Winter Break

Although we have missed 7, yes, I repeat 7, days for school this winter, my wonderful school still granted us our promised two day winter break over President's Day. After work on Friday, we drove to Nashville. We ate yummy food at some of our favorite places (J.Alexander's, Loveless Cafe, Satco, and Le Peep). We spent Saturday afternoon in downtown Franklin, which was fun! We met up with our friends James, Elizabeth, and baby Andrew. We went to a Predators game, and I enjoyed watching Carrie Underwood.We spent time with my in-laws. It was a wonderful trip, and we look forward to more trips this Spring!!

On Sunday night, I drove to Florence to spend the rest of my Winter Break. On Monday, I hung out with my Grandma and my parents. We ate lunch at Trowbridge's, which is always tasty. We did a little shopping after lunch. Then, I went to meet baby Jackson. One of my best friends from elementary school had a baby on February 1. Melissa and I spent a couple of hours with sweet Jackson and Codi. It was so nice to spend a couple of hours with these amazing friends, and I loved meeting precious Jackson. For dinner, we went to Ricatoni's, which is another Florence favorite. The rest of the time was spent hanging out and playing cards.

Oh, how I love family and friends (and I guess food, if you read this blog carefully)!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Today, I'm thankful for all the LOVE I have received in my life. Thank you Craig for loving me and for making each day a blessing to be your wife. Thank you Mom & Dad for the countless sacrifices you made for me and for your example of love. Thank you Adam, Luke, and Bethany for your constant support, laughter, and love. Thank you Cathy and Laura for entering a crazy family and loving us just the way we are. Thank you to my in-laws (Mr. & Mrs. Wright, Charlie, Ashley, and everyone else) for accepting me as a member of your family. Thank you to my nephew, Gentry, for melting my heart each time you call my name. Thank you Grandma, Grandpa, Grandmama, and Granddaddy for the love you taught your children and the love you showed me. Thank you to my extended family members for the love you poured into my life. Thank you to all my wonderful friends who have loved me like I was part of your own family. Most of all, thank you God for showing me the best example of love when you sent your Son to die for me, a sinner. Thank you for your love and your grace that you richly give every day!

I am also so thankful for the love I receive from my job. I LOVE teaching, but even more, I love my students. They make me laugh. They make me go crazy at times. They make me smile. We experience a lot of moments throughout the year. Teaching 4th Grade has been more amazing than I ever thought. I want to share this poem I received today. It brought a huge smile to my face. This little girl has a special place in my heart (like all my students), and I am constantly impressed by her creative mind. I thank God every day for the opportunity I have to work with these students, and I pray that HE speaks through me as I teach. Enjoy the words of one of my students:

"Roses are red, Violets are blue,
Who's the best teacher, Mrs. Wright that's who.
We learn by her words, We learn by her games.
She's not a boring teacher: on and on they drain.
It's fun to hear her talent. We love when she sings.
Lots of memories and creative ideas she is known to bring.
In Mrs. Wright's class, you're never glum,
You're always having bunches of fun!
Thanks Mrs. Wright for being a great teacher,
your good at being a Bible preacher.
So today I'm wishing you lots of love,
and so is the Lord from Heaven above!"

I pray that you know or will come to know the love of our Lord from Heaven above.

Guess What??

It's SNOWING again!

So far, I have been at school a total of one hour and 45 minutes this week. C-R-A-Z-Y!! All I know is that I am officially ready for Spring. It's been a very cold winter with lots of snow, so I am looking forward to warmer days full of sunshine. Is that too much to ask for?? Oh well, for now I will stay in my sweatpants and enjoy my lazy days! Hope you're having a great week!!

Family

My siblings and I have always been super close. Yes, we have had our share of disagreements, but for the most part, we have always loved spending time together. Sometimes, we can be a bit overwhelming when we all get together. When Craig asked my parents for their blessing, Mom made reference to this. She said that some people did not know how to handle the four of us, but he was fine just sitting back and watching. We are crazy and LOVE to reminisce, but we have strong bonds that are rare in some families.

I know if I need anything I could call Adam, Luke, or Bethany at any moment, and they would drop everything to help. As we were growing up, so many people asked my parents what they did to make us act that way. I always thought our close bonds developed over our LONG car trips to Virginia (and everywhere else), having one television in our entire house, sharing bedrooms, eating dinner together at the table every night, and many more things we did. However, what I realize more and more now is that our close bonds run much deeper. I believe the closeness we share has more to do with family history than the day to day happenings in my house.

Over the weekend, I attended the funeral of my great uncle. Uncle Tock was my grandmother's brother. Grandma was one of ten children. From the time I was little, I can remember driving down my grandmother's road and learning of a different family member who lived in almost every house along the road. It was crazy!! Grandma and her siblings share very close bonds. I think my mom and my aunt witnessed those bonds and passed them down to their families. Now, I can see what rich family history we have.

My uncle's health started failing. After his wife's death, everyone soon realized he could not live alone. So, his brother and sister-in-law moved in his house and became his caretakers. I think most people would overlook their sacrifice, but I have been amazed by their example of love. I am so blessed to have grown up with this great example of love and service to others. I am blessed to share bonds with my siblings that many people do not have. Thank you Grandma for showing us how to love and serve others. Thank you Mom for seeing this wonderful gift and sharing it with your children. Thank you Adam, Luke, and Bethany for continuing in this history!

Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Looking Forward To...

• Dinner Tomorrow Night!! One of my New Year's resolutions was to be more organized with our dinners. I try to plan the meals in advance and cook at least one new recipe each week. So far, things have been going well. Last week, Craig said to leave Thursday night to him. He's on call tonight, so I'm looking forward to our dinner (that he is taking care of) tomorrow night!
  
  
• Meeting Baby Jackson!! My friend, Codi, had her baby yesterday, and I can't wait to meet him. I really wish I could have been there, but thankfully I received lots of text messages. I can't wait to see his sweet little face and see his beautiful mommy!!
  
  
• Spending Time with my Family!! We're making a quick trip to Florence this weekend to spend some time with my Grandma and my parents. We haven't seen them since New Year's, so I am excited!
  
  
• Wednesday Nights!! I am starting a new Bible study with some wonderful women. It's Beth Moore's "Stepping Up: A Journey through the Psalms of Ascent." We watched the introductory video tonight, and I can't wait to learn more with this study!