Home Sweet Home

It has been a really fun last couple of days.  Brit and I had the chance to just "hang out" for the first time in a really long time.  How long, you ask?  I can't even remember the last time we spent the night away from the kids...that's how long.  We get so caught up in work, school, parenting, church, and everyday stuff that we forget to take time to just be married and enjoy each other's company.

I also had a revelation yesterday.  I REALLY want to move back to Oak Grove.  I miss my family, I miss our friends, I miss that life.  For those of you who aren't familiar with the Birmingham metro area, Oak Grove is a tiny community near nothing.  There are ZERO stoplights, and maybe 6 stop signs in the whole town, but I love it.  Oak Grove High School is by far one of the best schools in the Birmingham area.  People there are so kind and loving, and not because they get paid to, but because that's how they are.  People have a hard time leaving that place, and I used to poke fun at friends of mine who couldn't seem to move on.  But now, as I look back, and I have had a few years in the wonderful township of Montgomery, I really regret moving away.  For those of you who do not know me or Brit that well, I will give you the Cliff's Notes version of how we ended up in Montgomery.  

• Brittany is from Montgomery, and all of her family is here.  After her mom passed away in '02, she really had nothing in Birmingham for herself except for our family.  Brit's dad was a Warden with the state and she moved alot, and therefore never created the kind of relationships that happen when you go to school with the same 30 people from Kindergarten through graduation.  So, being the loving husband that I am, I was willing to think about moving to Montgomery if the situation made sense...........
• It just so happens that the Radiology school that Brit wanted to attend was in Montgomery, and her grandmother keeps kids for a living, and was more than willing to keep Channing at no charge.  Any of you guys out there with kids knows how much of a financial burden childcare/pre-school can be.  So it made perfect sense....right? 

So we moved to Montgomery in May '03, and have lived here since.  The friendships that I had in high school still exist to an extent, but not nearly as strong as they once were.  I know what 't you are thinking, no one stays friends after high school, but this just isn't true.  The guys that I hung out with in high school still hang out.  I know that if we did go back to OG, it wouldn't be the same, but I would like to think that it would be better than where we are now.  Cost of living is nothing, crime is non-existent, and the public schools are great, which would save Brit and I over $120,000 dollars over the next 16 years(the price of private school in montgomery for two children from K-12).  After this weekend, I am convinced that I eventually want to be back in Oak Grove, now I just have to convince Brittany.

I will now use Luke's patented and trademarked QuickHits:

• My sister is 8X more athletic than I ever thought about being.  I got to see her play volleyball yesterday for the first time since her sophomore year(shes now a senior), and the girl is a BEAST.  She was making the other team look like the Jr. High team.  She is about 6'1, and she has some hop.  Auburn is looking at her for a possible volleyball scholarship, so pray for that.
• My papa and step-grandmother are not doing well at all.  He has narrow arteries in his neck that are keeping his brain for getting normal bloodflow that will require surgery.  Dora, his wife of 3 years, has breast cancer and is fighting with some heart problems.  Please keep them in your prayers.
• The Apple store in pretty cool.  I don't think it lived up to the hype that Luke put out there, but Jesus could have been giving demonstrations on the new iPod Touch and it wouldn't have lived up to Luke's hype.
• Speaking of Luke, it was good to see him Thursday.  It was a short visit, but good none the less.

That's it for now.  I am going to post a song that Johnathan Cunningham and I wrote on here later, so check back and give me honest feedback, but be nice:)