Better late than never!

Daniel and I celebrated our 4th anniversary this summer! With his busy class schedule and my tired, pregnant self, we put off doing anything special for a few weeks. But we certainly made up for it with a day trip down to the coast.

On a recommendation from a friend in Albuquerque, we visited Mobile, AL. We had lunch at "Spot of Tea", in cathedral square. It was such a quaint little town with children playing in the fountains and the people so friendly. At noon, the clock tower chimed a famous hymn. I can't recall which song it was, but it was so beautiful to listen to!



We visited the USS Alabama, which was definitely a highlight for Daniel.  It made his father's Navy days seem so much more real. I think we both left there with an even greater respect for what he did. We couldn't believe the tight quarters and all the different levels that made up this huge WWII ship. And yes, I somehow managed to climb all those "stairs" (I think they were closer to ladders) and made it all the way to the top! I was completely exhausted for the next two days, but I was very proud! =) People were telling me that we would have to name the baby "Alabama" if I had the baby right there! The weather was also so miserably hot that my sunscreen was actually melting off of me. I didn't realize that was possible!

There was even a submarine we were able to tour. I can't imagine living under water in these cramped spaces for months at a time!

After visiting Mobile, we headed further south to the town of Fairhope. We spent some time resting and cooling down on a pier by the water. We had it all to ourselves for a while until our spot started to get popular. Daniel and I were thoroughly amused by the movie-like scene that played out in front of us. Two little boys walked up the pier, barefoot, with fishing poles over their shoulders. They told us how they were fishing for catfish or "croaker" with their heavy Southern accents. Their deep tans told us that this was probably a regular afternoon activity for these boys. It was like watching a scene from Tom Sawyer come to life!

We finished off the day by window shopping in downtown Fairhope. If the weather wasn't so hot and we weren't so tired, I would have loved to spend a lot longer looking at everything. The boutiques and shops were a girl's dream come true! Daniel got me a beautiful, hand-made pair of earring to remember our anniversary amd this trip.

This is me at 32 weeks. I'm almost two weeks past this point already and I seem to be growing by the day!

Daniel left for DC this morning. His JAG class is visiting national monuments, the Pentagon and the head of the JAG Corp, as well as getting sworn into the Military Court of Appeals. He'll be back at the end of this week, just before I fly back to Albuquerque. I'm heading back early to make sure Elijah doesn't make his appearance in transit or in Alabama. I can't wait to get back and get his room together! Only a few more days to finish up my lingering projects...