Welcome Spring...I've missed you so...

A while back, we went to an open house for a beautiful home. See how the porch wraps around ever so slightly? LOVE! This house has three bedrooms and a full bath upstairs and a bedroom and a half bath downstairs...not to mention a living room and parlor...and a HUGE dining room...I'm talking big enough to fit everyone for dinner (plus extra friends and family). This place is great!

After being just a few points off last time we had our credit pulled, we've continued to pay everything on time, paid off a few more things (old medical bills), and reduced our overall debt. My promotion went through well and I have a paycheck that reflects the new amount. I have gone through and printed check stubs, bank statements and tax returns. We are ready. I think we are going to try to pull our credit on Monday the 25th (fingers crossed). Other good news...When I checked our bank account this morning, I noticed a charge for the Arbor Day Foundation...which means that the rest of our trees are ready to ship (and may already be on the road here!)!! How exciting! Oh...AND...we got word from Mark's cousin that they have 5 new baby goats (2 female, 3 male) and essentially if/when we are ready, we can have one (or two)!! I'm hoping we will be ready for goats this year...but I don't want to get everything too fast! I want to make sure that we are smart about how we grow our farm. The other day, we went to visit the trees that we have at Grandma's house. It was funny because our son Drake was going around naming the trees that we have...Peach, Pear, Dwarf McIntosh Apple....ERRRR! Dwarf McIntosh?! We don't have one of those! We have a regular McIntosh, but that is at the apartment. So here's the back story, last week, I mentioned to the kids that I saw the Dwarf McIntosh at a local big box store (I was there for work). I mentioned that I would love one of these trees - apparently, Tiff, our oldest daughter, went out and bought one and took it to Grandma's hoping that she'd take me over to Grandma's before I randomly went there myself...OOPS! The surprise was still there and I'm so excited to think about the pies and apple sauce that I will be making for my children (...and, one day, grandchildren) with this tree (along with all the others)...Tiff, if you read this...that tree means more to me than you can imagine...thank you very much. Also, while we were doing a tree visitation, we noticed that not only were the trees growing leaves...but they are actually flowering this year! Actual Flowers...which HOPEFULLY means actual fruit! Never thought I'd be so excited about fruit blossoms. My how life changes.

Peach Tree Blossom...Fresh peaches, sweet and still warm from the sun... Nectarine Tree Blossoms...Smooth skin and juicy...Love. Look at the beautiful Pear Tree Blossom...this tree is a champ! It was first one with the leaf buds, first one with flower buds...and now those flowers are even beginning to open.