Phase 1: Ok. Here goes. First of all, we almost didn't go. Paul and I had a "disagreement" Friday night as married people do sometimes and he told me he would not drive to the show the next day. I was so upset, I barely slept. The following morning he apologized and said he was way out of line and said he would still take us to the show if I still wanted to go. I had not gotten anything ready for this trip and was still so heartbroken over our fight that I didn't have the energy to get motivated to pack up 5 people for the drive. Three things changed my mind. First I got an email from Tom R. saying he "really likes girl scout cookies" with a big smilie with teeth showing. So of course the guilt set in: I mean how could we NOT deliver these cookies we promised the Strayhorns. Second, I found out the venue was covered where we were sitting. (Earlier someone had told me it was all open and it was calling for thunderstorms all evening.....we were in the rain for Alan's concert in Hershey last year and I almost ended up with pneumonia that time as I was already starting to get sick and didnt want to go thru that again). Third, and final reason, Paul was asking me if we were gonna go, and I said I really didn't feel like getting ready to go, and my fourteen year old Chris turns around and says "MOM, are you SICK???" <--- Why else would you miss an Alan Jackson concert?? Sooooooooo, on that note, I pulled it together, grabbed rain gear, umbrellas, snacks, drinks, pillows, blankets etc. and the Girl Scout cookies of course, and we left Kennett Square. We were already a couple hours late, but we figured we'd get there in plenty of time to deliver the cookies, and catch Diamond Rio before Alan came on. On the way down we phoned Paul's cousins, (on the same cell phone by the way that Alan talked to me on a couple weeks ago in San Diego) who live about 2 miles from the venue. We had hoped to stop in and say hi, but we were really running late, so we called to see if they wanted to use our extra tickets and go with us so we could chat between shows. Come to find out they had made us dinner and were waiting on us to eat. OUCH! So we ended up going there first to literally "eat and run". They couldn't go to the show as they had another committment (silly people). Phase 2: By the time we got to the venue and parked etc. Diamond Rio had come onstage. We went to the front gate with our 3rd row tickets and case of girl scout cookies in hand only to be told we could NOT bring them in. They wouldn't page Tony and said we had to go to the administration office to get permission or have him paged. Admin got a hold of him apparently, but they said Alan had JUST arrived at the venue and so Tony would not be able to come for quite awhile and that we might miss some of the show. So then I asked administration if they would give us permission to take the cookies in (like we usually do) and meet Tony at the stage later on. The lady was really nice and checked all the cookies to see if they were sealed and then walked us back to the gates and told them we had permission to enter with the cookies. We found our seats....they were 3rd row center. Great great seats. Thanks again to the fan club. On our way in we had seen a line forming over by a fence and figured it was the meet-and-greet line. When Diamond Rio finished, Rachel and I went over there to try and catch Tony, lugging this case of cookies, Bitty Baby, etc. The guard said they had just started the meet-and-greet. They sent someone in to tell Tony we were there with the cookies. The message came back he'd be out after the meet-and-greet. We watched all these people come out one at a time after meeting Alan. They were all so happy. One little girl said she thought she was going to faint, and another said "he is sooooo tall". Only bad part about this whole wait was Rachel asking if she could go back and meet Alan, and of course she couldn't. I had a hard time explaining it to her, but I know someday both she AND Matt will get to meet their idol. Anyway, Tony still hadn't come out and suddenly there was the beginning of Gone Country playing in the amphitheater. I ran Rachel to her seat, grabbed some water for her, went back to the guard still lugging these cookies and told him that I couldn't wait any longer and if Tony came out to tell him I would sneak out with the cookies during Blues Man! Then I ran in myself. (I had missed the first two songs). Phase 3: I had to walk right by the front of the stage to get to our seats. Alan looked Great! I got there just as he was finishing up "Tooth". He was wearing the blue shirt you saw in the picture I posted and jeans of course with holes: One in his left knee and one on the left side of his butt! Looked great as usual! He sang Tall Tall Trees, Work in Progress and Livin' on Love and talked a little bit to the crowd. Security was allowing people up to the stage with little kids. Alan went over and shook this little girls hand. Then a little boy was held up who was playing a little red guitar right along with Alan. He was so cute. Alan was chuckling and gave him a pick I think. Kudos to the Strayhorns because they just keep that music steady and sure, as Alan did not make it back to the mike in time for the next line of the song. If you weren't a long, long time fan who knew every line of every song you wouldn't have even realized they had to improvise and add a few bars of music in there till he was back at the mike. At one point during these songs we suddenly saw Tony was on stage playing harmonica behind Monty. He saw us in the audience and got my attention. He mouthed "Blues Man?" to me, and I said "Blues Man" right back to him. He gave me a thumbs up and I did the same back to him. I settled back to enjoy the show!Let's see next up I believe (why do I think I am missing something here) was When Somebody Loves You. Oh wait, I think I remember I skipped "Who's Cheatin Who". (I will have to get the song list out later). Then www.memory and then one of the Rothrock's favorites "Little Bitty". Of course I held Rachel up again as soon as the first note was heard. I am getting to old for this stuff lol, soon I won't have a back left as she is getting heavier all the time. The camera man zoomed in on her and she was on the two big screens on either side of the stage AND the screen behind Alan. Matt was on there too. Rachel got on again when he sang ".....and a pretty little girl". Here is a picture Paul managed to get: Meanwhile, my oldest son Chris (who was sitting on the other side of the Girl Scout cookies and pretending he didn't know us), just needed a little push. I KNOW he knows ALL the words to Alan's songs because started hearing them before he was even born. haha. When Don't Rock the Jukebox came on, I told him I would actually PAY him if he would sing the words and end up on the big screen too. (It is not cool to like country in 8th grade so he has to pretend he is not enjoying it. He rarely goes these days to concerts, but he said he would go because of it almost being Mother's Day). He was funny trying to make me deals about just how much money, and I finally got a few laughs out of him and all the words to Don't Rock the Jukebox came tumbling out. He didn't ever get on the big screen though, so I was safe from paying up!!! There also was another little boy dancing his heart out in front of the stage during some of the songs. I tried to get Alan and the camera mans attention by pointing at him with both hands, but I don't think anyone on stage ever saw him. He was really, really cute and reminded me of Chris and Matt when they were little. He was so into the music. It was very entertaining to watch! Alan sure has fans of all ages! Alan sang Man of Constant Sorrow during his "Unplugged" section. I love hearing him do that. I just wish he would do MORE songs during that time like he has done in the past. Can't get enough of Alan! After That'd Be Alright, Blues Man started. We grabbed the case of cookies and slipped out of the row back to the fence outside. The same guard was there. We waited the whole song but NO TONY. And I love watching/listening to Alan and the band perform that song. Just as Pop-A-Top came on, someone else came out and said Tony couldn't make it right now. I told him that I didn't want to take these cookies back to PA with me so then we would have to catch up after the show. I told him we'd wait by the stage after the concert and I would give them to one of the band members. Back in we went with the cookies, again. The security guards didn't even bother to check our tickets by this time cause they knew us personally by this point. Drive followed Pop-A-Top, and Chattahoochee followed Drive. Last two songs were Where I Come From, and Where Were You! As soon as Alan left the stage, Rachel and Paul climbed up into the front row with her Bitty Baby and waited for Alan to come out. Rachel sat up on Paul's shoulders with her Bitty Baby doll. As soon Alan came out he came right over to her. But she didn't have a sharpie. He handed her a pick and made a signal like he'd be back in a minute or two. He went and signed someone else's article with their sharpie then kept it and made his way back over to Rachel. He took her doll and made a funny face and held it up to the audience. Then he turned her over and signed "Alan Jackson" on the front of her little pajamas. Rachel is sleeping with her Bitty right now by the way; she has her covered up to the place where Alan signed her and is in a little baby cradle next to Rachel in her bed as I type this. Think I could sneak her out and sleep with her for a little bit too??? After the show, Tom came out and was looking around. I yelled for him and we met up and finally Rachel gave the case of cookies to someone other than back to me! YEA! Success! We chatted with Tom for a couple minutes and I snapped a picture with him, Rachel, Matt, and Paul. Chris didn't want to be in the picture. Tom got Rachel a play-list and we asked him to find out what kind of girl-scout cookie is Alan's favorite. Off Tom went and so did we. I bet the cookies were gone before we ever got out of the parking lot (which was over 2 hours.....we celebrated the beginning of Mother's Day still sitting there). It was ok though as we chatted with other Alan fans about the concert and the kids curled up in the car with their pillows and watched almost all of Monster's Inc before we finally got on the road. Paul and I played Alan CDs all the way home to stay awake. We rolled in about 3am, tired but very happy! The concert was a great Mother's Day Present for me because I shared it with my entire family and my favorite performer!!!!