Okay, well this post was supposed to go up on March 16th, but we left for Miami before I could get it posted on here. It's still good though and an excellent reminder for me.
Do you remember this 30 Days of Thanks that took place during the month of November? Bloggers were to list one thing each day that they were thankful for...big or small. Well, that being said, yesterday marked the calendar for us being in Birmingham for one year. Exactly one year ago, we moved to the city and moved into our house (where we spent the night with no heat...brrrr! haha!). This blog entry is my Project Thanks B-ham! that is similar to the 30 Days of Thanks, only I am listing all my 30 in one day as a reminder of the good and positive things about being in Birmingham. Some days you just need a reminder, right? Well, here goes (of course, in no particular order):
1) Our quirky old brick house - it certainly has character and it's our first home together.
2) Our good (and cute) neighborhood complete with some of the only sidewalks in the city of Hoover/Birmingham - haha - it's really nice to walk/run!
3) All the festivals and activities.
At the Hot Air Balloon Festival
4) We have four beautiful seasons here.
(This is the one I'm looking forward to the most - Spring + Summer)
That's where we picked all these wild blackberries!
Yum! :-)
6) Great shopping! Whole Foods, Fresh Market, AWESOME TJ Maxx and Ross, GREAT mall, World Market, Pottery Barn, Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's, etc. even a Sak's 5th Ave (but I never go there)...all within 15 minutes.
8) Sitting on our deck under giant Magnolia trees.
9) The view from our road overlooking the bluff.
10) Fireflies!
11) Awesome city-wide YMCAs. They have sweet state-of-the-art facilities and crazy-awesome zumba, pilates, and yoga classes. Also, there is a PYT studio that I have been going to for some dance lessons. LOVE IT!
12) People coming to visit us. This is one of my most favorite things!
Mama & Daddy
Bill & Lyuba
Alona & Dima (and Julia!) + Motzart
Natasha & Lyosha
Ira & David
Rachel & Whitney also came for a visit on the way to Tuscaloosa, Sergey Mil was with us for a few days while he had interviews in B-ham, and Melissa & Roy are frequent visitors from Huntsville!
Anyone else passing through the B-ham or want to come visit? We would LOOOOVE to have you!
14) Improving our financial situation and making progress. Thanks to biblical principals and Dave Ramsey!
15) Quite possibly one of the most important - the growth of our marriage. When you move to a place where you do not know a soul, you really develop this strong relationship and you really have to depend on one another. It is hands down one of the best things about being here.
16) People being excited when you come back to town for a visit.
17) Having the opportunity to learn Russian here.
18) Meeting great people here such as Larissa (my Russian teacher) and her husband Vitaly.
19) Being able to visit cool places such as DC and Chicago through Misha's work.
20) Having the opportunity to see the inner workings of a faith-based non-profit. Mixed feelings on that one.
21) Living in a city that has a downtown with tall buildings and hearing traffic updates on the radio.
22) Visiting different churches.
23) The creation of my Pesto Pizza happened here in B-ham.
24) There is an Aveda Institute here. Love that my shampoo, cut, and style + hand massage + tip is only $20!
25) The Botanical Gardens & Birmingham Zoo
It started getting hard at this point!
26) Nice beer selection (this one is totally for Misha).
28) I have an office with a huge floor-to-ceiling window where I get to watch wildlife. Herons, turtles, snakes (ew), fish, nutria, otters, and beavers!
Check out this video of my co-workers and I watching the beavers:
29) All the neighborhoods & houses are all different and unique in their own way - very eclectic.
and finally...
30) Learning that I don't want to stay here...I want to be closer to my friends and family!
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