Mauri found her prom dress!

What a LONG week! I guess it seemed so long because it was our first week back to school after being off for two weeks. I don't remember school days lasting as long as they did this week. Finally, yesterday went by at a usual rate for me. My kiddos were great all week. I think we are back in routine and ready to go. Plus, we are off on Monday the 19th, so that always helps us move on.

God is good, all the time! I am in awe of how God provided Mauri's prom dress in January on the first day within the first 3 hours of shopping, and that included eating dinner with mom, dad, Kevin, Ami, and the four of us. Mauri realized earlier this week she is going to be gone on the next 5 or 6 Saturdays due to UIL writing, honor band, All-Region band, and solo/ensemble contests. Therefore, our Saturday shopping spree for the "perfect" prom dress would be put off until mid-February with her prom on March 28th. I know way early for prom.

We left the house about 4 to head to Traditions in Texarkana. We spent about 30 minutes there trying on 4 dresses. Then, we ran to Bridal Castle to try on 4 more dresses quickly in 15 minutes before they closed at 5:30. We met the family for dinner at McAllisters. While showing the pics Ami mentioned looking at Dillard's. Mauri and I went there right after dinner. There were what seemed like slim pickin's. There were so few dresses that we almost missed them. I finally found a couple while Mauri was looking through some too. We finally got a dressing room where she tried on 4 dresses once again. She tried on a gray dress. I would have never thought of gray but when she put it on it was a beautiful dress. Mauri got kind of down pretty quickly early on after the second or third dress she tried on for the day, BUT as soon as she slipped this dress on she was beaming!!! :) I could see that her whole countenance changed in an instant. She is so beautiful on the inside and out and I think for the first time in a long time she could she her outer beauty as well. I am so proud of her and grateful God blessed us with a beautiful girl who has a very nice prom dress so early on in the shopping process. Now on to shoes, necklace, earrings, hair stuffins, etc...oh me oh my...Dear Lord please continue to help us in all areas.

The most amazing thing of all is God allowed us to have the money in January which is just unheard of during this month of the year. David and I both being teachers is tough during this month because we were paid on December 17th and won't get paid again until the 24th of January. However, David wrote a curriculum for Texas A&M - Texarkana in the fall and he got compensated for it on December 19th. We put back $600.00 for Mauri's 2008-2009 dual-credit college tuition which will have to be paid next week. Praise the Lord -- Mauri's tuition is $425 which left us $175 for a dress which cost only $170 --- isn't GOD GREAT!!!!! :)

Bless Caleb's heart...he has had a tough week getting adjusted to a school schedule again. Being in 8th grade in Texas is tough with the 4 TAKS tests one must pass to go to 9th grade. Therefore, teachers truly pile it on during the 2nd semester. I don't blame them. It is a good thing God allowed David and I to teach middle school TAAS before, so we know how it is for the teachers getting kids prepared for the tests. He also took on the daunting task of reading Eldest for his AR book this nine weeks --- a mere 668 page book which he was on 350 when he returned this past Monday. He must AR test this Monday. He is finally on page 500. I'll be glad when he gets it behind him because he is overwhelmed with it right now. He is enjoying the book it's just the amount of reading has gotten the best of him right now. It is so amazing seeing how God has worked miracles throughout his life especially in the area of reading. Being dyslexic is so hard yet God provided us to be in a school district that has the best dyslexic program. He was in the Scottish Rite program provided by Queen City ISD for two years. He completed the program last January and he is a new person. I know he is still dyslexic but now I truly understand what the title of the book, Overcoming Dyslexia, truly means. I am in awe of him.

God has blessed us with the most amazing teenagers in the world. I know I am not deserving of them but am so grateful God gave them to us to raise and nurture into the fine Christians He is creating them to be.

May you have a blessed year, too!

Shellye