I know you all are getting anxious for the baby posts…and I promise they’re coming soon (just like I hope BBB is coming soon…3 weeks to go!)  But, first I have to introduce you to our first baby – the kind with 4 walls!

So, after lots of looking we finally found just the right house!  Hooray!

Welcome home, Brown family.  Welcome home!

Over the next few weeks we tested some paint colors…

Gutted a bathroom…

Updated the kitchen…

And did a little yard work.  (A little pro landscaping – below – mixed with many hours of Robert and me (and GJ!) sweating face and on our hands and knees getting it all done!)

I’d say it all turned out pretty great!

We’ve loved living here and getting it all fixed up and decorated…during all the seasons!

So, we moved back down south, quickly settled into Birmingham and started to learn our way around and make new friends.  That didn’t stop our fun travels though!

We celebrated Mary Beth and Holland’s engagement and wedding in Montgomery…

And skied in Beaver Creek….

We went to weddings in Santa Fe…

North Carolina…

Aspen…

and we even got to go back to our old stomping grounds, New York City!

We welcomed a new member of the Patterson family!  Ava Delaney Patterson was born in May!

and a few months later we all made the trip to Tampa to see her get christened.

We were in a new city, Robert had a new job, I was working from home and things were great.  The only problem was that we were living in an apartment that made my NY apartment look like the Four Seasons.  Every Sunday we would scour the paper and internet and then hit the open houses!  We saw lots of duds, lots of ones we couldn’t afford and then we saw one that seemed just right…. (I know you can hardly wait for the next post.  such suspense!)

A few months after the wedding, Robert and I decided to change up our adventures a bit and say goodbye to Manhattan (sniffle, sniffle).  Robert got a job in Birmingham, AL and we took the ultimate road trip back to our Southern roots.

But we had to go to Anguilla for a wedding first…that was a good choice!  Thanks Lynds and Phil!

In August we packed up the rental car and headed out for a 3 day, 1000 mile road trip.

We stopped in Pennsylvania to see some familiar (and cute!) faces…

We took some super fun tours of battlegrounds in Gettysburg…is my sarcasm translating??  But, Robert loved it!

We took the scenic route through the Blue Ridge Parkway…

And visited Robert’s alma mater, Hampden-Sydney.

Finally we made it to our home in AL!

Ha!  I wish!  The Biltmore House was awesome but it couldn’t compare to our apartment when we finally made it to Birmingham…

Home Sweet Home!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I’m off to hang out with my parents and will be back next week with the rest of the story…

Just what you were wanting, right?!  If yesterday’s wedding post wasn’t enough, here are a few links to the photographer blog posts about our wedding.

Sarah Bussey – bridal portraits

Sarah Bussey – wedding post

Crystal Goss – wedding post

And below is a link to the 2 posts that my friend Abby did on her blog, Style Me Pretty, about the wedding.

Style Me Pretty – post 1

Style Me Pretty – post 2

As I said before, I really think we had the best wedding ever and would do it all again in a heartbeat.  I love being Mrs. Brown!

And that’s the last of the wedding pictures…promise!  🙂

Robert and I were married on January 19, 2008 in Naples, Florida with the most fabulous wedding weekend that ever was…at least in my opinion!  The weather was a little rainy and windy but the sun came out just as we said “I do!” on the courtyard of the Ritz Carlton.  Everyone danced, ate plenty of cake and had a great time.  I think Robert and I had the most fun of all!  There are waaaay too many pictures from that weekend that I’d love to put up here so I’m just going to have to choose a few favorites to share.

The weekend started with the rehearsal dinner at our house.  Sushi, key lime pie on a stick and lots of sweet and funny toasts…

Our wedding day simply could not have been more perfect…I think I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves!

Officially Mr. and Mrs. Brown and ready to continue the adventures!!!