Well we’re on our way home now. It seems like just a day or two ago that we arrived in Birmingham. I really did think I was going to find a few shantys and a bunch of toothless people, but I was wrong. Birmingham is a wonderful gorgeous city full of wonderful gorgeous people. There’s great shopping, interesting parks, and a great population of churches. My sister loves it here and I can see why. The heat isnt even too bad once you get used to it.

So Its time to pack up the 7 tons of stuff that we brought with us. Sigh – what an adventure it’s been. I didnt read a single page out of a book, and I didnt get a thing done on my scrapbook (you can bring all the paper and stickers and pens you want, but if you dont bring pictures you’re not doing anything). But I spent hours in a swimming pool, cooked some amazing meals, and spent time with my family, so its been great.

I’ll maybe post pictures tonight when I get to Louisville and I promise I wont bore you with how much I love LOVE Kentucky or Tennessee (well maybe just not a lot).

Well we’re almost finished here in Birmingham.  Its been a lot of fun.  We really havent been sightseeing or anything, mostly we’ve been cooking for Melissa and hanging out and swimming.  My goal has been to leave my adorable wonderful sister with a fridge full of delicious food.   So I’ve made a bunch of frozenable (I know that’s not a word, but who cares) food.  Lasagna roll ups, Chicken asparagus and roasted red peppers over rice, and today Penne Arrabiatta.  Tonight I’ll whip up a shepards pie for yummyness as well.  All of these things freeze well and now she’ll have something to eat for the next couple weeks   So when she gets home she can pull a bag out filled with a single serving of yummyness and warm it up. 

We’re hopefully tonight going to either go play chess on a lifesized board (you play a piece by moving it with your whole body) and that should be interesting.  I’m thinking Melissa and I will play checkers instead.  Or we’ll go see Batman Begins at the DLP theater here.  I think I’d like to do that, but Scott would be heartbroken if I went to see it without him….. who knows  

What I do know is that dinner tonight will be from P.F. Changs which I’m very very VERY excited about.  We’ll probably get it to go so Connor can go to bed at a reasonable hour and we can sit around eating yummy chinese food and watching Law and Order or something.  Anyway enough of my on and on and on.

Well, I’m in Birmingham Alabama.  And I’ll tell you – it’s not at all what I was expecting.  Its like a posh amazingly diverse city.  And it’s hot as… well… it’s hot.  It took 2 days to get here (and with a baby and my mom I’m a bit shocked it didnt take 3).  The thing that I noticed in driving an older (not old… older) lady and a baby around they share one very noticable characteristic.  They have to go to the bathroom at the most inconvenient times!  Every time I got a great pace car, or just hit a groove in my driving one of them either went or needed to go.  Sigh, but whatever   We went from home to Louisville the first day.  I will be honest in saying I have not, nor will I ever be a fan of Ohio.  Sorry all you Ohioans out there.  I hate your state.  OK hate is too strong, loathe.  That’s better.  I’m a southern girl by heart and heritage so any opportunity I have to get away I take it…. but as I was writing back to Ohio.  Aside from OSU football there’s nothing good.  So it was poetic and appropriate that as we were leaving Ohio a massive storm erupted.  Cincinnati was attacked by lighting and thunder, rain pelted us as we raced to the Kentucky border.  Then something amazing happened – as we were crossing the bridge to leave Ohio the sky opened up revealing a beautiful sunset.  It was as if heaven itself were welcoming us in.  I’ve heard former residents of Kentucky describe it as “Eden” or “The Promised Land” and I am here to say that they arent too far off the truth.  Driving through we were in an Eden of sorts.  As we crossed the border the rain stopped and we enjoyed the sunset and were thrilled by the occasional lighting at the same time.  All around us were green rolling hills dotted with farmhouses and horse fences.  The first thing we did was stop by a gas station and buy a bunch of Ale-8-One to savor on our journey.   What a blessing Kentucky is to our nation!

After a night’s stay in Louisville we started off again and drove out of Kentucky into God’s other favorite place – Tennessee.  Now some of you may scoff, but I would point out that you’ll never find nicer people, more beautiful rolling mountains and a finer set of cities than Tennessee.  To prove it I present it’s finest city – Nashville.  I’ve never been to a more wonderful city in my life.  All the writers and musicians who share their inspiration have to get it from somewhere and I am really starting to think the city itself is their muse. 

I wish I could have spent more time there, but we just took a 2 hour detour before heading down to Birmingham. 

My sister is an amazing person who is set up in some corporate housing here while she undergoes a training program to be a bank manager.  The details of this program I’m leaving out for 2 reasons: 1. Its none of your business 2. I am not smart enough

So here we are in Birmingham chillin in an apartment having moved our 2 tons of crap in   (a baby requires a LOT of junk to keep him on schedule and happy).  Now it’s sit back and enjoy the week. 

I’ll be posting I hope quite a bit so check back soon!!!!

Ok I am completely pumped.  Today I booked tickets to go see my friend J in DC.  She’s headed to Morocco in like August and I get to see her before she head’s out.  DC is such a fun city and J just makes it better.  I’ll be leaving Connor at home with his Grandma and Scott (YAY!) Its only for a couple days but it will be so nice to be a human again.  Connor is great and I never get tired of him, but I dont mind leaving him either.