Graduation preparations...

A week ago Saturday we picked up Brittany from dance teaching and there on our back porch was a package with her name on it...several weeks early we weren't expecting it just yet. Opening the package...we all realized that this was truly it...the moment that we have been waiting for. The arrival of her cap and gown. Of course we had to snap a picture...

I promised her that all of you wouldn't mind that she was all sweaty and her hair was frizzy from practicing her little students that morning. And...there it is the official one and only cap and gown that I will ever have to buy. The CHEO (Christian Home Educator's of Ohio) group's colors...how cool is that? I have to admit that I did shed a tear...so did her daddy...well, we have to get it out of our system before the big day...

My husband had to leave on Mother's Day of all things...so I was able to spend some beautiful time with my mama...I visited with my brother and my sweet niece and nephews whom I am crazy about...then they went home and mom and Brittany and I went out for a pizza. We hardly ever do that with her so it was special and fun...my family bought me my most favorite gifts of all...real living plants and last weekend Brittany and I made a new bed and planted them together...I'll post pictures as soon as the rain stops and the sun comes back out.

Then, last Monday, Brittany and I awoke early, got ready and decided that we were going to find the perfect graduation dress...the dress code requirements are..."modest dresses with sleeves and modest neckline, minimum knee length, no slits". I have no problem with following that at all...but, have you ever tried to shop for a new dress in this day and age with those requirements? First we went to a store that a friend of hers told us about...well, nothing in there had even a sleeve on it...and as far as to the knee...maybe five inches above the knee. Off to another store...nothing again...not even a skirt. I was beginning to think that I would have to pull my sewing machine out of storage...and invite my mom over to make her dress. We stopped, got a sandwich and said a prayer before entering the next store.

This particular store is one of our favorites...you have to look really good at everything because they have seconds and overstocks...but right there in front of us was a whole rack of dresses that could work...we loaded up our shopping cart and off we went to the dressing room. We found the perfect dress...so pretty but it is sleeveless so we decided that we could possibly find her a cardigan...so off we went to look for that...into Target we went and there on the shelf was one lone summer weight pink cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves that matched the dress perfectly. We were so thankful...then off to buy shoes...out of her size, but the guy offered to check other stores or ship it to us from their warehouse for free...AMAZING! Cute little flats with a pointed flower on the toe in white...couldn't have fit her dress more perfect. So...as we drove through town on the way back home we truly gave thanks to God who put this whole outfit together so perfectly.

Isn't it pretty...I am afraid that the light isn't very good and we snapped this picture with my cell phone so that her dad could see it last week while he was away...again...excuse the hair and lack of make-up as we hadn't gotten fixed up for that day yet. As you can see the dress fits the code perfectly...the picture doesn't do it justice...but...take my world for it...it is so pretty.

More grad preps to come as next post will be about her announcements!

Blessings!
Joyce Marie