The perfect pig...

In the fall of my senior year at Berry I met a guy named Michael who was a freshman. Little did I know what a beautiful friendship would develop over the years. Andy and I were married that spring and that following fall Michael became a constant face at our house on a weekly basis. Over the years we've had many adventures with Michael. From visiting him at his parents' house in Bellville, to discovering all of Michael's favorite places in Savannah, to creating his first gingerbread house, to helping us with our house remodel, to holding his first baby (AG) and giving him a bottle, and even Andy acting as his press secretary to turn the tables on a prank phone caller just to name a few. (That last one could be a post in and of itself. Ha. We'll save that one for another day.) In May, Michael graduated from Berry and was accepted to USC's film school. We were ecstatic to hear of his graduate school acceptance but a little sad at the same time because we knew he would be heading to the other side of the country. Fortunately, in the coming months we will be able to see our friend at Christmas and then in March when we visit him in LA. Michael--you are greatly missed!

Michael has a love and a passion for film like no other. He has acted in front of the camera but his real desire is to direct...hence, the reason why he is in film school. Like most directors Michael has a keen eye for detail and a desire for simplistic perfection. So for months he contemplated the perfect baby gift to give AG. He settled on a piggy bank but not just any piggy bank. It had to look like a real pig...authentic and to scale. So he searched and searched till he finally found what he wanted. This past weekend his parents came to Berry to visit and we had the chance to get together. We had dinner and saw the show "Lend Me A Tenor" at Berry. It was wonderful to see them and catch up...however, Michael you were dearly missed! They presented us with Michael's present and told us this story. When Michael was little he had a piggy bank that he loved. Growing up it was stolen from their house and to this day Michael wishes he still had it. So he wanted AG to have a piggy bank similar to the one he had. Needless to say I was near tears because of the thought and care that went in to this gift. (Not to mention the time that Michael put in searching for the perfect pig.) I love for items to have a story behind them and I look forward to telling AG the story behind his piggy bank. Thank you Michael for such a wonderful gift and for being such a blessing to our family over the years! We are so proud of you and all that you have accomplished. In the years to come we can't wait to see what you achieve...know that you will always have a place in the family.

**Side note--Blogger won't upload a photo of pig...once I get it sorted out I'll post a picture. :)

Here is a few pictures of Michael over the years: