2015 has been a year to remember for the Copelands.  We experienced new places, met new people, dreams came true and God was in control.  We started the year off with great friends in Nashville for NYE.

 

You know it’s going to be a great year when you start the year off with New Year’s Resolutions in a great city with college friends.  We feel so blessed by these friendships and their support through our crazy life.

We made our last trip to see S’s family in Texas, and I had my first “Painting with a Twist” experience with my sister and mother in law.  It will have to find a spot in our new house.

Mardi Gras is a big deal in south Mississippi, south Alabama and the state of Louisiana.  S, being from Texas, has never experienced Mardi Gras.  Before we left for spring training, my family took a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and a Hornets game, so S got to experience it for the first time.

After Mardi Gras, it was time to start packing up for spring training obviously our kitty Skylar was not ready for us to leave.  Skylar traveled with us the last 2 years, and I had planned on it in 2015 as well but with S being up and down 5 times it just was not realistic.

My birthday is February 15th, so obviously it’s around the time we have to report to spring training.  S took me to Texas De Brazil for the first time in Tampa.  There was so much food I was overwhelmed.  I promise every piece of meat you can think of is at this restaurant.  It was a cool experience!

We learned that Tampa had a Top Golf.  We had to go check this place out since we have never been before.  We went with friends and got on the second level.

After spring training, S was told to report to AAA in Buffalo, NY.  I took my first 19 hour rode trip with my friend Katie who followed me up until we had to split off since her boyfriend was sent to New Hampshire.  While leaving Dunedin, we hit horrible sit still/turn your car off traffic.  There was a wreck and traffic was all backed up.  We left Easter weekend, so all the snow birds were heading back up north.

Yep, we had time to snap pictures and get out of the car and chill on the side rail.

Upon arriving to Buffalo, I saw my first frozen lake.  I just could not believe this whole thing was frozen.

S and I had our first experience at the Chocolate Bar in downtown Buffalo.

After all the traveling we do, I got my first case of bed bugs.  Freaked out/itching feeling all over the body.  I was not sure what it was until I started to put two and two together.  Obviously, it was not mosquito bites since its so cold in Buffalo.  Side note:  mosquitoes love me!  I went to S’s trainer, and he told me the same thing… BED BUGS!

Because of the bed bugs, we had to sleep on our air mattress until they could get the exterminator.  Then, S got the call that we have been waiting for his entire baseball career.  S received his first call up to the big leagues.  The night he received the call up, we had to sleep on the air mattress due to bed bugs!  We did not sleep that night anyways due to so much excitement!  Bed bugs were not getting us down!  The team was in Cleveland, Ohio which is 3 hours from Buffalo.  A car service picked him up, and I was able to drive the car down to watch him!

S was needed back to back games in Cleveland, so he was sent down for a fresh arm.  Back in Buffalo, we had an off day together and experienced Niagara Falls for the first time!

I went home to Mississippi for one of my friend’s wedding, and S got another call up!  We experienced Canada and the Rogers Center for the first time! We loved Toronto and the feeling of the city.  I experienced church in a movie theater for the first time in Toronto.  We ate poutine (fries with gravy) for the first time and experienced the famous restaurant Wahlburgers.

S got his first MLB win against the Miami Marlins!

We rode our first water bike, and I did my first outdoor Zumba class on Canalside Buffalo!

I decided to start this blog after my dad told me how much people enjoy keeping up with my adventures.  So, I started my first blog “Life of a Traveling Baseball Wife,” and I got a call to do an interview from an online newspaper in San Francisco about being a baseball wife.  She found my blog and wanted to know more about being married to a professional baseball player.  I was so excited that my words and thoughts were going to get heard by others on the west coast.During the All Star break, we went to Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada.  We  have never been to a winery, so we took a tour of Trius Winery.

We went to our first drive thru safari in Hamilton, Ontario during the All Star Break.

We experienced our first Star Wars night at Coca-Cola field, and S got the start too!  He was given the name Scott “Yoda” Copeland.

I ran my first 5K with my sister in law.S and I attended the PAO (Professional Athletes Outreach) conference for the first time this year in Atlanta, Georgia for baseball players.  It was an incredible experience, and we will never miss it!  We made some new friends, grew closer as a couple and with God.  S was baptized for the first time and me for the second!  We did it together and know God will continue to work in our lives.  At the conference, we saw David Crowder perform for the first time as well.  I encourage every baseball couple to attend this conference.  It was an absolute blessing and game changer for us.

S and I were determined to buy our first home in 2015.  We are so excited that our home will be done very soon, and we can enjoy it before spring training begins.  It has been stressful and fun to watch it go up little by little and see the things we picked out go into our home!  We feel so blessed to call this home, and we cannot wait to move in.

As 2016 approaches, S and I are so excited to see what this next year has in store.  2015 has been such a special year to us even through the ups and downs.  God has remained faithful as we have continued to put our trust in Him.  I cannot wait to share with you all our adventures in 2016.  Let the New Year begin!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO,

HC