Day 48 - Scotty McCreery

Ok, since I finally shared our vacation destination with you, I thought I'd take a break from blogging about my travels, and blog about something awesome that happened to me this week.


Yesterday was a very special day. For those of you who didn't know...and most of you probably didn't...it was Scotty McCreery's 18th birthday yesterday! (Scotty...you know...the winner of season 10 of American Idol? Yeah. That Scotty). Anyway, last Tuesday I bought his debut CD, "Clear As Day," which is super awesome. I though't I'd celebrate his birthday by doing a CD review/just tell you all about my new favorite CD. :)


So here goes:


Scotty McCreery's CD was released October 4!!! I voted for him every week on American Idol, and it payed off...he won! I bought his CD on Tuesday, and have listened to it probably ten times already. My favorite song is "Out of Summertime," the first track on the album. It's a nice, upbeat, true country song. Then again, so are "You Make That Look Good" and "Walk in the Country," and I really like those songs as well.


As far as lyrics go, "Dirty Dishes" and "That Old King James" are true to the Country roots: being thankful for your family, and a precious bible passed down through the family.


All in all, I think it is a very well balanced album. Be sure to check it out!

Oh, you didn't know I had a signed Scotty McCreery picture? Well, that's unfortunate...because it's totally awesome! I sent him a few letters, and I got a response from his mom, and a signed picture! How cool is that? I received a signed picture from a person I totally adore...ok, maybe obsess over a little ;). I was so ecstatic. The picture sits on my dresser, for everybody to see. I am so proud of it:) 


So there they are...my two Scotty "things" that I'm so happy to have. Thrilled, actually. ;)

Day 45 - Mount Rushmore

Yep. That's right. Next stop: Mount Rushmore!! Why wouldn't we stop since we were already in South Dakota? Actually, Mount Rushmore was the reason we took longer to get to our destination. It was the main reason we drove to South Dakota. The Corn Palace and the Badlands were just fantastic places to go while we were already there!


Mount Rushmore is everything you have heard of, and way more. It was so cool to be able to see how it was made and to see actual pieces of the practice piece...which, although not nearly as large as the real thing, is still huge! I was absolutely fascinated by everything in the museum and the facts. It's hard to believe that the faces were formed by blasted rock. The workers blasted exactly the right amount of stone to form the facial features. I just loved looking at the masterpiece...even though it's not finished. 

As you can see in this picture, there are a lot of flags. They are the USA State Flags! Each pillar has four flags on it. On the side the flag is mounted on, etched in stone is the number each state is (for example, Michigan is the 26th State admitted to the Union), and the date the State was admitted into statehood. There are also flags from other countries as well.


All in all, Mount Rushmore was definitely one of the coolest places I've been in my entire life! 

Day 37 - A 4th of July Sunset

July 4th is a special day. Families usually gather together to celebrate America's freedom. This year my family went to our friends' cottage. We watched the sun set while in a boat. It was beautiful. Sunsets on water are absolutely stunning! 

This is how I spent my Independence Day, how about you?

(I didn't edit this photo at all. Like my previous sunset pictures I wanted you to see the true beauty of our world! Also, if you click on the photo, you can see it enlarged. It is that much more beautiful bigger!!)

Day 17 - American Country Countdown With Kix Brooks

I love country music. It's not just listening to it, but literally loving everything about it and knowing all the songs. I! Love! Country! Music! A lot.

One of my favorite shows to listen to on the radio is the American Country Countdown With Kix Brooks. It's where they count down the top 40 country songs of the week. During that time, they read requests from listeners, play past number one hits, and have their own little special thing called "Live Like You Were Dying" where they read stories from listeners who have had something major in their life they want to share. The show even has a special guest every week!

This past week, I sent in a request for a song, wrote about why I wanted them to play it, and they picked me! This was totally awesome for me because I don't ever get picked for ANYTHING, plus, Kix Brooks was going to read my request and say my name on the radio!!! I actually received an e-mail from a producer of the show asking how to pronounce my name. After I thought about it, I realized I would not be able to hear the show that week because I would not be home, so I asked if it was possible to somehow get a small recording through e-mail or something...and they actually sent me a CD of the entire show!

I couldn't believe how awesome she was for doing that for me! I totally appreciated it and now have been able to listen to it! Because they were so nice, I will be sure to tell everybody to listen in and totally listen in every week myself for sure! I would suggest at least checking out their website! http://americancountrycountdown.com

So thank you again ACC! You are great people!