Six Places

It's Day Five of the Ten Day You Challenge, and today's topic is a fun one--six places! I decided to give you a quick glimpse into my life by sharing six places that have helped to shape me and my live over the years. Here we go!

6. St. Louis, Missouri

{via}

This is where I was born. It's where my parents were born (well, close enough ;). It's where both sides of my family still live. I may have only lived there for the first year of my life, but I have a lifetime's worth of memories there. Growing up, we would usually go up for a week or so to visit with everyone, and then we'd usually go up again for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, too. To me, St. Louis is family. I can't wait to take Shelby there for the first time!

{old school family photo op}

5. Georgia--Suwanee & Athens
Growing up, whenever we were talking about St. Louis, my mom always referred to it as "home." I would always remind her: "That's not our home, Mom! We live in Georgia!" But now I get it. Georgia will always be home for us..just like St. Louis will always be home to her. I was raised in Suwanee, GA. We moved there when I was five, and my parents are still living in my childhood home. I have so many memories there, and now we are making memories there with Shelby.
When I was 18, I packed up and headed 45 minutes east to the town that bleeds red & black. Athens would be my home for the next five years as I completed my undergrad and then went on to receive my master's degree from the one and only University of Georgia. In 2007, we got married in Athens. Athens will always have a special place in our hearts.

{taken the summer after we graduated from UGA in 2006}

4. Hawaii
This is where we honeymooned and spent our first days as husband and wife.

{taken on our helicopter tour of Oahu Island}

3. Centreville, Virginia
The Air Force brought us here. {Well technically speaking, the Air Force took hubby to Bethesda, MD, but we lived in Centreville. For those of you who are familiar with the DC area, I'm sure you're thinking "Wow, that was one heck of a commute!" And yes, my friends it was.} Centreville is where we bought our first home and built our little life together.

It's also where we saw a lot of snow. Remember this and Snowmeggadon? I'm pretty sure we'll never see that much snow again as long as we live!

2. Biloxi, Mississippi
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is where we currently reside as Derek completes his residency in Internal Medicine at Keesler Air Force Base. It is where we Shelby brought into the world, and we will always remember it as her first home.

1. San Antonio, Texas
This is likely where the Air Force will take us next. Derek spent 6 weeks there during med school doing a rotation, and I had the opportunity to visit him while he was out there. From what we saw, we liked the area...we just didn't like how far away it was!!

{above is a blurry picture taken on the River Walk in San Antonio & below is the Alamo..a pretty "underwhelming" tourist attraction if I do say so myself}