Me: "Happy birthday, Jenny!"
Jenny: "Happy birthday to you, too!"

Ah, I love Jenny.  



Jenny is the AIM Missions Director, my one-time mentor, and a role model and friend for all the girls on the Branson AIM team. Today was her birthday, so of course we had a celebration!

Tess and Kristi, two of the other AIM leaders, planned a surprise party for Jenny, and invited all of the girls on the team! Of course, we all jumped at the chance to do anything involving Jenny. :) We showed up at 4:00 today in the AIM office and waited for Jenny to arrive. When she showed up, we pounced on her. She was surprised. :)

We started with a scavenger hunt. Tess had written clues that Jenny would follow all over Branson to find each of her gifts, and each of the girls that were at the party got her a gift and had it held at the store.

Our first stop was Branson Landing. Jenny had figured out that the first stop was the candle shop down at the Landing. We walked in, and who should we see but Amber and Kristina, two AIM-ites who were not able to attend the party, but who, as it turned out, had been assigned to get Jenny a gift from the candle place and hadn't been able to pick one yet! We got Jenny's gift from the other shop in Branson Landing (some lavendar-scented stuff from Bath and Body Works) while Amber and Kristina hastily finished picking out a candle for Jenny.

When we returned to the candle shop, Amber and Kristina met us with slightly sheepish grins. ;) Jenny dutifully went up to the counter, gave her name, and requested her gift. The lady behind the counter had it, but she said Jenny had to sing something in order to get the present! At first we thought Amber and Kristina had arranged this, because singing for mail and gifts was an AIM mission trip tradition and Amber and Kristina had both been on mission trips with Jenny. But as it turned out, the lady had come up with it on her own. Jenny sang a song she had co-written with her sister about being a twin, we all clapped, and Jenny got her candle.

But the damage was done. Poor Jenny had to sing for her gift at every remaining stop, and there were quite a few stops remaining. At Starbucks, she had to sing ___ before she could receive a big bag of Christmas-flavored coffees. At Maggie Moo's ice cream place, she had to sing "King of Kings" in a Dutch accent [see previous entry]. At the Christian bookstore, we had her do "Jesus Loves the Little Children" Elvis-style [ditto]. And in Target, she made up a commercial for M&Ms pizza to get a cinnamon-scented candle.

That was the end of the treasure hunt. We retreated to Tess's house for homemade pizza, cake, and ice cream. We also watched a movie while we ate. Jenny got a Rice Krispie cake shaped like a turtle (she's nuts about turtles, and I can't understand why). Jess and I also gave Jenny presents - Jess gave her a cell phone holder she got from China (Jenny and her cell phones are not easily separated), and I gave her the new Chris Tomlin CD. Now THAT was a hit! I knew she loved Chris Tomlin, and I went to a Chris Tomlin concert while she was on the mission trip and then rubbed it in by telling her how great it was. :D So I figured I needed to make amends!

Yeah... that was basically it. It was really fun. Jenny should have a birthday more often! :)