Allison & Nicole

St. Augustine Amphitheater

For years and years, Dan has wanted to see Allison Krauss in concert.  We’ve called her his girlfriend because he is obsessed with her music and says she has the voice of an angel.  We were poised and ready to see her in the Florida Theater years ago on my birthday and as fate would have it, Bubba got terrible croup and we had to forgo the concert.  We ended up Karaoking at home instead!

Allison Krauss and Union Station

For Father’s Day, I bought Dan tickets for the show in the outside Amphitheater in St. Augustine.  He has been giddy with excitement about seeing his “girlfriend” with his wife!  A few days ago, I kept having this urgency to call a dear friend and old youth group kid, Nicole who lives in St. Augustine.  I am so happy I did.  She is such a dolly.  She lives right across the street from the venue and told us to park at her house.  She was also going to the concert with some friends!  She told us about a great restaurant and even let me use her bathroom and charge my phone at her beautiful house!!  Talk about a blessing!!

When I think about it, Nicole has always been a huge blessing in my life.  I met her when I became the Youth Pastor almost 20 years ago.  She was a precious Jr. High girl!  I had the honor of watching her grow into a talented, kind-hearted, beautiful woman. She did have that hippy stage much to Dan’s dismay! LOL!  One time, Nicole’s parents went out of town and she stayed with us.  She is the one who taught us all about Sushi!  We went out with her, tried it for the first time and she even ordered for us.  We took her on countless youth group trips and parties and had a lifetime of fun together.

Nicole is like a rock, so steady and calm.  I watched her navigate through loosing her Dad at a young age.  She has always been a leader with quiet strength.  She is also a very hard, diligent worker.  When she was in high school, she had an opportunity to have an internship and my Pastor hired her in the afternoon to be my intern.  She was so efficient and organized and helped me so much.  Nicole was a sweet presence in my office and I loved being with her. Years later, when she was in college, she came back for a summer and was the youth intern!

 

Now her and her husband have a very successful jewelry company Blue Water Jewelers and I am so very proud of her!  I have such great love in my heart and fond memories of the sweet times we have shared together.  Nicole is a true blessing to all who know her.  Now we even got to share a concert together with Dan’s girlfriend! LOL!