Who's in Alabama and where are you at? Tell me some things you love about the state...

DH is very possibly going to be getting a job transfer from Missouri to Alabama. About 20 miles or so south of Birmingham. I've lived in Mo all my life. All my friends and family and everything I know is here. I'm excited at the prospect but I'm also nervous. We have 4 children, 3 girls that are all school age and a baby boy that will be one in Nov. Anyway, I was just wondering how many of "us" there are in Alabama.

Hi Michelle, I'm a Mo transplant to Alabama too, Independence area. My husband was from AL and we moved back here in 1993 when we got the chance after we were married a couple of years to be close to his family. We live around 60 miles north of Birmingham and love it. I love the climate have met some really nice friends, the folks down here are the best. Good luck to you in your move. Pam from Bama

Thanks Pam! Jer 29:11 is one of my very favorite verses in the Bible!

Hi Michelle,
Not sure how old this post is because I don't know how to set the date on cc. Anyway I'm in Alabama. Not close to where you will be. I am west of Mobile down on the coast. I did live in the B'ham area when I was younger. Hueytown, Bessemer and McCalla. Where will you be moving to and how soon? We make a lot of trips to Tuscaloosa to watch BAMA play. Welcome to the Bible Belt. When you get here be sure and listen to Rick and Bubba on the radio. Not sure what the station is where you will be. You can look them up online at www.rickandbubba.com They are based in B'ham and are a blessing. Conservative Christians who don't mind sharing their faith and they are hilarious. Best of luck with the move.
Diane

Hi, Michelle,
I'm a Bama gal! I live about 30 minutes from downtown Birmingham, in a town called Argo. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was born and raised in Alabama, grew up in a city called Trussville. There is much to do and much to see in Alabama. Once you get settled in, you must travel to northern Alabama to a place just outside of a town called Fort Payne, to see Little River Canyon. It is absolutely georgious,and many people do not even know it exists. It is a small Grand Canyon.
School systems are wonderful for the most part, and there are tons of churches just waiting for new members to get involved.
I know leaving all you've ever known will be a hard test of faith, but you are moving to a wonderful state. Wish you blessings on your "new adventures"...

Kim

What is the name of the town in which you will be moving? I may be able to tell you some things about it...

We're not quite sure yet. DH is leaving tomorrow to go to Calera. His company has 3 different plants there and they're all pretty close to each other from what I understand. We've been checking out houses online in the towns of Calera, Hoover, Helena, Alabaster, and Pelham. Anything at all that you guys would like to share would be appreciated. Thanks so much!

DH will make his decision within the next 2 weeks......pray for God's will to be done with what's best for our family! Thank you!!!

Hey Michelle!!

Welcome to our wonderful state. Calera is a beautiful city. I live about 15 minutes away from Calera in a little town called Chelsea. In fact, I am about 5-20 minutes away from all of those towns Please pm me and I will be more than happy to welcome you and talk some more with you about where to find things and other things like that. We will definately be praying for you and your family. No matter how excited you are about moving and traveling, it is always hard. Good luck and if you need someone to talk to, pm me.

Happy Caking,
Em

My husband has family living in Pelham and Calera. They seem to be wonderful towns. They have really grown over the last few years,too. Lots of shopping, churches, schools. I think you will be happy with any of these towns.

I may live in FL, but Alabama is what I consider home. All my family lives there. Knel, my Aunt lives in Argo near Argo Margaret Rd. I visit her everytime I come home. Alabama is beautiful and full of wonderful, hometown, wholesome folks. I'm soooooo homesick now I could cry.

Good luck on your move Michelle....you will love Alabama.

Hi Michelle,

I was born in MO. In fact, I was there 2 weeks a go for a funeral, still have relatives there in the St. Louis area. I've been living in AL forever now & wouldn't live anywhere else. They don't call it "Alabama The Beautiful" for nothing. That seems to be a fast growing area you're talking about & I'm sure you'll love it.
AL's got everything....wonderful people, the Space Center in the north & the beaches in the south...with everything else in between.

Nancy

Well good luck with your move, I think you will find Alabama has many good qualities, I had lived there for 25 years and I have most of my family still there. I have a sister that lives in Alabaster, she is a relator there and can help you find an area if you want, PM me and I will give you details and her number. it is a great little town. There is so much to do and see in Alabama. Go to the Vulcan and learn the history of it. The zoo there is great if you have children. Check out the Caverns, Rickwood and Desoto, they are cool. Alabama has great parks. I hope you like football, you must declare a side as soon as you get there, Auburn or Alabama. If you don't, fans will bombard you to take side. LOL.

Serenatea, I live in a new subdivision right off of Argo-Margaret Rd. My husband and I and our 2 1/2 year old have lived here for 3 years and LOVE it! SMALL WORLD!!!

Very small world....wish I lived closer to my Aunt. I love that area. It's nice and secluded...

And your cakes are beautiful....

Thanks, Serenatea!

I was brought up a city girl in the Center Point area and moved to Trussville in my teen years with my family. Both of which are major city life. My husband is from Carbon Hill, a little one red-light town in northwestern Alabama(Walker County). Very country... We love Argo. It's close enough to Trussville with all of its immenities, but far enough away to have our peace and quiet out here.

Michelle, you're just going to love it!

I am not in Alabama but I just had to say
Roll Tide!! Have a good day!

Hi Michelle ,
Welcome. I am born and raised in Birmingham. Lived in Atlanta ( our Captial here in the south) and also Houston. Don"t be afraid , the winters are fairly mild but the summers can get hot. A/C is a must. I think what I love most is the warmth of the people here. You actually know your neighbors and you make connections that are never broken. ( Not networking, not the same) .

You will need to become familar with Louise's Cakes and Things in Hoover (between Birmingham and Calera). Nice supply store and bakery. If she doesn't have it in stock, she will get it for you.

BTW , love you designs , will be great to have you in the area.

Thanks so much for the encouragement! I feel ....... oh I don't even know. A little excited a little nervous. I have my moments. We have 4 kids, Sydney is 12, she's in the 6th grade, Isabelle is 8 and in 3rd, and Anna is 7 and is in 2nd, and then there's Otto, and he's 11 months old. We haven't said anything to the kids yet. Sydney is the one that I'm most concerned about. She just at such an emotional hormonal stage already. I'm just praying that the Lord will prepare her heart for this if this is what He has in store for us. It just feels so strange to know that I run into people that I know here ALL the time. There pretty much is no anonymous....LOL! DH wishes that there was!! He just left today for Al. He's been on the road for about 6 1/2 hours but just outside of Memphis there was a bad wreck and he was stuck in that traffic for an hour and a half to go 15 miles. So it'll take him a little longer than expected. I cried like I was 15 when he left! We've been married for 13 yrs...you'd think I would be able to control myself a little bit better than that! I didn't....but I could've boohooed!!! I miss him so much already....I just feel like I should be with him. Not that that is an option right now. Oh Man! Sorry this got so whiny!

Are there homebakers in Al? Do any of you work in the industry? Does anyone do it from home? I just started about a year and a half ago and I absolutely love it! I was thinking that I would eventually open a place here that just does custom cakes and cuppies. Not like a bakery where you would have like cash and carry items. We don't have anything around here that offers that service. There are a few....like within 30 miles or so any direction....that don't do custom stuff. Anyway....this is getting really long so I guess I'll sign out for now! :0) Sorry for rambling...

Michelle,

Even though I was born in MO, I lived most of my younger years in Philadelphia. When my father was transferred here, I was 16 & thought this was a disaster, my youngest sister was 12 & she was saying "y'all" in a matter of weeks. I'd bet your daughter will be fine in time, kids are friendly & she can keep in touch with her old friends on the computer. Good Luck

Nancy

Hi Michelle! I am from Alabama, south of where you will be - I live in Montgomery. We do have a lot of transplants in Alabama and most seem to like it so hopefully you will too. There certainly are a lot of beautiful areas in the state - it ranges from mountains to the beautiful gulf.
Now for the bad news - Alabama does not license home bakeries - at least not in the way a lot of states do - where you can actually bake in your home kitchen. I think there are some licensed bakers who technically bake from home - as in they have converted a storage building or something on their property - but not from your house kitchen.
Good luck to you and your family!
Karon

Thanks Di for that link! I checked out thier website a little bit and am excited to hear them. And thanks Em for the sweet encouragement and prayers. Maybe we'll get to meet and be friends. I think that's the scariest for me. I've always been surrounded by friends and now I just won't be. I figured that's how it was as far as home bakers went. I don't think there are many states that allow that. Mo doesn't. Anyway, I think it might be kind of nice to have a little down time from caking. I think I've only had like 2 weekends maybe, since April, that I didn't have at least 2 cakes to do.

We've only taken one family vaca and that was to Alabama of all places. :0) Funny how the Lord works those things out and you don't realize that's what's goin on. Anyway, that was 3 years ago and the girls STILL talk about how much they loved it and how they want to go back. Again this reminds me just how great my God is.

Do you guys have like a cake club or anything around there? Do any of you "know" each other? Just being a little more nosy!! I'm coming down the weekend of the 24th to see DH, with or without kiddos....haven't decided yet, so I'm on a count down.

Count me in the Bama crowd too....I'm in Montgomery for now although we are probably going to head a bit north of here before too long. I'm a transplant also, from the Pacific Northwest. I cant help you much with what is around, I am still trying to adjust to the heat down here so I spend a LOT of time at home bonding with the central air lol.

I was wondering about cake clubs in the area too. I have been debating joining ICES for a long time now but it doesn't seem like anything is going on here. I mailed the state rep for ICES some time ago but have never heard anything back. If anyone knows of anything that would be closer than Atlanta I would love to hear about it!

I live in Opelika, but work in Auburn, but I'm on the Opelika-Auburn city limit line. No war eagle here! ROLL TIDE! lol I love Opelika, I don't care too much for Auburn - too crowded! It IS a college town, ya know?? hehe People who are "city people" like it a lot, but I like the country myself. During football season and home games, my husband and I plan our outings around the time of the game because when the game is going on - that's the best time to go out to eat!!

If you love nature, you have to visit Callaway Gardens in Pine MT GA! www.callawaygardens.com is their website and they have Fantasy In Lights shows all during December, which is a great place to visit! Depending on what part of Alabama you are in, it's not that far - it's only about an hour from me.

Hi Michelle...I'm Michelle..hehe. I don't get to post on here much as I work full time. I live in the Ham (as I like to call it). I actually live a little north of B'ham in a city called Fultondale. The bigger city is Gardendale. I only live about 10 miles or so from downtown (where I work). I think you will love it here in the South. A/C is a definate must. It's not so much the heat as it is the humidity. UGGHH. Winters are...hmmm...well...almost extinct. I have two children. Mase who is 3 and Rachel who is 15 months.

I didn't know there were so many of us AL people on here. *waves*

As for the home baking and license I don't know...I'm just a hobby baker and don't get to do that very often.

God is wonderful and mysterious in his ways. Our pastor as a matter of fact was driving through our state and his car broke down. He liked the city and state but had no plans of moving here. Soon after that he got a call from our church (who was loosing our pastor to another church) asking if he would come and be a guest preacher. Coincidence? I think not. He is now our pastor at Gardendale First Baptist.

Kascarlett, my grandmother, aunt and uncle live in Five Points, AL near Opelika. My dad actually grew up there. Have you ever heard of or been to "Happy Trails" restaurant? My aunt and uncle own it. It is really a good place to eat. This is such a small world!

No I haven't heard of that one - where it is? I'm pretty sure that my neighbor has been there or heard of it because he knows of just about every eating place around here!! lol

It is a small world if you really think about it!

Happy Trails is right on 431. Actually, it is in the midst of nothing, just outside of Wedowee, but right on the main hwy.

Hi everybody!! [[[[[waving arms boldly]]]]]] DH says to me after I tell him about you all....."see! You have friends down there!" So far we have houses earmarked to look at in Calera, (that's where his plant is) Helena, Pelham, and Alabaster. Hopefully we'll get to check that out if/when we get down there. The humidity is nothing new to us! Mo is soooo humid, pretty much most of the time! So yes....we love our AC already! And Michelle...I absolutely agree with you! Nothing happens by chance or coincidence or whatever. I KNOW that the Lord is in control of it all and if He allows these doors to continue to open then that's where we're supposed to be. A couple of years ago DH said that his boss mentioned relocation, he didn't ask him to or anything, just mentioned it. He was just telling me about the conversation and I burst into tears!! I didn't mean to, or feel it coming on. Just an instantaneous reaction. That's pretty much how I've always felt about it. But since this came up a month or so ago, I've just had peace about it. Doesn't mean I haven't had my moments but overall how I'm feeling is just so peaceful and ok with everything. Anyway, thanks for all the responses....

Hi I live in Alabama also but im in the very south in a city called Bayou La Batre but im going to be coming to the Fulton Birmingham area to a place called greyrock on october 23rd thru the 26th anyone want to get together and meet for dinner or coffee?
Hope to hear from you soon,
Jodi

Hi Jodi

I am down in BLB quite a bit visiting hubby. (He works for FEMA so you know he is there a LOT lol). Maybe we can hook up for coffee sometime when I am down that way.