Looking Back...

I am officially a resident of Madison, AL. On Saturday of this week I moved the rest of my things out of my apartment in Tuscaloosa. Turning in my key was a much more emotional process than I had anticipated it would be. I grew up in Moulton, but Tuscaloosa, in many ways, feels like my home. This move, though my fifth in four years, was not about changing apartments or roommates. This time, I was leaving for good. No more Alabama football Saturdays, mid-week City Cafe trips, or late night hangouts. No more endless nights in Gorgas Library, Wednesday nights at The Well, or lazy days on the Quad. No more fighting for parking, wasting time in The Ferg, or asking the question "Where are you from and what's your major?" My college years are officially over. 

Last semester was a tough one for me, as I was finishing my internship, taking a class, preparing for master's comps, and planning a wedding. Most days I could not wait to get out of Tuscaloosa. Now that the end has officially arrived, however, I would love nothing more than to relive portions of the last four years. Tuscaloosa gave me my husband, lifelong friendships, and a church home that showed me what it truly means to follow Christ. I am a better person for having spent four years in this town. As I look back, I can't help but to think of the people and events that made the last four years some of the best of my life.

We have had the privilege of watching so many of our dear friends tie the knot while 

in Tuscaloosa. Here we are with Leslie and Anna-Kate Oglesby, two friends who said "I do"

three weeks before our own wedding.

I am so blessed to have so many close female friendships in Tuscaloosa. We have all grown so much together

over the last four years, and I know that these friendships will withstand distance. I am secretly 

hoping that they all end up in the Madison area :).

After the tornado of April 27th, I was blessed beyond measure by the hearts of my sweet friends.

To be able to gut homes, deliver furniture, and clean-up debris for almost two months with these

people did so much for my faith and my friendships. Those few weeks in Tuscaloosa, while heartbreaking,

were among some of the most spiritually fulfilling of my life. This event was also affirmation that I want

to make myself more available to long-term mission opportunities in the future.

Pasadena!!!! Okay, well, this shot was actually taken in Laguna Beach. One of the highlights of my 

college years was making the trip to Pasadena to watch the Crimson Tide play for the BCS National

Championship. I wish I could relive this once in a lifetime trip over and over again. Roll Tide!

Football Saturdays were hands-down the most fun days in the Fall. Most students complained

about having to arrive to the stadium three hours before kickoff, but I secretly loved it. Without

complete and total boredom, how would you ever get shots like these?

For me, gymnastics was basically the football of the Spring. I probably would not

have cared as much had my best friend/roommate not been one of the most 

amazing gymnasts on the team. Regardless of why I went, it was always so much

fun to cheer on little Ricki!

 Over the course of my time in the college ministry at Calvary, I was given the

opportunity to go on missions trips to Boston, Massachusetts and Cheyenne,Wyoming. These trips

provided me with a way to see a different part of the country, while also allowing me to put

my feet to my faith. I had the time of my life serving along other members of my church on both trips. 

The picture above is the Cheyenne team on one of our off days.

I could literally import dozens of Facebook albums to my blog in an attempt to showcase all of the memories that I made while living in Tuscaloosa. If I did that, however, most people would probably not read my blog (not that many people do anyway :)), and it would still not do justice to my time spent at UA. As I look forward to my life as a wife and a teacher (hopefully), I can't help but to look back on my time spent in the place that provided me with both my husband and my career. While I will be returning for graduation in two weeks and a few football games this Fall, my drives Southward will be much less frequent than before. The University of Alabama is now in my rear view mirror, and while I can't help but to be a little sad, I am excited about what the future holds. Thanks for the memories Tuscaloosa!

We're Home!!!

We never thought we would jump onto the blog bandwagon, but here we are!  Since many of our close friends and family members are spread out across the country, we wanted to provide them with an avenue to keep up with our adventures as newlyweds, and, in life in general.  Given the craziness of the last several months (finishing school/work, tornado, wedding planning, wedding, honeymoon, moving, etc.), we wanted to be sure to take the time to chronicle this stage of our lives. The last several months, while fun, now seem to be such a blur. We definitely wish we had taken the time to write down at least some of what was transpiring. Better late than never right? For starters, we got married!

Matt and I at our reception with two of our dearest friends in Tuscaloosa.  We are so honored that they chose to be a part of our wedding party!

Many of you who walked through the wedding planning process with me know how resistant I was when it came to planning our big day. Though wedding planning was not exactly my cup of tea,  (sorry to those of you who had to badger me into doing it at all!) I could not be happier with the way things turned out. Everything was absolutely beautiful, and Matt and I loved spending time with friends and family that we are rarely able to see. Here are a few more images from our wedding day: 

Just a few of the people who have greatly impacted our lives since we have been in Tuscaloosa. A greater group of friends we will never find.

Our beautiful AND delicious wedding cake from Mary's Cakes and Pastries in Tuscaloosa. I am definitely looking forward to another slice on our one year anniversary.

Dad making the hand-off. Unfortunately, very few of our friends and family members have uploaded wedding pictures to Facebook. I can't wait to see all of the professional pictures, as well as those taken by other guests! Hopefully I can add a few of those when they are made available.

We were so very fortunate that one of our wedding gifts turned out to be an all expense paid trip to Hawaii! Matt and I spent one glorious week on the island of Oahu where we hiked, hit the beach, and checked out all of the touristy stuff that the island had to offer. Though adjusting to the time change was brutal, it was wonderful to finally have time to relax after an incredibly exhausting semester.

Matt before our morning hike to the top of Diamond Head.

The beautiful beaches of Oahu. I would love nothing more than to spend another week soaking up the sun in Waikiki.

The view from the top of Diamond Head. We were even blessed with a rainbow!

Obviously, the images above only show a snippet of our trip. We loved every minute of our honeymoon, and hope to return to Hawaii as soon as finances allow. I would recommend a trip to the islands to anyone!

Now that the honeymoon is over, Matt and I are attempting to settle into our new home, as well as take care of the mountains of paperwork that come with marriage. I would post pictures of our new apartment, but it is not yet up to my standards (Matt says it never will be). Once everything is in its place and pictures are on the walls, I plan to share a few snapshots of our humble abode. Thanks to all of you who made our wedding and honeymoon possible, and to those of you who have assisted us in the moving process. We could not have done it without you! More to come as soon as time allows....