Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Colby!

"Home"

I have lived in Birmingham for about 4.5 years now. Ever since I moved up here, I've never been able to call Birmingham my "home". And it's not because Birmingham doesn't feel like home to me. I've built a nice life here in Birmingham. I have a job I enjoy, a house I love and feel safe in, a dog that fills my house with so much joy, and a lot of friends, many of whom have come to feel more like family to me. I really like living up here. But for some reason, I just can't bring myself to call Birmingham "home". I think it is mostly because I lived the first 22 years of my life in Mobile. To me, Mobile is my home. For some crazy reason, I feel like it would be a huge insult to my family in Mobile for me to call Birmingham "home". So even though everything about my life in Birmingham feels like home, I've just never been able to call Birmingham my "home".

I have this great friend from college named Michelle. Since everyone loves pictures, here is a picture of Michelle and I:

Michelle is awesome. She is one of those people who will listen to your troubles and just always knows the right thing to say to make you feel better. We called her "Mama Michelle" in college. Michelle is in a similar situation as me. She grew up in New Orleans, but came to college in Mobile. Since graduating from college, she started her career in Mobile and has built a life there. On many occasions, Michelle and I have talked about how we love the lives we have built in our current respective cities, but how we also miss the lives we led in our respective hometowns.

Recently, Michelle posted a status update on Facebook that really struck a chord with me. She had just returned to Mobile from a weekend trip home to New Orleans. She said:

"Back from New Orleans. I always love being there, but being there helps me see how much I love being here, too. I guess I am blessed to have two places that I can call home."

I never thought of it that way! First of all, it never crossed my mind that I am allowed to call two different places home. By calling Birmingham home, I'm not rejecting the fact that Mobile is also my home. I can have two homes! Second, having two homes is a good thing. I have a life here in Birmingham that I love and that feels like home to me, but I also have a home down in Mobile that I always feel welcome in with family that welcomes me with open arms. I truly am blessed. Thanks, Michelle!

It may seem crazy, but I am at so much peace now knowing that I can call these two places that I love "home".

There's my Mobile home, the house that I spent the first 22 years of my life in:

And then there's the house that my parents now live in (they sold the house I grew up in last year), and it is starting to feel more like home to me:



And there is my Birmingham home, the house that I have now lived in for exactly a year:



I really am blessed to have these two places full of wonderful people and wonderful memories, and I can call both of these places "home".

I'm a Godmother!

Here is my sweet goddaughter, Penelope:



Now you may remember my post from a while back when I had a bag packed in order to be ready to babysit Piper, Henry, and Rosemary whenever little Penelope decided to make her big entrance. Even though she threatened to come for weeks prior to her due date, Penelope was born a healthy full-term baby. She is now two months old, and she is a beautiful and healthy little girl.

Shortly after Penelope was born, Heather and Gary asked me to be her godmother. I was, and still am, so honored by this. I am excited that Penelope and I will always have this special bond. I feel like I already have a special connection with Piper, Henry, and Rosemary since I was their nurse for the weeks that they spent in the hospital after they were born. They are the reason that I came to know their family so well. Fortunately, I was never Penelope's nurse since she was born so healthy and just had a normal newborn hospital stay. But she is my goddaughter, and that is the special connection that Penelope and I will share. I hope that I always live my life as a good example to her.

On Sunday, October 10, we celebrated Penelope's Baptism. It was a special day, and I'm so happy that I got to be part of it. Here are some pictures from Penelope's Baptism Day:

I am so honored to be Penelope's godmother!

Rest In Peace, Tootsie

1993-2010

You were a good cat.

My House is Halloween-Ready

Today, for some reason, I got the urge to decorate my house for Halloween. Although this Halloween will be the second Halloween I've spent in my house, I moved into my house the week of Halloween last year. As you can imagine, I had other more important things to focus on than decorating my house for Halloween last year. Here are some pictures of my new Halloween decor, which may indeed border on the line of tackiness...



And now with the lights off. Ooooh.



And up-close.



My ghost candy dish, minus the candy.



And my personal favorite, "The Witch Is In" door hanger. Made especially for me by my Mimi.



I think my house is now Halloween-ready!