the last few moments before friends must part

Growing into the best of friends over seven short days


around 3:45AM right before Matt had to leave to wake up his parents to head to the airport --- heading back to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs

Mauri, Matt, Jessica around 1 AM


Mauri, Matt, Jesse, Jessica, Caleb, and Tim around 2 AM before a couple of the guys have to be at home
Mauri, Macy, Jessica, Matthew Confair, Matt Rose
the week after spring break when Rose was in from the Air Force Academy

Prom 2009 - we stopped by for a few minutes - prom pics

Jessica, Caleb, and Mauri

Mauri and Caleb

Jessica and Caleb

Megan

Tianna
Mauri's best friend, Paige, and Jared

Prom 2009 - after dinner they stopped by the house

Prom 2009 - Mauri's preps

Prom 2009 - dinner at Zapata's

Prom 2009 - before dinner lots of pics

Ryan, Jessica, Mauri, and Jesse at a downtown park in the middle of downtown Texarkana

Can you believe it was going to be 30 degrees Saturday night? That's crazy. It was so cold. Poor girls would freeze for pics then quickly put on their coats to wait for the next pic.



Mauri and Jessica, best of friends, ready for a night of fun.





downtown Texarkana for pics before dinner


My beautiful daughter with her model pose...can you tell how bad the wind is blowing in this pic?


OK...so I didn't want Mauri to forget a single thing for her prom so I had them take a goofy pic in the bathroom.

Prom 2009 - They're on their way!

Prom 2009 - Mauri picking up her date

Mauri's date, Jesse, placing her wrist corsage.



Mauri's putting on the boutineer

ok...count down is on

I only have 1 hour left. I must get busy. In the middle of my cleaning I came across all my memory books from our senior year and our wedding. I enjoyed this trip down memory lane. I'm glad God planned it that way. I spent an hour rummaging through our memory books. I don't think I've done that since we moved in this house a little under 5 years ago.

kitchen done
2 bathrooms done
hall done
living room and front --- almost I must hurry
and then to the dreaded bedroom...but I must get it all done today

Thank you Lord for this wonderful 1st day of my spring break DO OVER. :)

Last night our Youth Minister, Dustin Byrd, served up a helping of spiritual food. I know God was using him to speak to me. It was about getting and keeping your priorities straight. There were four main points:

1. focus on your Father
2. focus on your family
3. focus on your faith
4. focus on your fruit

This last year has probably been the hardest year of our marriage. I can't let go of the idea of David being gone from home so often. He is also on a health kick and has been since last summer. David has made many lifestyle changes the past year while I've taken a back seat. I truly do NOT like this position. I am a control freak. He has totally pulled the rug from underneath me. I've been in this pit for so long and am sick of it. As David is bettering himself, I'm letting go and falling deeper and deeper away from him. He looks great. He has lost 55-60 pounds. If he isn't teaching, going to college 2 hours away from home Friday PM until Saturday PM, studying for college, teaching a college course, taking his online class, leading music for a church every other Sunday, spending time with Mauri and Caleb, drinking water, eating healthy, or exercising he is sleeping I guess. All the while, I sit by and watch, wondering why in the world I don't get up off my duff and do something. I'm not talking about physically doing something all though that would do me a world of good I'm sure I'm just not willing at this time. I mean spiritually doing something. I need to get up, dust myself off, continue tending to the children, teaching, but also spend much more time in the WORD. I do my daily devotion and I am reading through the Bible this year, but I need more!

God is definitely up to something big in my life during my spring break DO OVER! I never clean...hate to clean...never do laundry...hate laundry...hardly ever cook...don't like to clean after I cook. David has done so much for so long that he has finally taken his life back into his own hands doing his own thing. I don't blame him. I do blame me. So today on my first day of spring break DO OVER I'm blogging a lot [this is my 3rd post for the day ;)] and cleaning my home before my sweet hubby gets home. He has no idea I am off today. He knows I am tomorrow to go to the conference but he doesn't have a clue about today. Therefore, I have four more hours before he gets home from teaching and working out with Caleb this afternoon. I truly think he might faint when he arrives. I can't wait to see how much I finish before he gets home.

Right now all the windows are open and fresh air is blowing throughout our house. It is smelling so much better. While I type the birds are singing and God is melting my heart for David. I am so glad. I definitely need to give up, give in, and get over my bitterness of being left behind and not just being happy with the way life was...David is happier than he's ever been and I'm as miserable as I have ever been. Therefore, I'm grateful for the work God is doing in my life right now at this very moment today.

I thought I'd just sit a type for a moment about last night's message but look where God just took me. Isn't God great!



Also, one more thing - I watched Wednesday's with Beth last night. Her message was very fitting for me right now as well. To God be the GLORY!

Excite the Flame
Six points:
1. Exalt (my relationship with Him above all else)
2. Expose (expose myself to people who are using their gifts for HIM) 2 Timothy 1:18 (refresh my soul - Omnipherous refreshed Paul)
3. Experience (truly and powerfully - extraordinary gift from God --- experience a whole lot of things in Christ to see if the Spirit of God is going use it)
4. Excel (be good in your gift - let God be great)
5. Exhale (rest - take the Sabbath)
6. Exit (know when it is time to exit from what God has you doing into the next journey or opportunity)


Whew - I had know idea what God was about to do to me by just sitting down, shutting up, and typing out what I thought was a little snippet into my life. Thank you God.

I'm so glad the kitchen is clean now to the bathrooms. It's smelling better in my home already.

Caleb

We received wonderful news about Caleb this week. He not only passed the TAKS reading test, but he was commended. He only missed two questions on the entire test. I am so proud of him.

I spoke to his reading teacher via e-mail and she said the following about Caleb: "He did an awesome job. He only missed two questions. I am very proud of him,too! He does not allow his dyslexia to stand in the way of what he can do. Wished I had more like Caleb."

Isn't that awesome! Caleb has come through so much in his lifetime. He truly has overcome his dyslexia just as I did. However, he got to do it while going through school and a good 10 years earlier than I did in my life. I can't wait to see what God has in store for Caleb throughout his lifetime. I know there are reasons Caleb went through so many storms in his life as well as struggled with dyslexia. I wished he didn't have to go through these times, but I know I serve an awesome KING who knows the reasons why. I'll get to find out one day - more than likely not during my lifetime but in eternity.

my spring break - DO OVER

Well today is what I'm calling my official spring break -- due to being ill all of my spring break from the first afternoon we let out of school until the 2nd day back after spring break. I declare the next four days my wonderful spring break.

Thursday - clean the entire house and get all the laundry caught up

Friday and Saturday - Women of Faith leaving at 8:15 AM F and returning at 3 PM S

Saturday - Mauri's prom

I am so excited for her. I hope she has a fantastic time. She is definitely excited about David and me being out of the picture from tomorrow until Saturday afternoon. She is so independent and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Mauri has a band concert in Princeton, Texas today near Dallas. She'll arrive back home around 7:00 PM. She'll quickly shower. Then, try on everything for the prom. I must know before I leave tomorrow she has everything she needs for Saturday. Tomorrow, she is out of school because she'll be in 4 writing events at UIL in Texarkana. Then, around 5 PM a teacher will pick up the juniors to arrive at MUMS to decorate for the prom. The junior class puts on the junior/senior prom. Who knows how late she’ll work, but I’m sure they won’t be leaving until it is complete.

Mauri’s Saturday schedule is as follows:
9:00 nails
11:00 shower
12:00 hair
2:00 make-up and get dressed
3:15 leave to pick up Jesse
4:15 pictures downtown Texarkana
5:30 dinner at Zipada’s
8:00 prom
Midnight home – Mauri wants to go to I-HOP but I just don’t feel good about all the kids going back to Texarkana.

Sunday worship my Heavenly Father

I think this is going to be the best spring break ever because I get to be in the WORD for three entire days being immersed in God's glory and basking in His peace. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.

I love sunshine!

I was so looking forward to Spring Break, BUT I came down with the flu on Friday. It has been a long week of sickness, and I am tired of being sick. The flu part is behind me but the exhaustion, sinus, cough, etc. is staying on for the long haul. Mom has been sick with the flu and now the "leftovers" since last Wednesday. My precious Mauri got the flu Tuesday while on the Mission Trip. Praise the Lord she is home now sleeping. I pray her round is short lived. It is no fun being sick ever but especially on your Spring Break. God has blessed us with a beautiful week. Last week was dreary and rainy all week long. This week has been absolutely gorgeous. I love the sunshine. It just makes me happier lifting my spirit.

I have got to get well immediately. My house needs my attention. I want it clean but for some reason it doesn't do it on its own. To bad I'm not wealthy enough to have a maid. I realized last night while talking to a friend it would be smart to have someone come clean once per week because I'd be in such a frinzy my house would stay clean all the time. If someone is coming to the house, it must be spotless. Therefore, hire a maid and the problem's solved ... right? Don't I wish.

Shellye

My precious God given family!

A group pic of the eighth grade inductees.

Caleb is breathing a sigh of relief because he is finished!

a lot has happened in a week

Man this week has flown by:

Tuesday: Caleb was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. We are so proud of him. It was such an amazing moment to see Caleb on stage seeming to enjoy himself. (I'll post a pic in a few.)

Tuesday night: Mauri no longer has a prom date. Her choice started liking a friend of Mauri's who also already had a date about a week after he chose his tux which was about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Finally, he had the girl he likes ask Mauri to go with this girl's date. Mauri agreed to let him go to the prom with the girl he liked and told this new couple she'd find a ticket for the guy who was left without a date.

Wednesday: Mauri spoke to the young man who no longer had a date. He told Mauri he didn't care/didn't know if he went with her or went stag because a bunch of his friends are going stag too. I felt this young man would enjoy hanging out with all the guy friends who didn't have dates either than to go with Mauri. So Mauri quickly found this sophomore a ticket and began looking for a new date.

She spoke to the one she truly wants to go to the prom with, but he doesn't attend QCHS and is somewhat shy. He didn't feel comfortable attending since he didn't know any of her friends. I feel Mauri understands how he feels. Therefore, she asked the guy who she told she'd take last summer. He said he'd love to go with her, BUT he has a track meet. He doesn't go to her high school either and cannot miss the meet.

Thursday: I think it has finally hit Mauri; she might be stag. She has realized she wants a date and cannot come up with a solution. We prayed.

Friday: 1/2 day of school YEAH! bad part: I got the flu -- by 7:00 PM I had a 103.9 temp. I was miserable to say the least. But, Praise the Lord, Mauri called to tell me she has a date for the prom. God sure worked fast. :) The only problem was 30 minutes after getting a prom date the guy who was let go from his date so she could go to the prom with Mauri's first date texted her to see if she had a date. HUGE DILEMMA. Mauri told him she had. He said his parents wouldn't let him go without a date. Mauri felt horrible. It had been 3 entire days before he let her know, so I'm guessing he must have just informed his parents Friday night. I prayed as much as I could for the situation.

Saturday: Mauri got ready to leave for the Spring Break Mission Trip to Houston. I was concerned for her because the girl who is now going with Mauri's original date to the prom will be attending with her. She is quite upset with Mauri due to the girl saying Mauri gave her her word she would take her dropped date. Mauri gave her her word she'd find him a ticket to the prom. Especially after Mauri spoke with the boy and he wasn't interested in going with Mauri. Praise God -- while Mauri was at the church preparing to leave the boy without a date and the original boy who was going with Mauri to the prom and the girl who is now going with Mauri's first date arrived at the church together. Apparently, the 1st boy talked with the dropped boy's parents and they might let him go to the prom alone since a lot of his friends are going alone.



I know this seems like a lot of mumbo jumbo but I know who these kids are and I want to record it without their names being on here. This way I have a record of how things took place so I can watch how God's hand is constantly at work through my kids' lives as well.

Scripture Memory #6

Exodus 9:16 NIV
But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Exodus 14:14 NIV
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Matthew 10:27 NIV
What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.

Scripture Memory #5

Malachi 3:16 NIV

Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.

Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.