My Florida people will like this :)

Everybody here is getting all excited about our "first 80 degree day of the year" this weekend :) I have to say, I am downright giddy about the forecast and plan to spend the entire weekend on the back porch with Daniel playing in the backyard.

Our job prospects this week have gone about as well as we could have imagined. BOTH of Mike's interviews have turned into great possibilities for him. He will be doing publication design work for one company, and web design for the other. It is contract work, so he will have the time pursue both opportunities. I thought the idea of contract work would scare me, but it doesn't......it just puts the pressure on me to find something reliable and with insurance. I keep telling myself that it's only April, and schools hire teachers up until August, sometimes later. I have time.

We've started kind of looking around at houses. If Mike's ventures work out and I get hired this spring, we'll be looking at moving into a house before school starts. I want to have an idea of what's out there. We found one that we LOVE..................but it is across the street from my parents. Hmm. I keep telling myself that we are living WITH my inlaws without being bothered or annoyed in the least, but it's also very temporary. Anyway, it's a huge, gorgeous older home with a ton of character. It also needs a lot of work (like, a new kitchen. asap. it has the original appliances.). BUT, it would be a GREAT family home for our kids to grow up in. We'll probably spend the next couple of months looking at other homes in the price range to see what else is out there. Thinking about living in my old neighborhood is kind of surreal, though. (Oh, and my Florida people would also pass out if I told them the price.)

Anyway, things are getting better faster than I could have hoped for, and I'm thankful for that. We are praying hard for all of the employees at Krieger-Ragsdale who lost their jobs when the company closed their doors last Friday, including my stepdad Jon and my brother-in-law (Kristin's husband) John. It is very sad, as Jon has worked so hard there for 30 years and has put so much into the company. They are both now in the place Mike and I were in about a month and a half ago....wondering what to do next and praying for guidance. I hope answers come for them as quickly as they did for us.