Rice 'n AM~Erica

So anyway...



As promised, I am posting the pic of the kids with Chris Rice on Sept. 22nd. (the one that turned out OK)

So, here it is:

Yep, there's Liz, Ethan & Chris Rice...making fun of me. What a great pic anyway!



Also, need to send out a b-day shout out to my mom -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!



OK, more great stories about the kids coming your way soon, plus more job possiblities (man this is killing me).

Also, make sure to check out my new video blog - AM~Erica Vid~EO (http://ericavid.blogspot.com).



Stay tuned!



God Bless, AM~Erica

"Broken" Camera 'n AM~Erica

So anyway...

Chris Rice came to our church last night, and was really good. He was even pretty goofy - which made me happy!

Very soon, I will get the pic I got of Mr. Rice & the kids (Liz & Ethan). It is really a good pic!

For those in KC planning to see him @ The SPOT tonite in Independence, let him know that the chic with the "broken' camera" says "hey"!

OK...I guess this takes some explination, eh? Well, I had my two older kids with me in line after the concert to meet him. We got up to the table to have him sign some stuff & get a pic, right? So, my two lean in on one side of the tabe, Chris on the other, and the camera starts taking crazy pictures - like time-lapse exposure. This means my littlest one has gotten a hold of it & found some crazy settings. I am trying to fix the prob since there is still a long line to go, and I think I get it; I push the button again, and it won't do ANYTHING! I start to move it when Chris & the kids start yelling at me to not move it - a timer had been set. Geez! So, I hold it & get a great pic.

In the meantime, on the other side of the camera, Mr. Rice is apparently having a conversation with my kids. "Welp, looks like she broke the camera." Then, my son fibs & tells him I do it all of the time. SO NOT TRUE!! He purposely mixed me up with my mom (sorry, Mom) to make the scene bigger & me a bigger dork. Liz? She let's it happen. So then they hear him say, "Ooo...the night the cameras take over the world!" Geez!

The concert was great, meeting him...a little embarrassing. But I'm still here, and you all can enjoy hearing him tonite!

Have fun & stay tuned for the pic...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica @ Random

So anyway...

* The countdown has begun to see Chris Rice! (notice the new countdown timer?) Yep! Saturday nite, 9/22, he will be at our church...performing...LIVE! Have I already mentioned that? Oh, and just a head's up for those in KC, I just read he is doing an "Under the Radar" tour, and the first one is Sunday nite, 9/23, at The SPOT, behind Fuddrucker's in Independece, MO. It will small, quaint & accoustic...and FREE. And the day after he performs for us! Geez! We had to pay a bit for our tix...even for the 2-year-old. Well, if you go (hope you do), make sure to tell him "Hi" for me...I'm sure we'll be buddies by then. (ha ha ha ...) Check it all out @ www.chrisrice.com.

* Get ready for International TLAP Day tomorrow, 9/19 Every 9/19 is International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Wear a Jolly Roger T-shirt, a bandana on your head, &/or just go all out with an eye-patch. Have fun with it, and make sure to check out www.talklikeapirate.com for more fun.

* OK, y'all have figured out that I love shopping & saving @ the same time, right? And, I also love Rachael Ray! Well, today she had a segment about saving at the warehouse stores (i.e., Costco, Sam's & BJ's). Watch this for GREAT ideas: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/secrets-warehouse-shopping/

* Also, Friday night, Lizzie sings the national anthem with her choir @ the Card's game, so we will be there to watch! If you get to watch the game on TV, look for us! Should be great fun! Around here, you're supposed to be a Card's fan anyway...so...GO CHIEFS!! OOPS...old habits die hard... Hey, it's still red!

OK, the Pirate Fest may have to wait until next weekend; after the game & the concert, we will be tuckered out!! Plus, we'll see how $$ is.

Oh...and have I mentioned that Chris Rice is coming to my church & we are really excited? OK, just checking!

Stay tuned for more...

God Bless, AM~Erica

Prepping AM~Erica

So anyway...

WOW! My hubby & I got to go see one of our very fave musicals last night. "Crazy for You" is a fun & elaborate comedy that we got the privelege to see a few years ago @ the Music Hall in KC. We were blown away! Well, one of the members of our current church, Ben Nordstrom, is an actor, and a very busy one at that. We found out he was getting ready to do "Crazy for You", and we went nuts! We begged him for tickets if possible, and he was a good boy! He hooked us up with a couple of comp tix to see the show. (Thanx, Ben, for giving us a date night!) He was hysterical, and the show was phenomonal! However, it didn't start until 8:00 PM (yes, on a school night), and didn't end until nearly 11:00 PM...we didn't remember the show being that long. Luckily we got a sitter from church (who happens to be the cousin of a couple of school mates/activity chums in Lee's Summit - small world) who was very understanding, and her parents, too. WHEW! Exhausted, but gotta keep truckin'...

We are getting ready to head out of town - back to good ol' KC! But...only for a quick in-and-out stop. We are leaving Friday afternoon so we can spend time with Chris' side that night, then breakfast in the AM with my side so we can see them, too. Then?? Off to a wedding. My hubby is officiating this one. Then back home to StL. We have to get a lot in for such a short stay, so the schedule is tight!

Then...there are some things going on around here, in StL, that we are getting rev'd up for:

1. Back in KC there is the annual Ren Fest. I haven't been to it in years, but I sure had fun when I went. Well, there is a Ren Faire in StL that is getting ready to start...but...only after their spin-off St. Louis Pirate Festival (www.stlpiratefest.com). It starts this weekend, but we won't be in town, but maybe next weekend before our next big event (see below). I know our kids will enjoy it, and it sounds like fun! And, if you know me well, and you've read my motto (see blog header), you will see that I will make sure the family is ready to go! We all have pirate shirts to work with, so no one will be left out. I may take it a bit further & completely embarrass my hubby, and possibly my children, but it's about the fun! Arrrr.

2. If you saw a previous post of mine, you would know that the very well-known contemporary Christian artist, Chris Rice, is coming to our church to perform a concert next weekend (9/22). My family & I are SOOOOOOO excited!! My hubby & I have been fans of his for the last 5 or 6 years, so this is a treat for us. We are so glad our congreation, and others coming in, will be introduced & treated to his music. He has done songs like, "Smellin' Coffee", "Thirsty" (this one is beautiful, and Ben, listed earlier, sang it this past Sunday @ church), "The Cartoon Song" (a personal fave), and more recently "Pardon My Dust". He is completely off-beat & goofy, and I can't wait to see him perform live! Check him out at www.chrisrice.com, and check out his video blog to see how goofy he really is. It's ab fab!

As for everything else, still looking for a job & still looking for "affordable" daycare. The search continues onward...

Oh! And Liz's middle school is getting ready to do the play "Once Upon a Mattress". She is so hoping to get the part of Winefred. She's perfect, but in 6th grade, so we don't know how that will work out with other 6th, 7th & 8th graders trying for it, too. We shall see & pray for her!

Stay tuned!

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica 'n Worship

So anyway,

I love the worship service I've been attending the last six weeks, or so. It's an upbeat, high energy, praise & worship service - perfect for me! The band is fabulous, and the preaching is extraordinary. OK - I'm a bit biased on the preaching since it's my husband doing it, but a lot of the congregants agree, I swear!

We started coming to this church about six weeks ago (hence the amount of time attending) when my husband was appointed here by the Missouri United Methodist Conference this year. We came from a quaint "country church in the city" in the Kansas City area, with about 60 in attendance at the one service each week, to a church in the St. Louis area with 3,500 members, and about 1,400+ in attendance each week between 5 services. Whew! What a change!

My husband was put in charge of the primary preaching at the contemporary service. Remember what I said our previous church was? (reference above paragraph) Well, we were told this service was averaging around 210 each week. Big jump for us! Since we've been there, the attendance has been anywhere from 275 to 315 each week. So exciting! This is held in a room, we were told, could hold up to 280, if we squeezed people in. Then today happened...

The band was rockin' today, as usual; I was introduced into this church's drama ministry with my first skit for this congregation today, with two excellent people (thanks Bill & Lori); we had an awsome special guest today being Mark Cruz playing classical guitar (ab fab...check him out: http://www.markanthonycruz.com/); and exceptional sermon - of course...all of this in front of an offical count of (drum roll, please)................



388!



Can you believe it? I think it's the biggest crowd I've done a skit in front of, for sure! It went over well, and it was PACKED! Standing Room Only!

It was a very exciting morning! I had to share what God had in store today.

You can hear a sermon of my husband's at www.manchesterumc.org/contemporary.


Oh yeah...and Chris Rice is coming to do a concert at our church on September 22nd! Can't wait for that one!!


Stay tuned for more!


God Bless, AM~Erica