Waxing Desperate with Imagination: Christmas Letter--2015 edition

On the twelfth day of Christmas, the Copelands thought back on a delightful 2015 and remembered...

12 Corks-a-popping...

Adam and Cathy still do love their wine. And, since Gwendolyn has been a wonderful sleeper (most of the time), we have gotten to enjoy many of our favorite vintages. Here’s to more Malbec, Moscato, Petit Verdot, Gewurztraminer, Traminette, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Montepulciano, Tempranillo, Syrah, Chianti, and Bordeaux in the coming year!

11 days in Asia…

Adam travelled to China (Hong Kong and Macau), Viet Nam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh), and Myanmar (Yangon) to recruit students to attend the JMU International Study Center, where he started year 7 with the company in August.

10 TV shows-a-watching...

Latham likes to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sofia the First, and Octonauts, while Adam & Cathy would recommend Downton Abbey, Scandal, Parks and Rec, Blackish, Brooklyn 99, Master of None, and Grimm to our friends. (Don’t worry; we DO still read too!)

9 pounds, 5 ounces of perfection…

was born on April 20th. Gwendolyn Catherine Copeland is now almost eight months old, in the beginning stages of crawling, and fully invested in whatever big brother is doing. She is a beauty and a joy; we couldn’t be happier!

8 combined visits by our parents...

We’re so thankful that our parents are willing to make the effort (and the drive!) to come see us regularly. Latham and Gwendolyn are obviously the main draw, but we love the chance to spend time with them -- and sneak away for a date too.

7 days in Alabama…

We spent Thanksgiving in Florence this year with Adam’s family. Everyone was able to make it and we soaked up the time together. Roger and Teddy now have five grandkids, with one more expected in January 2016! It was a week filled with games, toys, parks, playgrounds, bowling, food, and a photo shoot.

6 business trips for Adam…

which left Cathy solo with the kids. Cathy’s mom helped out a week in May; Latham went to Alabama with the Copelands for a week in June. Otherwise, though, it was a struggle juggling both kids. But Cathy reached out to friends, therapy, and some medication to deal with the stress and the post-partum depression. It’s been rough, but Cathy is happier now.

5 years of marriage…

Though we didn’t do anything major to celebrate five years of marriage, we did get to visit CrossKeys Vineyards (our wedding site) several times this year, and we even attended a beautiful wedding there. On our wedding day, we had a date to the scrumptious Joshua Wilton House. As a family trip, we went to Virginia Beach for a couple days in June; although it was cold and foggy, we had a wonderful time and saw some friends too!

4 days in Michigan…

We spent Labor Day weekend in Saline with Cathy’s family at her sister’s house. We had a great time: visiting a waterpark, a family photo shoot, playing with cousins (in a fabulous basement), cooking out, and catching up with Bloses, Bulls, Rademakers, and Wiecks.

3nager or threenager…

Noun: a three year old who behaves in a manner similar to that of a teenager, complete with fits, tantrums, changings of the mind, misbehavior. Latham is full of energy, bouncing from one thing to another. He is a sweet and gentle big brother, and it seems like he saves his most of his sweetness and gentleness for Gwendolyn. He attends day care four times a week and absolutely loves his friends and teachers. He’s quick to make a friend and offer a smile, as well as make a request to play with him. But, boy, can he be stubborn and emotional!

2 books written…

Cathy decided to focus on trying to write this year. In June and July, she concentrated on writing a nonfiction book about mental illness and, in November, she completed NaNoWriMo and wrote a fiction book that included mystery, mayhem, romance, and Victorian book thievery. She was able to do this writing because she took the fall semester off from teaching. She will teach this coming year, but hopes to edit both books, perhaps send one to some readers/publishers, and participate in NaNoWriMo again.

1 sweet/suite life for which we’re thankful.

We’re very pleased with our life and thankful to you for being a part of it. We wish you peace and joy for 2016 and offer to you one life hack that benefitted us greatly from this year: When traveling, get a suite so that the kids can sleep and the parents can still eat and drink and chat and watch tv. It makes for a happier evening!

Thanks for reading our wild, weird, and wacky Christmas card for 2015.

Love,
The Copelands --Adam, Cathy, Latham, Gwendolyn, and Mr. Oliver