Redder Regalement

We were lucky in the neighbor department recently when our old nerighbors retired and headed further south and sold their home to a family of 5....well, nine if you count their animals. The Redder family is a fun loving bunch that we enjoy hanging out with when we can; which is often because....well...they are right next door! They have 3 precious boys and the youngest is Brody's age so he has a partner in crime these days. The other two boys are sweet and a joy to be around. You have Jackson who is the creative artistic one and you have Nolan who is a little dare devil. Hudson the youngest is Brody's bestest "freend".

We had the Redder's over on Sunday to carve our pumpkins for Halloween so here are some pictures of our afternoon. We ended up having some pretty cool pumpkins but I may be a little partial : )

Birthday Bliss

Happy Birthday, Susie....

Thank you for being you! May your day be filled with lots of laughter & love.

Packing Memories

Tomorrow we will be heading to Concord for a long weekend to celebrate Brody turning three! So that means I have been busy doing last minute loads of laundry and packing as I go.

I always feel so anxious when I pack for a trip because I always feel like I am not packing something I should and it's magnified by 100 when I am planning a party 8 hours away from home!

We decided to have Brody's party this year at my parents because a.) it's cooler there than here b.) our entire family and close friends live in Concord c.) and lastly (and the saddest) this is probably the last Birthday that my Pappaw will be able to celebrate with Brody.

I always tend to over pack which every single time I return home and have 50 loads of laundry to do I remind myself not to pack so much the next time....never fails....I still over pack.

With that being said, I better quit blogging and get back to packing!

Cuteness

One of the major perks about being a Mom is all the sweetness that comes from your child's mouth. usually my child is bossing me around with his mouth and a "beady eyed" look but occasional something sweet pops out of his mouth like today.

Today was a "SKiDO" day so he was excited that he got to see the Fuller girls. My child is like a miniature Hugh Hefner....he loves all three of the girls but Mills is his "main squeeze". This started out as a love (him) / hate (her) relationship but I guess his charming ways have rubbed off on her....or it may be the fact that he let her drive his Ford F150 truck around the yard a couple of months back. Either way, I have a little guy on my hands who is head over heels for "his" Mills. He affectionately calls her "My Mills" when he talks to anyone about his love interest.

This afternoon when I picked my little guy up he went and told Miss Mills good-bye and she grabbed his cheeks and pulls his face to hers and planted a big kiss on his lips. I about died from the cuteness factor....I mean, seriously, that is entirely too sweet for words.

I also have to mention the other adorable thing that happened today after VBS.....Brody has "tickle bites". At first I had no idea what he was talking about but then I noticed he was pointing to his face which has a few mosquito bites on it from playing in the yard yesterday. Seriously, how cute is that!??!?!?

Tickle Bites.

I *LOVE* IT!!!!

"You've Got Mail"

There was a time where I longed to hear the words "You've Got Mail" from my Gateway Desktop computer. I believe that we all used AOL as our first email accounts when the Internet hit big in the mid to late 90's....you know back when we still used dial up connection and had disks not discs. 


I think technology is a wonderful thing and it's proven to be awesome in my case once we moved away from home. Without Facebook or Email our family would be lost. That is our main form of communication on a daily basis...usually multiple times a day. If my parents don't hear from me once a day through some form of online source they will worry and you can be sure one of them calls to check in with me that evening. 


With that being said I must admit I think we have become too dependent on technology when it comes to communication. What happened to sending a greeting or letter through the good 'ole USPS? Our mailboxes (the ones at the road not on your PC) are overloaded with bills and junk mail but we rarely if ever get a nice greeting from a friend or loved one. Maybe I am old fashioned but every time I see a HANDWRITTEN card from a familiar name in my mailbox I instantly get a smile on my face. 


I am a card sending fool....maybe on the verge of crazy. I enjoy making & mailing cards/notes to my family and friends. There is something about a card that says you took the time to buy or make that person a greeting, hand write a quick hello, put a stamp on it and actually put it in the mail. You took time out of your day (and we all know we are ALL busy) for that person instead of just hitting the enter button on your computer. I completely agree it's faster, more convenient and just plain easy but sometimes I wonder what that says about us as people.


I guess I had this on my mind today because in Bible study we were talking about all of the "things" we have in our life that keep us so busy like technology that we forget what it was like when things were simple. Things that took time and showed effort.....a real effort. Sometimes I don't think we do take the time to do the simple things that mean the most. I know some people aren't "card people" and I totally respect that and I this blog isn't a slam to those who fall in that category. It was just a thought that was in my head and happened to be discussed today at church.


I am and always will be that card person. I like receiving greetings in the mail as do my kids. They can't wait to get to the mailbox to see what's in there from Nannee. Sometimes I just mail things to them so they have something to smile about. The crazy thing is that they really do appreciate it and it's something that makes not only them smile; it makes their heart smile too. 


Which brings me to this question....it's kind of like presents....do you really like the gift bag or does it mean more when it's wrapped. Just something to think about. Anyone can throw a gift in a bag with some tissue paper....wrapping it just seems more personal. 

Elation!

The weekend came, went and I am happy to say that I felt pretty darn good for most of it! FINALLY!!! I *think* that the nasty part of this horrible sinus infection that I had plaguing me for 10 long days has moved on it's cruddy little way. I am praying I do not encounter anything like it for a very long time because it ranked pretty high on my "What death feels like" list. 


Friday I ventured away from my bed and went to lunch with Susie. While most of my lunch from the Cookie Shoppe was untouched (I had no appetite) it was still nice to get out of the house and the stale smell of my room that I had barricaded myself in for so long. It was a short trip out but put some fresh air in my lungs, sunlight on my pale skin, good Vegetable soup in my tummy and allowed me to have some good girlfriend time. The lunch was short and sweet but very meaningful.


Saturday was a chaotic afternoon of me running around like a crazy lady trying to make 3 different parties  from 2 o'clock  thru  6 o'clock!! At first I was like any crazy lady thinking that it sounded completely normal and could be done. No worries, right? Um, sorta once I really stepped back and looked at the bigger picture! I made promises and I was keeping them. So that's just what I did even though it was a pretty stressful couple of hours.


Early Saturday I went to my new girlfriend, Laura Register's 1st Mary Kay party. I really wanted to attend this function  because it was he first party and she was really excited about her new venture into the MK world and I wanted to show her that I would support her and her new business.


After spending a little too much time at the party we were delayed to our next stop....a Birthday party for one of Brody's little classmates. It was held at a local gym here in town but we were over an hour late so he missed the jumping so we skipped right to the good stuff --- the Birthday cake, cookies and ice cream. He was happy with that and I was glad we were able to make it and let Brody and Daniel play even if it was only towards the end of the event. I know they had fun so that is all that matters in my book!!


Once we were finished with the last Birthday party we had to rush home because we were having the Fuller's over to grill out for dinner and let the kids swim in the pool. It was a fantastic evening for it because it was cooler and the gnats seemed less bothersome than usual. (Yes, we have gnats here in Georgia.) Everyone had a great time and we spent the night filling our bellies with hamburgers and hot dogs. I am sure all of the kids slept well last night because they played a lot out in the pool and running around the yard.


Today I did my shopping run to Publix to pick up a few items for the week. Even though we do our main shopping every other week I tend to have to back once a week to get more fruits, milk or lunch making stuff. It is always something when it comes to groceries!! I also never walk out of there without spending $100...It's impossible for me. 


All afternoon I worked on getting Victoria's teachers gifts ready for school so she could take them tomorrow. I made each teacher a monogrammed glass filled with candy. I really hope that they like them because Victoria and I thought that turned out perfect! I really should start selling  these types of things on Etsy.com because they are great gifts. 

The Zoo Crew....stalkers and all.

The past week while Lee County schools were celebrating Spring Break, Susie and I really tried to keep the days busy, busy, busy, so we wouldn't have to hear the annoyed groans like "I'm bored" or "What's next" from Victoria, Brody and Will. Annelise was added into the mix later in the day when she was picked up from Montessori School. 

Yesterday we decided after lunch at Pearly's Famous Country Cooking that we should head to the Parks at Chehaw so we could explore the zoo and bask in the sun. This has been my first time at the park since moving here. We did ride through their Christmas light exhibit but that was always at night and animals were not part of that exhibit. The Blake family are complete zoo nerds so they already have a membership and after the wonderful time we had I can say our membership is right around the corner. It's so totally worth the money because it's something we can take the kids to on the weekends and when the school is closed. I can also take Brody there during the week to do something fun and educational when he's not in preschool. Sounds like a win/win situation if you ask me!


While at the zoo we enjoyed seeing the Alligator exhibit which had tons of gaters sleeping in the sun. Brody called these huge monsters, "Dinosaurs". I got a lesson from Susie on the different type of snakes and which ones we need to look out for here in Albany....rattlesnakes. Really??!? I mean, the scariest one of them all in my book and they are everywhere around our location in the Deep South. I can't believe I slept last night after seeing that thing! I don't do snakes.


We all enjoyed the Meerkat exhibit because they are the CUTEST things ever and have so much personality! They reminded me of little Alex's running around. I seriously wish they could be domestic animals because I would beg for one!


After spending time at the zoo it was time to leave and go get Miss Annelise from school.It was still early so we decided to continue the fun and find Paula Deen's childhood home that is only a couple miles away from both of our homes. Yes, I will repeat it....We only lives a few miles from Paula Deen's childhood home! 


(Can Albany/Leesburg seriously get any better?!?!? )


We entered the coordinates into the GPS and we were on our merry way to Southern bliss *squeals*! As we rounded the corner to her street my heart sank because this once cute community has now turned into the G.H.E.T.T.O a less than desirable location. I am sure that poor little house has had more than food cooking in that kitchen these days. It's actually for rent and if I had it in me I would love to go back to check it out on the inside but I don't think I feel safe enough to go back into the neighborhood. You could tell that this once cute street had seen it's share of better days. Nonetheless, we got to see what most won't or can't see so I am happy. It's something that Susie and I can say "We've been there, done that". 


After feeling somewhat brokenhearted over poor Paula's house we took the kids to the Turtle Park in Albany and that was definitely a good decision! I had never been to this park and I am glad we got to go because it was a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e and had 2 playgrounds depending on your age (which is a life saver when you have a toddler). The park has so much to offer children of all ages so it's something we will frequent this spring/summer.


Yippeeeeee for surviving Spring Break with the children. I think they enjoyed themselves and we ended up having a blast, too. 

Life is a journey....travel it well.

Life is a journey and needs to be traveled well and lately mine hasn't been. The past few years have been very hard for me and has been a non-stop roller coaster. I have had many highs and some very low points the past 10 years and all of it has either made me a stronger person or taught me a lesson that needed to be learned. I have always been on the "right path" in life but I have had my share of little detours but thanks to age (and my Momma) I have been able to see the light and got myself back on the path that I was intended to be on.

I don't know if getting sick for 5 very long days was an epiphany of some sort but it was definitely a wake up call and I have been trying to get in gear since last Friday. I have stopped taking all of my medicines that my Doctor had me on (anxiety/depression/chronic pain/appetite enhancer) except for my Lunesta which I have to take in order to sleep. I wanted to take a break from all of those mind/thought/feeling suppressants and see how I can act without them. I hate feeling "numb" from them and I wanted to see what it felt like being me without all of the chemicals involved. Right now it seems to be working well and I honestly have NEVER felt better!!! I feel so free and I can actually "feel" again and when I need to cry the tears come....I am no longer "numb" and I am praying I can keep it that way. I know there may be a time when I may need help again but I am really going to do it naturally instead of chemically. So enough of that boring stuff and on to the more interesting things about my week so far and good things that are on the horizon! 

Vic won her soccer game on Monday (yay) and we have one on Thursday that I am hoping we can make. Not so sure though because it's over an hour away and she really digs riding the bus home after the game with the team so she's cool with us not going to away games. They have had a great season with only one loss and we couldn't be any prouder of her than we are now. She's keeping her grades up, keeps herself out of trouble, stays involved with sports, band and FCA. She is such a great and sweet kid. I need to really stop sweating the small stuff that she is doing that annoys the ever living crap out of me (Thanks OCD & Teenage Hell) and enjoy the next few years we have of her left at home! Her next couple of weeks will be really busy because they have the "Trojan Trot" that her soccer team is running to help raise funds for their athletic program at school. The Lady Trojan soccer team has been invited to play in a tournament in several weeks so she's really excited about that. 




Brody is thriving here too and growing like a weed. He is enjoying being a constant fixture at his Sissy's soccer games and he's her number one fan. He has also enjoyed attending the Dixie T-Ball League games we frequent to support Susie & John's son, Will. It's a great family "date" and it's basically a weekly thing that everyone does around here. Baseball is BIG in the south...like almost to a point of insane. These people eat, breath, sleep and breed their offspring to play ball. Whew, glad we figured that out NOW so we can start helping Brody learn how to play the game.  Brody told us tonight that he was going to play T-Ball and was "gonna be guuud at it"! I love him and yes, baby, you will be awesome.


Ah, living in the Deep South is more and more starting to feel like home. I so wish my parents were here to live this life with us. It's an amazing experience and one I am so blessed and thankful about. It is my heaven on earth. Honestly. Everyone should get to experience this just once.....just once and they would be hooked.


Goodnight Y'all. Don't let the gnats bite ;)

Puppy Love

Ah, puppy love....wasn't that such a great stage in our younger years?? To go back to that type of "love" would be wonderful (in some ways). Those days were were filled with butterflies in your tummy, smiles you couldn't wipe off your face, burning red cheeks and love letters that were straight from the heart. Such an innocent and fun time. I had forgotten about all of that until tonight when we were at Susie's house for dinner and both of our boys seemed to be hit by cupid. 

Brody is in L.O.V.E with Susie's daughter, Annelise! He has had a few "gewlfreends" in his short 2.5 years on earth but something about this one has him wanting more. I mean, I guess if I were a little boy she would be right up there on my "gewlfreend" list too! She is a beautiful blue eyed, blonde haired girl who has a bubbly personality to go along with her precious good looks (and wardrobe - Thanks to Cosco & LaLa). She is super sweet to him and I think he eats that up in all honesty. She holds his hand, tickles him, gives him hugs and practically tells him what to do but he doesn't mind because as long as he's her top priority that is all that matters to my little guy. Luckily, for now it's puppy love but it hurts my heart a tad because I know my baby is growing up and one day that puppy love will turn into the real thing and I can't even begin to think about that. It gives you a sense of losing something so special and dear that it's really a feeling of great loss. I don't think anyone can fully understand what I am talking about until they are a mother of a little boy or a father of a little girl. It is a strong bond that's between the two that nobody can totally grasp or explain....or at least *I* haven't been able to.

Susie's son, Will, is in the same boat as Brody but he is head over heels for Victoria who is 11 years older than he is. He gets all bright eyed and smiley when she is in the room and it's the cutest thing to watch. He acts all tough and macho around her which is comical but not in a "make fun" of him type of way; it's heart warming. Tonight he came to me while I was cleaning up after dinner and handed me a note on a bright green piece of paper. Before reading it I had STRICT instructions to give it to her on Friday morning so I agreed and read his note/love letter. I opened it and honestly I thought I was going to cry because it was too sweet for words....he wrote " I will marry you someday". Seriously?!? How can this little boy have more sweetness in him than most grown men I know!! I swear, I think these young men need to give a class called "Sweetness 101" because they got it down. I am 32 years old and that melted my heart and I wanted to marry the little fellow right then and there in the kitchen! However, I didn't follow the directions Will had given me earlier because we really wanted Susie to keep the darling little note for years down the road. Victoria did read the love letter statement and was flattered.....seriously, how could anyone not be?

Now for my own puppy love -- oh dear. I have been wanting to get Brody his own dog for a while now because he is at a great age where he can appreciate an animal that's his. We are in a large enough house that has a large enough yard for the puppy to play and roam freely. We also happen to have 3 kennels so one is open and readily available for a new addition to the Beemer house. I was browsing the local shelters and ran across the most PRECIOUS puppy ever and fell in love instantly. Her name is Lucy and she's a 6 month old Lab/Rot mix. I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since I found her post online. It breaks my heart to see the picture of her with that cute snout poking through the fence she's been living in the past 2 months. I have expressed my desire to have this puppy to my husband but he's not biting. I honestly don't think he knows how bad this has me torn up inside. I can usually see pictures of these sweet babies that need homes and go on about my day without thinking twice but this little puppy has tugged at my heart strings and isn't letting go. I am really hoping and praying he has a change of heart because I think Lucy could bring a lot of joy in our lives and most importantly Brody's. 

Wow, what a weekend!

This past weekend was a jam packed with family, friends and good times (and some not so good times). Making memories is what I like to do and we accomplished that on Saturday - yay, us!

Friday started off with dining at the cutest restaurant in downtown Albany with Susie & Brody. I had been hearing rave reviews about the food from "The Cookie Shoppe" for months and I have never gotten around to eating there so I suggested to Susie we try the place out for our lunch date. Susie is all about trying new places and things and soaks up anything "Southern" so I knew she would be dying to dine there like I had been. All I can say is that it definately lived up to it's reviews because it was A.W.E.S.O.M.E! I think they had the best chicken salad sandwich that I have ever tasted and their sweet tea was like drinking my Mammaw's. Brody dined on their homemade cookies and from his reaction they were pretty good. This quaint little hole in the wall has seen many years of locals from every nook and cranny in the Albany area. You walk in the front door and it feels like you went back in time. The only thing that gives you the notion you are in 2011 is the credit card machine -- other than that you are dining in the past. Susie and I both loved it so I am sure we will make that a regular spot for our lunch dates. 

Saturday morning we woke up to gloomy cold skies but that wasn't going to stop us from heading to Will's first T-Ball game of the season. We put on our layers, headed out the door and I had no idea what I was about to particpate in. I have never been a big baseball fan but apparently that is not heard of around here because baseball is serious business. Parents (like Susie) are diehard fans and if you closed your eyes for a second you would think you were sitting at a Major League game. I mean, aren't we? It *is* the Dixie League for crying out loud....where have I been? All joking aside, it was pretty awesome to see these little boys play and it's not fun and games...it's serious. Their rules are strict and the umpire is brutal; I am not sure I have the heart to watch the games. Seeing those little shoulders slouch after missing their ball or throwing the ball in the wrong direction is enough to make this Momma want to run out there and give them a hug and they aren't even my own flesh and blood. According to Susie (and the other Mothers) you can only do that for your team....not the other one -- no matter how young they are :) After an hour of an emotional, nerve racking, nail biting game my heart could finally do a happy dance because Will's team won and that made for a very happy camper in the Blake clan. 


Once the celebration was over we decided it was time for some pizza and the Mardi Gras festivities. After dining on the most amazing pizza ever we headed over to downtown for Mardi Gras, Albany style. It was so much fun even though the weather wasn't cooperating like we would have liked. Our turtles didn't win the race but a good time was had by all and that's what mattered most.


Now, for the downer of our weekend....after a wonderful time at the festival we came home to a note on our front door. That is never a good sign. It seems while we were gone our water line busted and water was spewing all over our neighbors yard so they turned our water off. The house currently has no water pressure and red clay dirt is coming through the pipes until it can be fixed today. Definately bad timing because laundry needed to be done and so it's all still piled up in my bathroom until we can run the washer. I am praying it gets fixed today and nothing major is wrong! 

"The Good Life City"

While "googling" some information online for a few upcoming events in Albany today I ran across the quote for the city...."The Good Life City". Reading that (and typing it) made me smile because it couldn't be more true. Granted, maybe this rings truer for some more than others but none the less in my case it's ringing loud and clear. Moving here has been a mixed bag of emotions but I am in a great place with great people and it couldn't feel better (unless my parents were to move here or a bit closer and then it would be nothing but p.e.r.f.e.c.t.i.o.n)! Our children attend outstanding schools and they are thriving in our new location which in all honesty is the only thing that matters. Mike enjoys his job and it's providing us a lifestyle where we can get out and do things and have a few luxuries here and there. I have met some fabulous ladies and with Susie moving here it made my social life come full circle. We live in a wonderful community in a beautiful home that I didn't think we would own until we retired (we close next Friday! yay!). The Beemer Family is living "The Good Life" here in Albany, Georgia and it's a blessed feeling that I hope lasts for many years.

As for my Google search today, I was checking out the festivities that we were planning for this weekend. It's going to be a jam packed Saturday with fun, food and friends (weather permitting) celebrating Mardi Gras! 

Tomorrow we will start off with a little T-Ball because we are eager to see Will (Susie's son) play his first game of the season. He is on the Yankees team but we will forgive him; he doesn't get to choose his team name. We have become very close with the Blake family since their arrival to Albany and we want to support their kids in the activities because all kids need a good support system when it comes to athletics...however, I think Susie and Sissy could probably handle it all on their own! Will should have a large cheering section because his grandparents arrived today so there will be about 9 people rooting him on! I hope that he does well and enjoys it as much as I know we will. 

After the game we will be heading over to celebrate the annual Mardi Gras festival in downtown Albany. This is supposed to be a fun filled bash that has Food, Beer, Live Music, Craft Vendors and so much more....it's kid friendly too so our kiddos are looking forward to it. During the festival one of our small town attractions called the "Flint RiverQuarium" is having their annual "Turtle Race" and of course I had to buy a few entries to this interesting event. You "adopt" rubber turtles and they are all dumped down a large fountain outside the aquarium and the first 5 turtles that cross the finish line are winners. Prizes include $3k cash, free gas for a year, free kayak, free Chick-fil-a for a year and a $1k Publix giftcard. All proceeds go to the Aquarium so at least we are supporting a local business. It really is a neat place to take your kids and they offer so many educational classes for them during the year.

The weather is supposed to be a bit iffy tomorrow so I am praying it stays clear until late evening. I would hate for such a planned fun filled day to be ruined because of rain! It seems that is always how Mother Nature works, doesn't it? She doesn't come around when we need her but then when she wants to drop buckets of rain we would rather opt for the sunny blue Georgia skies. 

Starbucks, Shoes and Southern Spirit

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the southern city of Albany, Georgia! My morning started off with a much needed coffee date at Starbucks! Susie and I met for some girl time and ended up spending almost 4 hours catching up on the past....hmmm, how many years??? I don't even want to count because it makes me feel old. Needless to say there was a lot to talk about and I enjoyed every.single.minute of it. Luckily for me (and hopefully her) we live about 10 minutes from one another and our little ones attend school within 5 minutes from Starbucks so it works out great! I can't tell you how uplifted and renewed I felt there yesterday; Susie is just a joy to be around and she makes you "excited" about life. It was like going to therapy and my soul has really needed it. It was so refreshing and it's like we picked up where we left off years ago. I think a lot of that has to do with Facebook (best thing ever) because we reconnected there first and by the grace of God, now in person here in Albany! Our kids love one another and our husbands could seriously have been best friends in another life...and then you have me and Susie who also share a lot of the same interests, values, expectations ---I could go on but you get the point. We click. 

While having our coffee date we also enjoyed people watching as all Southern females do. Now, you have to consider the town and the type of people that live here to truly comprehend what I am about to say. First and foremost, I am not condemning the girl for her sense of style because we all have one and we all deserve to have our own unique sense of fashion so don't go bashing my blog because of the next few lines.....Here goes.


Susie and I were talking a mile a minute and then to my dismay all I see is a pair of "KISS" type boots walking my way and I was speechless. I can't even really tell you what the girl looked like or what she was wearing other than skinny jeans because I couldn't get past the shoes/boots she had one. First, I was trying to figure out how in the hell she was able to walk in them and how they could be remotely comfortable. Secondly, I was wondering if I had entered the twilight zone because that is not what you normally see here in Albany. Our new city is a very reserved and laid back one where people are up on the latest trends of fashion; wearing designer or vintage labels, polos, khaki's, sundresses, large sunglasses, designer handbags and cute chic shoes. They would never dare to push the envelope as this young woman did because of the gasps and stares that would ensue (like Susie and I did -- wrong or right). She was also pushing extremely hard to wear that into the "coveted" Starbucks in our small town.  Our Starbucks is usually packed in the mornings and she didn't walk through the doors until almost noon so it wasn't very busy; had it been in the morning you probably could have heard a pin drop. I give her major points for having the nerve to walk into a place like that because she owned who she was and her unique sense of style -- I could have never done it. 


I know that paragraph above makes this area sound like a very fake and mean place to live but it's not. It has charm and everyone is very polite and will talk to you even if they don't know you. They open doors for you, carry bags for you and they still have grocery guys here that take the stuff to your cars. You are always greeted with "Yes, Ma'am" or told "No, Sir". If your children do not address others that way then you aren't considered raising your children right. It's a staple in this community and frowned upon if it's not done. The ladies here have a ton of class and there is a lot of "old money" so they have a lot of the luxurious and finer things in life but you wouldn't know it because they are genuine people. "Albanyians" are very down to earth and I would say many of them are very sincere when speaking to you even if they had just met you. They really care about what you think and want you to love their community as much as they do. The men are a "bunch of good 'ole boys" and the woman embrace their southern heritage and bring you housewarming gifts/home cooked meals when you move here (Sorry, Susie, I am still bringing you dinner one night-things got crazy!). 

I can really only sum Albany up as "Steel Magnolias", "Andy Griffith" and "Forrest Gump" all rolled into one. If small town living isn't something you love then you would be miserable here because we are about as small town as it gets. But I <heart> Albany and love calling it home.