The Sunday Seven 05.12.13

What I did this week. This past week was my last full week of teaching, and it was a doozy, for sure. Morning duty, standardized testing, detention duty, packing up my class room, planning for some lovely ladies' retirements, & planning activities for the students in my absence, oh my! At one point, my To-Do list was rocking 63 items. Not to mention, the realization that I will no longer be working with children on a daily basis anymore hit me pretty hard. But, alas, the weekend came and I'm ready to face this next week head on!

What kept me busy this weekend. While Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff to summer, I went ahead and started mine this weekend. We resumed our Friday night summer ritual by going to Chuck's Marina and spent all day Saturday hanging out with some good people on Lake Martin. And, of course, I spent my Sunday with my incredible family to honor my mother, grandma, and aunt.

What I'm eating. I don't have anything particularly exciting to write about in this category. It's been a whole lot of PB&J's for me this week. However, I did sit down to a Mother's Day feast today.

What products I'm using. I've been loving this brown sugar and olive oil scrub one of my dear coworkers gave me. It is perfect for this time of year since it exfoliates and hydrates. My skin has a nice little glow to it, and it smells divine!

What I'm listening to. There's something about this time of year that makes me roll down my windows and turn up the country music. Currently, I'm loving Jake Owen's new song "Anywhere with You".

What I'm looking forward to. I am so looking forward to this upcoming week for so many reasons! First, because I will walk out of Room 6205 for the last time on Tuesday afternoon. Don't get me wrong, this thought saddens me to no end, but I am looking forward to it being done so that I can officially focus all of my excitement and attention to the start of my new career. Second, I am looking forward to this week because I am packing up the bikinis and loading the car for a few days at the beach with my ladies! This thought helped pull me through last week several times. There are few things I enjoy more than spending some QT with Aubrey and Jenna!!

What quote I'm loving.
Sounds simple but not so much. Ol' Ralphy knew what he was talking about!

The Times They are A-Changin'

  "Courage is the power to let go of the familiar."--Raymond Lindquist

   I have been itching to formally make this announcement for quite some time now. I wanted to make sure I told my students first before I put my business out there in cyber space. After an emotional day spent talking it over with my kiddos, I am finally comfortable sharing the news with y'all.

     I am so very pleased to announce that I have accepted a position with Raycom Media. I am so excited and anxious about this new opportunity!!

     While I adore teaching and cherish the opportunity to make a difference in a young person's life, I have felt a pulling in my heart to make a professional change. Not wanting to make the wrong move or do anything rash, I came back to school this year and prayerfully seeked God's guidance and wisdom regarding this subject. I didn't want to do anything drastic without confirmation from Him that this was His will. And boy was He faithful with giving me confirmation! :) Just as He usually does, God didn't just answer my prayers--He went above and beyond what I asked of Him. It has been made abundantly clear that this big change is the right change for me.

       I am so grateful for having the privilege and honor to be a teacher for the past four years. As much as this sounds like a cliche, I truly believe these kids have taught me just as much as I've taught them. I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that I am a better person because of them. Since becoming a teacher, I've learned the arts of patience, forgiveness, and humility. I've learned that you have to pick your battles and let things roll off your back. I've learned that a smile is more powerful and more potent than anything that comes out of your mouth. I've learned that it takes all different kinds and diversity is something that should be celebrated. I've learned that, if you want to know the truth about something, ask a child. I've learned that encouragement and praise go a long way. I've learned that my way is not necessarily the right way and flexibility is key. I've learned that you may never truly know how much of an impact you can have on another person's life, but you should strive to do just that every single day. I know these kids will probably never know the profound impact they've had on my life, but I will be spending these next few precious days trying to show them!
   

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1: 17

   



 

Friday's Letters 05.03.2013

Dear Short Work Week,

  My, you sure make the week fly by!! And I'm certainly not complaining.

Dear Spray Tan,

   Thanks for sticking around after I got back from the beach. Only problem with that is I have no idea if I'm actually tan or if all of this is just paint that's going to wash off in the next couple of days. Either way, I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Dear The Vampire Diaries,

   I wish there was a new episode every single night!! You are, without a doubt, my biggest guilty pleasure. But what's wrong with a little teeny-bopper vampire fun?

Dear Todd,

   Once again, you are a miracle worker! Thanks to you, I am no longer sporting frayed ends and washed-out color on my head. It certainly hurts my feelings to look back as I'm leaving and see all that hair circling the chair I was just sitting in, but I suppose I'd rather have slightly shorter, more healthy hair than longer, dead hair. 

Dear Ross,

   Admittedly, you are not my usual go-to spot for retail therapy. I detest having to dig through rack of clothing. However, you are the absolute best when it comes to finding super cute and affordable dresses for work. Brag alert: I got three dresses that are appropriate for both work and church at just over $40. 

Dear Ants Plaguing My Flower Beds,

   I'm sorry you had to die. Really, I am. Unfortunately, I desperately need to finish planting my flowers and you wouldn't comply with my no-biting policy.

Dear Middle of May,

   Cannot wait until you come around so I can return to the beach. Last weekend spoiled me. Big time.