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

Memphis Reunion: Part 2

While we lived in Memphis, we had potlucks on a weekly basis. Oh, how I miss our potlucks! The host would decide on the dinner theme, and everyone else would make a dish to go along with the main course. Luckily, before we all moved away, we had a recipe swap, so we could take all of yummy recipes with us. Saturday night we had a Christmas potluck. We had ham, dressing, rolls, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and squash casserole. The food was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! We also wore tacky Christmas sweaters. It was a fun night and made me miss all the wonderful food cooked by my dear friends.The Feast

Memphis Reunion: Part One

The first weekend in December our Memphis Family came to visit.We started planning the reunion in September and were thrilled we could all be together again.Everyone (4 couples, a baby, and a dog) came to Jackson and stayed at our place.One blog post would not serve justice to the weekend.

Here is a recap of all the fun games we played:

Classic Game...Winner: Nertz
Of course, we played lots of Nertz.
I think the girls won most of the games!!
However, the boys had improved and put up a good fight. New Favorite Game...Winner: Rock Band
Thanks to the Clendenins and the Lokeys
for providing the instruments and over 10 versions of the game.
This gave the boys a break from all the losing!!

Best Acting Game...Winner: Guesstures
We played Guesstures for the first time.
It was fun, and provided some more competition
between the girls and the boys.
We always play that way, and it usually gets very intense.
Boys Only Game...Winner: Football
The boys played football in the front yard
while the girls prepared a feast.Funniest Game...Winner: Quelf
This is a new game my parents got at Thanksgiving.
There is really no objective, but it's hilarious.
If you want a good laugh, this is your game.
You must follow the rules on the card,
which will leave everyone else laughing so hard.
For example, Elizabeth could not bend her arms or legs
unless it was her turn during the entire game.
We had so much fun and laughed so hard!!
Be on the lookout for Memphis Reunion: Part Two.

Happy Belated Birthday...

Sissy and Mom!December is full of family birthdays. Bethany turned 25 on the 4th. Mom celebrated her birthday (don't worry, I won't reveal your age) yesterday. My sister-in-law, Ashley, has a birthday next week, and of course my birthday is in 17 days! December is SUPER busy, and I know that sometimes December babies get overlooked. Just wanted to take a minute to wish a very, special, belated birthday to Bethany and Mom!

Where do I start with my sister? I just smile when I think about her. Bethany can brighten any one's day with her fun personality and with the silly things she does. I LOVE spending time with her and can't wait for her to be closer. She wants to make a difference in the world, and she seeks to live out this dream. She is a hard worker and gives more of her time, energy, and efforts than most people I know. I am so proud of the woman she has become. I am blessed to call her my sister and my friend. I love you, Sissy!!My Mom is truly an amazing woman of God. As a child, I knew she was wonderful, but as I have grown older, I realize more and more every day how blessed I am. When we were younger, she cooked every night, cleaned up after four busy kids, cheered us on in EVERY sport, ran us from one place to the next, as well as many other things. I don't know how she did it. But I do know, she served with a positive attitude. I never heard her complain, and I know we gave her many reasons to scream. She is always there for me and listens to everything I have to say. I am thankful for her support, encouragement, and love. Thanks for being incredible!!

Sorry the posts are late. Just wanted you both to know how special you are!! You are a blessing to me as well as many others!! I love you so much!!