Feeling Thankful

I've been home for almost a month now. I have a lot I want to talk about and document. But for now, I'm just really thankful to be home with my family. I love these people and can't imagine life without them. I'm so grateful for the relationship I have with them. I go back to Europe in 20 short days (whoa!) but for now, I'm just going to make the most out of this sweet time at home!

On Christmas day, my family went to Atlanta to feed some of the homeless people my mom sees every week. This man, Joseph, was such a blessing. He sure knows his Bible verses! He asked all of us to share our favorite verse and then he talked about how good God is all the time. Amen.
It was such a refresher to do something for others on a day that is usually all about ourselves. We had so much fun being together as a family, meeting new friends, and giving to others.

Last Days in America

A whopping 54 days ago, I left America to start this European journey.

I can't believe it's been that long! It seems like just yesterday I had no idea what I was going to do after graduation. And now here I am...almost two months later.

I still have a lot to blog about. I haven't even looked at my pictures from the beginning of my trip.

Dublin, our first stop, seems like ages ago.

I have a few family members (cough cough...Nanny...) who keep asking me for more posts.

They're coming! I promise!

For starters, here are my last days in America.

The day before I left, I went out to take pictures for one of my dad's appraisals. I had to stop to take a picture of this place. I love everything about it.

The night before:

 

1. Wyatt. He's getting so old!

2. Scenes around our house

3. Chocolate chip cookie from Chick-fil-A. And now I'm drooling.

4. Cal made the 900 club!

5. My favorite picture of us circa 2002

And here are my last moments in America:

1. Quick stop on the way to the airport

2. Couldn't even take a picture before my brothers snatched most of the box

3. Beginning of an adventure

4. Last picture taken in America!

The next travel post will hopefully be about Dublin!

PS two blog posts in a day! Success!

Happy Fourth!!

While I'm stuck in Spain (bummer, right?!), my family is all in Florida.

We have a yearly tradition of going to the beach for two weeks right around this time of year.

Celebrating the Fourth of July on the ocean is the best way to do it.

Cal's girlfriend has been sending me pictures to help me share in their fun.

{really it's just making me jealous}

I'm extremely grateful for this experience I've been given, but it's hard not to miss my family on major holidays. I'm wishing I was parked in a chair in front of the ocean reading a book and soaking up the sun!

While I'm here watching after two crazy boys, I hope y'all are enjoying time with family and friends!

So thankful for the freedom we have in America and for the people who fight for us everyday!

Last Weekend in Italy

I said goodbye to my Italian family a little over a week ago.

It was much easier this time (compared to last year) because I know I'll be seeing them again very soon.

Now that I'm in Europe, it is so much easier to visit for a weekend. And cheaper.

Our last weekend was spent at the sea in La Spezia. Marco has an apartment right on the sea because he works in the city. Beachfront property!!

It was so nice to be at the beach and enjoy the sun.

Especially with these wonderful people!

{Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook have already seen these pictures. Sorry!}

What's a post about Italy without gelato?!

This is my new favorite picture. Love these people dearly.

Filippo, Carlotta, Marco, Maria Pia, me, Giacomo, Francesco

First Dinner

Said goodbye to this girl as a traveling partner two nights ago. After being with her for 3 weeks straight, it was weird to be apart. We got to see each other today for a good seven hours so the separation anxiety wasn't that bad.

Don't know what I'm going to do when she goes back to America and I stay in Europe!

Thanks for being such a great traveling buddy, Rachel! We had such a great time and awesome conversations. Literally don't know what I would have done without you. I would probably still be lost in Edinburgh trying to find my way back to the castle :)

And because I'm in Italy, what's a post without food?

This was the first real dinner of my time here. Gnocco with lots of different meats and cheeses. So delicious. The mozzarella was to die for. Yummmm. Pretty sure I ate half of the bowl of gnocco by myself.

I tried to get some good pictures of dinner but my family made fun of me. So I put my camera up. But next time I'm not going to listen to them!

In case you can't tell, it's great to be back here. I missed these guys so much!

Saying Goodbye

This post is going to count how many times I cried before I left. Crying is super rare for me. So I feel like I should document it. It's almost comical how many times it happened.

Saying goodbye to my family was so difficult. It was so weird to think that I wouldn’t see them again for seven months. Fortunately my mom is coming to visit me in October, so I’ll get a little taste of home.

1. My brother Zeb and I are very close. Seven months is the longest we have ever been apart from each other. He had to work Friday morning so he couldn’t come to the airport with us. He said goodbye on Thursday night and I just about lost it. He gave me a hug and just wouldn’t let go! First time I cried.

We were going for a serious picture but Wyatt didn't get the memo.

 2. I went to my grandparents house Thursday night.  They were telling me to be careful and I was fine for 30 minutes. But then on the way out, my grandpa gave me a long hug and I lost it.

3. Zeb texted me Thursday night after he left to say how much he loved me. Cue the tears.

4. Friday morning I went to Allie’s house to say goodbye. She is basically my sister so that was difficult. Aunt Linda definitely didn’t help with the sad faces :)

5. My dad wasn’t able to come with us to the airport so I had to say goodbye at home. I like to consider myself a daddy’s girl, even if it isn’t as extreme as it was when I was younger. We basically couldn’t speak to each other so we just hugged and did our little hand sign thing we do.

Please excuse the extremely tired face and huge dark circles. I didn't sleep much.

6. My cousin Beverly called me on the way to the airport. When I was younger, she used to take Zeb and me to the movies and ice cream about once every week. It was so fun hanging out with her. She called to tell me how much she loved me and to be careful. So I teared up. Again.

7. My mom, Callaway, and Wyatt took me to the airport. They walked me back to the security line and we sat down to talk for a few minutes.  I even got to call my other grandma before I left. I didn’t think I was going to cry. But then my mom prayed over me. Having people pray for me always makes me cry, especially if it’s my mom. Then Cal and Wyatt hugged me (which is rare for us) and I teared up at that. After they left, I had to go to the bathroom to dry my tears for a few minutes.

So basically, I had really red eyes all throughout security, check in, and the first flight. I haven’t broken down sobbing yet. I don’t really expect that to happen. But it was definitely an emotional 24 hours. I just love my family so much!

I’m extremely excited for this new adventure, but I will definitely miss those people.

Good thing we have skype and email!

To My Mother

Happy Mother's Day to the most wonderful mother. I could not have asked for a better role model and I thank God for you daily. You have set such a good example for the boys and me. Thank you for being so loving, so selfless, and so supportive of us. I love you so much!

Celebrating Life

I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned this here on the blog.

Five years ago, my mom was diagnosed with

a rare form of stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

To say it was a devastating day would be an understatement.

I won't go into the full story right now, but she had been sick for months.

Doctors had no idea what was wrong after countless tests.

Finally on March 11, they figured it out.

She was in the hospital for a long time while they drained fluid, performed surgeries, and tried to get her healthy.

She had very aggressive chemo treatments and a lot of radiation.

After all of that, the cancer was gone.

The Lord moved in mighty ways during those months.

The doctors told us my mom would not have survived a couple of weeks more

had they not found the cancer.

God is Healer and He definitely answers prayers.

I know many of you may not be believers, but my mom's story is a testament to the awesome God I serve.

Through her journey, my mom kept an online journal of sorts.

She was a blogger before me!

She is a very talented writer and many people have been asking her to publish her entries.

I'm really hoping she does this at some point.

It's always encouraging for me to read back over her posts.

If you'd like to read about her story, you can go here.

Though I didn't go into many details here, I'd be more than happy to answer questions.

About her cancer, about God, about how it felt for us.

I know many of you have gone through similar situations.

When I say I understand and can empathize, know that I really mean it.

To end on a happy note, yesterday was my Dad's birthday.

Five years ago, we "celebrated" his birthday in a hospital 

waiting for my mom to get out of surgery.

Yesterday, we celebrated at dinner. Everyone together. Healthy.

I am not a cryer but I have tears in my eyes as I type that.

I know the Lord is strong and mighty.

He has blessed my family in ways I can't even begin to understand.

For that, I will always be grateful.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

And Happy No-More-Cancer Day, Mom!

A Little Burton Fun

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

I know I sure did.

Lots of good food and fun times with family.

The day before Thanksgiving

{Thanksgiving Eve, if you will}

I got together with some of my cousins to make a little video.

We made one about a year ago

to a little song called "Call Me Maybe."

Maybe you've heard of it?

Here's that video:

We went with a One Direction song this time.

I think this one is my favorite.

Hope your holiday was fun-filled like mine!

Happy Holidays from the Burtons!

Proud Sister Moment

I just need to take a second a brag on my little brother. Callaway has officially been moved to the varsity football team. He has been playing JV and some varsity, but as of this week, no more JV!!

Which means Zeb and I don't have to drive home on Thursdays!

It was getting a little tiresome going home both Thursday and Friday nights to watch him play. So now it's just Fridays!

If you want to see a shot of him in action, click here. And here.

I love high school football. Really I love all football.

High school football just has a special place in my heart. I think it has something to do with the feel of a whole town rallying behind a team. There's just something so great about that.

It wouldn't surprise you then to know that Friday Night Lights is one of my favorite shows. If you haven't seen it, go to Netflix immediately and start watching. Tim Riggins is the man.

But I digress. Congrats, Cal! I'm so proud of you. Can't wait to watch you finish the season! Love you, bud!

Life Lately

This is my last week of summer vacation. And sadly I'm working every day. But I've managed to sneak in some fun in the afternoons.

On Wednesday, I had a little brother/sister date with Wyatt.

Chick-fil-A and the pool. Perfect day in my book.

I started reading this book yesterday and I can't put it down.

Wyatt was not too happy about taking pictures.

And here are a few pictures from the week. Find me on instagram! sarahecburton

Maggie!

farm life

Wyatt decided to get in Maggie's crate. So Zeb decided to lock him in.

Had to wait for these guys to cross the street...twice.

Hope y'all are enjoying your week!