Annie Adair Moody

Adair,

On this day 19 years ago I became a big sister.

I have loved you since the day you were born.

  A little red headed "princess."

Although you and I have the largest gap in age compared to all four of us, I feel we have a special bond.  We share a tie of having both a big and little sister and also have the privilege of being a big and little sister.  We are the middle children.

I've been told that when you were young I loved taking you out of your crib to show you our "new" porch.  Even if I was holding you by your neck,  I wanted to show you the world.  You are so unique in so many ways.  From your red hair and beautiful dimples to being left handed you've always been one of a kind.  Growing up we always loved teasing that you were "adopted" yet LOVED the fact that your name was Annie and you had red hair just like the movie. 

One of my favorite memories with you took place about a year and a half ago.  Mom and Dad told me that you were on the ballot for homecoming court.  Day after day I waited to see who made the next cut.  As soon as I heard you made top three for the seniors I knew I wanted...no I NEEDED...to be there for you.  Although you didn't know it at the time, I booked a flight home to surprise you.  The whole next week during your homecoming activities I kept telling you how excited I was for you and how sad I was that I couldn't be there.  I even told you I couldn't come because Pi Phi's Grub was that weekend (which was true) and I already had a date.  So the day finally came to fly home on that Thursday afternoon. When I got home that night you were already at the fire station helping decorate your class homecoming float.  As soon as I walked in the door everyone was ready to go see you.  Even Mary Jeanne came home a day early to surprise you.  So off we went to the fire station and once we got there I kind of stood back so that you would see Mom and the others first.  You were surprised and excited when you saw that Mary Jeanne came home a day early, but I will never forget the look on your face when our eyes met.  You rushed to me and squeezed me tight with your head in my shoulder and tears falling down.  I was overwhelmed and I felt so blessed.  Blessed that, though we are miles apart, our relationship is still so strong and grateful that I was able to come home to support you for this special event.  I was so thrilled to be there!  You looked so beautiful in your blue formal dress and in your purple dress for the football game.

That, my little princess, is one of many of my favorite memories with you.

As this day comes to an end I want you to know that I love you.  You are continuously in my thoughts and prayers.  Both your strength and wisdom are admirable and your love for God is unfailing.  You are such a beautiful 19 year old on the inside and out.  We have a lot of more memories to make together and I will cherish each and every one of them.

Every Mile A Memory

522.6 miles

That is the distance from my house in Scottsboro to my house in Baton Rouge.

I-59 and I-12

Those are the two interstates I've spent countless hours on from home to school and vice versa

I recently made this drive after a brief visit home for Mardi Gras break.  On my drive back down to BR I realized that this may be one of the last times I make this exact drive.  Sure, after college I'll come back to visit LSU but I won't necessarily be driving from my parent's house.  I will have a new home, a new destination.

This eight hour drive that I have been making over the past four years has definitely made an impact on my life.  I've come to appreciate the true meaning of the phrase "distance makes the heart grow fonder."  Meaning I love and appreciate my hometown but I also love the fact that I go to a school that is out of the ordinary for someone from Scottsboro.  My drive consists of eight hours of listening to music, talking on the phone, and thinking about experiences I just had or of what's to come.  I've spent hours listening to music ranging anywhere from Colbie Caillat's first album my freshman year of college to the new hits of Justin Bieber.  Taylor Swift's songs have consumed my ears over the passed four years, sometimes by choice but mostly due to the fact that xm radio over plays all her latest hit songs.  But if I'm going to be honest here I'm a country girl at heart so I listen to mostly country music on my long drives.

I love the fact that I have to go through Tuscaloosa on my drive.  It gives me the option of stopping to eat lunch with a friend on my way back to BR or staying the night to break up my long drive on my way to Scottsboro.  

I spend most of my drive reflecting and anticipating.

Depending on whether I'm headed north or south will determine what is on my mind.

This last drive though I thought mostly of my college memories.  I remember driving home for my first fall break freshman year and how excited I was to be reunited with my best friends.  Now I love coming back to BR to catch up on all the latest drama with my friends and planning our next adventures.

Needless to say...

I love all those 522.6 miles of memories. 

HAPPY MARDI GRAS

This is my first year since I've been in college to spend my Mardi Gras break at home.  Every other year I have enjoyed celebrating in New Orleans, but I decided this year I'd take a break and head up to North Alabama.  It's funny though because of course my family celebrates this holiday but today was just a regular Tuesday for everyone else here.  Before college I didn't even realize how big of a deal Mardi Gras was or even how it was celebrated.  All I knew was that it involved beads and king cake.  This year I even brought home a praline pecan and a cream cheese king cake as well as some other little goodies :)

Here are a few pictures from our own little Mardi Gras celebration here at the Moody house

Mom made some delicious gumbo!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mardi Gras!!  Now I just need to decide what I should give up for lent.  What are you going to give up??