Wow, we finally made it home after a fabulous vacation. Maggie and I had tons of fun everywhere we went. I will definitely write more about the vacation as time goes by. Here’s a picture of Fort Sumter (this one is for you Matt).
Plus, we had a really great time in Tuscaloosa, Alabama at the wedding of my friend from seminary, Jack Alvey. It was an enormous wedding, about 700 guests (it was “standing room only” in the church).
Of course, this only made me and Maggie more excited about our future. We compared notes about their wedding and the vision for ours. I can’t believe it’s only a year from now!
the rev. jimmy abbott 
Fort Sumter is an amazing place to visit. Standing on its ramparts, it's kinda chilling to look at the surrounding Confederate firing positions that surrounded the fort. I'll bet those yankees were pretty scared. Also, did you know that the inventor of modern baseball actually was the first to return fire from out of the fort (Abner Doubleday)? Anyway, Amanda and I need to come visit you in Virginia. There are still some War of Northern Agression (War of Southern Independence?) battlefields I have not seen up there.
I had no idea that Abner Doubleday was at Fort Sumter. History is a funny thing sometimes.
Where I am in Virginia is great for visiting battlefields. Gettysburg is two hours from me and Antietam is only an hour and a half. Of course Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, the Wilderness are clustered together and about an hour from the seminary.
And you might appreciate this. The Lee family, of Robert E. Lee, donated the baptismal font that is in our chapel at the seminary.
Pretty cool about the Lee family font. Only could have been better if it was the Jackson family. “Stonewall” that is. I've been to Antietam and Gettysburg (Antietam is probably the best preserved battlefield in the U.S. for any war). I would love to see Chancellorsville someday although I worry I might get emotional at the thought of Jackson's death.