2014

Hey Friends! I don't know about y'all but I have really enjoyed my downtime the last few weeks.  I've had family here for almost the entire time and I wouldn't have had it ANY other way!

Faith, Family and Love, what more could a girl ask for?

The holidays weren't exactly my *ideal* version because we missed my dad so much, but we tried to make the best of it and keep trucking :) That's what he would want! 

I can not believe it's almost 2014!!!! My goals for 2014..I haven't really had much time to stop and think about it.. but I bet I can come up with something :)

1. Spend more *quality* time with the family. You know, turn off the cellphones, TV's, video games and just unplug. We LOVE board games at my house. So I am making it a mission to have more board game nights, days or whatever else the family wants! 

2. Focus and give God the credit for our many blessings in life. My friend just told me about the "JesusCalling" App and I absolutely love it!

3. Spend more time in my classroom with "free moments".  By free moments I'm talking about leaving the lesson plan on my desk and having free discussions with the kids about their learning and what their goals are. I think this sometimes gets left in the dust with everything we have to do, so I'm going to try and make this more of a reality in my classroom.

4. Create more nonfiction units for my kiddos so that they can enjoy their leaning!

5. Keep up my exercise routine that I started over a year ago. I just recently got back in the gym after a few weeks off, and it was tough, but I'm ready to get back to the stamina I was at before Thanksgiving happened! This is week two of the new start, and I'm feeling more motivated than EVER!

So we go back Thursday! Kinda of crazy. When I made my plans, I was thinking about different sponge and review skills we could do before we start  new material. 

We are going to start off with a review of Place Value. We are going to use my Place Value Interactive Flip Books to review this skill. Our curriculum doesn't call for expanded form yet, but I always like to teach it as young as soon as possible. As a former upper grade teacher, I understand this is an important skill that needs to be taught while they are learning the basics and setting that foundation. My Place-Value-Interactive-Flip-Books are on sale as well as the rest of my store! 

Well, I'm off to cook my New Years Eve Dinner! Happy New Year Friends ! Love y'all! 

13 in '13

Hey Friends!!! I'm linking up with some other bloggers for my top 13 in '13!!!

This will be hard for me to make it to 13 but I'm going to try!!!

*One*

My little one started Kindergarten! My oldest started Second Grade!! They grow up soooo fast!!!

*Two*

I finnnnnnally got a full time teaching job! Like my very own classroom! After a year and a half!!!

I'm LOVING my new class! I'm back with the firsties and I LOVE IT! I have pretty much the dream team, administration and support system! My administration is so supportive and positive! I love it! 

Did I say I LOVE my new job?!?!? haha, sorry y'all

*Three*

This year I managed to pull something off I never thought I could. When the tornados hit OK, I was just devastated. I couldn't imagine experiencing that kind of pain. Losing every single item you have, or a family member. I wanted to help so badly, I just didn't know how. Then something powerful happened. God spoke to my heart and walked me through the steps to put together this amazing fundraiser. I could not have pulled it off without y'all, and my sweet blogging friends! We raised just under $30,000 in five days! I was so proud of the education community!!! 

*Four*

We got to go to our little mountain hideaway for Trout season. We usually only go during *deer hunting season*

Ahhh I love this place!

*Five*

My baby sister graduated college this year!!

*Six*

This year I feel like I've grown spiritually so much. God has given me experiences I would never chose to have on my own. But ultimately these experiences have helped me grow closer to God in a way I never thought possible. I thought I'd grown spiritually to the fullest, but what I realized this year, is I don't think that EVER happens. I think God continues to teach us  and use us as long as we are here. We all have something to learn, no matter what our field of expertise is. I feel like this year, I really learned a lot about applying my everyday life to the word of God. I think sometimes it's easy to read the bible and think "How does this apply to me today"...but what I've tried to learn is that I may not know right now what you are trying to tell me, but eventually, when the time is right, I will!! 

*Seven* 

Something I'm very passionate about is my annual Crusade For Safety

Please take the time to read about this!! It's something very important to me! Teenage Safe Driving is SO IMPORTANT! Now more than ever as teens (and adults) experience distracted driving!!

*Eight*

My favorite song this year is this.. Homesick

Not a song from this year, but I just discovered it, so that counts right :) 

*Nine*

My favorite blog post from 2013...

Co Teaching

*Ten*

Something I'm super excited about is my Donor's Chose project!!

*Eleven,Twelve and Thirteen*

I combined the last few for a lot of reasons. Mostly because of HOW important it is to me, but also because I'm running out of things to say!!!

A few weeks ago, I lost my sweet daddy. It's been the hardest few weeks of my life. Every time before now, that I thought I knew pain, I'm now reminded it was nothing that I have ever experienced before now. Even with all the pain I'm feeling, I'm  still reminded by God that I am a very fortunate young lady. I will always miss my daddy. Every time I hear "That's My Job" By Conway Twitty, I will cry. But I cried when he was here and I heard that song :) 

Yesterday, we had a chance to share God's love and help bless a family . I don't like talking about doing these things, because we do them in order to help them and share God's word, not for us to be recognized. But part of what I saw was so powerful and so moving!!! In all my hurt and pain, I looked into the eyes of little children who were so happy and grateful for our presence and blessings onto their family. All that hurt and pain went away. As I sat there with a young mom and told her about how Jesus has changed *my life* and how special that relationship is, joy overwhelmed my sorrowed heart. 

I want to end this post by telling you all that I'm extremely blessed to have you all in my life! Even though I don't "see" most of you, you are truly a blessing to have! I love y'all and love the friends I've made through this blog!! 

Quick and Easy Math Centers

I don't know about y'all but this time of year is so crazy! I am spending this week pretty much re-teaching skills from the last six weeks! 

I've talked before about my guided math routine. I need to do another post on that as a first grade teacher! Maybe during the break! The reason I LOVE guided math is because the instruction is tailored to each and every student. It is a lot of prep work, but I use several staple centers that are easily differentiated. For example, I use my Number-Order-and-Skip-Counting-Fun- as a staple center. I printed the pages on bright cardstock and laminated them. Some charts only go from 1-50, some 1-100. I also have different variations of skip counting so that my higher students can go above and beyond what our grade level expectations are and my lower students can practice in the areas they struggle with. 

This packet makes several very quick and practical math centers! 

You can check it out HERE

The Ones We Love The Most

I started this blog to have a place to share my classroom experiences. Little did I know or understand what I was getting myself into. This blog has become my little outlet. Not only about education, but about life. I've shared some experiences that reflect pain and tragedy and how I've tried to use those experiences to help people. My latest hardship doesn't seem to have a lesson in it, but God is still working. So we will see.

*Warning* Extremely Personal Post Ahead* 

My father was diagnosed with cancer in 2002. He fought it and he BEAT it! His health, however, suffered tremendously. In 2008, he had to switch to a feeding tube, because his food was going into his lungs, causing him to aspirate. The aspiration was causing chronic pneumonia. He was getting it almost every other month or so. When Daddy would get pneumonia, he was in ICU for a week or so and typically went into septic shock. I remember the Dr. telling us that people typically do not go into septic shock more than once. Daddy has been septic so many times, I've lost count. He was a strong man, and never let the fact that he couldn't eat slow him down. He still lived life everyday. He did a *few* things I didn't approve of...like long motorcycle trips, and just living on the edge. He told me he wasn't sure how long he had and he didn't want any regrets. Thanksgiving was always his favorite holiday, daddy was a foodie for sure! Every year, after he went to the tube, he just said "I know I can't eat, but I'm alive and still kickin'". The feeding tube did slow the pneumonia down, but it didn't prevent it. The last two years, his voice started to become very difficult to understand and our main methods of communication became texting and FB messages. Every Thanksgiving, my family comes from all over to the mountains of North Carolina. Last week, we were gearing up for that very tradition. Dad went up a little early, and had only been there a few hours. He pretty much went straight to bed that night...

So about 12 days ago, daddy text me, "I went shopping today, I bought the kiddos a 3 piece suit". I was like...what? You went shopping by yourself? And why a suit? You don't wear suits, my hubby doesn't wear suits? We are jeans and pearl snap shirt folks! That's our dress up! My hubby got a *tad* irritated at the thought of his kiddos in a 3 piece suit (ummm okay). I just said "Ya know, daddy never just randomly buys gifts, just let it be". That was Thursday. I told Daddy thanks for the suits and we looked forward to seeing them. 

Then the phone call that changed EVERYTHING. That middle of the night, gut wrenching phone call of someone you love crying. IF you haven't experienced this, I pray you never do. By the sound of my sweet Aunt's voice, I knew, this time was different. The hubby made some calls, and loaded our family up..the longest car ride of my life.

We got there, just in time for the doctors to tell us the most awful words ever "Your father has no blood flow to his brain". Daddy went to be with Jesus that day. I am thankful that we all had the chance to see him one last time. 

After we got back to my family's house, someone gave me another surprise. On that shopping trip, Daddy had bought my sister and I two pieces of jewelry. The first time in my life that he's ever randomly done that. I've shouted this from the rooftops, I don't think my daddy knew he was going to die. I do, however, believe that GOD put those impulses in his heart.  God knew that Daddy would soon be called to heaven. Dad had just finished his "honey do list " all over his house. Something he's had for YEARS to do. 

I wanted to share with you a few pictures, so that you could see the changes he went through. Cancer is an awful thing, and we were so excited when daddy "won" the battle. But the thing with cancer, it's not a battle, it's a war. The war continues for years after you are "Cancer Free". 

Pre-Cancer

My Wedding Day (4 years post cancer)

My brother and daddy ( 8 years post cancer)

10.5 years post cancer 

Our Last Picture

My kiddos proudly opened their gifts from their papa and wore those brand new suits to lay him ,to rest.

Now, as I attempt to figure out this new way of life without my daddy, I hope that I can show the courage and the strength that he did. I hope that one day people will say that I blessed their lives the way my dad did. I could not have asked for a better dad,  and am so honored when people tell me I'm just like him (Except SOME areas haha) 

I am so excited about a shadow box our friend made from Custom Coin Holders. He is a disabled veteran who does amazing work! Head on over and check them out!

Thank you for letting me share this with you. I am so honored that so many of you have become my friends through this little ole blog!!! 

Exhaustion at it's finest

So! A little update! As you know, I've been without a full time teaching position for a little over a year. My family moved last fall when my husband was transferred to VA. In the meantime, I've been volunteering, substituting and doing anything to just get out there and be involved in the schools. I've had a couple of *almost* jobs, and then on HALLOWEEN, I got the BEST phone call..job interview! I was so excited. I interviewed that day and was offered the job the next morning! I'm so happy to say that I'm returning to....my roots..my soul...FIRST GRADE!!!!

 So since November 1st, I have been running around like crazy!! 

We first had to move everything in..

I'm not sure if my husband was excited about my job...or that the fact that he could actually SEE his boat now ;)

Then, the real work began....

I can't even believe I'm posting this picture! But it shows the working stages of putting together a classroom!! I know you all know  how crazy it can be!!! 

These aren't the best pictures, but here goes my room thus far. I have a few more finishing touches to add..

I used my Chevron Classroom Labels

My Library Book Check Out System. Go check out this FREEBIE

I love A Cupcake For The Teacher's Behavior Chart

I used several of my sweet friend  Erica Bohrer's Resources

This is one of my favorite spaces..and I still have to add to it. I used command hooks to make up my own anchor chart storage area. 

  

My Library 

Multi Colored Chevron Labels

So now, I'm off to finish up my lesson plans and print my centers for the month! I'm using so many resources! I will share that with you later in the week!!! Be sure to stop by my little shop, you might find a little sale happening PLUS some freebies I added!!!

Throwback Thursday Trio

I am so happy to join in on the fun with my friends Michelle and Fern!! They've asked me to join in on the fun..so what exactly is a Throwback Thursday Trio?? Read here about what Fern and Michelle are up too:

Fern recently came up with a new idea.  Each week, we are going to make one of our normally priced packets free for one day.  This is our way of showing a little appreciation to our followers who have loyally followed our blogs.  As an added bonus, we are going to invite a different blogger friend each week to join us.  Not only will you get free stuff, you might get to "meet" someone new and want to follow his or her store, too.  How great is that?!!!  Make sure you visit our blogs every Thursday!

Click here to download my freebie! 

Just a reminder:  You will not be able to leave feedback after we change it back to a paid for lesson. 

My freebie is my