What do you make?

Lately, I've been feeling a lot of criticism for teaching.

People questioning why I want to do it.

Scoffing at the little amount of money I'll be making.

Not really seeing my motivation to do something I'm so passionate about.

Well this pretty much sums it up.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

The Countdown Begins!

Let's be honest...I've had a countdown for a while.

But today it officially begins.

In two months from today,

at this exact time probably,

I'll be at the airport waiting for my flight to Dublin.

And my European adventure will begin!

I can't believe how fast time is going by.

It seems like just yesterday this adventure was just a fleeting dream.

And to think it's almost here is ridiculous.

I have so much to do.

So little time.

I'm kind of freaking out about it.

Mostly about how I'm going to pack for seven months.

In one suitcase.

I have a lot of clothes!

How will I pick my favorites?!

#toughdecisions

First I have to get through

student teaching and graduation.

Two big things.

I'm trying to live in the moment and

not wish away the time.

But when Europe is dangling in the future,

it's soooooo hard.

Graduation: 53 days

Europe: 60 days

It will be over before I know it!

PS: I'm now on bloglovin. Check out the sidebar to follow me!

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!

#europe2013

Remember when I said I had more big news to share?

Well I can finally tell you what it is.

Drum roll please.......

I'm going to be living in Europe for seven months!!

Y'all. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am.

I booked my flight earlier this morning so it's official!

via

I'll be traveling with Rachel for a few weeks and then teaching at the camp in Modena.

After that, I'll be an au pair in Spain for two months.

Then I'll be with another family in France until December!

Earlier this year when I was beginning to apply for teaching jobs, I just wasn't very excited.

I didn't really feel drawn to any specific area and I just wasn't ready to teach yet.

Then an au pair opportunity came up and it seemed like an answer to prayers.

The Lord worked out all of the details in a matter of two days.

One Friday, I was applying for jobs in Gwinnett.

The next Monday, I was looking into flights to go to Europe.

I am so extremely thankful and blessed to have this opportunity.

There will never be a better time for me to travel like this.

The families I will be living with are just the nicest people.

I already feel welcomed into their homes.

So now the tough stuff begins.

Visas, shipping luggage, packing for seven months (really freaking out about this), etc.

There are so many little things I have to do in the next 65 days.

Any suggestions or advice would be extremely helpful!

Thank you to those of you who have already helped me out!

Hope y'all are having an awesome Tuesday!

I know I sure am :)

Melt My Heart

I just had to share this.

One of my favorite students wrote me this note 

during writing workshop today.

So so precious.

Translation:

Dear Ms. Burton,

You are the sweetest teacher. You teach me lots of things. You are pretty and you're nice to me. And I like you. You are cute.

Sincerely,

Keysy

{Picture: Keysy says, "You are cute!" I say, "Thank you Keysy!"}

We're still working on the format of a letter. But she's getting there :)

SweetHeart VoxBox

It finally came!

When I heard I was receiving a VoxBox from Influenster, I was so excited.

This is my first one and it has some great stuff.

Influenster is a program where you earn badges through connecting your social media, through your interests, and by posting reviews. And the best part? It's completely free!

Check them out if you haven't heard of them.

Here are the descriptions listed in the VoxBox:

1. Olay Fresh Effects {Va-Va-Vivid!} Powered Contour Cleaning System: "A vibrating, tri-tip facial cleansing brush that packs some punch! This battery-powered device reaches deep into contours, liberating skin from dirt, oil, and makeup in hard-to-reach places for a clean that is 400% better than basic cleaning." 400%? Sounds pretty good to me.

2. Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response: "Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response in Serene Citrus is uniquely formulated to protect you from all three causes of sweat, especially stress sweat." That sounds awesome to me considering I have two formal observations coming up soon.

3. Not Your Mother's She's a Tease Volumizing Hair Spray: "Infused with natural apple blossom and bamboo, She's a Tease is a salon-formula hairspray that creates volume and lift with a firm, non-crunchy hold."

4. Skinnygirl Daily On-The-Go Bars: "With only 180 calories per bar, you can enjoy Skinnygirl Daily On-The-Go bars guilt-free. The bars are natural, kosher, and high in fiber. All bars now have MORE protein, & MORE fiber, LESS sugar, & FEWER carbs! These bars are the perfect indulgent treat for individuals looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle."

I am most excited for the Olay Fresh Effects Cleaning System.

I was telling my cousin the other day that I really wanted to try one of these.

And what do you know?! I get one in the mail!

All of these products are actually things I've been meaning to get:

hairspray, deodorant, face cleanser.

I'm glad I checked my mailbox before I went to the store!

I'm also excited to try the Skinnygirl bar. It looks delicious.

You can't really tell but it's a thick bar.

Which is perfect for those mornings when I need a quick breakfast.

I can't wait to test these products!

I'll keep you posted on how I like them.

Disclaimer: I received this box for free and will not get compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

Valentine's Day...a little late

These weeks are just flying by!

I am still LOVING my student teaching. My little first graders are so precious.

And my teacher? I can't say enough wonderful things about her.

So so blessed to be where I am.

Here's a little recap of February:

Valentine's Day is thee absolute best as a teacher.

You get loaded down with chocolates and cards and flowers.

Such a good way to put a smile on my face!

And I can't even begin to tell you the amount of sugar we had in the room.

#yummm

~part of my load~

How cute are these?!

I found the cutest Valentine's Day book at Target for $3.

It's the same type of rhyme as "Twas the Night Before Christmas".

The kids loved it.

We did some really fun activities that day as well.

You have to have Candy Hearts on Valentine's Day:

And we measured mustaches. I found this on Teachers Pay Teachers for free!

They had so much fun with this.

On a different note, I got a few new things that I'm currently obsessed with.

{I'm going to show you pictures but just know that this is weird for me.

I don't think I've ever shared selfies...not really my thing. Also excuse the blurriness. 

That's what happens when you use an iPod instead of a real camera.}

For starters, I got a pleather peplum shirt.

If that isn't awesome I don't know what is.

I also scored this dress from Old Navy for only $10!

Love it when I find cheap teacher clothes.

{yes...I refer to some clothes as teacher clothes}

I'll be back later to share the most fun activity I've ever done in school.

We're still in the process of putting up our work so I'll wait until I have good pictures.

Trust me you won't want to miss it.

It involves aliens.

Happy Sunday!