Happy Birthday Abbi!

That's right. My baby sister turned 8 years old just about a week ago. It's hard to believe that 8 years has flown by so fast, and I am so proud of the little person she has become :). She wanted to have her party at a local skating rink, but we always wait til' too late to call. So we convinced her to go to CiCi's Pizza and the movies with 2 of her closest friends from school.

The celebration started the day before her actual birthday with cupcakes at her school at lunch. The funny thing was that it was her best friends birthday also so her mother brought cupcakes to school as well. All the kids were asking me where I bought our cupcakes, and were shocked when I told them they were homemade lol.

The next day was a Saturday, so we picked up the cake and the two girls that were going with us, and headed to Rome to eat at CiCi's. Aunt Joy and Uncle Tim came and brought cousins Hannah and Emily, and even Hannah's Tyler was able to come over during his lunch break. We ate pizza and cake, about went broke playing games in the arcade, and finally decided on a movie. Hannah, Joy, Tim, and Emily decided to join us. Tim went with Momma and Daddy to see "True Grit", while the rest of us girls went to see Tangled. It was Emily's first time going to a movie, and Tangled was the perfect movie to see. It definately made the top five of my favorite Disney movies :). After the movie was over, we stopped by for a late night snack at McDonald's and then took the girls home. Abbi and her friends had fun, and all got along great, which we were thankful for.

Abbi's adorable cake! It was made by a girl who also does our hair sometimes. It was absolutely perfect and exactly what Abbi wanted!

Abbi and her best friends at CiCi's Pizza. From the left is Belle, Abbi, then Gretchen.

above: Abbi and her cousin Emily :)

So my cousin Sarah is the one who inspired this blog, and on her blog she posts monthly goals. Since it is the begining of Feburary, I have decided to make a little list of goals for myself. I have gotten a little lazy (okay maybe a lot lazy) lately, and maybe writing out what I want/need to do will help me stay motivated.

-devote more time to crafts: I have materials to make things, whether it's crochet or sewing, but haven't done either one. My sewing machine is still in the box. I want to make at least one sewing project this month.

-help out around the house more: I don't have a set chore list, but I would like to help out more. Even if it's just loading the dishwasher or doing a load of laundry, I want to get back to it. I used to do it a lot, but I get burned out when I am the only kid around here helping out.

-stop staying up so late!!: I have turned myself into a night owl, staying up until at least 2 every morning. That usually ends with me sleeping the day away the next day. I would like to set a bedtime for myself lol. My goal is to be in by by at least 11 every night.

At the end of the month I'll post and report my progress with each goal.

Christmas and Crafts

Okay you can say it. I am officially the worst blogger ever! It has been months since my last post, but I am hoping that I can do better this year :). Especially since I am taking this semester off and I won't be watching American Idol on Tuesdays and Wednesdays lol. But I just can't watch it now that Simon is gone :(.

You're probably wondering why in the world I would take a semester off from school when I am so close to having my Associates degrees in Early Childhood Education? Well as you know my grandfather has not been doing too well the past few months. Lately he has kinda taken a turn for the worse. Even though his recent scan showed that the cancer in his lungs has not spread any further, he has been feeling weaker and more nauseous. The scan also showed some problem with his pancreas, which is probably causing his nausea. So when I missed the deadline for school, I took it as a blessing. I am going to take this time to be with him and cherish what time I have with him. Someone told me recently that they thought it said a lot about me that I was taking off to help out. He has been there for me for every single thing in my life, so it only makes sense that I would be there for him in this time of need. I can't do much, but even if it's something simple like making him an apple pie or just watching t.v. with him, I am going to be there. It makes me want to cry while writing this, because I cannot imagine what life will be like without him. Please keep him and my family in your prayers.







This picture is a blurry, but I still wanted to share. It was taken on Grandpaw's birthday this year when we took him to the doctor. We were waiting for my aunt to pull the car around, and when momma came out of the bathroom she decided to take our picture with her phone in front of all the beautiful poinsettas in the lobby of the doctor's office.




There is some exciting news in our life as well. My cousin Sarah is having a baby girl in April! My mother and I are so excited for baby Ansley to arrive. I got a sewing maching for Christmas and I am super excited to try it out and start making things for my new baby cousin. We have also been going over ideas for her baby shower. I have been looking at cakes, food, favors, invitations, and anything else to do with baby showers. I have even bought a few things already, but I can't reveal too much because Sarah reads this blog ;). I know that she has waited a long time for a 2nd child, and now her, her husband Tyler, and precious little man Garyn will be blessed with what I am certain will be a beautiful baby girl.


I have been working hard on my crochet, and am proud of the progress I have made since I started. Everything that was so confusing when I started seems so easy now! I was a little worried about getting the scarves done for Christmas gifts, but I finished just in time.

The first one I made was for my cousin Lorna. She said purple was her favorite color. This is made with a double crochet and it was my favorite of all the scarves. I love the color and I think it will look great on Lorna.

The second one was for my cousin Kaysie-Lee. She also said she like purple, so I went with a lighter color purple for her. This one is made with a combination of a treble (triple) and a double stitch.

The third one was for my cousin Lauren. She wanted blue. By the time I started this one, I was getting a little panicky because it was only a couple weeks til Christmas. It was also made with a treble/double combination.

The last one was for my cousin Emily. I only less than a week to finish this one and I was worried about the way it would look. I wanted to finish it and make it look just as good as the others. And red was her favorite color, which was the perfect color for Christmas. This one was made with a treble because it's a taller stitch, and it helped me finish it quicker.


Other than the stress of getting all the scarves finished, we had a beautiful Christmas. Our tradition is always to do Christmas Eve with my momma's side of the family at my Nanna's, and then Christmas Day at the church with Granny and my daddy's family. Nanna's was filled with food, good times, and wonderul presents. It snowed Christmas morning and there was some concern with ice on the roads, but everyone made it safely to the church. Christmas at Granny's is always loud and chaotic but definatley fun. We got two of my youngest cousins a Nerf dart gun, and the adults ended up having just as much fun with them as the kids. My 2 older cousins Wally and Mandy had a big fight with them lol.



My Granny Polly had been in the hospital the week before, and we were all glad she was feeling better and made it to the celebration!


The snow was so beautiful on Christmas and just last week we were blessed with snow again. The roads were icy, so a lot of the stores and schools closed for a few days. We all had a bit of cabin fever but otherwise it has been great. I didn't get out in it too much, but I did go out one day and build a snowman with Abbi and Daddy. We enjoyed many batches of snow cream and have enjoyed looking at the snow, but I am ready for it to melt and for things to warm up around here!



If you would like to see more Christmas, snow, or other pictures of me and my family, you can see them here.

Well I think that should hold you for now. I'll post again within the next few weeks. I promise!!

Family Reunions and Field Trips

Hey again! I know I say every time that I am going to do better about posting, but then I get sidetracked. Anyway, I'm here now and there are a few things to tell you about.

First thing would be our annual Wright Family Reunion at Campy Hamby in Menlo. There weren't as many people there as usual, but the ones that did show up had a great time catching up. Hannah, Joy, and Tim didn't get to stay long because Tim's brothers were in town and they had to go visit with them. But I did get to see Hannah for a few minutes. I haven't seen her in forever and the time I got with her was great. All the little cousins had fun running around and playing together while the adults sat around chatting. I would love to post all my pictures, but adding pictures is kind of a pain, so I will only give you a few.

(from left: Lorna, me, Hannah, and Sarah)

Me, Hannah, and Mandy

Sarah and Garyn

Abbi

My classes started at GA Northwestern Technical College on the 28th. I thought I was going to have 3, but it turns out I didn't need one so my load got dropped down to 2. I have had a little stress about getting the books I need, but other than that things are going smoothly so far. Good news is I only have about 3 more classes and my Internship and I will have my Associates degree in Early Childhood Education.

Even with my school starting back I have found time to volunteer in Abbi's classroom. All the kids were so excited to see me again and I am glad to be back. I have had a great time working with small groups, putting up pictures in the hall for the teachers, and just enjoying all the little moments and funny things they say. The kids are out for Fall Break Oct. 1-11th, and I will miss them, but know that they will have a great break and then come back ready and eager to learn again.

2nd grade went on it's first field trip to the New Echota museum and historic site on the 24th. Momma and I got lost following the buses (they go too fast!) and had to stop a few times and ask for directions, but eventually we made it there. It was so hot and dusty and at first and the 3 of us were ill and sweaty. But once we started visiting the building and enjoying the trip things got better. Afterwards we went to lunch at Cracker Barrel and finally made it home safely.

Since the kids will be out for Fall Break for a few days, we have been thinking about taking another vacation. This time to the Smoky Mountains. It is Momma's favorite place to visit because it is so close to home and so beautiful in the Fall. If Grandpaw Don is doing good, we plan to pack up in our new Excursion and visit the Smokies a few days.

Speaking of Grandpaw Don, he has been doing better lately. He felt kinda bad last week, but this week he has felt pretty good. He still keeps that smile on his face and remains in good spirits. We are all treasuring our time with him and just taking it day by day. He has been able to get out a little. The other day my aunt took him to get his hair cut, and then today he went to the doctor to get a flu shot. Please continue to keep him in your prayers.

Well I think that's all for now. I'm sorry if this post has been a little random and scattered. If we do end up going to the Smokies, I will try to do a post when we get back. If not, I'll post again when I can.

If you wanna see more Wright Family Reunion, New Echota, or other pics of my crazy family, you can do so here.

Prayers

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a while but things have been a bit hectic around here. Between school starting back and Grandpaw Don being sick, I haven't had much free time.

School has been in session for a few weeks now. Abbi started 2nd grade, and Isaac is in 7th. Abbi got Mrs. Lori Spraggins. We got a chance to go meet her a few days before school started. She has been teaching for 14 years and was so sweet. Abbi and her best friend Belle have been in the same classroom since Kindergarten, so she was excited that they were once again together and even got to sit side by side the first few days. Isaac is not too enthusiastic about 7th grade, but has had no complaints either except for a heavier homework load. All in all the first few weeks have gone good, and I am very proud of both of them.

I tried to take Abbi's picture the morning before she left for school, but she was too eager not to be late, but I do have this picture, which was taken after we met her teacher.

A couple of weeks ago I got to go stay with Hannah in her new apartment in Rome. She is getting along well with her roommates (who were friends of hers already) and seems to be adjusting very well. She is excited about school starting on the 23rd, and even applied at a few stores at Mount Berry Square for a job. I miss her not being so close, because I know our visits will be less frequent, but I am excited for her and know that this will only make our time together more precious. I am just glad that she decided to stay close to home instead of going off to Savannah to Armstrong Atlantic.

As you know my Grandpaw Don has not been doing very well since last October. He has been hospitalized twice since then and had many doctor visits and tests. They have determined that he has cancer. There are 2 spots, one on his lung, and one in his throat, but they aren't sure where it began. He also has severe infazema/COPD and a lot of fluid. We took him back to Dr. Voccio (the pulmonologist) the other day and he gave him lasixs and potassium for the fluid and a nebulizer machine to help his cough. He is still on his oxygen and has also been diagnosed with diabetes. We all know that we will not have him around for much longer, so we are trying to spend as much time as possible with him. Momma has even changed her postion at work to part-time, and I am even considering taking a few semesters of school off. We know there are more important things right now, and I know I will have plenty of time to finish school later. We are all taking this very hard and cannot imagine what life will be like without him around. He has always beeen there for my Nanna, my mother and her siblings, and then for me, Isaac, and Abbi. He picked us up everyday for school up until he got sick, and paid us for all our good grades. Everytime he went to the store for my Nanna he always had a treat for us when he came back. He has encouraged me through college and has always been genuinely interested in what classes I was taking. He is the best and sweetest grandpaw and it hurts to see him suffer. Please continue to keep him and my family in your prayers.

Left: Peach pies requested by Grandpaw Don. Nanna has a huge tree in her yard that is full of them. We had so many peaches and they were rotting very quickly. I put some in the freezer, made peach preserves, and then grandpaw asked me to make him a peach pie because "no one else knows how to make one around here". They turned out a lot better that I thought they would, and they were so beautiful I just had to take a picture of them!

On a lighter note, momma and I have started putting some things away for Christmas presents. Isaac and Abbi haven't given us their lists yet, but we've bought a few little things for stocking stuffers and things such as that. I am hoping that maybe we can have most of it finished by the time Christmas gets here, and then just have a few last minute things to buy. I don't know why, but I am so excited for Christmas and just cannot wait for it to get here!

I think that's enough for now. Maybe I won't take so long to write my next post.

Beach Bound

Hey guys! I know I said I'd post after Father's Day, but then I got all wrapped up in life and just haven't had the chance!

Father's Day was spent at Nanna's where of course there was lot of yummy barbeque cooked by Aunt Madonna. We also got to spend the day with family and since Grandpaw Don was doing so good we decided to start planning our vacation.

We wanted to go to Tybee Island, but once daddy started calling around he couldn't find anything open for all the days we wanted to stay. Finally daddy found a nice condo that he thought was in Tybee, but we also started exploring other options like St. Simons Island. He booked us a hotel for 1 night that was only $50 for what was supposed to be 2 queen beds. Sounds like a great deal, right?

We left our house around 9 on Wednesday the 23rd and dropped our little dog Chloe off at Nanna's house. Then a late night stop at Taco Bell to feul up for our trip. Finally we were officially on our way at about 10 or 11 that night.

The ride down there was fairly peaceful. Isaac and Abbi got a little rowdy when we got to Atlanta, but that was only because they were so excited about the signs and tall buildings. Finally we made it into Savannah and began our hunt for our room for the night.

When we got there at around 4 in the morning, the man that had our room key spoke little to no English. He gave us our key and lead us to our room. We left all our stuff in the truck and just lugged ourselves up the stairs, ready for a warm, welcoming bed. Unfortunately something a little different was waiting for us. The five of us walked in this tiny room to find not 2 queen beds, but 2 TWIN beds. A tiny bathroom and VERY small kitchenette were also provided.

It was decided that daddy and I would get the beds. At first, Abbi shared a bed with me, but she got too hot and ended up on the floor with momma and Isaac. Checkout was at 10, so after a very restless nap and a change of clothes, we were all up and ready to go to this fabulous condo we had been promised. Turns out the condo is not in Tybee but St. Simons, which is an hour and a half away.

We got some breakfast at a nearby IHOP and then went searching for a nice place to stay in Tybee. Daddy had strict instructions from Isaac. He didn't want to stay in a motel, and he didn't want anyone to have to sleep on a pull-out couch. After looking at a few rediculously priced places, we gave up and made the hour and a half drive to St. Simons Island.

We made it to our condo safely and found that it was very nice. This time we had 2 bedrooms (one with 2 twin beds, one with a king sized bed), a full kitchen, living room, dining area, 2 bathrooms, and a balcony with a view of the ocean. And to make things better, we were only a few steps from the beach!!

By this time the trip is starting to improve. That is until we all got ready for our first night out and Abbi decided she wanted to eat crab at a restaurant called The Crab Trap. Instead of ordering her crab cakes or something like that, my mother orders her a whole blue crab. It comes out fried with legs and all. She's fine, but after a few bites she decides that she doesn't want anymore and no one else can have any either. Daddy and Isaac start telling her that the crab died so she could eat him and if she didn't eat him he died for nothing. By this time, Abbi is having a full meltdown. She is crying and hiding her face in momma's shirt, so she and momma leave to go to the truck.

Overall the next few days were better and it felt like more of a vacation. We spent days on the beach, and even took a few night walks on the beach. We ate bbq at a place called Beachcomber's and bought t-shirts at a souvenier shop. We left on Monday the 28th and headed back home. By this time, we were all ready to get home and be in our own beds.

Nanna had ordered my birthday cake before we left, and it came the Saturday while we were in St. Simons. When we got to Nanna's to pick up Chloe, we ate cake and then headed home.

After a few days at home, I was ready for a much needed visit with Hannah. I hadn't seen her in a while, and we needed a long weekend together. After all, it won't be much longer before she and Tyler move to Rome and I won't get to see her as often. We went Friday night to see Eclipse, and then had hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and cake for my birthday when we got back. The rest of my long weekend was spent shopping, and with Tyler's family for dinner and fireworks on the 4th.

Then today was my daddy's 51st birthday, so me, Daddy, Abbi and a few of our family members all went out to eat at Jim's. Granny Polly, Uncle Mike and the girls, Aunt Joy and Uncle Tim, Hannah and Tyler, and Mandy and Sohie were all there. We all ate cake and had a great visit together. And the good news is we get to do it again this Saturday for Uncle Mike's birthday.

Well I think that's enough for the night. Hope I didn't overload you with too much of my exciting life..ha ha. If you want to see pictures and videos from St Simons and dinner at Tyler's house on the 4th, you can go to my MySpace or Facebook pages.

I passed!!

So I know I said I would post after Father's Day, but I just had to share the good news. I passed my Exit exam for my Math 099 class! Though it doesn't guarantee that I will pass the class as a whole, but I am just so grateful that I was finally able to overcome it. I decided to go with the paper option this time, and it was much easier on me. It was more questions, but this time I was in a room to my self, and I felt like I was able to take my time to work out each question as best I could. Once I was done, the instructor ran it through the Scantron machine and said that I got 42/44 points which means I passed!! I called momma to tell her the good news and she said that caused for a celebration.

Her idea of a celebration was a cookie cake from Lucky's. She wanted to get one that said "Congratulations!", but all they had was "Happy Birthday!" or "Happy Father's Day!".

The thing is, I have been telling her I wanted a cookie cake for my birthday this year. She said we could try it out and see whether or not I still wanted one. I quickly pointed out that a cookie cake from the Great American Cookie Company might be a little different than one from Lucky's grocery store.

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for me. I know it is because of the blessing of the Lord that I am able to say that I passed.

Good news, bad news

Sadly, I failed my math exit exam once again. The good news is that I did do 2 points better on it, but those 2 points were not enough to make it a passing grade. The woman in the testing lab told me that there is a written option for the test, and that I need to contact my instructor to see what he wants me to do. I e-mailed my teacher when I got home, but did not get a response from him yet. If I don't hear from him by tomorrow morning, I plan to call him. I have prayed and prayed and have faith that God will help me pass this test so that I can enjoy my summer with my family! Please continue to pray for me.

Aside from the stress of all that, my Aunt Joy had a great surprise party! She had no idea and my Granny Polly was able to stall her long enough to get everything set up. After the surprise, food, presents and cake, all the kids went swimming in the pool. Or as my cousin Sophie would say "fwimming". Unfortunately I didn't take my camera, or I'm sure I would have some great pics to post. I love days like this when I get to spend time with my wonderful family. Hannah did a great job and a good time was had by all!

My momma and I have been discussing vacation options for next week. She is off and so is daddy, so all we have to do is to decide if we have the money and where to go. Abbi says Smoky Mountains again, but after 3 times in a row, I know what to expect from that place and it almost makes me want to stay home instead of going there. But if it comes to that, I will keep my mouth shut and be grateful for what I get, as always. As we tell the kids at school, "you get what you get and you don't pitch a fit".

Also, momma doesn't want to go too far in case Grandpaw Don gets sick again. He has been doing good after his 2nd trip to the hospital, but we never know when he will end up going back. I am just so thankful that he is feeling better and that we still have him. Though she know she won't be able to do much if she is here, it would make her feel useful to be here in case something does.

Well, gotta go catch up on some laundry. I will post again after Father's Day. Hopefully I will have lots of good pics to post when I talk to you again.