This Guy

I don't think it is possible to love him any more than I do. I'm so glad God brought me from the opposite side of the world to the tiny town of Booneville, Mississippi where we would grow up side by side (I had a crush on him at age 11) before becoming neighbors 11 years later during our first semester at Ole Miss.

A few weeks ago we were in Florence, Alabama for a wedding, and Jonathan showed me around the campus of the University of North Alabama. The year before we connected at Ole Miss, he attended UNA and I was back home at Northeast Mississippi Community College. If he had stayed at UNA or I had stayed at NEMCC for two years instead of one (or gone straight to Ole Miss), we wouldn't have been neighbors. If he had chosen one hundred different paths, we wouldn't have ended up in Oxford that August, but for some reason he chose the path to Harris Grove Condos. He came into my life when I was at my most fragile, and he saved me. Those three years were some of the most fun of our lives, and when we left Oxford, we left together to start a new chapter in Memphis. All those years later, here we are getting ready to become parents.

In some moments we question God and ask why. I asked why a million times that year before Ole Miss. I will wake up every morning for the rest of my life thanking Him for sending Jonathan into my life. He is my heart. I can't wait to see him with our son.

P.S. I'm also really glad he still loves mowing the grass...or in this case, the sidewalk!

on the road: oxford, mississippi

In the heart of northwest Mississippi is the small town of Oxford, home of the University of Mississippi.

Other than the University, the crown jewel of Oxford is the historic town square. It has been painstakingly preserved and is home to the beautiful courthouse and many of the best restaurants in the city. The smells alone are worth a visit. After a meal, visitors and locals alike enjoy people watching and strolling through the many quaint, locally owned shops. Square Books, Off Square Books and Neilson's Department Store are our personal favorites, and we rarely leave town without a new book or three. 

A short walk from the square leads to Ole Miss where the Lyceum, Ventress Hall and the Grove are the most well known and photographed landmarks. While we are partial to Oxford in the spring and early summer, everyone should experience football season in Oxford at least once. Tailgating is an art form, the people watching is off the charts and of course SEC football is the best in the country. 

Oxford is distinctly Southern with a rich literary history and a growing reputation as a mecca for food and the arts. April is a great time to visit -- there's the Double Decker Arts Festival on April 25 and 26 and plenty of Ole Miss sports to enjoy the rest of the month.

I want to have a picnic in the Grove before the summer heat sets in....