hello spring! please stay a while...

Well if you live in East Texas than you know just how GORGEOUS it's been lately. Mid to upper 70s, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky! Oh what a difference a beautiful day can make...

Yesterday, I sent Knox to school in shorts and James and I drove around and even found a few new neighborhoods. Hopefully getting out soon to view some more homes. I must share some PRAISES though, because as frustrated as I was with our whole house hunt situation last week, God has granted me such a renewed sense of peace about it this week! Not even sure why because we still have a few snares to work out with the mortgage company. Some of the recently passed laws make it extra difficult for small business owners to get approved for loans. So basically no matter how much $$$ we have in the bank or how good our credit scores are (Which I'm proud to say both of ours are excellent!) the government says the bank can only look at a certain percentage of our income. So to the bank underwriter, it looks like we make a lot less than we do... Frustrating, but like I said I have a peace about me and I'm sure God will reveal his plan and all the "details" to us very soon..

Well anyway, we also stopped by Kohl's yesterday so I could pick up a few longer-waisted spring t's and camis that better cover this growing belly! (I'm hoping to get some cute blouses and dresses this weekend at the outlets!) And when we got home we went on a wagon ride, did some swinging on the front porch, and then I just propped the back door open and let Knox run in and out all his little heart desired. He was so excited to feel so free! He's got a little playhouse that was handed down from his cousins and I'm hoping once we move we can go ahead and get him some more outdoor play equipment - maybe a swingset and sandbox - because I have a feeling he's gonna be spending most of the spring and summer outdoors.

Oh and it is officially spring in our house because we [James] grilled out our first batch of kabobs* of the season. Paired with corn on the cob and Ranch Style beans - one of my favorite summertime meals! Makes me wish I was at the lake...

And speaking of lake - I'm excited to say we've already got several fun trips planned for this year...

- Tennessee for Easter, of course. We'll stay at least a week, depending on James' work sched.

- Possibly home again in mid-May for my sister's high school graduation. That'll be a last minute decision because we're already gonna be out of town 2 weeks in late-May/early-June.

- Panama City Beach with James' family May 20-27. SOO excited to be able to see Knox on the beach this year. I just gotta figure out if we're gonna fly or not, because that's a loooong drive from here!

- Straight to Memphis from the beach - probably for another week - to visit and celebrate Knox's 2nd birthday.

- Lake trip in Arkansas with my Dad and siblings in late June... EXCITED!

- Back to Memphis in late July to throw James & Kristine's couples shower. Yes, I'll be 8 months pregnant but I figure I've already had 1 baby in TN, know plenty of OBs and pedi's from work, and all of our family is there so it wouldn't be a total disaster if I went in to labor... Ha!

- Home for the better part of August and September so we can prepare for and settle in with the new babe.

- TN again to be in James & Kristine's wedding in early October. This will probably be baby #2's BIG DEBUT to our extended family and friends :)

James is also wanting to plan a Spring marketing trip to Austin and San Antonio to meet up with some clients, and Knox and I will for sure tag along for that! I love the outlets around Austin and have been itching to get to San Antonio :)

So yes, we are going to have a BUSY busy traveling season but I figure we might as well because it's only gonna get harder to do the more kids we have and the older they get, so let's live it up!

Looking forward to my mom flying in tomorrow, a fun weekend, and hopefully more gorgeous days ahead ;)

*Our Kabobs

1. Marinate the meat (chicken, steak, and/or raw jumbo shrimp) and veggies (red and green bell peppers, vidallia onions, fresh pineapple chunks) in two seperate bowl with a combination of Teriyaki Grillling Sauce (by Archer Farms at Target, a grilling stapel around here!), pineapple juice, Italian dressing, and a little honey. Let marinade for at least 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile soak wooden skewers in olive oil. (Or use metal ones.) Arrange meat and veggies on skewers.

3. Cook on a preheated grill lined with foil until done, basting frequently with leftover marinade from the veggie bowl.

4. Remove foil and let kabobs sit on grill until they are charred to your liking.