Sweet Home Alabama

It was good for my soul to go home a few weeks ago. Living eight hours away from family and close friends means I only get to visit with them a few times per year...which makes each visit that much sweeter!
2009 means that my close group of friends (including myself in a couple of weeks!) turns the big 3-0! Brooke (aka Babbs) was the first to enter this new decade. It was so wonderful to have lunch with her and celebrate her special day. Equally as wonderful was meeting her precious son, Sawyer, who recently celebrated his first birthday! Brooke is such an incredible mama who inspires me in so many ways. I can't wait for Baby E to meet Sawyer!


Nancy was next to bite the dust, and we celebrated her 30th birthday with a wonderful dinner. We also celebrated motherhood, as Nancy is expecting her first baby in April. By our calculations (and intuition!), we think our babies will be very close in age. What an amazing gift to experience this journey into motherhood with my best friend! I'm really looking forward to Baby T and Baby E growing up together!

Another great addition to my weekend at home was having dinner with a friend I haven't seen in maybe seven years! Although we've been in touch through various forms of communication over the years, we couldn't really remember the last time we actually saw one another--but we think it may have been my wedding day! Kelly Sprayberry Akers is such a dear friend to me and I loved reconnecting with her. While we grew up in the same town, we were not in the same grade so we only attended the same school for two years during high school and two years during college. However, I have such great memories with her outside of school--particularly from church and piano lessons/recitals. As adoptive parents themselves, Kelly and her husband, Ryan, have a HUGE heart for adoption and speak beautifully of the reflection it can be of Christ's love and adoption of us, His children. Kelly has been such an encouragement and inspiration to me throughout this process, and I look forward to growing even closer throughout the years.

(Imagine a picture of me and Kelly here....I did take my camera to dinner, but we were so engrossed in conversation that I forgot about taking the pic!)

And nothing tops spending quality time with my family. Whether it's playing games with Marlee and Maggie, listening to Granddaddy Joe's stories, or the sweet moment of the family blessing when we all come together around the table...I am so grateful for each and every moment I spend with my parents, my grandparents, my brother and sister-in-law, and my precious nieces. Baby E is in for a blessing!


And a fall weekend in Alabama would not be complete without a football game at Bryant Denny stadium! Jeff and I had a great day in Tuscaloosa visiting our alma mater, tailgaiting on the Quad, and witnessing another Crimson Tide victory! Baby E, get ready to say "Roll Tide!"


***As of today we've been on the wait list for our referral for 2 months already! Where does the time go?! I don't know, but that just means in 5 or 6 months, we will see our baby for the first time (via pictures)!***