This is the week :) :) :)

The week we go HOME! I am so excited!! The week is flying by--after tomorrow (i.e. on Thursday), I'll be able to say, "I'm going home tomorrow." It's almost too good to be true!

This weekend I did not get any stamping done. I enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing morning and afternoon on Friday. Then it was time to get cooking for our dinner guests. The request was chili and cornbread. I'd researched a couple recipes for the cornbread, but I couldn't find any with any special merit. I finally just picked one and set to work. I made chili, homemade cornbread, "frosted" an angel food cake with whipped cream, and made chocolate covered strawberries to garnish the cake. Our guests had seconds, so I'll take that as a good sign. :)

On Saturay we met with our realtor. She gave us a couple houses to stop by at our leisure--we're not "hunting" until the end of April/May. We liked 3 of them, but they were in locations that weren't our favorite, and one had a tiny master bath--we could never get ready in there at the same time, and while I may be spoiled, I love getting ready for work or for bed right alongside my husband. That doesn't mean it HAS to have double sinks like our bathroom now, but that's a plus. This one bathroom had one little sink and the toilet and shower were crammed in as well--and it was NEW CONSTRUCTION! What are they thinking? Anyway, 2 were right next to each other, but built on a street of very old, a little run down houses--not optimal for resale down the road. The other had some weird land stuff going on--kind of a little drop off on the side yard, and the laundry was in the garage. But, at least we know they're out there. It's a matter of matching the right floorplan with the right location. We also found a just starting construction house we really liked, but it's rather far away. It would be a 30 minute drive for me with no traffic and more like 40 each way for Matt. That's a lot of time, miles, and gas. And when our family enlarges, I'd rather not spend 30 minutes getting to soccer games and who-knows-what-else. It's in a town outside of our town, and I don't know anything about that town's schools either. They are AMAZING houses--and we'd get to pick everything--paint, floor, counters. But it's just not worth the time apart in driving, especially with gas high down here.

We did however determine exactly how far under our budget we live (which was very exciting) and that we can cancel our landline phone as soon as I change my cell phone to a FL number, as well as go down a step on our cell phone plan (I didn't know how much Matt would call his famiy during peak hours--and they used to be on the same plan. Matt switched to my company last summer)--we're not using nearly the anytime minutes we have. AND, teachers get 15% off from our cell phone company, so I need to call in that discount. All around, we figured out we can comfortably afford, even if I was not working, more house than we thought. We actually don't factor my income in at all when deciding on a range to look in. But, we want to look down the road and consider the cost of a growing family and possibly 2 car payments if something happens to mine before Matt's is paid off.

Sunday, I averaged grades and put them in the computer Monday. My first set of grades complete and ready for report card printing! Wow! My kids did really well with reading centers again yesterday. I also had SEVERAL get 100% on our FRACTIONS test today! I am THRILLLLLLED!!! You can bet I ran my math test folder right down to my principals after I graded the test today (they review all our math test grades). I was just SO excited for them to see that! Two tests in a row with 100s! Hip Hip Hooray! My kids ARE learning, even the hard stuff they've been so scared of! Also, one of my students got 100% on the spelling pre-test, so she doesn't have to take it on Friday--instead, she gets to GIVE the test. They try SO hard on the pre-tests now that it can earn them not only a way out of the test on Friday, but ALSO the opportunity to sit in the teacher chair and give the test. :)

Well, I guess I've rambled enough. I'm off to finish dinner! May the Lord bless you, be near to you, and give you peace (as He has us!!).

Christ has died!
Christ is risen!
Christ will come again!
Alleluia!