The 2011 Virtual Christmas Card Letter (scroll down for the 2010 letter)
So, dear friends, if we were to send Christmas cards, we would try to put to paper something like this webpage, chronicling our lives in 2011. A brief introduction: Andrew finished his first year at Middle Tennessee State University in November and began his stint as an adjunct journalism professor in September. Elise is just as busy as ever as the Chief Life Officer of the Oppmann Family. Emily entered 7th grade at Central Magnet School; Sarah is in the 5th grade at Discovery School at Reeves Rogers; and Rachel, starting January 2012, moved to kindergarten at MTSU's Homer Pittard Campus School.
December 2011
Our trip to see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was the highlight of December, along with Emily and Sarah's appearance on the "Christmas at Belmont" PBS show.
November 2011
Sarah was a hit in "Annie," we saw the CMAs and welcomed friends from Wisconsin to the Boro.
October 2011
Fall break in Washington, Emily on the Central Middle Tennis Team and the Rev. Andrew makes his debut at Scott and Sherry's wedding.
September 2011
MTSU celebrated its centennial, Elise and Rachel had birthdays and Andrew paid a visit to Alan Jackson.
August 2011
A new cousin arrives, a 30th reunion is marked and Gannett finally names new leaders in Murfreesboro and Clarksville.
July 2011
We spent the Independence Day holiday with Alan and Marcy and went to the top of the Gateway Arch.
June 2011
Another trip to Myrtle Beach, our annual visit with Coach Brad and a camping adventure (we didn't take pictures of the thunderstorm that almost washed us away).
May 2011
We met Dolly Parton (thanks to Dolly spotting a shivering Sarah during the filming of Dolly's music video), Emily was a hit at softball and Rachel graduated preschool. We all went to Charleston, S.C., to hear Emily perform with the choir.
March and April 2011
Sarah turns 10, the girls go to Gram and Pubba's Florida retreat and Elise makes amazing cupcakes.
Spring Training 2011: The 19th annual March tradition
Don and Andrew took the crew to Fort Myers, Fla., for an excellent set of games.
January and February 2011
We rang in the New Year in Wisconsin, enjoyed a visit from Alan and Marcy and watched the Super Bowl with the Nashville Packers Backers.
The 2010 Virtual Christmas Card Letter
After working for 10 newspapers in seven states during 25 years in journalism, we made our boldest move to date in 2010: Leaving the newspaper biz, choosing to stay in Middle Tennessee and beginning a new career. We moved to Murfreesboro when Andrew was promoted in 2007 and joined Gannett Tennessee. For more than three years, he was an executive for the newspapers in Murfreesboro, Nashville and Clarksville. But in November, shortly after his 16th anniversary as a Gannett employee, we opted to get off the merry-go-round and unpack our moving boxes for good. Lucky for us, a terrific opportunity materialized for us here, as Andrew is now associate vice president and spokesman for Middle Tennessee State University, serving as its lead marketing and communications executive.
December 2010
We ended the year with a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, our annual holiday concert with the Nashville Children's Choir and year-end performances by Emily at Central Magnet. We had a great Christmas!
November 2010
Goodbyes at The DNJ and The Leaf-Chronicle. Emily and Sarah step up at First Church. The annual football defeat of the Kentucky Wildcats by the Tennessee Volunteers.
October 2010
The family's third and final furcation of the year was in Disney World for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. Andrew resigned Gannett just a few days from his 16th anniversary with the company. We dressed as pirates for Halloween and visited Keeneland Race Course in Lexington (box at the Winner's Circle).
July-August-September 2010
The Oppmann girls were all in the Center for the Arts production of "Gypsy;" we got a new puppy; and Andrew visits The Tennessean pressroom for the last time to see his papers (DNJ and Leaf) print.
June 2010
June brought another furcation from Gannett, which we spent traveling to Myrtle Beach (our first time there); Augusta (to see friends Alan and Coach Brad) and Wisconsin. We got great seats at Nashville Rising, a benefit concert for the victims of the Flood of 2010.
May 2010
The Flood of 2010 hit Clarksville hard (barely covered by anyone except The Leaf-Chronicle!); Emily and Elise went to New Orleans with the Nashville Children's Choir (and got stranded there because of the flood closing the Nashville airport); Rachel's preschool graduation; Emily made the softball team at Central Magnet; and other fun!
April 2010
Andrew unveiled his second restored Doughboy statue (first in Appleton, second in Clarksville); Easter dresses; a birthday at the Nashville Superspeedway; and Sarah's debut with the Nashville Children's Choir.
Spring Training 2010
Year 18 of the annual Spring Training adventure took us to Arizona. We saw the new Dodgers park and visited with Coach Brad. Debut of The 3-B Club shirts, which prompted many to think we were a bowling team.
February-March 2010
Emily and Sarah were in the Center for the Arts production of The Jungle Book; the Koehler family visits from Wisconsin; Sarah turns 9; and United Way celebrates the end of the 2009 fundraising campaign, led by Andrew.
January 2010
Our cruise to Mexico (including Cozumel and Costa Maya) was the highlight of January. It was Andrew's first "furcation" of the year (mandatory week off without pay), courtesy of Gannett!
Our Oppmann.com Photo Archives
Photos from years before 2010 are available on our "classic" site, which you can access by clicking here. The classic site also has special pages set up for the birth and life of son Patrick and our "miracle" baby, daughter Rachel.
