There is a special house in Alabama that is near and dear to my heart. As soon as we pull in the driveway, Judy always comes outside to greet us with a sweet smile and a big hug. Family and friends have gathered here for years and it always feels like home to everyone who visits. This special place never requires an invitation and always overflows with love and precious memories. When family gathers here, we exchange hugs and kisses, listen to stories from the past and present, and lift one another up in prayer. At Judy's house, we play hard, laugh harder, and eat a lot of food!

Recently, little 3-year-old Barrett asked his great-grandmother "JuJu" if she would turn her backyard into a real football field for his birthday. His wish came true this past weekend, at our after-Thanksgiving get-together. A small voice with a sweet little wish turned an extended family gathering into an amazing day.

Barrett's Grandaddy Brian worked hard to make his grandson's wish come true with the help of Jon, Nicholas, and Truitt...(Truitt was daring enough to spray paint the field with the Auburn logo on Alabama fan turf).

(Brian and Barrett making the football field.)

(Nicholas spray painting the lines.)

(Truitt and Jon spray painting the field.)

(The final result: Homemade Football Field)

It is so amazing how the wish of one little boy made the day so fun and special. It provided the perfect way for the adults and kids to spend quality time together in a game of football on this homemade field. Nate introduced the game, Jimmy sang the national anthem, Walker kicked off the game, the men and boys played while the women cheered them on, and Aria and Hannah Kate were the referees. There is already talk about future additions including stadium seating, outdoor lighting so we can have late night football games, and of course we will have to include a concession stand because we can never have too much food!

I am so grateful that God blessed me with such a close-knit extended family full of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I love each one of them so much and I can't wait until the next time we visit Judy's house in sweet home Alabama!