The Evans: GRADUATION AND FAMILY TIME!

Sometimes I have to stop and remind myself that Gordy truly has already finished graduate school. Not because I feel like he didn’t work for those degrees (those were some busy two years!) but because it just flew by and it really doesn’t feel totally real to be here now and have a husband who is finished with school forever after 2.5 years of marriage. Man, it is wild! I’m so so proud of him though. We felt extremely lucky to have so many visitors the week of his graduation. My parents, G’s parents, and G’s twin sisters (aka the younger sisters I always dreamed of having) all came to celebrate with us and to visit Bama before we moved away! Oddly enough, everyone had problems getting here and had delayed flights, so we were happy when everyone finally made it and grateful for the sacrifices they made to come out! We had so much fun showing them around town! We did lots of fun stuff, including:

the Civil Rights Institute
Kelly Ingram Park
16^th Street Baptist Church
Gordy took his last final!!!!
Baron’s game
Donut Joe’s
Mom’s bday!
Eli’s Jerusalem Grill: finally got to give my parents a good taste of Jerusalem!
Our dear friend Peg’s baptism! She is literally the nicest person I know. Love her!
Niki’s West
UAB tour for our families
Graduation Ceremony: the worst part was the bagpipe brigaide that circled the graduates so slowly! haha. But it was a good celebration...complete with confetti at the end!
Graduation Dinner - Gordy received the "El Presidente" Award haha. Such a great way to end our time at UAB! We will miss everyone!
Last Sunday in our ward :(
Big Sunday dinner
Sunday walks around the pond and down our favorite street of Southern mansions – Mel was scared a spider was going to fall from the trees!
Dominos / Mexican train (Father Gordon even played!!!)
Rickwood Field: the first baseball park in America! Ever watched "42"? This field is in it most of the movie, just with different backdrops. They've made a big effort to restore the park and keep it like it was when it was originally built.
The Vulcan
Saw’s
the Peanut Depot: we finally tried boiled peanuts...and really liked them!
Steel City Pops
Sloss Furnaces
Birmingham Temple

I remember when we would tell our friends that our families were coming at the same time they would ask us if we were nervous if it would be awkward. Haha. Honestly, I wasn’t even nervous about that and I didn’t feel like it was weird at all! We just have such great people and they know each other decently well so we just thought it would be a party and it was. We wished so badly that we had a bigger place to house everyone, but besides that it was a blast!

We loved spending time with family and having them come visit us! We always love going home, but it was so much fun to play host and to introduce our families to things we love and this city that will always be a big part of our hearts. And I’m a big advocate for people coming to visit us because then they get our full attention for the duration of our time together! It’s the best! :) (shameless plug for visitors) We love our family!! Thanks for coming to support Gordy (and I) and for all the love you give to us! We couldn’t be luckier. Here's a bunch of pictures from our fun time together!

^^ Isn't my mom adorable?! So animated, which is something I love about her. It was so fun to spend her birthday with her, which doesn't ever happen because we live far away! ^^