I thought of a new video game!

(Another disclaimer: I am a fuddy-dud. Read this knowing that I don't have video games and I just don't get them. Maybe one day when I have kids?)

It seems like people my age tend to like video games a little more than I do. Maybe I am a fuddy-dud, or maybe I just don't get it since Jeremy and I have yet to give in to the Wii/Playstation3/etc. trend. Don't get me wrong...I have fun when I play. Several of my friends own these life-sucking devices so I partake when I am around. But, I can't really get into it that much. After a couple of rounds, I am good to go. Give me a book or hand me the vacuum to clean the house. Those are activities that have an end in sight. A goal. A point.

Having said that, I thought of a new video game. I was inspired the other night when we went to a house-warming party. Our friends bought a cute new home pretty close to where we live and it was fun to see them settling in to their own space. To keep their company occupied between home tours, they set up their Wii and Rock Band. (Side note: Jeremy and I were driving with my cousin Tobi (9yr.-old) in the back seat one time. Jeremy randomly had the radio set on a rock station. An old rock song came on and Tobi knew every word! Thanks Rock Band.) Anyway, people were getting excited playing this addictive game at the party and there were even some pros in the house. Expert level blows my mind. I played one round on the drums (easy level, thank you very much) and I was done. That is when I had my epiphany. That is when my money-making idea was born.

Are you ready for this? Church Band. It's just like Rock Band, but it has "churchy" songs and

instruments. (Props to my friend David for helping me think of a good name.)

Just imagine! The instruments could include: hand bells, a harp, timpani, a conga drum, egg shaker, cheesy keyboard and a drum set with a little house around it so it's not too loud. It might even have a choir!

Does anyone want to be an investor for me? I need some money to do the research and create the game. I will probably have to also post an ad on Craigslist for video game testers too. Anyone? I really see this making millions. We could travel with our marketing campaign to all sorts of church music conferences! I bet private Christian school music teachers would buy it in a heartbeat.

So, for real. Anyone?

If You're Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands

Our Sunday School class (my pastor hates it when I call it that)…community group, whatever, recently started a series on happiness. The challenge was for us to write down or at least share five things a day that make us happy. We can do it by ourselves or, even better, with a friend/significant other/etc. Here are a couple of things that have made my list that I thought were blog-worthy. (By the way, my sweet hubby gave me the idea for this so make sure to read his way-more-eloquent blog about what makes him happy!)

(Disclaimer: What I mean by blog-worthy is that they are funny/quirky. I will share some of the cheesy, heart-warming things on the list later…there are plenty of those!)

Advertising Slogans
Jeremy and I have a favorite coffee and we might even be a little snobby about it. We order it online but it’s so freakin’ good! We got some in the mail yesterday and it came with a catalogue. On the bottom right-hand corner of the cover, the company branded its slogan…it made me smile! The name of the coffee is New Mexico Pinion Coffee because it’s made from pinion beans. The slogan is “ It’s a matter of a pinion.” HA! Check it out…I love puns! This piqued my interest in funny ad slogans so I found some other fun ones for you to enjoy…

“Thank Crunchie it’s Friday.” –Crunchie (I know I didn’t know what it was either, but it’s funny.)
“Are you a Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut Case?” –Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut candy bar
“I’d rather die of thirst than drink from a cup of mediocrity.”—Stella Artois (Wow, way to make yourself sound like a snob Stella!)

Tools at the Gym
This is for real! I went to the gym yesterday morning and saw this guy who was a tool of a man. He was doing free weights with his sleeveless spandex (not Under Amour…spandex) shirt that was way too tight and tucked into his shorts. Whatever…people wear weird things to the gym…that’s not what made him a tool. The dude was wearing and talking on a Bluetooth. While he was lifting weights. Counting reps out loud. Cursing at the end of each set and then talking about stocks, the market, etc. May the Lord bless the poor soul on the other end of the line. I pictured some poor executive assistant who has to get to the office every day at 7a.m. to listen to her boss work out. This kind of made me laugh…not at the exec. asst. but at the weight-lifting dude who thinks she is impressed.

Christian Bumper Stickers
I am taking a chance with this little tid-bit because I might sound like a snob. Luckily, most of you who read this know me better than that. So here we go. I love Jesus. I also love fashion and not being socially awkward. I was driving home from work the other day and God said “I think Molly Ann needs a laugh.” So, He placed a car right in front of me w/ a bumper sticker that said “I love my German Shepherd. Pope Benedict.” Wow…just…wow. It made me laugh so hard and I was like “man that person has a great sense of humor!” Unfortunately, I don’t think the person driving the car was joking. She sort of fit the stereotypical mold of the middle-aged, single, cat lady who wears denim jumper dresses and organizes all the church pot lucks. I feel like she might be friends with this person. (I am slapping myself on the wrist right now for being a snob.) Anyway, this too piqued my interest and I was taken back to the days when I used to shop at Family Christian Bookstores. Here are some other fun bumper stickers:

Harsh!

Terrible slogan!

Way to make me think.

My husband needs this for when we go to Odessa.

A message for those left behind.

What's making you happy today?

New Year's Eve and Time w/ the Inlaws

Jeremy and I spent our 3rd NYE together with Stacey and Morgan. When I was a junior in college, my friends and I started an annual NYE get-together celebration. I have spent the last five NYE w/ mostly the same people, but Stacey and I are always the common thread. We have been at the last six together! Here is a short recap:

2002-San Antonio, ate dinner downtown, walked around a bit and almost got pushed in the river by some crazy folks (drunk people + River Walk = accident waiting to happen), toasted the NY at a cute little wine bar. We spent the night at my friend Crystal's house after that so her mom could wake us up and make breakfast for us. Her mom talks to everyone (including grownups) like they are 5yrs. old, so we love her. We watched the Tournament of Roses Parade and laughed at the night before.

2003-San Antonio downtown at a fun hotel w/ dinner, drinks and dancing. We spent the night at Crystal's parents' house again. The highlight of this night was when Ellie's date started taking drinks off of other people's tables when they would go dance. Yeah, she didn't marry that one.

2004-Crystal, Stacey and I went to NYC for the holidays. We stayed w/ our generous friend Phil who shared his tiny efficiency apt. with three girls for a few days. We ate dinner at a nice little Italian place in Brooklyn Heights and then headed downtown to hang out w/ one of Phil's friends. Crystal was obsessed w/ seeing the ball drop and since she didn't get to see it up close and personal this year, she ditched us the next year to go back to NYC, stand in the cold for eight hours and see the ball drop with a million other people. Love ya Crys! :)

2005-A small group of us spent NYE in Houston and had a great dinner at the Rainbow Lodge. The food was pretty "gamey" but great!

2006-Stacey and Morgan's house in Clear Lake, Morgan prepared an excellent dinner and Stacey and I made an awesome tiramisu w/ raspberry coulis. Jeremy gave us all a lesson on how to give a sobriety test...that was ironic.

2007-Brad's house in Austin, we broke a lot of dishes and there might have been some yelling. We played Guitar Hero and Jeremy and I had a double celebration since we had closed on our first home earlier that day.

2008-Stacey and Morgan's cute new house in Houston, Morgan and Stephen made an awesome dinner and they even prepared the pheasant that Jeremy had shot a few weeks prior on his hunting trip. I am a pheasant fan. We played a rousing game of Spades and toasted the NY w/ some amazing prosecco.

Spades...my team totally won!

There ya go...the last six NYE in a few short words. It's crazy how much changes in five years. God has blessed me in so many ways and I can't wait to see what 2009 brings. Anyway...after NYE we spent the next few days w/ Jeremy's family in Houston/Livingston. Here are some highlights:

Dinner at sis-in-law Shawni's-My mother-in-law Renae made a great dinner (Jeremy's favorite: fried chicken and mashed potatoes) for us and she was happy to have all her kids in one place at one time. It was also fun to see our nephews, Jaden and Kameron, and give them their Christmas gifts. After dinner we played my new favorite game: Snorta! This might be a kids' game, but it's the most fun I have had in a while. It's basically a game of memory where you have to remember what animal the other people have and make their animal's noise before they do. You have to try it, especially if you have kids! You would be amazed at the noises that come out of your mouth when you are competing to remember an animal and its sound.

Renae's kids/grandkids

Hanging w/ Renae-Since we don't get to see Jeremy's mom very much, it was nice to spend some time with her. We went to a movie, had dinner at Chuy's (our favorite restaurant, collectively), took the dogs to the dog park, rented a movie and just hung out. Ella and Lexi got to play w/ their aunt Pixie (Renae's dog) and they were spoiled w/ Milk-Bones. I learned some fun new things about my new family, and Renae made us laugh a few times with her East Texas/Houston accent. She called an escalator an "esceeeelator" and Febreze, "Feeebreeze." I love it!

Ella and Pixie...I think Renae needs to reset the camera's calendar!

A Day in Livinston-Jeremy grew up in Livingston and Houston. (Time w/ Mom and Dad) His Dad is Native American and he lives on the Alabama-Coushatta reservation just outside Livingston. Jeremy's grandfather, Smiley, is actually the Chief of the tribe! Anyway, we went to the reservation on Saturday to see my father-in-law, Rick, his wife and my sister-in-law, Tylia. We had a great time visiting with them, eating at Florida's Kitchen (recently featured in Texas Monthly), hanging out at home and going to visit Smiley. It was really good to see Smiley. He has been in the hospital a lot recently and Jeremy has been wanting to see him. He can't get out of bed right now so that was sad to see. Right before we left his house, he asked Jeremy and me to pray for him so we said we would. But, he reached out and said "right now." It was so sweet and Jeremy and I held his hand and prayed for his health and his upcoming surgeries. It's always a unique experience going to the Reservation since it's so foreign to me. That's what makes new families so special...new experiences and views on life that I never would have seen otherwise. After we left the Reservation we headed into town to see Jeremy's cousin Rachel, to whom he is the closest. She recently had a baby boy named Briley and he was a doll. He had more hair than most grown men!

Baby Briley

So there it is...Jeremy and I survived another holiday season w/ our crazy families. When the movie Four Christmases came out, we wondered if someone had written a story about our holidays! But, the couple in the movie didn't want to see their families. Jeremy and I love our families and, despite their dysfunction, we will continue to drive across Texas (both ways) to see them. When we have kids, it might be a different story...stay tuned for that. Stay tuned for a while actually!