Jessica and Corey Coleman are a testament to the notion that home isn’t just where you’re from—it’s where you’re called to. Their story has taken them across state lines and through seasons of change, ultimately leading them to their Crestline home on Montevallo Lane, where life is full with four children and a calendar packed with extracurriculars.

The couple met during their undergraduate years at Mississippi College on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend who knew they were both busy. Jessica was pursuing a nursing degree, and Corey was working toward a career as a physician. “We would be busy together,” they say, laughing in unison.

Originally from Mississippi, they came to Alabama in 2008 for Corey’s residency at UAB, moved to Ohio in 2012 for his fellowship training, and then returned to Alabama in 2017, where Corey now works at the Birmingham Heart Clinic. Though they were torn by the pull of family ties back home, “We really felt God leading us back to this area,” Corey says.

“There were little signs along the way,” Jessica says with a smile. One of those signs involved the first church they visited after moving back—Dawson Memorial Baptist Church. They discovered the church would soon be welcoming a new pastor, and shortly after, Corey’s mom in Mississippi called, upset that the pastor at her church was leaving. To everyone’s surprise, he became the new pastor at Dawson…

It was a small-world moment that felt less like a coincidence and more like a reminder that faith shows up in both big decisions and small confirmations—like their house number, 6 Montevallo Lane, perfectly reflecting their family of six. “Our faith is the center of our home,” Jessica says, and it’s clear they live this out as a team.

With kids at stair-step ages—William (16), Harrison (14), Harper (12), and Elizabeth (10)—managing school, sports, and extracurriculars can be a challenge, but Corey and Jessica approach it together, “I don’t think our house would work if we weren’t a team,” Jessica says. When family isn’t nearby, you build your own village, and the Colemans have done exactly that. 

Between carpools, weeknight practices, and weekend lacrosse tournaments, they’ve forged friendships with neighbors, their church family, and their interior designer, Marianne Strong. Jessica and Marianne became fast friends, drawn together by shared faith, motherhood, and a fun coincidence: Marianne’s husband is from the same Mississippi town as Jessica, giving them an instant connection beyond the design work.

With Mother’s Day this month, Corey remarks that “Jessica is what holds everything together.” Last Mother’s Day, Harper wanted to do something special for his mom. He asked Jessica for a little money to head to the Village and later came home with a pair of earrings he’d picked out from Smith’s. A small gesture that revealed how her love for giving and thoughtfulness inspires the whole family—not just on special occasions, but in everyday moments, like the way her children hunt her down for a hug before bed every night.

“When we were coming to Birmingham, we wanted to find a place where people stick around for generations,” Corey says. After years of moving, they found in Crestline not just a place to live, but a place to call their forever home.