Dancing Generation

Since I figured you didn't want the words "Projectile Vomiting" on the side column of your blog for too long, I decided to add yet another random Facebook survey to my blog. It's actually quite fun. AND thanks for all the prayers...I feel so much better today. RULES: 1. Put your MP3 player, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle. 2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer. 3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS. 4. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing. Cut and past this entire document into a Note. Delete my answers and type in your own. IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY? Last Stop (Dave Matthews Band) HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF Everytime (Britney Spears) WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL New Day (Robbie Seay Band) …it’s funny this song came on for this one since I tell people that marriage is a DAILY choice to commit to serve your spouse and make it the best it can be that day HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In - Medley (The Fifth Dimension…from Forrest Gump Soundtrack) …fitting seeing as how I’m sick today WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE? Rock Your Body (Justin Timberlake) …ha ha WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO? Whole World In His Hands (Matt Redman) WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Lose Control (Missy Elliott) WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? I Want it All (Shane & Shane) WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? God Only Knows (Forty Days) …I laughed out loud for this one WHAT IS 2 + 2? In Christ Alone (Geoff Moore) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Open the Eyes (Shane & Shane) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? You Can (Ross King) ...inspirational sounding for a life story huh? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Faith Enough (Jars of Clay) WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend (Moulin Rouge) …funny since I really think my engagement/wedding ring is the prettiest ever WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? The Planets Bend Between Us (Snow Patrol) WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? How Great (David Crowder Band) WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Across the Universe (Rufus Wainwright…from I Am Sam Soundtrack) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? Too Much (Dave Matthews Band) …I accidentally skipped over this question so I played the next song and I think it was meant to be…because it’s SO TRUE about me WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Crying Shame (Jack Johnson) WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW? Fly Like an Eagle (Steve Miller Band) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Friend Like You (Big Daddy Weave) …no joke, this song came up for this question…crazy WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Dancing Generation (Matt Redman)

Projectile Vomiting

Yes, I said it. And yes I did it, in the wee small hours of the morning. And no, I'm not prego. I know because of the fact that I'm also experiencing cramps via my monthly gift. Nausea, sore tummy, and cramps....could I ask for a better day? So I decided to sleep until 12:30 & cancel all my appointments. Duke seems to be empathizing with me because he's laying next to me and keeps glancing at me with a concerned face. So after half a sleeve of crackers and my magical (Lemon Ginger) Yogi Tea I'm feeling on the mend. If you could pray for me, that would be fantastic. Thanks yall.

25 Random Things About Me

The survey that's been making its rounds on Facebook has finally made it to my blog. 1. I sometimes consider myself a stay at home mom for my dog since I don't have a full-time job. I feel like its a very important job and I take pride in the fact that my dog is extremely well-behaved. I believe its all the extra TLC that makes him the gentleman that he is.

2. This (#1) is one of the reasons why we're considering inviting another little creature into our home. We're thinking of becoming a foster home for DFW Lab Rescue. I think Duke would like that.

3. I'm wondering how many years it will take for the Jonas brothers to become as insignificant as the Hanson brothers. I guess I can understand the hype though, considering I had MmmBop playing on repeat for about 6 months of my adolescent life.

4. I have a huge sweet tooth. Huge. Like the size of my buttocks.

5. I dated Ryan for the first time when I had just turned 18 and he had just turned 17. I gave him some mixed messages before we finally got together. This mixed messages theme continued on before we got together the second time as well.

6. I like to watch the Ellen show. Mostly because she has a dance break on her show. I thought of a similar idea for the library at A&M during finals. I was convinced that if they played "Ice Ice Baby" or something by Sir Mix Alot over the PA system every 2 hours or so that we would all be a little more sane and feel better about our tests.

7. I am an avid listenter of the Kidd Kraddick in the Morning radio show since I was in 5th grade. I have had to take some short times off for college and various jobs, but I really love it. Now I subscribe to the Podcasts so I can listen whenever!

8. I LOVE Laynes Chicken Fingers in College Station. The owner was in my small group at Living Hope when I was at A&M. I miss it. And I'm ashamed to say that I visit their evil restaurant chain counterpart, Raisin' Canes, regularly since I can't drive to CS for chicken.

9. I secretly want to try a couple of different occupations. One is a cake decorator. I'm actually a good baker. I love watching those cake making shows like Ace of Cakes. I think it would be so much fun to use my creative and crafty side to make a cake pretty. Another is a Starbucks barista. But I really don't make great coffee. I would like to be a chef too. I guess I should take a cooking class or two to start with. Another is a writer. Another would be an aerobic instructor. That is actually something I feel like I could do in the near future if I really wanted to. 10. I love to dance. I know this isn't really a random fact, but it's important. I haven't danced in quite some time and my body is ACHING to get back into it. ahhhh! Ryan and I are wanting to at least take a C&W dance class in the near future.

11. Ryan is my best friend in the world and I am absolutely in love with him. I think the friendship part is partially the key to a successful relationship. But more so, I believe that receiving and emulating Christ's love has more to do with our success than anything else. I have no idea how marriages survive without it.

12. My wedding kicked your wedding's butt. I had so much fun at my wedding and I hear that a lot of other people did too. My goal was for it to reflect our relationship and for everybody to have the time of their lives...and to dance. And I believe that with the help of Shari, my wedding planner (As You Wish Events), we achieved just that.

13. My mom's side of the family is almost completely Czech. My great-grandma, Maw Maw, taught me about kolaches and fun family stories.

14. I like being a leader, but I don't like being The leader. I guess it has to do with me wanting to being able to have a big influence, but not ultimately having full responsibility for things. This can be a strength and a weakness.

15. I work alot of evenings. That's the time most people want appointments...and since I'm trying to build my business (and make money), that's when I work. I don't mind the hours so much...I actually feel like I can function better at those times. But I hate that Ryan and my schedules are opposite on a lot of days out of the week. It's hard, but it's just temporary.

16. I have a heart for missions. I've been to Zambia Africa for a month as well as China for a month. The love of the African people is outstanding and Asian culture will forever captivate my heart. We will see what God has in store for us for the future.

17. I want to visit Miami sometime. It just seems so colorful on TV.

18. I have a hard time staying brief. I give long-winded answers and explanations. Thus the lengthiness of this survey.

19. I know that resentment breeds all sorts of anxiety and hatred. It's evil.

20. Speaking of anxiety and hatred, I cannot stand people who start most of their sentences with "Actually..." or some other variation of know-it-all speak.

21. I like to be challenged & to be busy. When I graduated from DTS I actually got a little depressed b/c I didn't have much going on to challenge me.

22. I recently maxed out the hard drive on my 3.5 year old laptop. 3 years of seminary notes, papers, and other assignments combined with a massive number of digital pictures did her in. Luckily our friend Ben has mad computer skills and he's gonna hook her up with all newer, bigger, faster parts.

23. My family is amazing. I miss my sister. She is my best girl friend. And we can speak Vietnamese together.

24. I love to laugh.

25. I truly believe in the power of prayer. So if you need prayer, just ask.

Katie Harden & American Idol...this gal reminds me of you, cousin!

Ryan and I have unashamedly been watching American Idol this season. It makes us laugh and also makes us nervous with embarrassment for a lot of those contestants. A true wave of emotion! There's this girl from Utah this season who has reminded me of my cousin, Katie, since her first audition. Her name is Alexis Grace. She is beautiful, has a small child, is spunky, has this cute smile, but also has just a hint of a sexy side that comes out at just the right time. It's primarily the passion in her smile and the love for her child in her eyes that reminds me of Katie. I believe that if Katie got up there on American Idol next week that she would give me a similar vibe...with a lot more sweet dance moves! I guess I just miss my cousin! Well, I know I'm going to be rooting for Alexis Grace for the remainder of her time on Idol...she made it to the top 12! I love you Kate!!! Here's a pic of Alexis Grace and her spunky cute hair:

Thoughts on Love...Puppy Love...

We had quite the doggy pack this weekend at our house. We were keeping my family dogs, Sugar & Missy, while my parents were in Austin. Having all three was quite a handful. Sugar (a bichon frise) & Missy (a pomeranian mix) are both about 15lbs each, while Duke (black lab) weighs in at about 80lbs on his slim days. Duke is convinced that Missy is the most beautiful object he's ever laid eyes on and proceeds to try his version of flirtation out on her every couple hours or so. It's hillarious. Poor guy. He just wants to woo her. He turns his face to the side and looks out the corners of his eyes all crazy-like, pins his ears back, and marches around her awkwardly doing this kind of groaning bark. He will walk off briefly, only to prance back proudly with some huge toy in tow, dropping on top of her like, "Look what I brought you sweetie! There's much more where that came from!" After getting hit in the face abruptly with some enormous toy, Missy usually snaps at him and then sashays off, swinging her little butt tuff in his face like, "As if you could get with this, you big goon!" It's so sweet/sad. It reminds me of the vast differences in love languages and communication styles found in many human relationships. Like the little boy coming over to the girl with the pig-tails on the playground...who finds it appropriate to dump the contents of his sand pail on her. Or the man who thinks its a good idea to buy his wife a weed-eater for their anniversary. Sometimes they don't understand that just becuase it's they're favorite thing and they're so excited about it, doesn't mean it should be gifted to us gals on special occasions as a sign of love and devotion. We can't forget the female's role in our little story. Missy gets so fed up with him that she shows her tiny K-9's in frustration and explodes, leaving Duke clueless to why she's pissed. I think we ladies do this as well. The little girl who skreeches out "You're gross!" to the boy who just passed her his booger covered love note. Or the hormonal lady whose boyfriend asks the wrong question at the wrong time of the month. Our husbands think that spending the afternoon fixing the bathroom door that's been broken for half a year is such a great idea of showing his love...while us wives are frantically cleaning the house and laboring in the kitchen and in preparation for dinner guests that evening. We pop off at him instead of communicating what we really need and leave him wounded in the garage or something. Ahh, it seems we're destined for these types of communication breakdowns...I guess we can blame it on what happened in Genesis 3. ;) But that doesn't mean our puppy love communication styles can't improve. I'm pretty sure that Jesus' sacrifice, the Father's love, and the Holy Spirit's intervening can help us daily grow our puppy love into something better.

Shedding Machine

I thought we had this shedding thing under control. Duke is our 1.5 yr old black lab and he's amazing. He never went through that crazy, hyperactive, I-need-to-chew-up-the-couch phase. He's very loyal and loves to cuddle and play. But ever since we got him we have had hardwood floors. That means black hairy tumbleweeds are not uncommon around the Amerson household. We got him on this special food that helps his sensitive skin (he's a dandruff man) and also helps minimize shedding. But with this cooky weather lately, his coat is a bit confused. It does not know if it is winter, spring, or some strange in-between depending on what day of the week it is. Thus, he has begun to shed his winter coat. AND WHAT A COAT IT IS! I didn't realize how thick and heavy it was until it started falling out! Last year about this time he was still a bit smaller...so now it seems that since there is more of Duke there is more of his hair! SHEESH! I've swept 3 times in the past 5 days. Now all the mothers of small children out there are rolling their eyes saying to themselves, "That's nothing!" But for me that's alot! So to celebrate the changing to the seasons (I don't care what the groundhog says....Duke's coat says Spring is a-comin'!) I'm posting a shameless picture of Duke relaxing (and shedding) on the couch. Enjoy.

And our weekend ended with a BANG

So I openly confess to my uncoolness on a regular basis. I'm married to my best friend and I truly have alot of fun with him; so oftentimes I forget my need for outside socialization until I start talking about moisturizer or cramps and see Ryan's eyes glaze over. Lately we've been trying to branch out and take advantage of our free time as married peeps pre-child rearing (hee hee, I just typed rearing!) since everyone who has moved into that phase of life keeps reminding us to, "enjoy it." Last weekend we visited Tyler to hang out with Ryan's good friend from Pine Cove, Jeff, and his wife Charis. It was lots of fun and was really nice to hang out in the country with a slower pace of life. So this weekend, instead of slow-paced, we went with more of a fast paced theme. Friday: I actually did some work on Friday (I usually don't see clients on Friday). Errands, deep floor cleaning, and at-home administrative work kept me busy during the day. Ryan came home and we cooked the chicken I marinaded so nicely. We watched WALL-E the movie (thanks to our Netflix suscription we got for Christmas) while we ate. The movie and the meal were real good. Then it was off to the Ice Training Center (aka I.T.C) for Ryan's 9:30pm Ice Hockey game. That's right my friends, my husband place ice hockey in the instructional league at the local rink. Yes, it is funny/entertaining...but cold. Saturday: Getting busier! Woke up REAL late. Made b-fast with the hubby: eggs, turkey bacon, Bisquick biscuits, and a homemade "blend" (fruit smoothie) made by Ryan in our VitaMix....yeah, those are the amazing blenders they demonstrate at the State Fair. 2:30pm meant we were at the gym at our church for Upward Basketball. Ryan is the coach of the Blazers: 3rd & 4th grade boys. 1 hour/6 periods of absolute pandemonium. It reminded me of my personal (and only) experience playing 7th grade basketball for the Williams Wildcats. I was actually on the A-Team, which is really not as cool as I'm positive it sounds...considering I only went into the game when Ebony fouled-out. But I specifically remember watching the B-Team games which were on the same nights as ours. Watching Jessi use her height to its full potential as goal-tender/offensive rebounder/only-one-who-could-reach-that-high ...re-shooting the ball approximately 15 times per possession with the other 9 players crammed in the lane around her trying to accomplish a similar task. Needless to say, the 3rd and 4th grade boys brought back some fond memories. After the game, Ryan and I went to the Plano Center to check out our favorite AM radio station, 1310 The Ticket, who was there putting on their annual convention: Ticketstock 2009. It is always interesting to see what the people you listen to on the radio look like in real life. I wasn't too disappointed with what I saw, so all was well. We then went down the way to the new Chuy's to get some amazing Tex Mex since we hadn't been on a date in a while. We had to wait 45 minutes and were about to start gnawing off appendages as appetizers when they finally buzzed us. We sat there for about 7 minutes before being acknowledged, silently salivating at the sight of happy eaters all around us. We got some free queso out of the deal, the Chuy's Special was to die for, and the margaritas made us giggle, so it wasn't all bad. Still going with the date theme, we took our gift card to AMC and went to see Coraline. It was ok. Don't take small kids b/c there are some pretty spooky parts in there. Sunday: I can't believe how much we did in one day! Woke up late, but made it to the second church service. Came home for half an hour and did some laundry...there is always laundry! Then it was off to the airport to pick up Betsey, my mother in law, who's coming in town from Seattle for her monthly book club. Her flight was way late, so by the time we get her picked up, took her to Rockwall, and ate at Which Wich, we had to hustle to get home in time to meet Justin & Leslee at our house for the Stars game. We got 4 tickets to the Stars game for Christmas so we were excited about going and being able to take friends with us. We all pile into Sassy Pants, my 2002 Mercury Mountaineer, and take off toward the AAC. Little did we know that half way there we would have a blow out on 75! BANG (or more like Whomph)! All of a sudden, no more tire. Scary town USA! Luckily the blow out was on the passenger rear tire and we were able to pull off to the right shoulder (if you can call it that) right before the exit for NW Hwy. I would have been in tears if this had happened to me while I was driving alone, so it was a blessing that it happened while I had two able-bodied men in the car with me. They got the tire changed way faster than expected and we only missed the first few minutes of the game. Stars beat the Predators 4-1. YAY! Leslee had spotted Pacugio on our way into the AAC and had to get some gelato on our way out. But then as we were walking to our far-away-lot, we decided that most of us were actually really hungry for real food. So we went to Cheesecake Factory and get some Stuffed Chicken Tortillas (oh yes, you SHOULD try them). Then we decide since we're out that we should probably go see He's Just Not That Into You at AMC Northpark. It was cute, but we were EXHAUSTED and the movie theater was 1,000 degrees hot. Whew, what a weekend! Needless to say, I was real tired Monday...and I had to go to Discount Tire to fix my tire problem. Thank God for warranties b/c there's no way Ryan and I could have afforded a costly tire replacement otherwise. WE ARE BLESSED! And we love Justin & Leslee.

I'm new! I don't know what to do!

So I'm new to this whole blogging thing. I've been contemplating it for some time... Will it be a place to vent? A place to be funny? A place to journal publicly? A place to update family and friends on life happenings in our new family? A place to bounce ideas off others? A place to allow people to glance ever so briefly at the craziness that goes through my brain? A place to, well, contemplate? Am I going to be able to be honest and open? Do I want people to read this stuff? Do I really want to hear their feedback on my mindless ponderings? Am I going to get a stalker this way? Oh crap. Oh well. It is what it is...and it's going to be whatever comes of it. BEHIND THE NAME: I hope that I can eventually use this blog to post cute things about kids and family stuff...for now the only baby I will be reporting on is Duke man. He's a riot. That's why I chose a family-safe name like Laughing Amersons. I figure laughing is what Ryan and I do best, and what other people know us for (whether they appreciate it or not). Our senses of humor (is that how you say that?) are what initially drew us together and what keeps our marriage fun. It's also the reason why we don't take ourselves too seriously and are able to go with the flow. So sit back and (hopefully) enjoy!