Moving Mayhem: From Birmingham to Mobile

JT sat beside me on the couch one night while we were still living in Birmingham and said, "I've been praying about it, and I think we should move to Mobile." I cannot eloquently explain how I felt in that moment, so I will inadequately label the feeling as happiness. I missed Mobile, my hometown, in a desperate way. Regarding my city, I missed the humid, salty air; the ancient oak trees lining the streets; the friendly camaraderie of my fellow Mobilians; the bay and close proximity to the gulf; the fresh seafood; and yes, even the battleship. For me, there is no other place as beautiful, as friendly, or as wonderful as the Port City. It's the only city I ever want to call home. Mobile is my home because my family lives here. And while Birmingham was a great city in its own way, I ached to be close to my mom, dad, brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmothers, and great grandmother. JT knew all of this and made it happen; he made the decision that brought us all back together, and I will be forever grateful to him for that.

After the decision to move was officially made, things got interesting (and a little crazy). We put our townhouse in Ross Bridge on the market, praying for it to sell despite the harsh economic times. Miraculously, it sold in approximately 4 months. That was one obstacle to moving overcome. Now, on to the fun part: house hunting in Mobile. We drove down on the weekends to attend open houses and make appointments with real estate agents. We were short on time (we were moving at the end of May) and starting to worry that we would never find the perfect house. Finding the perfect house was difficult because JT and I have different opinions of what constitutes the "perfect house." JT likes new, new, and new. While, on the other hand, I like less new with more charm. After a pretty exhaustive examination of houses in the Azalea City, we found one that fit both of our likes in a neighborhood known as Llanfair. The house had been beautifully renovated on the inside, but it needed a little work on the outside. We decided that it was the house for us; and after a couple weeks of negotiating, we purchased the Llanfair house.

There were a couple of hiccups with the moving process, but all of our earthly possessions made it to Mobile intact. Some Kennedys, Swanzys, Hornbuckles, and Richards helped us move furniture, hang light fixtures, and unpack hundreds of boxes. It was a whirlwind but fun. Not all aspects of home ownership are fun, however. I mentioned the exterior of the house needed work, right? Well, here is a list of some adjustments we had planned on making and had made during the first few weeks of residence: 1) a new roof, 2) new windows, 3) fence for the back yard, 4) painting the house, and 5) renovating an office for JT. What we had not planned on doing was going without hot water for several days, discovering we had a flea problem and calling the Orkin man, having Roto Rooter cut roots out of our plumbing, installing a security system, scraping ceilings, and painting laundry rooms and bathrooms, etc. Not to mention, having complete strangers (i.e., contractors, painters) walking in and out of our house on a daily basis during this time. But, the proof is in the pudding, so to speak; and our house looks wonderful. It's starting to feel like our home, and we are very happy here.

Part of that happiness has been acquired in sharing our home with others, especially people we love. Since moving in, our home has been visited by members of both families. We've celebrated Father's Day with my dad as well as Memorial Day with a backyard cookout. Last week, JT and I hosted four teenage girls from Jacksonville, FL., whose church was partnering with our church, Dauphin Way Baptist, on a Reach Mobile city-wide project. They stayed with us while performing various mission-related tasks around Mobile. Aly, Tiffany, Toshia, and Saraley were energetic and amazing young women; I miss them already. But, I look forward to creating and sharing many more happy memories in this house, our home.

"There is nothing like staying

at home for real comfort."

- Jane Austen

- W:)