sweet summertime...

I cannot believe tomorrow is August 1st, the day I register my little man for 1st grade at a brand new school. Summer has FLOWN by.

Here's what we've been up to for our last summer as a family of three:

We returned to AquaTots for summer swim lessons...

and spent a lot of time practicing at the pool...

...and saw the much anticipated Cars 3!! 

{It was my favorite of ALL the Cars movies!}

We went on a family vacation to San Antonio and had a blast!

but mostly, we spent time at the local library building new things, at the mall painting a gift for our grandma, at home playing board games and doing puzzles, and at church for various activities - including the best vacation bible school ever!

it's a....

We started off this summer with a doctor's appointment for my 20-week check up and ultrasound, where we also found out the gender of our precious little one!

We wanted to make this extra special for Kent, so we gathered up balloons, put them in a box, and had him open it - reminding him, blue is for a boy/brother, pink is for a girl/sister...

He came home from a day out with grandparents to find this:

He went right to work to open it...

...and quickly became excited that he would be a big brother to a little sister!

 We just know that he will be an excellent big brother to this little sister, 

Isabella Rae!

hello there, lonely blog!

Well, hello there, old blog of mine! It's been... what... four and a half years?

Life sure has been busy. We moved to South Texas where I have been teaching, Chad has been a security manager, and Kent has been growing up, amazing us everyday. In a few short weeks, he starts 1st Grade {can you believe it?} and in a few short months, he will be a big brother!

That's right, we are expecting a baby in mid-October. Kent is just as excited as we are. It has caused him to ask lots of questions about when he was in my belly, when he was born, when he was a baby... all of which kept leading me to this old blog of mine!

I'm so thankful I blogged my pregnancy/birth of him and it made me want to do the same with these upcoming precious memories. So for this time in my life, I'm back - if not just to document these moments, hopefully for the long haul to keep this for our family to look back on. :) So, sit back, and enjoy all of these upcoming new posts!

The EASIEST & HEALTHIEST Fudge, EVER!

For Christmas, one of the gifts I got was Hungry Girl's BIG Cookbook. I love to read her books and get great ideas on healthy snacks and eats! I have tried several of her recipes, and they are all pretty good.

Here's my most favorite one:

Peanut Butter Fudge

INGREDIENTS:
1 box (I used low-fat) brownie mix
1 can pure pumpkin
2 tbsp peanut butter

(That's it! REALLY!)

DIRECTIONS:
[1] Mix brownie mix and pumpkin. Top with peanut butter and use a knife to swirl it.
[2] Pour into an 8x8 brownie pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
[3] Cool, and put in fridge for 2 hours. DO NOT CUT yet :)
[4] Once chilled, cut into squares. The texture will be like fudge, not brownies. DELISH!

a much needed update!

So, how has life been for the Stewarts?

Crazy. Hectic. Busy. and Wonderful.

Last Summer, Chad lost his job. He had worked for Walmart off and on for five years, but when they lay off, they always seem to cut his field {loss prevention} first.

He searched and searched for a job and I worked and worked at mine. I love{d} my job, but it is definitely a  demanding one!

When our luck was running short here, we had a long talk and said, really, we could live anywhere. Anywhere in Texas. and be happy.

My parents recently retired here:

Although I wasn't sure it would happen, on a whim I told Chad to apply there and see what happened. So he applied, and we prayed. And prayed. And prayed.

And he got a phone call. For a first interview.

And then a second.

And then a third.

And then an offer! Doing what he loves, but in a better atmosphere {HEB's warehouse}, with better people, and near the ocean! (And my family!)

We continued to pray about it and really felt (for the first time in my life really) LED by God to make this move. The way things didn't work out for him here, but so easily fell into place there.

He accepted, they had him start instantly, and I put notice in at my job and just finished it up Saturday. I will miss my job; but I am excited for this opportunity for Chad, and excited to seek a position teaching again.

So this week, it is just Kent and I -- both off, me not working and him not in daycare. I am getting my taste of what a SAHM is like, and am loving it. We are of course, packing boxes like crazy and trying to get everything ready to move in the meantime, but we are so excited to move towards family and to raise him around the ocean!

I am really, really, really, going to try to keep this blog updated going forward. :)