Vernon birthday girl brought on stage with Luke Bryan

VERNON — Jennifer Valerius had promised that if country music singing and songwriting phenom, Luke Bryan, was in concert near Sussex County, she would take her daughter, Bella, to see him.
“He had announced dates for a Stadium XL Tour, and I had bought tickets through the pre-sale on the Luke Bryan Fan Club as soon as it was announced,” Valerius said. “Bella and I are both members because you can also enter to win meet and greet tickets, but unfortunately neither of us were selected. I was thrilled to get row 15 on the field level seating for the event and kept the surprise for Bella's birthday.”
Valerius couldn't keep the secret any longer and let her know about two weeks prior to the concert on June 2. Her actual birthday is June 22, but this was the closest concert her mother could find.
“I revealed it to her with a custom made pillowcase cover I had personally designed and had made so she also had it as a keepsake,” she said.
Bella Valerius described what happened.
“For my eighth birthday my mom and step-dad got me tickets to see Luke Bryan. I was so excited to see him. Then finally it was the day of the concert. We dropped of my sister and my brother at my Mema and Pop-Pop's house and my little brother stayed home with my step-dad. Then it was finally time to go to the concert. We were driving into the parking lot and we had to wait in line for about 30 minutes to get into the parking lot.”
To kill time while they were waiting, they ate peanut butter sandwiches and chocloate, and finally, upon arriving in the parking lot, picked up their tickets.
She was holding up her sign indicating that it was her eighth birthday. Then, the very unexpected happened.
“Luke Bryan saw it and pulled me up on stage while he was playing 'Someone Else Calling You Baby,' Bella Valerius said. “I felt like I was an ice cube because I just kept staring at him and could not move. Luke Bryan twirled me two times and then I hugged him as hard as I could. In my head I was screaming 'I’m on stage omg.' It was the best day ever. I love Luke Byran.”
Valerius is a second grader at Rolling Hills Primary School in Vernon Township.
“Bella was noticed from beginning to end of the concert how cute she was and loved her sign we had made," Jennifer Valerius said. "Other concert goers were taking pictures with Bella too, she was quite the celebrity before even getting on stage. John Znutas of Metlife Stadium needs to be mentioned as he was the guest services worker that temporarily placed us stage side to try and catch Luke Bryan's attention. Luke Bryan had made eye contact with her sign and Bella a couple songs in, when he came back to grab her during "Someone else calling me baby", it was like we were dreaming.”
She added, “We had joked with Bella few days before the concert, what she would do or how she would dance. She showed us her dancing and singing but once she was actually in front of Luke and he was singing to her she stood frozen in time with the ginormous smile she still has on her face.”
Turns out, that song, “Someone Else Calling You Baby,” is one of Bella Valerius' favorite Luke Bryan songs. In a wonderful twist of fate, she ended up getting a birthday dance and hug to that song: her first concert and one she'll never forget.