Happy Birthday!

I can't believe it. On Sunday, Mary Emma will turn 7. SEVEN. She is my oldest daughter, so it's appropriate that her birthday is on Mother's Day. I can't think of a better person I'd like to share my day with. I actually brought her home from the hospital on Mother's Day. It was the best present I've ever received.

Mary Emma, I love you so much! I love your happiness, the way you want to wear skirts that will stand out when you spin around, the way you love your sisters and Daddy, the way you love Jesus, your prissiness, your love of polka dotted fingernails and toenails, your love of playing softball, your endless Webkin collection and the awesome names you've given them, your sweet spirit, the way you care for other people (even your teachers at school tell me that you are the most caring child they've ever taught - I could bust with pride), your love for unique hair-do's, and your desire to become a country singer and a vet when you grow up. Of course you can do it.

Jesus is so proud of you. Mommy and Daddy smile when we think about you and when you make silly laughing noises in the car. Tait and Camille ADORE you and want to be just like you. The highlight of their day is when you get home from school. You make people smile and you definitely make us smile.

Happy Birthday, my baby girl. I am so proud of you.

Really?

Several years ago, my husband, who travels frequently, decided that it was worth the money to hire a lawn service. Spencer didn't want to spend his Saturdays cutting grass when he was gone so much during the week. We both LOVE spending time with the kids on Saturdays, and it's especially important to him.

Anyway, our lawn service guys have come on Tuesday mornings forever. Then they suddenly switched and started coming on Mondays. Because I wasn't used to being awaken by the lovely sound of a weed eater on a Monday, I was a little aggravated when they came last Monday instead of Tuesday. Also, I have been aggravated for a while with them because the foreman, Mike, hasn't been showing up lately, and the only men who come speak NO English. And I speak No Spanish - besides counting to 10. This is frustrating when you need to ask them to do something new or different.

All of my neighbors used to use Mike's lawn service. Then one by one, they have been switching to Joey's lawn service. I didn't fully understand it, because Mike's guys have been doing a pretty good job.

Until Monday.

When I witnessed, with my own eyes, one of Mike's guys mow around the newspaper lying in the grass. Around it. Didn't pick it up and mow the grass under it. Really? Come on.

I've been trying to make sense of that in my head. I guess he thought that newspapers have a special power that automatically makes the grass under them as short as the newly mowed grass around them. Or that newspapers can magically levitate so he can mow under them without touching them. Ugh.

Needless to say, we're now with Joey's lawn service. Duh.

Total Praise

Ok, I was riding down the road tonight heading to get Jim-n-Nick's takeout and I plugged in the iPod. Avalon's Total Praise came on. If you haven't heard this song, STOP NOW and go listen to it. iTunes, your local Christian bookstore, borrow the CD from someone, whatever. Just go find it. It's by far the greatest praise song ever. I don't have a sunroof, or my hands woulda been raised out of it. So instead, I just rolled down my window and raised my hand out.

Yes, I did.

It's that good.

What are your favorite praise songs? I would love to hear from you so I can go listen to the ones I haven't heard.

PS - I also think that pretty much anything Travis Cottrell sings would make the "best praise song" list. And Darlene Zschech. Whoa, that chick can sing.

PPS - If Darlene Zschech happens to read this blog (yeah, ok, right), please don't take offense to the word chick. It's a term of endearment from me.

PPPS - If Travis happens to read this blog (again, yeah, ok) I'd like to book you to sing at my daughters' weddings. They're only 7, 2, and 18 months old, but I'm pretty sure you'll still be in the plans when they do get married. You know, when they're 54.