Madonna has changed her name. Is this her latest attempt to make people frown, raise eyebrows, and scratch heads? And she changed her name to Esther. She has been Madonna for like a hundred years...how the heck to people just start calling an icon "Esther"?

In other news, the Lakers are discombobulated now. Their head coach wants to quit, Kobe wants to quit, Shaq wants to quit. Somebody cry me a river. These people make a bazillion dollars a year, and they are big whiney babies over losing to the Pistons in the Finals. My heart is bleeding purple peanutbutter.

Now, back to my little world, the anniversary dinner went great. We went to Red Lobster, spent an arm and a leg, and stuffed ourselves. I hadn't ate there in like years. Afterwards we decided to go across the street to the Hickory Ridge Mall. I hadn't been to that mall in a couple years either, and I was thoroughly shocked at the "atmosphere" and "culture". That mall used to be THE mall to go to, but then again so was the Mall of Memphis, and the Southland Mall, once upon a time. Several familiar stores have closed and been replaced with a "Greg's" and a "Marty's", if you know what I mean. And we felt like we were outnumbered, and this made us rather uncomfortable, especially as the mall was getting near closing time, and the security guards were everywhere. Atleast there WERE security guards everywhere. Before we left the mall, we had a very unnerving experience. Some of you that are from around here and have been to this mall in the past, you probably will remember that there used to be a store called Natural Wonder or something like that. Well this store has now been replaced by thisome store (I can't even remember the name) filled with voodoo and insence and little idols and Buddha stuff. Well, in the FRONT of the store was a bunch of pretty windchimes and hanging lamps and stuff that was pretty cool looking, which is why I stepped foot in the store in the first place, but then as you keep walking toward the back of the store, the merchandise became more "dark" and I literally FELT evil spirits. Then I felt something like a force shoving me out of the store. No lie. After we were back out in the mall, I looked over at Michael and he looked over at me and we both had the same look on our faces. He felt the same thing I felt. We experienced Spiritual Warfare firsthand. As Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and I honestly believe the Holy Spirit was pushing us out of that store. It didn't help that there was a little magnet in the store that read "Please Jesus, protect me from your followers."

Today Travis had his playdate with Jeron. After lunch, we all went outside and the kids had a blast in the water. It all started when Jeron started splashing in the rain water that had been left behind in Travis little red wagon. He got totally soaked, and then Travis thought he'd try it, and before you know it, they splashed all the water out of the wagon, so I dragged out the water house and filled the wagon back up. Well, by this time, Jeron decided to SIT in the water, so I was like "Oh, what the hay," and I squirted both of them down with the hose. Jeron's little sister Melody got all involved, too. She's not quite walking yet...she's not quite a year old yet...and she was playing in the water just like the "big" kids. Afterwards, we came in and had to strip all the kids of their clothes, except for Jacob who sat on the swing and relaxed the whole time. So then we had naked kids all over the house and had to chase them down to get them dried off and dressed in dry clothes. By then, everyone was ready for a nap, so they went home, Jacob took a nap, I took a nap, and Travis laid down in his room and watched a movie, but never went to sleep. After supper tonight, Travis was ready to go outside to play AGAIN, so we went BACK outside, and I scrubbed the patio furniture, picked up junk in the yard, and used the broom to get some bugs and wasps nests and webs and stuff down from around the windows outside, and by then, I was POOPED, so I brought the kids in, threw Travis in the tub, got Jacob ready for bed, read Travis a story, laid down with him in his bed 'til he went to sleep, did 3 loads of laundry, took a bath, and now I'm sitting here doing this. WHEW, I am TIRED, and I have a long day tomorrow, too.

Tomorrow is my nephew Aaron's birthday party from 1 to 3, and I still have to find him a present, plus I have to take the kids to see my Mom. (She had her heart cath done today, and thankfully they were able to repair the blockage in her heart and she won't have to have surgery, thank the Lord.) I ALSO have to get July's music schedule put together tomorrow. And then of course we all know what Sunday will be like, plus it's Father's Day Sunday.

I am worn out...I'm off to bed now. Night Night.