We decided to head to the Treasure Island Show! It was a little more 'adult' then I remember it being as a kid but we sure had fun!

Here we are waiting for the show to start!

This one's a little blurry but it's the ship coming around to get in place!

This is of the 'guys' ship! Not bad looking guys!

This was when the guys hit the girls ship. The show itself was pretty lame (okay really really lame) but the special effects made it totally worth it!

The girls sunk the guys ship!

Brandon's friend Katy met up with us during the show and hung with us for the night! After the Treasure Island show we decided we wanted some Ben & Jerry's but they were closed :( so we ended up going to Denny's on the strip and getting milkshakes. Who knew that Denny's would be so popular on the strip! :)

We did take a moment to get a picture of us 'gambling'!

I can't remember anything else major that we did that first night. I think just walked around some more and then we headed back to Brandon's place to crash cause we were exhausted (I think it was like 2 in the morning or something which was 3 Utah time!)

Stay tuned for our Saturday adventures!

Vegas - Road Trip To Vegas!

I left work Friday (Sept 4) around 1:00 and headed down to Vegas! I wanted to get to Vegas as soon as I could...to see Brandon and start our AWESOME weekend of fun!!!

Side note: The day before I left (Thursday) my grandma called me and told me that her cousin had passed away and his funeral was in Cedar City and so that meant that her and my Uncle Boyd and Aunt Norma (Triple love them!) were driving up from Tucson! When we got talking about our plans we realized that we would probably hit Cedar City at about the same time! So we decided that I would take a break in my drive and see them for a bit! (I was so so so excited to see them! I hadn't seen Boyd & Norma since April of 2005 - way way way too long!)

As it turned out I beat them to Cedar by about 15 minutes is all! So I just found their hotel and waited in the lobby til they got there! When they pulled up it was all I could do not to run out like a 5 year old and jump up and down at their car! (Okay - maybe I did a small version of that!) Did I mention I was really excited to see them? :)

After I helped them unload the car - we headed to dinner. We found a little diner in town and had so much fun chatting away and just getting caught up! After dinner I didn't want to leave yet (I wanted to get to Vegas but just wasn't ready to say goodbye) so I went back to their hotel for a while.

Grandma, Me, Aunt Norma, and Uncle Boyd (it took alot of begging to get him to be in the picture!)

I have always wished that I lived closer to Boyd & Norma! We would have had so much fun! 4 years is way to long to go without seeing them! The only thing that I was sad about was that I didn't get to see Nikki & Kristi (their girls), but I had a GREAT time!!!

Grandma, Me, & Aunt Norma!!! Can you just see how happy I am!?!?!?

My grandma was trying to get me to stay the night there with her so I didn't have to drive in the dark - I admit I was slightly tempted...until they were talking about going to bed...AT 8:30!!!! Um...no thank you! So I said my goodbyes and headed the rest of the way to Vegas!!!!

Stay tuned for more Vegas blogs...

Sneak Peak!

It's 2:00 in the morning here (which means 3:00 Utah time) and I am REALLY tired...but I just had to blog a small thing about the REBA concert!!!

IT.
WAS.
FANTASTIC.

This is only 2 of about 500 pictures I took!!! Stay tuned for more later!!!

I LOVE REBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vacation Time!

Tomorrow I leave for...

LAS VEGAS!!!!!

I am so excited I can barely wait!!!! Seriously...I want to leave right now...

I am going to stay with...

My friend Brandon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will also get to see...

My friend Kelli!

The three of us are going to go to a little concert...
Okay...It's not a little concert at all...more like a big huge fantastic awesome concert for me!!!!!

I've never travelled to see Reba before! I have always just seen her when she came to Salt Lake! (Does this make me more obsessed than before? Is that even possible?)

Have I mentioned that I get to see Reba in Concert on Saturday?!?!?! That's in only 2 days!!
Um....I LOVE REBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And no, Kelly Clarkson will not be in concert with her...well atleast not that I know of...these pictures were the ones I took at their concert last fall!!

Oh my gosh....REBA IN 2 DAYS!!!!!!!!! REBA REBA REBA!!!!!!! (I'm a little excited in case you didn't catch on to that yet)



Anyways....


While I am in Vegas I hope we will see alot of...

The Strip during the day!

And The Strip @ Night!

Also...

On my way back I am going to stop and see my best friend Jacqie!

I am totally excited!!! It is going to be a great long weekend!!!!!!!!

Seriously. Awesome. Weekend.

(P.S. I LOVE REBA)

Reba Update!

Just a little update! I said last night that her new cd was #1 on the charts! I didn't realize that meant she was #1 on the Billboard Music Charts! That means all genres of music! Not just country!!! WAHOOOOO!!!!!!

I also learned on the radio this morning that she now holds the record for the female to have the most #1 albums! She now has 11! She was previously tied with Loretta Lynn at 10!

GO REBA!!!!!

(This is an old picture but one of my VERY favorites of Reba!!)

#1

Reba's new CD "Keep On Loving You' came out last week and I have been telling anyone who will listen (and those who don't want to listen!) how good the CD is! I mean, it is REALLY good! And not just good because I love all things Reba...but really really good!! And it seems I am not the only one who thinks that because it hit #1 on the charts yesterday!! HOW TOTALLY FABULOUS IS THAT!?!?!? I LOVE REBA!!!!

Her first single was 'Strange'My current favorite on the CD is 'Pink Guitar'

Did I mention that I LOVE the new CD? Seriously...go out and buy it or download it right now...TOTALLY worth it!

And just because I'm excited....I am going to her concert on Saturday the 5th in Primm, Nevada! And Brandon & Kelli are going with me!!! 10 days!!!! SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!

Brandon's Farewell Party!

My bestie Brandon moved to Las Vegas to go to UNLV!! (YAY for him, boooo for having to move) I'm a little behind on updating since he's been there for over a week! But anyways...we had one last Burger Bar and Nerts night before he left! We had so much fun playing almost every friday night after Whoopee! Definitely some of my favorite memories and I made and strengthened some fantastic friendships!

Becky, Ashley, Kelland, Annie, Rachel, Brandon, & Me

Annie had a weird eye thing going on. We were worried it was pink eye or something else contagious so Becky kindly made her this awesome pirate patch!! (FYI turns out she just has blisters on her eye so no worries of catching it)

Awesome huh!?!?

Demolition Derby

Last night I went to my first ever Demolition Derby and it was AWESOME!!! I figured I would enjoy the derby but I honestly had no idea that it would be as much fun as it was. A bunch of beat up old cars running into each other. So so so much fun! We saw alot of cool things, in the very first heat one car went right up and landed on top of another car. And in another heat one car pushed another car so it ended up on its side. It was so cool! And the best part is that no one was hurt (I admit...it caused me much anxiety as the cars were running into each other but since it all ended well...I was ok!) And I got to cowboy suit up! I wore my cowboy boots, my cowboy hat, and my cowboy shirt! And the company was fantastic!!! It was a pretty great night! LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!!!!

Thanks again Chris & Emily for inviting us!

Reasons I LOVED Today!

Here are just a few reasons why I LOVED today! In no particular order...

1. Reba's new CD comes out next week...making it less than 7 days!!!

2.Brooks & Dunn are breaking up!!! I hate Brooks & Dunn and so that just makes me happy!

3. George Strait's new CD came out today! (It is so good...and he is GORGEOUS!)

4. I gave blood today! (I triple love to give blood!) When they poked me - it didn't work on the first stick - they had to poke around until they got it. It was the first time ever - I have ALWAYS bled on the first poke before. So that part was NOT one of the reasons I loved today.

5. BDeanna stopped at Barnes & Noble on her way home from work today just because she loves me! She stopped to pick up the People Country magazine that Reba is on the cover of because I couldn't find it anywhere! I LOVE BDeanna!

6. Beauty & The Beast rehearsal. They are seriously sounding sooooooooooo good!!!!

7. I got to hold Baby Celia thru the whole rehearsal...she is such a good baby and so dang cute! I even got to feed her!

8. Talking to Leslie & Shelby after rehearsal

9. Talking to Leslie forever in the parking lot after rehearsal

10. Texting my best friend for the last couple days!

11. Did I mention less than a week til Reba's new CD comes out?

12. Did I mention I got to hold the baby thru all of rehearsal?

13. Now I am going to fall asleep watching Pushing Daisies...the perfect way to end a great day!

Good night!

Kati was in town!!

You know how you have some friends that you can talk to everyday and also go weeks without talking to but it makes no difference? The moment you see each other it is as if absolutely no time as passed? That is the way it is with my friend Brandi! We just 'get' each other ya know!?!?

Anyways, so back in high school and the few years after that, we spent ALOT of time up at her dad's house in Logan and in turn I became really good friends with her family! So not only do I have a best friend Brandi but I also got an extra family! Her sister Kati was in town for the week from California, we were all supposed to spend the day at Lagoon but it got canceled cuz of the 'rain'. That made Becky & I very happy but Kati, not so much! She was NOT HAPPY about the canceling of Lagoon! Anyways, we ended up having a BBQ and just hanging out at Brittni's (so much better than Lagoon!).

Me with Cami & Kati (this was Cami's 'sexy face') :)

All the sisters! Brandi, Cami, Brittni, Kati, Becky, & Me! We seriously had so much fun!

In the picture on Brittni's camera - they are actually touching tongues. EWWWW!!!! The reason my eyes are closed is cause I was laughing so hard!

Here are all the girls!
Me, Brandi, Cindy, Brittni w/Jazlyn
Becky, Cami w/Tyra, Kati

Years ago, Cami came and stayed at my house for a few days (I think this time it was for the Shania Twain concert but I could be wrong) and during that time, Becky & Cami played ALOT of Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo, well I have downloaded Donkey Kong Country onto my Wii and as soon as Cami found that out she wanted to go to my house to play! Unfortunately our leaving cause Tyra to be VERY unhappy! The only thing that calmed her down was me promising to bring my Mr. Potatoe Head toys back with us. We actually had alot of fun playing...and as you can see...Cami & Tyra had the most fun!

I just had to spend the whole time making sure Cindy didn't try to steal my toys...she was a little jealous!!!!

We had such a good time! It was fun just to get together and get caught up and see each other again!!! I LOVE them!!!