Alabama Adventures and Nate's Graduation

 It was great being in Alabama - especially in the late winter and early spring. Beautiful weather. We were there for 2 months while Nate was attending JAG (Military Law) School. He finished by graduating, and I was so proud of him. It was a smaller graduation, but it felt to me like perhaps the most significant - since now he gets to do what he has always wanted to do. The following are some adventures we had on the weekends. I had no idea Alabama has so much history. The people were also so kind. Nate's friend from his freshman year at BYU lives there, and his wife and I became good friends. She even threw me a baby shower before I left. I couldn't believe how people will just throw their arms around you, and love you - even if you're there for two months. We loved our ward - a lot of diversity, and fun feeding the missionaries too while we were there. We also made some other good friends while we were there. Our apartment, though small, was beautiful - and I was so thankful for the swimming pool that accompanied it. Thank you Alabama, for being so good to us.

Gulf Shores, Alabama Beach. I never knew Alabama had such beautiful beaches - and of all of them (including Florida's beaches), I think this was my favorite.

Truman Show House in Seaside Florida - a pristine little seaside city

He's always good for a laugh. Here we got to hang out with a wonderful family with 4 kids that we knew in Charlottesville. The Dad is a JAG now like Nate, but a former special forces guy. Cool family. They are stationed here in Florida.

Rosa Parks Museum. We lived about a mile from here.

Where she was kicked off the bus and thrown into jail

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

A walk down Dexter Avenue on a beautiful spring Sabbath

Dexter Avenue Church where Martin Luther King preached for many years before he went full time in the Civil Rights movement. Fun to meet many people who knew him and were taught by him.

Pensacola Lighthouse

These two cuties have my heart. I can't believe I made it to the top :). This big Mama was outa breath.

Monroeville - To Kill a Mockingbird Courhouse

Easter Egg hunt

Stan and Mason even won the baskets

um...this sweet bunny!!!!

fun games afterward

The Martin Luther King Jr Home in Montgomery, Alabama

The Alabama State Capital. Our tour guide marched with Martin Luther King in Selma. Fantastic Tour.

watching Daddy play gatorball - and checking out the dogs

Naval Aviation Museum with Nate's buddy from UVA

This was the Capital Building where Jefferson Davis was made the first and last President of the Confederacy

baseball is a big deal in Alabama - fun to go to a game - The Biscuits.

Nate's graduation dinner. Handsome guy right there!

His graduation

So neat to have the top JAG General there with his wife. They were both so kind and personable to me - professional with Nate :)

Tuskegee Air Fields - WWII African American Pilot Training. I didn't get a picture - but we also visited the Tuskegee School where Booker T Washington founded the amazing school which is a beautiful campus and still in operation today.

Also on our drive back to Arkansas - the Hellen Keller home. Love her and so much fun to visit her home.