Happy Birthday to You...

Happy Birthday to my Mother-in-Law!!
Today is Mrs. Carolyn Wright's birthday, and we just wanted to take a minute to wish her a very happy birthday. She is a blessing in all of our lives, and we are so thankful for her. She is so thoughtful and loves to give to others!! She LOVES to host parties and decorate for all occasions. We hope you had a wonderful day, because that is what you deserve!! Happy Birthday!! We love you!!

Snow Days

January has been a crazy month at school.

Week 1: Students came Tuesday-Friday.
Teachers reported Monday for in-service.
Week 2: Students came Tuesday-Friday.
We were out on Monday for SNOW!
Week 3: Students came Tuesday-Thursday.
We were out on Monday for MLK holiday,
and on Friday, we had more SNOW!
(I enjoyed staying in my pajamas all day and finishing "Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks. Craig was post-call, so it was fun to be home together. We watched "The Social Network," which we both really enjoyed. I think we could both get used to days like this!)
Week 4: As of now, students came Monday & Tuesday.
We were out today for more SNOW!!

I am enjoying my Snow Days, but I am still waiting for that REALLY good one. You know the kind where it won't melt after a few hours. The kind where we could be out for a couple of days straight. The kind that provides great snowball fights, big snowmen, and lots of sledding!! Oh well, I will be content with the beauty we have received so far.

I am also needing some stability in my classroom. It has been very hard to get back into routine. Every time my students hear or see snow, they automatically think school is out. It has been hard to keep them focused. Even when we are at school there are numerous interruptions- field trip, Spelling Bee, vision & hearing testing, group pictures, etc. What a crazy month!!

Today I plan to relax and enjoy my Snow Day. After all, we have only been given today!!

Hot Springs

Another trip for the record books.

On the past Turkey trips, we have flown to our destinations. This year we decided a Road Trip would be fun. Let's just say...next year we will probably fly again!

Our ride for the weekend.
Thanks Mr. Jablonski!!YUM!! Chick-fil-A breakfast...a great way to start our trip!Rebekah and Rylan met us for breakfast on Saturday. It was so good to see them!!

In Memphis, we were delayed 30 minutes due to road construction. However, that was not the end of our road troubles. In Arkansas, we were lucky to find another route to avoid this back-up. The interstate was completely stopped for at least ten miles. After a few more stops (one where we witnessed a drug deal on the side of the road), we FINALLY arrived in Hot Springs. After grabbing lunch and finding out that the bath house was closed, we headed to our cabin. This was the cabin we reserved for the weekend. It was nice for the three hours we were there. Before dinner, we noticed the shower was not working. We made some calls and were told the problem was fixed. We picked up some ice cream and movies after dinner and headed back to the cabin.
Let's just say when we returned the problem was not any better. On top of the shower not working, the toilet decided it needed a break, too. We took some funny pictures in the cabin before saying good-bye. It was a crazy night, but we had a lot of laughs!Our upgrade: A 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath Condo on the Lake.On Sunday, we found a cute little spot for breakfast. The restaurant will be featured in Southern Living in the Spring. We walked around and shopped a little before returning to the condo for pizza and movies.
Another amazing trip with some amazing friends!!

Weekend Trip

It's that time of year for my annual Turkey Trip. Two years ago, seven us boarded a plane and headed to Chicago. Last year, four of us flew to Kansas City to spend the weekend with Kristen.
Tomorrow five of my besties will arrive, and then we'll leave on Saturday for Hot Springs!!

Me, Sarah, Jenny, Meaghan, Emily, Betsy, and Kristen
Chicago 2009Kristen, Emily, Me, Jenny, and Betsy
Kansas City 2010
a.k.a The City of Statues

This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. I love these girls and always look forward to the time we get to spend together. I'm also looking forward to using my new camera (thanks Mom & Dad), so be on the lookout for an update on our trip as well as new (and hopefully better) pictures.

Snow Day!!

The rumor: 3-5 inches of snow on Monday
The dilemma: I did not want to get my hopes up, only to be disappointed Monday morning.

Sunday night around 9 Bethany called to chat. She bragged about the warm weather and her trip to the beach. I gave her the prediction from our local weather channel. I was jealous of her warm weather. After we hung up, Tucker decided he needed to go out. When we opened the door to let him back in, the snow was coming down! A few minutes later I received the news from school that we would be closed the following day!! Suddenly, I was not tired and felt like staying up late to read. I was also no longer jealous of Bethany's warm weather!!
This was the beautiful sight I woke up to on Monday morning. Craig left early for work while I continued to snooze in the warm bed. A couple of hours later he called to say that he would be off the rest of the day, which made my day. When he got home, he took Tucker for a morning walk and cooked me breakfast. I could get use to days like this!! We spent the rest of the day relaxing and catching up on projects around the house. The snow was beautiful. I just wish it would have stayed a little longer. Until our next snow day...

Gingerbread Houses

In memory of my Aunt Cathy, we try to do something special with her granddaughters over Christmas. Aunt Cathy LOVED Christmas, but I know she adored her grandchildren even more. Last year, we had a Tea Party with Grandma. Elsie, Lucy, Sophie, and Naomi were all able to attend. We all had so much fun! This year we decided to make gingerbread houses at Grandma's. We were glad Elsie, Lucy, and Sophie could come, but we missed Naomi, Lola, and TJ. This is a great tradition that I look forward to every year. My little cousins are precious, and I love every minute I get to spend with them. They make me laugh and smile. They remind me of their Gran...her big smile, the fun she had with family. I wish they could have had more time with their Gran. Although no one can ever take her place, there are plenty of people who have part of Gran in them and will share it freely with these precious children.

Waiting for the fun to begin...The decorations (and snacks)

Elsie working on her masterpiece.Lucy hard at work.
Mom helping Sophie put sprinkles on her house.Elsie's houseGrandma's houseLucy's house
Sophie's houseAfter we made gingerbread houses, we went for a walk. Bethany & Sophie stop for a picture. How Sweet!Aunt Cathy started a tradition with Bethany and me. She would give us a Christmas ornament every year for our birthdays. We decided we would continue the tradition with the little girls at Christmas. This year we gave them a gingerbread house ornament.
One of my favorite pictures from the day

Copeland Christmas

We left Nashville on the 30th (our anniversary) and headed to Flo-town. All of my siblings were home this time, so it was great to all be together. For the past two years, we have drawn names between the siblings since there are so many of us. I had Bethany, which was pretty easy. Laura drew my name and gave me some houndstooth gloves. (Houndstooth was a theme for me this year!) We also play a Regift Dirty Santa. It's always funny, and sometimes people walk away with good gifts. The rest of our time in Florence was spent hanging out and playing numerous games. If you know my family at all, you know we LOVE games. We played Ticket to Ride, 5 crowns, Balderdash, Loaded Questions, and a Hershey kiss game Mom created. (Check out Laura's pictures on Facebook for the craziness.) It was a great trip, and we had so much fun! We are blessed with amazing families, and I'm so thankful we are all so close!loved all the time we had together!

my wonderful parentsLaura, Luke, Adam, & CathyEating Homemade Pizza...YUM!!She gets a little CrAzY when we play games!

Home for the Holidays

For the past three years, we have taken a trip around the holidays with Craig's family. This year we decided that since our time was limited we would prefer just hanging out at his parents' house. Charlie, Ashley, and Gentry came over for the staycation. We arrived in Franklin on the 27th. That night we went to Murfreesboro to have Christmas with the Wright side of the family. It was a fun evening with family that we don't see very often. The next morning Craig and I ran some last minute errands. We spent the next two days locked in the house. We enjoyed yummy food, fun games, movies, laughter, and time just spent hanging out. Of course, we loved every minute spent with Gentry too! We had a great holiday in Franklin!Christmas night at our house

Wright Family Christmas

Playing with Gentry's new toysOur favorite little elf!Can't get enough of this little guy!!

Twas a few days before Christmas...

Christmas was a little different for us this year. Craig was on call on Christmas Eve and on the 26th. Tucker and I went to Florence for a few days before Christmas, so we did not have to be home alone. We arrived in Florence on the 23rd in time for lunch with some of my best friends. Melissa, Elizabeth, Codi, and I have been friends f-o-r-e-v-e-r! I love these girls so much and only wish we saw each other more. (Mary Brook, you were missed. Please come home soon!!) Melissa hosted our lunch, and we enjoyed hanging out like the old days. We also showered Codi with some gifts for baby Jackson. I can't wait to meet this little guy in just a few weeks!! I was so glad we were able to have lunch and catch up for a couple of hours. These girls are very special to me, and I am so blessed for the friendships we have shared for so many years!!Codi with Jackson's Diaper Cake I made

The bag I made for JacksonAmazing Friends

After lunch, I met my sister and my dad at the mall for a little Christmas shopping. Bethany and I always help Dad with his shopping for Mom. It's always so much fun, and a Christmas tradition I enjoy. That night we went to Grandma's to have Christmas with Mom's side of the family. Although many members were missing, it was still an enjoyable evening with Dewayne, Jane, Paul, Aimee, Lucy, Sophie, Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Bethany. Dewayne still continues my Aunt Cathy's tradition of giving Bethany and me ornaments. Bethany and I have started the tradition with our little cousins (my aunt's granddaughters). We have also started having a special day with the little girls and Grandma. Last year, we had a Tea Party, which was wonderful. This year we decorated gingerbread houses after Christmas (look for another post on this fun day).
Enjoying time with Bethany
Lucy & Sophie opening presents at Grandma's

Paul, Aimee, Sophie, Lucy, and Grandma came over to Mom and Dad's on Christmas Eve for breakfast. It was a relaxing morning, and I enjoyed all of us hanging out. Dad, Bethany, and I did a little more shopping for Mom before meeting Mom for an afternoon movie. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing, watching movies, and playing games. On Christmas morning, we woke up to a surprise...SNOW!! We had a White Christmas, well at least, for a few hours. Tucker and I left Florence around noon and headed back to Jackson. Craig was awake by the time we got home. We started working on our Christmas dinner. His parents, Granny, Uncle Charlie, and Aunt Mary came over since we missed the Christmas Eve celebration. It was a fun evening! Craig went back to work on the 26th. Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Bethany came to Jackson to keep me company. We ate lunch at Panera, played cards, watched a couple of movies, played Ticket to Ride, and more. I was really glad they were able to come see our house decorated for Christmas and hang out. Well, that's how we spent the days leading up to Christmas. I will post about the week after Christmas soon. Hope you enjoyed your holiday!!Christmas Morning Surprise